Is Love a Choice?
From Gospel Translations
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By John Piper About Sanctification & Growth
When I talk about Christian fellowship as a means of perseverance, the fellowship I have in mind is this mutual bond. And I think the word mutual would be the English counterpart, if koinonia could be an adjective. The mutual bond that Christians have with Christ involves us — involves every person in this room, if you count yourself a Christian, united to Jesus by faith — in a profound (I wish I had a better word) deep, eternal relationship of love with each other and every other Christian. Deep, profound, eternal.
When I think about you right now, the hundred people in this room — think of it: forever, you and me. And all the rest of us here. If we belong to Jesus forever, you better get over some problems with each other. It’s forever and deep and glorious. There’s no other way forward than this mutual bond that we have in Christ.
And it expresses itself, therefore, in joyful, affection — none of this “Love is a choice” stuff. The Bible abounds with words about relationships among believers that are just way beyond, “I choose to like you, jerk.” It’s affection. It’s something that’s really changed about how we feel about other believers, and if we don’t, we’ve got a major problem to deal with.
This mutual bond that we have together in him binds us together in a profound, eternal relationship of love, expressing itself in humble service to each other. And that is the essence of the fellowship that becomes the means of perseverance.
