Let love be genuine. Romans 12:9
The earth is not populated by models of virtue who are quietly fulfilling all that God calls us to be. The reality of our position is very different. God says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).
When Jesus came into the world, He described our position as being like sheep that are lost, like patients who are sick, like captives who are bound, or like offenders who are under condemnation.
If Jesus had embraced our culture’s definition of love, He would have said,
“The truth about you is that you are lost. I accept that and I have come to affirm it.”
“The reality of your condition is that you are sick. Far be it from Me to change it.”
“The explanation of your experience in life is that you have been taken captive. I want you to know that, but it’s certainly not for me to interfere.”
“You are under condemnation, and I simply want to affirm you in it.”
Thankfully, Jesus did not embrace our culture’s definition of love! Jesus did not say, “I have come to affirm the lost.” He said, “I have come to save the lost.” He did not come to affirm sickness; He came to heal it. He did not come to affirm our captivity; He came to set us free. He did not come to affirm our condemnation; He came to take it away.
Christ came to change something about us that was terribly wrong and to put it right. That’s what the love of God does. So the biblical understanding of love is very different from what we’ve embraced in our culture.
Where do you find God’s love unattractive? Attractive?
