Biblical Love
What is Biblical love?
part 3

How does Biblical love manifest itself within the Body of Christ, the Church? The first thing to establish is the importance of what is about to be said concerning love within the local assembly. I hope we can all agree that the first and foremost attribute that must be displayed for the entire world to see is our love for each other.

Biblical Love Is Not Optional for the Church.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Our love for each other is not only important it is vital. Jesus said that by our love for each other the world will know that we are His disciples. There is no substitute for a love that is missing within the assembly, nothing else will function as the sign of Christian fellowship to the world. Tolerating each other will not replace love, isolating oneself or others will not suffice and neither will ignoring each other. We have to love each other. What does that love entail? What must we do to love each other? Be patience with me, we still have one more thing to consider first. Not only are we commanded to love, but the quality of our love is also commanded and that quality to which our love will be measured by is perfection.

Biblical love’s Standard and Goal Is Perfection.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same? “And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:43-48)

We often hear that we are to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect, but how many of us know that this reference to perfection was made in the context of love? In our love (as well as other areas of our lives) we are to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect. Our perfection will be measured by the Father’s loving example. It is also interesting to note that the failure of our ability to love does not depend then on those we are commanded to love. In other words the vileness of those around us in no way should affect our ability to love them. So, obviously our lack of love to those in our assembly says more about us than it does about them. To summarize, our love for each other is mandatory and expected to be perfect.

What does love within the local assembly look like?

Biblical Love Is Not a Matter of Outward Show.

"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

Love is not a matter of doing good things; we are fully capable of doing great things while still hating those we supposedly “love.” It is not hard to tell when someone reaches out in love or reaches out because of some sort of duty. Love is not a matter of the work done but a matter of the heart.

Biblical Love Is a Matter of the Heart.

"Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Love springs forth from a heart that has been transformed by God’s love for it. A person that has been loved much by God, and realizes it, will in turn love God and therefore others much. (Luke 18:13, Luke 7:40-44)
Biblical love covers a multitude of sins that could otherwise hinder the love that is needed. There will be many times when a Christian brother will sin against you… will you, in love, forgive? Will your love cover that sin? Or will that sin stop you from loving as the Father loved you?

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

This kind of love is not easy; it may seem so as you read these words. Our spirit says, “Amen Lord Jesus I want to love like that, what a wonderful way to live!” But our flesh is weak and when we are in a situation where we are being treated badly our first impulse may be to lash out, or to run, or to withdraw and have no more dealings with that person. But who loses out if we react this way? We may be first inclined to say that we do, but that would be the wrong way to look at it. If we look at it this way we are still being self-centered. The one who loses out is Christ. We are His disciples and all the world sees is that we do not love each other, what a slap at Christ delivered on our behalf. May it never be!

How will we manifest Godly (Biblical) love when we are faced dealing with a person we don’t particularly care for?

Biblical love Is a Choice.

When Paul ministered in Philippi there were two women who were a help, one was named Euodia and the other Syntyche. Paul wrote that at one time these women had “shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel,” but now they seem to dislike each other greatly enough to warrant a mention in the Epistle to the Philippians.

" I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. Indeed, true comrade, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life." (Philippians 4:2-3)

What advice did Paul give to these women?

Be God Focused.

As we found out earlier, a lack of love for whatever reason, says more about the one who does not love than it does the object of that love. And in Philippians 4 Paul calls the women back to rejoicing and peace that comes from God, through communing with God in prayer and supplication.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7)

Dwell On the Good.
The final sure way to love the unlovable is to dwell on what ever good remains.

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you." (Philippians 4:8-9, NASB)

Our first impulse is to replay in our minds over and over again how we have been wronged, how we have been mistreated. But that is not conducive to the call of love that we all have. Think of it this way, if we have wronged someone would we desire the other person to forget that and instead to dwell on all the “good” we have done? Well, if that is what we desire from others how can we with hold that from them?

Paul says in the end that if all else fails emulate his life. Again it is not easy, but practice makes perfect and Paul wants us to put into practice these things.

Next time we will put some practical clothes on these principles.

All Scripture references come from the New American Standard Bible . 1986; La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.