Topical Bible: Love to Man is Good and Pleasant

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The concept of love towards fellow human beings is a central theme in the Bible, underscoring the moral and spiritual obligations of individuals within a community. This love, often referred to as "brotherly love" or "charity," is depicted as both good and pleasant, serving as a reflection of God's love for humanity and a commandment for His followers.

Biblical Foundation

The Bible consistently emphasizes the importance of love among people. In the Old Testament, the commandment to love one's neighbor is foundational. Leviticus 19:18 states, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." This directive establishes love as a divine command, integral to the covenant relationship between God and His people.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ reiterates and expands upon this commandment. In Matthew 22:37-39 , Jesus declares, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Here, love for others is elevated to a position of utmost importance, second only to the love of God.

Characteristics of Love

The Apostle Paul provides a detailed description of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 , where he writes, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." These verses highlight the selfless and enduring nature of true love, which seeks the well-being of others above personal gain.

The Goodness and Pleasantness of Love

The goodness of love is evident in its ability to foster harmony and unity among individuals. Psalm 133:1 proclaims, "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!" This verse captures the essence of love as a force that brings about peace and mutual respect within a community. Love is portrayed as a source of joy and contentment, enhancing the quality of relationships and promoting a sense of belonging.

Furthermore, love is seen as a reflection of God's character and an essential aspect of Christian witness. In John 13:34-35 , Jesus instructs His disciples, "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another." The love that believers show to one another serves as a testament to their faith and a demonstration of the transformative power of the Gospel.

Practical Implications

The call to love others is not merely theoretical but demands practical application. In the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), Jesus illustrates that love transcends social and ethnic boundaries, compelling individuals to act with compassion and mercy towards those in need. The Apostle John further emphasizes this in 1 John 3:18 , "Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth."

The practice of love involves acts of kindness, forgiveness, and service, reflecting the sacrificial love of Christ. It requires believers to prioritize the needs of others, to bear with one another in patience, and to seek reconciliation and peace.

Conclusion

The biblical mandate to love others is a profound and enduring principle that shapes the moral and spiritual life of believers. It is both a divine command and a reflection of God's own love, calling individuals to live in harmony and to demonstrate the love of Christ through their actions.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 133:1,2
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Of the Love of Solitude and Silence
... FOR THE SPIRITUAL LIFE CHAPTER XX Of the love of solitude ... O how good a conscience
should that man keep, who ... 5. No man is worthy of heavenly consolation but he ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kempis/imitation of christ/chapter xx of the love.htm

Showing How Some Men Live Contrary to These Exercises
... For the good man always seeks and means and desires ... opposes and conquers true charity
the man falls into ... he loved himself inordinately with natural love, and so ...
/.../john/the adornment of the spritual marriage/chapter lxvi showing how some.htm

Of the Feast of the Holy virgin St Agnes
... between persons of different sex, between a man and a ... They fall in love with each
other, and seek ... cannot be tolerated by anyone with a good conscience; for ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tauler/the inner way/sermon vi of the feast.htm

Provoking Each Other to Love and Good Works.
... If these two things, love and good works, dwell richly ... relationships, but everything
praiseworthy and of good report before God and man would blossom ...
/.../selected sermons of schleiermacher/xxiv provoking each other to.htm

Man's True Treasure in God
... say, nobody else can sell it, but what good is it ... Does the man who collects the rents
of a mountain-side ... understand them, and sympathise with them, and love them ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/mans true treasure in god.htm

Of the Lack of all Comfort
... Thus by the love of the Creator he overcame the love of man, and instead
of human comfort he chose rather God's good pleasure. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kempis/imitation of christ/chapter ix of the lack.htm

On the Feast of St Michael and all Angels
... for us the divine virtues of faith, hope and love. ... Man ought to be very diligent
in keeping guard against ... secret dexterity in things which seem good; and, for ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tauler/the inner way/sermon xxiv on the feast.htm

On the Fall of Man
... When the woman saw that the tree was good for food ... is no absurdity in the assertion
of a great man, "That Adam ... He painfully feared that God, in the love of whom ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 57 on the fall.htm

Of the Love of God
... Therefore O good Jesu have mercy upon a wretch. ... How else should God be
all in ilk thing, if there be any love of man in a man? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/chapter xi of the love.htm

What the Scriptures Principally Teach: the Ruin and Recovery of ...
... that is not one with a soul, it cannot endure long, it is not good company to ... But
love, making a duty pleasant, becomes one with the soul. ... If a man love me, he ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture vi what the scriptures.htm