Love and Evil

Two words seldom seen in the same sentence, unless in a romance novel, or (worse yet) a romance novel about vamps, are the words love and evil. In their purest sense, love and evil are mutually exclusive. They cannot share the same space. God, as the source of purest love, has no evil in him, and cannot be in the presence of (unredeemed) evil. Purest love drives out evil. So when the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:6, “Love does not delight in evil,” his readers must have silently responded with a resounding…”duh.”

However, when we step away from the purely philosophical views of love versus evil, is this principle, that love does not find pleasure in evil, all that obvious? If a hidden camera recorded our every conversation, each movie, book or television program we choose to digest, would it be all that clear to the objective observer that WE do not delight in evil? Hmmm… maybe not.

Truthfully, when evil presents itself, we do a double-take. We are drawn to it, like the auto accident at the side of the road. It’s as if we can’t help staring. When it is framed as humor in situation comedy, we roll on the floor laughing. And that bit of tantalizing gossip we just can’t resist listening to (and passing on) is evil... delightful evil.

Just as the Corinthians (if they stopped to think about the immorality that was so commonplace in their fellowship) had grown to delight in evil, we are in danger of getting used to the evil in us and around us. Having grown used to it, we accommodate it in our homes, our fellowships, and our hearts. Delighting in it is a short step away.

The consequences of small, seemingly unimportant concessions to evil become monumental when evil drives out love. We are filled with Spirit, or we are filled with something else. He does not share space with other idols. Love and evil are mutually exclusive. At any given moment, we are walking one path or the other. Choose wisely.

“Love does not delight in evil.” 1 Corinthians 13:6

"So be very careful to love the LORD your God." Joshua 23:11

Meditating on the Word

I have heard about meditation on the word of God for most of my life. I have generally understood this to mean that one looks up a passage (that either comforts or challenges) and reads it, then sits and thinks about it for a while. Hopefully, the Holy Spirit brings enlightenment to the person who is earnestly seeking to hide the word in his or her heart. The word then is more likely to take root and become an actual part of us than if we just passively read it, check off our devotional requirement for the day, and call it good.

Recently I set out with a more patient, methodical way of meditation on the scriptures in which I approach a passage one phrase at a time, as if to memorize it, but with a deeper purpose. As each phrase is repeated a few times, I prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to cause the truth of the passage to sink in deeply. The results are more profound. Please hear me out on this and especially what I have to say about context and interpretation in closing.

I began with Colossians 3. It is a great chapter about newness of life in Christ, focusing on the things above, forgetting about the things of this earth, letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, forgiving others as we have been forgiven, and living in gratitude. Sounds like standard fare for Paul, right? So familiar that one might easily glide over it barely affected by it, especially if you have been hearing this stuff in churches for a long time. But as I meditated on each phrase, the overarching question in my spirit seemed to be—What would be different if I really believed this with every fiber of my mind, emotions, soul and spirit? What if every part of me was in harmony, moving in concert in the same direction as the Spirit of God as revealed in this particular phrase I am hearing right here, right now?

A particular phrase demanded my attention: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts (vs. 15).” Over the course of about 3 weeks, during my quiet time, this became more personal, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart.” Finally, it became a choice I owned, “I am letting the peace of Christ rule in my heart.” Still sounds very simple. Yet what was going on during the pauses between the phrases was profound. The Spirit was bringing to mind other things that I was allowing to rule in my heart: envy, fear, anger, material desires, the desire for approval, circumstantial happiness, the list went on and on. There were then conscious choices to trade each of these counterfeits for the peace that comes from Christ. As I have done so, I have found a deeper peace than I have known in quite some time. I expect this to be an ongoing process, but it is one the Spirit has brought to my awareness through the meditation of the passage. What the practice did was jump start my progress in this area. What might have taken years of normal living progress was realized in the course of a few weeks. This is not a way of feeling special about oneself, but a means of sanctification, a stripping away of self.

Again, I cannot emphasize enough that no method is to be worshipped. Peace comes through relationship with Christ. Christ is revealed in his Word, by his Spirit as we prayerfully approach him. (The Bible itself can become an idol if we let it obscure the One it is meant to reveal). This process of meditation works for me, and I am eager to utilize ways to take the Word of Christ ever deeper into my being, so that it can dwell there ever more richly. I am motivated to share with you anything and everything that might build you up and draw you closer to him and to one another.

Here is what I want to say about context and understanding. If we just pick a passage or a verse and begin to meditate on it, without understanding the passage in its original context (who wrote it to whom with what purposes in mind) then we are open to misunderstandings, misinterpretations and misapplications. God gave us a mind as well as emotions, and he expects us to use them in pursuit and worship of Him (Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind…). Therefore, what I am insisting on is a preliminary, prayerful study of the passage you are meditating on. You do not have to be a scholar these days to do so. There are a number of decent Study Bibles on the market, and your local Christian book store will be happy to walk you through them. Most even come in affordable paperback versions. Two that come to mind are the NIV Study Bible and the Life Application Study Bible.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” Colossians 3:16

“I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your ways and I will not neglect your word.” Psalm 119:15, 16

Love and Irritability

Ecclesiastes asserts there is a time and place for every action and emotion under heaven. This must include anger. God certainly exhibits anger, and Jesus demonstrated it from time to time in various degrees. Anger is not always wrong, and it is not always sin. Sometimes, however, when our buttons are easily pushed, when we are easily provoked, when our anger is stirred at the drop of a hat, when we become greatly distressed over matters that later appear minor, it can only be supposed that we are not coming from a place motivated primarily by love.

Godly anger is motivated by godly motives. His values are being violated, people are being hurt, his truth is being compromised. We must take a stand and speak clearly on his behalf. There is a time for such anger, and God stands with his hands on our shoulders as we become his channels for such energy, still motivated, even at those times, by his love.

Much of the anger that gets us in trouble is the kind Paul alludes to in 1 Corinthians 13:5, “Love is not… easily angered.” The Corinthians were even suing one another rather than approaching one another in love to reconcile their differences. Of course, such things would never happen in the church today (insert sarcastic tone here).

Some of the attitudes that set us up to be easily angered include: a highly opinionated approach to life (a prideful attitude that implies “I know best.”); a lot of beliefs, beyond scriptural principles, about the way things “should" be done; personal insecurity and self-doubt easily triggered by off-hand remarks; a desire to have personal control of things that are beyond one’s personal control; an unrealistic need for the approval of others; projection of our own dark hearts onto the character of others (so that we can safely judge them from a distance). What these things have in common is an attitude of godlikeness-- with a small “g.”

Rather than becoming like our Father, who forgave us much, we are becoming little gods of our little kingdoms, setting up our thrones of judgment and control and handing out judgment and retribution when people fail to meet our standards. What is lacking in our hearts at such times is clearly agape love. Agape love, expressed in Gods child, is not easily angered because it is not invested in ruling its own little kingdom. It knows that is God’s job.

Agape, expressed through people, knows that it is forgiven, and gives itself away freely on that basis. We love, from agape, not because the other person fails to annoy us (on the basis of our own arbitrary standards) but because God loved us first. The only reasonable outcome of such love is that it be given away—with abandon. In order to do so, I must let the peace that comes from Christ rule in my heart (which means setting aside the many other idols I have placed there) and let him rule. Then I will kneel, side by side with my brothers and sisters, objects of his love, grace and mercy, freely loved, freely loving.

“Love is not… easily angered.” 1 Corinthians 13:5

“And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body, you were called to peace.” Colossians 3:14-15

Love and Rudeness

This week I am returning to 1 Corinthians 13 to our phrase by phrase ownership of the famous chapter on love’s superiority to any spiritual gift without it. Paul here states,” Love…is not rude.” Study of the Greek word revealed that it is found only here and in the same letter, chapter 7, when Paul states that a man who has been engaged to a woman for a long time and finds that he is “acting improperly” toward her, can go ahead and marry her if he wishes. If he does so, Paul concludes, he is not sinning. This passage seems odd to today’s reader and is worthy of its own analysis. Suffice it to say here, that the meaning has something to do with not taking into account the effect of one’s behavior on the feelings and reputation of another. To act in such a way, with disregard for how we are affecting others, is to act improperly, to act rudely. One has the distinct feeling that this is one of those words that loses something in translation, but we are stuck with what we have.

Rudeness in this sense seems to carry a tone of insensitivity, callousness, indifference to the wellbeing (emotional, spiritual, reputation) of another whom we are called to love. The Corinthians were exhibiting rudeness in their worship (insensitivity to how their disorderly worship might affect newcomers) and in the observance of the Lord’s Supper (showing favoritism). To this extent, they were not exhibiting the agape love God intended.

Today’s reader can learn a lot from considering this phrase. In our quest for boundaries (I am responsible for my own feelings and no one else’s) we may, at times, go too far. In Western culture, we stand upon our independence. In so doing, we are fond of declaring our rights: our right to say and do and eat and drink exactly as we please. Our freedom in Christ may give us even more reason to declare that no man can tell us what to do. We are not legalists, after all, bound to a set of rules. But we are not to forget that just because a thing is permissible, that does not mean it is profitable. And permissable does not make it beneficial. If a newer believer, or one weaker in the faith, witnesses us doing a certain thing, might it cause him to stumble? Then love might call us to make another choice.

There are many things that are not technically sin that can wound another. While we are not unilaterally responsible for the feelings of others, we are commanded to build one another up. In another letter, one written to the Ephesians, Paul challenged Christ followers to allow only those words to cross their lips that were beneficial for building one another up. What a different experience the church would be, if we took these charges to heart. Sensitivity toward one another is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of Christlikeness, as we take on his compassion, and leave behind the rudeness of the world from which he called us.

“Love … is not rude.” 1 Corinthians 13:5

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only that which is useful for building others up according to needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29

Coming Home

Our recent trip to Nashville revealed many wonders. The Opryland Hotel, with its acres of atriums, waterfalls, walkways (many at treetop level) cafes, restaurants and elegant architecture is a marvel to behold and a privilege to abide. The classes were Spirit led, opened with sincere prayer for guidance and open hearts, both psychologically researched and scripturally sound. Our “extra days” got us a river boat cruise, some neat music shops (including a chance personal encounter with Brad Paisley) and some time downtown on Broadway where many music legends were born.

There is a lot to like about Nashville, in my opinion. It has not lost its “small town feel.” People have time to talk with you, take an interest in you, and for the most part, exude that traditional southern warmth. Driving through town, you never have a sense of being in a metro area, as the lush trees and greenery flank the roads and highways. As you look across the landscape, you see trees, rolling hills and rooftops, not sterile subdivisions, concrete and pavement. It’s probably a matter of taste, but for these reasons, I like Nashville a lot. Then there’s the music-- everywhere. Open air downtown, in the restaurants, and concerts. The hotel has a free shuttle to The Grand Ole Opry where you get a blend of old and new style music in a fun and professional atmosphere for about $40 a person. On Friday night we saw: Jimmy C. Newman, Lonesome River Band, The Whites (Oh Brother, Where Art Thou), Josh Kelley, Jimmy Dickens, Jesse McReynolds, The Mclymonts (Aussie Sisters), T.G. Sheppard and Exile.

Back in the hotel, as I walked among the other 6,999 conventioneers, I observed a sea of diversity. There were the guys with $100 haircuts and tailored suits, the women with stylish shoes that came off the minute they sat down, and the folks in tattered jeans and tee shirts, looking like they would, I assume, on a typical Saturday afternoon around the house. Some were outgoing, making eye contact with easy smiles, many were in their own little spaces and following their own little road maps for the day, oblivious to those around them (probably an urban phenomenon I have left behind or forgotten). A chance encounter on one of the shuttles with one “pastor” with a gift of prophevcy was a standout. Within a sentence or two he was ready to judge a particular church’s growth as being “like a cancer” because it shares some seeker sensitive principles in its approach. His communication was one way, and I could see that he was most definitely a prophet. His disclaimer, “I don’t have the gift of mercy,” seemed to get him off the hook for a lot…

On the plane coming and going, I read “Forgotten God” by Francis Chan. It is a challenging book, and I recommend it with the assumption that the reader is mature enough not to take any book outside the Bible as gospel. It is our job to search the scripture and take the contents in prayer to Spirit to ask him to reveal to us what we should learn and become. That being said, there is a section in the book where he asks regarding our geographical setting: “What would be different in the kingdom of God if you were not there?”

In reading that sentence, even in the wonderland of Nashville, with all that I enjoy and even prefer there, I longed to come home. I think this is one of the ways we can know that we are in God’s will (at least for now). If we feel the tug to be with those we minister to and with, even when the world dazzles us with its splendor, then I think we have found a home.

Yes, it’s nice to be home again. I am so thankful for the place God has carved out for us here, to bless and be blessed by the family of God. I am grateful for this place between the mountains to (hopefully) be a lamp on a stand to those who seek, and to serve shoulder to shoulder with fellow travellers on the ultimate road home.

"God can testify how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus." Phillipians 1:8

Poor in Spirit

For the last few weeks I have been approaching the definition of agape love in 1 Corinthians 13 phrase by phrase. The obvious title for the next phrase “is not arrogant” might have been: “Arrogance and Love on the Road Home.” Call me skeptical, but I thought no one would want to read such a blog post. Few of us think we are arrogant. If we suspect we are, we don’t want some blogger rubbing it in our face. If we think someone else is, we may be better off not dwelling on it (leads to judgment, after all.)

Jesus’ harshest words were unleashed upon the self-righteous, the “religious,” those arrogant in their moral superiority. Those who prayed, “thank you God that I am not like that sinner” versus “God, have mercy upon me, a sinner!” were not open to the gospel, because they were not aware of their need for it. On the other hand, he said of those repentant of heart, “Those forgiven much, love much.” There is, then, an inverse relationship between arrogance and love, and a direct correlation between poverty of spirit and the capacity for love.

Occasionally, it is my extraordinary pleasure as a counselor to work with individuals who recognize that they are poor in spirit. They are not coming to the counseling session for relief from a particular symptom or to deal with a particular relationship or even an event. They are seeking guidance and insight because they have come to see what Christ expects of them, and they recognize how far they fall short of those expectations.

They are not legalists. They are not concerning themselves with a set of external rules or behaviors. It is not generally abstinence from a vice that drives them to their knees. There are programs and self-help books in abundance for such issues. When they realize that, in the depths of their hearts, they love the likable and despise the rest, they fear that they are no different than the rest of the world. They wonder how knowing Christ has altered them. They may even question whether they really know Christ at all. When I think of such people, I am reminded of the rest of the beatitude~ “For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

It is a good thing to realize that, in and of ourselves, we are utterly lacking. That is the truth that brings us to our knees before Christ. It causes us to cry out to him, to crave his righteousness to manifest itself in our hearts first, then in our lives and relationships. It is crucial that, in the process, we accept the agape of Spirit and others. That is what grace is for.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3 NIV

“Love is not…arrogant.” 1 Corinthians 13:4 NASB

Love and Boasting on the Road Home

When attempting to describe something to someone who has never experienced it, we sometimes resort to its opposite: Snowy climates are not hot, the desert is not humid, and agape love does not boast.

In I Corinthians 13:4, as Paul was talking to the church in Corinth, the church body was being split into factions. They were tempted to see levels of gifts that the Holy Spirit never intended, placing some believers above others. The implications were far reaching. The temptation to boast was all too apparent. Paul's concern was that this boastful attitude was incongruent with the agape love of the Holy Spirit.

The one who is boasting (about gifts or anything else) is not loving. Such a person has become like a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. Lots of noise and attention, but not much real ministry going on. The word for boasting here, interestingly, is used only here in the New Testament.

It is no accident, I suspect, that Paul places this phrase so strategically after the phrase about envy (see last weeks post). We are prone to boast about the same things we are prone to envy. The particular flavor of our boasting is likely determined by the social setting (if we are sensitive to such things at all). So, if we are carnal folks, surrounded by worldly friends and family who openly live for today and live by the motto "he who dies with the most toys wins" we will brag about our toys. If, on the other hand, such boasting is not kosher in our circle of "spiriutal" friends, we may still quietly hoard and covet such things, inviting friends and family to see them, then boast in the success of our ministries or gifts and our special relationship with Jesus.

This matter can challenge us because it comes down to motives that nobody else can see-- nobody but you and Jesus. Hopefully, we want to glorify Him. We want to share with others the great things He is doing in our lives and ministries. If we are not very careful, our hearts can cross the line, and it becomes about the great things we have done, or even the great things He has done with us, his special pets. We can easily find ourselves saying, in the depths of our hearts--"Can I sit on your right hand in glory?"

There is no boasting in love. The fingernail does not boast that it is more visible than the toenail. It just does what the body tells it to do because it is integrated to the finger which is also doing what it is told in submission to the brain, etc.

Each part, each person, is necessary. Jesus is the great one. If we boast at all, let us boast in Him.


1 Corinthians 13:4 "Love ... does not boast."