LOVE
LOVE FOR GOD AND OTHERS IS THE DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC OF ALL CITIZENS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Even when we were enemies of God, sinning to our hearts content, with no regard for God, Christ loved us and died for us. That’s the definition of grace – gifts we do not deserve. But, grace does not end with our salvation. Jesus still loves us and gives us good things we don’t deserve, from life itself to Christian friends, food, family, the church – the list is endless.
It has been said that gratitude is the mother of all virtues. For when we are truly grateful to someone or for someone, our natural response is to change our behavior to please them. Out of gratitude for God’s unbelievable grace, mercy and love for us, we ought to love Jesus and want to please him. What is it that most pleases Jesus? He summed it up like this: That we love God more than anything and have more concern for the well-being of others than for our own. In fact, Jesus said that it is not possible to say you love God if you do not love other people. Well, what exactly does it mean to love God and others?
Love is not only an attribute of God, it is his nature. God does not merely love; he is love. Everything he does flows from his love. Man on the other hand is totally incapable of loving God – a condition that must be corrected by God, by being born again, before we can truly love him or others. The most common definition of love in the Bible is not warm, fuzzy feelings, but acting in the best interests of another. People who claim to love God must have as the priority of their lives, doing the things that are in God’s best interests and the best interests of others.
Because love, justice, and mercy are attributes of God, Jesus taught in parables and by example how we might live out those same attributes in our lives. The problem for us is that almost everything Jesus taught is counter intuitive – that is, it goes against our natural instincts. Our natural instinct is self-preservation – preservation of our status, our lifestyle, our options and of our “rights." Jesus taught that we must reject some of these natural instincts, deny ourselves (our selfish rights and our wants), and instead develop the habits self-expenditure and of sacrificial living, if our intent is to follow him. If virtues are the “family uniform” of the followers of Jesus, they are also important because they tell others what team we are on and to whom we have given our allegiance – the same is often true of our sins.
Some of the obvious people we are called to love and serve are family, friends, fellow believers – people close to us. However, throughout the Old Testament God repeatedly demands that his people seek justice and mercy for the most vulnerable people in that society: widows, orphans, and aliens. Reinforcing this, Jesus made it clear that when he left this earth he actually assigned his “right to be loved” to “least of these” people. “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me” (Matthew 25:40). They are the poor, the ignorant, the prisoner, the homeless, the spiritually lost, the elderly, the helpless, the sick, and the list goes on. These people aren’t always victims; they may be 100% guilty of poor choices they knowingly made. However they got there, Jesus moved them to the head of the line and he’s standing at the back watching us.
But Jesus isn’t done with the list of people he expects us to love. He also expects us not only to forgive, but to love or desire good for our enemies - those who sue us, who lie about us, embarrass us, who take advantage of us – even those who have abandoned us physically or emotionally.
There is a Christian doctrine called common grace. Simply stated, it is this: All people, even non-believers, are recipients of the goodness of God, whether they deserve it or not. Even God’s enemies enjoy a beautiful day, rainfall to make crops grow, people who love them and some good times while on earth. In the same way, because we are to reflect the Father’s love, we are to be gracious, good and forgiving of all people, even our enemies, or God’s enemies.
Jesus taught us either specifically, or by example, how to love others. First, he taught us to care for people regardless of their status in life (Good Samaritan). Secondly, to love people whether or not they are capable of returning the favor. Thirdly, do it secretly, or at least without regard to whether other people ever know it. Last, we are not to withhold caring for the needs of others when it is within our power and resources to do so. And, if we’re really unsure of what we ought to do in a certain situation, Jesus gives us this guiding principle – just do for others what you’d like done for you, if the roles were reversed. Does this sound impossible? If you dwell on the cost of obedience for any length of time, it may frighten you into inaction. Just do the next loving, selfless thing you’re reasonably certain Jesus wants you to do.
“In almost every age, when a call of God comes to follow Jesus, it’s the affluent, the educated and the religious, who often miss it because it is an affront to their sensibilities. Their reason overrides their faith.” (Author Unknown)
James 1:27; Mark 10:43-45; Rom. 12:14-21; John 13:15; I Peter 2:21; I Peter 4:10; Micah 6:8; Luke 10 :27 ; I John 3:16, 18, 23; I Cor. 13:13