Love Binds Everything Together
Love Binds Everything Together
August 29, 2007
“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” Col 3:14
1. All the virtues that Paul encouraged the believers in Colosse to develop were perfectly bound together by love. As they clothed themselves with these virtues, the last garment to put on was love, which, like a belt, holds all of the others in place. (Phil 2:1-5)
2. Paul said in Romans 13:10 that “ love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law. ” Because love pulls together the other graces in perfect, unified action. To try to practice the virtues of 3:12–13 apart from love will lead to legalism, distortion, fragmentation, and stagnation.
3. These virtues must flow from love, which in turn is a fruit of the Spirit-filled life ( Gal. 5:22 ). Nothing is acceptable to God if not motivated by love ( 1 Cor. 13:1–3 ), including knowledge ( Phil. 1:9 ), faith ( Gal. 5:6 ), and obedience ( John 14:15 ). Love is the beauty of the believer, dispelling the ugly sins of the flesh that destroy unity.
4. Since Love is the most important moral quality in the believer’s life, and it is the very glue that produces unity in the church. Believers will never enjoy mutual fellowship through compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, or patience; they will not bear with each other or forgive each other unless they love one another. In fact, the way to sum up the commands of 3:12–13 is to say, “ Love one another. ”
5. In any congregation, love must be used to unify the people and build them up. Those who would desire to be mature in Christ must make love a top priority. Paul regularly wrote about the priority of love when he says “If I speak in the tongues … have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith … if I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body … but do not have love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1–3).
6. “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments … are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:8–10).
7. “For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment,‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ ” (Galatians 5:14) and “But the fruit of the Spirit is love” (Galatians 5:22).
8. “Lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:1–2).
9. In closing let us look at 4 principles: (1) We are to cherish love above and before all things so that we may be merciful, gentle, ready to forgive, etc... And these virtues will be present in us if we have genuine love.
10. (2) Whenever love is not present then all these virtues from verse 12 &13 are sought for in vain.
11. (3) Just so we get the importance of love it is called the “bond of perfection” or that which binds everything together in perfect harmony. All other virtues of the Christian life flow from love and are under its command.
12. (4) For love is truly the rule of our whole life, and of all our actions, so that everything that is not regulated according to it is faulty, whatever attractiveness it may otherwise possess. Anything we attempt to do outside of love is a waste of time and is in vain.
Holiness
True holiness does not consist merely of believing and feeling, but of doing and bearing, and a practical exhibition of active and passive grace. Our tongues, our tempers, our natural passions and inclinations - our conduct as parents and children, masters and servants, husbands and wives, rulers , and subjects - our dress, our employment of time, our behavior in business, our demeanor in sickness and health, in riches and poverty - all, all these are matters which are fully treated by inspired writers. - J. C. Ryle
Discipline
God has no pleasure in afflicting us, but He will not keep back even the most painful chastisement if He can but thereby guide His beloved child to come home and abide in the beloved Son. - Andrew Murray
GracePointe Baptist Church
2209 N Post Road
Oklahoma City, OK 73141
Phone: (405) 769-5050