The way of love - Part III: The very nature of God

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
        did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
        taking the very nature of a servant,
        being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
        he humbled himself
        and became obedient to death—
                even death on a cross!
                - Philippians 2:1-8

Here is the true relationship between love and service: Christ’s love for the Father… even His love for us, was proven real as He took on “the very nature of a servant.” He did this because of love- it was His very nature to serve because He was, in very nature, God… and the very nature of God is love (see I John 4:7-8.)Because of love, the Father sent the Son to redeem the world (see John 3:16-17.) Christ the Son shared the Father’s love for the world because He was, in very nature, God. His love for the world was therefore shown through His obedience to the Father’s will.

Here’s where I’m going with all of this: the problem of lacking in love for others will not be solved by concentrating on loving them more – my motivation must flow from my pursuit of something higher. (For a more complete representation of my thoughts on this theme, see my post on fruits.)

The solution to the problem of love is the very goal of life, and the very goal of life is Christ-likeness. But if I see in Philippians 2 a call to be more Christ-like primarily by taking on “the very nature of a servant,” and, in so doing, neglect the reason why Christ took on that nature, I have tended the fruit and not the tree. This is a characteristic of legalism. But love is a characteristic of life by the Spirit.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. I John 4:16b-17

[to be continued]