Biblical Love, Biblically Applied

Although there is a wealth of information in Scripture providing God's definition of "love", what is often over-looked is all that Scripture provides to show us how to actually achieve and practice that love. God's Word does not merely tell us about love and set a standard, but follows through with how to actually achieve it. The commandment issued by Christ, "love one another, just as I have loved you" (Jn. 15:12) is followed up with what we are supposed to do to accomplish this seemingly impossible feat. As with all things authentically Christian, it has to do, of course, with our own personal treatment of God's Word. This book will definitely touch on some of the issues related to proper Bible study. This is evidenced in the title of its first chapter, "Is Your Bible Study Method Really Working?" But in the end the main issue ultimately addressed is how to determine if something or someone, especially ourselves, is authentically "Christian" and achieving biblical love. Even when, by all outward appearances, something appears to be classic, old school, Bible-consuming authentic, how do we know for sure it is functioning properly? What makes a Christian authentic and visibly standing apart from the many false religions, cults, and the myriad who simply claim to be a "Christian" as a demographic label rather than an expression of a life devoted to actually following Jesus? How can we be assured that the "Christian" people, places and things to which we have attached our self is on the right track? How do we know whether or not we're allowing God's Word to do the job intended?I suppose this book can be thought of as a spiritual self-diagnostic, but it also serves as a cautionary tale that even when something has all the external appearances of orthodoxy and a requisite, biblically-based compliance, there is still a bottom line needing to be established, or at least well on its way to being developed. "How" we approach God's Word may not actually be as important as first knowing for sure "why". Most importantly, we will see that the Bible is not merely describing an ideal standard in Christ's love, but offering the attainable approach to achieving that love in our own life.