My Love
7 min read
5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. 8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly
— 1 Timothy 1:5-8
The goal of teaching doctrine (theology) is love. In fact, we could say that the goal of everything that we do as Christians is love. But we must also consider carefully what that goal really means for us, practically speaking.
Because the word of God is good. But the improper application of the word of God defiles it—even if the word of God is good. We could say that the proper application of God’s word must lead to love, and the improper application of God’s word does not.
And again, we are back to that question: what does that really look like in specific situations in our lives and especially in the life of the church?
Because sometimes, we might encounter a situation where whatever we do in response to that situation doesn’t seem good at all. Someone inevitably is going to get hurt (even badly), and where is the love in that?
Some people might point to the idea of “tough love,” meaning discipline that is given with the intention of loving the one being disciplined. But the one being disciplined never feels “loved,” at least not in my experience. Usually, they just leave, never to be heard from again. Is that love?
It occurs to me that our love (the biblical definition of love) is tested to the limits pretty much every day of our lives. Because God’s goal for our lives is love, as He defines it.
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
— Hebrews 4:12
That is the word of God. As I live, and as the LORD lives, His word is sharper than a laser beam. It’s goal is to separate me from the death we experience on a daily basis in this broken, ugly mess of a sin-filled world.
In the Bible, we find doctrine (theology), and that doctrine points us to a love that we know nothing about. It is a love that is ready to sacrifice what we “love” most because of faith. It is a love that takes up our cross and follows Christ to His because of faith. It is a love that is willing to give up whatever it is that me-myself-and-I wants so that others may live because of faith.
But the dilemma we face is that loving like that only works out for the best if everyone is exercising it (read Philemon). If just one person balks in order to satisfy their own desires, perfect love is lost, and the sacrifice that everyone else makes for the sake of love doesn’t feel like a solution, but a heavy burden—maybe even a tragedy.
This is the human condition. And it is played out over and over again in the lives of every single human being who has ever lived or ever will until … Jesus comes back.
Come, Lord Jesus. Come.
It is for this human condition that Jesus Christ came in the first place. And we could “theologize” that Jesus is suffering the full wrath of God on our behalf even now until … Jesus comes back.
Come, Lord Jesus Come.
God is Love. We are not.
The Bible lays out all of this doctrine (theology) for us. And the Bible directs us to use the word of God properly, because the goal of the Bible for our lives is Love, who is Christ. And such love is only possible through faith in Christ—not “faith” in ourselves.
Father, You are love. We find evidence of Your love in this world, which is Your glory. But especially we see the exercise of Your love in Christ. We live in such a broken world. Forgive me when I get caught up in the sin that so easily entangle me. I confess that my only hope is Christ. But help me, and help us, by the power of Your Spirit, to overcome the brokenness of sin in our lives. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
