The concern for believers is that we make progress in the right kind of love. Whitney rightly concludes that we too often find our investment in love to be in the natural affections. In Romans 1:31 and 2 Timothy 3:3 (The ESV translates this heartless, the KJV without natural affections) we find this natural love described in the Bible. However, in both of these cases Paul describes men as being without this love. This heartlessness or lack of natural affection shows the depravity of man, because it it a love that should be found in relationships between people, Christians and non-Christians alike. This love is evident, even in a fallen world, because man is created in the image of God and given the ability to demonstrate this kind of love.
However, there is a greater love that is the kind of love we should love with. It is what Jonathan Edwards terms “religious affections.” Edwards describes this love but first describes a falsified view of it by identifying a “quid pro quo” love . . . if you love me, I will love you. Jesus addressed the shortfall of this type of love in Luke 6:32. Edwards concludes:
They are full of dear affections to some, and full of bitterness toward others. They are knit to their own party, them that approve of them, love them and admire them; but are fierce against those that oppose and dislike them. Some show a great affection for their neighbors . . . the children of God abroad; and at the same time are uncomfortable and churlish towards their wives and other near relationships at home, and are very negligent of relative duties.
Here is the measure of true Christian love and the reflection of Christ Himself, is the bounty of your love shown, not only to people who reciprocate love toward you, but to those who do not? Edwards put it this way:
A True Christian herein is like the love and compassion of Jesus Christ. He showed mercy to men’s souls, by laboring for them in preaching the gospel to them; and showed mercy to their bodies, in going about doing good,
The most significant display of Jesus’ love for humanity was in His death, for through His death we experience the love of God to eternal life. The gospel then ought to be the center of the love we express for our fellow man. Maybe we are showing natural affections, but we certainly need to be showing religious affections. It is not enough to merely do goods unto our fellow man to show love, the greatest love is expressed by sharing the gospel and hope that Jesus saves sinners from their sin and reconciles them to the Heavenly Father.