A Gospel Perspective

"He that loveth not knowth not God; for God is love." - 1 John 4:8 The world today has so many definitions of love. On the end farthest from Christianity, it is confused with sexuality. In the middle, it is too often confused with Advocacy, meaning " public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy." There are those who argue, if you love people who are poor, hurt, or oppressed, then you should show public support for causes that would benefit them. There's usually good intentions behind that kind of love, but it falls short of Christlike love. Too easily public support becomes little more than professing your love or support. Or as John might say, loving in word but not in action ( 1 John 3:18 ). In worse cases, it can lead to policy changes that chip away at moral standards—when it means supporting behavior that is not in line with God's law— and it can confuse our understanding of love. When policies are changed to please popular opin...

What does it mean to love someone? For example, I've heard people say "how can I be part of a church that doesn't love gay people?" This is a very complex question, and it has no obvious answer. It reminds me a little bit of the questions that the pharisees asked Jesus in order to "trap Him in what He said." This question can't be easily answered correctly. Unlike the pharisees, many who ask this question do so out of sincerity. For those of us who really want an answer, let's break down the question a little bit and see what the scriptures say. I hope to help illuminate this difficult concern. Defining Love As a christian, Jesus Christ, is my ultimate example of love. During his ministry he showed his love to those around him. Among things He did to show his love, He healed the sick and forgave the sinners. He first provided us with a perfect example of love, then he told us "this is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you...