Sincere Love

They’re called a bundle of joy for good reason. Everyone loves to see a newborn. Friends and family, co-workers and even complete strangers love to see infants giggle and smile. Newborns bring us great joy. And most people want to hold that joy in their own arms.

But as a parent of a newborn, you are told to be careful. You cannot just let anyone hold your newborn. You have to be vigilant. You have to keep your special little boy or your precious little girl safe. Their health is your responsibility. So when someone comes to you with that glimmer in their eye and then through a couple of coughs asks “Can I hold the baby?” You must say no. Because you know that your little one’s immune system is still developing. Coughs and colds, flu and respiratory viruses can overwhelm their little lungs and so a loving parent must have that hard conversation and tell someone “No, you cannot hold my baby.” out of sincere love for their little bundle of joy. It might be tough, but it is necessary. It might hurt someone’s feelings for a moment, but a good parent recognizes that what has to be done, has to be done.

Sincere love is willing to make tough choices and take unpopular stances when there is something precious at risk. The Apostle Paul makes that point in Romans 12. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good. Do not be overcome by evil. Overcome evil with good. When we are entrusted with an infant, we recognize that sincere love compels us to shield them from sickness and protect them from harm as best we can. We must hold on to our child and refuse to let them be exposed to illness.

Unfortunately, we don’t always take the same proactive, protective measures when it comes to spiritual matters. Far too often, when we excuse evil as no big deal. We don’t see sins like anger or lust, greed or envy for what they really are—destructive diseases. When we see sin in our own hearts and lives, we tell ourselves “Nobody’s perfect.” Does that sound like something someone who hates what is evil ought to say?

We are accepting of sinful ideas and practices because we don’t want to rock the boat, we don’t want to make a big deal about something. We take neutral stances where God calls us to be far more active. When we see loved ones straying into spiritual harm, how can sincere love stand on the sidelines and say “Well, it’s their life!” How can sincere love claim it is clinging to what is good when it accepts what God says is wrong and abhorrent? Yet, in an effort to be thought of as kind, caring, and open-minded we have allowed what is evil to be called good and what is good to be thought of as evil.

So what shall we do? God tells us. Cling to what is good. Overcome evil with good. So what is good? Jesus tells us: (Lk 18:19) There is only one who is good. God alone. Our God has shown us how much he abhors evil. This is the ugliness of what Jesus suffered on the cross. There we see sincere love for sinners. The God-made man was made to be sin in our place so that we might be made the righteousness of God. So that we might know what is good and be made good in God’s sight. Jesus is the good that overcomes evil. That’s what he did for us on the cross. And each time we fall into sin, each time we welcome what is evil and endanger what is good, we must return to the One who is good. We must repent. With a broken and contrite heart, we confess our sins and receive God’s sincere love. He forgives us. His goodness overcomes our sin, the evil we have done and the good we have not done. Good triumphs over evil, because of God’s sincere love.

Sincere love changes a person. When first-time parents are preparing their lives and their homes for their little bundle of joy, sometimes, they go a little overboard. They buy the top-of-the-line car seat and stroller. They spring for the best diapers and clothes, formula and food they can afford. When their little boy or girl begins to crawl, they watch them like a hawk to ensure they don’t put anything in their mouth they’re not supposed to. With single-minded eyes, they see dangers for their child others might overlook. And they take action. Why? Sincere love creates a new and heightened focus on what is really important.

Now ask yourself this: What would your life look like if you loved your body and soul like a first-time parent loves their little bundle of joy? If you made sure that everything around you was good. If you went to great lengths to make sure you didn’t ingest anything that could cause you spiritual harm? If you concentrated on steering clear of things that might lead you into temptation and sin?

It would be a life guided by sincere love. That’s the life God wants for you and me. That’s why he gave us his goodness, his bundle of joy, his Son, Jesus, to overcome evil for us and through us.