IS IT REALLY? I believe God loves everyone and that Jesus died in order to offer all of us, whom He loves, payment for our sins/that which kept us from fellowship with Him. But God definitely doesn't accept anybody unconditionally. I mean, I recall Jesus weeping over Jerusalem and saying how he longed to gather him under his wings, so to speak, as a hen would gather her chicks, but that the chicks would not allow it. So I know then that not everyone who God loved enough to invite to His banquet will actually come. There's a gate that's narrow out there. It's God who wants relationship with us but expects it on His terms and not on ours. It's also, to me, like on the Matrix. We are out walking through life and doing our things. God, through the Holy Bible, through a word someone says, through circumstances, etc., puts out an escape for us. The phone is ringing, Neo. But Neo has to pick it up. Again, he has to respond on God's terms and not on his own. So, God's love is unconditional in its availability, but not unconditional in terms of who receives the actual benefit of it. He who loves me obeys my commands, I recall. So, we have an expectation to receive His love on His terms, to follow Him on His terms, and not ourselves or our heart or whatever we'd like to think seems just, right or fair. I would say the only party in the agreement which truely is required to love unconditionally is us. That might sound wrong and I'm trying to word it correctly. But that's basically it. It would take incredible humbleness and submission. God, you are right because You say You are. Though He slay me, yet will I serve Him. Shall I receive good from the Lord but not evil. It's unconditionally laying down ourselves and loving Him unconditionally. He makes the terms and conditions, rules, means and ways, right and wrong, etc., we don't get to do that. We just get to say "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord" and "in all of these things, Job did not sin by accusing the Lord of wrongdoing" or however it is worded. With that explanation, I can agree then that unconditional means without conditions. God sets them for us, but we don't get to set them for Him. He has set them all.
I also think this is true for person to person relationships for those that follow Jesus. We should love others and all of what we do towards others ought to be for the Lord's sake and in love towards God and towards them. But we are not to accept everyone unconditionally. To the unbelieving person, God allows us quite a bit of leniency as He works on them, partly through us. But towards others who say they follow Him, we have some pretty serious responsibilies about whether or not we are to accept them as followers together. We can love and pray for them but the Word of God :) is full of warnings about this topic. I think there's two sides to the coin. One side of the coin preaches the Lord's will and feels very righteous but then doesn't bear fruit in their own lives or in the lives of those they are supposed to help. That person is guilty of being a hypocrite. The other side of it would do many of the things which the hypocrite does not do but are missing the first part. Like Jesus told some God believers "they should have done the former without neglecting the latter." or words to that effect. It takes a complete package, in the end.
2 comments:
Acceptance, or rather love as it is in John 3:16, does mean everyone. The world is everyone. Jesus embraces and accepts us no matter what. That's not the same thing as condoning whatever unhealthy stuff may be going on in our lives, and that's not to say he will not speak to it. Yet he will accept us no matter what. His love cannot fail.
As for our relationships with others, and the need to speak into those lives, well that all depends on relationships. The more we know each other the more we can speak to those unhealthy things in our lives.
Great article, thought provoking.
Hi Johnny, It's good to write with you. I truly love you as a brother and friend and am eager to correspond. I see a strain and a rift of sorts and it pains me but it doesn't change my desires for ongoing fellowship. With that said, I can agree John 3:16 means everyone in the sense that Christ bought enough tickets for everyone. He's paid enough for all peoples through all of time. But still, He doesn't accept us all, no matter what. Absolutely not. The failure will not have His love to blame. It will have us to blame. I know this is true and I've got to stand for it. I've got to expect it from you or from anyone else whom I'm involved with in expanding His Kingdom. I must expect full gospel. I've got to. I love you though and I'm not on any kind of high and mighty trip or judgment trip or anything. As for relationships with others, I think God's Holy Spirit prompts us to speak into other's lives as things go along and progress. I don't think we are to speak anything, especially correction I'd say, apart from His prompting. Really, not one action should come apart from His prompting.
Thanks for the encouragement about the article and for your friendship.
James
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