SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
[Let your] love be sincere (a real thing); hate what is evil [loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good. Romans 12:9 AMPC
Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us]. 1 Corinthians 16:14 AMP
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT
COMMENTARY
The standards for real love come from its founder, the Most High God, who is the creator of this world and our example of authentic love. Because God always existed, that means love originated with Him. He is the totality of Love! When we receive the Holy Spirit, we automatically receive (His) love with the ability to walk and operate in and out of it. In order to properly love, we must copy the ways of Christ so we don’t give away the counterfeit version of love which is infatuation. Infatuation has the appearance of real love, but it cannot be trusted because its origin is superficial and satanic. In other words, anything that is artificial is not trustworthy, dependable, or sustainable. Selah!
The synonyms for infatuation are charmed, smitten, possessed, intoxicated, spellbound, bewitched, fascinated, crazy about, foolish, silly, seduced, captivated, and beguiled. None of those synonyms describe real love because infatuation is completely different from anything that real represents. Here’s a revelation: if we don’t know the character and integrity of true love, infatuation will become our seducer and way of operation. Furthermore, if we don’t know and understand God’s ways of being and doing, we will never know true love. Remember, there is no middle ground when we execute or receive love; it’s either real or fake! However, when it’s real, it comes from God. When it is fake, it comes from the enemy.
- Michael Moorer