If you’ve been a Christian long enough some Christian, pastor or leader will probably say this at least once during your walk – “Yes, God is love, but He’s also holy!”
Like what does that even mean?
This irks me a little. Not because I don’t think it’s true, but because it feels like a trivialization of the love of God – as if love is just some emotional fluff that means God is ok with sinful behavior. This is usually said in a condescending tone that almost makes you feel foolish for equating God with love.
The only thing is – it’s the Bible that says “God is love” not someone looking for a god that winks at sin.
World Love vs God Love
Pet peeve alert! I hate it when someone – in this case, the world – gets to redefine the meaning of things so that we end up tripping over ourselves and backtracking to avoid getting tangled in the confusion. Just. Stop. Are you really going to let cutesy phrases like “Love wins!” or “Love is love” or “True love waits” or “I love chocolate” or “Toledo loves love” to have you fumbling over the word “love”? You’re really going to choke on the word because people equate love with sexual promiscuity, condoning sinful lifestyles and whatever new sin du jour they come up with next year?
That’s not the God type of love. We’re talking agape here! When the Bible says “God is love” it’s talking about…
A healing-the-sick kind of love.
A compassion-for-the-lost kind of love.
A friend-to-outcast-and-sinners kind of love.
A sweat-like-drops-of-blood kind of love.
A beaten-and-ridiculed kind of love.
A body-wracked-in-pain-while-on-the cross kind of love.
A Father-forgive-them kind of love.
I do think, in this day and age, we should get clarity on what is actually being referenced when we hear the word “love”. Contrary to popular belief, all “love” isn’t LOVE, especially when God is the standard by which we measure it. Obviously, the world does not hold to this standard so we need to be careful, as Christians, to not get caught up in the world’s catchy phrases that reference a Godly virtue. This is how the spirit of error enters the church.
Rewording Christianity to fit the world’s definitions? No. Discerning the meaning behind the words? Absolutely.
Love has Muscles
Why, WHY do we equate love with weakness? With a wink to sin? Love was STRONG enough to embrace the cross! Holy is great. But it was LOVE that brought us the Savior. It was love that made the Father run towards the prodigal son. Love that didn’t stone the adulteress. Love that dined with the tax collector.
And that kind of love needs to be strong.
Loving the unlovable requires strength to continue despite rejection, despite the mocking, despite the pain and despite the sin.
Countless times in the Scripture God delays judgement so that people have time to repent. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
When you think about the level of restraint it takes to NOT bring the smackdown on someone that totally deserves it, you’ll start to have an idea of love’s strength.
Transformative Love
I’m convinced that if people truly encountered the love of God they would gladly embark in a love relationship with Him – one not born out of performance and works and striving to be “holy” enough for God. Just love! A love that literally transforms you when you feel free to give yourself to it completely and without reservation. In a relationship like that, sin drops away. Fear fades into the past. The relationship God sent His Son to die for will actually exist – when we can once again walk with God in the cool of the day just having a conversation.
If you’re sitting there grumbling that people still need to know about God being HOLY and that He is JUST and will repay – I think you still don’t get the transformative nature of God’s love.
Love encapsulates His holiness. It defines His justice. It shapes His righteousness. Without the love of God the rest appears sharp and cold. Without the love of God Christianity looks like every other religion. Yes, a God that LOVED His rebellious people so much that He gave His life is the defining aspect of our very religion. To shrug love off because of some loose, worldly interpretation of the word is to do God and the people who need to hear about it an injustice.
I challenge you to not take love lightly despite the world’s attempts to redefine it. Instead, let’s bring to light it’s true meaning and glory so that it’s beauty can transform people. How, you might wonder? By mirroring a love that taps into Holy Spirit strength to demonstrate – like loving the unlovable and showing grace to the sinner.
Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Let’s live like this and not make excuses for it with lectures about holiness or justice.
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