Love is the Queen of the Christian graces. It is a holy disposition given to us when we are born again by God. It is the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. True spiritual love is characterized by meekness and gentleness, yet it is vastly superior to the courtesies and kindnesses of the flesh.
We must be careful not to confuse human sentimentality, carnal pleasantries, human amiability and affability with true spiritual love. The love God commands, first to Himself and then to others, is not human love. It is not the indulgent, self-seeking love which is in us by nature. If we indulgently allow our children to grow up with little or, no Scriptural discipline, Proverbs plainly says we do not love them, regardless of the human sentimentality and affection we may feel for them. Love is not a sentimental pampering of one another with a loose indifference as to our walk and obedience before the Lord. Glossing over one another’s faults to ingratiate ourselves in their esteem is not spiritual love.
The true nature of Christian love is a righteous principle which seeks the highest good of others. It is a powerful desire to promote their welfare. The exercise of love is to be in strict conformity to the revealed will of God. We must love in the truth. Love among the brethren is far more than an agreeable society where views are the same. It is loving them for what we see of Christ in them, loving them for Christ’s sake.
The Lord Jesus Himself is our example. He was not only thoughtful, gentle, self-sacrificing and patient, but He also corrected His mother, used a whip in the Temple, Severely scolded His doubting disciples, and denounced hypocrites. True spiritual love is above all faithful to God and uncompromising towards all that is evil. We cannot declare, ‘Peace and Safety’ when in reality there is spiritual decay and ruin!
True spiritual love is very difficult to exercise because it is not our natural love. By nature we would rather love sentimentally and engender good feelings. Also many times true spiritual love is not received in love, but is hated as the Pharisees hated it. We must pray that God will fill us with His love and enable us to exercise it without dissimulation toward all.
A.W. Pink
1886 – 1952
Christ Alone Wyoming 
Mucho good!
As Voddie Baucham puts it, biblical love is an act of the will, accompanied by emotion, on behalf of the object of the love. He is contrasting biblical love with the common, but unbiblical, Greco-Roman “love” that most westerners hold to.
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Very well put! Sadly most people think that if you say anything negative than you don’t love them. This is a bane of our society! People don’t want true love they just want human sentimentality!
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brother Michael: Thank you for sharing such good food for thought.
Desert Pastor’s wife: Amen!
“Love” is, for many, little more than adherence to social etiquette. Breach that etiquette, even if proclaiming God’s word, and watch what happens. True, agape love? Few Christians I have known even understand the concept.
“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Matt.24:12
Let us be diligent to not let that love grow cold!
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I’m asking for someone to help me understand this, it is so important to me. Does this mean that as a Christian I should be consistently pointing out the sins of others to them? If so, I would be doing nothing else just with my own family members, as I am the only believer and their sins bombard me daily to the point that I often can’t stand it anymore and have to remove myself from them. They totally reject Christ. What is the right thing to do?
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Marilyn,
I recommend taking some tips from reformed evangelicals, such as ray Comfort (imperfect man): http://www.wayofthemaster.com/
Lost folk who are hateful to God need the law and wrath of God preached to them – NOT their sins pointed out to them.
Lost folks who are not hateful to God need the gospel of grace, showing them their dead state and need of Christ.
We are not responsible nor commanded to point out sins to spiritually dead folk, thinking we might clean them up. We are to proclaim Christ crucified for the sins of people, commanding people to repent and believe for the forgiveness of sins. Those whom the Lord is calling will do so, in His time.
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Marilyn:
As important and vital as proclaiming God’s truth is, it is critical we also display a life transformed by the Holy Spirit. As we display repentance, sanctification, and the fruit of the spirit, we display the actual power of the cross that transforms one’s life. So many people are turned off to Christianity because they hear the Bible quoted at them, but don’t see it lived by the preacher. As we live what we believe, we show them the reality of Christ, that He’s not some concept, some “religious leader” of 2000 years ago, but the real living God Who is active today saving, transforming, making new.
I will pray for you.
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If you have “talked the talk”,
now “walk the walk”.
Your witness now is a life totally surrendered
to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Your actions
will speak more loudly and clearly, and hopefully
consistently, than any words!
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