I have a feeling that you are calling a resistive load " a linear load" and a reactive load " non linear", or you are mistaken. In a resistive load the current is in phase with the voltage, in a reactive load, the current is not in phase with the voltage and if the load is totally reactive, is 90 degrees out of phase with the voltage and there is no real power in the circuit (no heat dissipated). Real power is known as watts (W), the current flowing in a reactive circuit leads to indicated power of VA (volts X amps). The ratio W/VA is known as the power factor (PF), which can be 1.0 with a resistive load and 0 in a purely reactive circuit.
Frank