These essays are written in sequence and build on each other. Read the preceding essay here.
We continue with our discussion about the unity of God’s Will and His Love, which we began in an earlier essay.
We have discussed the spiritual nature of pure love, and the fact that pure love is always directed at the spiritual benefit of the loved one. “Spiritual benefit” is not the same as earthly comfort and convenience.
We now seek to address the observed tendency amongst Christians to focus on God’s Love while ignoring His Will.
We glossed over a number of key aspects of love in the previous essay, and we need to address those before we can come back to the main question.
Man’s “Love” vs Man’s Will
What we call “love” on earth often has to do with actions that are not connected with the spiritual benefit of the “loved” one.
For purposes of brevity let us focus on only one behavior associated with our earthly love: “bending the rules”.
It is common for people to bend the rules for those they “love”. In fact some people equate love with this type of behaviour.
Let us consider two scenarios: one where the rules make sense and are good, and another where the rules are flawed.
Assuming the rules make sense and are set for the common good, then bending the rules is against the common good.
Aligning with the common good means being selfless. Therefore bending the rules for an individual means acceding to a selfish desire of that individual.
So in this scenario the thing we call “love” is promoting selfishness, instead of that selflessness that is exemplified in The Word. So it is not love.
He that findeth his life shall lose it:
— KJV, Matt:10:39
and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
The reader may wish to refer to our discussion about “In Christ’s Name”.
He who is driven by selfish desires will not gain spiritual life, whereas he that gives up selfish desires for the sake of Love shall do so.
Now the second scenario: how about if the rules are flawed?
This is possible with man’s rules because man is imperfect. In this scenario bending the rules may be necessary.
God’s Rules, the Laws of Creation, are perfect. If it were ever necessary to bend them, it would be proof of imperfection. The idea that God would bend His own perfection should be very problematic to any thinking Christian, and we will explore this at length in future essays.
And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass,
— Luke 16:17
than one tittle of the law to fail.
Bending the Laws of Creation is completely unnecessary and out of the question.
So, the first scenario highlights our flawed concept of love, and the second scenario highlights imperfection in our rule-making.
That is: we are accustomed to an imperfect love and an imperfect will that can be at variance with each other, and these are very much part of our basic thinking.
In our anthropomorphic thinking habits we then assume that similar imperfections are also possible with God. This is the root of the issue at hand, which we will address directly in an upcoming essay.
Today’s Resolution
- We shall seek to kindle true selfless love within ourselves, understanding that as we give up selfish desires we align with the Nature of God, and thus gain protection and support through His Laws.
The Word, (Re)Discovered 