This is copied from the June 11, 1972 edition of Reminders, published by the Moundsville Church of Christ in Moundsville, West Virginia. Paul C. Keller was the author as well as the editor of the paper.
"Love works no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:10).
The Bible contains much teaching about love. The necessity for genuine love for God, for brethren and for our fellowman is clearly taught. Without such love, we cannot please God. Hence, there is continued need for teaching what the Bible says about love.
There is also the need for the practice of the love taught in the Bible. Mere teaching and talking about love will not suffice. There are some who seem to thing that their talking about love will excuse their failure to practice it. How deceived they are!
One may claim that he loves God, and the brethren, when his actions deny it. Love is not something that is merely expressed by the lips. It is something which is manifested by what one does. One may claim to love the Lord but if he does not keep the commandments of the Lord and if he does not love the brethren, his claim is false. (See John 14:15; 15:14; 1 John 4:20-21; 5:2-3) He may claim to love his brother but if he does not act toward him as love demands (1 Corinthians 13:4-7; 1 John 3:14-18) his claim is not true.
Love does not ignore, condone, cover up or whitewash sins. Apparently some think you do not love them unless you are willing for them to slander you, backbite, undermine, revile and do anything they want to harm you and others, without your seeming to notice that they have done anything wrong. If you oppose their ungodly conduct, expose their sins and try to bring them to repentance, they try to make it appear that you do not love them. It is true that we should love even our enemies and pray for them that despitefully use us (Matthew 5:44) but if we love them, we will not condone nor ignore their sins.
Sins are not hidden by ignoring them, nor by "whitewashing" them. Sins are hidden by converting the sinner; causing him to turn, "from the error of his way" (James 5:19-20). Jesus opposed, exposed and condemned the Pharisees of His day, using plain and piercing language in so doing (see Matthew 23) but this did not mean that He did not love them. Rather, it was done because He did love them. He tasted, "death for every man." Paul found it necessary to rebuke the brethren at Corinth, not because he did not love them but because he did (2 Corinthians 6:11; 7:2-3; 11:11; 12:15). Love does not condone sin but seeks the salvation of those who have fallen into its clutches.
Paul said, "Let love be without dissimulation (hypocrisy)." Evidently such teaching is needed! Just as the old spiritual says, "Everybody talkin' 'bout heaven ain't gonna get there." So it is that everybody talking about love does not practice it. Paul indicates as much by this statement in Romans 12:9. Pretended love is hypocrisy. Remember, it was with a kiss that Judas betrayed the Lord. Love should be unfeigned, unpretended (1 Peter 1:22). The love of brethren which God reaches consists not merely of lip service but is to be manifested in what we DO. "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth" (1 John 4:18).
Yes, we need to set forth the Bible teaching on love. We need to study about it and talk about it and surely we need to practice the love taught in the Bible. All the preaching and praying about love that may be done will not substitute for our failure to practice it. Hence, let each of us study the scriptures to learn how love will cause us to act and let each give himself to the sincere effort to cultivate its practice in our day to day living and in our relationships with one another. To this end may God bless us, each and all.
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