WE HAVE SEEN that being in Christ is more than being in the church, more than being in orthodoxy, more than being in orthopraxy, more than being in conversion or the new birth, though it may include any and all of these. To be in Christ is to be in love, and to be in love is to be in a particular type of love—a Christlike love.
“As I have loved you”—this is the word of love lifted from the word become word, to the word become flesh. Beyond that definition of love the human race will never progress, because beyond the life of Jesus the human race will never progress. The word “love” can never have a higher content than the life of Jesus. “As I have loved you” is the absolute and the ultimate in life and love.
This word of love came to its highest manifestation in the cross. “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). He might have added, “and for his enemies,” for that is what the cross actually adds. He said “friends” in promise, and added “enemies” in performance. We give big promises and toned-down performance. He gave toned-down promise and toned-up performance. He always went beyond.
Note this contrast: I stood watching the sacrifice of goats to the goddess Kali. The goats’ heads were thrust through a pronged stick and their heads severed by one blow. A devotee crawled up and thrust his head through the pronged stick in order to be sacrificed to Kali. The priest took him by the hair of his head and threw him back. Again he crawled up, and again he was thrown back.
And this contrast: a Chinese Christian doctor’s father had been killed by the headhunters of Borneo. He is now serving those same headhunters with love and devotion. Does it matter what you think of God?
O God, through Jesus we see in Thee love and only love. We see a quality of love in Thee that leaves us speechless—a love for enemies. “Greater love can no God have than this, that He lay down His life for His enemies.” That leaves me at Thy feet. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: “As I have loved you” shall be my standard and my example and my source of power.
