The 3 Colors of Love
The 3 Colors of Love by Christian A. Schwarz
I heard about this booklet from a dear friend. Her church was using this as a church growth tool in a small group setting. After hearing about her experience I became determined to write a review. While the initial concept sounds good and has a measure of truth behind it, there are some red flags that need to be revealed.
About the author…
Christian A. Schwarz is not someone I’m familiar with in Christian circles, but he isn’t a newcomer either. He is the founder and president of the Institute for Natural Church Development in Germany. Interviewed in 2004, by Christianity Today on the topic of natural church development, he explains his approach to church growth in an article called "The Strong Little Church". He says the smaller church has a lot going for it, particularly in the area of providing a quality experience, usually outperforming a larger church in many areas.
Mr. Schwarz is right on target since experts have been trying to predict church growth trends for several years. Fearing perhaps the demise of the mega-church and the mid-size church, research comes down in favor of smaller churches because the younger generations are looking for meaningful relationships.
About the concept…
In “The Strong Little Church,” Mr. Schwarz has identified eight quality characteristics of a healthy church. These are: “empowering leadership, gift-oriented ministry, passionate spirituality, functional structures, inspiring worship services, holistic small groups, need-oriented evangelism, and loving relationships.” His focus is helping churches identify and strengthen their weak areas among the eight quality characteristics of a healthy church. Then individuals do the same.
Consequently, Mr. Schwarz developed a series of discipleship booklets based on these eight quality characteristics. “The 3 Colors of Love” is one of these booklets. It has a companion study resource titled, “How to Implement the 3 Colors of Love in Your World” by Adam Johnstone.
About “The 3 Colors of Love” booklet…
It’s about the “biblical principles of Christian love” and how to apply these principles to develop loving relationships within the church. According to the book synopsis, this booklet “focuses on the three fundamental dimensions of God’s love:” justice, truth, and grace. Mr. Schwarz’s goal in this booklet is to help individuals all over the world “experience the revolutionary power of God’s unconventional love.” Why? Developing our love capability, we will be able to extend love to others, thus providing the relationships outsiders seek.
Does the Bible support the concept?
Mr. Schwarz says God’s love is a combination of justice, truth, and grace. This concept is expressed throughout the Bible. It is specifically demonstrated in the Book of Exodus in the account of the Israelites and their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Evidence of God’s love for the Israelites is demonstrated repeatedly, but is so often misunderstood. Unfortunately we often fail to understand that justice, truth, and grace are essential in expressing love. I explained it to my Sunday School class this way…
We often think God was horrible in asking the Israelites to go into the land promised to Abraham and kill all the inhabitants-men, women, children, and often animals. To our modern thinking minds, we find this to be an atrocity against mankind. What gave them the right to annihilate a people group? The key is in understanding the difference between murder and execution.
In the Biblical account of the Israelites moving into the Promised Land, they were commanded by God to destroy the inhabitants. Some would say this was murder, but I contend that it was justice. These wicked ones had rejected the Lord God Jehovah. It was His decision to destroy them as a demonstration of His justice. We know that without faith it is impossible to please God. These were without faith in God. The Israelites were the executioners-carrying out God’s justice.
These people were wicked and hated the Lord God Jehovah. Many would suggest these people groups never had a chance to accept God, but I contend that as descendents of Noah, the testimonies of Noah and his family were handed down to all generations so they were without excuse. How do we know this? Most people groups have historic knowledge of a flood that destroyed the earth. Secular history bears this out.
What is the penalty for unbelief? Death. Let me say again, they were not murdered, but executed. Since God is just, He must carry out the tenets of His law. His law requires that sin be punished. His Law is truth because it exposes sin i.e. the wickedness of man’s heart.
What is the first commandment? It’s written in Exodus 20:3, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (KJV) Matthew 22:37-38 expresses it a little more succinctly: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”
Grace was expressed when God sent His Son Jesus to be the propitiation for our sin. Jesus was without sin, yet He died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin. Then He rose from the grave, forever settling the question of life after death. All who will accept Him as their personal Savior and Lord will be with Him for eternity.
Justice, truth, and grace are the elements of love. Without truth, there can be no justice. Justice without grace is surely not just. The three must go together to be genuine love.
Teaching the concept…
Mr. Schwarz introduces his concept using a trinitarian compass consisting of three colors on a color wheel to demonstrate the positive (justice, truth, and grace) and the negative side (deception, mercilessness, and injustice). He uses James, John, and Paul as examples, assigning one aspect of the color wheel to each. James is a model for justice, John for truth, and Paul models grace.
First he lays the foundation of his theoretical paradigm by defining love, the light and darkness, and the fruits of the spirit. These are used to explain how God’s love can be expressed in three ways.
Next comes a discussion on how to reflect God’s love, culminating with the “Fruit of the Spirit Test” to determine areas of weakness and strength. Based on the test results, participants are encouraged to study the areas where they are weakest. This was actually very helpful. I took the test and found it to be right on in identifying strengths and weaknesses.
Practical exercises found in the last chapters in the booklet provide opportunities to strengthen the weak areas so the individual can more effectively reflect God’s light and love to others. Why is this important? Mr. Schwarz favors a gift-oriented ministry where individuals exercise their specific spiritual gifts to others thus becoming the Christian God intended which allows people to find their God-given identity.
My thoughts…
It took me several reads through the first chapter to understand what he was talking about. His ideas are based on assumptions about people from all over the world. Are his assumptions correct? Is it man’s responsibility to make himself an acceptable receptacle of God’s love? Think about it… God’s Word does not support the concept. If it were true, then why would we need Jesus? Man is unable to make himself a suitable vessel from which God’s love can be reflected. Only when God changes the heart is this possible.
I believe that man must come to the place in life where he sees himself as God sees him in light of God’s Law. Remember the Law exposes sin. I believe that man is unable to change himself from being the sinner he is by nature. We cannot change our nature. God changes us when we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord by sending the indwelling Holy Spirit to bring about conviction and repentance.
We learn new behaviors through our obedience to God’s Word. However, our original sin nature is still present within each of us. We continually war against it, struggling to do the righteous deeds of the spirit rather than the unrighteous deeds of the sin nature. We must be in constant vigilance to put off the old nature. Consider these words from Paul, the model for grace:
“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Romans 5:5
“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.” Romans 8:15-20
“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:16-19
“If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:20-24
Red Flags…
My problem with Mr. Schwarz is rooted in his understanding of who God is, his terminology, his implementation, and his global world view.
Problem #1: Mr. Schwarz believes God’s nature is love based on 1 John 4:8.
My thoughts: I disagree. Love is a characteristic of God as explained in 1 John, but God’s nature is spirit. God is three (triune): God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Problem #2: Early in the booklet, Mr. Schwarz shares his belief that believers are to become “open channels for the love of God”.
My thoughts: Channels? Does God need channels in which to express his love? I don’t think so. In this context, it comes across as the task of believers to be love or to exhibit love on behalf of God. God doesn’t need us in order to express His love. He already demonstrated His love for us by sacrificing His Son Jesus so that believers could have eternal life. Check out Romans 5:8:
“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
The message we are to carry to the world is not that God loves us (yes, He does), but we are to tell the message that God has reconciled us to Himself through His Son Jesus.
Problem #3:
Mr. Schwarz would like the three main areas of the world to find balance with each other. Let me explain his concept…he has decided the three main areas of the world (the western world, the eastern world, and the southern world) all have specific cultural tendencies. These are:
- The tendency to imperialism and truth in the western world (North America, Europe, and Australia)
- The tendency to hypocrisy and grace in the Eastern world (mostly Asia)
- The tendency to anarchy and justice in the Southern world (mostly Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia).
Of course, he stresses all three tendencies are evident in some way in each world zone.
The idea in identifying each zone’s tendency is to recognize each as a strength, but at the same time to realize the other two tendencies are lacking. He advocates achieving some sort of balance between the three identified tendencies in order to reflect God’s love and character to others.
My thoughts: In cross cultural ministry it is obvious there are differences. To label these differences with stereotypical behaviors is offensive. He is right in saying all hold true of each to some degree, but I would hardly say anarchy and hypocrisy and imperialism are positive strengths.
The concept of being different but alike smacks of a one world religious view concept. Each has a piece of the puzzle, put together, they become one. He says all of us have a different starting point and a different path to follow. Again his concept of all roads lead to the same place is false.
The Bible says Jesus is the only way of salvation (John 1). Jesus reflects God’s love perfectly; we cannot be a true reflection of God’s love no matter how much effort we put into it because we are imperfect. The Bible says we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). We cannot work enough to make ourselves good enough. We cannot demonstrate God’s love perfectly, no matter how hard we try. Instead we are to point others to God and to His love. There is a difference here.
Mr. Schwarz is trying to address the issue of unfriendly and unloving churches. We can certainly extend friendship and perform all the acts of love and have the feelings of agape love, but we will never be substitutes for God’s love.
Problem #4
The entire purpose behind Mr. Schwarz’s discipleship resources, including the 3 Colors of Love is to correct the problems of the church that keeps people away. That correction is to identify the failures of the church by identifying the failures of the individuals. He makes the assumption that lost people will be willing to come to church if the church would just make itself more appealing. If church people would learn to be more loving, people would experience that love and would want to join in.
My thoughts: There is a terrible fallacy floating among church growth experts today. That is the idea that the church should be geared to the lost-those without Jesus as their Savior and Lord. I’ve studied church growth principles for years and experienced many sizes of churches, from the mega-church to the smallest of church congregations. These popular approaches work for a time, but the church still has a revolving door.
Why? First of all many churches promote an easy believe-ism concept that requires nothing but assent to accepting Jesus and praying. Unfortunately, many new “converts” demonstrate their lack of understanding and lack of faith by refusing to obey His commands, by a distinct worldliness, no repentance, and a desire to be pleased, just to name a few characteristics I have witnessed. We label them “carnal” Christians.
I do not believe in the concept of “carnal Christians”. I used to, and was taught that concept in churches I have attended. Yet, I have found the concept of being a “carnal” Christian does not line up with Scripture. Consider these verses as evidence that condemns the behavior of a “carnal” Christian:
John 10:27-29 says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.”
John 13:35 says, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
John 14:15 says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
John 14:21 says, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”
Matthew12:50 says, “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
You might also read Matthew 13 about the parable of the sower to understand how easily some will want to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, but ultimately do not. If one has received Jesus as Savior and Lord, it stands to reason there would be a true desire to repent and turn away from sin, not a half-hearted attempt. Sin would be grievous, not something to shrug off. Obeying God’s commands would be foremost in thought, not looking for a loophole to excuse disobedience.
The next aspect to this problem is the idea that God’s Word is insufficient to hold people’s attention. They need worldly entertainment, fun things to do, and opportunities for fellowship to get them inside a church. We are called to be a holy and separated people according to 1 Peter 2:9-10, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
The church is for the Believers. Believers are to go out and witness to the lost the message of Christ. Discipleship follows through a mentoring relationship within the church. Didn’t Jesus command the disciples to go out? Consider the words of the great commission: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
I remember how popular bus ministries were years ago. Buses would travel the neighborhoods around the church to pick up kids and take them to church. On Saturdays, workers would go out door to door to invite the kids to come with promises of fun. Candy was distributed freely. It was the latest method to win the lost at that time.
The hope was for parents to become interested and come too, but parents enjoyed the free babysitting. In the meantime without adult supervision, the kids were unruly and disruptive in the mainstream worship service. So children’s church was established to be a training ground for bus kids, so they could be assimilated into mainstream church worship. It never worked. Instead children’s church became the place for all kids from babies to 6th grade to go during worship service. Then when they were teens, they chose not to attend, and we lost them. What should have happened is for children to be included in worship service under their parents’ supervision. Lessons would have been reinforced at home. By the way, more and more families are opting for a family style worship time.
Problem #5
I have a difficult time with Mr. Schwarz’s terminology. It smacks of New Age philosophy and Emergent church mysticism. I’m not sure of his doctrinal stand on these issues, but he has certainly embraced some of the buzz words.
I also had a difficult time with the “How to Implement” booklet by Adam Johnstone. He uses a variety of techniques to engage the student. These include visualization, prayer, discussion, daily readings, Scripture verses, an Implementation guide, a mutual mentoring partner, and exercises consisting of questions and answers to name a few. This booklet takes the concepts outlined in 3 Colors of Love to another level by identifying a growth cycle as a spiral. Individuals can find their own starting point on the spiral as they progress in their continual growth process. The process itself is likened to breathing in and breathing out. On the inside cover is a picture of the growth cycle as it relates to the 3 colors of love. Also is a short explanation of the growth cycle:
“God is love, and created the world to grow in countless cycles that surround us. While the cycle remains unchanged, it will take you to a different place in your life with every revolution. Start where you are and return any time you ever stray on the journey. Feel the breath of love from God and others fill your soul, and watch your world change as you breathe it out again. So, will the passing of time just make you older, or more loving as well?”
My thoughts: The concept about the growth cycle is clearly unbiblical. A cycle of growth is reasonable, but this again has an undertone of man in control versus God in control. It leads one to believe we have the power to free ourselves from our sin. If that were true, why did Jesus die on a cross?
This book fosters the idea that man can identify what he needs to become more like God. The Biblical understanding is that the Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin which leads to repentance on the part of man. God is in control of personal growth; we have only to obey His commands. He makes them plain to us. I find the concepts to be in direct opposition to Biblical wisdom.
Conclusion…
I do not recommend this book, and in fact, I find it to contain false teaching according to my perspective and understanding of God’s Word. I do not believe these concepts are solidly based on God’s Word. The booklets contain too much of man’s wisdom.
Folks, read the Bible before you attempt to read any self-help books, church growth books, etc. Know what God says first. Know God’s word so well, you can see the fallacy behind much of what is written today.
I personally encourage you to be selective in your reading and Bible study materials. Make sure they line up with God’s Word. Do not be deceived.
