And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: to the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13.

We cannot and should not express love for anyone beyond the love of the creator of all – God. It is evil and hypocritical, if we do just the same as Satan expressed false love to Adam and Eve in order to destroy them in the Garden – let love be without hypocrisy, abhor that which is evil, and cleave to that which is good. Romans 12:9.  

Sanctifying love is the love of Jesus Christ for his bride, the church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephessians 5:26-27. Such should be the love a believing Christian husband should display and exercise to his wife; the parents to their children in a true and godly and sanctifying parental love, between a friend to his friend in a true sanctifying friendship love, or love for the neighbors, as you truly love yourself: any love or affection shown towards others should be based on the understanding and rules of divine love according to the person and relationships in question – the sanctifying love. As Christ condescend to save us, sanctifying love would make us condescend in any way for anyone if that would in any way help bring them to Christ, without corrupting or compromising the truth. This is the debt to pay daily, God’s sanctifying love to all men: owe no man anything, but to love one another. Romans 13:8. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.

Once again, there is nothing like the false and erroneous concept or doctrine of so called unconditional love of God to walk and live contrary to his will, purposes and precepts without any present consequence or rejection at the end. If there is any such thing as unconditional love of God, the Lord would not say if ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. John 15:14. If we call Christ as our Lord, we should also obey his teachings and commandments; otherwise, we shall heard the Lord’s voice of disapproval, saying at the end, I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of iniquity. Matthew 7:21-23.

More also, if there is such thing as an unconditional love of God, there will not be warnings to seek to enter in through the straightway and narrow gate which leads to eternal life, which few people find to enter and walk therein: you can just live as you want, and do whatever pleases you while in the flesh in the world, without any fear of rejection before God at judgment. By the way, there wouldn’t be any judgment after death, either for a believer or non believer, after all, we are living under the unconditional love of God, but this is false (1 Peter 4:17), there’s no unconditional love to enter heaven for those who turned back unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth to hell with the workers of iniquities. Psalms 125:5.

As long as Adam adhere to the word of God, he will continue to stay in the Garden, but when he opted out of the word, God sent him out of the Garden, because he has a purer eyes than to behold iniquity. Habakkuk 1:13. Nonetheless, because of his eternal love for man, God devised and worked out his plan of redemption and salvation to bring man back by himself in Christ Jesus.

Had there been such thing as the unconditional love of God, there shouldn’t be the judgment of physical death against Adam and Eve to return back to the dust from whence he made them. We cannot continue or remain in the love of God, if we’re ignoring, disobeying, resisting, twisting or despising his word. Amos 2:4. None of the mentalities of an obstinate lifestyle of a man is pleasing to God, nor helpful to our brethren in the Lord, they only generate the blaspheming and reproaches coming from the unbelievers against the name of the Lord, giving them excuses and doubts to come to the Lord for salvation – by this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 1 John 5:2.

Sanctifying love of God is measured up by your obedient to his word (John 17:17), submission to divine will and purposes, to bring forth the fruits of righteousness and holiness. Romans 6:17-19. Disobedient believers are like a dark lamp without oil, for they stumbled at the word: unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 1 Peter 2:7-8.

There are many prayers such as the text before us from Apostle Paul in all his epistles. The fruit of the spirit of God is love, which means that God is love, and love is from him. God is the main operator and cultivator of the growth of his love in us toward all men, believers or unbelievers.

Everything concerning our new life in Christ Jesus is God’s operation and accomplishment, right from the beginning of our coming out of the world, to the end of our death in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:13. If we are to be walking in the spirit of sanctifying love, we must live by the spirit of the written word for the continuation and perfection of God’s works in us (Jude 1:24-25); being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6. Note:  the true worshippers are those who are walking in the spirit of the word of God, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience (1 Peter 1:2) to serve God in spirit and truth (John 4:24): for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life – and the word are spirit, and they are life. John 6:66.

God’s eternal plan is to share eternal life with man (Genesis 3:22: John 3:16), so he demonstrated his love to fulfill his desire after the fall in the Garden, while we are yet sinners, God sent his Son Jesus Christ to die for us (Romans 5:8), that he might redeem us from all iniquities, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:14.This is the sanctifying love of God we are called to demonstrate to all men: to walk and grow therein, to the end that our heart is established without blame in holiness by God. 

To accomplish sanctifying love in us, God chooses to deal with us in an unpleasant and unacceptable ways to human nature and reasoning’s, chastening us through different life’s events for his holiness to be reproduced in us – those he accepts and loves he chastises, and scourge every son he receives. Hebrews 12:10-11.

It is very important not to separate the love of God from his holiness, so that we may have a good understanding of the necessity to live and walk worthy of the Lord: able to share and express this kind of love in the light of his word towards all men in the church (with our brethren in the Lord) or with the people of the world which sees love from a different perspective, otherwise, we can ended up by being corrupted, by showing, giving and expressing false love to satisfy others against the sanctifying love of God, thereby defiled against eternity with God. James 1:27. 1 John 2:15-17.

To this purpose, apostle Paul pray that your love, (either for God, believers or unbelievers) may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11.

First, he prays that you may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment. This is to say that the expression of your walk and life of love toward the believers or unbelievers or anyone in your life should be grounded in the knowledge and judgment of the word of God: any relationship, not rooted and grounded in the knowledge and  judgments of the word of God, should be ignored, been unacceptable before God, and should not be followed; otherwise, it will be considered as an hypocrite – false way of loving before God – therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way. Psalms 119:126.

Second, he prays that you that ye may approve things that are excellent. The way of God’s sanctifying love is the most excellent way (1 Corinthians 12:31): to be able to understand and discern the things approved and approvable in the sight of God. Believers are called to approve and walk in the way of what is good in the sight of God, to approve and accept things that God approves and pleasurable to him in a believer’s or unbeliever’s life. Was Abraham’s action to rescue Lot from the imprisonment of the nine nations of kings that carried him away captive, though they’ve hotly separated, each to his way, not extremely good and approved in the sight of God? Genesis 14:14-24. God’s sanctifying love does not render evil for evil unto any man: not being overcome with evil, but to overcome evil with good. Was it not after these events that God appeared to Abraham to reassure him of his blessing, love and protection? Genesis 15:1.

Third, he prays that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. The Lord is looking for love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned – sanctifying love. 1Timothy 1:5-7.

Open rebuke is better than secret love. This kind of love speaks truth which set free and sanctify with a kind warning or open rebuke against unruliness or iniquity, for the answer of a good conscience toward God against deceitful heart of a secret love – false and deceitful love. Proverbs 27:5. The sincerity of believer’s love for God – for his brethren in the Lord, his wife or husband at home – his children, for his parents, and for the unsaved in the world, can be proved to be true of false by his submission to love in accordance to God’s word.

Whatever God is against, whether in your personal life and you’re doing nothing to overcome it (nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Revelation 2:4), or in the life other people, you ignored and refused to resist, but tolerate to keep them in your company, shall the Lord hold as sin against you in judgment, except you repent and desist from such things – notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou suffers that woman Jezebel, which calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.  Revelation 2: 20.

Whomever they are (God is no respecter of person), and for whatever reason, you become sinful and evil enabler in whatever you tolerate in others in your company outside the measure of the word of God. It is the betrayal and compromising of your love for God in the world as a believer called to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints: whosoever love his mother, father, son, daughter, husband or wife more than me, is not worthy of me: whosoever loves his life shall lose it. Matthew 10:37-39. Note: sanctifying love was not found in Prophet Eli, so he was killed the same day with his sons by God. No mater the consequence, those who will not speak, live and walk in the sanctifying love of God are not abiding in his love; they speak as the world, and the world hears them – woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets. Luke 6:26.

Walking and growing in the sanctifying love of God demands from any believer not to bear any grudge against anyone, for it defiles him before God against heaven, the sun should not go down on his anger. Ephesians 4:26. 

Sanctifying love overlooks the offenses of others to forgive them before they realized or excused themselves for their offences. Proverbs 19:11. It put away malice to forgive his offenders times without number: pray for his enemies, and to love those that hates him, lest he should be defiled against heaven. Whenever he is going through the furnace of affliction for his sanctification, he should never charge God with any folly; complaining and murmuring defiles and make him guilty against heaven: sanctifying love cannot be provoked to walk away or turn his back against God: his hope is firm and faith strong –  blessed is he, whosoever that shall not be offended in Christ. Matthew 11;6.

We are called to inherit blessing, but we are not blessed, if we are offended in Christ (sanctifying love stay the cause in Christ to the end, they loved not their lives to shrink from death), or we become an offense or occasion for others to fall: give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. 1 Corinthians 10:32-33.

The believer who is walking in the sanctifying love ought to be considerate through self restraint or constraint to deny himself on the things which are lawful and scriptural to enjoy through his liberty and faith in Christ Jesus, if such liberty and faith is not standing against the faith and edification of his brother of little faith in the Lord. Otherwise, his unwillingness to walk and moderate his conducts through the law of considerate love for others (charity seeks not her own. 1 Corinthians 13:5) whereby others are made to sin by their weak conscience is a sin against Christ, which shall be counted as sin by the inconsiderate brother in the Lord, though he is filled with faith and spirit of God: but when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat makes my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world stands, lest I make my brother to offend (1 Corinthians 8:12-13): it is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak. Romans 14:21.

The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he brings it with a wicked mind? Proverbs 21:27. Believer is called upon to love one another deeply, because love shall cover multitudes of sin. 1 Peter 4:8. This does not negate the consequences of a lifestyle of iniquity which men try to cover up by their charity acts and good works: charity rejoices not in iniquity, but in truth. 1 Corinthians 13:6.

The Believer’s sanctification is encoded in his love toward God, and his love for the brethren and his neighbor, applying the principles and measures of divine love: it is the fulfillment of the law: love does not work any evil to his neighbor. Believer should know the principles of divine love toward his neighbor, lest by his unequally yoked together with the unbelievers, be should be defiled by false association of ungodly compromising in the name of love for his neighbor. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

Practical obedient love in the word of God has a great positive impact on other believer’s motivation, possibly to increase their zeal and submission to God, us being as good examples to provoke others to love and good works. Hebrews 10:24. And now abides faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 1 Corinthians 13:13.