Audio Download

How Is Love Created Within Us?

Hi Mike,

​We are going through the “What Is Heaven Study” and didn’t get far before we had a question pertaining to the third scriptural reference for Isaiah 66:1.

​We got through the throne and the footstool part, but the last two questions got us thinking about the deeper implications of what is being asked;

Isa 66:1B …where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

​We understand God’s question is rhetorical, and God is telling Israel, through Isaiah, that even though they had a physical tabernacle and temple where God would manifest himself to them in their lives, that God actually wants to sit on the throne which is in the heaven of thei​r hearts, thus producing the new man.

We know God is love. We also know that as His created creatures we do not have the same depth and passion or understanding of what spiritual love is.

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.’
Mat 22:38 ‘This is the first and great commandment.’
Mat 22:39 ‘And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’

​This is the reason for the process He created, to bring us to the understanding of the depth ​and passion that He possesses?

​Is the per​fect love of God something that God would not create in His creations, because He knows that the only way for us to learn love is through his plan and process? God created Adam and Eve with imperfect knowledge for love, among other things, because perfect love needs to be learned, and is not something that can be created like flesh and blood, because love is Spirit?

Are we on solid ground? We couldn’t site any verses and would appreciate your shepherd’s view.

In Christ,​

S____

Hi S​____,

​Thank you for your question about why we were not created with perfect love.

​You are exactly right when you say:

This is the reason for the process He created, to bring us to the understanding of the depth ​and​ passion that He possesses?”

​By His design, for mankind it all must begin in imperfect, carnal-​minded flesh and blood, and afterward we will all be given spiritual bodies, for the very reason you gave – so we can come to understand good and evil, love and hatred.

​It really helps to notice how these words in Genesis are properly translated:

Gen 1:27 And creating is the Elohim humanity in His image. In the image of the Elohim He creates it. Male and female He creates them. (CLV)

​This is the proper translation of the Hebrew, which is in the “Qal stem”. The ‘Qal stem’ is the equivalent of the Greek aorist tense,​ and while Strong says it is usually translated as the past tense, even he admits it is a simple statement of fact without regard to tense, and “the sum of [God’s] word” (Psa 119:160) reveals that the CLV nailed it in this case. The Lord IS making man in His image, and the creation process is not yet finished and will not be finished until judgment and resurrection are accomplished. The Lord’s spiritual creation is not completed in us until we have “entered into His rest” (Heb 4:1-11).

Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

​I do want to point out that “we have this treasure [Christ within us] in earthen vessels”, and we can, through Him, have the love of God within us even now. It is not of us, but it is within us, through Christ, even though we are still in these earthen vessels.

2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

​What is most significant in light of what is said in Isaiah 66:1 is that we are able to connect “trembling at God’s Word” to “the love of God”. That is a connection that very few indeed have been given to make simply because they have never been given to know the Biblical definition of “the love of God”.

Here is that definition:

1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

​We can say we love God while we ignore or are ignorant of His Words, but what we say or think does not affect the Truth which is the Word of God:

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

​His Word tells us that if we do not do the things He tells us to do we do not love Him, even though we may do “many wonderful works”.

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

​If we “love God and keep His commandments” only then do we know that we “love the children of God”. We don’t really know whether our children, family members or friends really love us unless they “keep the commandments of God” because “this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments”.

​That is what connects Isa 66:1 to 1 John 5:2-3. Notice that “tremble at my word” is mentioned in both verses 2 and 5 of Isaiah 66. It is mentioned twice to distinguish between those who have done many wonderful works in Christ’s name, but they did not “tremble at His words”, and they did not “keep His commandments”.

Here are verses 1-6:

Isa 66:1  Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
Isa 66:3  He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.
Isa 66:4  I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
Isa 66:5  Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.
Isa 66:6  A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.

​These words carry the same message as Christ’s message in Matthew 7:21-23 and 1 John 5:2-3. If we truly love God, we will “tremble at” and “do the things [He] says”, and we will “keep His commandments”, because that is what constitutes “the love of God”.

It is in Luke 6 that Christ poses the question:

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Putting these words together with the definition the word ‘love’ found in 1 John 5:2-3… “This is the love of God that we keep His commandments”, Christ is essentially asking us… ‘Why do you say you love me when you do no such thing’. Just look at the words which follow verse 46 of Luke 6:

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luk 6:47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
Luk 6:48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Luk 6:49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

If we think like a U.S. TV star who once said: “I’m a Christian, but don’t think you can slap me on the cheek and expect me to turn the other cheek”, then we are just playing mind games with God, and it doesn’t pay to play mind games with the person who is giving you your very thoughts to do so. The fact in that case would be that He has you building your house on the sand:

Pro 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

We all are guilty of thinking we can do something to get God to do what we want, but the truth is that even those thoughts are nothing more than part of the necessary evil we are all given to endure before we are given to see ourselves as the sinners in need of a Savior that we all are:

Ecc 1:13 I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it.

​You are surmising with the mind of Christ. Yes, it is the process taking place in us while we are in these “earthen vessels” which is teaching us “the love of God”, and it is not being done at the snap of a finger. It entails first being made of corruptible flesh and blood with a rebellious carnal mind which “is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be”, and then dying daily to that mind, and developing through that death a true love of God and of our fellow man.

I hope this adds something to what you are already being shown.

Your fellow servant, Mike