One Love

(a meditation on Philippians 2:1-11)

There’s something miraculous and other-worldly about Christian love. Only in the body of Christ can we love with “the same love” and “the same mind,” “in one accord.” Because it really is the same love. Not just some agreement on what outwardly our love is going to look like; it’s the same love inside us.

It’s love that comes from the encouragement that’s in Christ, the comfort that’s in His love, the participation of the Spirit, the affection and sympathy of the gospel. It’s love that comes from a new spirit that is ours in Christ Jesus – His Spirit. One that empties itself and takes on the form of a servant and in ultimate humility obeys in sacrificial love – not even counting it to His own credit as noble or kind, but only simple obedience to the Father’s heart.

Our love is one in its definition – where so many have so many conflicting, competing ideas; it’s one in its source; it’s one in its substance; it’s one in its motivation. There’s none of the conflicting motives of my love out of my need to feel noble clashing with your love out of your need to be loved in return. No, this is that same love that’s in Christ – the love of One whose needs are met and whose heart is secure; the love of one without ambition and without conceit.

This is humble, simple obedience to the Father’s heart, without agenda because there’s nothing left to be gained and nothing left to be proved. He alone is noble and good and love… and He is ours. The one and only hope that remains to us is that we might, like Jesus, get to carry His name and bring Him glory through obedient love.

^{Php 1:9} And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.