Love suffers long and is
kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does
not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does
not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes
all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
Of all Christian doctrines, the doctrine of love has been twisted the most. Many churches preach the love of God, saying that God's love is unconditional, in that one can simply come to God without being holy and righteous. One can sin as much as one wants, because God's love will cover the sins. One need not make any effort to be holy or righteous.
The doctrine of love has been twisted into meaning that God shows His love for one by rewarding one with the things one wants, or by fulfilling one's desires. That is what makes Him good and therefore worth serving. This implies that where God does not reward one with the desires one wants, there is no point in serving Him, because God's love is manifest in whether He gives one what one wants, or whether He fulfills one's desires. Where God does not give what one wants or fulfill one's desires, God is not a God of love who is worth serving.
While many professing Christians claim to love God wholeheartedly, they only love God conditionally. That is precisely the case with most American evangelicals. They have a form of love for God, but one that is conditional only to the extent in which He gives them 'earthly blessings', like a spouse, house, car, their desired career, education and luxury holidays. Where He does not give them such things, they doubt God, question whether He is even worth serving, and throw a tantrum whenever things do not go their way. They bow before God in prayer, with not even a single ounce of reverence for Him, but to demand what they want, desperately asking God to fulfill their every desire as if He was obliged to.
God is not obliged to give any person any favours. No one has a right to ask God for anything, or any right to anything at all because all deserve Eternal Damnation (Romans 3:10-12, 23). There is no such thing as a right, not even to a single breath of air, because all people deserve nothing but Eternal Damnation.
God is not obliged to fulfill your desires or give you want He wants, not even to the slightest. God is to be worshiped for He is God. God is to be worshiped, no matter what. God is worthy of all worship, even if worshiping God and loving God still meant going to Hell.
True love sacrifices, and seeks no reward in return. It is always willing to sacrifice, no matter what the cost. True love is not calculative. It does not calculate how much it costs to evaluate whether it will love. It just loves. Such is the nature of true love.
False love on the other hand loves only conditionally. It loves only based on what it can receive. It does not believe in freely receiving, and it cannot, because everything is to be calculated. Whenever it receives something freely, it cannot accept that one is freely receiving something, for false love is legalistic. So, it is always trying to find an excuse for justifying what it is entitled to receive it. It is only ever conditionally thankful for everything that it receives. It is thankful only when it receives a favour, and is full of anger, disappointment or upset when no favour is done that benefits oneself. It loves only those who do good to oneself, but supports all manner of evil against those who do not do something that one perceives to be good.
That is why Jesus commanded:
“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
“But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
(Luke 6:27-36)
Love does not seek its own, but only sacrifices. It does not give,hoping for something in return. It is giving by nature. It gives to give, not gives to receive. It despises anything that self-centred, as anything self-centred despises giving. That is the nature of true love, love in the purest sense.
Those who claim to love God by think Him only worthy of worship when He gives them what they want or fulfill their desires pervert the doctrine of love into a false love. They accuse God of not loving them, when it is they who do not love God, and who blaspheme the Name of God by claiming to love God when they do not truly love God. True love for God always loves God, is always willing to sacrifice for the sake of Christ, and is always faithful to Him.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
Of all Christian doctrines, the doctrine of love has been twisted the most. Many churches preach the love of God, saying that God's love is unconditional, in that one can simply come to God without being holy and righteous. One can sin as much as one wants, because God's love will cover the sins. One need not make any effort to be holy or righteous.
The doctrine of love has been twisted into meaning that God shows His love for one by rewarding one with the things one wants, or by fulfilling one's desires. That is what makes Him good and therefore worth serving. This implies that where God does not reward one with the desires one wants, there is no point in serving Him, because God's love is manifest in whether He gives one what one wants, or whether He fulfills one's desires. Where God does not give what one wants or fulfill one's desires, God is not a God of love who is worth serving.
While many professing Christians claim to love God wholeheartedly, they only love God conditionally. That is precisely the case with most American evangelicals. They have a form of love for God, but one that is conditional only to the extent in which He gives them 'earthly blessings', like a spouse, house, car, their desired career, education and luxury holidays. Where He does not give them such things, they doubt God, question whether He is even worth serving, and throw a tantrum whenever things do not go their way. They bow before God in prayer, with not even a single ounce of reverence for Him, but to demand what they want, desperately asking God to fulfill their every desire as if He was obliged to.
God is not obliged to give any person any favours. No one has a right to ask God for anything, or any right to anything at all because all deserve Eternal Damnation (Romans 3:10-12, 23). There is no such thing as a right, not even to a single breath of air, because all people deserve nothing but Eternal Damnation.
God is not obliged to fulfill your desires or give you want He wants, not even to the slightest. God is to be worshiped for He is God. God is to be worshiped, no matter what. God is worthy of all worship, even if worshiping God and loving God still meant going to Hell.
True love sacrifices, and seeks no reward in return. It is always willing to sacrifice, no matter what the cost. True love is not calculative. It does not calculate how much it costs to evaluate whether it will love. It just loves. Such is the nature of true love.
False love on the other hand loves only conditionally. It loves only based on what it can receive. It does not believe in freely receiving, and it cannot, because everything is to be calculated. Whenever it receives something freely, it cannot accept that one is freely receiving something, for false love is legalistic. So, it is always trying to find an excuse for justifying what it is entitled to receive it. It is only ever conditionally thankful for everything that it receives. It is thankful only when it receives a favour, and is full of anger, disappointment or upset when no favour is done that benefits oneself. It loves only those who do good to oneself, but supports all manner of evil against those who do not do something that one perceives to be good.
That is why Jesus commanded:
“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
“But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
(Luke 6:27-36)
Love does not seek its own, but only sacrifices. It does not give,hoping for something in return. It is giving by nature. It gives to give, not gives to receive. It despises anything that self-centred, as anything self-centred despises giving. That is the nature of true love, love in the purest sense.
Those who claim to love God by think Him only worthy of worship when He gives them what they want or fulfill their desires pervert the doctrine of love into a false love. They accuse God of not loving them, when it is they who do not love God, and who blaspheme the Name of God by claiming to love God when they do not truly love God. True love for God always loves God, is always willing to sacrifice for the sake of Christ, and is always faithful to Him.
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