The concept of love is central to the Christian faith, and the Scriptures provide a profound exploration of how saints are called to love exceedingly. This love is not merely an emotion but a divine command that reflects the very nature of God. The Berean Standard Bible offers numerous passages that illuminate this call to love.

Divine Command to Love

The command to love is rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ, who emphasized love as the greatest 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.’” This dual commandment encapsulates the essence of Christian love, directing believers to love God wholeheartedly and extend that love to others.

Exemplary Love Among the Saints

The early church provides a model of how saints are to love one another exceedingly. In Acts 2:44-47 , the believers are described as being together and having everything in common, selling their possessions and goods to give to anyone in need. This communal life reflects a deep, sacrificial love that goes beyond mere words to tangible actions.

The Apostle Paul, in his letters, frequently exhorts the saints to abound in love. In 1 Thessalonians 3:12 , he writes, “And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone else, just as our love for you overflows.” Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians highlights the dynamic and ever-growing nature of Christian love, urging believers to continually expand their capacity to love.

Characteristics of Exceeding Love

The love that saints are called to exhibit is characterized by several key attributes. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 , Paul provides a detailed description of love: “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 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” This passage serves as a blueprint for the kind of love that should permeate the lives of the saints.

Love as a Witness to the World

The love among the saints is not only for mutual edification but also serves as a powerful witness to the world. In John 13:34-35 , Jesus tells 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 is a testament to their identity as followers of Christ and a reflection of His love for humanity.

The Source of Exceeding Love

The ability to love exceedingly is not derived from human effort alone but is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5 states, “And hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” This divine enablement ensures that the love of the saints is not limited by human frailty but is a supernatural expression of God’s own love.

In summary, the Scriptures call the saints to love exceedingly, reflecting the love of God in their relationships with Him and with others. This love is characterized by selflessness, patience, and kindness, and serves as a powerful testimony to the world of the transformative power of the Gospel.Psalm 119:97,113,159,167
O how I love your law! it is my meditation all the day.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Love Worketh no Ill to his Neighbor; Therefore Love is the ...
... or implies and includes all that the whole scriptures, the law ... out salvation for
mankind than any of his saints can ever ... To a mind filled with holy love, it is ...
/.../finney/lectures to professing christians/love worketh no ill to.htm

That the Body and Blood of Christ and the Holy Scriptures are Most ...
... and Blood of Christ and the Holy Scriptures are most ... meanwhile in faith, strengthened
by the examples of the Saints. ... of men, who to make known Thy love to the ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/kempis/imitation of christ/chapter xi that the body.htm

Of Passages from the Holy Scriptures, and from the Apocrypha ...
... true religion which is delivered in the Scriptures, and which ... sorcerers, not by false
prophets, but by saints: as if ... do not receive the truth in the love of it ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/of passages from the holy.htm

Note C. --Chap. vii George Muller and his Second Conversion
... the love of position was gone, the love of worldly ... Word proves it, the experience
of the saints proves it ... 1829, to bring me really to the Scriptures, my life ...
/.../murray/the two covenants/note c chap vii george muller.htm

The Great Misery of those who Lose the Saints' Rest.
... but in the very scope of the Scriptures, threatening the ... your lives, never warmed
with his love, never longed ... Even in this life, while the saints were "mocked ...
/.../baxter/the saints everlasting rest/chapter v the great misery.htm

How to Discern Our Title to the Saints' Rest.
... it kindle thy repentance, inflame thy love, quicken thy ... either in memory or writing,
some scriptures, containing the descriptions of the saints and the ...
/.../baxter/the saints everlasting rest/chapter viii how to discern.htm

Attributes of Love.
... we appeal to the very nature of the choice, and to the scriptures? ... This view will
always, doubtless, much affect the saints. ... This is called the love of holiness ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xv attributes of love.htm

Concerning the Scriptures.
... The holy scriptures are able to make wise unto salvation ... a word in season, whereby
the saints are made ... the Spirit cannot neglect, but do naturally love, and are ...
/.../proposition iii concerning the scriptures.htm

Given to Abstraction of Thought. Cases in Point. Opinion of ...
... Love of Fashionable Amusements. ... and His redeemed, where the families of his saints
will be ... general information, and more intelligent in the Scriptures than any ...
/.../chapter v given to abstraction.htm

Immeasurable Love
... This proves the final perseverance of the saints; for if the ... V. The last commendation
of his love lies in the ... till I began to read in the Scriptures, and to ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 31 1885/immeasurable love.htm

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