Love and Affirmation

Love and Affirmation

Blake Payne

Blake Payne

Pelham Associate Campus Minister

Since the creation of man, we have believed lies about the nature of love. Our culture equates love with affirmation, and any disagreement is perceived as hate. Yet when we are led by the self-made song, we cannot experience God fully. Instead, we rejoice that through Christ, God has power to transform our desires.

Study Questions

Application

  1. The world defines love as affirmation without constraints. In what areas of your life is this definition of love winning out?

  2. Consider how you show love to those around you: coworkers, friends, family, children, etc. Are you more prone to affirm their desires or God’s desires for them? How can you grow in this area?

Key Points

  • To be healthy and relevant believers, we should be able to identify the culture’s lies and articulate the truth of the gospel.

  • When love is reduced to affirmation, God’s truth becomes secondary, and personal sovereignty becomes primary.

  • The song of a creature is affirming God’s good desires for us. And to love others well, we must patiently and with kindness actively seek God’s desires for them.

  • Sharing the joy of being transformed by Jesus is one of the most compelling ways to love others.

Other Scripture References

1 Peter 3:13–16

Genesis 3:1–5

Psalm 34:8

Jeremiah 17:9