Love Has Good Manners

In today’s chapter, Sinclair recalls reading a newspaper article by a stand-up comedian which posed the question, “Have you noticed that there seems to be so much more rudeness today?” Many of us will surely agree that, on the whole, there seems to be less common courtesy and decency between people nowadays; research has shown that we tend to respond to rudeness with more rudeness! What might be the reason for this? Could there be a link with losing Christianity from our culture?

Sinclair writes, “What, then, is lost when we lose our Christian worldview? Our highest dignity—that as men and women we have been made as the image of God, created specifically for loving fellowship with him and with each other (Genesis 1:26-28) … Disconnected from the love of God and from loving him, the foundation and motivation for respect begins to crumble. There is a kind of inevitability that rudeness will result—to God and man.”

God’s common grace to us all means that our society remains at least somewhat loving, but the gospel’s positive impact is not felt as strongly as it once was. When we deliberately remove God from our communities and personal lives, we suffer the consequences in both big and small things (e.g. Romans 1:28-32).

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul is teaching us how the influence of the gospel can transform our everyday lives as well as our eternal destinies. The ‘good manners’ springing from love that today’s verse encourages aren’t quaint or old-fashioned, but the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10). Sinclair writes, “Christians are not rude. That negative implies a positive: they are polite, respectful, caring, thoughtful, well-mannered. That doesn’t mean they are slaves of social etiquette, but lovers of biblical etiquette!”

We are called to be countercultural in every way, including our manners. In this way, we are witnesses of God’s love to the world around us. The Father didn’t only send his Son into the world, but sent his Spirit to live within each of us. So the Spirit of Christ—who was never rude!—indwells every believer, and works to remake us in his image.

Today, think about what it means to be well-mannered. How do you think biblical etiquette differs from social etiquette? How might you reflect the likeness of Jesus in this way? Pray that you might remember each day what it means that “Love … is not … rude”.

Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair B. Ferguson (published by The Good Book Company) available to buy at Eden Christian Bookstore or Amazon.