by Joe Palvado

Created on: September 19, 2009

Christian teaching takes the matter of love very seriously. The apostle John reminds his audience that God is love (1 John 4:8). Authentic love is of God. Sex is also of God. Inasmuch as Christians believe that human beings were created by God, it follows then that since humanity was created in his likeness and image, humanity should also then participate in the creative act. Love and sex, within the context of marriage is beautiful and is open to the creation of new life. Love well ordered cooperates with God in the procreation of the human race if God so wills.

Relationships are of God. From the beginning he created man and woman to sustain one another, to support, to nurture and to love one another. Christians believe in the value of relationships because of the validation supported by another ancient scriptural reference found in the Book of Genesis (Genesis 1:27) where it is stated that "God created man in his image, in the divine image he created him, male and female he created them". All that God creates is sublime.

God endowed his most glorious work on earth with attributes not ascribed to any other created thing. Among the creatures on earth, human beings alone are endowed with free will and intellect. Human beings may choose between good and evil. In that sense, they are most like the person of God who alone is pure love and absolute goodness. Through an act of disobedience largely perpetrated by the enemy of God, human beings severed their intimate relationship with God choosing to believe a deceiver who in scripture is portrayed as being diametrically opposed to God, a personality who was "a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth because there is no truth in him" (John 8:44). Sin entered creation history and the beatific vision humanity had enjoyed was lost.

Christians rejoice that God himself redeemed the relationship between himself and his disobedient sons and daughters. To those who are able to accept it, Jesus the Christ, the crucified Son of God, expiates the sins of all who accept baptism and the washing away of sin through the blood shed by Christ to reverse the consequences of disobedience. Christians symbolically have their sins washed away by the waters of baptism, claim the supreme act of God's own sacrifice as the sure sign of God's forgiveness and are bestowed yet another sharing gift of God's holy Spirit by which humanity is once again sanctified or brought back into loving relationship with God.

Love then to the authentic Christian, is more than erotic attraction or filial relationship. Love is self sacrificing and free from sin. The Christian, called to be chaste, to be like Christ, disciplined, pure in intention and action, is grounded in the gospels where frequent admonitions warn against the illusions that lust presents. Mere emotions followed without the guiding light of scripture and the consistent teachings of Christ's church, will inevitably lead to erroneous assumptions regarding love.

Physical attractions, instinctual appetites, confused emotions, disorded acts and yearnings for affection are all part of the human condition. But love, to be elevated to sacramental efficacy, to be authentic, to be truly passionate, must first look to God and find its fullest meaning in Him. The man and woman who seek his will and relationship before and beyond their respective feelings or desires will most certainly experience love beyond all understanding and expectation.

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