Dangers Surrounding Love, Part 3
David W Palmer
Old Testament and New Testament commandments all add up to one thing—love. God is love, he pours love into our hearts, and he expects us to love him and our neighbors; plus in particular, he expects us to love each other in his church as he loved us. However, the Holy Spirit warns of several dangers surrounding how, why, who, and what we love. Continuing from the last two days we see:
5. Don’t Love With Hypocrisy
(Romans 12:9 NKJV) “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.”
The Holy Spirit warns us here of another trap that people—who are supposed to be exhibiting pure love—can fall into: hypocrisy! For example, if we claim to love God and others but don’t simultaneously hate what is evil, the Holy Spirit says our love is hypocritical. To avoid this, we should “cling to what is good”; this includes pursuing fellowship with those who are good, rather than making close friendships and alliances with those who are evil.
The Pharisees were great exponents of phoney love. Jesus rightly accused them of being hypocrites (Mat. 23:13–36). He exposed this sin in them so they could repent of it. Let’s not respond to this message by being like them—trying to justify ourselves; rather, let’s heed the Holy Spirit’s warning, and repent of all hypocrisy. By the way, a hypocrite is a person who preaches one thing and practices another.
6. Don’t Do Anything without Love
(1 Corinthians 13:1–3 NKJV) “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. {2} And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. {3} And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”
The Holy Spirit warns of yet another trap where love is concerned. He says that it is possible to do many very good things, and still not be functioning in love. Even his own gifts and manifestations can be operated without love. Be warned: everything to do with God has to be done in love. If not, the Holy Spirit says it will “profit me nothing.” Not even martyrdom is profitable if it is not motivated by and carried out in love. So:
Today, I encourage you to practice your love sincerely: love what is good, hate what is evil; pursue close fellowship with those who are good. Let’s not be hypocrites in any area, especially not in love. To put it simply, do everything with love, motivated by love, and clothed in love. This way, we will be true children of our loving God:
(Matthew 5:48 DKJV) “Therefore, be completely perfect in love, just as your Father in heaven is completely perfect in love.”
By God’s grace, let’s all go to a new level in sincere, non-hypocritical love today.
