More regarding love from other New Testament writers:
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. – Galatians 5:6
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." – Galatians 5:13-14
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. – 1 Peter 4:8
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet, "and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. – Romans 13:8-10
Are we on the same page regarding the importance of love yet?
In reminding ourselves over and over that sin is sin, and there is no such thing as big sins and little sins, I think we’ve fooled ourselves into thinking the same thing about commands.
Commands are not all equal. Some are more important than others. How else could Jesus declare two to be “the greatest commands”? The greater create the principles for the lesser. (We'll get back to that thought in a future post)
In fact, sometimes in keeping the greater you might break one of the lesser.
And God has been known to approve of that!
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath." He answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread--which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." – Matthew 12:1-8
Did you catch that? David and his men did something unlawful, yet according to Jesus they were innocent. The priests work all day on the Sabbath, yet according to Jesus they are innocent.
When we say loving God and loving others is at the top, we mean it. It takes precedence over everything else. Over our positions on instrumental music, communion, wine, church assemblies, EVERYTHING.
That’s why the way we conduct ourselves in a blog comment space such as this is so important. You may practice singing, communion, and bunch of other things exactly the way God intended, but if you are rude, arrogant, and full of pride in your comments here and elsewhere, you have broken the greater command.
-----------------------------
Here's your homework. Read 1 Corinthians 13 and consider how "religious" discussions might look if all parties were committed to following the greatest commands.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Here it goes Hudgins version:
If I voice my opinion and do not construct it in love then it falls on deaf ears. I can have faith as a mustard seed, but faith will do me no good if I can not share the mountain of love.
If I share everything I have and my motivation is not out of love, then I don’t gain anything by helping others because others will not see the sincerity behind the giving.
Love is the example of Christ. It seeks out the interests of others first no matter how strained the relationship is between two people.
Love doesn’t look at the past, but looks at the present actions and it will protect and trust and hope in the relationship preserving it for the future relationship.
True love which is from Christ will never fail. When we mature in our Christian faith and love together then our immaturity will be done away. Putting away such doctrinal issues which are not done in love will be done away with and when reaching maturity those things won’t matter. What matters is the heart of those who I encounter in my daily walk because it will be fully manifested. Faith, hope and love is what matters in the relationship, but love will always remain the most important. Love covers all.
Synopsis:
It doesn’t matter if we try to work out doctrine issues if we don’t have the love and objectivity of the whole circle. King Arthur had a round table so that there is equality. However, if one places an object in the middle and is asked to describe what it is and it’s use all twelve will have something different.
Why? They are different because each person has a unique life’s experience. Each one see’s differently. Some harsher than others and some kinder than others and when all are put into one book then there is a complete wholeness of the object. When others read they will conceptualize different ideas and feelings than those who were actually there.
If we don’t have the love motivating the action and command of teaching others then we have gained nothing and to those who need him the most we become like a mosquito.
We need to buzz in the world. Not as bloodsucking pests that seem to drain the life out of the church by semantics of what we feel is right, but as bees.
We need to be like bees collecting together the pollen (gospels) and harvesting the true message (Christ). Bees are one colony and the work produces the honey which attracts many in the world who want to be a part of what we have. Honey is the love which can be spread among many. We may sow our oats and add to it the honey of our labor, but it doesn’t lower our cholesterol. Instead, it raises the whole and not less of it all. We need to check our hearts to see what our levels are because I love my honey bunches of oats!
Post a Comment