Willing to Love
True love is a benevolent principle under the control of the will, not just an emotional attraction.
A.W. Tozer addresses the misconception of love in modern society, which has reduced it to mere sexual attraction and emotional whims, often influenced by Hollywood's portrayal of relationships. He emphasizes that true love is a deliberate choice and a benevolent principle governed by the will, rather than a fleeting emotion. Tozer argues that if love were merely an emotion, it could not be commanded by God, as seen in the biblical call to love Him and our neighbors. He critiques the trivialization of love in contemporary culture and calls for a return to understanding love as a profound commitment reflective of God's nature.
Text
Civilized man has brought about this tragic fall by associating love with sex exclusively and then popularizing the error by every means at his command. Millions of young people today are wholly unable to think of love except in terms of the disgraceful promiscuity of Hollywood.
Newspapers now report the numerous marriages of the movie crowd by number: "It was the third marriage for her; his fourth." And if it were not so tragic for everyone concerned, it would be hugely comical to read of a movie star being interviewed by the press and solemnly assuring the public that she is not at the moment "in love." Such a use of the word is completely degraded and smacks more of the beasts than of men made in the image of God.
For the millions, love is an emotional attraction, nothing more, as unstable and as unpredictable as sheet lightning. The Bible teaches, on the contrary, that true love is a benevolent principle and is under the control of the will. If love were merely an emotion, how could God command us to love Him, or to love our neighbor?
No one can "fall in love" at the command of another, if falling in love means getting seized suddenly with a fit of love as one might be hit with a charge of electricity or caught with a severe spasm of coughing.
Sermon Outline
- The Fall of Love
- The Biblical Definition of Love
- The Implications of True Love
- God's command to love
- The impossibility of forced love
Key Quotes
“Such a use of the word is completely degraded and smacks more of the beasts than of men made in the image of God.” — A.W. Tozer
“If love were merely an emotion, how could God command us to love Him, or to love our neighbor?” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must choose to love, rather than just feeling emotional attraction.
- True love is a choice that we can make, even when we don't feel like it.
- We must understand the Biblical definition of love in order to truly experience it.