Living off of love

“Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.” (1Cor.7:3-5). “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” (Heb. 13:4).

“You can’t live off of love. A marriage can’t survive simply on love.” This seems to be the axiom of modern life. It is today’s torch of truth. Truly Jesus foresaw our day, “Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matt. 24:12). All the law of this perverse generation and its false prophets hang on this product of humanism.

But I beg to differ from the idea that we can’t live off of love. Look at our first parents. Adam and Eve didn’t slave at a job, and they had the perfect marriage. Life was a paradise for them. They literally lived in love. “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” (1Jn. 4:16).

Adam and Eve were born in glory and served their Creator and each other in holiness and righteousness all the days of their lives in the Garden. Their natures were pure, and thus were their characters equally pure. Reverential praise for God was continually in their mouths. Deferential service they continually provided one another. “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1Jn. 3:16). They saw the constant outpouring of divine love in the gift of an amazing world, abundant in provisions of every kind for their every need and that of the beloved plant and animal kingdoms.

Never once having known rebellion or the pain of guilt and shame, their trust and love exuded from their body, soul, and mind. They walked in the light of God’s truth and grace and had fellowship one with another. They were forever bringing gifts to each other. In their mutual charity out of a pure heart they met one another’s needs.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1Jn. 4:7-10).

“Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.
Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.
Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.
Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.…
Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.
Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards.
Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.
How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!
Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.
A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,
Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:
A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.
I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.” (Song 4:1-4,6-5:2).

“My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.
His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.” (Song 5:10-6:3).

If we live off of love, everything else in life will follow. This is the kingdom of God; it is paradise. “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8:2).

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.” (Matt. 6:33,34).