I recently conducted an informal Facebook poll, posing the question, “In your opinion, what is the worst error a church can make?” The responses touched on various issues of great importance, including the failure to uphold biblical authority, neglect of doctrinal truth, and leadership issues, such as having weak or unqualified elders. Others focused on relational problems in the church, such as gossip, judgmental attitudes, or letting people slip through the cracks without being noticed.

Without minimizing the seriousness of any of the errors mentioned, I invite you to consider one error which permeates all others – the failure to love God and others.

Love as the Cornerstone of All Other Commands

The New Testament defines love by pointing to Jesus Christ’s selfless sacrifice.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

1 John 3:16

To love is to imitate Jesus, who died for us, even when we were undeserving sinners (cf. Rom. 5:6-10).

The New Testament tells us that the command to love (i.e., to love in a way that resembles Jesus’s self-sacrificial love) is the greatest of all commands. Everything else hinges on fulfilling this law.

And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 22:34-40

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Romans 13:8-10

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” you are doing well.

James 2:8

Paul and Peter emphasize the importance of love, urging Christians to put on love above all else.

And above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Colossians 4:14

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8

In the well known “love chapter” (1 Corinthians 13), Paul asserts that without love, there is nothing we can do in our service to God that holds any value.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal… If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

It should be noted that the command to love extends to all, even to those who don’t deserve it – even to our enemies (Luke 6:27-35). In fact, loving our enemies is the prerequisite for being considered as “children of the Most High.”

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

Luke 6:35

To what extent should we be merciful to those who don’t deserve it? We are to “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36).

To love others, even when it is undeserved, and implies self-sacrifice, hardship, and harm, is simply what it means to be a “Christian.” That is, to be a “Christian” we must love like Christ.

Implications of Failing to Love

It is important to note that the New Testament does not teach a minimalist approach to Christianity, as if nothing else matters beyond loving God and loving others. On the contrary Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

Later, John reinforces this point:

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

1 John 5:2-3

“Love God, Love Others” shouldn’t be a mere slogan, while other points of doctrine are minimized in their importance. Instead, if we genuinely love God with all of our heart, soul, and strength, everything else becomes more significant. In fact, it should matter even more to us because of our love for God others. This isn’t Christian minimalism; it’s Christian maximalism.

At the same time, it’s crucial to acknowledge that even if we follow commandments, uphold doctrinal truth, lead the church wisely, live holy lives, treat others kindly, and even lay down our lives, yet without starting with love for God and others, we miss the point. Loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind is the principle from which obedience to all other commandments flow.

Think carefully about this: If love is to be placed above all else, and if all our service to God is worthless without love, and if every other command hangs on the commandment to love, what conclusion can we draw, but that the failure to love is the worst possible error that a church could make.

Yes, there will be doctrinal disagreements and errors, and unqualified elders causing problems. But how we respond to these problems, and the individuals involved, is of utmost importance.

If we’re thinking biblically, how can we avoid the conclusion that mistreating, misrepresenting, slandering, or attempting to embarrass someone in the name of truth stands as just as bad, if not worse, than whatever error it is we claim to be opposing.

Self-Examination

While we have an obligation to distinguish between what is and what is not faithful, it is crucial to guard against self-righteousness. Instead of feeling righteous by contrasting ourselves with some of the more unkind, unloving Christian examples, we must start by asking ourselves: Are we guilty of the worst error imaginable? Do we do everything in love? Do we place love for God and others above all else?

Think about it.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:1-2