“And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.”
There is no wiggle room in this commandment.
You can do all the “theological open field running” you want, search every commentary, point your finger, and deflect blame…but there is no getting around that statement. The one who loves God - must love others.
This is reinforced when Jesus says if you are angry with someone don’t sacrifice to God until you talk to them…. Matthew 5:24 “leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”
There are no loopholes…. Love is not just a commandment, it’s an identity. God is love. If He lives in you - and you don’t love others, there is a problem.
You can dress up with feathers and wings – and tell everyone you’re an eagle – but if you don’t fly – they’re going to know you’re not an eagle.
You can dress up like a Christian – go to church every week – But, if you don’t love others – according to this verse their going to know you’re not a Christian.
If you are unable to love people because of their skin color, or who they voted for, or because they have a medical opinion you don’t agree with…then you have an identity problem. Those stipulations are not allowed for in this verse, and you need to make sure you’re not claiming to be something you’re not.
God loves you and wants you to be His…And If God lives within you…. how can you not bleed love when you are cut?
This is one of the last books written in the bible and God is making sure we “get it”. Love is the element that defines us… it is not just something we do – it is something we are – it is the foundational component in our DNA and identifies us as His children.
You cannot love your brother without loving God – neither can you love God, without loving your brother…So, reject this world’s tendency to divide us - and start praying for your neighbor, serving others, and loving those who don’t love you...that is your identifying mark.
“I can no longer condemn or hate a brother for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble he causes me.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
No comments:
Post a Comment