Very often we hear that it is necessary to have a spirit of love in our relationships and to manifest it constantly. Such appeals are often made. The following pattern exists: when a large group of like-minded people gathers, disagreements, confrontations, and discontent begin to arise among them. In order to establish order, those in positions of responsibility introduce rules and set standards of conduct, requiring everyone to observe them. This is where the most interesting part begins.
We are studying the science of love, and our task is to understand correctly what love is and how it manifests itself in one situation or another. A merely human approach to this matter is not enough.
We are all different, with different perceptions, having grown up in different cultures and circumstances. Each of us experienced childhood in our own way, and our parents, if they were present, behaved according to what they understood and considered right. Our upbringing at home laid the foundations of our worldview. When I come to Christ with this baggage of ideas, I involuntarily try to live as I am accustomed to living or as I consider right. And if I encounter something that contradicts my ideas, I begin to resist inwardly and seek to understand the situation.
I very much want a spirit of love to be shown toward me, especially if the community in which I find myself is Christian. But the spirit of love has its own requirements and expectations, and this is worth taking into account. For example, I associate with people who are rebels by nature, and if something happens contrary to their ideas and I am to blame, they immediately explode and may tell me without any hesitation exactly who I am, calling me interesting names. Of course, God expects me to show a spirit of love toward these people. With God’s help, this is possible, and in the end everything concludes peacefully. But when these people encounter similar treatment toward themselves in a spirit of war, they keenly feel the crying injustice of it, especially if they are unable to prevail in the situation. No one likes to be insulted and humiliated, yet when such a spirit comes from them, they believe they need to “let off steam” in order to feel better. Judge for yourselves, then, how such a person will perceive love.
A true understanding of the Spirit of Love is based on a deep knowledge of God and His character. God is Love; this must be accepted as the foundation, and all God’s works, commands, and laws must be viewed in this light. They have all been established and proclaimed in the spirit of true Love because they come from the One Who makes no mistakes. When such a foundation exists, I establish myself upon it, consider every action of God, and agree that it is right, even if I do not understand something.
There are many difficult passages in the Bible that are very hard for the mind to comprehend without knowing the overall picture and the true reason why something was written exactly as it was and why people acted in one way rather than another. Much has to be filled in by our own imagination. If I do not agree that God is always Love, I will begin to attribute to Him qualities of character that are not inherent in Him. It is also very important to understand the concept of love correctly.
Love is the union of mercy and justice; it is the fullness and harmony of these two perfections in their fullest interaction and mutual interweaving. By removing either one, I distort the truth and the proper understanding of love. A mistaken perception of this union can lead me to an extreme. Either I fall into liberalism and look mercifully upon every sin, or I become harsh and demanding toward everyone on the basis of justice. All extremes are dangerous and bring only harm and irreparable loss. Souls perish under the influence of such believers.
Every act of God proceeds from the Spirit of His Love. When He decided to give His Son to our world, He did not do so without a struggle, but Love could not act otherwise. As we study God’s Plan of Salvation, we see that there is and can be no other way. Only in this way, and no other, can we be saved.
When God destroyed our world with the waters of the Flood, He revealed that aspect of Love which is also inherent in Him but is rather something unusual, for the Most High delights in showing mercy, and He bears for a very long time with those who disregard His grace. But one day a person reaches the limit at which God begins to manifest justice out of Love for the sake of those who have responded to His mercy and accepted His plans and laws.
The mistake of those awaiting the Messiah in the time of Christ was that they reversed the prophecies of His Second Coming and the predictions of His First Coming. As a result, these people did not recognize their King and killed Him. The mistake of believers in our time is that they expect an Infant Who will come into this world to reveal the beauty of liberalism and accept all people regardless of how sinful and corrupt they are. But the King of Kings will come and destroy everything with fire. This will be the most terrible day for the disobedient and wicked and the best day for those who are preparing and waiting. For some, God’s Love will become a death sentence; for others, it will be the beginning of Eternity. Why is this so? Where is the justice? This is precisely how God’s justice will be revealed, because everyone will receive what he freely chose.
Disagreements may arise in our fellowship, and wise people who are led by the Spirit of God and have experience in establishing order will do everything possible to neutralize the influence of evil by introducing rules and standards of conduct. Such measures are necessary in every group. And what will these people become in the eyes of rebels? Tyrants and dictators. And what will they become in the eyes of Heaven? God’s fellow workers in establishing Heavenly order.
Consider, for example, Satan’s rebellion. None of the angels understood what spirit it possessed, and Satan gained many supporters and sympathizers. This gave him strength to continue the struggle. If he had been alone from the beginning, perhaps he would have reflected and reconsidered his views. But he was supported.
In every rebellion and conflict here on Earth, supporters and sympathizers will always be found, and therefore the evil spirit succeeds. God’s people have been taught to recognize such a spirit and know how to oppose it. It is a blessing if they have the wisdom to act correctly and know how to explain their actions to others. But casualties cannot be avoided. Evil exerts its influence and, hiding behind the mask of an angel of light, very quickly finds allies. Sometimes they are the majority. But Love recognizes this spirit and begins to oppose it; as a result, in the eyes of the rebels and their supporters, the loving person becomes the embodiment of evil. Misunderstanding arises. Walls and barricades are built in relationships, and instead of friendship and love, a struggle over opinions and ideas takes place. There is nothing new in such a confrontation.
If in childhood I encountered—or if now I encounter—rudeness and cruelty, then, upon entering a Christian environment, I expect kind treatment, and this is right. But when a conflict of ideas arises, I may consider any rule to be dictatorship and close myself off from that order, not regarding it as the spirit of love. Here it is very important to understand what Love is. At Calvary true Love was revealed to me: it manifested itself in boundless mercy toward me and in the forgiveness of my sins. That same Love was poured out in great wrath upon the One Who took my sin upon Himself. This is what true mercy and justice are.
Homework 175
Did you learn anything useful for yourself from this lesson? Are rules of conduct necessary in a community of believers? What happens when there is no order and everyone does what he considers right? Can loving people make mistakes and exceed their authority when establishing order? How do you understand the spirit of love among believing friends? In your opinion, what should it look like? Is there order in Heaven? Are there rules of conduct and protocols for meetings and gatherings there? As a good shepherd, what should I do if I see wolves entering the flock and beginning their destructive work? How should I conduct myself in such a case? Please read 1 Corinthians 14:33; Exodus 23:13; Leviticus 18:4; Proverbs 13:23–24; 2 Corinthians 12:20–21; Galatians 1:8–9; John 10:11–14; Revelation 3:19 in the light of our lesson.