The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Summary: Paul summarizes the essence of the gospel in this passage. Yet, as simple as it sounds, it is difficult to do.
This passage may be one of the most significant and powerful in the entire Bible. Paul has summed up Christian life in ten words!
What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 defines faith this way: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” We know from the context of Paul’s letter that the faith he refers to is not ordinary. Paul is talking about faith in God and the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal 1:3-5).
We also know from the Greek text that the “love” Paul refers to is not a casual love. The love he speaks of is not “I love the weather today,” or even “I love you” written on a card on Valentine’s Day. This kind of love is agapé, a selfless, sacrificial affection that works to make life better for those who are being loved.
Jesus tells us who to love in Matthew 22: 37-40. We are to love God above all else and those around us as ourselves.
So far, so good.
But what if we find those two loves in conflict? What if our love of God draws us into conflict with our love for our neighbor?
Paul is wrestling with this challenge as he writes his letter to the Galatians. In his opening passage, he confronts the Galatians with their sin, deserting the gospel of Christ (Gal 1:6-9), and then says:
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)
Conflict in churches often stems from this exact situation. We see in each other a fault and strive to “love” the other person by correcting that fault. There is one minor problem with this approach. No one speaks with the authority of Jesus Christ, and very few ever speak with the same authority as Paul did. This lack of authority is why Jesus points us to the “plank in [our] own eye” (Matthew 7:3).
Often, the “plank” in our eye is our self-interest, our desire to be justified in our own sight. Yet, if we love God above all else, we must acknowledge his perfection. When we find ourselves in the light of his perfect love, power, and authority, who can stand? Are we not completely humbled in our own eyes? Who, then, can point a finger at someone else and say, “You’re not doing it right!”?
I like Paul’s summation of the gospel: “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
Application: Express your faith in Jesus through love.
Food for Thought: How do we deal with conflict in a loving way that doesn’t conflict with our faith?
There is a phrase I hear a lot, I hear it a lot as an adult, and I heard it a lot growing up, but I didn’t understand it until a few years ago. The phrase is “I will lay it at the foot of the Cross.”
I think the reason that I didn’t understand that phrase in the beginning was because I didn’t know what that looked like. Conceptually I understood it, but in practice I found myself a bit lost. Now I understand that when I want to give a burden to Christ, I have to be honest about it with Him. That takes some forethought and humility. When it comes to conflict with others, I have to dispel self-interest, rationalization, and claims of propriety. I find it is acceptable to say to Christ “this is what I am thinking and feeling, what I perceive they are thinking and feeling, and this is what I find in your Word.” Then “laying it down” is more “waiting on His response.”
In all of this I have come to understand, actually more I have come to believe, that I am not responsible nor can I control what other people feel, think, or do. I am responsible for my own thoughts, feeling, and actions. I do, however, have the power to bring it before Christ, listen to His instruction, and speak His Word(s) without fear in faith. I have never known this to fail, it always works out in love.
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Whether the conflict is big or small, whether it is with a loved one, an acquaintance, or a stranger, we can bring it before Christ in humility and ask for help. This can take a few seconds, or it may be an “overnighter.” I have experienced both. All I know is, to act in love, one must have love. To deal with conflict in a loving way that doesn’t conflict with our faith, one must be grounded in faith. Placing it at the foot of the Cross will fortify both love and faith.
Matthew 10:42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
I like this verse because the visualization of handing someone a cold cup of water brings to my mind a peaceful and loving offering. I think this in itself dials down conflict and helps bring both parties to a place of humility.
Thank you, Chris!
You’ve given us a sharp-focused overview of what it means to put Jesus first. The realization that we do not and cannot control others’ thinking is powerful. When we let go of that, we can relax into our own circle of control and offer that up to God as our part of the solution.
How do we deal with conflict in a loving way that doesn’t conflict with our faith?
God has dealt with conflict and is an example for us.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
We exist and function as believers in a world which is in conflict with all we know to be true. Lies, perversions, wickedness and every form of evil are the ways of this world.
In Matthew 5-6, Jesus gave us the path of righteousness which is recorded recorded as the Sermon on the Mount, also known as the Beatitudes.
He ends in Matthew 6:33-34, first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also. 34 So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Live each day in pursuit of God in all we do.
Ron,
You bring our focus to Jesus on the Cross. God himself has demonstrated the means and methods of dealing with human conflict; sacrificing self. Wow!
Thank you!!
How do we deal with conflict in a loving way that doesn’t conflict with our faith?
It is as easy as one word. Forgive. It’s just that easy. Just forgive.
Tim,
Thank you! I love your ability to boil things down to a very concise thought. Yes, I agree — the ability to forgive is KEY to exercising the kind of love that God showers us with.