Love
Love led him down to the cradle; love led him up to the cross!
By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Christ’s soul was overwhelmed with a deluge of grief, but this was from a deluge of love to sinners.
For the love of Christ compels us; because we judge thus: that one died for all, therefore all died.
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him? My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
His tears that flowed from his eyes were from love; his great sweat was from love; his blood, his prostrating himself on the ground before the Father, was from love.
God loves you not because you are clever not because you are good, but because He is your Father. The Cross of Christ does not make God love us; it is the outcome and measure of His love to us.
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