"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." (Rom. 12:9-13)
We are called by Jesus to love one another. Love is the defining characteristic of the Christian community; Jesus called it His "new command" and said it would distinguish us as His disciples (John 13:34-35). He did not lay it out for us as a good option; it was an order. Obedience requires that we love Him and that we love others.
Knowing that, we usually try to put on love - or at least the appearance of love. Even when we cultivate bitterness in our hearts toward another, we cultivate smiles and warmth on our faces. Our words and our inner feelings do not always match. We act loving because we know we are supposed to; but we do not feel loving. That's a problem.
Which is genuine love? When Paul tells us to love each other sincerely, does he really expect our feelings to fall in line with our obedience? Is it acceptable to act loving rather than to be loving? It's a start, but we can't be content with that. Our feelings change slowly, especially when we've been offended or slighted. In such cases, we can at least act as we know we are supposed to act. But we cannot stop there. We must guard our hearts diligently. That is where all actions will eventually flow from. At some point, obedience must include sincerity. Otherwise, it doesn't come close to the character of God.
Think about that. Does God love us reluctantly? Does He say: "You've sinned so much that I don't have strong feelings for you, but according to My promise I'll treat you lovingly"? Of course not. There is no internal contradiction in God's attitudes. He is not superficial in the least. His love is real - the most authentic, genuine love there is. So must ours be.
How can we get there? Genuine love is so hard, especially when we're told to love our enemies! Fallen, sinful natures cannot fulfill that command. The answer must be supernatural.
We must trust God to live His life in us. That's what our life in the Holy Spirit is all about. We must ask Him not to reform our character by giving us love, but to replace our character by giving us His. His love is utterly sincere. Ours must be as well.
"Has God commanded something? Then throw yourself back on God for the means to do what He has commanded." - Watchman Nee
