“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.”- Rom. 12:9
It is an obvious oxymoron to speak of love with hypocrisy. There is no such thing. True love is pure, not pretentious. But sadly there is much masquerade today. Like Judas, many are wearing a mask pretending to love when they don’t really love at all. Rather than concern for others their chief interest is for self. It is for some personal advantage, other than 30 pieces of silver, that they pretend to love others. But true love looks out for the welfare of others – putting the needs of others ahead of it’s own.
Pure love is costly. It is a death sentence to self – a price not everyone is willing to pay. Love denies self that it might delight others. It causes us to do without so others won’t be without. And that’s what the world needs! The problem is that sometimes even Christians can be deceived into thinking they love people when they don’t. They fail to understand what true love is. They have a self-imposed limit to which they are willing to go, lest they become uncomfortable, in giving to others. But true love goes above and beyond the call of duty. It goes the extra mile. It gives cheerfully rather than begrudgingly.
We need to recognize love for what it truly is, rip off the mask of pretense, and resolve to love others sincerely. It is then and only then that others “will know” (John 13:35) that we are the disciples of Christ. Forget about trying to project an image so as to profit from your pretense. Get real. Walk the talk by having “fervent charity” ( 1 Pet. 4:8) “out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned” (1 Tim 1:5). That’s pure love. That’s what will please God, profit others, and prove that you are a child of God! – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
