The law of love, originally found in Lev 19:18 and reiterated throughout the NT (cf. Matt 7:12; Matt 22:39; Mark 12:31; Rom 13:8-10; Jas 2:8), is the backbone of all interpersonal relationships. Without it the church loses its witness for Christ in the world (John 13:35).
Now, love has teeth to it: the affection of love expresses itself in actions of love. And those actions are summed up as doing good. In Gal 6:9-10, Paul calls us to “not lose heart in doing good…while we have opportunity” to “all people…especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” Doing good means anything from clothing to food (Jas 2:15) to any of the world’s goods (1 Jn 4:16).
James 2:8 says fulfilling this law of love requires impartiality, which in James’s context amounts to not making distinctions between the rich and poor. An impartial person shows mercy to the poor, many of whom God has chosen to be “rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him” (Jas 2:5).
Impartial love and mercy expressed in good deeds to all people, especially to the church – that is the gospel’s call on our lives. As He loved us sacrificially, we must love others in the same way.
This kind of love requires a listening ear to believers who are different from us – ethnically, socioeconomically, or otherwise. This requires an empathetic heart that tries its best to see the world through the eyes of those who are different so that we weep with those who weep (Rom 12:15). This requires a courageous heart that will do justice when opportunities present themselves (Jas 1:27; 5:4-6; cf. Matt 23:23).
Listen. Empathize. Show courage. But as we try, we will face so many of our own prejudices, assumptions, and biases such that we will either stop trying or double-down on our current, sometimes misinformed or even misguided positions.
That’s when we must turn to Jesus Christ. Turn to Him, and see His listening and sympathetic heart (Heb 4:14-16), His advocacy for us in our sins (1 John 2:1-2), and His immense love for us in facing down the wrath we deserved so that we would not face God’s judgment, but only know His fatherly love.
Let the love shown and showered from above in the person and work of our Savior free us from our selfishness to liberally love one another.
