How Dwelleth The Love of God . . .

I have been thinking for some time now about how we arrived at where we are in the church today. The more that I think about it the more convinced it started somewhere in the 1960's with popularization of "situation ethics."  By definition Situation Ethics is a system of ethics that looks to the context of an act when evaluating it ethically, rather than judging it according to absolute moral standards. In situation ethics, within each content it is not a universal law that is to be followed, but the law of love."

I remember when I was a student at then Houston Baptist College I participated in a segment in a series called Campus on the Move which was broadcast on by a local Houston television station that focused on Joseph Fletcher and his then new book Situation Ethics.

Situation ethics was first articulated by Joseph Fletcher an Episcopal theologian who later renounced Christianity and became an atheist. As related to Christianity, situation ethics posits "Love" as the greatest good and that the Goal of Christianity is to promote the greatest level of love allowed by a situation. For him "love" trumped scriptural law and precepts. By doing the "most loving" thing in any situation any "sin" associated with the action is at a minimum absolved and at most not present.

After renouncing his faith and becoming an atheist Fletcher became one of the founding fathers of the field of modern biomedical ethics. He has written extensively on the moral questions behind such controversial practices as abortion, cloning, eugenics, and voluntary euthanasia and in most cases establishing the grounds for their practice.

As I said, situation ethics was where the journey the modern church is traveling began. It, by itself is not the cause of our journey. It is the basis on which choices have been made that have lead to a largely relativistic relationship between the church and the world. Even as we railed against it we were using its principles. The journey began here and step by step we have followed this bath and finally arrived at a place where doctrine is virtually irrelevant and left us as a people with no moral compass in a world of relativism and "political" correctness. We have at last exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and now worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator. At the same time we are doing this we are deluding ourselves into believing that we worship the true God through our self-satisfying worship.

Religiously, situational ethics and moral relativism states that God is love by definition and essence therefore love trumps every action in life. We are obligated to make decisions based on what shows the greatest amount of love. Understand, it is not that shows the greatest amount of love to culture, society, or civilization but what shows the greatest amount of love in each of life's situations as they are presented to us with no preconditions (commands).  In theological terms it is antinomianism in its most extreme form.

In 1970 the Southern Baptist Convention released a book entitled A New Structure for the 70's which was an early attempt to "modernize" the structure" of Baptist churches to make them more appealing to the population. The reasoning was if we structure our churches to be seeker friendly we will make it easier for non-believers to participate in church activities. At the time I thought and still think it was nothing more that a new twist of Reverend Solomon Stoddard's Half-Way Covenant.

The problem was not that the physical and organizational structure was changed. That has been taking place since the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God descended on the church. However, hidden within and underlying these physical and organization changes was a philosophy. . . . a philosophy that as Christian humorist Dan McBride stated in one of his satirical songs, "got to get them in any way we can."

This genuine and commendable desire to make the gospel user friendly flowed out of the idea that God loves everybody . . . .and He does. This desire when married with the principles of situation ethics results in a dilution of the commandments of Scripture.  Fletcher recognized this and because he was an intellectually honest man he knew he could not cling to Scripture and his philosophical view so he became an atheist.

It is not possible to be a Christian in the Biblical sense of what constitutes a child of God unless one accepts the Bible as the final authority for all matters of faith and life. That book contains a multitude of commandments that are absolute in nature. Chief among these is the fact that the Bible allows only one path to eternal life and heaven and that is through faith in Jesus Christ as ones Lord and Savior.

In Acts 4 Peter, when confronted by Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John and Alexander and a number of other priests at Jerusalem what power by they spoke and the name in which they spoke responded with the words: “Ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we this day are examined about the good deed done to the infirm man, and by what means he is made whole, be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified and whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is ‘the stone which was set at nought by you builders and which has become the head of the corner.’ Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."

Now with this in mind I want it clearly understood that I affirm I John 4:8 that states unequivocally that "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love" (ο μη αγαπων ουκ εγνω τον θεον οτι ο θεος αγαπη εστιν). But let us be clear what this says and does not say. It clearly says that those who do not love do not know God. The implied reason for this is that God is the embodiment of love. He is both the source and example of what love is. It does not say that everyone who loves in some capacity knows God.

Keep in mind that Biblical Greek had used four words to express love in its various permeations. There is στοργή which is rarely used in Biblical material but when it is used is reserved exclusively for affection within the family. A second word used is ἔρως which is a passionate affection with sensual desire and longing implications. In Scripture it is almost always used in connection with immoral sexual behavior. A third word is φιλία which speaks of a general type of affection used for love between family, between friends, a desire or enjoyment of an activity or food. Finally there is the word αγάπη which speaks of the highest and most noble kinds of affection (love). In modern Greek it has largely been replaced by the word στοργή.

Part of the problem is that we do not understand that when Scripture uses a word for love it is very particular in what word it uses. The person who knows God reflects through his life the kind of love that constitutes the very essence of who God is and that word is αγάπη. The word αγάπη has as its core meaning an intense affection (its meaning and usage is illustrated by self-sacrificing, giving love to all - both friend and enemy.)  It is not to be confused with a "feeling" of affection. When used as a verb it speaks of the act of affection not the feeling that affection may or may not evoke.

 

To the situation ethics crowd and those children they have sired I would offer this reminder. The same Scripture that says, God is love also says, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father." It is not incongruous to say that love is the highest good and still hold to certain absolutes. It is God, the expression of pure love who gave to Moses the Ten Commandments. Why, if love is all we need does God see fit to as it were  "lay down the law to us?" It is because we are not God.

We are created in God's image and we are created after His likeness but we were not created equal or identical to Him. If we know Him then we can express love, albeit imperfectly, as He expresses love. I often represent God as an infinity symbol  meaning that He is the only perfectly balanced being. I then represent the fact that we are created in God's image and after God's likeness by using an out of balance infinity symbol. This illustrates for me that while we are created in the image of God we are not identical to God. He is a perfectly balanced being and we are imperfectly balanced being. The salvation experience of our redemption brings us into harmony with God not equal to God. The rest of our life is spent being brought more and more into conformity with Him.

Now, when it comes to God's love He sets the parameters and He does so through His Word, the Bible. He sets those parameters for our benefit. God created us similar to Himself but not equal to Himself and therefore He also addressed that imperfection by giving us the rules by which we can know that we know Him and are expressing love in a manner consistent with how He expresses His love.

Our loving God does not mean we are free to do as we please. So God, in order that there be no misunderstanding what His love demands of us, established certain universal absolutes know as commandments. The violation of those commandments constitutes sin.

Scripture is clear as to what God's love expects and what it rejects in the lives of those whom he loves and who lay claim to loving Him:

1. His love expects believers serve one another humbly in love.  Every command of God is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  God expects the believer to demonstrate love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in all their relationships. The reason believers are able to do this is because they belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
2. His love rejects what Scripture calls, "acts of the flesh."  Scripture gives the following as examples of acts of the flesh rejected by God's love. They include sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;  idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions  and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. This list includes the warning to those who claim to love God and continue in the activities and attitudes His love forbids:  "I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Naturally people will trot out situations, many extreme, where there is no good choice and so one must weight the circumstance and make the choice that demonstrates the most love. Luther is reported to have said, "That when confronted with a choice between two evils choose the lesser and sin with boldness." I don't know if he really said that but he would be right if he did. What we are not to do is generally negate the commandments of God in the name of His love.  After all it was Jesus who said, "If you love me keep my words." In short, "Do what I said."

As we have moved away from Love that produces a particular lifestyle as reflected in the kind of life envisioned by the things God's love rejects to a life that accepts what God's love has rejected.  This in turn has produced a de-emphases on radical conversions that actually change the life and moral standards of the believer. It has also produced what I refer to as a flood of psychological preaching. More and more the messages from our pulpits are not about the fact that our churches are filled with sinners and that the general population needs a radical encounter with Jesus Christ.

On any given Sunday you are apt more to hear sermons dealing with how to have successful marriage; how to get out of debt and build a fortune; how to raise you children successfully than you are one on sin, man's need for salvation, Christ's sacrificial death for man's sin, and living by faith. Instead of focusing on issues of the day we should be preaching basic gospel truth.  Where has the kerygma gone from our services.

In my view we need to be hearing more sermons on the sinfulness of man, the love of God, the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, salvation by the Grace of God through the means of faith in Jesus Christ, and the fact that being a Christian means being salt and light in the world. We are not to beat people over the head with the message of redemption but we are to gently persuade them with the Gospel.

These days we hear a lot about alternate lifestyles. Let me suggest that God in His infinite wisdom and perfect love has defined the lifestyle that reflects who He is and what He desires from those who profess to be members of His family.
Keep in mind, He knows far more about us than anyone else in creation . . . after all He did the creating. He created us a certain way and he provided the means and the power for us to become exactly what He has described in His Word what He wants us to become. In describing it He did so in such a way as everyone who reads it can understand it. The Christian lifestyle is not always an easy life but God has provided in the person of his Holy Spirit a resource to enable us to meet the challenge. "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."



This does not mean that anyone has the right to denigrate, persecute, belittle, deny civil rights, or take personal pot-shots at people regardless of their lifestyle. I know it is an old saying to which many object but that doesn't change the fact that is true. As the children of God (Christians) we are like our God to hate the sin but to love the sinner.  If you can't do that then you've just identified the area of you Christian life were you need to do some work.


We are not the morality police. We have no responsibility or authority from God to visit the requirements He has placed on us as believers in Jesus Christ on non-believers. No man should be to require let alone forced to live contrary to his conscience. Do I think it would be good for them and society if they did? The answer is yes. But while I would get out of my bed in the dead of a winter night to defend your right to believe as you choose I would not lift so much as my little finger to try and force you to accept my beliefs. Now having said that I will add that I might do everything in my power to persuade you.


Our responsibility is to live our own lives consistent with God's word and will; it is to share and teach the story of God's love and the redemption He offers through Jesus Christ; and to warn of the imminent return of Jesus. Keep in mind that we are all sinners. The only difference is some of us are sinners saved by grace and the rest are sinners who need to be saved by grace.


I remember when I was a young pastor one of our youth came in wearing a bracelet with the letters, PBPGIFWMY.  I was familiar with the one that had the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) but had never seen this one. When I asked him about its meaning, he explained that the initials stood for the request, "Please be patient—God isn't finished with me yet."