"And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony" (Col 3:14).
One simple verse and yet we tend to forget it. One charge that is often launched against those of us that love and rejoice in the doctrines of grace is that we can get so caught up crossing our theological T's and dotting our theological I's, that we often fail to demonstrate love for the brethren. Now of course this assertion is at times unjust but there are also times when it is justified. In the social world of the internet, it seems that the thing to do is bash and go after our Arminian brothers and sisters.
Now, I'm all for good, healthy and even loud, heated discussions over doctrines like predestination, foreknowledge, election and the will of man. In fact, we need to defend and proclaim these precious truths as they are taught in Scripture. That's a must. But what of the disagreement with the brother our sister that does not understand these truths correctly? After the very strong discussion with them do we toss them aside and avoid them or treat them as inferior? We better not! Why? Because that's not love it's arrogance. The way in which we are identified as Christians is not by theological snobbery but as the Lord declared,
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34–35).
One simple verse and yet we tend to forget it. One charge that is often launched against those of us that love and rejoice in the doctrines of grace is that we can get so caught up crossing our theological T's and dotting our theological I's, that we often fail to demonstrate love for the brethren. Now of course this assertion is at times unjust but there are also times when it is justified. In the social world of the internet, it seems that the thing to do is bash and go after our Arminian brothers and sisters.
Now, I'm all for good, healthy and even loud, heated discussions over doctrines like predestination, foreknowledge, election and the will of man. In fact, we need to defend and proclaim these precious truths as they are taught in Scripture. That's a must. But what of the disagreement with the brother our sister that does not understand these truths correctly? After the very strong discussion with them do we toss them aside and avoid them or treat them as inferior? We better not! Why? Because that's not love it's arrogance. The way in which we are identified as Christians is not by theological snobbery but as the Lord declared,
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34–35).
That's why Paul after giving a list of virtues believers must put on- compassion, kindness, humility, meeknes, patience and forgiveness (v. 12-13) he says,
"And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony" (Col 3:14).
Concerning this verse Doug Moo writes:
"But the clothing imagery that is picked up from v. 12 suggests rather that love is being pictured as a garment that is to be put on “on top of” the other items of dress that Paul has enumerated in v. 12. In this case, the implication would be that love is not just another virtue to be added but the supreme virtue" (The letters to the Colossians and to Philemon. The Pillar New Testemant Commentary).
This means that for the Christian love is not an option. Sorry for all you "cage stagers" but you are called to love your Arminian brethren. You can attempt to make them unbelievers (a gross error and a different topic for a different post) but in reality because your lack of love you, have become a "noisy gong" or a "clanging cymbal" (1 Cor. 13:1)! You see it is okay to be poignant. Paul was.
Now of course there are those Arminians that just make it impossible to live at peace with them. You know the Dave Hunt, Norman Geisler, Ergun Caner and Chuck Smith types. These kinds of people continually misrepresent the doctrines of grace, despite the fact that many have lovingly attempted to correct them. But they continue to teach their errors and falsely represesnt Calvinists. Well, we can only do so much. "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all" (Ro 12:18). We try to correct those folks but unless they see their errors and correct them, there's not much else we can do.
One final thought- loving our brethren does not equate to compromising for them! Many in the body make this mistake. For instance, I hear people say of their pastors, that though he believes God sovereignly elects people unto Himself, he's not going to preach it because he loves his fellow Christians that are offended by such a teaching. Well, at that point it is not love, it is cowardice. But because we love our brethren, we teach and defend the doctrines of grace whether they are offended by them or not. It's for their Christian growth.
There is nothing worse than a loveless "Christian!" So let's be sure we strive to maintain unity in the bond of peace:
"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (Eph 4:1–6).
For His Glory,
Fernando
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