Love Theology # 1

Intro:

I Love Theology. Theology is the study of God.

Within Christendom there are many different theological perspectives. Within the Church of the Nazarene we subscribe to Wesleyan/Arminianism. John Wesley’s understanding of God was central in our understanding of God as a denomination.

The biggest doctrine we find in Wesleyan theology, the one we hang our hat on as Nazarene’s, is the doctrine of Holiness. Also known as Entire Sanctification.

About Holiness

Sanctification is a work that God does in our lives. It is a moment, after justification, that moves us into a place of total surrender and devotion in relationship with God.

To be entirely sanctified is not to be perfect in everything, but completely devoted to the work that God does in relationship with us.

Without God beginning that work in us, our self-centered-ness kills holiness before it even starts. But by the grace of God he does that work when we ask Him to.

Love is the character of Holiness

Within his chief work on Holiness, John Wesley wrote this:

“It were well you should be thoroughly sensible of this, ‘The heaven of heavens is love.’ There is nothing higher in religion; there is, in effect, nothing else; if you look for anything more than love, you are looking wide of the mark, you are getting out of the royal way, and when you are asking others, ‘Have you received this or that blessing?’ if you mean anything but more love, you are wrong; you are leading them out of the way, and putting them upon a false scent. Settle it then in your heart, that from the moment God has saved you from all sin, you are to aim at nothing more, but more of that love described in the thirteenth of the Corinthians. You can go no higher than this till you are carried into Abraham’s bosom.”

~ John Wesley

Love was the cornerstone of John Wesley’s understanding about Holiness. It was SO central in fact that John Wesley equated them.

Love and Holiness

Love and Holiness are two different words with two different meanings. As two words they cannot be used in the place of each other, but that is within language.

In the realm of meaning, their relatedness comes through.

But to say they are merely “related” would be to say they are associated in experience but not vitally and essentially connected in life. Kind of like house and home, lawyer and person.

Two sides to a coin might be more accurate when it comes to the idea of Holiness and Love. The other side of the coin is essential to its existence.

Love is the essential inner character of holiness, and holiness does not exist apart from love.

Love does not come from things, but finds its home in persons. If Holiness is tied to love in an essential bond, then Holiness finds its home in persons as well. Holiness and love have to do with personal relationships.

1 John 4:

1 John 4:7–12 NIV

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

“Complete” carries the weight of holiness and sanctification. But it is essentially tied to love within from God and love lived out to those next to us.

Love is the outflow of holiness. Love is the result and cause of a relationship with a holy God.

The end of the law is love. The end of the law is holiness. The pharisees couldn’t see that these who two sides to the coin, even when it was spelled out to them by Jesus.

Luke 10:25–37 NIV

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Luke 10:25-

Mercy was loving. The standard was love everywhere not just where we want it to be. Mercy was the standard.

1 Peter 1:13–16 NIV

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:

Matthew 22:36-

Matthew 22:36–40 NIV

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

If we want to be holy, we need to love and be loved. If we want to pursue holiness we need to pursue love.

As we continue...

Over the coming weeks we are going to explore how Holiness and Love can be applied within our personal relationships. What does a theology that centers on these two ideas mean for us.

Read every day this week.