Evidence for the Veracity of Christianity: Gospel Inspired Love

In my previous post I argued that the transformed life of converted sinners is a profound defense of the truth of the Christian faith. We can’t see God, like the wind, but the evidence of his reality, like the wind, can be seen in the effects of his Spirit in the lives of his people. I mentioned that Romans 12 gives us an explanation as to how this works itself out in practice, and will explain that here. Paul spent 11 chapters giving us a detailed explanation about the meaning of redemptive history, then transitions with a declaration of the mind-blowing (in modern parlance) nature of it all (11:33-36). Then he transitions to how we are to live in light of it all:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

When I’ve written previously of these verses, I interpreted “living sacrifice” as being a walking dead person. That’s a strange picture, but Christianity is nothing if not strange. The point, I think, is that now because of what God has done for us in Christ, his mercy, we are to live a life of self-denial. In Christianity, fortunately, this is not the death of self, thus it is a living sacrifice. The beauty of Christianity is that it makes properly ordered loves possible, even if difficult to always attain in practice. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God first, and then our neighbor as ourselves. The order is God, self, neighbor. In loving God will all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, loving self and neighbor, properly, are possible, as is radical, self-denying love that is unexplainable in normal human terms.

Once we are committed to not conforming to the pattern of this world (implying what follows is the opposite of that pattern), and being transformed by the renewing of our minds, Paul gives exhortations as to what this love looks like:

• Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.
• Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
• Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
• Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
• Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
• Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
• Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
• Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
• If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
• Do not take revenge, but leave room for God’s wrath.
• Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Well, that shouldn’t be too hard! Realistically, this is impossible. Unless there is something real, God’s mercy, that makes it possible. Specifically, we see that mercy in what Paul says he went to the Corinthians to proclaim, only “Jesus Christ and him crucified.” That, and that alone, is what makes true love possible. And this is one of the great apologetics for the truth of the Christian faith. When we see, experience, and live this kind of love, we have concrete evidence that Christianity is true and real.

But this is more than a rational response to some kind of syllogism: Jesus died on the cross for me; I am obligated to love others; therefore I do love them. True enough! But it was Pentecost that transformed a band of scared and timid peasants into bold and fearless world changers, God himself in the person of the Holy Spirit applying the fruit of redemption among his people. Yet the syllogism is powerful.

God himself in Christ led the way! He doesn’t command us to do what he hasn’t already done. If God loved us so much that he became a human being in the person of his son, and was willing to submit himself to horrific suffering at the hands of his very own creatures, how could we not love others! In fact, the Apostle John says, We love because God first loved us. The transformed human heart, by God’s Holy Spirit, makes this love possible, doable in our lives. This kind of divine love is not demeaning; we don’t become doormats, but it allows us to have relationships that flourish in a way they never could when self is the central factor of our lives. It is impossible love made possible, and it transforms lives wherever it goes.