Avoiding Indiscriminate Love - Evangelical Caucus/Devotional

Gracetoyou.org ^ | John MacArthur, Grace Community Church

[metmom]

"This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment" (Phil. 1:9). Christian love operates within the parameters of Biblical knowledge and spiritual discernment.

As a Christian, you are a repository of divine love. More than anything else, your love for God and for other believers marks you as a true disciple of Jesus Christ (John 13:35).

In addition to possessing God's love, you have the privilege and responsibility of expressing it to others on His behalf. That's a sacred trust. Paul qualifies it in Philippians 1:9, which tells us love is to operate within the sphere of biblical knowledge and spiritual discernment. Those are the parameters that govern God's love.

No matter how loving an act or word might seem, if it violates knowledge and discernment, it is not true Christian love. Second John 5-11 illustrates that principle. Apparently some believers who lacked discernment were hosting false teachers in the name of Christian love and hospitality. John sternly warned them, saying, "If anyone comes to you and does not bring [sound doctrine], do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds" (vv. 10-11). That might sound extreme or unloving but the purity of God's people was at stake.

In 2 Thessalonians 3:5-6 after praying for the Thessalonians' love to increase, Paul then commanded them to keep aloof from so- called Christians who were disregarding sound teaching. That's not contradictory because Christian love guards sound doctrine and holy living.

Unfortunately, today it is common for Christians to compromise doctrinal purity in the name of love and unity, or to brand as unloving some practices that Scripture clearly commands. Both are wrong and carry serious consequences if not corrected.

Be thoughtful in how you express your love. Abundantly supply it in accord with biblical knowledge and discernment. Excellence and righteousness will result (Phil. 1:10-11).

Suggestions for Prayer

-Thank God for the love He has given you through His Spirit (Rom. 5:5).

-Ask for opportunities to demonstrate Christ's love to others today.

-Pray that your love will always be governed by deep convictions grounded in God's truth.

For Further Study

-What do the following passages teach about love? How can you apply them to your life? Romans 12:9-10; 5:5; 1 John 4:7-10; Galatians 5:22; 1 Peter 1:22; 4:8.

[metmom]

Studying God’s Word ping

[Theophilus]

8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

[Theophilus]

Bible Book List Font Size Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content 2 John 5-11 King James Version 5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. 7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds

[Theophilus]

The most plain way I would summarize the heresy referenced is a denial of Christs divinity and/or a denial of the Trinity.

[Theophilus]

2 Thessalonians 3:5-6

5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us

[Theophilus]

Romans 5:5

5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

[Theophilus]

See how God answers pray with excellent praises and petitions for more prayer!

https://freerepublic.com/focus/religion/4367284/posts?page=7#7

-Thank God for the love He has given you through His Spirit (Rom. 5:5).

-Ask for opportunities to demonstrate Christ’s love to others today.

-Pray that your love will always be governed by deep convictions grounded in God’s truth.

[Elsie]

All encompassing love...

Matthew 22:36-40 New International Version

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

[Spacetrucker]

In keeping with the theme of the post, one failing I see abounds in “modernist” Christian philosophy is the nearly-insistence of that vein of thought is that love is all-encompassing, without judgements or discernment. Christ loves us all - that does not mean he does not hate the sin we engage in. I am not well-versed enough to pull out of memory the Scriptural reference.

[Theophilus]

Amen. This is not what you were looking for, but on my mind.
..
Corinthians 16:22
If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha