Pure, Unadulterated Love

ROMANS 12:9

Love must be sincere.


This is such a simple verse. Only four words yet one of the hardest commands God gives. What exactly is sincere? The dictionary describes it as free of deceit, hypocrisy or falseness; genuine, real, pure, unadulterated. I believe it’s that word that makes this command so difficult to put into practice.

Love is a word that is heard more times than you could probably imagine. I challenge you to take a day and listen for the word being used. Count how many times you hear it. You will be surprised. We use it to express our feelings for everything from food to cars to that one special person. We love pizza. We love chocolate. We love a bright yellow convertible Mustang. We love him/her! We love…

Is that kind of love truly pure and unadulterated? Is it free of deceit? Truly now, will we still love that pizza if it makes us sick afterward and we find ourselves hugging the porcelain throne? Will we still love that Mustang when it gives up and leaves us stranded in the middle of nowhere, never to work again? How about the love of our life that has deeply hurt us and we don’t know how to forgive? Is that love still pure and unadulterated?

Anything God commands is backed up with sincerity. He wouldn’t command something that He himself wouldn’t do and He is love. When He commands something He expects it to be fulfilled and backed up with sincere love in our hearts. Your first defense may be, “I do. I have a sincere heart when fulfilling God’s Word.” Yet, when you are faced with having to love someone who clearly does not deserve it do you sincerely love him? Or do you find yourself saying “I have to love him but I don’t have to like him”? Is that truly pure love? How about when the offering plate comes around and you hesitate putting anything in it because you could really use that money. But hey, you will give it anyway because it’s the right thing to do even though your heart is hesitant. Is that genuine love?

If we have negativity in our heart toward something yet still confess love then it is adulterated love, full of deceit. Therefore, obeying God’s command to show love or give to Him what is His is not true obedience. It’s just sacrifice. 1Samuel 15:22 says to obey is better than sacrifice. God wants our hearts, not just our actions.

I challenge you to examine your heart. Is it full of love, sincere love? If not, take time to pray. Ask God to examine your heart and to take out what is not of Him. I have to on a consistent basis. There are many external demands for my emotions. I must be watchful. I must be sincere. God bless!