Dangerous Love

From God’s perspective, to love is to identify with Christ. In I John 3 we learn what love really means: to love is to follow Christ’s example and lay down our lives for others. Thus to love like Jesus did means at least these things:

True love is selfless love.
True love means a commitment to die to yourself.
True love takes great personal courage. True love is dangerous.

It is dangerous to follow Christ in love. Yet, it is even more dangerous to attempt to love without knowing and loving Christ. When you love someone, you become vulnerable to that person. The person you love is in a position to hurt you. The only way to truly love is to know that you are totally loved by someone who will never fail you and always be there for you. There is only one person who meets this qualification: Jesus Christ!

Because he loves you, you can love others even if they fail you. Why, because you are loving as Jesus loved you. He has already given his life for you! I can love others even when they are unlovely because Christ loved me and died for me when I was unlovely.

Christ loved me when I was unlovely. Is this how you love?

So, yes, love is dangerous. But to love without Christ can be devastating. Rejoice that because of Christ you can truly love because he has truly loved you.

Shepherd Press