Doctrine of Love
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I am not attempting to explain myself here so that those who feel I am, "all gracey gracey and love love" can sleep at night, though I am completely okay with that title verses being called, "all judgy judgy and hate hate," I'll gladly take the former! I feel I am in good company because that is exactly how the high and mighty religious people of Jesus' day felt about Jesus' message of love and acceptance. Somehow they felt threatened that God might just love people who weren't like them; which seems so contrary to what we as Christians should feel.
1 John 4:8 “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
In the firestorm of comments, some 60 plus, someone said (I paraphrase) that they weren’t a big fan of the whole “doctrine of love” (now this was a Christian mind you – and claimed to have actually gone to theology school) I instantly was reminded of 1 John 4:8 (above), and thought since God IS LOVE then what this person was essentially saying was that they weren’t a fan of God? Really? Can you be a Christian and not be a fan of God?
1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
After nearly 40 years of living for Christ, I know I don’t look like I am in my 40s, I am more and more coming to understand that for the most part it’s just not my job to judge people, point out their sins, condemn them to a lake of burning sulfur, especially on facebook, and definitely not unless I am asked to do so. I have enough to worry about just trying to work out my own salvation, and the salvation of my family. Now I realize that this is worthy of a huge discussion, and there are so many ways to go with this, but I do get very tired of the mean-spirited “Christians” who talk and act so self-righteous and above everyone else. And like many people said to me through facebook, “these kinds of Christians are what keep me away from church!” That sucks! I wouldn’t want to be that kind of Christian! I want to be like Jesus and be called, “a friend to the sinner!”
Just FYI, I used to be that other kind of Christian (the mean, judgmental, self-righteous type -- still am sometimes!) and you know what, I have found that I have lead more people to a relationship with Christ through LOVE then I ever did through the judgmental condemnation way!
