Thoughts love - from the world's perspective and from God's. I won't go into the definitional distinctions, I am certain you have heard or read them many times. Put simply in comparison the world is standing in the shadow of love. The Four Tops sang a song by that title.
Standin' in the shadow of love
I'm gettin' ready for the heartaches to come
Don't you see me standing in the shadow of love
Just tryin' my best to get ready for the heartaches to come, (1966. Dozier Lamont Herbert, Holland Brian)
I will get to the point of mentioning that song in a minute. Do you remember Jesus asking Peter if Peter loved Him?
" So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” “He said to him the second time Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep." John 21:15-17
This conversation happened after Peter had denied Jesus and Jesus was subsequently crucified and resurrected. Jesus asked Peter if Peter loved Him with the kind of love that the world has to offer and then finally with the kind of love that God showed through Jesus and offered to everyone who is born again.
OK, back to standing in the shadow. The love the world has to give is fickle, vulnerable to heartache - imperfect people trying to love one another - but very often dependent upon what each gets out of the relationship. Like giving you a gift but expecting something in return. Lost people are capable of demonstrating love - call it compassion - or passion - but it all comes from the natural. There are a lot of "good" - tender hearted people in the world who are not Christians. When natural love is shown those people are, in a way, fulfilling the second greatest commandment. Do you remember Jesus answering the question about the greatest commandment?
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:35-40
This is the chicken and the egg part. Which comes first? Everything - who we are in Christ - God's creative intent, hangs on those two commandments in the order they were given. The first commandment is to love God (that comes first) and then the second is to love others. Spiritual love has a spiritual effect, natural love has a natural effect. Natural is natural - spiritual is spiritual. Natural can never be spiritual but it can look a lot like it - but its source - even the good - is a result of human will and effort. Works if you will. Not only that but ....
"We love Him because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19
In order for us to love God - the first part - He had to extend His love to us through His Son. Jesus was not asking Peter if Peter loved Jesus the man (natural), He was asking Peter if he loved Jesus the Son of God (Spiritual). Peter had denied Jesus out of fear for his own well being - conditional love. The love that we are capable of showing to others, the second part, is because we love God who loved us first - its unconditional love - supernatural.
Don't imagine that people who are not Christian are incapable of showing love, of kindness, and doing good things for other people and if they do, it must have some spiritual source - it does not. They are merely living in the shadow of love.
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By
His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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