Eye on the Goal

Christians can be a pretty loud bunch. Even obnoxious. We'll stand on street corners and tell people they need to repent. We'll hand out pamphlets and tracts to random crowds. We'll publish blogs and books on the evils of abortion or homosexual behavior or gay marriage ... whatever is the conflict du jour. Now, to be fair, I can't say we're more obnoxious than the voices standing across the street shouting their counter protests. Real Christians don't offer death threats, for instance, but anti-Christians do. And it can't be discounted that "I think you're wrong" is considered obnoxious even when there is no malice intended. Still, there is that perception, right or wrong.

So I'd like to point out this little gem.

The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (1 Tim 1:5)

The goal is love. It's not just here. Elsewhere we read, "Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law ... if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Rom 13:8-10) And, "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor." (Rom 12:10) There is the particularly pointed "Let all that you do be done in love." (1 Cor 16:14) Just a few examples. Love, you see, is biblically important. No, biblically foundational.

So, when you're getting out there calling for repentance or pointing out the error of homosexual sin or calling people to task for defending the murder of the unborn, what is your motivation? Notice, I'm not asking if you're right. I'm asking for your motivation. You may be 100% accurate in your explanation of why marriage ought to be defended in its original form. That's not my concern here. My concern is this: "Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds." (Heb 10:24) So my question is not the validity of your arguments or the excellence of your evidence. I'm asking you to ask yourself why you're making the argument. Because motivation is important to God. And arguing for truth while denying the fundamental command to love is a failure.

Now, be careful here. I'm not asking you to feel warmly toward those you are addressing or pointing out. That's not love. Not biblical love. But if you are not operating from a genuine concern for the best for the others, you are sinning while you're in the midst of defending the truth. And where's the wisdom in that?

So I'm just asking you to check yourself. Why are you doing it? And I'm not asking you to stop. I'm asking you to correct it. Because it was Jesus who said, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35) You can be sure that you will not be warmly received for your efforts and you can be confident that pointing to the truth of sin and error won't be regarded as an act of kindness. I'm just asking you to be sure to check your own aims because arguing for the right while sinning against the Right is neither safe nor rational.