The purifying fire of love

We are studying in an interesting School with an unusual name "Happy Family" in the light of agape love. If someone thinks that nothing is happening with us, and we are wasting our own and others' time in vain, then read carefully the name of our School. That's exactly what it is: we are learning to build a happy family. For some, this process goes quickly, someone does not understand what should be, and how all this will end. But the Lord does not keep us in one place and leads us to amazing discoveries in knowing each other.

I want to assure and warn you that, learning to love each other with agape love, you will someday receive everything for which you studied and spent your precious time, learning this science. The School of Agape Love does not end when this very love is acquired, but it transitions into a new stage of relationships that carry many different revelations and trials.

The Lord gave us a commandment about loving one another. He spoke it three times, not changing the meaning of love, but adding features of relationships in it. And now the time has come when I decide to begin fulfilling this commandment and find myself a friend for this, who is not against loving me according to the same God's commandment. Not everyone will dare to take such a beautiful step, and I will not choose just any person for the role of a friend who needs to be loved with agape. It's easy to say, but to find and do—that's completely different. But however this happens, God's blessing and approval must be on everything.

It's good when two brothers love each other and begin to grow in this love. Or if two sisters make a decision about unconditional love, then such relationships will not cause any misunderstandings and will be perceived normally. However, the commandment about loving one another does not give us any restrictions by gender. In fulfilling Christ's command there is the following feature. A brother must love a sister, and a sister—a brother. But what about Christian ethics? And how will such love look?

I want to assure you, friends, that when you decide to embark on this path, you will certainly come to the necessity of loving a person who is not like you, but represents your complete opposite, but agrees to mutual love.

When I acquired my first smartphone, I immediately appreciated its advantages in conducting many types of work and activities that I tried to solve with the help of a computer, camera, button phone and other devices, spending a lot of time and money on this. Once in my life there came a moment when I understood that some social networks steal my best time and draw me deeper and deeper. I was offered a world of friends and along with this all kinds of entertainment and pleasures that attracted with their accessibility. At some point I realized that the smartphone began to manipulate my will, luring me to places where I shouldn't go. And I really didn't like this. I decided to execute my phone and render it useless. But the Lord did not let me carry out this foolish decision, inspiring me that the problem is not in the phone, but in my head. And I will not become a winner if I break an expensive thing. I will have to buy a new one, because our modern life is tied to this device and in many ways makes our life easier. Victory consists in learning, having such technology in your pocket, to use only certain advantages that bring benefit and blessing, and at the same time refuse everything that steals time and pollutes the purity of thoughts. And in this struggle I must prevail.

I liked this approach, and I decided to monitor what the smartphone does in my life, and who controls whom among us. It worked. Although my carnal nature sometimes draws me to the dump, I plan my time and interests in such a way as not to enter dangerous territories, and I remove all temptation from my field of vision.

In friendship and love with people of the opposite sex within the framework of church brotherhood, certain rules operate that are important to know so as not to violate them. There are also stereotypes that we are accustomed to orient ourselves by, considering them the norm of life. But when I decide to observe God's commandment and choose for this a person of the opposite sex, then, whether I want it or not, I invite the fire of trials into my life, and my chosen friend experiences the same. And through this fire all must pass who wish to love one another. The Lord will not shield us from this interesting trial, but is ready to be with us so that the flame does not scorch us.

When I, being a married man, choose a sister as a friend, with whom we decide to love each other, then we open our hearts to this mutual agape, which is not like in the movies, but very deep and burning. I plunge into a world of new experiences that destroy all my understanding about friendship and open new beauty and depth of relationships that I never even dreamed of. Agape teaches me to love and act truly, with all my heart. And this same love passes through the heart of your friend, producing the same action. In other cases—this is not agape, but something human or deficient. I understand that the Lord is showing me the unexplored, and the only thing I desire is to preserve the purity and holiness of relationships, not allowing the flesh to raise its disgusting head to take possession of my will.

At some point I become frightened, and I understand that the fire is very hot and unquenchable. I cry out to the Lord for protection, ask Him to be with me and very much want to run away from all this. But I understand that love endures all things and endures correctly. And the Lord desires to see me as a victor in the fire, and not among curious observers.

If I plan to have love for my friend without experiencing feelings for him, then it's unclear what perspective I'm drawing for myself.

I have been a multiple witness to how many of my fellow believers violated the seventh commandment. And this strengthened in me the conviction that friendship and love between a sister and brother cannot exist. But the Lord shows the true picture. He teaches that genuine agape must exist between His children, but it must be correct, where God's throne and the Lord's principles stand at the center of relationships.

The fire of agape love does not burn me, but purifies my heart from carnal and lustful desires. I learn to love my friend, enter into the fire of this love, study and observe all processes, rejoice and enjoy new discoveries and experiences.

Love shows me the essence and character of my friend. In his open heart I see such a quantity of inexhaustible treasures that I immediately hasten to tell him about them, and he, in turn, shares with me the blessings of his findings in me.

Honest communication about our new feelings and experiences helps us analyze what is happening, pray for each other and make wise decisions for the next steps in our love.

Reading about someone is very simple and interesting, but when this fire burns inside you, then this is a completely different worldview.

My love for my spouse did not become less when a friend loving me appeared in my life. And over time there are more and more of these friends, and we all love each other. And this is beautiful!

1. Please read Isa. 43:2; 1 Pet. 1:22; 2:17; 4:8; John 13:34-35; 15:12-13,17-18; 17:26; Rev. 3:17-18; Jer. 32:3; Matt. 24:12; 1 John 3:16; 4:7-13; Rom. 5:5; 12:9; 1 Cor. 13:4-8; 16:14; Gal. 5:13,22-23; Eph. 4:15 in light of this topic.

2. What did you understand from this topic?

3. What other verses from the Bible came to your memory?

4. Do you have such a friend with whom you love each other from a pure heart?

5. Are the words of Apostle Paul from Rom. 7:22-25 clear to you in light of this topic?

6. Will I begin to do what I consider impossible?

7. Was the commandment about loving one another given only to the eleven disciples?

8. Why does the gold from Rev. 3:18 go through purification by fire?

9. Should one seek and choose those people with whom you will love each other, or should this come by itself?

10. Does my victory consist in avoiding the fire of trials?

11. Does the proposal to love one another from a pure heart cause fear in you? Is this possible between brothers and sisters?

12. Will the Lord guard and teach those who decide to love one another? Isa. 42:1-8.

13. What do you think, if you are learning love and desire to have it, will you someday begin to love someone?

14. What should I do if I want to love, but no one responds with reciprocity? Should I continue searching?

15. Is it necessary to speak about love with those whom you love and who love you? Or is this optional?