Encouragement, Informational, Inspiration, Truth

God’s Commitment to Love

Last Updated: Jan 7, 2024

I want to start off today by sharing a fairly well-known quote from a fairly unknown Rabbi named Julius Gordon. 

Love is not blind – it sees more, not less, but because it sees more, it is willing to see less.

    Julius Gordon

As I was trying to find some background information on this Rabbi, I realized how some people are disrespective of what they do not understand. The above quote is not simple. Readers must have somewhat of an abstract mind to fully understand this quote. Below is a cropped screenshot of a website that I found:

Thus far, 3824 people laughed at this quote because they found this “funny.”  They, clearly, didn’t understand the beautiful meaning behind this quote.

We are used to the phrase that says, “Love is Blind.” Depending on which way this phrase is used, it could mean the naivety of an immature person or the genuine love of a mature person.

If the above phrase is used latterly, a person who loves another in such a manner can be commended for having a pure and forgiving heart. However, if someone loves another in the manner that Julius Gordon described in his quote, that person should be commended for having a generous and virtuous heart. Why the difference?

Love is not blind – it sees more, not less, but because it sees more, it is willing to see less.

Julius Gordon took “Love is Blind” to another level. He expanded upon the latter usage of this common phrase and gave a deeper meaning of true love. Not only that, whereas “love is blind” can only, truly, be applied between lovers, he gave a definition of love that can be applied to any type of relationship.

Definition of the Quote

Seeing More

Julius Gordon’s quote speaks of love in which we see, not just the outside of a person, but the inside as well. At this point, we can argue that “love is blind” says the same thing. However, Julius Gordon’s quote implies more scrutiny in which we look at the inner side of a person.

This scrutiny is not for the sake of being noisy, but because of a genuine desire to know everything there is to know about the person. This speaks of the genuine respect that we give to another. This is a respect of acknowledgment given to the fullest degree! It is the total opposite of just seeing a person and walking away as if the person is a decoration. The quote is not talking about our daily routine greeting that goes, “Hey how are you?” “Oh, I am doing just fine.” “That’s good. See you around.” It is talking about a genuine interest in people that we know!

Focusing on the Positive

When we take a genuine interest in another, we gently peel away the social shield, that we all carry around ourselves, and of another. That pealing away of the social shield allows an individual to open the door to his/her world to be shared with the one showing genuine interest. The end result is that we get to see many aspects of the individual, and we get to understand him/her much better than before.

At this point, the important thing to remember is that the person showing genuine interest in another is focusing on the positive of the individual. It is so because “genuine interest” in another can, truly, only be generated from the inner side of our hearts. That means we have consciously decided to approach another in a manner that is “accepting” of one another.

Overlooking the Negative

Of course, when we get to know one another we are bound to find out about another’s negative traits as well. But Julius Gordon’s quote talks about the “willingness to see less.” Genuine interest allows one to see not just the positives and the negatives of another, but it allows one to see the reasons behind those traits. In case of the negative traits, because we are aware of the reason behind them, we are told, by Julius, to overlook the negative. That is called, showing compassion. If this is not having a generous and virtuous heart, then I don’t know what is!

God’s Commitment

Part 1

Okay, so we’ve had a little class on Julius Gordon’s quote on true love. Where does God come in all this? 🙂

I would like to take everyone to 1 Samuel 15:11:
“I regret that I have made Saul king because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the Lord all that night.

The above scripture talks about God regretting making Saul into a king. In the history of human beings, as recorded in the Bible, God has certainly regretted many times.

So what made God regret making Saul the king of Israel?

God told Saul, by way of Samuel, “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys‘” (1 Samuel 15:2-3). “But Saul and the army spared Agag [King of Amalekites] and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good” (1 Samuel 15:9).

Not only did Saul spare Agag, the king of Amalekites, but he also kept the best of the sheep and cattle. This is not what God wanted. God was taking vengeance on the Amalekites, but Saul did less than what God commanded!

Can anyone understand God’s anger? What do we feel when our revenge gets thwarted? Do we not get angry? But who can identify with God’s anger when His “chosen” does not carry out His revenge as He commanded?

Part 2

Anyone with an ounce of imagination could probably understand God’s anger, at this point. God’s personal revenge was thwarted by his Chosen!

So why did God allow that? Isn’t God this all-knowing, supreme being? If the revenge was that important, why did He use Saul to carry it out? If taken a bit further, why did God make Saul into a king in the first place? Doesn’t that make too much sense?

This is where today’s quote comes in.

Love is not blind – it sees more, not less, but because it sees more, it is willing to see less.

God, though being an omniscient person, chose to “see less.” What this means in God’s terms is that though He could have seen the future before He made Saul the king, He chose not to! How could He have an emotion of “regret” if He had not!?

This is God’s commitment of Love to us, to forego “seeing” our sins, and, even more amazing, He chose to forego “seeing” our past sins through His Son Jesus! What is more generous? What is more virtuous?

Our Decisions

As previously stated in “Misconception About Free Will,” God chose to give us the respect and consideration that a father would give to his biological children. He didn’t have to do that. He could have chosen to treat us with malice, but He didn’t. Instead, He chose to bathe us in His love. That was His commitment to us. What can we do to respond to his compassion? He sent His Son to die for our sins. All He asks is for us to accept Jesus into our hearts. What do you say?

Russel

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    About Author

    TEoP Ministry

    Hello,

    My name is Russel Kim. I am a U.S. citizen originally from S. Korea, and I am currently residing in Chicago, IL. It is my plan to build the church in northern downtown Chicago (N Halstead st and W Division st) on a big plot of land that is still owned by the city of Chicago. It is my faith that God will give me this plot of land (given or bought) for me to build multi-story ministry building. The ministry will carry on a theme and identity of "God Country" and as such, people involved in the ministry (staff and congregation/members) will be known as "Godians" (People residing in the Kingdom of God ----Godians). I believe that through TEoP Ministry, an image of God will be redefined in the hearts and minds of Christians and the influence of the Holy Spirit will become a greater part of our lives. In the long run, the city of Chicago will also be known as The City of the Holy Spirit!

    I have been a military brat, thus traveled around a lot, and even as an adult I have traveled around a lot. I have been to (visiting or driving through) pretty much all except upper left quadrant of the U.S.

    My life's journey as a Christian began in 1995, and God had led me through many different jobs and many different experiences ranging from being a construction worker to being a medical doctor.

    During my third year in the medical school, God sent me a dream where He was taking me on a trip that was different from what I was looking forward to as a medical doctor. Though it took a long time for me to realize the path that God had intended for me, and thus, letting go of my aspiration of being a Psychiatrist, I have taken a leap of faith into focusing on that God intended path for my life.

    I went to Moody Bible Institute to get a Master of Divinity degree, but I separated from them after my second year of the program. We had a difference of opinion regarding the Bible, and I got kicked out. My view of the Bible and Christianity is different. It is my view that Christianity is too antiquated and that an updated view of God is a must. Every sector of the world (Science, History, Anthropology, Medicine, etc) is constantly updating with new ideas, new discoveries, and therefore, new understanding, but Christianity is the only sector that has remained the same for centuries.

    The status quo in the Christian community is that we don't question what has been passed down through the generations and that we don't venture looking at scriptures from different angles due to the premise that the older generations had all the right answers regarding the Bible and that they made no mistakes, as God made sure of that. Such complacency is wrong and irresponsible. Christians claim Christianity is a relationship rather than a religion, but how does a relationship never improve? How does a relationship stay the same when all around the world is changing? My ministry will reflect the change in times and God will be shared with the world in the way that God intended, through new discoveries!

    This website is the beginning of my preparation to focus on a journey to start a church and a supporting business (church-business model) for God's Kingdom.

    I ask the readers to help me in any way that God see fit for your lives, and I certainly hope that what I have to share in this site will be a blessing to you as well!

    P.S. If, perchance, that you would like to keep me in your prayers, I ask you to consider these four:
    1) God's continual guidance regarding the church/business concept that he laid on my heart.
    2) Union with teammates that will help me lead the church/business.
    3) Union with life-mate (yes, I'm single) that will help me lead the church/business.
    4) My continual growth in God.

    Thank you!

    Russel Kim