What’s Love Got to Do With It?

I don’t want to offend anyone, but lately I have been thinking how unloving some Christians can be.  Before I became a Christian, I didn’t want to be around too many Christians because I thought they were rude. I believe all the memories came flooding back because of a conversation I had with someone who had an encounter with a missionary who she said gave her what I consider a forceful speech for forty minutes. She felt the missionary was coercing her with her religious point-of-view and when she tried to speak, the missionary would not listen. I am sure the missionary meant well, but her approach was wrong. No one should ever feel that someone else’s religion is being forced on them. Jesus doesn’t force Himself on people.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

That “whoever” says it all. Each person has a choice to believe in Jesus. And this is all done because God loves the world and He wants each person to chose to love Him. Christianity is much more than about rules. It is a love relationship. What’s love got to do with it? Everything!!! God can do nothing but have unconditional love because He is holy. God is also just because He is holy. He is love and He doesn’t want us to love because we are afraid and feel forced to do so. That is not true love.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 1 John 4:18

A fear-based religion has very little to do with love and God is all about love. The fear of the Lord is very important, but that is revering Him. However, when we can’t make a move because we think that God is going to punish us, then that is a problem. He understands us more than we understand ourselves and He loves us in spite of this, and He is ready to help us up when we fall.

When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. Psalm 37:24

The One who loves us is holding our hands, so we won’t fall flat on our faces. If God does this for us, then we should do this for each other. We should not condemn a brother who has gone on the wrong path, but we should caringly help with that person’s restoration in God’s family which is the body of Christ.

Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Galatians 6:1

Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen in churches throughout the world. Many people are condemned and feel on the outside of church. They are left to feel worthless because of other Christians’ condemnation. This is not love. Truth is very important, but truth done without love and grace can cause more harm than good to an individual and to the body of Christ. The Church should be showing love to everyone, including unbelievers and backsliders.

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Ephesians 4:14-16

Love has everything to do with Christ and Christianity. Without love our work is nothing. Each person and the body of Christ needs to be built up in love.