It is laxity—and not
love
Few words have been used more inaccurately and
loosely in recent years, than has "love." With a great many
people it is but a synonym for moral laxity, weakness of
character, a taking the line of least resistance, a quiet
tolerating of what is felt to be wrong. Multitudes of parents
have supposed they were treating their children "lovingly" when
they overlooked their folly, make excuses for their wildness,
and refused to discipline them for disobedience. They have
prided themselves on being "kinder" toward their children than
the "stern measures" which were meted out to themselves in their
own youth. But it is laxity—and not love—which
allows a child to have its own way. "He who spares his rod hates
his son—but he who loves him, chastens him early" (Prov 13:24).
Let those of our readers who have young children ponder Proverbs
19:18; 22:15; 23:13, 14; 29:15, 17, and remember those are the
words of Him who is Love!
That which we have referred to in the above paragraph has been
by no means confined to home life—the same evil has held sway in
the "churches." Leniency and weakness have overridden
righteousness and faithfulness. Instead of maintaining and
enforcing the discipline which God's Word enjoins—the great
majority of the "churches" have winked at even glaring sins,
refusing to deal with those who walk disorderly. This
reprehensible laxity is misnamed "love." A maudlin
sentimentality which shrank from "hurting the feelings" of
others—ousted all concern for the glory of Christ and the honor
of His "house."
This is one of the inevitable effects of
the lopsided preaching of the pulpit, where the love and grace
of God were constantly proclaimed—while His justice and wrath
were studiously ignored. God is "light" (1 John 1:5) as
well as "love" (1 John 4:8), 'holy' as well as 'merciful',
'severe' as well as 'good' (Romans 11:22), and unless the
balance is preserved between those two sides of the Divine
character, not only will He be grievously misrepresented—but the
most serious results will follow!
Arthur Pink, Love Reproving, 1943
