“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.” - C.S. Lewis
Love has so many definitions. So many people think they understand love. So many people believe they know the key to love. I'm no expert but through the past 22 years of my life i think God has given me at least a taste if not a clear picture of what it is. One of the best definitions the Bible gives about love is 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
It is important to read all that for a full realization of what it is but the bolded parts I believe are the most important.
Well, the Bible defines it pretty well there but i guess i'll go ahead and give my personal take on what love is. At it's very core, love is sacrifice. Love is putting the needs of someone else before your own. Love is making a choice even when you know that there will be suffering for you and other person because you know it's what needs to be done no matter how much it hurts. Love is taking them for who they are but also being bold enough to speak to weaknesses and to invest in their life. Love is taking the smallest wishes and dreams and doing all you can to make them a reality. Sometimes with nothing in return. Love is not making a promise we can't keep. Real love is loving expecting nothing in return. None of us will be this. To love this greatly is I believe out of reach. The only person that can give us this love is Christ and that is why He is our Lord and Savior.
The greatest Biblical parable of Love is the story of the Prodigal Son. (Luke 15:11-32) The son showed the greatest level of disrespect to his father. He asked for his inheritance before his father had even died. He then went and lived a life of complete debauchery. He "squandered his wealth in wild living." Despite all that when he returned he didn't get a normal welcome from his father when he returned. His father didn't say "well son, you left, took a lot of my money, so i'll need some time to see if i can trust you." His father welcomed him with open arms! He threw him a party! He killed the fattened calf! He thought nothing of his past or where he'd been but celebrated that his son had returned! That is love. That is the love Christ has given to use as a gift. I celebrate and joy in that great love.
Love is a beautiful, intricate thing. I hope i can love with even an ounce of what God has shown me. God is good. His love endures forever. Praise him.
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Taboo topic? Really?
I've been systematically going through a lot of my convictions lately and this next one has been on my heart and mind for a couple days so i thought it would be best to write about it now.
This topic is homosexuality. I know this can be a sensitive topic for some so i've prayed before this hoping that God will give me the words to say and to keep my thoughts in line with what he has taught us in His Word. Let me also clarify that I love homosexuals just like I love any other people. It is not my place to judge but God's but it's also my job as someone who firmly believes the Bible to not run when conflict or sensitive topics arise but to stand strong and lean on Christ and his Word.
I feel like the first thing i have to cover in this whole topic is the idea it seems like a lot of Christians have. Homosexuality is not to be placed on a pedestal. Homosexuality is in line with and no worse than: Adultery, fornication, masturbation, bestiality. Leviticus 18 is pretty much one comprehensive list of all the acts that fall under these. To think that somehow homosexual sin is any worse than any other sexual sin is foolish.
The fact that it's on the same level however doesn't lessen the severity of sexual sin. Just like every other sexual sin if you continue in it without repentance and without an attempt to control your desires you're in a dangerous place. Anyone who sins without repentance is in a dangerous place regardless of the sin. 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 is the essential passage on sexual sin regardless of gender and occasion. It's a big quote but nonetheless a necessary one,
"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joinedd to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
We are NOT our own. As Christians we are the Lords and we are to honor Him by resisting and putting away our sinful desires. Sexual sin is the only sin where it places the emphasis on the fact that we are sinning against our own bodies.
There is often an argument. "Well they're just born that way. They can't help it, they're good people just confused" Psalm 51:5 says,
"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me."
Every person struggles with sin. We are all born into sin. We need the salvation of Christ to cleanse us. We need to fight and be repentant of our sins no matter what it is. Some struggle certain sins more than others. Especially in todays society sexuality, being who you are, and loving freely is such a huge emphasis that Christians often take the ideas of society to be ideas of the Bible. The Bible should form the society, the society should not form the Bible.
I'll end this with 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
This topic is homosexuality. I know this can be a sensitive topic for some so i've prayed before this hoping that God will give me the words to say and to keep my thoughts in line with what he has taught us in His Word. Let me also clarify that I love homosexuals just like I love any other people. It is not my place to judge but God's but it's also my job as someone who firmly believes the Bible to not run when conflict or sensitive topics arise but to stand strong and lean on Christ and his Word.
I feel like the first thing i have to cover in this whole topic is the idea it seems like a lot of Christians have. Homosexuality is not to be placed on a pedestal. Homosexuality is in line with and no worse than: Adultery, fornication, masturbation, bestiality. Leviticus 18 is pretty much one comprehensive list of all the acts that fall under these. To think that somehow homosexual sin is any worse than any other sexual sin is foolish.
The fact that it's on the same level however doesn't lessen the severity of sexual sin. Just like every other sexual sin if you continue in it without repentance and without an attempt to control your desires you're in a dangerous place. Anyone who sins without repentance is in a dangerous place regardless of the sin. 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 is the essential passage on sexual sin regardless of gender and occasion. It's a big quote but nonetheless a necessary one,
"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joinedd to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
We are NOT our own. As Christians we are the Lords and we are to honor Him by resisting and putting away our sinful desires. Sexual sin is the only sin where it places the emphasis on the fact that we are sinning against our own bodies.
There is often an argument. "Well they're just born that way. They can't help it, they're good people just confused" Psalm 51:5 says,
"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me."
Every person struggles with sin. We are all born into sin. We need the salvation of Christ to cleanse us. We need to fight and be repentant of our sins no matter what it is. Some struggle certain sins more than others. Especially in todays society sexuality, being who you are, and loving freely is such a huge emphasis that Christians often take the ideas of society to be ideas of the Bible. The Bible should form the society, the society should not form the Bible.
I'll end this with 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Are you sure there is tomorrow?
"We do not segment our lives, giving some time to God, some to our business or schooling, while keeping parts to ourselves. The idea is to live all of our lives in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and for the honor and glory of God. That is what the Christian life is all about." --R. C. Sproul
This is all brought to mind by the thought of death. It's been weighing on me today particularly. Not really sure why it was the topic of the day but maybe it had something to do with a recent attendance to a friends grandmother's funeral. I didn't even know the woman, she'd lived a long full life till 82, and she was a well loved Christian.
Nothing was out of the ordinary. Nobody could say she was taken too early and everyone was at peace with the knowledge she'd be in a better place.
This funeral awakened my memory to a time earlier this year that i had almost completely tucked away even though it was huge at the time. I had just gotten these sweet, fantastic, awesome pedals and shoes for my bicycle and I was ready to crush the world with my underdeveloped, scrawny legs. Ok, i overdid it with the adjectives but it'll just happen sometimes.
Cruising home, getting ready to cross the intersection and out of nowhere a blue mustang darts in front of me. I heard the crunch, I felt the impact, but my world was black. I opened my eyes, which slowly focused as i found myself face down on the pavement. I tried to move but felt weak. I wanted to push through but i heard a scream from a man. "Dont move! you don't know what condition your body is in and you're bleeding out of your head." It all worked out but i realized one important thing that day while in the ambulance to the hospital. God had spared my life. I could have been, should have been, dead. God spared me.
I guess it made me realize, death doesn't wait. God doesn't wait till you've got everything in order before he takes you from the world. God doesn't even tell you when you're gonna die. The passage that comes to mind that exemplifies this the most to me is
Matthew 24:42-51.
I wont quote it in it's entirety but the most important part:
"42Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
So many people live their lives as if their is gonna be a tomorrow. In school it was called procrastination and we would always laugh. "whoops i procrastinated." There is no time to waste committing your all to Christ. Christ talks about those who are lukewarm in
Revelation 3:15-17:
"15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked."
There isn't a guarantee. I wish i could sleep tonight knowing that i'd wake up and be able to spend another day loving my Lord and Savior and enjoying friends and family. Regardless that there is no guarantee of tomorrow I am at peace. I know I am at peace with God and I know that if he took me tomorrow I'd be with him in Heaven. That's a peace i wouldn't trade for the world.
I'll leave you with my favorite passage of reassurance,
Proverbs 3:5-6
" 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight."
This is all brought to mind by the thought of death. It's been weighing on me today particularly. Not really sure why it was the topic of the day but maybe it had something to do with a recent attendance to a friends grandmother's funeral. I didn't even know the woman, she'd lived a long full life till 82, and she was a well loved Christian.
Nothing was out of the ordinary. Nobody could say she was taken too early and everyone was at peace with the knowledge she'd be in a better place.
This funeral awakened my memory to a time earlier this year that i had almost completely tucked away even though it was huge at the time. I had just gotten these sweet, fantastic, awesome pedals and shoes for my bicycle and I was ready to crush the world with my underdeveloped, scrawny legs. Ok, i overdid it with the adjectives but it'll just happen sometimes.
Cruising home, getting ready to cross the intersection and out of nowhere a blue mustang darts in front of me. I heard the crunch, I felt the impact, but my world was black. I opened my eyes, which slowly focused as i found myself face down on the pavement. I tried to move but felt weak. I wanted to push through but i heard a scream from a man. "Dont move! you don't know what condition your body is in and you're bleeding out of your head." It all worked out but i realized one important thing that day while in the ambulance to the hospital. God had spared my life. I could have been, should have been, dead. God spared me.
I guess it made me realize, death doesn't wait. God doesn't wait till you've got everything in order before he takes you from the world. God doesn't even tell you when you're gonna die. The passage that comes to mind that exemplifies this the most to me is
Matthew 24:42-51.
I wont quote it in it's entirety but the most important part:
"42Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
So many people live their lives as if their is gonna be a tomorrow. In school it was called procrastination and we would always laugh. "whoops i procrastinated." There is no time to waste committing your all to Christ. Christ talks about those who are lukewarm in
Revelation 3:15-17:
"15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked."
There isn't a guarantee. I wish i could sleep tonight knowing that i'd wake up and be able to spend another day loving my Lord and Savior and enjoying friends and family. Regardless that there is no guarantee of tomorrow I am at peace. I know I am at peace with God and I know that if he took me tomorrow I'd be with him in Heaven. That's a peace i wouldn't trade for the world.
I'll leave you with my favorite passage of reassurance,
Proverbs 3:5-6
" 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight."
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