“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”
Romans 12:9-10 NLT Acting like I love someone just to appease my conscience isn't Christlike at all. In fact, it is hypocritically devilish. How many church goers ascribe themselves to the principles of scripture yet, in their practice, deny those same truths. It is like Isaiah 29:13 states “And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.” NLT. (Rote is defined as a mechanical, habitual, course of action). In other words, they do what they do because it is routine, not heartfelt. Religious individuals are concerned about fulfilling the expectation without the affection. God calls us deeper than observance of a "good deed". He calls us to love. His love, not our "love". His love reaches beyond the surface to the heart. His love thinks of the plight (unfortunate situation) of the other person, not self interest. His love is righteous, not self-righteous. His love is true love. Unconditional. Do I love like this? Jesus calls me to love others with His kind of love. What does that love look like? It looks like Jesus! It is relational, not superficial (surface only). Here is a radical call: “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” 1 John 3:16-18 NLT
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March 2020
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