So, what is love? God is love; He defines what love is (1 John 4:8-16). It is not that love itself is God, but that God is a loving being.
We must also realize that God is light; in other words, truth (1 John 1:5-10). It has been said that love without truth is too soft, while truth without love is too hard.
Love and truth are together. They are inseparable. The moment you leave truth behind, you have left love behind (1 Timothy 1:3-7). The moment you leave love behind, you have left truth behind, because truth is never by itself. If it is really the truth, it exists in the context of the love of God. True love loves truth (1 Corinthians 13:6 – (love) does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth).
So we are commanded to love, and we are commanded to have true love, a love that is full of light. Thus are we are commanded to do everything in the light of love.
This is what it is all about; God’s love to us being demonstrated in and through our lives to His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31 – whatever you do, do all to the glory of God). Integrity (consistent and continuous action), that is inspired (grounded in the Scriptures), and intentional (focused on others), this is what Paul is preaching. That is living in love. |
