All Love Is Not the Same

This message challenges us to examine the true source of our love and actions. Drawing from C.S. Lewis's exploration of four types of love—storge (familial), phileo (friendship), eros (romantic), and agape (divine)—we're invited to understand a crucial distinction: while unbelievers can perform loving acts through what theologians call 'common grace,' only those transformed by Christ can demonstrate the sustainable, sacrificial love that flows from God Himself. The sermon unpacks a powerful theological truth: we can do all the right things—serve at soup kitchens, give generously, even sacrifice our possessions—but if our hearts haven't been transformed by saving grace, these actions are ultimately empty. Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His day for this very reason: they polished the outside of the cup while their hearts remained filled with selfishness. The pivotal question becomes: are we loving from what we possess and can gain, or from what we've received from God? Through the Holy Spirit's work in our lives, our natural loves become reordered—family love becomes faithful rather than possessive, friendships become truthful rather than merely loyal, and romance becomes covenantal rather than consuming. The restoration of Peter in John 21 beautifully illustrates this: Jesus asks three times, 'Do you love me?' before commissioning Peter to care for His sheep. We cannot effectively serve God's purposes if we're not first rooted in His love. This message calls us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, recognizing that every act of genuine love flows from our union with Him.