If someone put a gun to your head and commanded you to love them - would you?
Or would you just pretend to love them?
Or would you just pretend to love them?
Is this similar to the way you started your relationship with God?
We can't force ourselves to love God if we don't know and feel loved at our core. Do you believe God loves you no matter what? Or is it like Santa who knows if you've been good or bad and will give you good gifts only if you've been good? Being told to love God or He will torture you in Hell for eternity is not going to produce true love. It may produce obedience, and and religious duty, but we will be confused about our love.
1 John 4:18-19 (NIV)
1 John 4:18-19 (NIV)
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us."If any of our doctrines or teachings have portrayed God as something other than love, lets take another look at them. Yes God has other characteristics, but they can not contradict or ever take away from His love for us. God's love is Holy and pure, His love can be demonstrated through his justice, God's love for us can be shown by His anger against the sin that would destroys us.
Romans 8:39 (NIV)
1 John 4:10 (NIV)
Who is God really?
This is a question we all need to work through. And there is no better way to find the answer to this than asking God himself. May He reveal His true nature to each of us.
Related Posts:
"neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."Yes, we could quote some scripture either way. The words Love and Holy both show up in the Bible about the same number times (547 & 549). They must be both true of God at all times.
1 John 4:10 (NIV)
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."We can only really love God when we first know and feel loved by Him. It will then be a natural response to His overwhelming love for us.
Who is God really?
This is a question we all need to work through. And there is no better way to find the answer to this than asking God himself. May He reveal His true nature to each of us.
Related Posts:
- Because He first loved us
- Graham Cooke Inheritance
- He loves me (book)
- Does God hate the world?
- Does Scripture say Hell is eternal punishment?
1 comment:
It was when I realized that I was in hell already and experienced God's loving hand pulling me out that I began to see Him for who He is.
Metaphorically of course.
:-)
(No best seller here. Unfortunately.)
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