In view of valentines day I thought it would be appropriate to do a post on love. So what is love?
John 15:13
"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."
Do you have friends that are willing to lay down their lives for you? I heard a story about a solider from black-hawk down. As the story was told, a group of snipers and machine gun operators were in a building holding back the enemy. One enemy solider got close enough to throw a grenade into the room where the group of American soldiers were. One of the American soldiers saw the grenade fly through his window and into the pitch-black room full of soldiers. He dropped his gun and desperately searched for the grenade, finally he gave up and laid down on top of the grenade. He had saved his group by absorbing the blast through his stomach, but that wasn't it, he suffered for 3 more hours then died with his body full of shrapnel.
Jesus said in Mark 12:28-31 that the greatest commandments had to do with love.
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “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.”
Jesus commanded us to love God and to love people . So instead of "what is love" how about, how do you love?
A civilian is running into a burning building, what should the firefighter yell out? God loves you, or Stop! Turn around, you are heading toward fire! Obviously the second. Even though God does love them, simply saying "God loves you" is just fluffing up their pillow on their flight to eternal fire.
You can't give someone a cure without them knowing they have a disease. If you tell a stranger that you sold everything to buy this cure for him because you care for him. The stranger will most likely say," Gee, thanks, you know I love myself too". Instead you should explain to the stranger that he has a very serious disease that will require a very expensive cure, then give him the good news about what you did for him. Only then will the stranger truly appreciate this gift of love.
To truly love someone is to care about them and their well being. Then what would be more loving and caring then to warn them about the upcoming judgment?
Most people imagine Jesus as a meek and mild lamb that wouldn't say anything to offend anyone. That is quite the opposite. Jesus said things like:
If you love your family, mother or children more than me, you aren’t worthy of me. Matt. 10:37
On the Day of judgment, some of you are going to beg for mercy and call me “Lord” but I’m going to say, “I never knew you- get away from me.” and I’ll cast you into outer darkness. Matt. 7:22-23
Jesus made a whip and drove out the vendors and sellers in the temple and threw the money tables over- He trashed the Temple because they were robbing the people who came to the temple to pray. He said, “My Father’s House is to be a House of Prayer for all nations. But you have made it into a den of thieves!” John 2:15-16
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Matt. 12:34
You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44
That doesn't sound like a inoffensive lamb, that sounds like an offensive lion! Jesus did not tolerate sin, we shouldn't either.
Paul stated," Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Yet we know Jesus is love, other wise he wouldn't of died for us. Remember Jesus didn't die because of the love He preached, He was crucified because He offended the Pharisees and pricked the unbeliever's conscience. Jesus never said, come to me and have a wonderful life full of prosperity and wealth. No, instead he said," If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." John 15:18-19. Christians are not of the world, but are in the world to preach and point the unsaved to Christ. If we are to mimic Christ's life and love the way He loved, then we should love people enough to share the truth of their sinful state. If your maintaining peace at the expense of Truth, you've missed it. That is simply compromise.
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