Recap: In the last post I proposed that when it comes to the biblical doctrine of election, the Reformed understanding of God's love seemed to conflict with any concept of love that I had ever known. The fact that God, who is love (1 John 4:8; 4:16), intentionally wills eternal misery for many without offering any hope or ability to alter their course, just didn't align with the God who is "merciful, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love" (Psalm 103:8).
I wanted to take a moment with one more discussion to address the question posed in the last blog: "What about love?"
One day in my high school English class, we were asked to write a 2-page essay. The next day we were required to condense our 2-page essay into a single paragraph; then into a single sentence, and finally into a single word. The purpose of the assignment was to illustrate the power in "essential brevity."
Jesus illustrates that concept when he condenses the entire Old Testament - the Law and the Prophets, all 23,135 verses - into two simple verses:
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:36-39 ESV)
Then, Jesus makes the astounding statement that all of the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments (v. 40). Since much of the Bible is the revealing of God's plan to save the world through his Son, Jesus Christ, what Jesus is saying is that the entire plan of salvation depends on love - our love; our love for God and our love for others. In other words, the plan of salvation depends in no small part, on us! Yet, the Reformed doctrine of election posits that much of God's creation is unable to love, by God's decree.
Let's define (1) love for God, and (2) love for others. (This is a huge topic, so I'm using the condensing skills I learned in high school to limit it to the essential.)
(1) I confess that I spent much of my early Christian years worried that I didn't love God. I saw others in church with arms raised, eyes closed, enrapt in song or prayer. They seemed to love God way beyond what I felt for God. In my mind was the thought, "How can a person of flesh and blood love a spirit being (no flesh, no blood)?" Even worse was the thought, "How can anyone - even God - command love from another?"
Then I came across this scripture in the Bible, and it set me free. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3 ESV). It's what I call a definition verse. Love for God is defined simply as obedience to God; obedience with a good attitude. It's an action and an attitude. Note the absence of emotion.
(2) I believe that Jesus defines love for others in Matthew 7:12, commonly referred to a "The Golden Rule"- So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. He expands on this definition in Mathew 23:23 by describing the "weightier matters of the Law" as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. So loving others can be biblically defined as being dependable - someone who can be counted on - and treating others justly and with compassion. Hmm. Again, note the absence of emotion.
Emotion is not required to love God or to love others. This is why and how we can love even our enemies. We can love them even when we don't like them (note that God does not "like" anyone in scripture). God loves, and so must we. Here's why.
The Gospel
In this simple model of the gospel, we see that the purpose of the Scriptures is to give us hope (Rom 15:4). Hope (true confidence - not "cross-your-fingers" hope) converts to faith (Heb 11:1; Col 1:5). Faith gives us access to the power of God's grace in us (Rom 5:2). God's grace provides the strength to persevere and achieve everlasting joy (Titus 2:11,12). This is the way it's supposed to work.
One of the most common complaints I received as a Chaplain from the inmates in the jails was that, although they believed in the truth of the Bible (hope), and they had faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, they were not experiencing the power of God (grace) in their lives. In other words, their gospel model looked like this
There was something preventing them from getting access to, and activating God's grace. Grace is the "currency of the kingdom". It's a must-have. The best (and most biblical) definition I've ever heard of grace is this: the divine influence of God in the heart, and its reflection in the life. To experience our full potential as Christians, we've got to have God's influence/power/nature in our hearts so that we can reflect God to others. This is where love comes in.
This is why God's entire plan of salvation hangs on love. Without love, the gospel gets truncated. Our faith is of no effect. Consider these three verses:
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. (Galatians 5:6 ESV)
And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:2-3 ESV)
Yes, our faith gives us access to God's grace (Rom 5:2), but faith must partner with love (Gal 5:6) to be effective. So, if God's entire plan of salvation depends on love, why would God prevent anyone from the ability to love/obey Him, and to love/bless others?
Final Thought
The apostle Paul would have made my English teacher proud when he reduces the entire Hebrew Bible down even further than Jesus does when he says, For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:14 ESV). The reason Paul can limit the entire law to one verse - even one word - where Jesus used two, is because by loving your neighbor, you are also loving/obeying God, thereby fulfilling the "great and first commandment." This is really an argument against the Reformed doctrine of total depravity which claims that only those few whom God has enabled, can love God. I have never encountered anyone who is incapable of being just, merciful, and faithful - that is, loving - to others, thereby, loving God.
To learn more, please consider picking up my book - God's Elect: The Chosen Generation
(also available on Kindle)
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Elect-Generation-John- Chipman/dp/1632695723/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1507WZLOS9FHL&keywords=god%27s+elect+chipman&qid=1682632127&sprefix=god%27s+elect+chipman%2Caps%2C293&sr=8-1
(Also available at Barnes & Noble & Christianbook.com)
Next post: Synergism. Here's a link:
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