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Life in the Bible Club
Maple Woods College

Bible Study Outlines

November 29, 2006

Christian Experience - Walking in Love (Part 1 of 2)

  1. An Introduction to Christian Experience - "...and the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13)
    1. 1 Corinthians 12 describes "love" as a most excellent way to have the greater gifts. Without love these gifts are empty and lifeless and amount to nothing. It all comes down to the fact that man is God's vessel, created in God's image and according to His likeness. We love and were created with a capacity to love because we were created in the image and likeness of God. This is why the Apostle Paul says in the book of Romans that we are "vessels of mercy, which He had before prepared unto glory, even us, whom He has also called, not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles?" (Rom. 9:23a-24) Christ Jesus, being born a human vessel, showed us the way to live in the flesh this divine life of the Father who was true love. The Apostle Paul followed the example of the "great shepherd of the sheep" (Heb. 13:20) living the life supplied to him in Christ and then instructed the Corinthians to become imitators of both Christ Jesus and of himself. (1 Corinthians 4:16 and 11:1)
    2. This loving humility then "which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phillippians 2:5) became Paul's content as he opened and prayed to the Lord daily that he "would be found in Him." (Phillippians 3:9) This divine life then that was also in Christ Jesus is meant to be lived out in us. This life expresses itself in our experience by giving us a human life of "walking in love." Thus, this human life is much more than a human life in which we attempt to imitate God's life or Christ's human life while He was on this earth. It's a life that seeks to live the human life by partaking of the life of Christ that dwells within us. This is much more that asking, "what would Jesus do." It is praying in spirit and asking, "Lord, what are you doing?" Essentially the Lord's answer is that he is "walking in love" while living in us.
  2. Verses and footnotes from the Recovery Version of the New Testament
    1. 1 Corinthians 2:93 - But as it is written, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard and which have not come up in man's heart; things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
    2. John 21:154 - Then when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs.
    3. Romans 13:81 - Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves the other has fulfilled the law.
    4. 1 Corinthians 13:41 - Love suffers long. Love is kind; it is not jealous. Love does not brag and is not puffed up
    5. Galatians 5:63 - Love suffers long. Love is kind; it is not jealous. Love does not brag and is not puffed up
    6. Ephesians 1:47 - Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love

 

NOTE: The footnotes referenced in the outlines are from the The Holy Bible, Recovery Version © 2003 Living Stream Ministry. An online Recovery Version may be searched for verses and footnotes at: The Holy Bible, Online Recovery Version. You may also obtain a free Recovery Version New Testament by filling out a request form on the Bibles for America website.