Irresistible By Andy Stanley - 6-Day Reading PlanНамуна

What Does Love Require of Me? 

New covenant people don’t begin or end with the question: “What does the Bible say about . . .?” That’s so old covenant. New covenant people begin with a better question: “What does God’s love for me require of me?” 

Remember, for the first 300+ years of its existence, the church had no “The Bible.” In the beginning, participants in the new covenant took their cues from Jesus’ new command to love one another. Everything flowed from and reflected that one overarching idea. When teaching this content, I often ask the audience to commit the following to memory:

WHEN UNSURE OF WHAT TO SAY OR DO, ASK WHAT LOVE REQUIRES OF YOU.

Jesus’ new command obligates us to wrestle with this new and better question. But it does something else as well. It provides us with a new and better answer to an old question. Jesus’ new covenant command forces us to upgrade our answer to the question why.

Why obey?

Why submit?

Why surrender?

Under the old covenant, why was answered with an eye to the sky. Israel obeyed to fulfill their part of their old covenant contract with God. They obeyed to be blessed. They obeyed to be protected and to prosper. They obeyed to keep the nation foreigner-free. Obedience brought blessing. Disobedience would result in punishment and perhaps banishment. Israel obeyed old covenant rules and restrictions for their own sake. 

With the inauguration of the new covenant, why would no longer be associated with appeasing God or purging property. Jesus followers aren’t instructed to obey in order to gain something from God. We obey in light of what we’ve already been given. 

The New Testament, new covenant answer to why is always: That’s what love requires of me because that’s what’s best for them.

New covenant obedience is always connected to a who. Often it’s the who beside you. The old covenant why centered on doing right by God. The new covenant why centers on doing right by your neighbor.

How do we know what’s best? How do we know what love requires?

God’s Spirit will always nudge us in the direction of kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. When in doubt, max those out. That’s what love requires. That’s what following Jesus looks like. 

Reflection: How does “What does love require of me?” help you know what to say or do in your role as a spouse, pastor, or friend?