1 John 4:11,16 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
I’ve been thinking about how we segregate everyone and everything. We look at political party; skin color; social standing; wealthy or poor; athletic or not; dress the same as me, or not; look like me or not; Christian or not, oh, and who knows but the Lord how many denominations we’ve split the Body of Christ into. Abba loves all people. All means all.
Luke 2:10-11 And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
If you look up the following scriptures, you’ll notice they affirm that He shows no partiality: Matthew 22:16; Galatians 2:6; 2 Corinthians 5:14-29 and Job 34:19. Remember, He knows and looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 and Acts 1:24.
Have you ever had anyone come up to you and start spilling their whole life story? Jesus said in John 12 that He would draw all men to Himself.
Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;”
2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves;
2 Corinthians 2:14-15 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place . For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
So if He draws someone to those who have met Him (His vessels), and we start whacking away at them by pointing out what they’re doing wrong instead of pointing them to Love/Him, then we have sadly misrepresented Him to someone who is looking for Him. I love this prayer of Jesus!
John 17:20-21 “I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those who also believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.”
Who did Jesus hang out with? Who did He talk to and heal and encourage? The Christian life looks like Jesus. It’s as simple as that. And as His chosen vessel, wouldn’t you want to love?
Acts 22:14 “Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and hear Him speak.”
What is He saying to you? What does He have to say to the person He drew to you?
2 Corinthians 3:2-6 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts. And such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Have you ever heard the Bible called “Father’s Love Letter”? He loves us greatly and I don’t remember Him ever pointing out the things I’ve done wrong, things I have worked hard to let go, and he doesn’t even remember them!
Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Let’s not throw the Ten Commandments at each other, or give someone who dresses differently a weird look, or tell them they have to give up smoking and any other habits if they want to meet Jesus, because that’s probably what they think. Let’s love with all the Jesus in us and meet those who are seeking Him where they are and as they are, just as He does for all.
Abba, thank You for loving us where we are. Help us who know You and believe in You to love those You draw to us. Help us to not segregate, but to include, so people will know they are loved and important. Help us to see their hearts and gives us the words to speak into those heart places that only You know. Help us to represent You as Love, not a stick to beat anyone down. May our arms be the ones to lift the hurting and the seeking. We praise You, Yeshua, and we honor You. Thank You for Your great love. May we be that love to all around us. Amen and so be it.
