As we continue to plow through John Piper's book Desiring God, I am attempting to summarize each chapter with a short question and answer. So, what is Christian love?
Is love disinterested in the benefit one receives in doing good? Piper answers with a resounding "No!". He points to 1 Corinthians 13 to show that externally good things (even self-sacrifice) can be done in a way that is not truly loving and is of no gain (v. 13). This tells us love is more than duty. It also tells us that love does provide a "gain" for us.
To help formulate a definition of Christian love, Piper points to 2 Corinthians 8:1-4, 8 to show that genuine love is "a work of divine grace." His grace towards us fills us with joy in Him. This joy in God's grace overflows in a generosity to others, even joyful sacrifice for the good of another. In light of this, Piper defines Christian love as "the overflow of joy in God that gladly meets the needs of others" (pg. 119).
The bottom line is that we must have joy and seek joy in God if we are to truly be loving. Love is not disinterested in one's own joy. Love begins with joy in God and flows towards seeing joy in others. Our joy and the joy of others will only come from God. Therefore, self-sacrifice or selfless deeds that are not centered on seeking delight in God and seeing others delight in God are not Christian love.
A blog designed to encourage Grace Church of Tallahassee College/Career members to think biblically in all areas of life and to grow in the knowledge of the truth which accords with godliness (Titus 1:1). The title is based on Titus 2:12 where Paul says that the grace of God saves us and trains us to live godly lives in the present age.
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