Philippians 2:8 says of Jesus, “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Did you ever give much thought to the statement “He humbled Himself?”

Yet, the love that Jesus commanded is not about “working to make your neighbor happy by affirming their perceived identities or choices.” For one, happiness is not the defining quality of love. Happiness often accompanies the type of love that Jesus commands, but not necessarily in the short run.

Sometimes Christians can get so excited about the redemption Jesus brings that they fail to tell any other part of the 
Biblical story. We rightly rejoice that our sins are forgiven; this truly is great news! However, if this is the only 
part of the story you know — or if you mistake this part as being the whole story — it is easy to end up with a 
fragmented or even reduced view of the gospel.