Love is to be expressed as sincere, God-centered agape that seeks the other person's highest good and actively rejects evil.
The Bible pairs genuine love with a clear rejection of evil, and Les Feldick defines this love as seeking the other person's highest good rather than Hollywood's version of romance. He teaches that this love was perfectly expressed on the cross and is to govern every relationship in the believer's life. It is not a superficial feeling but a practical, law-fulfilling love that only true believers can truly exercise.
Romans 12:9 — This is the verse that directly answers the question: love must be without dissimulation and joined with abhorring evil and cleaving to good.
Romans 13:8-10 — Paul expands the command by showing that loving one another fulfills the law and does no ill to a neighbor.
Romans 12:9 commands the believer: 'Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.' This verse joins sincere love with a deliberate hatred of evil, so love cannot be expressed in a way that tolerates or excuses what God calls wicked. Paul then explains in Romans 13:8-10 that such love is the fulfillment of the whole law: 'Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.' In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Paul describes what this love looks like in action: 'Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.'
Les Feldick defines the love Paul speaks of as 'seeking the other person's highest good.' He emphasizes that this is not the erotic love that Hollywood promotes; it is God-centered agape love, and only true believers can really exercise it. He points to the cross as the supreme expression of that love: love put Christ on the cross, love caused God to pour out mercy, and that same love is to become the believer's attitude toward neighbors and even enemies. Les consistently teaches that this love is practical, not sentimental. It keeps believers within the guidelines of God's commandments, so grace never becomes a license to sin. Every area of life—marriage, children, neighbors, business partners—is to be governed by love, and the believer's faith itself is rooted in God's love shown at Calvary.
Les says the best definition of real love he has ever come across is 'seeking the other person's highest good.' He heard it years ago and has liked it ever since. It is not original with him, and it is not Hollywood love; it is the love Paul talks about when he says that he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Les teaches that the epitome of love was on the cross. Love set Christ's face like flint to the cross, love nailed Him there, and love caused God to pour out mercy at the cross. When that love has been imparted to believers, the same kind of love becomes our attitude toward the people around us, even our enemies.
Les explains that just because we are saved by grace we are not free to do as we please. The Ten Commandments are still the perfect law of a holy God, and all of them except the Sabbath are part of the Christian experience. Love confines believers on one side with love for God and on the other side with love for other people, so love worketh no ill to his neighbor.
In the context of Romans 12, Les encourages believers to determine their God-given gift and put it to use without boasting, since it is from God. Elsewhere, he stresses that love is the foundation of everything: without charity, even giving all goods to feed the poor and giving the body to be burned profits nothing. Love is also the predominating factor in marriage, family, and neighbor relationships.
Les highlights from 1 Corinthians 13 that true love is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, rejoices not in iniquity but rejoices in the truth, and beareth and believeth all things. This is the love that is the whole crux of the work of the cross—God's love showered on mankind when He sent His Son to Calvary.
Using Your Gift in Ministry
Les encourages believers to determine their God-given gift and put it to use, reminding them that it is from God and nothing to boast about.
Agape Love vs. Erotic Love
Les explains that the love Paul describes is not erotic or Hollywood love, but God-centered agape that only true believers can exercise; without it, even giving all goods and sacrificing one's body is profitless.
Love Expressed at the Cross
Les teaches that love is the fulfilling of the law and that the epitome of love was the cross: love put Christ there, and that same love is to shape believers' attitudes toward neighbors and enemies.
Love Seeking the Other's Highest Good
Les defines love as seeking the other person's highest good and shows that doing so fulfills the law; he also notes grace does not make us free to live as we please.
Les's Definition of Love
Les gives a clear working definition of the love Paul talks about: a love that seeks the other person's highest good—not erotic or Hollywood love.
Love as the Foundation of Christian Faith
Les teaches that knowledge puffs up but love edifies, and love is the foundation of the Christian faith—it prompted Christ to the cross and should dominate how we treat our spouse, children, and neighbors.
Love Keeps Believers in the Straight and Narrow
Les explains that love confines believers between two lines—love for God and love for other people—preventing them from committing adultery, killing, coveting, or doing ill to their neighbor.
Love's Character in 1 Corinthians 13
Les highlights the qualities of true love: not easily provoked, thinking no evil, rejoicing in truth, believing all things—and says this love is the crux of the cross.
Romans 12:9: Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
This is the direct command the question asks about: love must be genuine and must reject evil.
Romans 13:8: Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Les quotes this verse to show that loving another person fulfills the law.
Romans 13:10: Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Les says this love keeps believers in the straight and narrow.
1 Corinthians 13:3: And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Les uses this verse to show that any sacrifice without love is worthless.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7: Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Les walks through these marks of love to show what true agape looks like.
Les Feldick says the best definition he has come across is 'seeking the other person's highest good.' He heard it years ago and has always used it when explaining the love Paul writes about. It is not erotic or Hollywood love—it is God-centered agape.
No. Les says the Ten Commandments are still the perfect law of a holy God. Grace does not free us to do as we please; love keeps believers within the guidelines of God's commandments.
On the cross. Les teaches that love nailed Christ there, love caused God to pour out mercy, and Christ set His face like flint because of His love for lost mankind. Believers receive that same love as their attitude toward others.
Watch the Teaching: Be Not Conformed: What Romans 12:2 Really Means for You