2 JOHN 5-6 – “And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.”

THEME OF THE DAY: HOW DOES GOD DEFINE LOVE?    Well, to answer today’s nugget theme, let’s start with how the world describes it.

A profound, multifaceted emotion characterized by deep affection, attachment and care. Beyond an intense feeling, it is often considered an active commitment and an unselfish, loyal concern for the well-being of another person, yourself, or even an animal or activity.

When we break down the definition of love from the world, the emphasis is placed on emotion followed by active commitment to the well-being of others. Not bad but with a couple of glaring deficiencies or problems.

The initial problem is that feelings often control the person and love becomes lust or infatuation based primarily on physical attraction, features, and mutual worldly interests.  Such a relationship won’t be sustained.  The second problem with the worldly definition of love is the self-deception of thinking we can live an unselfish life of commitment to express love. Sin prevents such a selfless life.  Don’t get me wrong.  Yes, we know unsaved people who love the best they can from a worldly perspective, but even the greatest of commitment to love others without the love of Christ will always fall short, having some tainted aspect of selfish, self-love attached.  It must. Sinners cannot overcome the DNA of sin which is selfishness.

Now how does God define love?  Two ways.  One points directly to us.  The other to the Supreme model of love which is the Lord Jesus.  In today’s scripture, the Apostle John writing to an unnamed godly lady and her children states with simplicity and clarity God’s definition of love – obeying His commands.  This truth also appears in John’s gospel quoting Jesus from the Upper Room. . .

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” Jesus answered him, “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” (John 14:15; 21, 23).  

So how does God define love?  Our obedience. We obey God’s commandments which means we must know them to obey them.  The early church father, Jerome, said, “To neglect scripture is to neglect Christ” and to neglect is to lack love. The other way God defines love is by the model of His Son.  When Jesus gave the New Commandment, who did He point to as the measuring stick for evaluation? It wasn’t the world . . .

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”” (John 13:34-35).

Our Lord doesn’t point His disciples and us to any other model but Himself. He is the only pure example of genuine love, and He is the only way, through His Spirit, we may be changed into His model of love. The world cannot define love properly. It may attempt to do so but will always fall short.  Only God defines it correctly and that by pointing us to His Word and His Son.

PRAYER: Lord, keep me from being self-deceived by the world when I am defining and displaying love.

REFLECTION:  Loving God is defined by Him in His Word, not by us or the world, and modeled by His Son.