I have been reading Paul Tripp's book called--What Did You Expect??Redeeming the Realities of Marriage.
In this book he gives a definition of what he feels cruciform love is: "Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another that does not require reciprocation or that the person being loved is deserving."
I like this definition and it is good to think on. He says we get our" best definition of love from the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ's sacrifice of love is the ultimate definition of what love is and what love does. In this passage John is calling us to cruciform love, that is love that shapes itself to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ (cruci = 'cross' and form = "in the shape of' ). "
He was applying some of I John 4. I felt this was good to think about and reflect on.
I think I will link this to Barbara's http://barbarah.wordpress.com/ The week in words
2 comments:
I like that concept of "cruciform love". It seems like the more I grow in the faith, the more I see the role of the Christian as being an "image-bearer"--one who by persistently gazing upon God is conformed into the image of His Son.
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That's very similar to a definition a professor in college gave to us -- had the same idea of self-sacrifice but lacked the part about being undeserving. I think that's where we fail in loving so often -- we think the other person has to deserve it in some way. Yet Christ's example should cure us of that. Excellent quote, and one we need to apply in every relationship, with His help.
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