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We have defined the word wonder in the following manner:  “inquisitive awe in the pursuit of an understanding of all of the perfections of the excellent majesty of God.”   The wonder of God involves the study of all of His perfections.  The Bible affirms that God is love (I John 4:8,16).  To know God is to have everlasting life (I John 5:20).  To know God is to love.  He that loveth not, knoweth not God for God is love!  If we do not love, we do not have everlasting life!  Love is the essential element of the Christian life.  Let’s explore what it means to say that God is love.  In doing so, we will learn what it means to love as a virtue of our own hearts as followers of Jesus Christ.  We are in a pursuit of the breath, length, depth and height of the love of Christ (Eph. 3:14-21).   There is no greater pursuit of the human mind and heart than to know God.
Love is an Intrinsic Virtue of the Nature of God
“He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love” (I John 4:8). “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (I John 4:16).  Love is a perfection of the very nature of God.  Love is not all that God is.  God is also, holy, light, spirit, just, righteous, merciful, etc.  God is the sum of all of His perfections.  To say that God is love is to say that God: (1) Seeks the highest good of His creature, man.  God’s love is undefeatable, benevolent, goodwill.  God loves unconditionally as a free act of His own nature.  His love is directed toward human beings who are the only creatures who need salvation from sin and its consequences.  His love seeks the highest good of human beings by bestowing His grace freely to them in order to redeem them from iniquity.  (2) God’s love is relational.  God is a person. His love is directed toward other members of the Godhead, His Son and the Holy Spirit who are also persons) and human beings created in His image with the ability to love as a free act of their own wills.  God loves the human beings He created and desires that they be in covenant relationship with Him and receive the blessings and promises that only He can bestow upon them.  (3) God’s love is personal.  God desires to be a personal relationship with each human being.  This relationship is based upon the covenant God has given to man under different historic periods.  Three different historic periods are discernible in Bible history:  Patriarchal, Mosaical, and Christian.  We are living today under the Christian Age which is ruled by the law of Christ (Rom. 8:1-2).  God relates to us by providing the means for us to be in fellowship with Him.  This fellowship is predicated upon our love for Him (John 14:23, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him”).  (4) God’s love is unconditional.  It is not dependent upon who we are or what we have done.  God loves human beings because He is a God of love.  It is who God is.  (5) God’s love is beneficial.  God acts in our best interest for our greatest good!  God gave the best of heaven (John 3:16) in order that we can live the spiritually optimal life now and have eternal life in the world to come (John 10:10).  God truly wants the best for us.  If we do not possess all spiritual blessings, it is not God’s fault.  It is our fault for not reciprocating God’s love (we fail to love God back).  (6) God’s love is compelling.  God’s love comes before our love for Him (I John 4:19, “We love him, because He first loved us”).  We manifest our love for God by keeping His commandments (John 14:13; 14:23).  The cross is the love story of the Bible.  By studying this story, we come to know the love of God.  We learn of its sacrificial nature.  In turn, we must present our bodies as living sacrifices to Him (Rom. 12:1,2).
God’s Love and Our Salvation
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (I John 4:10).  God’s love is a wonder not only because of its scope (He loved all human beings), but because of the intensity of it (He loved us while we were yet sinners).  “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).  God loved us when we were unlovable (not worthy of His love).  God’s love acts in our best interest even though we are unworthy of it.  Our redemption is dependent upon God’s love.  God’s love faces sin in us and sees the value of redeeming us.  God’s love is made known thr0ugh the unspeakable gift of His Son–Jesus Christ.  The gift makes God’s love: undeniable, selfless, sacrificial, and undefeatable.  God’s love overcomes the forces of evil and prevails.  It is powerful and accomplishes the purpose or aim for which it is unleashed–the salvation of the human soul.  However, we must respond to God’s love by loving God back.  We have two choices as we face God’s love.  The first is to reject it.  When we reject God’s love, we also reject eternal life.  To know God is to have eternal life.  To know God is to love Him.  If we do not love Him, we do not know Him and we do not have eternal life!  When we fail to love God, we also deny ourselves an entrance into heaven.  Our love for God must be supreme (Matthew 22:36-39).  To love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind is the first and greatest commandment.  If we fail to get this right, we will perish eternally.  Our obedience to God’s commandments is evidence of our love (John 14:15).  The second response to God’s love is to receive it and reciprocate it.  Love for God involves more than lip service.  It involves acts of compliance with God’s laws that demonstrate it.  Love and obedience are interconnected just like trust and obedience are connected.  Jesus is the author of eternal salvation unto all those that obey Him (Heb. 5:8-9).
The Depth of God’s Love
We know the depth of God’s love by what it cost Him.  It cost Him His Son (John 3:16; Eph. 4:25).  Jesus gave His life to redeem us for the eternal consequences of sin (Rom. 6:23).  We know the depth of God’s love by how little we deserve it.  We are unworthy.  But, God loves us anyway.  We know the depth of God’s love by the greatness of the spiritual benefits and blessings He gives us.  All spiritual blessing are in Christ (Eph. 1:3).  God holds nothing back!  God’s supply of grace toward us is unending (John 1:16).  We know the depth of God’s love by the freedom by which it is manifested.  God’s love is free act of His eternal will.  In John 10:18, Jesus indicated His love as a free act when He said regarding His life, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.  I have power to lay it down,
and I have power to take it again.  This commandment have I received of my Father.”  No one took Jesus’ life from Him.  He freely gave it and secured our spiritual freedom from the servitude of sin.
God is love!  Behold it and wonder!  Let it fill your heart with awe.  Be grateful for God’s love.  Love God back with all of your heart, soul and mind.  Remember, that to know God is to have everlasting life.  To know God is to love God.  If we do not love Him, we do not know Him and we do not have everlasting life!  Failure to love God will cause our soul to perish eternally.

How would you define the good life?  Do you think that it would be to have plenty of money to do whatever you wanted to do?  More play and less work?  Self-indulgence, but not to the point of self-destruction? Being the envy of your neighbors?  Success, yes, but how do you define success?  What do you really want out of life?
God’s word defines the good life.  Psalm 34:11-14 and I Peter 3:10-11 point us in the right direction.  Psalm 34 was written by David and Peter wrote I Peter 3 and quoted David’s Psalm.  The Psalm invites us to consider the aspects of the good life.  There is the invitation, the explanation, the question and the answer.
First, the invitation is given.  “Come, ye children, hearken unto me….”  Are you interested?  Listen and learn.  Your life begins to be shaped by who you listen to.  What voice(s) direct your choices?  Each person is a collection of voices.  We have those voices in our memories and they affect our thinking and our decisions.  Most of us can recall what our parents have taught us.  We can remember the words of our grandparents or other family members.  Add the voices of good teachers and friends.  Who are you listening to?  The wisdom from above comes from God.  If we are not listening to God, can we say that we are pursuing the good life?  The invitation has been extended.  You have to answer.  What will your answer be?
Second, the explanation is given.  “I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”  This sounds like a great life lesson.  What does it mean?  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7).  Knowledge of God, God’s Will, life itself, and the good life of course.  Life’s decisions are based on what we know.  When we know the truth and utilize it, our decisions become more attuned to God’s wisdom.  The fear of the LORD is a combination of love for God (adoration, affection, attachment and allegiance) and knowledge of God’s punitive power which produces reverence and godly fear (Heb. 12:28).  The good life is shaped by our attitude toward God.  The right attitude toward God is the pathway of wisdom.  The wrong attitude toward God is the pathway of fools.  The good life is shaped by the fear of the LORD.
Third, the question is given.  “What man is he that desireth life, and liveth many days, that he may see good?”  Let’s break this thought down.  “Desires life” means that he wants to live life to its fullest.  The optimal life is the spiritually optimal life (John 10:10).  Spiritual life comes from God and is given only by God to us.  Sin brings corruption, destruction, and death (both spiritual and physical).  Only God can redeem our soul and impart spiritual life.  Can we say we are living the good life if we are not spiritually regenerated?  “Loveth many days” refers to the length of life and its productivity.  The longer we live, the more fruitful we can be.  “See good” refers to experiencing the good.  God is good!  Good is defined by God.  God is morally perfect (holy).  God is infinite in goodness.  The goodness of God is the fountain of His grace toward us.  To be good is to be like God and manifest His nature and undefeatable, benevolent, goodwill.  Good is the opposite of evil.  God leads us in the pathway of righteousness.  If we are not following God, can we say that we are living the good life?
Fourth, the answer is presented to us.  There are four aspects to the answer.  “Keep thy tongue from evil” is the first aspect.  James 3:2-18 reveals that if we can control the tongue, we can control the entire body.  Self-control is an attribute of the good life.  All relationships depend upon being able to control the tongue.  Evil communications are destructive to the soul of man and destroy relationships with others and with God.  No wonder James says that the tongue is a fire and is set on fire of hell!  The good life must be characterized by speaking the truth and speaking words of encouragement and edification.  The second aspect is lips that speak no guile.  Guile is deceit.  Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matt. 12:34).  Out of an evil treasure, evil things are spoken.  Out of a good treasure, good things are spoken.  The good life is characterized by speaking the truth thus indicating a good heart.  Relationships are built upon trust and without truth there can be no trust.  The third aspect is departing from evil.  The only intrinsic evil is sin.  The good life is characterized by the pursuit of righteousness and godliness.  We must pursue love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (the fruits of the Spirit–Gal. 5:22-23).  We must reject every sinful attitude and behavior.  The good life is marked by Christlikeness.  Finally, David encourages us to seek peace and pursue it.  True peace is the tranquility of soul that fears nothing from God because it rests in God’s grace and love.  Spiritual peace is reconciliation to God.  Sinners live in enmity with God.  The righteous live in peace with God.  The good life is characterized by oneness with God where there is salvation, security, safety and peace.
The apostle Peter quotes this Psalm in I Pet. 3:10-11.  He defines the spiritually optimal life, indeed the Christian life, utilizing the words of David.  The good life is shaped by the voice of God.  It is shaped by an attitude of reverence and godly fear.  It is shaped by a pursuit of God and imitation of God.  It is shaped by self-control, a good heart, the pursuit of good not evil,  and peace with God through the redemption that was secured by the Lord Jesus Christ.  The good life is the Christian life.  All are invited to come and learn the wisdom from above that leads us to spiritual life now and eternal life in the world to come.

Lazarus was very sick.  Mary and Martha, his sisters, were very concerned about him.  They sent word to Jesus, “he whom thou lovest is sick.” Jesus knew that this would be an opportunity to use His power to reveal God’s glory.  After two days, Jesus returned to Judea.  His disciples were concerned about His welfare because  previously He had been threatened with stoning in the same region.  In the meantime, Lazarus died.  Jesus told His disciples that Lazarus was dead and that they would go to him (John 11:15).  The death of a loved one is a crisis.  Death is a significant transition that is often thrust upon us when we least expect it.  How do we manage these moments of crisis?
A Christian never faces these moments alone.  A Christian has entered into spiritual union with Christ and spiritual fellowship with all of those of like precious faith.  In addition, a Christian has both faith and love to guard his/her heart.  Faith is taking God at His Word.  Love for God involves affection, adoration and attachment through covenant relationship with Him.  Love for others means that we seek their highest good.  The duo of faith and love are linked together seventeen times in the New Testament.  Let’s consider some aspects of what their combination means.
Faith and Love are Virtues of the Christian Life.
When Peter lists eight Christian virtues, he mentions faith first and love last (II Pet. 1:5-8: faith, virtue (moral vigor), knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity (love).  Faith and love are qualities of character that a Christian possesses from the very beginning of the Christian life.  They are connected in such a way that they cannot function alone.  “Faith worketh by love,” (Gal. 5:6).  Faith functions by love.  Faith is activated and energized by love.  Love adds value to faith. “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing” (I Cor. 13:2).  Without love, faith is nothing.  This is the reason why a dead faith cannot save. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26).  The works that James refers to are “works of righteousness” given to us by God.  Christian character manifests itself in actions that are consistent with the character trait.  Faith and love can be seen in the words and works of an individual.  Consequently, faith and love in the heart manifest themselves in the conduct of the Christian.  They are essential elements of obedience to God and moral excellence.
Faith and Love for Jesus
Peter writes, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (I Pet. 1:8).  Faith in Jesus means that we believe that He is the Son of God and savior of the world.  It means that we trust Jesus and follow Him by being obedient to His commands (Matt. 28:18-20; John 8:24; Heb. 5:8-9).  Love for Jesus means that we will keep His commandments. “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: an dry Faith will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23).  Our faith and love for Jesus is shown by obedience to His commandments.  Keeping covenant is an important aspect of fellowship with God and Christ.
Faith in Jesus and Love for The Saints
Paul writes, “Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints” (Eph. 1:15).  “Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints” (Col. 1:4).  Faith in the Lord Jesus produces love for the saints.  When we follow the Lord, we will love one another.  “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34-35).  Faith and love function together to identify us as the children of God.
Faith and Love Protect
“But let us, who are of the daytime be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation” (I Thess. 5:8).  Faith and love are defensive weapons.  Satan tempts us to bring us to condemnation before God.  Faith and love guard the heart and help to quench these temptations and enable Christians to prevail.  Faith accepts God’s Word.  Love rejoices not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth (I Cor. 13:6).  Both faith and love are connected to God’s Word which is an offensive weapon against the wiles the devil (Eph. 6:17).  Faith and love help the Christian stand against all sin.  Faith and love function within the heart and protects the vulnerable area–the human heart.
Faith and Love are Dynamic
“We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith growth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth” (II Thess. 1:3).  Paul witnessed the spiritual growth of the Thessalonian brethren in both faith and love.  In John 11, in the midst of the crisis of death, Jesus challenged Martha’s faith to grow in the midst of the crisis. “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, Believest thou this?” (John 11:25-26).  While Martha believed (John 11:27), Jesus challenges her faith in His power to resurrect Lazarus from the dead.  Every crisis is a test of faith and love.  A Christian is ever learning and ever growing to advance in wisdom and spiritual strength.  Every crisis is an opportunity to grow spiritually.
Faith and Love Are Essential to Christian Living
To women, Paul writes, “Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety” (I Tim. 2:15).  The pronoun “she” refers to the unspecified godly woman.  The pronoun “they” refers to the entire class of godly women.  The Christian woman will be saved by adhering to her God-designed purpose and Christian character which includes faith and love.  To young people, Paul writes, “Let no man despise thy youth: but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (I Tim. 4:12).  Christian young people can “set the pace” for others in godly character.  Faith and love are integral aspects of that excellent spirit.  To young preachers, Paul writes, “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness” (I Tim. 6:11).  “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (II Tim. 1:13).  “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (II Tim. 2:22).  Every gospel preacher should be an example in faith and love.
Two Outstanding Examples of Faith and Love
The first example is found in the life of Paul.  Paul wrote to Timothy and reminded him of the example Paul provided to him. “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me” (II Tim. 3:10-11).  Paul desired that Timothy follow him as much as he followed Christ.  The second example is that of Philemon. Paul makes an appeal to Philemon to receive Onesimus back as a brother in Christ.  He bases that appeal on the character of Philemon.  “Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints” (Philemon 5).  Christian character in Philemon’s heart will function to restore relationship with Onesimus and crown it with an even greater bond, i. e. that of brotherhood.
Could anyone deny the power of faith and love in the Christian life?  Surely anyone can see that we are not saved by faith alone.  Faith without love is nothing (I Cor. 13:2).  The unbeatable duo is faith and love.

Thomas Zurbuchen selected the name Perseverance for the space rover sent to Mars following a nationwide K-12 student “name the rover” contest.  The contest attracted over 28,000 proposals.  A seventh grade student from Virginia, Alexander Mather from Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, VA, submitted the winning entry at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.  He and his family were invited to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in FL to watch the launch of the rover.  Mather wrote in his winning essay, “Curiosity, Insight, Spirit, Opportunity.  If you think about it, all of these names of past Mars rovers are qualities we possess as humans.  We are always curious, and seek opportunity.  We have the spirit and insight to explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond.  But, if rovers are to be the qualities of us as a race, we missed the most important thing.  Perseverance.”
It Takes Perseverance to Go to Mars
How far is it to Mars?  The average distance to Mars is 140 million miles.  How long would it take to get there?  If you were walking (about 4 mph) it would take 4,000 years!  By car at 70 mph it would take 228 years. By jet plane, it would take 32 years.  By space ship (the Apollo Ten space craft flew 39,896 km/h) it would take 8.4 months.  By space craft now at 58,599 mph…about 6 months, 18 days).  (distances provided by distancescalculator.com). If you want to track the rover, go to: eyes.nasa.gov and you can track the location in real time.  Wednesday, December 2, the rover had traveled 196,353,000 miles at 55,677 mph, with 96,172,000 miles to go.  67% of the trip has been completed (the trip is nearly 300 million miles).  Perseverance launched July 30, 2020 and will land on Mars Feb. 18, 2021. It takes perseverance to go to Mars.
The Definition of Perseverance
The apostle Paul in Eph. 6:18, states, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”  The Greek word translated by the English word perseverance means, “strong towards.”  It is an intensive form.  Thus, the word means, “unremitting, steadfast.” The Oxford English Dictionary gives the following definition to perseverance: “persistence in doing something despite opposition, difficulty, or delay in achieving success.”  The opposition can take many forms: enemies oppose, difficulties arise, and delays hinder.  Some quotes capture the essence of this word: “too determined to be defeated” and “Perserverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did” (Newt Gingrich).  Perseverance is a character trait.  Some synonyms are: endurance, patience, steadfastness, unremitting, unrelenting, persistent and determined.
The Context of the Struggle
In Eph. 6:10-18, Paul establishes the need for perseverance in the context of the spiritual struggle that characterizes the Christian warfare.  The Christian life can be viewed as having:  a beginning, i.e. conversion; a goal, heaven; a journey, day to day living; opposition and obstacles, i.e. enemies; support and help, God, the armor of God, godly character, prayer, fellow Christians; and an end, i.e. victory.  We live our lives as Christians in the context of spiritual struggle.  When we become a New Testament Christian and are baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27) we depart from iniquity.  We take a stand against evil and for righteousness.  Consequently, all evil forces will oppose us.   We must keep our eyes on the goal–heaven.  Like Paul, we must stay focused on the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:13-14).  Opposition will come from many sources.  In Eph. 6:12, Paul mentions the spiritual principalities, powers and rulers of the darkness of this world.  Satan and his allies will assail each Christian.  In Christ, we must face our enemies with courage and perseverance.  Satan opposes everything that is true, good and right.  He uses deception skillfully to ensnare the minds and hearts of people.  Christians are not defenseless.  We can and must equip ourselves with the whole armor of God.  This involves: truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God (Eph. 6:14-17).  With these spiritual instruments, we can fight and win decisively.  “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (II Corinthians 10:4-5).  If God be for us, who can be against us? (Rom. 8:31).  Christians have the power of prayer.  Christians have godly character and stay attentive to the circumstances that they find themselves confronting.  They watch with all perseverance.  Dear Christian, never let down your guard.  Always be prepared to advance the faith and defend the faith which was once delivered to the saints (Jude 3).  We are assured the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.  “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord” (I Cor. 15:57).  “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). “Fight the good fight of the faith, lay hold on eternal life” (I Tim. 6:12).

It’s time for a spiritual check-up.  Health and fitness are important.  However, they are not more important than the heath of the soul.  “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (I Tim. 4:8).  In III John 1-14, we have three tests to determine the health of the soul:  the test of truth, the test of love and the test of righteousness.  In III John 2, John writes, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”  John ties physical health to spiritual health.  We can have joy and peace only by being right with God.
The Test of Truth
Truth matters!  What is truth?  In John 17:17, Jesus stated, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”  Many today believe that truth is subjective and so is a construct of one’s own mind.  However, Jesus makes it plain that truth comes from God and is synonymous with His Word.  The doctrine of Christ (II John 9) is the truth.  Truth is objective (stands outside of the individual person) and is knowable (John 8:32, “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”). The truth contains facts to be believed, commands to be obeyed and promises to be received.  Peter declares, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently” (I Pet. 1:22).  The well-being of our souls depends upon our obedience to the truth.  The truth is livable.  The Holy Spirit declares through the pen of John, “For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee (they had received the truth and it abode in their hearts by faith-DS), even as thou walkest in the truth” (III John 3).  To walk in the truth is to live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostles.  The identity of a Christian is manifested by conformity to the teachings of Jesus and the apostles.  Paul makes a strong declaration of presence of Christ in his life, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).  The well-being of the soul depends upon integrity in Christian living.
The Test of Love
John mentions the display of love (charity-KJV) by Gaius in the manifestation of hospitality in the furtherance of the gospel.  “Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well” (III John 5-6). The test of love is a vitally important one.  First, the well-being of the soul depends on loving God supremely.  “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with al thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mark 12:29-30).  Notice that this commandment is first in rank and importance.  If we fail to keep this commandment, then, obedience to any of the other commandments is a mockery.  Consider also that the whole person is involved in the obedience to this command.  This involves fullness of consecration to God and means that we hold nothing back in our commitment to Him.  The command is to love God.  This love for God means that we hold Him in the highest regard with the utmost of respect and reverence for Him.  It manifests itself in actions that express our adoration for Him, our veneration of Him, and our allegiance to Him.  Our love for God and His love for us forms a bond that makes us inseparable (Rom. 8:35-39).  Love for neighbor is also commanded by the Lord. “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:31).  Love for neighbor means seeking his/her highest good.  This love is undefeatable, benevolent, goodwill.  Love for brothers and sisters in Christ is also taught by Jesus (John 13:34-35).  Gaius demonstrates this love in showing hospitality to those who preached the gospel of Christ.  John mentions Diotrephes in contrast to Gaius who, “prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church” (III John 10).  Gaius demonstrates the well-being of the soul while Diotrephes shows the corruption of the soul.  Gaius loved.  Diotrephes did not.  Love always acts for the good of others.  Gaius did this while Diotrephes failed miserably.
The Test of Righteousness
John declares, “Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good.  He that doth good is of God but he that doth evil hath not seen God” (III John 11).  Righteousness is right living or living that fulfills God’s precepts and purposes.  The well-being of the soul depends upon moral integrity.  Intrinsic evil is sinful conduct or behavior that transgresses God’s Will.  Demetrius is mentioned by John as having a good report among men and the truth.  He is a Christian whose soul is prospering.  Christians must display moral integrity.  A list of sinful conduct is given by Paul in Gal. 5:19-20 and involves:  adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditious, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like.  This list is not exhaustive, but it is representative of the type of behavior that is morally reprehensible in the sight of God.  When these sins are present in the human heart, the soul is sin sick and corrupted.  Righteous living is an outgrowth of walking in the truth.  Righteous living reflects holiness which is a characteristic of the nature of God (I Peter 1:15-16).
Three tests provide a quick check-up for your soul: the test of truth, the test of love and the test of righteousness.  Is it well with your soul?  What if your prosperity were tied to the health of your soul?

“For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth…” (Heb. 12:6).  Parents who love their children discipline them for their greater good.  Discipline takes on many different forms:  suffering for righteousness sake, verbal reproof, rewards, punishments–including corporal punishment.  Our Heavenly Father loves His children and disciplines them.  Love and correction go together.  Heb. 12:5-6 is a quotation from Proverbs 3:11-12.  In the Old Testament passage, the sage or wise man addresses his son.  No particular individual is addressed.  The wise man teaches his son to accept graciously God’s discipline of his life.  God disciplines out of love.  Love seeks the highest good of another.  The goal of God’s discipline is holiness or the fruit of righteousness.  In the New Testament passage, God’s love is emphasized as His motive for discipline.  The goal is the same, i.e. to produce holiness or the fruits of righteousness.  This noble purpose is one reason why God’s discipline of the Christians’ life must not be despised.
Discipleship Entails Discipline
Discipleship denotes a spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord.  Through obedience to the gospel, we have entered into spiritual oneness with Christ and our goal is to be like Him.  Discipline involves:  training in righteousness, education, punishments, and rewards.  Christians must be in subjection to God under all circumstances of life (Heb. 12:9; Heb. 12:1-3).  We set our eyes on Jesus and attempt to follow in His steps.
Chastening Must Be Endured
To “endure” chastening means that we “abide under” or “bear up courageously.”  We must exhibit spiritual strength and toughness in the face of chastening which for the present is not joyous.  The opposite of bearing up is to be faint, be weary, show hands that hang down or feeble knees (Heb. 12:3, 12).  Just as Jesus learned obedience by the things which He suffered, so we learn obedience by the things which we suffer (Heb. 5:8-9).
Love and Correction
God’s chastening is a sign of His love and spiritual relationship to Him.  Christians belong to Christ because they have been redeemed by His blood (I Cor. 6:19-20).  Those who do not sustain this vital spiritual connection are not subject to God’s chastening.  They are bastards and not sons (Heb. 12:8).  God is continually seeking the highest good of His children.  Chastening encourages their spiritual growth and advancement in Christlikeness.  Two objects are in view:  holiness (Heb. 12:10) and the fruit of righteousness (Heb. 12:11).  Spiritual life flourishes under God’s discipline and produces fruitfulness and spiritual maturity.
In the absence of discipline, evil goes unchecked, sin is normalized, false doctrines are normalized and God is mocked because of a Christian’s hypocrisy.  Discipline that is corrective recognizes God’s righteous standard which proceeds from His own holiness.  The goal of the Christian life is Christlikeness and through discipline God seeks to preserve relationship with us so that we can be with Him forever in heavenly realms. Consequently, we must not despise God’s chastening of our lives, but we must give Him the respect, reverence, and love that rightfully belongs to Him.

Recently, the South Florida Avenue Church of Christ had on one side of its marquee, “‘Homo-Phobia’ Is A Misnomer;” and on the other side, “God Hates Sin But is Not ‘Sin-Phobic.'”(The Harvester, June, 2018, vol. 38, no. 11).  Some of the responses to the sign were: “Shame on you for encouraging hate.  This is not Christian.” “This is hateful and Jesus would be ashamed of you.” “I was under the impression that God doesn’t hate anything.”  These statements betray a lack of understanding of how the word “hate” is used in the Bible and especially how it is used of God.  The fact that God is love does not negate the fact that there are some things that God hates.  The question is: in what sense does God hate?
Hate Defined
There are three senses in which the word “hate” is used in the New Testament.  (see W. E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, vol. II, p 198).  First, the word hate is used of “malicious and unjustifiable feelings toward others, whether toward the innocent or by mutual animosity (Matt. 10:22; 24:10; Luke 6:22,27; 19:14).  Second, the word hate is used of a right feeling of aversion from what is evil (Rom. 7:15, Heb. 1;9; Jude 23, Rev. 2:6).  Third, the word hate is used of a relative preference for one thing over another by way of expressing either aversion from or disregard for the claims of one person or things relative to those of another (Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:13; John 3:20).
Hate and God
God never hates in the sense of #1 “malicious and unjustifiable feelings toward others.  This hate is a sin.  God does hate in the sense of #2, He has a strong aversion toward evil.  And, He hates in the sense of #3, when He manifests a relative preference for one person or thing over another.  It is simply false to say that God does not hate anything (see Proverbs 6:16-19).  In addition, God hates:  (1) arrogance, Amos 6:8; (2) evil hearts, Zech. 8:17; (3) false worship/idolatry, Deut. 16:22; Isa. 1:14; 61:8; Jer. 44:4, Amos 5:21; (4) divorcing legitimate spouses, Mal. 2:16; and (5) wickedness, Psa. 45:7.  God showed a preference for Jacob over Esau, Rom. 9:13 where the KJV states that God hated Esau.  Jesus hated the doctrine of the Nicolaitans (because it was false), Rev. 2:6, 15 and as the Messiah has a strong aversion toward iniquity/false doctrine, Heb. 1:9.  The Messiah hates lawlessness.
Summary
There are some things that God hates.  God hates iniquity, wickedness, false worship/idolatry, and false doctrine, but, that does not make God sin-phobic.  If we hate (have a strong aversion for evil) that does not make us sin-phobic either!  Love rejoices not in iniquity (I Cor. 13:6).  Here, love and hate (strong aversion for evil) are correspondent.  Hatred in the sense of malicious thoughts and actions toward others is forbidden in God’s Word (Gal. 5:20). This type of hatred is a work of the flesh.  Love is the opposite of this type of attitude and conduct.