Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Loving according to the gospel

Jeremy and I just had this big conversation the other night about a message he heard from a dear friend of ours.  He was teaching about how we ought to love others, but mainly speaking of how we love other believers in Christ.  I was greatly convicted and challeneged and I wanted to share.  He was talking about loving others based on the gospel of Christ.  If we love others based on the gospel then we realize that there are none good, not even one.  And we know that we ourselves deserve Hell and that we are capable of all kinds of evil without Christ.  But Christ "loved" us so much that He gave Himself to pay our debt, He died so we could be set free and be reconciled to Him.  What Love, Mercy, Grace, and Forgiveness He showed us!!  We also know that we are not to add or subtract from the gospel of Christ.  So if we Love others with Christs love, we are not supposed to add to that or take away from that.  Ok, I know you are saying, get to the point, right?  Ok, here it is, I have seen a growing trend among believers, mainly in America, and even in my own heart, that we Love others to an extent,  but if they don't meet our standards then we brush them off or write them off.  If someone wrongs us or does something that we find unattractive or weird, or unfunny, or just simply is not like us, we tend to treat them differently then someone we do find attractive, funny, cool, has it all together.  But does it not say in Romans 3 that there is no one good, that all have fallen short.  How can we take away from the gospel by saying, sorry I can't love them, they just don't wear the right clothes or say the right things, or they hurt me and I just can't forgive them.  Sure, we are not meant to be best friends with everyone, but search your hearts, do you avoid people that look different than you, or may not be as well dressed or attractive as other of your friends.  We are not supposed to be respecter of persons, because that is how the world loves.  We are supposed to be different.  Everone one is special and beautiful in Gods eyes. 
Lord, please forgive me, I know I have been this way, God you are calling us to a higher calling, to be like minded with You, help us not to be like the world, who only love those who make them look good or feel good.  Lord you associated yourself with the lowly.   It has been my experience that the ones who are seemingly unlovely are the most beautiful people of all.  Lord change our hearts, make us more like You!

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