And It's Love
“We pass out paper facts all week, and they won't come around.”
“We
can debate theology, but they won't come around.”
“Apologetic
reasoning, but they won't come around come around.”
“there's
only one way they'll come, and it's love.”
Lyrics
from a song called “Come around” by Jimmy Needham
We
start this lesson in
Matthew
24:12-13
New King
James Version (NKJV)
12And
because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow
cold.13But
he who endures to the end shall be saved.Lately I have noticed some things Maybe it's because I am fairly new to the internet. I have only been connected for the past 10 years and not consistently. So maybe it has been going on longer then I realize. What I have noticed is an attitude. An attitude from Christians towards “sinners” I consider that and oxymoron because Christians are “sinners” saved by grace.
On fb someone posted an audio tape of a very popular televangelist saying, and I'm paraphrasing , that all Christians that don't tithe should be lined up and shot.
I was shocked! This preacher was never one of my favorites but this was just beyond me. I was taught that every persons walk is their own and between them and God. I was taught that everyone in Christ has their own weaknesses and strengths and that we should never judge. The concept of tithing may come to some easily and others may struggle with it. We should pray for each other in our weaknesses and celebrate each others strengths.
In a youtube video a Pastor said, again I'm paraphrasing, all homosexuals should be put on an Island and food dropped down on them from a plane until they dye off. Now I can't even begin to describe how ignorant that statement is. But this is another statement that has no compassion for the lost.
In another youtube Documentary A Christian said in regards to a christian flag being asked to be removed from a public building, “That he was tired of turning the other cheek,” and that he would love to take the person and beat them. In that same town a public official said that if the non Christians in their town didn't like their Christian values of the majority in the town that they should just move away.
Now that doesn't sound very loving to me.
1 John 4:7-8
New King
James Version (NKJV)
Knowing God Through Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Jesus
showed us through his Love for us How we aught to love one another.
1 John 4:10-11
New King
James Version (NKJV)
10
In
this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent
His Son to
be the
propitiation for our sins.11
Beloved,
if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.This means that in the same way God loves us we should Love one another.
Jesus said, if we love him we will obey his commands John 14:15
Matthew 22:37-40
New King
James Version (NKJV)
37
Jesus
said to him,“‘You shall love the Lord
your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
mind.’38
This
is the
first
and great commandment.39And
the
second
is
like
it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’40
On
these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”He is saying that if you obey these two commands, you will not break any of the rest of them because they all are based on these two; loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself.
In the story of the good Samaritan he expands on the concept of loving your neighbor,
Luke 10: 25-37
In the Gospel of John Jesus washes his disciples feet and then goes on to tell them to do the same for one another. He then says , That this will show their love for each other.
John 13:35
New King
James Version (NKJV)
35
By
this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for
one another.”Jesus then expands further his concept on Love by saying Love your enemies.
Matthew 5:43-46
New King
James Version (NKJV)
Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?Matthew 5:38-42
Turn the other Cheek
38
“You
have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a
tooth.’
39 But
I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on
your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40
If
anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your
cloak
also. 41
And
whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42
Give
to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not
turn away.
I want you to notice something,
We show our Love towards God through obedience to him. If you Love me obey my commands.
We show our love for our neighbors through self sacrifice. Jesus' example of laying down his life, the good Samaritan story, the washing of the feet.
We show love for our enemies by turning the other cheek.
Let's Go back for a second. Jesus said because of Lawlessness or disobedience the Love of many will grow cold. So when people turn away from loving God their love will grow cold. They will stop acting loving towards their neighbor because they have lost their first love. It's as simple as cause and effect.
When we compromise God's word and set aside a Godly standard of Love to suit our own motives. Then the submissive love for Jesus grows cold and the sacrificial love for man grows cold. So loving your enemy will definitely grow cold or cease to exist at all. Christians will not be able to respond correctly to persecution which we know is coming more and more. Intolerance will beget intolerance, and offense will beget offense, hatred,hatred evil, evil, and so on. In essence an eye for an eye.
A cause of this deterioration is found in Matt 24:11 which says 'Then many false prophets will arise.”
The people being taught by these false prophets are being led astray. They have more of a relationship with their church then they do with God and they don't read the bible enough to catch the errors in their leaders doctrine.
Deuteronomy 13:1-4
New
King James Version (NKJV)
Punishment of Apostates
13“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.Now let me make something clear. Everybody has their own language of love. Some people show it by hugs and kisses. Others by acts of service. Some through gifts. You may misunderstand someones Language of Love because yours is different from theirs. This might make you feel unloved but that is just a breakdown in understanding. We are not talking about that here. We are talking about Christians doing things contrary to Gods word (commands) and saying it is because of their devotion to God. That's a lie from the pit. You can't say your tired of turning the other cheek and still claim to be following Christ. You can't say you are calling for violence or inhuman behaviors towards others and then say you are still a follower of Christ. You have been deceived.
We need to be very careful that our hearts don't grow cold because of weariness of sin in this world or persecution from the world. A little leaven will leaven the whole lump.
We must remember that
1. We were once in darkness. Ephesians 5:8
2. That the world is still in that darkness.
-
That
the darkness is getting greater as the years go on. Isaiah 60:1-3
-
We
are to be the light in that darkness Acts 26:18 (The heavenly
vision.)
A clue to how this can happen is in
1 Corinthians 13:4
New
King James Version (NKJV)
4 Love
suffers long and is
kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed
up;And In vs 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Christians that lose their patience are being deceived to act contrary to God. They have trouble enduring to the end. They stray from the truth. This is caused by a fear of some kind.
1 John 4:18
New
King James Version (NKJV)
18 There
is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear
involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
One
of the most profound things Jesus said was “Father forgive them for
they know not what they do” There is an acknowledgment that those
who crucified him where in darkness and could not see the truth or
they would stop what they were doing.His prayer was an act of Love and understanding.
This teaching is a warning for you to keep watch over your heart. To beware of Christians who say things that are contrary to obeying God's word, Loving your neighbor, and Loving your enemy. How can you do this? You must read your bible everyday. You must pray everyday. When you pray ask the Holy spirit to lead you into all truth. Pray that God will fill you with his Love which is a fruit of the spirit which God gives us liberally. Amen Let's pray.
May God's Love grow up in us. May we be moved with compassion for others as Jesus was moved with compassion to save us. May we reach out to a dark and dying world and be the light in that darkness. May our love for one another draw the lost to the Love of Jesus. Holy spirit teach us and guide us into truth. Give us patience to endure till you come again In Jesus name Amen!
