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CLICK HERE to buy Mere Christianity By C.S. Lewis / HarperOne Arguably the 20th century's most influential Christian writer, C.S. Lewis sought to explain and defend the beliefs that nearly all Christians at all times hold in common. His simple yet deeply profound...
CLICK HERE to buy: A Woman Rides the Beast By Dave Hunt / Harvest House Publishers Virtually all attention these days is focused on the coming Antichrist --- but he is only half the story. Many are amazed to discover in Revelation 17 that there is also another...
CLICK HERE to buy When a Nation Forgets God: 7 Lessons We Must Learn from Nazi Germany By Erwin W. Lutzer / Moody Publishers The atrocities committed by the Nazis are almost unimaginable. And yet, in the early 20th century, Germany didn't appear to be on the brink of...
In a time of great division and polarization that leads to conflict, separation, and war, love wins.
But not the kind of love you’re thinking of. Not the kind of love the world tells you love is.
1 Corinthians 16:14 – Let all that you do be done in love.
This verse is setting the groundwork. Let all you do be in love!
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but ????REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH????. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
As with all sin, we ALL fall short of the true definition of love.
Notice in the list above, after saying all the things love is not, the first item describing what actually is, is seeking the truth.
This is because our emotional reaction (listed in what love is not) usually buries the truth. We put our feelings in front of the facts and usually end up doing or saying something we regret.
After seeking and finding the truth, love has grace for those who fall short of being loving. That would be the bearing, hoping, and enduring.
Let’s see what else the bible says about truth and love.
James 4:4 (NKJV)
…Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
This one hurts people because they don’t look for the full context. All they hear is that God calls them an enemy. If you are not with Christ (separated of the world), you ARE AN ENEMY OF GOD!
That can be a hard one to hear. Imagine your loved ones calling you an enemy. But, in times of great division, separation, and war, that is often the case. Our sinful nature loves to identify or demonize those against us. Hence the typical group think and pointing of fingers that go on in eras of conflict.
As I said above, God calls us to have grace. What does that look like?
Proverbs 24:17 (NKJV)
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles
Matthew 5:43-44 (NKJV)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you
Again, God is very clear, if you are not with God, you ARE HIS ENEMY! But what did He just tell us about how to treat our enemy?
LOVE YOUR ENEMY!
Be patient with them
Be kind to them
Have grace for them
God offering his Son as a sacrifice for our sins is the perfect action of offering grace. Even though were His enemy, His patience is long-suffering as we seek truth!
And if we’re loving, we seek truth and speak the truth.
Do not hide from the truth, do not stifle the truth and do not be shy of the truth. It may cause conflict as people’s emotions to get the best of them at first, but be patient as they go through the process of discovering the truth.
Providing both sides of any conflict are seeking truth, Love and grace always win!
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