A Series on Love: The Final Part--"The Greatest Commandment"

Jesus was asked during his ministry what the greatest commandment was. His reply summed up both the law and the prophets: "The most important one is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:29-31, NIV).



Love is the glue that holds Christians together. Though we differ on numerous theological points and hail from different denominations, the common thread is that our Heavenly Father loves us, His children, and we love him. By this love, the world will know we belong to God.



Indeed, the unconditional love we have experienced should shape our every action toward and interaction with believers and unbelievers alike. If God loves me despite my sinful nature because of Christ, then I am to overflow with love for others: love as I have been loved.



We have been adopted, called Children of God and not treated as our sins deserve. Our Savior then tells us to love God and love others. That's it, man's chief purpose in a nut shell. This is the "most excellent way" (1 Cor. 13:1).



The glory that comes to God, the joy, the reward, because we obey this, the greatest of commandments is overwhelming. God is glorified because in our love we point to Christ and his atoning work on the cross. The joy comes from the fact that the more we love, the greater the glory to God. And the reward is summed up in the rest of the passage from the Gospel of Mark. The young man who had asked Jesus about the greatest commandment replied, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God" (Mark 12:32-34).



--HM

A Series on Love: Part 4 - - "What Manner of Love"

Adop'tion, n. Webster's 1828 edition of the "American Dictionary of the English Language" defines adoption as: 1. (T)he taking and treating of a stranger as one's own child; 3. God's taking the sinful children of men into his favor and protection.

I ought to know the definition by heart since I participate in both definitions. My wife and I adopted Grace, our youngest of five, from China; God adopted me into His family.

One year ago, Grace, initially a stranger, joined her four siblings when she returned with my wife and me from China. She benefited quickly and her future soon outweighed her past.

When our jet from China touched down on U.S. soil, Grace became a U.S. citizen with all the rights and privileges thereof. Grace more importantly secured the full rights and privileges of being a child in the Miller family, as if she had been born into the family like her biological sister and brothers. My wife and I promised never to abandon our children and always to be there. Grace has been placed in a forever family.

As a Miller, Grace plays with her siblings and has begun to create relationships with extended family. She participates in dinner around the supper table, family devotions and simple routines. We expect that Grace will continue to love the outdoors, be home-educated and continue in close relationship to her brothers and sister.

My wife and I treat her no differently than her brothers and sister; we love and disciple her in the fear and nurture of the Lord. Over time, we are convinced that Grace will learn, by God's grace and mercy, what it means to be a "Miller," to love God and love others.

Then, when her mommy and daddy pass from this earth to their Lord, Grace will share in the estate of her parents equally along with her sister and brothers. She is a co-heir.

Many years ago, probably before time began, God chose me for His family. Like Grace, I did nothing to deserve this adoption. Like Grace, I was totally unaware of the great love and sacrifice for me. Unlike the adoption of Grace, my adoption cost the life of Jesus Christ, God's only Son (John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8).

Like Grace, I share the same Daddy as many others (some call Him, "Abba"-Romans 8:15). Like Grace, I have many siblings (Hebrews 2:11). What a joy that with my adoption, my Daddy saw fit to provide brothers and sisters so that when we get together, we can celebrate the life we've been given here on earth, freed from our past (sins). What comfort to know He will never leave me or abandon me (Hebrews 13:5). I have been placed in a forever family (Psalm 68:6).

What comfort to experience His Spirit, Who provides truth within (John 14:26) so that I can know my Daddy better and over time know what it means to be a "Christian" or follower of Christ. What joy that my Daddy sees fit to discipline me so that I become more like Him (Hebrews 12:10; 2 Corinthians 3:18) and promises that when I see Christ, I will be like him (1 John 3:2). What joy to anticipate the life to come with my big brother, Christ, with whom God has made me a co-heir in his kingdom of heaven (Romans 8:17) and invited me to share in His great feast at the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God." - 1 John 3:1

--CM

A Series on Love: Part 3 -- "The Greatest Action"

Paul starts his discourse in 1 Corinthians 13 in a most interesting way. He begins with, "And now I will show you the most excellent way" (1 Corinthians 13:1). From there, he launches into what many Christians call the "Love Chapter" of the Bible, defining love:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Love is the greatest choice or action (since making a choice leads to action). Peter declares that "love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8b). Jesus explains to a confused Nicodemus who has just exclaimed, "How can this be?" by telling him, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Love, no matter what the commercials, advertisements or Valentine Day cards say, doesn't mean never having to say you are sorry. Love means acting as if the other person was you. We all love ourselves; that's pretty easy. I want to make sure I get the best piece of pie, I get all the presents I want, I get served first. However, Christ commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. To turn it around, love means making sure the other person is comfortable, the other person gets what they need, the other person enjoys the event. "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28).

Paul wrote to Philemon in regards to his run away slave, Onesimus, who has since become a Christian. The reason for the letter is to entreat Philemon to welcome back his slave as a brother. In his argument, Paul calls on his brother to accept Onesimus on the "basis of love." Even though Paul could have "ordered you to do what you ought to do" because of Christ, he appeals on the groundwork, on the footing, on the foundation of love because an action without love is nothing and love, as Peter pointed out, "covers a multitude of sins".

Love is the first of the fruits of the Spirit. Love accepts and prays for the enemy. "Love never harms its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." Paul began 1 Corinthians 13 with a unique statement and ends with the culmination, the summary of love: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (v. 13).

--HM

A Series on Love: Part 2 -- "Unconditional, Absolute, No Strings Attached"

My mom told me the story once of an event that happened at the college she attended. The school had a mud football game and students would eagerly partake in the competition. Though my mom personally didn't play, she had a girlfriend who did. One time her friend came out of the mud pit after the game and gave my mom a big, wet, muddy hug. Mom did not quite appreciate this gesture of camaraderie. There was a reason she didn't compete in mud football and it wasn't because she was not an athlete!

Imagine, then, that a person willingly hugs you not minding the mud, or dirt or wetness or smell. They don't mind that their clothes get dirty in the process. Truly, they don't even notice all of the above.

Ayn Rand, author of the influential book Atlas Shrugged, stated, "To love a woman for her virtues is meaningless. She's earned it, it's a payment, not a gift. But to love her for her vices is to defile all virtue for her sake--and that is a real tribute of love, because you sacrifice your conscience, your reason, your integrity, and your invaluable self-esteem" (1.). Unfortunately, she missed the point regarding love. As John Piper wrote, "Mercy in the Christian sense is not "because of" vices, but "in spite of" vices" (2.).

"In spite of" is a powerful phrase. And it is what is called unconditional. The saying goes, "A friend is someone who knows everything about you but still loves you any way", in spite of our faults. It is the willingly bestowing of a hug to a person who is covered in the mud of life. Unconditional love is not based on actions because as imperfect creatures, we will fail. Our love is based on the absolute love of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who never changes. "As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (John 13:34).

Loving as Christ loved sounds good on paper but in action it can be difficult. If my younger siblings listen to me, don't touch my work, and do what they are told, then everything is just peachy. But if they ask too many questions, do everything they have been told not to do and interfere in my work...well, I get irritated, want them to go away, and am, sometimes, downright rude. My love is conditioned, based on appropriate, perfect behavior!

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:5). Not while we were getting our act together, not after we took a shower to clean off the mud, not when we realized the depravity of our souls but when we were dead in our sins. We didn't even know we were in the mud pit to begin with. Nevertheless, God in His unconditional, absolute, no strings attached love climbed into the mud pit to show us the way out. Not only that but he cleaned us off, too! The prophet Zechariah conveyed this writing, "Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you""(Zechariah 3:3).

Clothed in the richness of Christ's righteousness, loved unconditionally with our sins taken away, we, as Christians, are called to love as Christ loved us. To embrace each other, even when the other person may be in the wrong, even when the other person may be covered in filth. We love as Christ loved us, not because of our sins but in spite of our sins.

--HM

Endnotes:

1. Quote taken from article by John Piper, "The Hole in Her Universe". World Magazine: 27 October, 2007

2. John Piper. "The Hole in Her Universe". World Magazine: 27 October, 2007

A Series on Love: Part 1 -- "By This"

The Pharisees obeyed 613 rules above and beyond what God had originally prescribed in the Pentateuch. As if the Levitical system and laws given by Moses were not difficult enough to follow, they added another six hundred for good measure, just in case, to be on the safe side. When confronted by God himself, they could make no excuses. Christ said unto them, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices -- mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law -- justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel" (Matthew 23:23, 24, NIV). In perfecting the external, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees had neglected the internal and the eternal. What they had forgotten was to obey God and practice justice, mercy, and faithfulness; in a word, love.

In conservative circles, Christians are donning a unique and sometimes radically different look and behavior. Trends are occurring in these circles. Our girls wear dresses, have long hair, and bake bread from freshly ground wheat. Families have 10 children in homemade clothes (by their sisters), all homeschooled, who sit still for all of the church service and who obey immediately. We drive big conversion vans, have submissive wives, sons who are chivalrous, and girls who desire to be good mothers and wives, too. We don't date and we do everything as a family. The above is all good. In fact, it is great! On the other hand, we can not cling to these things to distinguish us from the rest of the world. Christ explained just after Judas left to betray him what separated the elect from unbelievers: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35, emphasis added).

So it isn't having 10 children and gentle wives and making homemade bread and having family worship every night and having children who obey immediately, completely, and with a happy heart and educating at home and practicing courtship and understanding tough doctrinal issues (pant) that signals to the rest of the world, "These are Christians!" No it isn't. In fact, Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 13 that unless our actions are bound up in and driven by love, they are meaningless.

We will be known by love because God so loved us with an "everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3). 1 John 4:7 explains, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." "God is love" (1 John 4:16) and "love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Then are the above things (large families, obedient children and wives, home cooking, etc.) bad or unnecessary? Of course not but we can not detach the internal and eternal (love) from the external (actions). We were not saved through our actions but through the love of our Heavenly Father. As Jesus pointed out, we must practice action without neglecting the important matters of the heart. Then the world will know we are Christians by our love.

--HM