The Great Default

The Apostle Paul said these three remain: faith, hope and love.  And he noted that the greatest of these is love.  The Apostle John noted in his first pastoral letter that if we don't have love we don't abide in Christ!

Love should be the great default of anyone who calls Christ, Lord!  Sadly, love is often lacking among God's people.  We have confused behavior, attitudes, and actions as our pass for being able to choose who we love and who we don't love.  The truth is that behavior, conduct, attitudes and actions have absolutely nothing to do with our responsibility, calling and command to love others.

Jesus gave no options or passes for loving others: ³⁴ 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. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  

He even had the audacity to tell us to love our enemies.  Love is the yardstick for measuring the depth of our relationship with Christ.  Deep love for God in Christ = Deep love for people (ALL people).  Limited love for others =-Shallow love for God in Christ.  

As Christ-followers we can disagree, abhor, detest and even denounce certain behaviors, actions and attitudes, but we don't get a green light from God to hate, dislike and demonize the people behind them.  We have one singular responsibility with others and that is to love.  Yes, even people with whom we disagree.  Feel free to voice your disagreement, dissatisfaction and disappointment on biblical grounds, but be full of love when you do.  

This is one of the biggest reasons non-Christians distrust us and look at the church with skeptical eyes.  Our actions have often betrayed our pledge for biblical love.  As a result we are often viewed as hypocrites, angry, mean-spirited and judgmental.  Scripture says that our mouth speaks from what's in our heart.  If we are filled with anger, hate and judgment sooner or later it comes out.  If we are filled with love people will see it and take notice.  Don't confuse love with a blind endorsement for things we believe are wrong.  We don't approve of our neighbor's adulterous affair, or the guy who embezzled the funds from our community center, but we have to love him/her.  We love because He loved us despite our sin, behavior, actions and attitudes that disgraced and defamed His name.  We love because our hearts have been captivated by His relentless and unconditional love.  

German theologian Karl Barth was once asked the greatest theological/scriptural truth he knew.  He replied, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."  The wise and brilliant theologian was right.  All of this seemingly complicated theology can be boiled down to a simple, but profound historical act: Jesus Christ crucified, buried and resurrected so that we may know the love of God in a way never previously known to humanity.  We have been loved wide, deep, long and tall.  And because we have been loved by God in Christ, we must love others likewise.  I didn't say it was easy.  It's actually tough to do.  But people will be drawn to a loving cup.  And they will run from a bitter one.  Paul was right, we have an outstanding debt of love---To Christ and others.  Let's pay down our love debt.  The world will take notice!

(Photo: Robert Indiana's "Love" Statue at the Indianapolis Museum of Art)