The next characteristic of love is that it “does not act unbecomingly” (see I Corinthians 13:5). That’s an interesting characteristic of love. We might also say that love is consistent, and the ones who love will have actions consistent with their beliefs. What would this look like?
There are many human definitions of love, but none of them match God’s definition—that He is love. Therefore, the Lord cannot act unbecoming to love. So, the best example of love is the way that the Lord Jesus behaved. Does that mean His judgments, even His wrath, His verbal blasts at the Pharisees and self-righteous, were all done in love? Yes.
The Lord had remarkable mercy and grace for sinners, but seemingly had none for the self-righteous. Even though it may seem that way, He did have some. In I Timothy 2:4, we see that the Lord desires for all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. When He was blasting the Pharisees and self-righteous hypocrites, we can be sure that He was doing it in love. When someone falls into the self-righteous spirit, they can be the most difficult to reach and are actually in the most jeopardy. The Lord said that it would be better not to be born than to become a stumbling block; they had become stumbling blocks that were keeping others out of the kingdom. Those who are of this spirit are not likely to be reached without the most blunt and direct condemnation of their actions and attitude. We can be assured the Lord was not just expressing His frustration with them but was trying to wake them up to their condition.
People who have a distorted view of God’s love, what some call “sloppy agape,” will likely take any level of firm or challenging words to be harsh, and they will not believe it could be the Lord because “He is love.” It is true that He is love, but our concept of what love is can be distorted. Look at what He did and said, all of which we know was done in love. He even called Peter “Satan” (see Matthew 16:23). That may not sound like love, but it was. God’s judgments were done in love—as discipline that would bring His people back to Him.
How would this relate to an economy or business that is built on love? How does not acting unbecomingly apply to this? It could apply in the need for a biblical code of ethics for those who are a part of the kingdom economy, which would bring quick and strong correction for any who deviated from them.
I had a meeting years ago with the head of the biggest bank in America, and he immediately began to download on me how doing business with churches used to be the best business that a bank could have, and now it is the worst. He told a number of stories about how his bank had lost millions of dollars by churches. They had decided that they no longer wanted church business because Christians were so undependable. All I could do was apologize for this and agree that it was wrong. We ended up having a good conversation which went an hour past our scheduled meeting, something I was told he never does. He even said he wanted to visit our church.
Christians now have some of the worst reputations in business. The lack of integrity has been tragic and an affront to the Lord and His gospel. However, it can be turned around. This bank CEO was known as one of the hardest corporate leaders in America, and he was mad at the church, but a simple apology softened him far beyond what I expected. I could tell he really wanted to believe in the church, but he just needed a reason to, and what he had seen in the church until then was not something to believe in. I am not giving up on him or the church.
I know many Christian businessmen who do not want to do business with Christians because of their lack of integrity. This is very unbecoming of His children. One of the most basic characteristics of God is that His Word is true. If we are going to be like Him and represent Him, then our word should be our bond. That is why Jesus exhorted us to “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No,’ because anything beyond this is evil” (see Matthew 5:37).
We began the Kingdom Business Association (KBA) last year, and it immediately drew many successful Christian business people and is continuing to grow fast. One of the purposes of the KBA is promoting business among Christians, but for us to promote anyone they will have to comply with a biblical code of ethics. Those who lack integrity, who do not conduct their business in a way that is becoming of the Lord and His kingdom, will be confronted, disciplined, and then publicly warned to comply with Matthew 18. We will be doing this for their sakes, as well as to protect others who might do business with them. It’s tough, but it is love.
We are told that if we will judge ourselves, the Lord will not have to judge us (see I Corinthians11:31). If we seem harsh in our judgment of some, it is actually in mercy that we are doing this, seeking to discipline ourselves before the Lord has to do it. This is His preference too as He prefers mercy over judgment, but He has to have a reason to show mercy.
We are told that judgment begins with the household of God (see I Peter 4:17). In the recent economic crisis, business across America is down 10 to 20 percent. That is a serious economic crisis, but donations to churches and charities have been reported down 50 percent or more! Why? This crisis is coming upon the whole world just as God’s judgments came upon Egypt—to set His people free! We are being disciplined more severely because He loves us, and it is a sign of His love because He only disciplines those He loves (see Hebrews 12).
Love does not act unbecomingly. We can and must behave in a manner worthy of our calling.
