How the Love of God Impacts the Life of a Godly Man
Bible Students
"Come Let Us Reason Together"
Wall of Love - A Proverbs 23:28
"Like a city that is broken into and without walls, is a man who has no control over his spirit."
So we can say from this that there
are two types of men:
Man #1 One who has control over his spirit
a. city well defended
b. with walls
Man #2 The other one has no control over his spirit
a. city broken into
b. No walls
Man #1
Man with control over his spirit
City with Walls
Man #2
No control over his spirit
Defenseless City
But why are you calling it a Wall of Love! We now get the wall concept,
but why wall of love? Well - let's look at this wall closely.
Zechariah 2:5 (1-5) gives us a hint: "Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. So I said, "Where are you going?" And he said to me, "To measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is." And behold, the angel who was speaking with me was going out, and another angel was coming out to meet him, and said to him, "Run, speak to that young man, saying, Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls because of the multitude of men and cattle within it. For I, declares the Lord, will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst."
God talks about a time when Jerusalem will not have physical walls like it has today, but God Himself will be a Wall of Fire around her, and God Himself would be the Glory in her midst.
Jerusalem or a Godly Man
(Wall of Fire)
Luke 23:26-27 - "When they lead Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus. And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him."
Here was a large crowd of people following Jesus and He called them Daughters of Jerusalem. - This is now the 2nd scripture that give people qualities of a city. (see below)
*Luke 23:28 "But Jesus turning to them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children."
Matthew 24:12 - "Because lawlessness is increased, most peoples love will grow cold."
In the end, times because lawlessness increases, people's love will be extinguished. This scripture is saying that our love (Agape) for God must be HOT to keep iniquity or lawlessness out!
Man #2
No control over his spirit
(see above)
The Lawless Man
2 Thessalonians 3:3-5 - "But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ."
Jesus will not leave us defenseless against evil. He give us strength and protection by directing our hearts into the Agape Love of God.
Now we also know the name of the enemy - Lawlessness
Agape Love
Agape love, has no emotions involved, it always does what is highest & best. We know this because a thorough study of agape told us to agape love our enemies, and also we will know we have agape love for God when we keep His commandments. With this in mind, we can reason that if we have a HOT love for God, we're not talking about a religious frenzy, but a love so hot for God, we obey His commands, do His will, & walk in His ways.
"When our agape love for God is hot, (Gr. = zeo) also translated as fervent, it keeps sin out"! Our word zest is from zestos - to have a zest for God!
With this in mind, let's remind ourselves what love is. It is more than likely not what people think of when God says our love must be HOT. Think of hot enough to purify gold or silver or for refining the precious and removing the worthless.
The perfect description of agape love is found in I Corinthians 13:(12:31b - 13:13) which says, 13b) "And yet I show you a more excellent way,
1) though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not love, I am become a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.
2) And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and have all knowledge; and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, 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 love, it profits me nothing.
4) Love suffers long, and is kind, love envies not, love does not vaunt itself, is not puffed up.
5) Does not behave itself unseemly, does not seek its own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil.
6) Rejoices not in lawlessness, but rejoices in the truth.
7) Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8) Love never fails, but whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease, whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9) For we know in part, and we prophecy in part.
10) But when that which is perfect comes, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11) When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12) For now we see through a glass darkly: but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13) And now abides, faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
Notice: Love is found 9 times here in I Corinthians Chapter 13 - and 9 is the number of the Holy Spirit. There are 9 gifts of the Spirit; 9 fruit of the Spirit, the first of the fruit of the Spirit listed is agape love, the same exact Greek word is found here. Exciting isn't it!
In wall of Love (Agape) B, we will look at this wall of love from a totally different angle - see you there!