What does love mean? What will happen if those who profess the life of Christ actually love one another? Francis Schaeffer, who was referred to at the beginning of this study, has several suggestions.
First, it will mean that when a Christian has failed to love his brother and has therefore acted wrongly toward him, the believer will go to him and say he is sorry. That sounds easy to say, but it is not easy to do, as anyone knows who has tried it. Nevertheless, this more than anything else expresses love and restores that oneness which Jesus said should flow from the fact that Christians do love one another and by which their profession should be verified before the world.
Second, because the offense is often the other way, we are to show our love by forgiveness. This, too, is hard, particularly when the other person does not say, “I am sorry.” Schaeffer writes,
We must all continually acknowledge that we do not practice the forgiving heart as we should. And yet the prayer is “Forgive us our debts, our trespasses, as we forgive our debtors.” We are to have a forgiving spirit even before the other person expresses regret for his wrong. The Lord’s prayer does not suggest that when the other man is sorry then we are to show a oneness by having a forgiving spirit. Rather, we are called upon to have a forgiving spirit without the other man having made the first step. We may still say that he is wrong, but in the midst of saying that he is wrong, we must be forgiving.1
John himself learned love at this point, for early in his life he was known as one of the “sons of thunder.” He once wanted to call down fire from heaven upon those who rejected Jesus (Luke 9:54). But as he came to know more of that Spirit that he was of, he came increasingly to call for love among the brethren.
Third, we must show love by practical demonstration, even when it is costly. Love cost the Samaritan in Christ’s parable. It cost him time and money. Love cost the shepherd, for he endured hardship to hunt for his sheep. Love cost Mary of Bethany who, out of her love, broke the box of priceless ointment over the feet of Jesus. Love will be costly to all who practice it. But what is purchased thereby will be of great value, though intangible; for it will be proof of the presence of the life of God both to the individual Christian and to the watching world.
1Francis A. Schaeffer, The Church at the End of the 20th Century (Chicago, IL: Inter-Varsity, 1970), 145.