At the end of first letter to the Corinthians the Apostle Paul gives a five-pointed charge to the church. This series examines those charges and seeks their application to us today. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here.
“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Cor. 16:13-14)
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Children raised in orphanages can receive all the necessary physical care for life. They can be fed and have their diapers changed regularly. Medicine will be given if they fall ill. Yet, if they are otherwise left to their own in their cribs a horrifying thing happens. Up to a third of them will die. Why? Is it some unknown illness or sudden infant death syndrome? Are they not actually being cared for?
What researchers found is that in the absence of love, the loving and constant touching of a parent, a child has a 30% chance to die. The children die from lack of love.
What is love?
No, not a horrendous yet sickeningly catchy Hattaway song. Sorry about that. Can you articulate an answer to the question? Hollywood seems to say it’s amazing first dates and fairy tale weddings wrapped up in sexual desire. I often wonder if their view of love is more inline with infatuation and lust.
Many will say love is total acceptance of another regardless of who they are or what they do. Our culture says that love is tolerance. Must we accept and tolerate everything to love someone, though? Can we not love someone while not accepting or condoning all of them?
Does God love us in this totally accepting way, tolerating our sin and accepting it? Jonathan Leeman says that “God’s love is not unconditional, it is contra-conditional. Contrary to what we deserve he loves us. He loves us on the condition of his Son. Through Christ the love of God is secured for us.” Contrary to what we deserve, and contrary to what the culture says, God loves us despite us being.. well.. us. He loves us because of his Son. Dr. Leeman continues, “God’s love is given to sinners on account of Christ, but this love is not shorn of its holiness. It is holy and it creates holiness.”
So what?
Love is God centered.
Paul wraps the previous calls to action in this final command. We are to be watchful, to stand firm in our faith, the act like men, and to be strong. Yet we are to do these things in love. This is why the nature of love is so important. If it’s Hollywood love our motives are self-centered and focused on personal happiness or pleasure. Yet if our view of love is God-centered, we can attempt to love as he loves.
Leeman says “God’s love offends because the greatest object of God’s love is God, not us.” That sentence points to our problem with sin and rebellion. We do what we want as the object of our own love, rather than focusing on God and his love to obey him. The gospel from which we benefit from in ways words cannot illuminate is God centered. God sent God to satisfy the wrath of God in order to glorify God in his great mercy and grace. Make no mistake, the Gospel is good news because God is gracious and merciful.
We redeemed sinners benefit from the riches of God’s grace in his salvation of all who repent and believe in him. We have emancipated from our slavery to sin. We have been set free to serve God with joyful hearts.
Go, in love.
How do we do everything in love? We do things for another and not for ourselves. That another we do it for is God. We don’t do all things to seek his approval, but because as redeemed believers we have his approval. The Holy Spirit indwelling us empowers us to serve God. The joy that comes from peace with God leads to glad service to him.
We can disagree with others, in love. We can serve others, in love. We can sacrifice time, money, and ambition, in love. We can be good husbands, wives, men, and women, in love. We can work hard, in love. As love is God-centered, our actions must be done for his glory.
We watch for his return because we love him.
We stand firm in the faith, diligently reading his word and learning who he is, because we love him.
We act like men and are strong because we love him.
We do all things in love because we love him.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
