Dear God, graciously help me to put down my thoughts. By this, I do not like to hurt anyone, nor do I want to disturb anyone who is in Love with You. Dear God, thank you for helping us. With Your love, Amen.
There could be many effects (benefits) of Love. However, here are the things I would like to discuss about in this article.
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little. [Luke 7: Verses 36-48]
Once we have hurt someone, especially when we are in love with them, it is impossible not to be sad. This happens more when we have not asked sorry with true repentance and gotten forgiveness from them. It also works the other way, if I love someone, I would not "not want to" ask repentant sorry. In other words, if I love someone and hurt them, then I would not want to delay the reconciliation. The love in me would not let me drag. More one drags, more could be the pain and negative emotions.
So remember, it has to be impossible for us to not realize and not repent for our sins [Acts 3:19], mostly because it hurts the love of God. St. Augustine says, repentance is a grace given by God. The degree of the truth in one's repentance is proportional to the degree of the Love of God in that person. In the confession prayer (act of contrition), we find the words that makes us to sadly express that we repent, for our personal sins, mostly because it is against the love of God, and not so because of any other reason.
- Out of love, the lover would overlook (or have no difficulty in overlooking) the wrongdoings of the beloved if any; Lover would easily and truly forgive the beloved for such [refer 1 Cor. 13:5]
- Beloved will have lesser chances of doing sin; In other words, the beloved will not have the urge or the ability to start or think about such an act; or in other words, the beloved would already possess or feel the strength to suppress or avoid the occasion of sin. [refer Proverbs 10:12]
- Whether the beloved or the lover, being in such a love, can we think that one would want to hurt the other? Even if one did so, either by accident or by mistake or without the intent of doing so or without knowing the consequences or whatever, wouldn't the love of God effect them to regret and repent right away?
In 1 Peter 4:8, St. Peter says the following: Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
Even if one is a terrible sinner, a true and fervent love would cover or bury the sins from coming out. I remember an incident about myself once. When I was in my teen age, I had lots of friends. I had a habit of visiting my friends at their homes very often. Likewise, I had a beautiful girl as a friend. I do not know if she is so innocent or what, the way normally she dressed is like, sometimes it is hard for me, being a teenager, not to notice the visible parts of her body. However, she would show so much innocent care and good love for me. This goodness of hers would keep me sane all the time from getting tempted. Had she be unloving and uncaring, there is a great chance that I would not have behaved good. In her fervent friendly love, she stopped my sins or covered the possibilities of my sins. Similarly, I have read few times in news papers, that a thief entering the house to steal and/or hurt, ends up not doing that after witnessing the love and/or care among the people in the house.
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another. For he that loveth his neighbour, hath fulfilled the law. For Thou shalt not commit adultery: Thou shalt not kill: Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness: Thou shalt not covet: and if there be any other commandment, it is comprised in this word, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The love of our neighbour worketh no evil. Love therefore is the fulfilling of the law... [Romans: Chapter 13, 8-10]
For all the law is fulfilled in one word: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. [Galatians 5:14]
The fruit of the Spirit is Love, etc. [Galatians 5:22]; But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law [Galatians 5:18].
Please read here for further insight.
The meaning for the word perfect are so many. Being perfect is to conform absolutely to the description or the definition of an ideal type. It is to be excellent or complete beyond theoretical or practical improvement. It is exactly fitting the situation (neither more, nor less). It means entirely without any flaws, shortcomings, or defects. It is to be complete, pure and unmixed.
Love never falleth away [1 Corinthians 13:8]. I believe, in other ways, it says: Love cannot fall away. This is also true because, our God, who is perfect, comes and resides in those who humbly yield to His Love and so lead a loving life in everything [Refer John 14:23].
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them; he it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father: and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith to him, not the Iscariot: Lord, how is it, that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, and not to the world? Jesus answered, and said to him: If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him. He that loveth me not, keepeth not my words. And the word which you have heard, is not mine; but the Father' s who sent me. These things have I spoken to you, abiding with you. - John 14
In 1 John 4:16, this is mentioned: God is charity: and he that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him. (We know the word abide means - to have one's abode; dwell; reside).
What more one could desire in this world than having God reside in oneself?
I was blessed to hear this in one of the sermons by a priest. Love with respect to our deeds and actions, is analogous to the racing track with respect to a racer. Racer can do all great sprint, tricks and may look awesome when running. He or she might have even finished first in the race. However, in the end, if the runner had not kept his running on the track, then he or she would be disqualified. All his or her work would then mean nothing. The track binds all his or her running work to perfection.
Yes, our Lord Jesus Christ is the track, way, path to God. Human mind could go so complicated and perplexed that, in its daily affairs, it would be attracted by so many surrounding things, in the name of Jesus, except the redeeming Love. If the desire and Love is not in the heart, or in other words if the heart is not full of desire and the Love of God, then would you tell me if all the material actions, benefits and gifts offered value anything?. One cannot find love from outside or anywhere else if it is not in the heart. Married spouses know this very clearly.
Our Lord exclaimed that the Kingdom of Heaven, if there be anywhere, it has to be in one's heart [Refer Luke 17:21]. There are Sundays, I had gone to Church desiring that my friend would be there. See, the friend being there is a material reason that was developed afterwards because I forgot the real reason! If the heart is so much of earthly interests and the body is in the Church habitually or our lips just say prayers everyday, how would these then matter? In this world it is very well possible to have one's heart in one place and one's affairs in another place. However, we have to remember this. God is Love and God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son to redeem the world [Refer John 4:8, John 3:16]. So let us not see or pay attention to everything else but the Love of God. Love gets fulfilled with Love. With God and His Love being the sole path of redemption, let us remind us this always and pray to God to help us fill our every moment of our life with this Love [Refer Deuteronomy 6:5-10].
There could be many effects (benefits) of Love. However, here are the things I would like to discuss about in this article.
- True repentance and so the forgiveness for the sins
- It fulfills God's law automatically or it will take one outside the context of law
- Binds everything (that we do) to perfection (in the standards of God)
- Out of all, it makes one the temple or the abode or the living place of God
- It gives the surety that whatever happens to us is towards the good of us [Romans 8:28]
- We will possibly know God better (as spouses know each other in intimacy) [1 John 4:8]
True Repentance and Forgiveness
Our Lord Jesus says that the degree of love reflects the degree of being forgiven:Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little. [Luke 7: Verses 36-48]
Once we have hurt someone, especially when we are in love with them, it is impossible not to be sad. This happens more when we have not asked sorry with true repentance and gotten forgiveness from them. It also works the other way, if I love someone, I would not "not want to" ask repentant sorry. In other words, if I love someone and hurt them, then I would not want to delay the reconciliation. The love in me would not let me drag. More one drags, more could be the pain and negative emotions.
So remember, it has to be impossible for us to not realize and not repent for our sins [Acts 3:19], mostly because it hurts the love of God. St. Augustine says, repentance is a grace given by God. The degree of the truth in one's repentance is proportional to the degree of the Love of God in that person. In the confession prayer (act of contrition), we find the words that makes us to sadly express that we repent, for our personal sins, mostly because it is against the love of God, and not so because of any other reason.
Effects of the medium of the love of God
Between any two persons who love each other - between the lover and the beloved:
- Lover would help, or work together, or be with the beloved, or do their best, so that the beloved would not fall into such occasions [refer 1 Cor. 13:4]- Out of love, the lover would overlook (or have no difficulty in overlooking) the wrongdoings of the beloved if any; Lover would easily and truly forgive the beloved for such [refer 1 Cor. 13:5]
- Beloved will have lesser chances of doing sin; In other words, the beloved will not have the urge or the ability to start or think about such an act; or in other words, the beloved would already possess or feel the strength to suppress or avoid the occasion of sin. [refer Proverbs 10:12]
- Whether the beloved or the lover, being in such a love, can we think that one would want to hurt the other? Even if one did so, either by accident or by mistake or without the intent of doing so or without knowing the consequences or whatever, wouldn't the love of God effect them to regret and repent right away?
Between any two persons in general:
- If a person has the love of God, then effectually, the person has to love another as oneself. Then he or she would not expose the sins of others, especially for gossip or to degrade them [refer 1 Cor. 13:6, Proverbs 17:9]. Because if such things are exposed, especially not for the sake of Love, then can it not be anything but a shame to both the ends of the love?More on the effects of the Love of God with respect to sin
St. James mentions the following:Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins [5:20].In 1 Peter 4:8, St. Peter says the following: Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
Even if one is a terrible sinner, a true and fervent love would cover or bury the sins from coming out. I remember an incident about myself once. When I was in my teen age, I had lots of friends. I had a habit of visiting my friends at their homes very often. Likewise, I had a beautiful girl as a friend. I do not know if she is so innocent or what, the way normally she dressed is like, sometimes it is hard for me, being a teenager, not to notice the visible parts of her body. However, she would show so much innocent care and good love for me. This goodness of hers would keep me sane all the time from getting tempted. Had she be unloving and uncaring, there is a great chance that I would not have behaved good. In her fervent friendly love, she stopped my sins or covered the possibilities of my sins. Similarly, I have read few times in news papers, that a thief entering the house to steal and/or hurt, ends up not doing that after witnessing the love and/or care among the people in the house.
Love and God's Law
Similarly, in the letter to Romans, St. Paul mentions the following -Owe no man any thing, but to love one another. For he that loveth his neighbour, hath fulfilled the law. For Thou shalt not commit adultery: Thou shalt not kill: Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness: Thou shalt not covet: and if there be any other commandment, it is comprised in this word, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The love of our neighbour worketh no evil. Love therefore is the fulfilling of the law... [Romans: Chapter 13, 8-10]
For all the law is fulfilled in one word: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. [Galatians 5:14]
The fruit of the Spirit is Love, etc. [Galatians 5:22]; But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law [Galatians 5:18].
Please read here for further insight.
Love binds everything (that we do) to perfection:
In Colossians chapter 3, St. Paul exhorts them to put off the old man, and to put on the new. Thereby, St. Paul says these words - Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience: Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another: even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also. But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection... [Colossians: Chapter 3, 12-14]The meaning for the word perfect are so many. Being perfect is to conform absolutely to the description or the definition of an ideal type. It is to be excellent or complete beyond theoretical or practical improvement. It is exactly fitting the situation (neither more, nor less). It means entirely without any flaws, shortcomings, or defects. It is to be complete, pure and unmixed.
Love never falleth away [1 Corinthians 13:8]. I believe, in other ways, it says: Love cannot fall away. This is also true because, our God, who is perfect, comes and resides in those who humbly yield to His Love and so lead a loving life in everything [Refer John 14:23].
Love makes a human being the temple or the abode or the living place of God:
Our Lord Jesus says:He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them; he it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father: and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith to him, not the Iscariot: Lord, how is it, that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, and not to the world? Jesus answered, and said to him: If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him. He that loveth me not, keepeth not my words. And the word which you have heard, is not mine; but the Father' s who sent me. These things have I spoken to you, abiding with you. - John 14
In 1 John 4:16, this is mentioned: God is charity: and he that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him. (We know the word abide means - to have one's abode; dwell; reside).
What more one could desire in this world than having God reside in oneself?
Conclusion:
I would like to say some examples.I was blessed to hear this in one of the sermons by a priest. Love with respect to our deeds and actions, is analogous to the racing track with respect to a racer. Racer can do all great sprint, tricks and may look awesome when running. He or she might have even finished first in the race. However, in the end, if the runner had not kept his running on the track, then he or she would be disqualified. All his or her work would then mean nothing. The track binds all his or her running work to perfection.
Yes, our Lord Jesus Christ is the track, way, path to God. Human mind could go so complicated and perplexed that, in its daily affairs, it would be attracted by so many surrounding things, in the name of Jesus, except the redeeming Love. If the desire and Love is not in the heart, or in other words if the heart is not full of desire and the Love of God, then would you tell me if all the material actions, benefits and gifts offered value anything?. One cannot find love from outside or anywhere else if it is not in the heart. Married spouses know this very clearly.
Our Lord exclaimed that the Kingdom of Heaven, if there be anywhere, it has to be in one's heart [Refer Luke 17:21]. There are Sundays, I had gone to Church desiring that my friend would be there. See, the friend being there is a material reason that was developed afterwards because I forgot the real reason! If the heart is so much of earthly interests and the body is in the Church habitually or our lips just say prayers everyday, how would these then matter? In this world it is very well possible to have one's heart in one place and one's affairs in another place. However, we have to remember this. God is Love and God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son to redeem the world [Refer John 4:8, John 3:16]. So let us not see or pay attention to everything else but the Love of God. Love gets fulfilled with Love. With God and His Love being the sole path of redemption, let us remind us this always and pray to God to help us fill our every moment of our life with this Love [Refer Deuteronomy 6:5-10].
So in our daily prayers, we shall seek God to assist us in loving Him earnestly and intimately.
Best Wishes to you, Alleluia.
