Love like Jesus!

1 John 4:7-8 states, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." (ESV).

As I have been dwelling on this passage, I'm reminded that we are to love one another. Who are we called to love? As Christians, we cannot choose who to love and who not to love. We are called to love one another. Jesus even calls us to love our enemies. He gave us a great example of this type of love. The night that he was going to be betrayed, he washed the feet of the disciples. He could have easily waited until Judas left to betray him. However, he didn't wait. Matter of fact, he washed the feet of Judas. Even then, Jesus was showing love toward Judas.

Why is it hard for Christians to love others? We're good at showing love to people that look like us, act like us, and believe like us. It is hard for us to love others that don't look like us, act like us, or believe like us. All one has to do is scroll through their Facebook feed or Twitter feed and see the hate toward people on the other political side than us or people who have different worldviews. Or seeing posts that are dealing with illegal immigration or the LGBTQ community. Each side has their opinions and are very loud about it. This is just not coming from non-believers but from people who identify as Christian. Honestly, it is many non-believers that are calling out the Christians for their perceived hatred!

God has called us to love not hate! Remember John 3:16 tells us that For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will have eternal life. Jesus died for us, that includes people who we don't agree with, so that we can be reconciled to God.

As Christians, we need to show the love of God. We need to show people that they matter to God and that He loves them! We need to let the Holy Spirit transform the lives of people and allow the Holy Spirit to meet them where they are.

While on Earth, Jesus didn't wait for people to clean themselves up before he allowed them to come to him. Matter of fact, he met them in their unclean sin filled lives. It wasn't until after their encounters with Jesus that their lives were transformed.

Another interesting thing about Jesus was that he drew large crowds of people. People flocked to him.  Jesus didn't waiver from His beliefs. He knew what was sin and what wasn't sin. When he had the encounter with the woman caught in adultery, he told her that she was forgiven and to stop with her sinful ways. So, Jesus didn't compromise his beliefs. Yet, people still flocked to him. Why? Because People could see that he genuinely loved them and cared for them. I remember that one of my previous pastors taught on this. He taught that one must put relationship before rules. We need to build relationships with people first. We must show them that God loves them and we do too. We must show them that they matter to God and therefore us. After we build relationships and they know we care then we can pour into their lives and allow the Holy Spirit to transform their lives. We have to stop telling people, even the ones committing sins we do not like, that they have to get cleaned up first before they can come to church! If church is for perfect people then why are you there? Why am I there? None of us are perfect. If we were, there wouldn't be any need for a savior. We must show them love! God loves them and sent Jesus to die on a cross for them! Let's go out and love the world as Jesus. Let's look at people with the eyes of Jesus and not our own! Let's love, even the ones that are not like us!

Jesus cleans a Leper

I find it interesting that the first healing by Jesus in the book of Luke is found in chapter 5. He heals a leper of all people! He heals a person that society has written off. Starting in verse 12 we read, "While he was in one of the cities, there was a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, 'Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.' And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, 'I will; be clean.' And immediately the leprosy left him" (ESV).

To give some context, leprosy was a very terrible and destructive disease in the ancient world. Being full of leprosy, this guy had no hope! So, when he saw Jesus, he fell at the feet of Jesus with no hope and was full of need and desperation!

According to the theologian Barclay, "In Palestine there were two kinds of leprosy. There was one which was rather like a very bad skin disease, and it was the less serious of the two. There was the one in which the disease, starting from a spot, ate away the flesh until the wretched sufferer was left with only the stump of a hand or a leg. It was literally a living death." Based on what we read in the passage, the second one was more than likely what this man had. He was hopeless and desperate.

According to Jewish law and customs, this mad had to stay away from society. He had to be at least 6 feet away from other people, 150 feet away if the wind was blowing. If a person came into contact with a person with leprosy, they would be considered unclean. The only thing worse than touching a person with leprosy, was touching a dead body! Could you imagine living like this?  This person was an outcast! Can you relate to this? Do you feel like an outcast? Or someone that many look down upon?

This man was isolated from society. Society and religious people scorned lepers. Matter of fact, Rabbis despised them and saw lepers as those that were under the judgement of God, deserving no pity or mercy. He wasn't able to be in contact with any of his family. That means if he was married and had kids, he couldn't be around them due to infecting them and making them unclean.

This man, the leper, knew how terrible his problem was. He knew how hopeless his condition was. Yet, the leper came to Jesus by himself to seek to be cleaned. He knew the ramifications of his actions. He knew that Rabbis wouldn't talk to him or be around him. Yet, with this knowledge, he still approached Jesus. What faith this guy had! He had no previous knowledge of Jesus healing another person much less a leper. He knew Jesus was considered a Rabbi. Some how he had the faith that Jesus could cleanse him if Jesus wanted to.

Notice, that the leper said that he waned Jesus to cleanse him. He didn't say healing. This man wanted more than just a healing from leprosy. He wanted to be cleansed of all the debilitating effects on his life and soul. Imagine living like this. It is probably safe to say that this had a profound effect on his mind and soul. Imagine not being able to be around people, especially the ones that you love or even talking to them. That alone has to be tough on the mind and spirit. This man wanted to be cleansed of ALL effects of his condition.

Jesus touches the leper and he is cleansed. Jesus didn't have to touch him. He could have easily healed him without physical touch. Remember, Rabbis despised lepers. Any other Rabi wouldn't have been caught around this guy, much less caught touching him. However, Jesus did. Jesus went against what the law and customs said about touching a leper. Jesus had compassion on this man. He had compassion on a man thought to be untouchable. See, Jesus loves us despite if we are unclean! Jesus looks past our junk and sees the masterpiece that God created us to be.

How many of us, believe that our past makes us unclean to come to Jesus? We have been told that we have to clean our act up before we can enter the presence of God. Yet, here we have a man full of what many thought at the time to be one of the most uncleanliness conditions that one can be in.
However, Jesus stated in Mark 2:17, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

Throughout the Gospels, the authors give us examples where Jesus went against the law and customs to reach people that society deemed unclean. Jesus still does that today. Jesus reaches out to who society, even unfortunately what some churches deem unclean or the undesirables. If you think that what you did in your past or what perhaps what you are involved in now is keeping you from entering a relationship with Jesus, I want you to know that Jesus loves you! He is waiting for you to cry out to him and fall into his arms! Don't let the religious stop you from a relationship with Jesus. Find a church and allow Jesus to meet you where you are at!

We are called to love!

1 John 4:7-8 states, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." (ESV).

As I have been dwelling on this passage, I'm reminded that we are to love one another. Who are we called to love? As Christians, we cannot choose who to love and who not to love. We are called to love one another. Jesus even calls us to love our enemies. He gave us a great example of this type of love. The night that he was going to be betrayed, he washed the feet of the disciples. He could have easily waited until Judas left to betray him. However, he didn't wait. Matter of fact, he washed the feet of Judas. Even then, Jesus was showing love toward Judas.

Why is it hard for Christians to love others? We're good at showing love to people that look like us, act like us, and believe like us. It is hard for us to love others that don't look like us, act like us, or believe like us. All one has to do is scroll through their Facebook feed or Twitter feed and see the hate toward people on the other political side than us or people who have different worldviews. Or seeing posts that are dealing with illegal immigration or the LGBTQ community. Each side has their opinions and are very loud about it. This is just not coming from non-believers but from people who identify as Christian. Honestly, it is many non-believers that are calling out the Christians for their perceived hatred!

God has called us to love not hate! Remember John 3:16 tells us that For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will have eternal life. Jesus died for us, that includes people who we don't agree with, so that we can be reconciled to God.

As Christians, we need to show the love of God. We need to show people that they matter to God and that He loves them! We need to let the Holy Spirit transform the lives of people and allow the Holy Spirit to meet them where they are.

While on Earth, Jesus didn't wait for people to clean themselves up before he allowed them to come to him. Matter of fact, he met them in their unclean sin filled lives. It wasn't until after their encounters with Jesus that their lives were transformed.

Another interesting thing about Jesus was that he drew large crowds of people. People flocked to him.  Jesus didn't waiver from His beliefs. He knew what was sin and what wasn't sin. When he had the encounter with the woman caught in adultery, he told her that she was forgiven and to stop with her sinful ways. So, Jesus didn't compromise his beliefs. Yet, people still flocked to him. Why? Because People could see that he genuinely loved them and cared for them. I remember that one of my previous pastors taught on this. He taught that one must put relationship before rules. We need to build relationships with people first. We must show them that God loves them and we do too. We must show them that they matter to God and therefore us. After we build relationships and they know we care then we can pour into their lives and allow the Holy Spirit to transform their lives. We have to stop telling people, even the ones committing sins we do not like, that they have to get cleaned up first before they can come to church! If church is for perfect people then why are you there? Why am I there? None of us are perfect. If we were, there wouldn't be any need for a savior. We must show them love! God loves them and sent Jesus to die on a cross for them! Let's go out and love the world as Jesus. Let's look at people with the eyes of Jesus and not our own! Let's love, even the ones that are not like us!

Is there more to Christianity than a prayer?

My family started to go to a Baptist church when I was three years old. I’ve been part of the church for over 40 years now. I’ve seen changes throughout the years as far as how the services have changed in styles. However, it has pretty much been a few songs that are sung for Praise and Worship and the sermon. In some churches, they’ve an altar call, where people are invited to come up front and say a prayer to receive Jesus Christ in their heart. Other churches will have people bow their heads while others raise their hands to receive Christ in their hearts. Then the people that receive Christ in their heart are encouraged to be baptized. Is this what God had in mind for the church? Is the purpose of the church to invite family, friends, and strangers to come to a building to participate in singing and listening to a “feel good” sermon? Are we called to invite them to say a prayer in order to be saved? There must be more to Christianity than a simple prayer that we call the sinner’s prayer. There must be more to just going to a building on Sunday mornings and maybe going to a house during the week what we call small groups.

In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands the disciples, “Go and therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Jesus is telling the disciples to Go and make disciples.  What does this mean? What is a disciple? So many churches focus on having people repeat a prayer and then tell them that they are part of the family of God. Now, there is nothing wrong with saying the sinner’s prayer. God can and does use this method to call his people to repentance and salvation. However, it doesn’t stop there or shouldn’t stop there. There has to be life transformation. We cannot say a prayer and expect us to be part of the family of God.  We have to truly believe in what Jesus did for us on the cross. We have to allow the Word to transform our lives. In order to do that we have to study and meditate on the Word daily. Mulholland (2000) shares,

If we desire to read scripture in such a way that we become, through the shaping of the Word, the word God speaks us forth to be, the first thing Wesley tells us to do is, "to set a part a little time, if you can, every morning and evening for that purpose" (p.124). Furthermore, the premise of John Wesley's Entire Sanctification is to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul so that our desires will become His desires. The only way to do that is to engage the Word on a daily basis as Mulholland suggests, "Our use of scripture in spiritual formation must be a regular, consistent, daily feeding upon the Word" (p.124).  We have to be a disciple of Jesus. God has called us to go and make disciples. So, in order to go and make disciples we have to be disciples ourselves. What is a disciple?

While reading in the Gospels, we see that whenever Jesus first encountered His original disciples, his first words were “follow me”. Immediately they left everyone they knew, including family, and possessions to follow Him. Jesus states to a group of believers, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples” (John 8:31, ESV). A true disciple of Jesus is one that Follows Jesus and stays in His Word.  A true disciple imitates Jesus in his or her daily life. Paul states, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20, ESV). When an individual surrenders their life to Jesus, then it is no longer them that live but Christ lives in them. At that point, the individual should start to live like Christ. Paul also states, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:2-3, ESV). Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person” (ESV). So as Christians, we must be a follower of Jesus and stay in His Word. We must allow the Holy Spirit to let the Word transform our lives. We just cannot stop at a prayer. We must become fully devoted followers of Jesus!

References

Mulholland, M. (2000). Shaped By The Word; The Power of Scripture in Spiritual Formation.       Nashville, TN; Upper Room Books.

          Freedom from sin and Life in the Spirit

           There are many Christians that live a life of sin because they think that is how they are. They have believed the lie that because of their sinful nature that they can continue in a life of sin or they think that because of grace they have the freedom to sin. What does God have to say about this? Paul talks about this in his letter to the churches in Roman about this topic. In Romans chapter six through eight, Paul shows the process of how sin is defeated in a person's life and how they struggle with sin and how they have a life through the Spirit.

            Paul asks in Romans 6:1 and 2, "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (NIV). This is not given a freedom to sin so God could give us more grace. Here Paul is stating the fact that we died to sin. The power of sin is broken in our lives. Osborne (2004) puts it like, "In response Paul says we died to sin, meaning that death was defeated when we died to sin at conversion. Therefore the Christian is no longer under the power of sin" (p.149). Paul goes on to say in Romans 6:6 and 7, "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--because anyone who has died has been freed from sin" (NIV). Once a Christian is justified they are no longer under the control of sin. Guzik (2002) shares, "Christians have died to sin, and they should no longer live in it. Before, we were dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1); now we are dead to sin" (p.1).

            Osborne (2004) states, "This former way of life was crucified with Christ when we were crucified with Christ and can be thought of as no longer in control of our lives" (p.153).  Then he declares, "We are now in Christ rather than in Adam and so belong to the new self, which is the realm of the new life" (p.153). Our old nature was crucified with Christ and now we have a new nature. However, even though our old nature has died, we still have a war within us between sin and our Spirit. Osborne (2004) puts it like, "We are no longer under the dominion of sin but are still at war against it" (p.154). Paul states in Romans 7:8, "But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire" (NIV). The New Living Translation states that it aroused all kinds of forbidden desires within me. We as Christians wrestle with our desire to sin. There is a war going on in us between our flesh and spirit because our sinful nature still exists.

            In Romans 7:24, Paul asks, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (NIV).  Paul states in Romans 8:2, "because through Christ Jesus the law of Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death" (NIV). We are set free from the law of sin and death. He gives us the power to overcome our temptations and the power to live the Christian life. Osborne (2004), "living our lives according to the power of the indwelling Spirit" (p.192). Osborne (2004) was right to say, "Here the Spirit becomes the active force in believers' lives and enables them to defeat the flesh and live in victory" (p.192). This is why it is so important that we focus on God and give him our entire focus throughout the day and focus on Him moment by moment daily and seek Him through prayer and studying His Word so that our desires becomes His desires. When we do this then we are guided by the Holy Spirit and the Spirit becomes the force that helps us defeat our sinful nature and do the things that please our Heavenly Father. Osborne (2004) shares, “The power of sin and death are broken in the reign of the Spirit” (p.194). Christians need to let the Holy Spirit reign in their lives. We must live according to the Spirit and allow Him to guide us so that we can live a life in the Spirit and not by our old sinful mature.

            Osborne (2004) goes on to say, “Life in the Spirit brings the Christian into a new family relationship with God” (p.202). Paul tells us in Romans 8:13-14, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (ESV). If we are led by the Spirit then we are sons of God. We have been set free from the bondage of sin because the Spirit of life has set us free. According to Paul in the last part of Romans chapter eight that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 8:37-39).

References

Guzik, D. (2002). Text Commentaries: David Guzik (Blue Letter Bible: Galatians).            Retrieved from http://www.blueletterbible.org

Hansen, G.W. (1994). Galatians: The IVP New Testament commentary series. Downers Grove,    IL: InterVarsity Press.

Faith expressing itself through love

Faith expressing itself through love

            Paul states in Galatians 5:6, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love" (ESV). Up to this point in the book of Galatians, Paul has painted a picture of what it looks like if one gives up their freedom in Christ for bondage in sin. Once again in verses five and six, Paul focuses on faith and how faith protects our freedom in Christ. Hansen (1994) states, "Faith in Christ is the only way to protect our freedom in Christ" (p.156-157).  Paul tells the original audience that what really matters is their union with Christ. It does not matter if they are Jew, Gentile or any other social or racial group. Guzik (2001) states,

            In that place, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything - neither one matters at all. You aren't better if you are circumcised or uncircumcised. You aren't worse if you circumcised or uncircumcised. The only harm is trusting in something that is  completely irrelevant!” This still applies to Christians today. Many Christians are divided in social or racial groups. There is a big divide in their political beliefs. However, these Christians need to remember that these divisions do not matter. What matters is their union with Christ, not a union with these political groups or other divisions among them. Paul then reveals that the only thing that counts is faith working through love. What does Paul mean by faith working through love?

            Hansen (1994) was right to say, "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love" (p.157). Martin Luther's commentary retrieved from blue letter bible (2005) states, "Faith must of course be sincere. It must be a faith that performs good works through love. If faith lacks love it is not true faith." (p.1). A life of faith must be a life of loving others. It must be genuine. Hansen (1994) shares, "Freedom from the law does not leave our life without moral direction" (p.157). In other words, just because we are not under the law and not obligated to the law does not give us the right to live a life without morals. Hansen (1994) goes on to say, "The evidence of true faith will be genuine love, for true faith in Christ is inevitably expressed through love" (p.158). 1 John 4:7-12 states,

            Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us." If we have the Spirit in us then we should walk in the Spirit and if God is love then therefore we should express our love and love His people. In Galatians 5:13-14, Paul states, "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'” (ESV).  Who is our neighbor? Is it only people that look like us, act like us, think like us, or believe like us? No, our neighbor is EVERYONE even the people that do not look like us, act like us, think like us, or believe like us. 1 Corinthians 16:14 tells us, “Let all that you do be done in love” (ESV). Our faith must be expressed in love! If we have true faith then we will love our neighbors as ourselves (Galatians 5:14, ESV).

           

References

Guzik, D. (7 Jul, 2001). Text Commentaries: David Guzik (Blue Letter Bible: Galatians). Retrieved from http://www.blueletterbible.org

Hansen, G.W. (1994). Galatians: The IVP New Testament commentary series. Downers Grove,    IL: InterVarsity Press.

Luther, M. (27 Jun, 2005). Text Commentaries: Martin Luther (Blue Letter Bible: Galatians).        Retrieved from http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/luther_martin/Gal/Gal005.cfm