What is love in Christ all about?
THE BATTLE AXE: Caesarea Philippi (10/22/2012)—The Jews of Caesarea were “lost” as children of GOD, because many were Hellenized, and assimilated themselves adopting the fashions and mannerisms of the Greeks, who had dominated that region. When the Jesus began to establish his kingdom in the earth, Caesarea was an important seat of Roman government. Some encyclopedias identify the region as having been an early center for worship of the demi-god Pan. Later, Herod the Great erected a white marble temple there in honor of his patron (c. 20 BC). The Roman Emperor Vespasian, during the First Jewish–Roman War is reported as having rested his troops at Caesarea Philippi in July 67 AD. At that time, games were held there over a period of 20 days before the Romans advanced on Tiberias to crush the Jewish resistance in Galilee. In 361 AD, the Byzantine Emperor of the Roman Empire, Julian the Apostate, instigated a religious reformation whereby Julian supported the restoration of Hellenic paganism as the state religion in order to reestablish the former grandeur, and strength of the Empire. Supposedly, Julian commanded that all Christian symbols be removed, including a statue of Christ that had been erected by a woman whom Jesus miraculously healed from an issue of blood. A statue of Julian was to be put in its place. However, a violent fire fell from heaven that removed the head and neck of the statue; and it was allowed to remain standing in that condition.
Almighty GOD appeared to mankind in the person of Jesus Christ, as if an ordinary human being, in order to bridge the huge gap in communication and understanding that otherwise exists between created beings and their Creator. In human form, GOD demonstrated a love to mankind that centered in (1) the fulfillment of covenants, proclamations, promises, and prophecies; (2) clarification of the divine law as a display of sacred person; (3) personal sacrifice and the putting aside of self-will to carry out divine will (i.e., obedience) as well as sharing an inheritance of eternal life, and faith.
There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, the endowment of love deposited within mankind becomes defiled and diminished through sin, an influence upon the will of created beings and living creatures that opposes our continued existence. Through the life, death, resurrection, and ongoing ministry of Jesus Christ, mankind may be “born again” and receive a fresh deposit of will that properly recognizes and resists sin. As new creatures carrying the divine nature, men and women achieve relationships founded upon unselfishness.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.