Expressing Love?

If a child is disobedient, some think discipline is needed while others criticize discipline as abuse. In today’s devotional, John Piper writes about limits to love. Perhaps a better term would be ‘expressions of love.’ If children are loved, parents do not want them to grow up thinking it is okay to do bad things. God is like that with me. Although He accepted me as a selfish, sinful person, He loves me too much to leave me that way. 

The question is, how does He express that love? I’ve often said, sometimes it is with a hug and sometimes it is with a 2 by 4. For instance, I remember hubby sending me on an errand that I didn’t want to do. When I got to the place of business, the owner came out with the items I was to pick up and he was homely, smelly, and repulsive. Then he said something that glorified God. I felt hugged by his words and kicked in the head at the same time for my attitude. 

In other situations my sinful attitudes were more serious. God loved me to repentance by allowing me to experience the consequences of my selfishness. Ugh! Even though He didn’t publicly shame me (love expressed), He taught me lessons and keeps working to rid me of thinking, saying, or doing things that are shameful. Again, those harsh lessons are rooted in love.

Piper asks, how do God’s command to love others, even our enemies, work toward loving incorrigible sinners? Jesus said, 

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43–48)

Add to that these words about how to treat those who hurt us:

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19–21)

God may be planning vengeance according to His wisdom and justice, or He may use acts of love for enemies to turn their hearts toward Him. This is not for me to decide. I’m simply to love others, all of them.

And yet Piper points out that forgiveness has a line that should not be crossed, at least in regard to praying for someone who is in sin: 

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. (1 John 5:16–17)

God knows who has a heart of stone and totally refuses His goodness and grace. I don’t know that. Therefore, it is not up to me to judge, but pray — at least until He indicates otherwise. His love may mean He is at work in that person to rescue them, but it may mean that He has reserved them for judgment. 

PRAY: Lord, all this means paying attention to Your Spirit and allowing You to direct love and the expression of it. You sometimes surprise me with grace to forgive and even grace to rebuke. I’m to speak the truth in love, and that means knowing truth, and knowing how to express it as You want me to. Sometimes it is the opposite of what I think it should be.