[MurphsLaw]

Where is the Love?

So what is one to make of this legal process you describe without Love?

Love seems to take a backseat in this explanation. St. Paul clearly cautions in his 1 Cor 13 Love dissertation the centralness of Love- In fact you could say it carries more importance than even Faith for him:

“So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

This summarizes what St. Paul is clear about a few verses earlier as he writes...that:

"and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I AM NOTHING.
3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I GAIN NOTHING.

The strong use of the word "nothing" here by St. Paul - to me - does not seem to fit very well at all into your description. "Nothing" as stated - to me - would mean a breach of any Justification...

How is this reconciled then?


.

[Elsie]

"Nothing" as stated - to me - would mean a breach of any Justification...

How is this reconciled then?

Since you've brought it up...

[MHGinTN]

In Catholicism there is no reconciling what you imagine is a contradiction. Your religion teaches a works based salvation, so God Justifying someone for just ‘pistis’ in whom God sent for their salvation is unintelligible for the Catholic mind. Also, the love Paul writes of is translated in other Bible versions as charity, and you are purposely flipping Justification and Sanctification to support the Catholic works religion ... oh never mind, you won’t get it regardless of how it is explained to you. You want the Catholicism religion to be the truth and all others not, so you are not open to receive in your spirit.

[daniel1212]

"Where is the Love? So what is one to make of this legal process you describe without Love? Love seems to take a backseat in this explanation. St. Paul clearly cautions in his 1 Cor 13 Love dissertation the centralness of Love- In fact you could say it carries more importance than even Faith for him: “So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” This summarizes what St. Paul is clear about a few verses earlier as he writes...that: "and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I AM NOTHING. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I GAIN NOTHING. The strong use of the word "nothing" here by St. Paul - to me - does not seem to fit very well at all into your description. "Nothing" as stated - to me - would mean a breach of any Justification... How is this reconciled then?"

Maybe if you read more of the article, then maybe you might have perceived - by the grace of God - that the qualifying clarification, "saving faith must demonstrate itself to be the genuine article by producing good works. It is possible to profess saving faith but not possess saving faith (James 2:14-25). What distinguishes true faith from a mere claim to faith is the presence of good works (Gal. 5:6)" encompasses love, even as the last verse quoted states, "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." (Galatians 5:6)

Thus while this expression of faith and which faith effects can be elaborated on in a longer article, there is no contradiction ("does not seem to fit very well") as you seem to imagine.

[Charity] rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; (1 Corinthians 13:6)

[metmom]

So give us your definition of love.

[PeterPrinciple]

How is this reconciled then?

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what you think love is?

Now how does God define love?

[PeterPrinciple]

How is this reconciled then?

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On reflection, that is a very good question, worthy of much thought. It does not have a simple answer. May take a lifetime of reflection.........................

But my thinking does go to the following:

Mal 1:2 “I have always loved you,” says the LORD. But you retort, “Really? How have You loved us?” And the LORD replies, “This is how I showed My love for you: I loved your ancestor Jacob, ..................

It doesn’t look like love to the people being loved, It is almost like they are telling God to go love someone else.

On the other hand God does define love as choosing. So Justification is God choosing us. Sanctification is us (with the Spirits help) choosing God.