February is the “love month”. We set aside a day to celebrate romantic love and even brotherly love. Love plays a central and necessary part in our theology and thus in our identity. Satan, though, seeks to use love to disparage Christians…otherwise how could we of all people be called “haters”? Unbelievers and even misguided Christians will point to such wonderful scriptures as “For God so loved the world” (John 3:16), “let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7), and even “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34). But here is the one misquoted and mis-used the most: “God is love” (1 John 4:8). So according to the worldly line of thought we are to love everyone and thus accept them as they are and affirm anything that makes them feel good. We are to love them by agreeing with them and reinforcing their innate goodness in their chosen lifestyle. And why not? God is love. Right?
In these conversations I always point people to this scripture: “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:6). I do that to begin the line of thought that there are certain things we are not to love. We have to learn to differentiate between good and evil. How do we do that? I give them back the fact that the Bible says that God is love. The reason I do that is because most people interpret that verse wrongly; they work backwards. They reason that if they want to know the character of God, they first need to interpret love. However, they then apply the human, or carnal, definition of love and in doing that there is a fatal error: love becomes their god.
To truly understand love, we must first understand the character of God. Then, and only then, can we know true love. Real love bears the unmistakable fingerprint of God. And because of that we know that there are certain behaviors, attitudes, and actions that are self-destructive and dishonor the character of God; therefore, they are not acceptable in a relationship with God.
If you want to understand God, study the Bible. If you want to understand love, study God….by studying the Bible.
Say good things about your Savior and His Church on the Bluff
Bro. Tony