Judging on the Matter of Who Doesn’t Love
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles Tags: Bible Lessons on LoveIn most areas wherein another’s love is considered, it is a most difficult task to make judgment as to just who doesn’t love. It is not difficult to judge when one doesn’t love the truth, or the church, etc. One who spurns or perverts truth plainly doesn’t love it (2 Thessalonians 2:10), for love of truth results in one’s obeying it (John 14:15). I know that one who absents himself from the worship services and manifests such carelessness in his life, doesn’t really love the church, and he is not putting the kingdom first (Matthew 6:33).
But we’re thinking in another area just here. One who is sternly rebuked, by the presenting of the Word of God, may well feel that the speaker doesn’t love him, and his soul – but he is wrong! One who is disfellowshipped (1 Corinthians 5:13) – and often those who are in sympathy with him – will sometimes charge that brethren didn’t love him, when throughout the whole process they loved him! (2 Corinthians 2:8). Again, those who would be our enemies, and perhaps to the degree that they would never let us do one thing for them that would involved any personal contact, might no doubt feel that we had no love for them, but they would be wrong! (Matthew 5:44). Thus, it is most difficult to look at another, and judge that “he doesn’t love,” when that person is applying himself to the Word of God and to the work of the kingdom! We have found, in meeting liberalism, that those who charge others with “not loving” can be extremely vicious as they proclaim how much they DO love!
THE SOUTHWESTERNER, May 17, 1989