What the World Needs Now is Love

What the World Needs Now is Love

By

Gary Primo

You may recognize the words of the title from an old Beatles song. I am not sure which one wrote the song but his assessment was bang on. Of course, I am referring to the love of Yahuwah. Love is what Yahuwah is, living love, not just something He possesses. This is also what we are to become, living love, and should be practicing daily. The first best place to start is within our own families.

Love Definition and Meaning - Bible Dictionary

https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/love

LOVE. luv ('ahebh, 'ahabhah, noun; phileo, agapao, verb; agape, noun): Love to both God and man is fundamental to true religion, whether as expressed in the Old Testament or the New Testament. Jesus Himself declared that all the law and the prophets hang upon love (Matthew 22:40; Mark 12:28-34).

All of the law and prophets certainly do hang on love because they came out of love (Yahuwah’s). The laws teach us how to love Yahuwah and each other. Mostly all the prophets sacrificed their lives to bring us Yahuwah’s words. That took a lot of love. Let’s look at the first passage from above.

Matt. 22:36 - Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 - Yahushua said unto him, you shall love Yahuwah your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.

38 - This is the first and great commandment.

39 - And the second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbour as yourself.

40 - On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets

All the laws and words of Yahuwah have been delivered to us out of the love of the Father. His laws and words are designed to teach us how to love. Many of man’s laws are meant to suppress and control; and, unfortunately, many think that Yahuwah’s laws are that way also and teach such nonsense to others. Ergo the Christian teaching that the law has been done away (like it is some detestable thing). Most people do love themselves and try very hard to get others to love them too. Some depressed people believe that the world hates them and therefore, hate them back.

Loving anyone else as much as we do ourselves is not an easy task. When meeting someone new our minds automatically assess what we truly feel about the person. As humans we tend to naturally seek imperfections and, jump from there to judgement. Instead, if in possession of the mind of Yahuwah, we should seek the goodness in that other person and save the judging for Yahuwah.

1 Tim 6:11 - But you, O man of Elohim, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

We must seek after these things first in our own spiritual lives and work on perfecting them in ourselves before judging anyone else in these matters.

Matt. 5:43 - You have heard that it has been said, You shalt love your neighbour, and hate your enemy.

Mt 5:44 - But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Mt 5:46 - For if you love them which love you, what reward have you? Do not even the publicans the same?

Let us contemplate for a moment on how truly great Yahuwah’s love is. He does not only love those who serve Him but His entire creation (good and bad); even the deniers of the faith. He will not give up on them until the bitter end. If we do not possess this same love of Yahuwah, we will in no way make it into the Kingdom. That puts this attribute at the top of our list of spiritual goals.

Matt 22:37 - Yahushua said unto him, you shall love Yahuwah your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.

One’s love doesn’t get much more complete than this – ALL your heart, ALL your soul (body) and ALL you mind. This is how Yahuwah loves us and this is the type of love He expects in return. This is also how we are to love each other. If we are lacking in this kind of love towards our brothers we are lacking in our love towards Yahuwah also.

Matt. 24:12 - And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Iniquity is lawlessness against Yahuwah. Such iniquity has always been with us, but in the last days it will grow much worse. Love is strongly acquainted with obedience towards Yahuwah. Therefore, when lawlessness abounds, any love towards Yahuwah recedes. Lawlessness is a show of hatred towards Yahuwah. As long as there is any lawlessness left in us, we will never see the Kingdom of Elohim.

Mr. 12:33 - And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

The sacrificial system was established to compensate for man’s sin/lawlessness. Death was never an immediate consequence for sin. Adam lived over 900 years after his sin. He likely thought that Yahuwah lied to him because he did not immediately die. Neither did Cain! So, the sacrificial system was initiated to pay the penalty (of death) instead of man. In other words, man still had to die but not right away. In His loving mercy, Yahuwah afforded man all the time he should need to repent and turn back to Him. So, Yahuwah naturally prefers that we take on His nature of lawfulness and love rather than sacrifices and offerings.

John 13:34 - A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

John 14:15 - If you love me, keep my commandments.

John 14:21 - He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

John 15:10 - If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

These verses all connect obedience to the law with showing love towards Yahuwah. This is the general theme throughout John’s gospel. So, the next time someone challenges your beliefs, saying that the law has been done away, you can in truth say to they, “So, you don’t love Yahuwah.”

John 15:13 - Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Isn’t this exactly what Yahushua did, lay down His life for His friends – the Apostles, the followers and you and I? Yahushua was three days and night in the grave; however, to Him it likely seemed like only a few seconds of time had passed. When we are resurrected it will also seem like just a few seconds have passed. Death is not much different than going to sleep. We who are in Mashiyack need not fear death. So, why not lay down your life for a friend. It simply means that your trial has ended and your next waking moment will find you in the Kingdom.

Rom. 13:10 - Love works no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

There is no law against love. Anyone can love freely with all their heart and never see any punishment for it. When we possess the all-encompassing, agape love of Yahuwah, we will be obedient to the law by nature and the law; therefore, will no longer apply to us. Where there is no crime, there is no need for the law.

Gal. 5:14 - For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; you shall love your neighbour as yourself.

That’s right folks. If we focus on Yahuwah’s agape love, all the law will naturally follow. We must love one another the same way Yahuwah does – with no reservation. We must love all of Yahuwah’s creation, even the mosquitoes and black flies. Yahuwah did not create anything without fore thought, purpose and planning. Every creature has a purpose, even if we do not know what it is.

Gal. 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

The spirit will only produce fruit if we nurture it. If not nurtured, there is always the danger that Yahuwah will take it back. Yahuwah’s spirit is also referred to as the helper. It was placed in us to help us grow in all the qualities listed above. It will not do so if we are not tirelessly striving to gain these qualities on our own. Yahuwah’s spirit is there to help us, not do everything for us.

Eph 5:25 - Husbands, love your wives, even as HaMashiyack also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Eph 5:28 - So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself.

Eph 5:33 - Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Like I said before, it all starts with the family. That is where emotions usually run out of control. Loving someone else as much as yourself is a pretty big step. Yet, this is the best place to practice thinking, speaking and acting like Yahuwah. And, naturally, the wives are to reciprocate that love.

2 Thes. 2:10 - And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

I don’t know of anyone who loves a lie (spiritually speaking). In 99.9% of the cases, the person simply has never heard the truth. They are filled with the lies from the pulpit of whichever religion of man they belong to. If they loved the truth, they would have checked and verified if that Minister’s words were truth or lies.

We cannot afford to take anyone’s word for anything when it comes to our spiritual conditioning; there is simply too much at risk. Yes, it is nice to just sit back and listen to the guy at the front of the room but the lesson should not end there. Take notes. Go home and do your own research to verify the words (or not). Ministers are like teachers. They have all been programmed by the institution they work for to think as they think, say what they say and do what they do. Just like a trained group of monkeys. I don’t want any trained monkey teaching me what he believes is truth. I demand to check out what he is saying by the word of Elohim. Let Elohim condemn him for his lies.

Heb. 10:24 - And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Love automatically leads to good works. Do loving spouses not like doing special things for each other? Showing love makes the other person feel good about themselves – more self assured, confident and ready to spread the love to others. There is no excuse for the abusers. They only love themselves.

1 John 2:5 - But whoso keeps his word, in him verily is the love of Elohim perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

Keeping Yahuwah’s word is the key to perfecting the love of Elohim in us. If we diligently keep His word, His love and nature will transform our nature to resemble His. It does not come instantly like many expect at baptism. No, we have that hated 4 letter word to deal with – work. No work = no love = no salvation! Do the math.

1 John 4:8 - He that loves not knows not Elohim; for Elohim is love.

The first example of this that came to mind when I read this verse was my second last Passover with the WCG. The host began railing and condemning the church leadership and Herbert Armstrong in particular. He was literally spitting out his words, he was so mad. Well, this was certainly not the sort of display I was expecting at a Passover meal. I wanted more than anything to leave but did not know how to do so without appearing rude. This man was filled with hatred. I saw no room for the love of Elohim in him.

Was the WCG leadership flawed? Was Herbert Armstrong flawed? Of course; we are all flawed. This man should have been tending to his own spiritual condition before condemning that of others.

1John 4:12 - No man has seen Elohim at any time. If we love one another, Elohim dwells in us, and his love is perfected in us.

The Elohim talked about here is the Father. We have to keep in mind that it was the Son, not the Father who actually created the universe and interacted with man. The Father cannot approach corruption without destroying it. When He does approach on the Last Great Day, a cleansing fire will go forth before him destroying everything that remains corruptible.

Hatred corrupts, love uncorrupts. Anything corruptible cannot survive in the Kingdom. Therefore we need to eradicate all hatred from our very being. It simply must not be permitted to exist in us. As long as it does, it is choking off the love of Elohim and prevents us from achieving our purpose. .

1John 5:2 - By this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Elohim, and keep his commandments.

We reciprocate Yahuwah love by showing it to others. When we show others Yahuwah’s love in us, they get to know Yahuwah better and hopefully will open their hearts to him also. We just never know how our actions and words affect others.

Rev. 3:19 - As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Some people simply cannot take any kind of rebuke. They become offended and feel violated. They fail to learn the lesson of the rebuke and sometimes even give up and quit. Yahuwah chastens us because He loves us and dearly wishes for all of us to make it into His Kingdom and realize our full potential. He will not come at us like the “bad cop”. He will be the “good cop”, loving and kind, seeking to help us, not tears us down.

So, when Yahuwah does chasten us (and He will) do not be dismayed but seek what it is Yahuwah wants you to learn; and seek to learn it with all your might. Do not resist repentance!

Conclusion

Yes, love is at the center of the entire creation. Yahuwah created all things out of love. His love is greater than the average human mind can even comprehend. Only those who truly love and know Yahuwah have had their minds opened to all truth (the mind) and to the heart of Yahuwah. What a blessed people we are.

“Agape” is the common term to describe Yahuwah great capacity for love.

https://www.gotquestions.org/agape-love.html

Question: "What is agape love?"

Answer: The Greek word agape is often translated “love” in the New Testament. How is “agape love” different from other types of love? The essence of agape love is goodwill, benevolence, and willful delight in the object of love. Unlike our English word love, agape is not used in the New Testament to refer to romantic or sexual love. Nor does it refer to close friendship or brotherly love, for which the Greek word philia is used. Agape love involves faithfulness, commitment, and an act of the will. It is distinguished from the other types of love by its lofty moral nature and strong character. Agape love is beautifully described in 1 Corinthians 13.

Outside of the New Testament, the word agape is used in a variety of contexts, but in the New Testament it takes on a distinct meaning. Agape is used to describe the love that is of and from God, whose very nature is love itself: “God is love” (1 John 4:8). God does not merely love; He is love itself. Everything God does flows from His love. Agape is also used to describe our love for God (Luke 10:27), a servant’s faithful respect to his master (Matthew 6:24), and a man’s attachment to things (John 3:19).

The type of love that characterizes God is not a sappy, sentimental feeling such as we often hear portrayed. God loves because that is His nature and the expression of His being. He loves the unlovable and the unlovely, not because we deserve to be loved or because of any excellence we possess, but because it is His nature to love and He must be true to His nature.

(For further reading go to website.)

Elohim is love! Love is incapable of hate. Yahuwah hates sin only because it is counterproductive to love and denies us our full spiritual potential. Sin is of HaSatan, who is as much the embodiment of hate as Yahuwah is the embodiment of love. Yet, even when Yahuwah destroys HaSatan and all who remain corrupt, He will be doing so out of love – for the rest of His creation. Corruption is the enemy of love. Corruption cannot inherit incorruption, and incorruption is based on agape love. I am convinced that this is the type of love we all must acquire, if we are ever going to see the Kingdom.

Love encompasses all the law. If one loves Yahuwah, we demonstrate that love through obedience to His laws. Once those laws are written on our minds and hearts to obey from nature, they no longer become relevant. Love has conquered all.

Love is the key, my brothers and sisters. That is the point on the horizon on which we must set our sights. Everything else will follow by nature.

Another word for love is “charity” when used in the common sense, not the romantic. The following is such a case.

1 Cor. 13:1 - Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 - And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 - And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing.

4 - Charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,

5 - Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil;

6 - Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

7 - Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 - Charity never fails: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

As we can see, charity/love covers many things. Shaul has provided us here with a check list. I have just gone through it and found at least 3-4 areas where I am lacking and need to address (more than likely, all). I think I will print them out and pin them on the wall.

Nothing else, no matter how well intentioned, matters more than love. We must do our best to perfect the agape love of Yahuwah in our own nature. This means so much more to our salvation than all the traditions and customs and doctrinal disputes that are prevalent today.

Focus, focus, focus. HaSatan has diverted everyone’s focus away from this spiritually imperative reality. Everything else is just window dressing. If we can get this one thing right, we can get it all right.

Is it possible to remove all hate from our being? I don’t know. I have not reached that state yet. However, if Yahushua is our role model, and we are to be one with Him, it must be possible. It is not only possible; but I am convinced it is absolutely essential to gaining the Kingdom and Eternal life.

Yahuwah Bless

G.P