Holy Love

In 1959, journalist Mike Wallace interviewed the philosopher Ayn Rand. Rand, the so-called “mother of objectivism,” is perhaps best known for promoting self-interest as a virtue. Concerned by this, Wallace said, “Christ and every important moral leader in history has taught us that we should love one another. Why then, is this kind of love – in your mind – immoral?” Rand replied, “It is immoral if it is a love placed one above oneself. It is more than immoral – it’s impossible.” While Rand’s strident advocacy of self-interest once seemed confusing or offensive, it is an increasingly common view today. Sadly, this is just one of many contemporary distortions of the Bible’s teaching on love.

In a radical contrast to Rand, the Apostle Peter tells Christians to “love one another earnestly from a pure heart (1 Peter 1:22).” Meditate on those concepts for a moment: love for other believers that is earnest; love that comes from a heart that is pure. Is your heart really pure and undefiled? Doesn’t your heart still produce sinful thoughts, words, and deeds? And can you really love someone earnestly – with deep, sincere goodwill? And even if you can love someone that way, is there anyone among us who really deserves that kind of love or who has even received that kind of love? Maybe Ayn Rand was right in one way; maybe the Bible’s vision for selfless love really is impossible.

By God’s grace, this selfless, holy love that Peter commands is possible. It is possible for us as Christians because we have in fact received that kind of love. We have received it in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. We have responded to that love in repentance and faith, and have been “born again (1 Peter 1:23).” Our old, sinful hearts and habits have been radically transformed by “the good news” of the gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:25). This does not make sincere brotherly love easy, but it does make it possible and we do have the model par excellance for selfless love in Jesus. As the Apostle John says, “We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).” So let us look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). For the more earnest and pure our faith-filled gaze at Christ is, the more earnest and pure our faith for each other will be.