True Love

“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” Romans 12:9

The word dissimulation means “the act of concealing the truth; hypocrisy or deception; or to hide one’s feelings or intentions.”

For an example of what dissimulation is, do you remember what happened to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane? How Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss? Judas may have kissed the Lord, but not because he loved Him. It was all to try to hide his true intention of betraying the Lord. Here is the passage:

“Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at had that doth betray me.

And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.

And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.

And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.” Matthew 26:46-50

Judas didn’t love Jesus, all he cared about was money. Of course Jesus knows all things and knew that He was going to be betrayed, but Judas made it appear like he loved Jesus, even though he really didn’t. In fact, this wasn’t the first time that Judas hid his true feelings about something. 

In John 12, Mary Magdalene washed the feet of Jesus and anointed His head with some ointment of spikenard, an ointment of high value and used especially to anoint people of high honor. But when Judas witnessed this, what did he say?

“Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.” John 12:5-6

You see, he didn’t love and care about the poor. He wasn’t concerned with helping others; he only wanted it for himself. He was a thief, and filled with guile, or “dissimulation.”

When we speak with others, we need to be truthful. Not part of the time. Not most of the time. ALL the time. In order to truly love our neighbor as ourself, we need to be completely honest and genuine in our speech and the way that we treat them. No guile or falseness, no deception or lies.

“For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:” 1 Peter 3:10

In the book of Psalms, there is a passage that fits perfectly with our topic verse today.

Psalm 55:21, “The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.”

We read in the Scriptures that charity (love) is the complete fulfillment of the commandments. If it is truly love, it will be pure, honest, and good. 

“Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:” 1 Timothy 1:5

We need to love each other “fervently.” Not only treating others as you would want to be treated, but treating others as you would treat Christ. Honest, and truthfully. If you wouldn’t treat Christ the way that you are treating another person, in deeds or in speech, then don’t do it to another person. 

“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:” 1 Peter 1:22

Speak the truth in love, because God is love.

In Christ,

Andrew