How to Know if You’re in Love

September 8, 2009

How to Know if You’re in Love

Do you remember the first time it happened? You caught one another’s eyes, and then you looked a second time. Something inside you wanted to glance a third time, followed by a fourth lingering look. You didn’t want to stare, but something irresistibly drew you to that other person.

When you were finally introduced, your palms were sweaty and you hoped no one noticed the increased perspiration under your arms. Your heart began to race as an exhilarating but unfamiliar feeling swept over you.

You were suddenly afraid to say anything because you knew that if you opened your mouth, out would flow incomprehensible babble. The experience was exciting and terrifying at the same time.

As the other person began to speak, you felt drawn like a magnet to a steel ingot. You didn’t know her or where she came from, but something about the way she looked and the aura that she projected triggered an unexplainable feeling of euphoria and excitement. Her smile or a tiny gesture became instantly engraved in your mind. You knew you would never forget her.

For an instant you wondered how you would describe this moment to a friend. Then a phrase came to mind, as if by magic, provided by countless hours of exposure to the Hollywood – “I think I’m falling in love.”

You’ve been there. I’ve been there. No doubt we all agree that those are thrilling moments, especially if we sense a similar response from the other person. But is it really love? How do you know whether what I just described is the beginning of the greatest relationship you will ever experience on earth or simply an episode of infatuation? How do you know if you’re really in love or simply attracted to a member of the opposite sex?

In this post I want to pass on a FREE message download that will help you understand if you are in love or if, in fact, you are experiencing what relational experts call infatuation.

If you’re single person, your eyes may be a little wider and your mind has kicked into overdrive. Imagine! Twelve legitimate tests that can help you discern if you’re really in love or not! Well, these are very good tests based out of Scripture and really do work. But these twelve tests are not just for single people who are dating or engaged. It will also help anyone not in a significant relationship learn what kind of person to pursue and whom to avoid.

If you’re married and you are tempted to say, “I’ve been married for twenty-seven years so what’s this got to do with me?” please think again. Our failure to understand the difference love and infatuation goes well beyond finding the right person. Unless you understand the radical difference between love and infatuation, you may set yourself up for devastation in your future years of marriage.

If you believe that what we call infatuation is the real test of love, you may be in a very good relationship but feel unloved. Your skewed expectations may be robbing you of rich, warm, and deep relationship.

Furthermore, if you are unclear about the difference between love and infatuation, you may find yourself getting unintentionally connected to a member of the opposite sex who is not your spouse, naively concluding that you’ve now found “true love.”

So download this FREE message, “How to Know if You’re Love” taken from my series, Love, Sex & Lasting Relationships. It’s for singles, those single again and married people too! Even if you’re a grandparent, this is an invaluable message to help you counsel your granddaughters and grandsons about how to wisely choose a mate with whom to build a lasting relationship!

Keep Pressin’ Ahead,
Chip

Chip Ingram on September 8, 2009 | Filed Under Uncategorized

4 Comments

Anonymous on November 9th, 2009

Not knowing what you are meant to do can be the epitome of the phrase ignorance is bliss. God didn’t promise He would tell us every aspect of our future, He just said, I have a plan for you.

Nelson on November 26th, 2009

Chip, I listen to your from time to time while driving in my vehicle and there is something about which I would like to hear from you. My character is such that I would gladly stand tall while facing a firing squad for my zealous efforts in the cause of Christ. I believe my understanding is correct concerning baptism, but I find I stand alone in this, in so much that even you do not teach the principles that I believe the Holy Spirit has brought to my understanding. I cannot help that the thought enter my mind that even as Saul was convinced he was doing God work by making every effort to eliminate the Christians, that I too might be in error in my understanding. Although, I will in all honesty and sincerity face the wrath of men for the truth of God. I am concerned about the differences in this area. Please read over my explanation about baptism and its relationship to our salvation process and enlighten me with scripture if you see it differently.

But Chip, please know that I will in no way be a participant in division within the church. For years I have prophesied against denominationalism and the division it brings to the body of Christ. Teaching the unity of the saints as prayed for by Jesus in John 17 along with the coaching of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12; that we the body are consisting of many parts having a diversity of gifts administered at the discretion of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of strengthening, encouragement, edification, and comfort of one another in all purity of heart. Not judging but forgiving and bearing one another’s burdens till we all come to the fullness of the knowledge of Christ. He also said in Philippians 3:15, 16 that even the mature among us on some things will think differently, but let us live up to what we have already attained having the unity of mind of Christ.

Water Baptism
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things unseen.
(Hebrews 11:1)
The evidence of Faith is obedience, without obedience Faith is dead. (James 2:17)
Without Faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:16)
By Faith we receive Christ as Savior and Lord; the evidence of that Faith is obedience to the commandment of Christ to be water baptism. (Mark 16; 16)
Faith, repentance, and confession that Christ is the risen lord and savior, (son of God) all take place prior to salvation.
The word of God tells us there are 2 parts to our salvation process and all part must be met.
1. Jesus doing His part (completed on the cross and resurrection)
2. We have to do our part consisting of 3 conditions;
a. Jesus said “whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16)
b. If you confess with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead you will be saved (Rom. 10:9)
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom. 10:10)

Since obedience is synonymous with a living Faith, and Faith is required to be present prior to salvation, the obedience of water baptism also takes place prior to salvation. God has always throughout the Bible required man to step out in Faithful obedience prior to Him fulfilling His promises to us.
Jesus said “unless a man be born again of the water and the Spirit he can in no way enter into the kingdom of Heaven. (John 3; 3-5)
He did not say unless we are born again after we experiences salvation we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Since being born again and salvation happens simultaneously. At what point are we born again? Can anyone be born again unless they first die?
When we submit ourselves to the obedience of baptism, spiritually we both die in submersion and are reborn to newness of life through water baptism. (Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12) We are therefore born again at baptism receiving the Holy Spirit indwelling with our spirit. Did not the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus after His baptism? Was Phillip swept away by the Holy Spirit upon the confession of Faith by the Ethiopian or upon his baptism?

In every example of salvation recorded in the New Testament following the resurrection of Christ, when someone asked what must I do to be saved, once they confessed that they believed that Jesus is the Christ (son of the living God) and that He was raised from the dead then they were told you must repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins calling on the name of the Lord.
Acts 8:12, 13, 36, 9:18, 10:47, 16:14, 16:33, 19:5, 22:16,
In (1 Peter 3:21), we are told that in the days of Noah “eight people in all were saved through water, and this water symbolized baptism that now saves us-not the removing of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

We feel conviction when God allows us to see our own sins through the eyes of truth, with a broken spirit we then apologize to God for our sins, by Faith we believe God will forgive us thru the blood sacrifice of Christ, by Faith we confess that Jesus is the Christ sacrifice for our sins and was raised from the dead, and by Faith we repent of our sins and are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins receiving salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit as a seal guarantee of what is to come, to live within us guiding our thoughts, our communication with God, and our decisions, enabling us to express His love of others. By Faith we believe Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father being given all authority over heaven and earth to judge both the living and the dead speaking to the Father on our behalf. At this point we display Christ’s seal of ownership, being bought with a price and commissioned to be His ambassadors to the lost people who do not know the unfathomable depth of His love.

Concerning the thief on the cross when Jesus told him following his statement, “remember me when you come into your kingdom,” Jesus replied “I tell you the truth today you will be with me in paradise.” We must remember what Jesus said to Peter in reference to the apostle John, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you.” (John 21:22) Jesus will do what He will do at His own discretion. He chose to take Elijah to Heaven in a chariot of fire without him ever seeing death, should we expect the same? We must be careful not to misunderstand when we are commanded to be baptized prior to us receiving our salvation based on His treatment of the thief?
In ministry for the Gospel of Christ-Nelson

Scott on December 4th, 2009

I’m looking for the audio file that this post links to; however, it isn’t listed on the page the link points to (that page only lists six files and has no way to get a listing of the other files available). What is the correct URL? Shouldn’t this post link to the actual content rather than a page which contains no related content?

John on December 8th, 2009

Chip,

I listened to your radio broadcast this morning and it was “wonderful”. I am going on my first mission trip this weekend (San Jose, Costa Rica). We will be building and offering our witness. I want to share the words I heard this morning from you. Thank you for starting my day with such a great message. I am 58 and very low on the learning curve but I am so excited about my God that I never knew. I reside in Central Georgia and I just subscribed to your podcasts. God Bless You!!