If you’re on Facebook at all, chances are your newsfeed was lighting up with opinions for and against homosexual marriage this past weekend. This post is not continuing the argument, but one FB post over the weekend triggered a thought that I will expound upon here. My friend wrote this:
“Love Wins.” You keep using those words. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Love.
I was completely challenged by something my pastor said a few weeks ago. Often we read things in the Bible that don’t sit well with us. We attempt to explain things in our own understanding or make excuses for God when He doesn’t sound or seem like we think He should. I mean, what do we do with passages that sound like He is angry? Or hating something?
But the challenge was to read the word as Truth and realize that God is love. Period. Whatever is in the Bible that describes God is part of His love. It’s who God is. He is love, among many other glorious things that our pitiful language attempts to describe.
Does He lash out in anger at the Pharisees? That is love. Does He call a sinful woman out on her sin? That is love. Does He forgive the criminal on the cross? That is love. It may not make a lick of sense to us, but we must trust in the Lord and lean not on our understanding.
Because our understanding of love is limited, short-sighted and tainted by our own sin.
We can’t often get beyond our feelings. So, if our friend strongly believes something, then we begin to make excuses or even support her in her earnest belief. If she is believing something against God’s word or commands, we may diminish the wrong or overlook it. We even call this love.
But, I must be reminded of what authentic love is, where it originated from. God is the Creator and He is love. The clay cannot tell the potter what a handle should look like. In the same way, I cannot tell God what love should look like. Instead of justifying and re-scripting truth, I need to believe Him and trust His word. Otherwise, who is really calling the shots? I know we all yearn to be the one in charge, the authority on any given subject…but at some point we have to realize that there is Someone greater than us. As much as I don’t want to answer to someone else, I can’t honestly say I want the burden of all of creation on my shoulders…how about you?
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
Matthew 7: 24-27
2. The humble man.
If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14
3. The saved man.
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.
1 John 4: 10
These three examples win because it is God who is giving each wisdom, humility and salvation. It is God who is love and it is God who wins. The Savior of the Universe is also the Judge of the Universe.
Christian, if you profess Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then do not walk in both worlds. Do not try to please both man and God. This is foolish thinking! Stand for something! Choose the Rock as your foundation, not the shifting sand of our culture.
Love, Wendy
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Hebrews 13: 8
*propitiation= For the Christian the propitiation was the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. It turned away the wrath of God so that He could pass”over the sins previously committed.” (Romans 3: 25)
