1. Biblical love resembles Jesus’ love.
If there is anything that will make us Christians noticeably loving toward people, it is when we determine to resemble the same kind of love that Christ has demonstrated toward us. This enables us to love the seemingly unlovable people in our lives. A daily determination to be a mirror reflection of Christ translates into loving others with the kind of love spoken about in the Bible.
Max Lucado served as a translator in Brazil for an English-speaking pastor. Max would translate the English into Portuguese.
Max relates, “I stood at the preacher’s side and my sole purpose was to convey his words to the listeners. I did my best to allow his every statement to come through me. I was not at liberty to embellish or edit. When the speaker gestured, I gestured. If he increased his volume, so did I. When he spoke in a whisper, I spoke in a whisper. My sole goal was to resemble the English-speaking pastor.”
Max became a mirror of the speaker. We best love others when we become a mirror reflection of Christ. Jesus conveyed that truth about love in the gospel of John:
John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another."
2. Biblical love has a holy agenda.
When we mirror-reflect the love of Jesus toward others, we will do so with a holy agenda. The love of Christ in us is always seeking to provide God’s best for another person. Biblical love is never clever, manipulative or impure in its motive. True love is not a feigned expression of affection toward another with the goal of gaining a favor from them. That is deceit and not love.
Biblical love delights in truth and not evil. When God’s truth and purposes are prevailing in the lives of others, we rejoice with them. We are to take joy in the spiritual victories of people.
I am a New York Mets baseball fan and have been since 1969. Until recently the Atlanta Braves have dominated the National League East division. The Mets are in the same division as the Atlanta Braves Do you think I ever cheered for the Atlanta Braves to do well in baseball? NO WAY! This year my precious Mets missed being a wild-card team by one game.
I wanted the other team, the Milwaukee Brewers, who won the wild-card position, to fall apart and collapse during their last several games. They did not oblige. I did not enjoy the success of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Many people cannot enjoy the success of others because of envy. They wish an unholy agenda upon the lives of people. That attitude must never mark the life of we who follow Christ.
1 Corinthians 13:6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It [biblical love} always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
3. Biblical love speaks the truth in love.
We must know when to speak and when not to speak about the personal life of another person. We may be right about an issue and have our facts all lined up correctly, but when biblical love dominates us there will be times when we do not speak. God does not demand that we tell everything we know about another person. Sometime silence is the best position to take if we are considering making a statement about people that will be harmful and hurtful toward them.
Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Biblical love rejects snide and biting remarks. Even if the remarks are true, if what is said is not tenderly tempered with gracious love, our remarks are reduced to having no worth in the sight of God.
Ephesians 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Remember, a gossiper and rumor-spreader does not always lie. They simply speak about people in a manner that never brings glory to God or is helpful to the person about whom they are gossiping. God provides serious discipline toward such a person.
Matt. 7:2 For in the same way you judge (condemn) others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Instead, let us reap the harvest of God’s blessing by speaking uplifting and encouraging words to, and about other people.
Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Look carefully at how God describes the kind of love we are to express to others.
1Corinthians 13:5 It [biblical love] is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
4. Biblical love erases a growing ego.
When egos grow, love erodes. Biblical love will not share the same space with an expanding ego. Love can never be selfless and selfish at the same time. The disciples of Jesus had just overheard James and John ask Christ to give them the choice seats in the kingdom of heaven.
Mark 10:35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." Mark 10:36 "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. Mark 10:37 They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."
When the remaining disciples heard the request James and John had made of Christ they were disturbed and upset at them. You can visualize them with hands on their hips and fingers pointing at James and John while exclaiming, “Just who do you two think you are to make that kind of egotistical request.”
Mark 10:41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.
James and John’s craving to be specially recognized with prime seats in heaven was a demonstration of growing egos. They had not taken into consideration the other ten disciples. Our Lord took this development and conveyed to all twelve disciples that egos must shrink and servanthood love must enlarge.
Mark 10:42 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Mark 10:43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, Mark 10:44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
5. Biblical love will only lead you where the Bible permits you to go.
When our expressions of love are coupled with accurate Bible doctrine, we will begin to be people who demonstrate biblical love toward others. True love is always compatible with what is taught in the Bible. Surrendering to the Word of God [following Bible doctrine] enables us to truly love others. Biblical love always has it feet firmly planted in the Word of God, the Scriptures.
1John 2:3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 1John 2:4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1John 2:5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 1John 2:6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Our Lord will bless us and cause our lives to bring Him glory as we pray for, and desire to be a mirror reflection of the love of Christ.
God bless you in loving others as Christ has loved you,
Pastor Curt Brown
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