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PERFECTING
OUR LOVE II.
PERFECTING OUR LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER With
all of this being said, it
brings us naturally now to our second consideration, “perfecting our
love for
one another.” The element of love was the strong, compelling and
motivating
factor in our conversion to Christ. It is so great that it is
spontaneously
reciprocated in our relation to God, and without effort, it overflows
in our
relationship to others. This “first love” is not to wane (Revelation
2:4,5),
but in it we are admonished to abound more and more. It is to be
perfected and
channeled in the right direction. Love
Abounding in Knowledge and Discernment
Philippians 1:9-11 is an
excellent section of Scripture that ties in well with our subject. It
reads,
“And this I pray, that your love may abound [overflow] yet more and
more in
knowledge and in all judgment [discernment]; That ye may approve things
that
are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day
of
Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by
Jesus
Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.” It is Paul’s prayer that
their love
would abound, being channeled in knowledge and discernment. This
harmonizes
well with the definition of agapé,
the love of esteem and
purpose that has already been examined earlier in this article. Such
love of
necessity would involve intelligence and would have to be properly
informed to
be exercised in the most befitting way. It’s not just a “feeling.” The
emphasis
in the word is not emotion, but intelligent devotion. No
Contradiction These
words are not in
contradiction with what Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 8:1, where he
said,
“Knowledge puffeth up, but charity [love] edifieth [builds up]…” (Read
the
whole chapter). Here he is dealing with brethren having a superior and
condescending attitude toward other Christians. These brethren saw
nothing wrong
with eating meat bought in the market place that had originally been
sacrificed
to idols. But others had scruples against doing this. Certainly and
correctly,
those who saw nothing sinful about the meat were “in the know.” There was no reality in idols. Meat is simply
meat. However, knowledge by itself was not enough. Their knowledge was
not
encased in love; otherwise, they would have shown respect to the tender
sensitivities of the weak brother. The problem here is knowledge
without love,
not knowledge and love opposing one another. Knowledge without love
does not
build up; rather it has a tendency to puff up. But with genuine love,
the love
of intelligence and purpose, it would also take into consideration the
feelings
of others to the end that they would be edified. Love,
Not Compromise But
if we would perfect our
love, following Paul’s prayer and injunction in Philippians, we will
seek to
learn all that we can about love and the teachings of the Bible so that
we in,
discernment, “may approve things that are excellent.” That way our love
can be
channeled and expressed in the right way. The modern mind and mentality
is so
fuzzy that it can’t grasp this truth. The compromising person who does
not
raise his voice is thought to be the epitome of love. If we believe
that Christ
is the only way of salvation (Acts 4:12), we are labeled as intolerant
and
unloving. However, in the light of John 3:16, is there much love
involved if
Christ died to save a world lost in sin, that he in truth is the only
way of
salvation, and then we won’t tell others about it? But Paul says that
the “love
of Christ constrains us” to speak up. To be against sin, we are called
unloving. But there is no love in trying to justify a person in his sin
that
will eventually send him to hell (whether it be homosexual practices or
any
other sin). It is not love that would overlook false and erroneous
doctrine and
leave people in the error of their way to face God that way. It is
compromise. Let
us perfect our love for God
and man by being informed and channeling it in the right direction. Agapé
love is not a blind love, although it is optimistic (1 Corinthians
13:6,7). It
does not gullibly go along with that which is wrong. May we with
discernment
abound in love, unselfishly reaching out to others. May we see the
right thing
to do. Love
Perfected in Deeds That
brings us to our next consideration. Love that is real will be
expressed. Like
faith, it is perfected in deeds. Thoughts presented by James and John
involving
faith and love are almost parallel. Of faith and works, James wrote,
“If a
brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you
say
unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye
give
them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it
profit? Even
so faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone” (James 2:15-17).
He goes
on to say that by works faith is “made perfect” (2:22). Of love and
works (or
deeds), John wrote, “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his
brother
have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him [has no
pity or
compassion], how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children,
let us
not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 John
3:17,18).
John 3:16 tells us that “For God so loved the world that he gave…”
According to
the apostle Paul, the “proof” of the love of the Gentile churches was
seen in
the offerings that had been taken up for the suffering Christians back
in (But
Paul takes this a step
further as he waves a caution flag in front of us in that great chapter
on
love, “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I
give my
body to be burned, and have not charity [love], it profiteth me
nothing,” 1
Corinthians 13:3. It all must come from within as it is expressed
outwardly, or
it is meaningless). Love
and Forgiveness
The following admonition to the
Ephesian Christians has to do with love. Paul begins with the negative
prohibitions and ends with love. If we really wish to perfect our love,
we will
take these words to heart. Listen: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and
anger,
and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
And be
ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as
God for
Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God as
dear
children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath
given
himself for us…” (Ephesians 4:31-5:2). The harsh dealings we have with
one
another are to be replaced by kindness and forgiveness as we walk in
love.
Peter likewise admonishes newborn Christians, “Wherefore laying aside
all
malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil
speakings, As
newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow
thereby”
(1 Peter 2:1,2). John said, “We know that we have passed from death
unto life,
because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in
death.
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no
murderer hath
eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:14,15). There is no place for
grudges,
malice, ill will and bitterness in our lives. We are to emulate God and
the
Lord Jesus Christ in our love and forgiveness. Perfecting
Love By Practicing Impartiality It
was Paul’s desire that the
Christians in Colosse be “knit together in love” (Colossians 2:2). The
fabric
of love, and unity, is rent asunder when partiality is practiced in a
church.
Read James 2:1-12. Here James deals with the unseemly display of
partiality
that was being shown toward the rich and the shoddy way in which the
poor were
being treated in the assembly. He went on to say, “If ye fulfill the
royal law
according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye
do
well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are
convinced of
the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and
yet
offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” Paul solemnly instructed
Timothy, “I
charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect
angels, that
thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing
nothing
by partiality” (1 Timothy 5:21). No doubt all of us know the story of
Joseph
and his coat of many colors, the coat that had been given to him by his
father
Jacob (Genesis 37). Jacob’s mother likewise had showed partiality to
Jacob
(Genesis 27), and this practice seems to have run in the family.
Consequently,
the fabric of love was disrupted and the family went from one crisis to
another. This happens many times today in the church, too. Preachers
and
unthinking Christians need to be careful that they do not show
preferential
treatment to one above another. As we noticed, James pointedly tells us
that
this is sin. Let us perfect our love by not being a respecter of
persons. This
is a “must.” Perfect
as Your Father in Heaven is Perfect Matthew
5:43-48 is all about
love. Here we see the scope and inclusiveness of how our love should be
that
would even take in our enemies and those who would despitefully use us.
Personally we may not like them, but we are to love them with the love
of
esteem and respect as beings made in God’s image. They are potential
recipients
of God’s mercy and grace. It is good to read this entire section to
understand
what is being said and especially in understanding the last verse. “Ye
have
heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate
thine
enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use
you; That
ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh
his sun
to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and
on the
unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not
even
the publicans the same? And if ye salute [greet] your brethren only,
what do ye
more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore
perfect, even
as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” John 3:16 has already
told us
that God loves the world. That includes sinners (Romans 5:6-8). God is
no
respecter of persons in His inclusive love. Neither should we be
either. We are
instructed by our Lord to be perfect as our Father in heaven is in this
matter.
Love,
Which Passes Knowledge And
yet in the light of other
Scripture, we are made to realize there are human limitations to our
fulfilling
a command for love absolutely in the absolute sense. It would be
necessary to
have perfect knowledge about all that is entailed in God’s love and to
have
perfect knowledge, omniscience, in understanding every human situation.
Only
God has such knowledge. Even the apostle Paul admonishes us to “know
the love
of Christ, which passeth knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19). He admits it
exceeds our
understanding. He even says, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable
gift” (2
Corinthians 9:15). We are committed to this love that really is beyond
ultimate
understanding. We bask in it and make every effort to emulate it (and
in the
matter at hand in Matthew 5:48, but we have our limitations). Yes, “God
is
love,” and who knows everything about God? But
with the
apostle Paul, after his writing about the great gospel truths in the
first part
of Romans, we are made to exclaim, “O the depth of the riches both of
the
wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and
his ways
past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath
been his
counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed
unto
him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to
whom be
glory for ever. Amen” (Romans 11:33-36). And we can only respond, as
the next
verse enjoins, “therefore” that by the “mercies of God” we present our
bodies a
living sacrifice. Then being transformed by the continual renewing of
our
minds, “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of
God”
(Romans 12:1,2). And then, as a finite being, continue to respond
humbly to the
Infinite with our all. Amen. x |