4. Is Christian Love 99% warm fuzzy and 1% severe or what?
5. How do we discern when to share the warm fuzzy aspects of Love and when the ruthless severity?
Quix, This thread has troubled me for the past 24 hours since I first discovered it. I even lost some sleep thinking how to respond. I will give you my vote at the end of this post but I think that you will guess it before then.
First of all, let me say that although I am sure from all your comments all of your questions are serious and heartfelt BUT the questions listed above are a false dichotomy.
Love is defined neither by “warm fuzzies” nor by “fierce severity”. I would certainly use fierce severity to defend my family and warm affection to calm a child but neither emotion or mood makes my actions loving. Love is something else. In other words, your very questions are creating unwanted confusion.
I am surprised that no one yet has quoted the central passage on love , I Corinthians 13 to help in your quandary. As you are well aware, this chapter, sandwiched between two chapters on the use of spiritual gifts provides the believers at Corinth with a godly alternative to ego and power as a motivation for exercising the gifts of the Spirit.
Chapter 13 is completely misused by those who think in terms of “warm fuzzies” or gentle poetry or pictures of newly-weds or little puppies. It is a non-negotiable statement of what our motivation must be in the Christian life. Paul tells us that without it we are NOTHING!
So, what is real love like as a motivation? Here is the English Standard Version of verses 4 – 6 broken into bite-sized statements:
Love is patient and kind
* love does not envy or boast
* it is not arrogant or rude.
* It does not insist on its own way;
* it is not irritable or resentful;
* it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
* Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Now, remember that this, not warm fuzzies OR fierceness, is supposed to govern our use of the gifts and our ministry.
I do not believe that we have authority to do everything God does UNLESS we have the necessary divine attributes to go with it.
You cannot rightly call people hypocrites and sons of the devil unless we know their hearts as Jesus did.
You cannot use the strong language with people that Jesus did unless you know that they can receive it as the woman at the well did (John 4). Remember Jesus “knew what was in man”. Unless you are given divine revelation, be extremely careful. Follow I Cor 13.
You most certainly cannot take away the lives of someones children, his entire wealth, and his health as God permitted Job to experience unless you are able to replace all of those things.
Your fundamental responsibility is to obey the list above.
I have seen the phrase, “believes all things, hopes all things” understood as implying that we are to always hope for and expect the best of others.
In the years I have spent on this forum, the mutual attacks I have seen by fundamentalists, Baptists, Catholics, Orthodox, Reformed, Church of Christ, etc. etc. has sickened me. Not because of debate and disagreement. I enjoy a good debate hand have strong theological views. Rather, my disgust is because Christian Freepers discard I Cor 13:4-6 as a rule of life. Our hateful wrangling brings disgrace on the name of our Lord.
I vote “counterproductive”.
Thank you.
Your post brings to mind the words of St. Teresa of Avila:
“This is not a time for believing in everyone. Believe only those whom you see modeling their lives on Christ.”
May all of us—whatever profession of Christianity we may have—model our lives on Christ and seal our consciences with the words of St. Paul to the Corinthians.
You cannot use the strong language with people that Jesus did unless you know that they can receive it as the woman at the well did (John 4). Remember Jesus “knew what was in man”. Unless you are given divine revelation, be extremely careful. Follow I Cor 13.
Your fundamental responsibility is to obey the list above.
= = =
Thanks tons. A most excellent reply. And, it resonates very nearly to my own sense of things.
I would quibble somewhat with the first paragraph above. Christ spoke sternly to the Pharisees when it was clear they would not receive His comments as the woman at the well did. And, as I’ve noted, I’ve had many, many incidents where such WAS fruitful for their lives and for The Kingdom.
Nevertheless, The voting is 7 as counter productive to 3 otherwise. So, I’m willing to go with my commitment.