Wait a minute. In reading such a passage like the one found in the Gospel of John, have we superimposed an ideology of love into the text and, consequently, into the narrative of redemptive history that does not allow us to see the biblical mandate clearly? Have we romanticized the concept of love to the point where Hollywood (or K-drama—hence the picture) has highjacked the biblical formula? Have we interjected modern concepts into the biblical text and read them to suit our own feelings, motives, and agendas? Has the Bachelor (as I have commented to my wife) given us a skewed lens into the concept of love with their fancy helicopters, exotic palm trees, and glamorous beachside dinners; while, at the same time, negating to picture love via the cross in self-sacrifice, commitment, steadfastness, suffering, and truth?
The Essence of Love:
In a day and age where relativism fertilizes the soil in which we operate, hard discussions and tension ridden relationships are hard to come by. Yet the biblical theme within discipleship is a constant, dare I say, push toward conformity to Christ (Rom. 8:29) that is not for the faint of heart. Conversations that shape and reshape the core belief systems of our worldview is indicative of the love that Jesus encompassed during His earthly ministry. The Scripture indicates that as "[iron] sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" (Prov. 27:17). With relativism structured to appease everyone's sensibilities, will the love of Christ be expressed, exposed, and experienced authentically?
Personified:At the onset it must be expressed, simply, that the biblical understanding of love is not confined to a mere emotion, affection, or feeling; but rather finds its consummation in the work and Person of Jesus Christ. The Apostle John writes in his first epistle, "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love" (1 Jn. 4:8). This has enormous implications in regards to the theological framework that finds its footing in the practical application of daily living. What cements our belief systems will ultimately inform our lifestyle. More on this later.
This means that love is not merely a perspective that is to be learned or meditated upon, nor is it purely an action that is to be practiced. Love, within biblical formation, is a Person to which we, His followers, are to be conformed to (Col. 3:10). We are to be so infused into His love that His character, or dare I say His Person, begins to permeate forth in our integrity, thought patterns (worldview), desires, and more. Jesus affirms this notion in John's Gospel by saying, "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me" (Jn. 14:21, italics added). The expressive nature which aligns itself to the commandments of God is indicative of a heart that is filled with the love of Jesus Christ. The psalmist would describe the holy person as an individual whose "delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night" (Ps. 1:2). Therefore, this individual "walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of scoffers" (Ps. 1:1, italics added).
A love that is biblical is a love that personifies our Savior Jesus Christ.
Hand and Glove:
What does it look like to personify Jesus Christ?First of all, it is clear that Jesus Christ entered into the tapestry of creation through His glory, "glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" (Jn. 1:14, italics added). Love, from the biblical standpoint, incorporates an intrinsic link to truth that is derivative of the triune God. The biblical evidence shows that when Scripture depicts the notion of love, truth is near by.
The Apostle John portrays this image in saying, "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments" (1 Jn. 5:2, italics added). In the fourth Gospel Jesus comments, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (Jn. 14:23, italics added). The psalmist affirms this thought by saying, "I will lift up my hands toward Your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on Your statutes" (Ps. 119:48, italics added). Love cannot be comprehended biblically without truth; truth cannot be embraced without love.
Above I have indicated that God, in His essence, is love (1 Jn. 4:8). Additionally, truth is not simply based upon precepts, principles, ideas, or abstract thoughts; but rather is personified in the God-man Jesus Christ. According to the Apostle John Jesus remarks, "I am the way, and the truth, and and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (Jn. 14:6).
The biblical notion of love and truth is not purely emotive nor preceptive in nature, but is a Person—Jesus Christ!
False Dichotomy: Theology and Proxy:
AW Tozer rightly contends in his book Knowledge of the Holies, "Without a doubt, the mightiest thought the mind can entertain is the thought of God, and the weightiest word in any language is its word for God." As followers of Christ we are called to be His disciples. This means that we must continuously strive to learn and dive into the unquenchable knowledge of the infinitely glorious God. Our theological development is not meant to merely terminate on our educational endeavors, but rather be an authentic experience that engages the depth, width, and power of the triune God.
If the church is to encompass the love of Christ, she must allow the Scriptures to shape and direct her cognitive awareness in order to inform her expressive gestures of love, compassion, and mercy. Belief systems are intrinsically linked to the lifestyles that pertains to the individual or institution. It is imperative, then, to feed into those belief systems a proper dosage of truth—namely Scripture.Therefore, our theology will most definitely inform our proxy. The convictional truths will drive our hearts, through the power of the Spirit, to respond in obedience for the glory of His Name. True disciples will not neglect the proper study of Scripture, but the same diligent follower will not neglect the extension of hands that have been transformed by the Word. "But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (Jas. 1:22).
Love compounded by truth—through the Holy Spirit—will drive a person to live faithfully for the Kingdom of God. Love from a Christian worldview is not standardized by how the world responds to its expression, but rather how faithful it is to the revelation of the triune God. Biblical love may not always be well received by the world—even Jesus was put on the cross—but it is necessary if the church is going to faithfully love in the midst of a depraved world.
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McYoung Yang is the husband to Debbie Yang and the father to McCayden (8), McCoy (6), McColsen (4), and DeYoung (1). He graduated from Crown College in Saint Bonifacius, MN with a Youth Ministry degree and has served as a Youth Pastor in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota for over 8 years. He is currently studying at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY for his Masters of Divinity. He hopes to use his training to serve the local church in living life through the Gospel lens.
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