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In The Name Of Love
By Grant Phillips
The society in which
we live is drunk on
love, but is it the
love that comes from
God? The Apostle
John, especially in
his first epistle,
speaks much about
love. How does it
compare with the
love of the world?
To write about love,
in its entirety,
would be far too
lengthy to post. It
could be many books,
and then some.
Therefore, please
allow me to just hit
the high points
within a narrow
field of view. I
would like to
briefly compare
Biblical love, or
Godly love, with
what the world, or
society, views as
love.
First of all,
Biblical love is not
based on
emotions as many may
think. It certainly
isn’t based on
appearances either.
Biblical love is a
mental attitude,
with emotions as an
appreciator, but
never an initiator.
When one comes to
Jesus to be saved
from their sins,
they must make a
mental decision.
Again, emotions may
be involved, but
they will not get
you one inch closer
to Jesus Christ
until you make a
mental decision to
ask His forgiveness
and put your faith
totally in Him. John
reminds us that, “We
love Him, because He
first loved us.”
(1 John 4:19)
When Jesus
saves us and we then
grow in Him, we
begin to appreciate
more and more what
He has done for us,
and in us, as we
mature spiritually.
Our love for Him
grows, because we
realize more and
more just what He
has done for us.
God is a God of
love, but does His
love save anyone?
No; not of itself.
God made a mental
decision to become
the propitiation for
our sins by becoming
as we are, yet
without sin, and
then to die on the
cross and rise
again. By this, when
we place our faith
in Him, Jesus, He
places us back in
God’s acceptance. He
does love us, but He
is also absolute
righteousness and
justice. We are
unrighteous because
of sin. Our sin must
be judged, but we
cannot pay the
penalty for sin
because we are not
perfect, or sinless.
Therefore, Jesus,
who is perfect
(sinless), became
our substitute, and
by His death and
resurrection He can
save (redeem) those
who come to Him for
salvation.
Unlike God, our love
must be seeded and
grow in Jesus
Christ, because we
are corrupt to start
with. So, we cannot
truly love until we
know love through
Him. Okay, so what
about other facets
of love? Where do
they fit in?
Many books have been
written about love.
Even more songs have
been written about
love. Movies have
been made about
love. Television
programs have love
ingrained within
them. People often
speak about love.
Unless these books,
songs, movies,
television programs,
etc. are speaking
about the true
Biblical love of
God, they fall
short, some more so
than others. In some
cases love may be a
legitimate love
between people that
God has ordained,
but it still falls
short of God’s love.
On the other end of
the spectrum, love
is merely a
perverted animal
fulfillment of
self-gratification
(no disrespect meant
toward the animal
kingdom).
Society believes
that to spank a
child does not show
love, but anger.
This is not true.
The Scriptures say,
“Discipline
your children while
there is hope.
Otherwise you will
ruin their lives.”
(Proverbs 19:18 NLT)
“Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who
love their children
care enough to
discipline them.”
(Proverbs 13:24 NLT)
Please take
note of what society
has produced in her
children in the last
generations. I
needn’t say more.
Society believes
that to execute a
murderer is cruel
and unusual
punishment. “That
would not be showing
love.” This has
nothing to do with
showing love. It is
about justice. It is
about protecting
those in society who
do not commit
murder, by
permanently removing
the murderer from
society, and meting
out deserved
justice. Exodus
20:13 says, “Thou
shalt not murder.”
(It is translated
“kill” in the KJV,
but actually and
specifically means
“murder”.)
Read Exodus
22:2-3; 35; 16-18;
20-21, 27, 31, 35;
and Deuteronomy
5:17. Especially
note Genesis 9:5-6
which says, “And
surely your blood of
your lives will I
require; at the hand
of every beast will
I require it, and at
the hand of man; at
the hand of every
man’s brother will I
require the life of
man. Whoso sheddeth
man’s blood, by man
shall his blood be
shed: for in the
image of God made he
man.” God
Himself authorizes
capital punishment
for the murderer. So
who is right, God or
society?
Society believes to
speak against
homosexuality is
hateful. Society
believes that true
love exists between
two homosexuals just
as much as two
married
heterosexuals. What
does God say? Please
read Romans 1:22-32.
He makes it quite
clear. There is also
no doubt where Gods
stands when reading
the following, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived:
Neither the sexually
immoral nor
idolaters nor
adulterers nor male
prostitutes nor
homosexual
offenders.”
(1
Corinthians 6:9) God
created Adam and Eve
to head up the
family and replenish
the earth, not Adam
and Steve.
Have you ever
witnessed a baby
sling its food all
over the walls? This
is what society does
with the word “love”
when it comes to
fornication and
adultery.
(Fornication is
illicit sex outside
marriage. Adultery
is illicit sex
within marriage.)
There is so much
about this in God’s
Word, I’m not even
going to provide
references. Just do
a run down with your
concordance, and it
will keep you busy
for a long time.
There is no shame
today for a bride to
wear white, even
though she has been
promiscuous prior to
her wedding date.
There is no shame
for two people to
live together and
not be married.
“Everybody’s doing
it, so it must be
okay. It’s love! We
love each other! I
may love someone
else tomorrow, but I
love this one
today.” Many do not
even bother with the
“love” excuse, they
just call it their
right to physical
enjoyment and go
from partner to
partner.
Biblical love, is
loving the other
person when they do
not deserve it.
Biblical love, loves
another, and expects
nothing in return.
Biblical love has
feet under its
prayers. Biblical
love, fights for
what is right and
true. Biblical love,
speaks out against
false doctrine.
Biblical love,
defends the weak and
metes justice to the
unjust. Biblical
love, is not swayed
by emotional ties,
but measures its
thoughts and actions
against the Word of
God. Biblical love,
looks past the
faults and failures
and sees the soul.
Biblical love, does
what is right, even
when it is not
popular to do so.
Biblical love, tries
to guide through the
fog, but yet
respects the rights
and feelings of
others; i.e. Jesus
forces no one to
come to Him.
Biblical love, is
not swayed by
tempting
allurements.
Biblical love, seeks
no reward.
On the other hand,
worldly love is
swayed, activated,
and initiated by
enticements. Worldly
love’s primary
desire is to please
self. Worldly love
is happy, as long as
its ego is stroked.
In a nutshell, the
world’s view of
“love” is almost
entirely physical
and/or emotional.
Biblical love, or
Godly love, goes way
beyond the physical
to the spiritual
side of God and man.
Jesus said, “Marvel
not that I said unto
thee, Ye must be
born again.”
(John 3:7) Jesus was
referring to a
spiritual birth.
Unless we are born
again; physically
the first time and
spiritually the
second time, we
cannot understand
spiritual matters.
Therefore,
concerning love, the
worldly man cannot
get past the
physical part of
love until he is
born again in
Christ. Then the
highest plateau of
love is experienced
spiritually.
Grant Phillips
grantphillips@windstream.net
Pre-Rapture
Commentary
http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
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