Thursday, August 16, 2007

God Is Love

We get confused today. We think God is angry, mean, mad, sad, tyrannical, evil, cruel, distant and cold.

If we didn't, we'd beg Him to be a part of our lives, our society. Yet, John, one of his closest friends and disciples, wrote:

"The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

People believe the sketchy truth behind the DaVinci Code, or the ramblings of guys like Christopher Hitchens who writes "God Is Not Great" in his May '07 release.

I suppose Hitchens has hung out with the Almighty and knows this for sure?

John did hang out with Jesus, God the Son, and I'm going to go with His findings over Hitchens.

We are so limited by our weak knowledge of God. So limited at times by doctrine and theology. I want to NOT be limited.

Romans 5:5 Paul writes,
"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

God the Holy Spirit lives in us! He's given to us by God the Father. In doing so, He poured out His love in our hearts! How incredible when you think of it.

Therefore, the love of God literally dwells within us. My shortcomings in the arena of love are now vastly exposed, and without excuse.

Love is patient, kind, gentle, understanding, keeps no record of wrong, bears and believes all things. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
Nor rude, and 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. Never fails! (1 Corinthians 13)

This is the God of the universe. He's not mean, hateful, mad, sad, tryannical, et al. He is love.

How do we access this love? Blow ourselves up with suicide bombs? No. Pennance? No. Beat ourselves figuratively and literally? No. Wear certain clothes? No. Avoid movies, cards, makeup and hair cutting? No.

Avoid certain foods? No. Live our own level of humanity and morality? No. Not murder? No.

While those thinigs can be good, minus suicide and self inflicted wounds, there is only one way to truly access the Love of God.

His Son Jesus. Simple. Just believe in Him. "He is the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father by through Him."

And how did He demonstrate His love? The Cross. We are the mean, mad, sad, evil, tryannical, cruel ones.

He is not.

God is love. Are you hungry for love. Seek God.

2 comments:

Tracy Ruckman said...

AMEN!! Terrific post!

Sharon Hayes said...

me too - Amen. I pray this gets to non believers and helps them to realize Who God Yaweh, Jehovah, Jesus and the Holy Spirit really is.