Back to love! Have I ever told you that love covers a
multitude of sins? That is not original with me, but it is a true statement –
from the Bible, actually. When you love someone dearly, two things happen.
Often you are blinded to their faults and flaws. Early on in a love relationship,
the other person can do no wrong. However, when we finally become aware of
these flaws, we readily forgive. That’s what true love does. What I have
discovered is that when we have love for our brothers and sisters in Christ,
the same things happen.
Look at how Paul says this. “I don’t have to teach you this
because God has already done it.” It is part of what God instills within us
when we become Christians. The apostle John tells us that if we don’t have love
for one another then we don’t know God. The Thessalonican Christians understood
this. Their love went beyond the walls of the church. Paul said that it
encompassed all the Christians in Macedonia.
Wouldn’t it be great if we had that kind of love just for
the Christians in Decatur (or wherever you are)? Instead, we have jealousy
because someone else’s church is doing better than ours. Bitterness because
some of our members started going to their church. Anger because…. Well, there
are just so many reasons. That’s why we have so many churches and denominations
– we can’t get along with each other. Why? Because we don’t have LOVE for one
another. Shame on us! Is there any wonder as to why lost people aren’t interested
in our churches? Why would they want to join a group that is as miserable as so
many of our churches seem to be? Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that
you are my disciples: that you have love one for another.” And not only did the
lost world notice this attribute, but also they were attracted to the love of
Christ. That’s what it’s going to take to reach lost people today, so let’s
love one another as Jesus loves us.
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