The Doctrine of Love

Written and compiled by Gary Kukis (see below

These studies are designed for believers in Jesus Christ only. If you have exercised faith in Christ, then you are in the right place. If you have not, then you need to heed the words of our Lord, Who said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten [or, uniquely-born] Son, so that every [one] believing [or, trusting] in Him shall not perish, but shall be have eternal life! For God did not send His Son into the world so that He should judge the world, but so that the world shall be saved through Him. The one believing [or, trusting] in Him is not judged, but the one not believing has already been judged, because he has not believed in the Name of the only-begotten [or, uniquely-born] Son of God." (John 3:16–18). "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life! No one comes to the Father except through [or, by means of] Me!" (John 14:6).

Every study of the Word of God ought to be preceded by a naming of your sins to God. This restores you to fellowship with God (1John 1:8–10). If we acknowledge our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9). If there are people around, you would name these sins silently. If there is no one around, then it does not matter if you name them silently or whether you speak aloud.

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Preface
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Preface:	The

1.	In

My assumption is that Buddy Dano learned a great deal of this information originally from R. B. Thieme, Jr.
The doctrine of love: summary (Buddy Dano, R. B. Thieme, Jr.)
Summary of Personal and Impersonal Love; 1John 5:2–3

1John 5:2 "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome." (NASB)
1.	Love is one of the most misunderstood concepts in our culture. It is often and usually confused with certain feelings, certain emotions, or with certain sentiments. Some people equate love with sex; other people today never equate love with sex. Others use the word love so much that it becomes trivialized and loses its real meaning. We have to let the Bible define love rather than let our experience define love.

2.	In the New Testament love is for the believer the highest expression of the spiritual life. Love summarizes the adult spiritual life. Spiritual infants don't love; they have not developed the spiritual character, integrity (or virtue) necessary for there to be love.

3.	Love is the unique mark of the disciple in the New Testament—not the believer but the disciple. There is a distinction between disciple and a believer in the New Testament; as a believer may not be a disciple. A disciple is a student, a person who is putting forth a tremendous amount of effort to fully understand everything that the Word of God teaches. It is certainly possible for a person to have believed in Jesus Christ, and yet go no further than that in the spiritual life. That is, the growth they experience is negligible. John 13:34–35.

4.	Jesus said in that commandment that we are to love "even as I have loved you." Therefore, the standard for understanding divine love is what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. This is substantiated by a number of verses in 1John, such as 1John 3:16 4:9–10. Love has to be based on something that never changes in order for it to have any integrity and value. It is only the character of God that never changes.

5.	Christian love is evidenced by obedience to the Word; it is not evidenced by feeling. John 14:21 1John 3:17–18.

6.	Those who love God love His Word. Love has to do with wanting to know all we can about a person: how they think, what they like, what they dislike, etc., and you want to be able to please them (what is being described here is personal love). The only way we can love God and demonstrate and demonstrate a knowledge of who He is and His value system so that we can live in a way that pleases Him is to know how He thinks. In order to know how He thinks, we have to know His Word, and the only way we are going to know His Word is by being involved in a consistent, dedicated systematic study of the Word of God, making it a priority in life over and above every other priority in life. To love His Word means having to learn His Word.

7.	As we learn God's Word and apply His Word in our life our love for God grows and strengthens. John 14:23 15:10 1John 2:5; 4:12, 16.

8.	The primary way for a believer to grow is under the guidance of a pastor-teacher in a local church. I realize that nearly every Christian organization tells you, "Read your Bible daily," but that is not ideal; nor is that commanded by the Scriptures themselves. Now, I completely understand that, in some cities, a local church that teaches Bible doctrine is hard, if not impossible to find. God moved me to a place where doctrine is taught regularly and with authority. Because of technology, I have been primarily in churches where the pastor was not actually in front of me, but I am in a group and Bible doctrine is being taught.

9.	It is rare, if not nearly impossible, for a believer to grow spiritually outside of God's design for the believer (under the authority of a pastor-teacher who understands the importance of the teaching of the Word of God).

10.	Love—personal love towards God and impersonal love towards man—is often a measure of just how far we have moved in the spiritual life.

11.	Love, therefore, represents the believer who has advanced to spiritual adulthood because he is abiding with God. It is only in that state of abiding, when we are filled with the Spirit and walking by the Spirit, that that love that the Spirit alone produces in us is manifested.

12.	Love for God develops from our knowledge of Bible doctrine, and in no other way. It is the fruit of the Spirit and is the unique distinguishing mark of the disciple, it is not something that can be naturally generated.

13.	Love for God, then, motivates love for other believers and that is why John can say that, if someone says they love God and yet hates his brother, then he is a liar. There is an intricate and intimate relationship between loving God and loving other believers.

14.	Impersonal love for other believers is the evidence that we truly love God. So that becomes a barometer for spiritual adulthood.
In 1John 5:3a John says, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments…" Then there is a break so that "and His commandments are not burdensome" should go with the next verse. Verse 4 begins, "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world…" The English word "For" is the Greek word hóti ( ) [pronounced HOH-tee] which is an explanatory or causal particle. In this case it is a causal particle and it is explaining the previous sentence. The sentence should read: "And His commandments are not burdensome because whatever is born of God overcomes the world." That begins the next section which focuses on the key word nikáō ( ) [pronounced nihk-AH-oh] which means to have victory or to overcome. So whatever is born of God has victory over the world, and the words "even our faith" is not talking about salvation but the faith-rest drill.
From http://www.divineviewpoint.com/sane/dbm/setup/1stJohn/1Jno76.htm; accessed March 18, 2022 and edited.
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R. B. Thieme, Jr. did the original work on this (although he learned a great deal from L. S. Chafer). However, his work is not as easily assessable on the internet.
Doctrine of Impersonal Love Links
Divine Impersonal Love (Robert Dean)

Doctrine of Impersonal Love (Westlake Bible Church)

Personal love for God must come before impersonal unconditional agape love for all mankind (Robert R. McLaughlin)

Characteristics of Impersonal Love (Grace Bible Church of Baytown)

Personal and Impersonal Love (Rick Hughes)

Unconditional Virtue Love (Rev. Thomas Tyree, Jr)

The Unfailing Love of God (a book or as a set of audio lessons) can be ordered from R. B. Thieme, Jr. Ministries (without cost):

https://www.rbthieme.org/Publications/theunfailingloveofgod.html
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Addendum

The Abbreviated Doctrine of
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Bibliography

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Kukis Homepage	Doctrines