THE WILL TO LOVE - Vital Christianity

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32THE DISCIPLINE OF LOVEHebrew 12:5-11“A man may be consecrated, dedicated and devoted but of little valueif undisciplined.”--Hudson Taylor“When God wants to drill a man,And thrill a man,And skill a man,When God wants to mold a manTo play the noblest part;When he yearns with all His heartTo create so great and bold a manThat all the world shall be amazed,Watch His methods, watch His ways!How He ruthlessly perfectsWhom He royally elects!How He hammers him and hurts him,And with mighty blows converts himInto trial shapes of clay whichOnly God understands;While his tortured heart is cryingAnd he lifts beseeching hands!How he bends but never breaksWhen his good he undertakes;How He uses whom He chooses,And with every purpose fuses him;By every act induces himTo try His splendor out—God knows what He’s about.” 1
33Many would object to the title of this chapter. Love and discipline somehow seemcontradictory. In fact, they seem like complete opposites. Our view of love is more accuratelyexpressed by the song, “What The World Needs Now Is Love Sweet Love.” The word love isusually associated with sweetness.Is it possible to grow spiritually on only a sweet diet? Growth in holiness, is God’s chiefpurpose for his children. Paul put it,“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him,who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He alsopredestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be thefirstborn among many brothers” (Ro 8:28-29).God’s love and calling is related to a specific purpose: that His children will be likeJesus. God does not promise to make us comfortable, He promises to make us conformed to theimage of His son.THE PURPOSE OF SALVATIONC. S. Lewis illustrates the misunderstanding that the average Christian has concerningGod’s purpose for salvation when he says,“I think that many of us, when Christ has enabled us to overcome one or two sinsthat were an obvious nuisance, are inclined to feel (though we do not put it intowords) that we are now good enough. He has done all we wanted Him to do, andwe should be obliged if He would now leave us alone.But the question is not what we intended ourselves to be, but what He intended usto be when He made us.Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first,perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right andstopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doingand so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house aboutin a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earthis He up to? The explanation is that He building quite a different house from theone you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floorthere, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going tobe made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intendsto come and live in it Himself.” 2 (Emphasis added)
Page 1 and 2: 1THE WILL TO LOVELars Wilhelmsson
Page 4 and 5: 4He who loves calls us also to love
Page 6 and 7: 6We live in a world starved for lov
Page 8 and 9: 8“Division has done more to hide
Page 10 and 11: 10D. L. Moody painfully recognized
Page 12 and 13: 12A COMMANDGod knew it would be har
Page 14 and 15: 14The familiar story of David and G
Page 16 and 17: 16CHAPTER 2 FOURFOLD DIMENSION OF L
Page 18 and 19: 18Our faith and love are tested whe
Page 20 and 21: 20STORGEStorage is the word used in
Page 22 and 23: 22PHILIAThe third word for love is
Page 24 and 25: 24The pre-Christian use of the word
Page 26 and 27: 26HOW DO I LEARN TO LOVE?1 John 4:7
Page 28 and 29: 28Prolongs lifePrevents or cures ma
Page 30 and 31: 30We can only love to the degree to
Page 34 and 35: 34Holiness, not happiness, is God
Page 36 and 37: 36God’s discipline is a sign that
Page 38 and 39: 38“Moreover, we have all have hum
Page 40 and 41: 40CHAPTER 5 SERVICE: LOVE IN OVERAL
Page 42 and 43: 42To love Jesus is to love His peop
Page 44 and 45: 44Quickly my bubble popped, the ide
Page 46 and 47: 46TIMOTHY AS AN EXAMPLEAccording to
Page 48 and 49: 48Jesus Christ came not to be minis
Page 50 and 51: 50CHAPTER 6 SHOULD WE LOVE OURSELVE
Page 52 and 53: 52How different from the words of J
Page 54 and 55: 54At creation, God was pleased with
Page 56 and 57: 56As far as we know the apostle Pau
Page 58 and 59: 58CHAPTER 7 LOVING OUR ENEMIES
Page 60 and 61: 60insults us or injures us or griev
Page 62 and 63: 62The last part of Hebrews 11 catal
Page 64 and 65: 64“You have heard that it was sai
Page 66 and 67: 66“Love indiscriminately, therefo
Page 68 and 69: 68It was while we were hideous to G
Page 70 and 71: 70Love is the most durable power in
Page 72 and 73: 72LOVE’S TRUE TEST Part IJohn 14:
Page 74 and 75: 74Suppose the boy paused to ask,
Page 76 and 77: 76Here we have the great God whom t
Page 78 and 79: 78The God who has revealed that “
Page 80 and 81: 80“Faith and obedience are bound
Page 82 and 83:
82“Cheap grace is the preaching o
Page 84 and 85:
84Service in the name of Christ is,
Page 86 and 87:
86While they claimed Jesus as Lord,
Page 88 and 89:
88Ralph Sockman, a preacher, noted
Page 90 and 91:
90CHAPTER 10 LOVE IS ALSO FEELING
Page 92 and 93:
92The Bible states, “As He (Jesus
Page 94 and 95:
94The author of the book of Hebrews
Page 96 and 97:
96On the day of Pentecost the early
Page 98 and 99:
98In speaking of Jesus Faber says:
Page 100 and 101:
100the sake of God; if we are in ou
Page 102 and 103:
1025“When God Disciplines in Love
Page 104 and 105:
104BIBLIOGRAPHYSt. Augustine, The C
Page 106:
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THE WILL TO LOVE - Vital Christianity

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