After looking at John the Baptist’s life, we see that “contrast causes conflict.” We know that we are told in the Word to be different, but that can be hard. Conflict, like the hammer hitting g the nail, wants us to conform. How can we keep from conforming to the pressures that conflict brings withit?

The answers must be in motivation. What motivates the contrast? Christ, even more so than John the Baptist, was contrasting to the world in which he was born, and like John, experienced great conflicts – including death. But what motivated Christ? The answer can be found I the most popular version in the Bible, John 3:16.

John 3:16 KJV

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The contrast is easy to see: God – the world. They are entirely  different. The conflict is also easy to see: God gave – whosoever believeth should not perish. Christ suffered and “perished” so we wouldn’t have to. The motivation is clearly stated: love.

Love is what motivated Christ to suffer. It is what allowed Christ to follow through with dying on the cross. It is the “joy that was set before him.” It was because of Love that he took our place. And this same love is what he has called us to imulate.

Love must motivate everything we do, love the lord your God with your whole mind, soul, and strength. Love must be the reason why we do anything, or we will cave to the conflict. But, if love (God’s love) is motivating the contrast than the conflict can’t crush it.

Unfortunately, we often have a shallow, limp wristed understanding of love. Our love is emotional, it is temporary, and it is often self seeking. Paul gives us a great understanding of what love is and what it can do in 1 Corinthians 13.

1 Corinthians 13 KJV

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

⁴ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

⁵ Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

⁶ Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

⁸ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

⁹ For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

¹⁰ But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

¹² For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

¹³ And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity

The word charity used in this chapter is the same word used and translated as love in other places of the Bible. The translators used this word to help the reader understand that there is a special all important type of love that we must posses as Christans.

Love is often used in a general sense, I love ice cream and I love playing chess. The idea here is that I find pleasure in, and enjoy that which I love. I use this same word when trying to convey an idea to my wife and children. I tell them that I love them. I do not mean that I enjoy them, there are many times that I don’t enjoy them. My daughter spilt my coffee all over the floor this morning. I did not enjoy her in that moment. My wife went shopping and spent money at her own discretion, I did not necessarily enjoy her at that second.

The love in which we are talking about goes much deeper than liking or finding pleasure in something. It is a force that moves us to be benevolent toward someone, especially when we do not find pleasure in it, and when acting benevolent will cost us greatly.

Love is selfless, love is putting the other above self, and love is never asking “what do I get out of it.” Love is Calvery.

Matthew 22:37-40 KJV

³⁷ Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

³⁸ This is the first and great commandment.

³⁹ And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

We must learn how to love God in this way, so that we can love others as he does.

Love is how we can be salt without becoming salty,

Love is how we can be light without being repelling

Love is how we can be righteous without becoming self-righteous.

1 John 4:7-10 KJV

⁷ Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

⁸ He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

⁹ In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

¹⁰ Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

S. T. 
Acts 20:24
"But, none of these things move me..."