Many in the modern Church in the west think that love means to give people what they want to 'make them happy'. They think it means to appease people.
They think that to saying homosexuality is a sin in a bold way is unloving. They think that saying that abortion is murder directly and clearly is unloving. They think that saying that homosexuals disproportionately abuse children is unloving. Whenever anyone says that, they are quick to rebuke people about 'loving' such sinners, as if they were so much for loving themselves.
In John 14:21, Jesus says: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
One such commandment is to preach the Gospel to every nation, baptize them, and teach them to observe Jesus' commandments:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:19-20).
Thus, teaching people the commands of Jesus, which involves rebuking sin, is to obey Christ. To obey Christ is itself to love God, and therefore love people.
True Biblical love always seeks to please God. Anytime where it seeks to please people at all, it is ultimately to please God, not people. It fears not people, but God and God alone.
True Biblical love does not manifest in absence of fear, but in casting out fear, as it sacrifices its own pride and self-preservation to be righteous and holy. 1 John 4:18 says:
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
True Biblical love acts out of duty. Tragically in an age where emotionalism is rampant, acts of duty are thought to be inconsistent, if not against love, while feelings of meaningless feel-good sentimentalism are thought to be love. However, as Jesus commanded His followers to love, He was telling what they are obliged to practice:
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
(Matthew 22:36-40).
To Hell with the sentimentalism that is so rampant in the modern Church! To Hell with the emotionalism which thinks that love requires emotions! To Hell with the doctrine of demons that loving people means to appease their self-centred desires! To Hell with the doctrine that sin is defined by how much people have offended mere human beings!
They think that to saying homosexuality is a sin in a bold way is unloving. They think that saying that abortion is murder directly and clearly is unloving. They think that saying that homosexuals disproportionately abuse children is unloving. Whenever anyone says that, they are quick to rebuke people about 'loving' such sinners, as if they were so much for loving themselves.
In John 14:21, Jesus says: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
One such commandment is to preach the Gospel to every nation, baptize them, and teach them to observe Jesus' commandments:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:19-20).
Thus, teaching people the commands of Jesus, which involves rebuking sin, is to obey Christ. To obey Christ is itself to love God, and therefore love people.
True Biblical love always seeks to please God. Anytime where it seeks to please people at all, it is ultimately to please God, not people. It fears not people, but God and God alone.
True Biblical love does not manifest in absence of fear, but in casting out fear, as it sacrifices its own pride and self-preservation to be righteous and holy. 1 John 4:18 says:
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
True Biblical love acts out of duty. Tragically in an age where emotionalism is rampant, acts of duty are thought to be inconsistent, if not against love, while feelings of meaningless feel-good sentimentalism are thought to be love. However, as Jesus commanded His followers to love, He was telling what they are obliged to practice:
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
(Matthew 22:36-40).
To Hell with the sentimentalism that is so rampant in the modern Church! To Hell with the emotionalism which thinks that love requires emotions! To Hell with the doctrine of demons that loving people means to appease their self-centred desires! To Hell with the doctrine that sin is defined by how much people have offended mere human beings!
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