This
idea that "God is love" and "God is present in all people" is a very
post modern thought that many of us have been raised in. The problem
with it is that it assumes that our cultures definition of love and
God's definition of love are the same thing but they inherently and
completely different. People imagine a God that creates but does not
have sovereign authority over our lives, that God does
not judge the righteous and unrighteous on HIS pre-determined scale,
and that God that does not hold the sins of the people against them.
People assume that since God is love then love must mean that He
A:Condones, B:Supports, and C:Encourages actions that are not of Him. We
have redefined sin to mean that if WE don't think something is morally
ok then God must not think it is therefore the person who commits those
crimes deserve death (the aurora shooter for example). But when our
culture does think something is morally ok (homosexuality, gay marriage,
abortion, pre-marital sex, lying, cheating, pride, slandering, crude
jokes, movies that make fun of the book of Revelation, cartoons that
show Jesus as a clumsy "spell caster", calling yourself God, being
crucified on stage, redefining marriage, etc) then whatever the Bible
says is wrong because it's "outdated, written by men, not caught up to
time we live in, supports slavery, people kill in the name of God" every
excuse imaginable we give it. But why? We have a problem with
submitting to authority. We love our sin so much that we have actually
created our own idea of God entirely so that we can sin without
consequence. My problem with Macklemore's statements are not that he
supports gay marriage (since he has the right to do so) but he is
re-defining God's love in order to do so! Which NO ONE has the right to
do nor the authority to do it. Who can oppose God? What opposition can
we bring against Him that we can look Him in the face and say that He is
wrong for choosing to govern the way that He does? That is a hard truth
to accept for most but that's the truth. We want all the stuff God has
created while attempting to exclude the Creator. And you know what
people think they have done a good job of it. But eventually they will
have to face Him and then what? "God I thought you were cool with my
sinning!" No that will not be the response. Jesus says that unless you
were his disciple he will deny you to the Father as you denied him on
earth. "I am the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the
Father except through me." But that seems unfair to people so they live
their lives as if He doesn't exist or as if He will not judge them by
whether they were in Christ or not. More people have called me ignorant,
stupid, and ridiculous in the past couple of years because I simply
believe God (even other "Christians") but if I say to you that, "I'm a
Christ-follower and I love you but I'm not willing to tell you the
untainted truth about God out of fear of persecution, even though
without Christ you will never dwell in the House of The Lord"....is that
really love? Jesus displayed love to us but that sacrifical love was
displayed so that we might be saved. The love Jesus displays doesn't see
rebellion against God and say, "O...it's just how it is, there is no
hope for them" or "it's not my business so I'll leave you in your sin".
The love that Jesus displays says,"because you are trapped in your sin
and death has snared you I'm going to lay down my life for you so that
you may have eternal life if you trust in me." So regardless of what the
sin is my job as a Christian is to let people know, through action and
preaching, that Jesus has come to reconcile the people back to the
Father. So no matter what sin plagues your life or what obstacle you
must overcome Jesus is The King of Kings and The Lord of Lords and has
power over all things in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. Whether
God's mission for me leads to death or to persecution I must be willing
to accept what comes because God has sacrificed more for me than I can
imagine so that I can be redeemed and set free. His sole purpose for the
life of a Christian is to be satisfied in His presence so it is there I
must remain.
"I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."-II Timothy 4:1-5
"I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."-II Timothy 4:1-5
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