Love: An Action Verb

John 14:15-24    
    I am a huge Fred Rogers fan, and not for the same reason most people my age are. I did not grow up watching “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.” I didn’t get acquainted with all that Fred Rogers did until after I was grown, which made me appreciate him more. As much as I appreciate Fred Rogers, I have to say he was wrong about some things. ‘Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like “struggle.” To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now’ - Fred Rogers. While that is a neat view of love, it is not the agape love that Jesus talks about in John 14:15ff. All too often we try to take man’s view of love, rather than God’s view of love. If we’re going to talk about biblical love, then we must use biblical explanations. God does love us, and he loved us first. “We love, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19; see also 1 John 4:7-12). Furthermore, our love for Jesus is conditional on our actions. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) Later in the same chapter, Jesus says that if we do not keep his word, then we do not love him (John 14:23-24). The concept of, “just come as you are and God will accept you” is not just void of scripture, it goes against bible precepts. Continually throughout scripture we, and the first century audience, are admonished to repent. In Acts 3 you can see Peter telling the audience to, “Repent and return” (Acts 3:19). That gives us insight to the definition of repent, meaning a change of mind that leads to a change of action. The calls of repentance in scripture are meant to tell the erring that you are in sin (Rom. 3:23), while in sin you are not in a right relationship with God (Is. 59:1-2), and therefore you must do something to be reconciled to God (Acts 2:38 & 8:22-23). Don’t allow man’s teaching to cloud what the Bible clearly says. God does love you (1 John 4:7-12), but you must be reconciled to Him through change (Rom. 12:1-2). I love you all!

In His service,
Steven Hugley