STUFF ABOUT GOD AND CHRISTIANITY | Dr. Ron Braley
In my last column I taught that real, unconditional, godly love is “doing the right thing no matter how we “feel.” It doesn’t come and go with an emotional or sexual wind; it’s constant and actionable. That’s God’s love for us, as proved by Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection from the dead to pay our debt to the Creator and give us hope.
Similarly, we do real, unconditional love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19).
How can we summarize and do real love?
True love seeks the highest good in others.
It is always actionable and even translated occasionally as “charity.” For instance, the apostle Paul mentions these actions (or lack of certain actions) in a not-all-inclusive true love list (1 Corinthians 13:4-6): “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.”
Furthermore, Jesus gave the following examples when teaching about last-days judgment in Matthew 25:31-40: “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in … Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.’” In other words, do love and live.
Still, Jesus said true love will “grow cold” in the last days: “At that time many will fall away … Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” (Matthew 24:10-13) What does that mean? What would, or does, cold love look like?
If true love equals action, cold love is the opposite: diminishing charity, patience, selfcontrol, truth, etc. Look around, and this is the predominant posture in America, which has earned the title of “the most self-centered nation in the world.”
What will be the end for the loveless? “Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ These will go away into eternal punishment …” (Matthew 25:45-46) Summary: True love seeks the highest good in others through actions such as charity and self-control. Cold love deceives, deprives and hurts others.
What’s next? Let’s explore evangelism in “What’s Your Story?” In the meantime, don’t be lukewarm in your zeal for God and don’t let your love run cold. The results could be devastating.
God’s blessings and peace.
Braley, a Taylor-based minister, Air Force veteran, husband and father, earned a Master of Divinity degree from Regent University in 2018 and a Doctor of Ministry from the same school in 2021.
