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How Is Love Expressed in a Church? - Vintage Church

Mark Driscoll

In Vintage Church chapter eight we answer the question, "How Is Love Expressed in a Church?" Regarding love in the church, excerpts from Vintage Church pages 193, 196-197 say: Inextricably connected to the doctrine of the Trinity is love. In the very nature of God there is a continuous outpouring of love, communication, and oneness. In perfect love, the three persons are characterized by reciprocal self-dedication to the good of the whole Trinity. Because God is a relational community of love, God is the source and model of all that is love.... Because God commands us to love, we must acknowledge that while it can and should include our emotional feelings, it is not based solely upon them. Despite our emotions, it is always possible to obey God and love because of the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, who has connected us to the source of all love. Thus, we can love even when we are not feeling loving. That is why the Bible likens love to a fruit of the Spirit's work in our lives (Gal. 5:22-23; Rom. 5:5; 2 Tim. 1:7). ...The question persists, how should we love? Obviously, since Jesus was Love incarnate, he is the greatest example of love and the model for our own loving life, empowered by the same Holy Spirit as was his (John 13:34; 15:12; Eph. 5:1-2). In the remainder of this chapter we will explore some of the ways that deep Trinitarian love is visibly seen in the lives of the Christians who comprise a church.


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