Theology, Do We Love It?

DO WE LOVE OUR THEOLOGY?

Jesus Christ settled a long-standing argument among the Jews when He answered this question: What is the greatest commandment? We find Christ’s answer in Matthew 22:37-40.

Jesus said to him, “’You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

The Jews were good at trying to keep them, but they misunderstood the thrust of God’s commands. Just as they distorted His commands for salvation, they were unable to love God or their neighbor in their own strength. The Apostle Paul wrote about the inadequacy of their attempts in Romans 9:31,32.

Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.

James addressed the same problem but from a dispensational position different from Paul’s, that of the circumcision. He showed that works of the law were necessary for justification, but they had to be works of faith (James 1:21-2:26). This problem of faith is still with us today. We have a constant battle with the flesh “so you may not do the things you wish” (Gal. 4:17 My translation, emphasizing the subjunctive.). In fact, I missed the thrust of this dispensation for many years because I was caught up in the details of grace theology.

When we consider the dispensation of grace, we find that God’s grace abounds in love (Eph. 2:4. He demonstrates His love by giving His Son (Rom. 5:8), pours out His love in our hearts (Rom. 5:5), and motivates us by His love (2 Cor 5:14). Then, what should we do? What is the purpose of this dispensation? Where can we find it? In Ephesians? Of course, but I think the thrust is presented in its clearest form in 1 Timothy 1:5-7.

Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

We seem to miss this thrust often. The purpose of the commandment is love. Not just love, but love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. Paul is referring to a commandment, but which one is it? The word for commandment in verse five is the same as the word charge in verse three, “that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine.” When we read the whole portion, 1 Timothy 1:3-7, with this in mind, we will see that the emphasis of the sound doctrine, dispensational truth, is love.

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. 5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

It is easy to lose sight of the purpose of the commandment. However, it is clear that the purpose of God in the teaching of the mystery is no different from what it was in Deuteronomy 6:4,5 and Leviticus 19:18. We should love God with everything we are, and love our neighbor as ourselves. Paul reiterated the second of these commands in Romans 13:9 and Galatians 5:14. The thrust of his thought in those two passages was the fulfillment of the law. The only way we can do this is by faith. We must learn to love God by faith. Then, when we succeed to some extent, we are able to love our neighbor.

Paul emphasized our liberty in his writings (Gal. 5:1,13; 1 Cor. 8:9; 2 Cor. 3:17). Although we have this liberty, Galatians 5:13 warns us, “You, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

We may think that God does not care if we keep the law in the dispensation of grace. However, it seems that He not only greatly cares, but wants us to fulfill it from our heart by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s read His desire in Romans 13:8-10.

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Of course, Romans 8:1-4 tells us the key to the Christian life under grace. We do not look at the law and try to do it. Instead, as we meditate on God’s word (Rom. 12:1,2), we are filled by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:17-20), are enabled to love Him, and tend to fulfill the righteous requirement of the law. This is also the thrust of that great chapter on the mystery, Ephesians 3.

When Paul finished the passage on the mystery, he broke forth in praise. This mystery and its message are wonderful. It’s about love. He expressed it in Ephesians 3:14-19.

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

The doctrinal statement of grace is only the outworking of love (Eph. 4:2-6). The growth of the body comes from love (Eph. 4:15,16). In the family, Christ is the husband’s example. We husbands are to love our wives as Christ loves the church (Eph. 5:25,28). Love seems to be the link to an experiential knowledge of the mystery in Colossians 2:2,3 and Philippians 1:9,10.

As I have come closer to loving God the way I want to, things I used to think highly of have diminished in value. I still see the great importance of the mystery and right division of the word. For me, evangelism is impossible without this understanding. Now I see much more

clearly that the thrust of the message of grace is vital to the Christian life. Should we fight over or get angry in a discussion about grace? When Paul told Timothy to guard the deposit committed to him, he told him that he heard it from Paul in faith and love.

For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep my deposit [My translation of thVn paraqhvkhn mou] until that Day. Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us (2 Timothy 1:12-14).

I was good at holding “fast the pattern of sound words.” Now I see that it is of utmost importance to hold them fast “in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” Sometimes I enjoyed nursing a grudge. Sometimes I even became angry or bitter when discussing God’s word. There is no place for this kind of behavior when the “the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.” That is now my utmost desire, and that is the goal of my ministry for the Lord. All of us seem to have an initial response of love towards our Lord at the time of our salvation. As we consider the thrust of the command and want to do it, the desire to love God engenders an emotional love for Jesus Christ. Paul says this is necessary in 1 Corinthians 16:22. “If anyone does not love (filei’ filay) the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!”

What is your goal for your Christian life? I’m convinced that we shouldn’t love our theology. No one is right in everything he believes. Our theology should cause us to love. If it doesn’t, something is wrong!