Law & Love: Two Expressions of the Divine Nature
By Randy Blackaby

The Bible says that "God is love" (1 John 4:8). Love is the character trait that best defines the divine nature. If we truly understand what love is, we'll know much of what God is. It is fair to conclude that if "God is love," then His children, or spiritual offspring, must also possess this characteristic. But how are we to learn the nature and practice of love?

That's where law enters the picture. In Matthew 22:35-40, we read Jesus' explanation. Someone asked which of the law's commandment was the greatest. He responded, "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."

So, the law's two most important commandments are "love commandments." All of the law's teaching defines, regulates, and encourages love for God and our fellowman (our neighbor). Law and love are intimately linked. This is most easily observed in the Ten Commandments. The first four speak to loving God. The others address loving our fellowman. Love does not allow for adultery (stealing another's mate), or murder, or stealing or coveting what belongs to another.

That love is the greatest of all laws is expressed clearly in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 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. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing." In other words, all that is faith and religion is useless without love. So, once more, we are awakened to its central importance.

Lest the point hasn't yet penetrated, John adds, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:7-8).

I might add at this point that love is the machinery, or power, of transformation. God's love, shown in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, moves and motivates to change our lives. And we, through love, effect change in one another. But with love being so ultra-important, it is amazing and perplexing that most people either don't know what love is, or don't know how to "do it."

We're back to love's dictionary--the law. The Old Testament law delineated what was loving and what was not. The law commands us to do what is loving and to desist from what is not.

The New Testament, which comprehends Christ's law, is equally important to the person who wishes to learn how to love. We read, in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, about love's importance. But in the verses that follow, we read of love's characteristics and thus, how to be loving. We learn that:

So, if we need to learn to love, God's word, or law, is the place to begin learning the essentials. And when we have questions about applying these principles, we have the life and love of God's Son, Jesus, to examine for illustrations and applications.

As the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Rome, he spoke, in chapters 12 to 15, of the nature and practice of love. He wrote, "Be kindly affectionate (or tenderly devoted) to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another" (12:10). We must have proper attitudes toward one another, and love demands that we show honor, or prefer, one another. In other words, we must put others first, versus putting ourselves first. Further, he wrote, "distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality" (12:13). Love requires us to supply each other's needs. Hospitality is one form of such supplying.

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep," the apostle wrote (12:15). And, he said, "Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinions (12:16). Love demands that we treat people without partiality or "respect of persons" as referred to in James 2:1ff. Don't view yourself as superior. Get off your high horse.

"Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men" (12:17). Rendering evil for evil helps nothing. It makes things worse. Spite is the devil's work and a part of hate--the opposite of love. When others hurt you, decide what is the good or right thing to do, and do it.

Love also requires that we "live peaceably with all men" (12: 18). If standing for truth makes peace impossible, so be it. But love demands that we not allow our attitudes to disrupt peace.

"Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord." Christians have a proper role in discipline, but not punishment. Leave that sort of judgment to the Lord. The judgments we make must be in meekness and fear, considering our own weaknesses and faults and our need for forgiveness (Galatians 6:1).

Regarding love, Paul continued in Romans 13:8. "Owe no one anything except to love one another; for he who loves another has fulfilled the law." Again, the apostle links love and law. The practice of love is the accomplishment of what the law is designed to produce. You can forget about owing others anything when you love them. Love sees to the provision of all that we can give others.

When love is the driving force in decision-making, it stifles, before inception, thoughts that lead to adultery, murder, theft, any form of covetousness, or action that would harm others.

Romans 14 has become extremely controversial, some seeking to quiet voices opposed to false teaching or sin. This article does not address that controversy, except to say the text fits in the larger context of Paul's directions concerning love. And love does not remain silent about sin. The chapter does, however, demonstrate that love demands that the strong bear with, or be forbearing with, the weak in faith. Love seeks to build up the weak. Or, as Paul wrote elsewhere, "Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies" (1 Corinthians 8:1).

Love does not demand tolerance of sin. Love requires an attitude that seeks to help those who don't understand. It requires us to realize that maturation takes time, and maybe our assistance.

Paul added, "For even Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me" (15:3). The heart of love is shown in Jesus' behavior. He was unselfish, thinking of and serving others. If the law is the dictionary that defines love, Jesus is the picture that illustrates the greatest rule of righteous living.

Most of our problems today, from heartaches in the home, to those in the church, are rooted in the fact that all too often, we are looking for what we can receive instead of what we can give. Therefore, we can conclude that most of our problems are love problems.

We've seen that love calls for kindness, helpfulness, hospitality, humility, desire for peace, patience with the weak, and above all, unselfishness. But we can't wish ourselves to be more loving. We must actively undertake to become such. Habits, including love, are established by planned efforts, executed one at a time, until a pattern of behavior is established. So, determine this week to be kind to someone who has been unkind to you, carry out an act of hospitality, help someone with something. And remember that love is not just a nice thing. It is the very essence of the "divine nature."


Go Back to our Main Page