--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The command is to love him, not just to…" description: "\"The command is to love him, not just to think about him, or do things for him. We are not to stop with a proper legal relationship - for example, to th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/426/francis-schaeffer-2607_christian_the-command-is-to-love-him-not-just-to-t_2426443.jpg" --- # The command is to love him, not just to think about him… ![“The command is to love him, not just to think about him, or do things for him. We are not to stop with a proper legal relationship - for example, to think of a man as legally lost, which he is, in the sight of a holy God - without thinking of him as a person. Saying this, we can suddenly see that…” quote by Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/426/francis-schaeffer-2607_christian_the-command-is-to-love-him-not-just-to-t_2426443.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/426/francis-schaeffer-2607_christian_the-command-is-to-love-him-not-just-to-t_2426443.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/426/francis-schaeffer-2607_christian_the-command-is-to-love-him-not-just-to-t_2426443.jpg) > “The command is to love him, not just to think about him, or do things for him. We are not to stop with a proper legal relationship - for example, to think of a man as legally lost, which he is, in the sight of a holy God - without thinking of him as a person. Saying this, we can suddenly see that much evangelism is not only sub-Christian, but subhuman - legalistic and impersonal.” [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True love for others goes beyond legal or superficial concern; it requires personal, relational engagement that reflects divine humanity. **In simple terms:** Love must be personal, not just legal. Key Takeaway Engage people as individuals, not just as legal entities. Themes love relationship humanity spirituality Mood compassionate reflective Type theological ethical practical When to use this quote - pastoral care - evangelism - conflict resolution - community building Key Concepts personalism theology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance legal obligations with personal compassion? - What steps can you take to see others as whole persons? A Different Perspective Legalism can reduce people to abstract concepts, missing their full humanity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christian Subhuman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-subhuman-6155572/) [Command](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/command/) [Evangelism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evangelism/) [Example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Holy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy/) [Holy god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-god/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Sight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sight/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Sub Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sub-christian-6155575/) [Subhuman Legalistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subhuman-legalistic-6155573/) [Suddenly Evangelism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suddenly-evangelism-6155574/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thinking of him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-of-him/) ## Related quotes > [An ineffably holy God, who has the utmost abhorrence of sin, was never invented by any of Adam's descendents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/an-ineffably-holy-god-who-has-the-utmost-abhorrence-of-sin-was-never/) [Arthur W. 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I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) [Browse all 14,306 Christian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The command is to love him, not just to think about him, or do things for him. We are not to stop with a proper legal relationship - for example, to think of a man as legally lost, which he is, in the sight of a holy God - without thinking of him as a person. 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