Take a look at these
two verse. Both things that Paul said
and both from the same book and chapter.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14(NKJV)
13Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave,
be strong.
14Let all that you do be done with love.
1 Corinthians 16:22(NKJV)
22If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus
Christ, let him be £accursed. O£ Lord, come!
How can you begin to reconcile the second statement with the first? It doesn't seem very loving to curse someone just because they have rejected Christ does it? After all even Jesus said to love your enemies didn't he?
Do those sound like
some of the questions we get from non-Christians?
Let's think it
through. Who does the Bible say we
should love with all of our hearts, minds, and souls? God and Jesus.
So if someone
rejects God and Jesus who we love so much is it wrong to say that they should
suffer some consequences? Especially
since God Himself tells us that is exactly what will happen? God says that when they reject Jesus they
have declared themselves an enemy of God and they will feel God's wrath on
judgement day.
So that takes us to love your enemies. Jesus says love your enemies. Therefore I think it is safe to presume that Jesus will do the same. Love His enemies. But does that mean that Jesus didn't fight back against His enemies? Does that mean that Jesus just meekly accepted his enemies views?
So that takes us to love your enemies. Jesus says love your enemies. Therefore I think it is safe to presume that Jesus will do the same. Love His enemies. But does that mean that Jesus didn't fight back against His enemies? Does that mean that Jesus just meekly accepted his enemies views?
Not in the Bible I
read it doesn't. Since Jesus tells us to
love our enemies I think it is fair to look to Him for the examples of what
that means.
When I look at Jesus as He interacts with His enemies I see a guy getting angry and overturning the money tables. How is that loving? I see a guy that refuses to play silly word games with people who are not sincerely seeking but are just trying to play gotcha. How is that loving?
I'll tell you how. It is loving from the standpoint that He continues to challenge them to see that they are wrong. It is loving from the standpoint that Jesus will always take them back and forgive them if they will simply seek Him out and ask their forgiveness.
But does loving mean always accepting and never correcting? Not from what I see.
When I look at Jesus as He interacts with His enemies I see a guy getting angry and overturning the money tables. How is that loving? I see a guy that refuses to play silly word games with people who are not sincerely seeking but are just trying to play gotcha. How is that loving?
I'll tell you how. It is loving from the standpoint that He continues to challenge them to see that they are wrong. It is loving from the standpoint that Jesus will always take them back and forgive them if they will simply seek Him out and ask their forgiveness.
But does loving mean always accepting and never correcting? Not from what I see.
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