I’ve always been somewhat critical and only more recently a cynic, but seminary has made into a sermon critic monster. Not so much of the style or presentation of the speaker, but most definitely of the theology and exegetical ability. Proof texting is generally the biggest faux pax of ministers—using verses out of context to support a truth that may be biblical, but is better proved elsewhere in Scripture. Bad interpretation of Scripture is another common issue with many of the sermons I’ve heard in the past. One such misinterpretation I heard in a recent sermon was the following: “I don’t have to like everyone, but I do have to love everyone”. Is that really what the Bible teaches us? Is that what Christ exemplified in His earthly witness? Is that really how we interpret the verse that states, “They will know you by your love”; as some tolerant, impersonal, passive love without an emotional backing? I’m not convinced this is the case.
According to 1 Corinthians 13 (the “love” chapter) love is the described as the following:
Love is…
patient,
kind
does not envy
does not boast
not proud
not easily angered
not self-seeking
keeps no records of wrongs
Love always…
Trusts
Hopes
Perseveres
Love Never Fails.
Christ is in the business of transforming and reconciling. Not simply giving us the strength to “tolerate” others. Christ did not simply “tolerate” sinners. He loved them. He ate with sinners and outcasts. Sadly, this does not describe the Church in the present day. But I don’t think this is a 21st century problem, but rather a human problem. I think as individual believers we have forgotten that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. We forget that we are included in that all. We develop a spiritual pride once we received salvation that tells us we are above “sinners” and we shut them out of the church and our Christian circles because we’re “righteous” and they’re “sinners”. We don’t want to be contaminated. This isn’t what Christ taught or lived at all. The church is for sinners; those in recovery and those still ensnared in their sin.
As humans with a fallen nature, we have a distorted view of all things as God created them to be. Our perception of beauty, happiness, success, love are all twisted to be a self-centered, shallow version of their true and pure form. Sin has tainted us to all that is truly beautiful, lovely, holy, and satisfying and it is only by being truly transformed by God who is untainted by sin that we can even come close to seeing life and the world through God’s eyes. “Do not be conformed to this world, but rather be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may know the good and perfect and acceptable will of God.” In order to understand love in its true essence we must allow God to transform us.
But let’s face it: there are some people that are just impossible to love. This is why the concept of “I don’t have to like you, I just have to love you” is so attractive. Does God really expect this of us? Is it really possible to having a love for others that goes beyond simply “tolerating” and “putting up” with them? Can God really want us to love those that have hurt and rejected and betrayed us with a love that goes beyond a verbal or emotive reaction? Yes! Love as exemplified by the God of the Bible is an active, passionate, authentic reality!
Christ spoke of the greatest love as being one of sacrifice (John 15:13). This is exactly the type of love that Christ lived and modeled for His followers. It is this love that endured rejection, humiliation, torture, and death on the cross. His is a love that said in spite of his agony on the cross, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.”
“Greater love has no one than this: that a man lays down his life for his friends.” The greatest and purest love was revealed to us in the sacrificial, self-less life of Christ. This is the love we are to model; a love that lives and breathes; a love that is seen, heard, and felt; love that is agape not just philo. This means we are to love without expectation of a return.
Sometimes the circumstances surrounding loving another person are greatly in opposition to the ability to do so. It is in these circumstances that we need to seek for God to love through us. We need to ask for God’s love for the one that is difficult, or perhaps impossible for us to love. When we lay down our wounded pride and allow God to love through us, it is then that he will transform us.
In the 1950’s a group of five men and their families started “Operation Auca” to the Auca Indians in Ecuador. The Auca were a primitive people, savage and completely untouched by the modern world. These five men went with the purpose of bringing the name of Christ to these people. After some time and small successes in reaching out to these people, some of the natives, not understanding why these white men had come, brutally speared the men to death. This tragedy would become a powerful story of God’s ability to heal and reconcile the most unlikely of persons.
The wives of two of the men, Nate Saint and Jim Elliot, returned to the Auca people years later in another attempt to bring them the gospel. This time the people were receptive and God brought revival and transformation to the village. The surviving attackers of the missionaries so many years earlier became like family to Rachel Saint, Elizabeth Elliot, and their young children. As time passed, one of the attackers, Mincaye, became like a grandfather to Steve Saint. Today Steve travels the world with Mincaye telling their story of redemption and forgiveness because of the power of God’s love and grace.
This should be the amazing story of everyone who comes to Christ. With Christ comes the ability to love the unlovely, to forgive unforgivable acts, and to transform and turn around hopeless situations and redeem lost causes. The problem lies not with God, but with us. It is time God’s people remember that they are Children of Eden, redeemed and restored, but still under the grace of God because we live in a world tainted by sin. “There is no one righteous, no, not one.” When we can see ourselves in the eyes of grace, we will cease to judge and truly be able to love with the love of the Savior. One that is not willing to leave our fellow man in his destructive state of sin, but to extend the same story of grace God has given us and love with an active, passionate, unconditional love.
* for more information about the story of Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, and the other missionaries of Operation Auca check out the movie or book "The End of the Spear" or the book "Beyond the Gates of Splendor" by Elizabeth Elliot.
According to 1 Corinthians 13 (the “love” chapter) love is the described as the following:
Love is…
patient,
kind
does not envy
does not boast
not proud
not easily angered
not self-seeking
keeps no records of wrongs
Love always…
Trusts
Hopes
Perseveres
Love Never Fails.
Christ is in the business of transforming and reconciling. Not simply giving us the strength to “tolerate” others. Christ did not simply “tolerate” sinners. He loved them. He ate with sinners and outcasts. Sadly, this does not describe the Church in the present day. But I don’t think this is a 21st century problem, but rather a human problem. I think as individual believers we have forgotten that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. We forget that we are included in that all. We develop a spiritual pride once we received salvation that tells us we are above “sinners” and we shut them out of the church and our Christian circles because we’re “righteous” and they’re “sinners”. We don’t want to be contaminated. This isn’t what Christ taught or lived at all. The church is for sinners; those in recovery and those still ensnared in their sin.
As humans with a fallen nature, we have a distorted view of all things as God created them to be. Our perception of beauty, happiness, success, love are all twisted to be a self-centered, shallow version of their true and pure form. Sin has tainted us to all that is truly beautiful, lovely, holy, and satisfying and it is only by being truly transformed by God who is untainted by sin that we can even come close to seeing life and the world through God’s eyes. “Do not be conformed to this world, but rather be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may know the good and perfect and acceptable will of God.” In order to understand love in its true essence we must allow God to transform us.
But let’s face it: there are some people that are just impossible to love. This is why the concept of “I don’t have to like you, I just have to love you” is so attractive. Does God really expect this of us? Is it really possible to having a love for others that goes beyond simply “tolerating” and “putting up” with them? Can God really want us to love those that have hurt and rejected and betrayed us with a love that goes beyond a verbal or emotive reaction? Yes! Love as exemplified by the God of the Bible is an active, passionate, authentic reality!
Christ spoke of the greatest love as being one of sacrifice (John 15:13). This is exactly the type of love that Christ lived and modeled for His followers. It is this love that endured rejection, humiliation, torture, and death on the cross. His is a love that said in spite of his agony on the cross, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.”
“Greater love has no one than this: that a man lays down his life for his friends.” The greatest and purest love was revealed to us in the sacrificial, self-less life of Christ. This is the love we are to model; a love that lives and breathes; a love that is seen, heard, and felt; love that is agape not just philo. This means we are to love without expectation of a return.
Sometimes the circumstances surrounding loving another person are greatly in opposition to the ability to do so. It is in these circumstances that we need to seek for God to love through us. We need to ask for God’s love for the one that is difficult, or perhaps impossible for us to love. When we lay down our wounded pride and allow God to love through us, it is then that he will transform us.
In the 1950’s a group of five men and their families started “Operation Auca” to the Auca Indians in Ecuador. The Auca were a primitive people, savage and completely untouched by the modern world. These five men went with the purpose of bringing the name of Christ to these people. After some time and small successes in reaching out to these people, some of the natives, not understanding why these white men had come, brutally speared the men to death. This tragedy would become a powerful story of God’s ability to heal and reconcile the most unlikely of persons.
The wives of two of the men, Nate Saint and Jim Elliot, returned to the Auca people years later in another attempt to bring them the gospel. This time the people were receptive and God brought revival and transformation to the village. The surviving attackers of the missionaries so many years earlier became like family to Rachel Saint, Elizabeth Elliot, and their young children. As time passed, one of the attackers, Mincaye, became like a grandfather to Steve Saint. Today Steve travels the world with Mincaye telling their story of redemption and forgiveness because of the power of God’s love and grace.
This should be the amazing story of everyone who comes to Christ. With Christ comes the ability to love the unlovely, to forgive unforgivable acts, and to transform and turn around hopeless situations and redeem lost causes. The problem lies not with God, but with us. It is time God’s people remember that they are Children of Eden, redeemed and restored, but still under the grace of God because we live in a world tainted by sin. “There is no one righteous, no, not one.” When we can see ourselves in the eyes of grace, we will cease to judge and truly be able to love with the love of the Savior. One that is not willing to leave our fellow man in his destructive state of sin, but to extend the same story of grace God has given us and love with an active, passionate, unconditional love.
* for more information about the story of Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, and the other missionaries of Operation Auca check out the movie or book "The End of the Spear" or the book "Beyond the Gates of Splendor" by Elizabeth Elliot.
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