Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. - 1 Peter 2:16

Burden Sharing Part 3 of 6: Answers

Former Colorado Governor Richard Lamb once said it was wrong for the elderly to become a burden upon their family and society. God's Word tells us something different. This is Part 3 of a 6-part Bible Study on Burden Sharing. The first two parts looked at the Biblical concepts of burden and sharing. Now we will consider the Biblical concept of love.

Read the Following Passages:

Matthew 24:12 - Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.

John 15:13 - Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 12:10 - Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

1 Corinthians 13:3 - If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Ephesians 4:2 - Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Philemon 7 - Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

1 Peter 4:8 - Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Discussion Questions:

Definition of Burden from the first lesson of this series: A burden is the perception one has that what he is doing or facing is more than should be reasonably expected in the normal course of life. This burden is often a distraction from other pursuits.

Definition of Sharing from the second lesson of this series: The humble privilege of the Christian to calculate the need of others and in an unselfish (sacrificial) fashion to meet those needs from one's own blessings.

1. What does Matthew say about the nature of love when wickedness abounds?
Love grows cold as the world becomes more wicked.

2. What is the greatest testimony of love?
The greatest love is the willingness to sacrifice one's own life for another.

3. How was this love best exemplified for us?
Christ gave his life for us that we might live for ever.

4. When displaying brotherly love what is our attitude about others?
We are to love them above ourselves (see also Philippians 2:3-4).

5. What does the 1 Corinthians passage say about true love?
Love is not actions but a heart convicted in love for another which generates actions.

6. What three characteristics of love do we see in the Ephesians passage?
Humility, gentleness, and love.

7. What does love do for others according to the Philemon and 1 Peter passages?
It creates joy, it encourages others, and covers over a multitude of sins.

8. How do these passages define love?
Love is the attitude of the heart which sees others as more important than oneself and manifests itself in activities of sacrifice for the benefit of others.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, forgive us for lovelessness. Teach us to see in Christ's acts of love for us the perfect of example of love so that we might imitate it toward others. Teach us to see others as more worthy of our own love than we are worthy ourselves. Help us to reflect your love in the way we love others. We ask this in Jesus' name, who loved us to the point of death that we might be saved. Amen.

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