If you love something, set it free

Where is the love chapter in the Bible? You may say 1 Cor. 13, and there it is defined, but where is it mentioned more than in any other chapter of the Bible? It is in 1 John, and let’s read 4:7-9 ( 19 references in one chapter) And here we have 4. Of all things that we’re supposed to accomplish while on this earth, there is nothing more important than learning how to love. In fact, many Christians would say that that is the main reason why we’re here.

But, you say, the world is anything but a loving place. There are all kinds of hatred, bloodshed, greed, revenge, lust, war – so how did God think that we could learn about love here? There are so many counterfeits of love, or just outright unloving things that happen down here. And the church? It is said that the Christian army is the only one to shoot its wounded. Too often, people come to church to find understanding, respect, love and fellowship, but find only contention, variance, and backbiting.

In the world, and worldly churches, there are lots of people making money putting on seminars on how to love, how to open up and be real. But God’s church is called with a higher calling: to behold Jesus so clearly that we become like Him. And if there was anyone who knew how to love, it was Him. To not just talk about love with our lips, but show the love of God in the church and out of it. Gal. 6:10

In the gospel’s simplicity we are to go forward sharing the love of God with everyone we meet, especially those who are the household of faith. Gal. 5:6 This context shows us that we must have a faith that works by love. We must share the truth of God’s word, but speak it always in love. And if there is anyone wounded what is our place? Gal. 6:1,2 (In this same context we see the necessity of working out our salvation with love in restoring those who are wounded by the enemy.)

You see, many get tired in the warfare against self- the world, flesh and devil, and they need help. What many are looking for is a hand-out, but God’s people can offer the wounded a hand-up into the love of God. Isn’t that much more necessary than merely material things? And the church that is the depository of more truth than any other- by necessity must also show more love than any other. The church appears enfeebled and defective to human sight; but it is the one object upon which God delights to bestow His supreme regard. Yes, the church needs to be constantly warned, encouraged and uplifted. When we see difficulty arise in the church, we cannot try to hold people in human strength because we must all be kept in the truth by the power of the living God.

Matt. 18:7 “Offenses must come, but woe to him who brings that offense. We are not to cry: “Stay Thy hand, O God,” when we see difficulties in the church, because God has His own means of purifying the church. He knows the ones that are His, and He will sort out the wheat from the tares. In this process, He may use heresies, He may use problems with sins that are held on to, He may use roots of bitterness when people cannot and will not forgive – but in all of this, we can still behold His love guiding and guarding His church. 1 Cor. 11:19 (If other means fail, then God will allow heresies to come in amongst you, separating the wheat from the chaff.)

Jesus came to this earth as a vulnerable, helpless baby – and what He accomplished by the means of the truth. But this is a message about love, right? So what does love have to do with truth? Everything. What is love founded upon? Truth. Love, if it’s real-must be true. Truth is about freedom – freedom to be one’s self, freedom to obey God – no matter what the consequences, freedom to be what God wants me to be, without the interference of man. Remember: if you love something, set it free.

In the year 1860 in the deep south of the U.S. there were many slaveholders, and many slaves. But a few years before, a book called “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” had been written and published by a daughter of a preacher, and this book had made such an impact on the practice of buying, selling and keeping slaves, that some Christians were quietly either buying slaves to set them free, or leading them through the underground railroad to Canada, where they could be free. Picture how you would have felt, if you were a slave: obstinate, not wanting to serve another master, but coming up on the auction block. So the bidding goes on, and finally you are sold to the highest bidder. Though he seems a good man, you tell him, ” I’m not going to work for you, master’, but then he tells you that he bought you to set you free. You would fall down at his feet and say, “What can I do for you, I will work gladly, willingly, because you bought me my freedom.”

This is the kind of love Jesus loves us with, isn’t it? And He asks us to love one another, with the same kind of love. That is what church should be all about – loving others unconditionally in the truth. This means accepting others as they are, but because we love one another so much, we help one another to reach the standard of Christ.

What God demonstrated to us by giving His Son to redeem us from our sins on the cross of Calvary, is that He loves us with an everlasting love that was stronger than death. He made it forever sure that our consciences would be free, because Satan cannot force us to sin; He cannot even read our thoughts. GC 510

The cross shows us how ugly and costly a thing sin is, and even though God could, He does not force us to worship Him. You see, He wants the intelligent, free will decision from all of those who love Him, that they will give from their hearts. How much He loves us-to give us free will. And it’s actually kind of scary, if you think about it We are not sure of what we are going to do next sometimes, but God knows, because He can see the end from the beginning.

2 Sam. 23:15-17 Now here, David poured out the drink offering to the Lord -why? Because he didn’t feel himself worthy of so great a sacrifice – only the Lord was worthy, and He knew it. But a little later in David’s life, when he was at the peak of his prosperity – he did feel himself worthy, and that was what led him to commit the sins of adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband. This is what sinful independence is all about, isn’t it? Feeling ourselves worthy, so we are no longer dependent upon Christ, but only depending upon ourselves – our strength, our wisdom – in short, all of our own resources. But this is not love.

How can God get us out of depending upon ourselves? He often uses suffering. And suffering is like a megaphone used by God to get us to wake up to our necessity of Him. And David did suffer, when Nathan, the prophet came to him and said you are the man,. He knew that he was guilty, and had actually pronounced judgment upon himself, (He lost four of his own sons). And oh, how his conscience troubled him then. He had to retrace his steps back that long, slow and difficult pathway to repentance.

Have you ever tried to be kind and show love when you were in pain – whether it was mental, emotional or physical pain? Spiritual pain? It’s not so easy, is it? And we start talking about showing love even when we are provoked, falsely accused or slandered. These things cause pain, too. No way, we can do that without the love of God working in our hearts.

We can only be free, truly free with the truth. And Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. You see, all relationships are founded upon truth. And when we are free in the truth, then by faith and love we serve one another. For love to grow there must be trust, and for trust to exist there must be vulnerability.

Ezek. 36:25-27 You see, saving faith is actually a transaction: we first trust God by faith, are vulnerable to Him, if you will, then give Him all of our impure, unclean hearts, and He gives back to us a new, soft heart to obey Him with. And to show others this kind of unconditional love with the heart that He provides. If God’s people are the poorest in the land, having no material things, they can be rich in the love of God.

Of all the things that there are in the world, that is the one thing that there is not so much of. And that is the one thing, that the world is starving to find. A Sister that I know was always trying to force her eldest daughter, Tanya to have faith, be faithful and follow through with what she knew to be right, and of course, there was the human reaction, of her daughter rejecting the whole thing outright. Now though, that life and the Lord have brought Tanya many lessons, she is starting to see that what her mother taught her was actually pretty right. But it took that sister setting her free, letting her make her own experience, before she could make that experience, and see it for herself.

If you love something, set it free, then if it was yours to love, it will come back to you, if it doesn’t then it wasn’t meant to be. And the only way that love can be real and lasting, is if it comes from a completely free heart that is open and vulnerable. The Lord Jesus was completely vulnerable, so much so that He died upon a cross to make that love true for us in real terms. He was completely accessible and open with all of those who came to Him. And may He help us to be the same with others that are in need of Him.
AMEN

By Jerry Eaton