This past Monday for chapel (at The Master's College) our provost spoke, and the message was labeled "pursuant love." His main passage was 1 John 4:7 which simply states:
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
So what is “pursuant love” and what does it look like?
The very reason we desire to pursue people and desire for people to pursue us is because God in Christ pursued us! He did this for us “while we were yet sinners” so this tells us that this kind of love is not performance based. I think often we live our lives day to day with an underlying fear or unrest that our friendships are at risk. We’re constantly worried at the prospect of not being funny enough, or athletic enough, or even spiritual enough to keep our friends around. But there is peace with pursuant love.
1 Corinthians 14:1 tells us to “pursue love.” It’s active. It also isn’t always easy if you have to pursue it. We can’t ever manipulate our character enough to transform our friendships into pursuant love kind of friendships on our own. It is only when we live at the foot of the cross, realizing that God sought us out when we hated Him, that we can love people without condition.
Another thing Tatlock said was “don’t wait around your entire life for someone to pursue you. You’re wasting time. Be the pursuer.” If this love truly is unconditional then we can love even when we are not, knowing that the love of Christ is perfect and fully satisfying. The result is unity in the body which exemplifies Christ’s love and gives glory to God.
1 comment:
This is awesome Kammi. Very convicting.
Very well said.
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