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discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

Will the Real Love Please Stand Up?

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“Love is love!” The battle cry implied that any gratifying feeling could qualify as love (ungodly sex, in this case). How can the same word reference both good and bad emotions or behaviors?

Our English language limits how we express feelings and actions, including love. We use that single word to reference emotions, lust, and charity. However, the Bible uses different words for each to ensure we understand what’s really happening when we encounter ‘love:’

  • Lust (usually sensual). Greek epithumia represents a firm intention to have something. Jesus said that someone who lusts after another’s spouse sins (Matthew 5:27-28).  Conversely, the Bible states that we should lust after the things of God.
  • Fondness (emotional love). Related Greek words begin with ‘phil’ and represent a fondness for something. For instance, ‘philadelphia’ is a fondness for brothers and sisters in Christ (Hebrews 13:1). Fondness for money is ‘philaguria’ (Hebrews 13:5). Lust and fondness are emotion-driven and, therefore, come and go. You may like me now but hate me tomorrow—especially if my articles contradict your beliefs. Neither emotion-based lust nor fondness is the unconditional love God has shown or that we must have for each other.
  • Unconditional, real Love (selfless, sacrificial). This love doesn’t come and go with an emotional or sexual wind. It’s doing the right thing for the right reason despite feelings. Greek noun agape is this love that God has for all creation, and the verb agapao is love in action. God is love (agape); God loves as we should (agapao). Let’s dig a bit deeper into this love.

God hasn’t always been happy with humanity but still loved (and loves) us so much that He gave His Son, the one we call Jesus, as an ultimate covenantal sacrifice to bring us back to Him. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) God then raised Him from the dead to assure His children that they too will be raised at the end of this world. Similarly, we do real, unconditional love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19).

We must honor God with all we are and have and be charitable with time, treasures, and talents: “… ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’” (Matthew 22:37-39). Check out Matthew 25:31-46, and you’ll find that true, actionable love includes charity (feeding, housing, clothing, etc.).

Summary. Love can be a strong intent to have (often sexual lust), an emotion, or an unconditional loving action. What’s next? Let’s explore biblical perfection. In the meantime, love as God loves instead of chasing lusts and emotions.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

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Apocalyptic Misquotes . . . Part X

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“God is Love!”

Misquote: “God is Love!” Actually, God IS love; however, this ‘love’ is grossly misunderstood. And, the common misunderstanding of the love that God is and does lends itself to a dangerous and pervasive view that anyone in His good favor should never suffer and will have anything they want . . . Please see my earlier blogs titled “God has a plan for me!”, “I can do all things Through Christ”, “No Weapon Formed Against me will Prosper” and “In Jesus’ Name” in Apocalyptic Misquotes Parts I, IV, and VI for more information related to this prosperity Gospel and spiritual rock star mentality so prevalent in churches today.

This misunderstanding is based on 1John – 1John 4:8 and 16 in particular. The first thing we must do is understand the context of John’s comments about God being love. The next thing we’ll do is explore the meaning of that ‘love’, which you’ll learn is consistent, appropriate action – not emotion.

The theme and context of 1John Chapter 4 boils down to a fair and just God that will judge the world and save the righteous. This text serves as a reminder that our actionable love, which is obedience to Jesus’ commandments out of our faith, mirrors God’s just nature and is the basis for our coming salvation. Here’s a breakdown of the verses.

Verses 1-6: Differentiating ourselves from the world.

Verses 7-17: God is actionable love. He has promised a savior for mankind and kept His promise.  We should be like Him and actionably love one another because He has done the same for us as we abide in Him and He in us through the Spirit.

Verses 18-21: A sobering reminder that actionable love born of our faith is critical to salvation – rescuing from God’s judgment to come. Being nice, feeling spiritual, belief alone, or having lots of knowledge about the Bible kept private are of no use to God, our Christ, or the Church.

I keep mentioning ‘actionable’ love, which is based on the Greek agape and agapao (is love and action born of love). Nowhere does Scripture or the New Testament Gospel or letters suggest God is ‘nice’ or that we should be that way. With the exception of a few uses of a Greek-based phil love (i.e. Philadelphia – brotherly love), the only ‘love’ you’ll see related to God and our Christ is actionable, non-emotion-based, agape/agapao love. This is one that equates to, “I’ll treat you appropriately despite how I feel.” Instead, we’re to be fair, kind, patient, repentant, self-controlled, etc.  Hmmm . . . sounds a lot like the actions (fruits) shown by those who belong to God and, therefore, have the Spirit as they abide in God and He in them . . .

So, God is love because He has treated us appropriately and kept His promise to send a savior despite the way He has ‘felt’ toward mankind at times throughout history. He is just to save and to forgive when we are in covenant with Him as so many of the New Testament letters show. Please see my earlier blog titled, “True Love” for more background on the kind  of love God had and has for us, and we should have for each other.

Act fairly, justly, kindly, and consistently as our God also has done for us . . . and live!

For a very comprehensive and detailed study of this and other related topics, feel free to read my 2011 guide titled, “Finding the End of the World” available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and from www.ronbraley.com in paper and e-book formats. In the guide, you’ll find roughly 500 pages of building blocks to help you do your own complete and unbiased study based on Scripture and history!

Next week, we’ll look at more great examples of personal interpretation and bad hermeneutics as we continue to explore common misquotes and abuses of Scripture. The next misquoted or misunderstood topic: “Jesus can’t come back until we evangelize the world!”