What’s Love Got To Do With It?
You may recognize the title of our article this week as the title of a song released by Tina Turner in 1984. The song was written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle and was offered to several different singers who declined, and it was finally offered to Tina. This was the second biggest single of 1984. Incidentally, this song was Tina’s first and only U.S. number one song. The song received three awards at the 1985 Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
I won’t print all the lyrics here as space is limited. (They are available in print in many places). Suffice it to say that the lyrics make it amply clear that this is dealing with “love” of a physical nature. The questions that make up the words of the chorus are enough to show this. What's love got to do, got to do with it? What's love but a second hand emotion? What's love got to do, got to do with it? Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?
For many who are concentrating on the quickly approaching Valentine’s Day holiday, love is indeed based largely in emotion. This is the reason that some claim that it is possible to “fall out” of love. If love is just an emotion, such is quite possible as emotions are “fluid” in that they change. Love that is based on something much deeper never ends. God’s love to mankind has been manifested in many ways over the years. His love to us includes the sending of His Son to die on the cross. This is fully set forth in John 3:16.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
When Jesus died on the cross, He showed His love for us and He also paid the price to purchase the church, also referred to as the kingdom, as He and John the Baptizer preach while the church was in preparation. Jesus’ message was: Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 4:17
Those of us who are members of the Lord’s church are part of a spiritual kingdom. We know that Jesus’ response to the question of Pilate in the first part of John 16:36 affirms this. Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: Then, as we read 1Peter 2:5 we see that those “strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,” were indeed part of that “spiritual” kingdom, just as present day Christians are. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
This still does not address the question that is asked in the title of this article. In the Bible, the first three references to “love” are found in the book of Genesis and dealt with love of food (Genesis 27:4); and the love for a spouse, or a betrothed (Genesis 29:20 & 29:32). But the first instance of God addressing “love” is during His giving His people Israel a Law following His deliverance of them from Egyptian bondage. God said in Exodus 20:6 that His mercy being extended was dependent upon His people showing their love to Him by keeping His Commandments. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. It seems to me that love has a lot to do with it. In fact, in Deuteronomy 6:5-7 they were told to what degree they were to go to show their love for the Father.
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. God’s Law was to be their focus day and night if they loved God.
We as children of God today (Christians) just like Israel, God’s people under the O.T. are to show our love to Him. We are informed in John 4:19 that love originated with God and was directed to us. We love him, because he first loved us. Then, just as with the Israelites, we show our love to God by doing as He directs in His Word. We are told in 1John 5:2-3 how that we can know that we love our brethren in Christ as well as the Biblical definition for love. We are also told that His Commandments are not a burden to us. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. God, in His love for man has never asked (or commanded) that man do anything that is too difficult for man to do. This is true in all dispensations of time.
Who of us would not do what ever it takes to please the ones we love as we live our lives here on the earth? Many go to great pains and oftentimes spend a great deal of money to show their affection toward those they love. Why can’t these same folks look into the Word of God and do what God asks all men to do? The answer is clear. It is because they do not really love God. Many want to serve God as they desire rather than how God has put forth in His Holy Word. This doesn’t track as 1John 2:4 tells what these folks are. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. What’s love got to do with it? I think it is readily apparent that “love” has everything to do with it. Love God! Do His Commandments.
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
