What is real Christian love? If any Christian ever had Christian love Paul certainly did:
The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. (1 Tim 1:14)
Paul’s Christian love was demonstrated in various ways throughout his whole ministry – his zeal, his holy behavior and his teachings. Read this carefully to note something else—the sadness associated with Christian love:
For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you. (2 Cor 2:4)
God’s truth is the basis and key ingredient in identifying genuine Christian love. It is impossible to reflect true Christian love if God’s truth is not considered! That is because the source of both God’s truth and Christian love is the Holy Spirit. God’s truth focuses on the spiritual and the spiritual reveals that the SOUL of man is his MOST VALUABLE possession. It is only natural love and affection which displays surface acts of kindness, while disregarding God’s truth. Natural love can seem at first glance to be more tender than God’s love because it doesn’t consider eternity and isn’t based on his truth.
The Christian love Paul displayed had eternity in mind. It was central in all he did and taught. In 2 Cor. 2:4 he referred to his first epistle to the Corinthians, which we call 1 Corinthians. In that epistle, genuine Christian love is displayed, but very UNLIKE what many church people would think about Christian love! Are you ready for the evidence?
Christian Love Warns About Sin’s Lethal Power
Sin is always the issue throughout the entire Bible, including after Calvary. Sin drags people to hell (Mark 9:43-48) and therefore must be resisted and warned about. Even the righteous can die spiritually. Just as God’s first recorded words to Adam were a dire warning about quick spiritual death because of sin (Gen. 2:17), Paul warned the saints the same way throughout all his epistles (1 Cor. 6:9,10; 10:1-11; Rom. 8:13; Gal. 5:19-21; 6:8,9; etc.). Over and over, to the Corinthians this is shown, especially in 1 Corinthians chapters 5 and 6. The sexually immoral man of 1 Cor. 5:1-5 was shown to be wicked (5:13). Such people who commit that type of sin (a sin unto death) will not inherit the kingdom of God unless they change (1 Cor. 6:9-10). Paul didn’t believe there were any Christian sexually immoral people (like the once saved always saved proponents do) and wanted others to be know the same about that sin.
Paul’s Christian love also informed the saints that they do NOT have to yield to any temptation (1 Cor. 10:13)! That is wonderful to know. That means we Christians can OBEY. We can live HOLY.
Christian Love Addresses FALSE DOCTRINE
False doctrine about the resurrection was also addressed, especially in chapter 15. Why is it so central to know Jesus resurrected?
For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. (1 Cor 15:16,17)
Paul was logical and factual. He also reasoned from the Scriptures (Acts 17:2) for the sake of spreading sound doctrine and getting souls saved. He was severely persecuted as the Christian love in his heart tried to bring others to eternal life and was rejected.
Christian Love Addresses True Unity
The Corinthians were divided over their favorite preacher. Some preferred Paul, some Apollos and others Peter (1 Cor. 1:10-17). Paul opposed that division and promoted the true Christian unity which in our day has been overshadowed by the false unity of ecumenicalism.
Christian Love Encourages The Saints To Labor
Now is the time to labor. Souls need help and we are being tested. The vast majority of what church people in our hour do is completely in vain! Hence, Christian love teaches:
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Cor 15:58)
Jesus was perfect love manifested in every way, yet Jesus offended people with his pure holy love for them! How could that be? Because he gave people God’s word and his word is sharper than any double-edged sword (Heb. 4:12).
It can cut and hurt a sinful person inside, in his spirit! It can hurt so bad that some sinful people will want to kill the preacher, such as Herodias who wanted John the Baptist dead for preaching against divorce and remarriage (Mk. 6:17-19). Paul’s Christian’s love taught the Corinthians this about that subject:
A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. (1 Cor 7:39)
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. (1 Cor 7:10,11)
If you have a Christian testimony, does it demonstrate that type of Christian love?
