Love vs. Law
The Love of Law or the Law of Love, which of these do you support? Most would favor the Law of Love especially if one is being evaluated for guilt and judgment is pending. Yet, these concepts are not mutually exclusive, but equally important to God, and therefore should be equally important to us as Christians. Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments” – John 14:15 (NLT), and if used correctly the law is good (1 Timothy 1:8 NLT).
A cursory view of the Law of Love will tend to favor an atmosphere of abundant grace wherein sin abounds, and judgment is withheld. While a superficies perspective of the Love of Law would cause one to imagine a strident, no excuse environment wherein boundaries must be observed or else the ramifications for disobedience will be enacted. Neither of these periphery perspectives are accurate for Christians to maintain, and if not adjusted will continue to lead to the demise of the local church and the participants thereof. For example:
“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God; whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
“Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds” – Revelation 2:18b – 23 (NIV).
The 1st century church demonstrated love; however, Jesus wasn’t pleased with their compromise and disregard of His law to accommodate unrepentant sinners in the church. As He was in Thyatira, so is Jesus today calling every believer to the duality of Law of Love and Love of Law.
