Love

I’m sure that over the years, I’ve written more than a few blog blog posts about love, but never one titled "Love". Maybe you’ve heard the saying that The Bible itself is God’s Love Letter to us. To some measure, I would agree with that sentiment but I think it hinders on what you believe LOVE really means. I don’t believe that LOVE means to God as many different things as it means to us. So the purpose of this post is to pose a question: What is love to you and how close is it to God’s definition?

Even when trying to define love biblically, many people define it using John 3:16.
I like John 3:16 but I think something’s missing. I know how provocative a statement that is, but hear me out.

Here’s The Word:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Thing is, if you already have a disjointed, unbiblical view of love, John 3:16 won’t fix it. You can still overly play up your own importance and still undermine your personal sin, holding to a ‘lesser’ idea of biblical love. Trading it for that emotional feeling of admiration based on wanting or being wanted.

Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

I like Matthew 10:37 but I think something is missing - if there’s any verse in the Bible that we’d have spend the most time explaining its practicality, it’s this one. Why? Because we wrestle with the expression. Somehow, loving someone less, means to show them less love.

John 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Now we’re talking. I really like John 12:25 But I think something is missing - exactly how does one hate his life?

I've repeatedly used the phrase “…but I think something is missing.” Again, not to be overly provocative but to help make a point. The Word of God is sure. However, its fundamental strength comes from understanding it in the fullness of its revelation. The entire story of how God defines love is complete only when it’s considered as a whole, not from attributing more weight to the verses that ‘feel’ most agreeable or palatable to us.
Take John 10:17 for example:

John 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

People go on and on about unconditional love, but here, there seems to be a conditional component of obedience. Not only here but many places in the Bible links love to obedience; John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Honestly, this is not to nullify, but to clarify. God’s expression in sending Christ for our salvation wasn’t unconditional in a way that we didn’t do anything to deserve it, it was still on the condition of His Grace and Mercy because we COULDN’T do anything to deserve it. God's love is/was unconditional for us only because we couldn't pay, but not for Jesus. He paid it all. But when you really think about it, if you read John 3:16 forward, you’ll see that in His providing a substitute for the condemnation that we deserved, there’s still a matter of us receiving that expression of love. A condition. And that "believing" is done through obedience…and I’d be remiss if we didn’t lay this out a little, this obedience is not the kind of obedience like following strict orders as burdensome duty. Truly reciprocating love only happens in intimacy and intimacy connotes the idea of desire. Loves greatest desire is the promotion and enjoyment of the beloved resulting in deeper, richer intimacy.

Love is a "God" word. Let Him define it, and when you see where you're missing something, seek Him for clarification. Read the Scriptures and pray for enrichment. Pray for intimacy to really and rightly see and embrace the wonder of love.

In Him,
Cros