Israel and Love

I've been thinking a lot about the love of God, and about how possessing that love in ourselves, and giving it to others is everything that means anything from A to Z. I mean it really is what the entire Gospel is about, and it is the only reason that the earth is still turning on its axis, rather than clean dissolved. Jesus made that clear in all that he did, and all that he said; like when he spoke to the Jewish elder Nicodemus: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (Jn. 3:16,17). That is a mighty big saying, and it covers a whole lot of ground. It was God's love that sent his Son to redeem this world from its state of alienation from God, and there was no other motivation involved. As Jesus said, he did not come to condemn the world, but rather to save the world. That is what a lot of believers need to really sink the teeth of their spirits into, that this is not a Gospel of analyzing and critically evaluating one another. The only people who Jesus scourged with harsh rebuke were those who intensely hated the love that he showed to the needy. Like the following example: "And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day...

... The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him" (Lk. 13:10-17). If Jesus had not deal with this wicked man with a scathing rebuke, he would have been acknowledging that the love shown to the crippled woman was wrong. That is what the ruler of the synagogue was suggesting, and it was a hypocritical lie even as Jesus pointed out. So with all such scathing rebukes that Jesus leveled these kinds of people with, he was preserving the love of God that sent him to the world to save lost and crippled mankind. To heal a woman who has been bowed over with an infirmity for eighteen years, is love. To be against that act is to be against the love of God, and Jesus was and is against those who are against the love of God. Love is against hate because hate wants to stop love from loving. That is simply good sense. Too many believers today are missing the point of the Gospel, which point is to follow the example of Jesus, and love each other with the love of God. There is no other point of the Gospel, none at all. It is about saving the world from sin, sickness, and destitution of every kind. It is about "destroying the works of the devil" even as Jesus did, because Satan is the great hater of the love of God (I Jn. 3:8). The Gospel is NOT about destroying the morale and the confidence of our brethren. It is NOT about doing and saying things that are contrary to godly edifying that is in love. Too many people are too interested in certain elements of the Gospel, and at the same time not interested enough in excelling in God's love toward their brethren.

There is too much analytical and critical evaluation of one another going on among God's children, and it really needs to stop. It is not of God, and it is contrary to the love of God that sent Jesus to this world.The apostle Paul gave an example of the misguided interests of believers, though it is not really one that is being entertained much today. Yet the principal of the matter is the same as I am speaking of, so it is worthy of copying: "Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do" (I Tim. 1:4). It's really interesting what he said next, because it is exactly what I am pointing out in this article: "Now the end of the commandment is [love] out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm" (I Tim. 1:4-7). Paul was simply saying that the love of God dwelling in our hearts and being shown to one another, is what the Gospel is all about. He was also saying that trying to know everything, and desiring to show everyone what we know, is NOT what the Gospel is about; and in fact is contrary to it. If we learn how to love one another with God's love, we have learned everything there is to learn. If we know much, and are not showing that we know how to love with the love of God, then actually we know nothing at all. The same apostle also heartily agreed to that statement of truth: "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not [love], I am nothing" (I Cor. 13:2). I grant you, prophecy, knowledge, understanding, miracles, and all the rest are a part of the Gospel; but if those things are our priority above keeping the divine love of God renewed in our hearts, and naturally distributing it to those around us; we're simple missing the whole mark.

Jesus said it's that way, and he said it quite emphatically: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Mat. 7:21-23). Sounds to me like some folks are going to show up at the last judgment, to find out that their priorities in the Gospel were out of order; and it is going to cost them their souls for eternity. So I have to believe that this is a very important subject to be dealing with. The love of God needs to be our focus, and the rest of the stuff needs to follow that. Jesus also made it clear in his description of the final judgment, that how we have treated one another while we're here, will determine whether we are saved or lost in the end (Mat. 25:31-46). I don't want to take the space to copy all of that passage, but you ought to look it up and give it a good read over. I will say however that there was not one word in his summary of the judgment about why people were saved or lost in the end, other than how they had dealt with one another's needs while they were on earth. Again, as Jesus told Nicodemus, he didn't come to this world to tell everyone their faults and their lacking. Those who were and are honest of heart already know all about that. That is why the honest and the humble received Jesus when he was here, and still do today. It was the religious hypocrites like the synagogue ruler we read about earlier in the article, that were interested in finding fault with others, and with the love that Jesus showed to the needy. Jesus did not spare those hypocritical fault-finders, as yet another stellar example shows us: "At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat...

... But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless" (Mat. 12:1-7). So again I say, it was the people who eventually demanded that Jesus be put to death, who were so interested in finding ways to find fault with him, and with those who followed him. Mind you that these fault-finders were the covenant people of God, just like those who received Jesus. The sobering reality of the matter is that if we are in Christ, we WILL BE either the followers of Jesus and those who loved him when he came; or we will follow the example of those who were always interested in being analytical and critical of Jesus and his followers. The thing that made the difference between those who followed Jesus, and those who opposed him; was exactly what I have pointed out in this article. They made other elements of the covenant of God more important than showing the love of God to their neighbor. Jesus made this abundantly clear in his memorable scathing of the hypocritical Pharisees: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone" (Mat. 23:23).

When it's all said and done, we need to be satisfied with loving our brethren, and loving the world that needs redemption and deliverance; and not be minded of high things like establishing ourselves as some great one in the kingdom of God by means of seeking to excel in anything, more than we seek to excel in the love of God. Nothing edifies like godly humility, and the love of God is certainly a very humble element of being, as the scripture says: "[love] vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up" (I Cor. 13:4). Jesus told us how this dying world would be able to identify those who are his, who alone have what this world desperately needs; and it wasn't knowledge or personal greatness: "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (Jn. 13:35). And that makes really good sense in light of what he said just before he said that: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (Jn. 13:34). If you're looking for some great distinction to show to others, be distinguished by the humility and the love that dwells in the heart of our Savior; of whom the scripture says: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philip. 2:5-11). That sounds to me like the way to greatness is to care for the needs of others, and to seek to edify those around us. Amen. "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another" (Rom. 14:19). Again I say, Amen. God bless.