“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.” ~Romans 13:8-10
If you don’t love everybody, you can’t really call yourself a Christian. Seriously. If you don’t love everybody, then you have to deny the most basic things all Christians believe.
If I harshly criticize anybody, if I refuse to forgive anybody, if I discriminate in any way, if I ignore or neglect anybody, if I make a move to harm anyone, I have to abandon almost all the basic points of Christian doctrine:
~ Christians believe that all men and women are created by God in the image of God
~ Christians believe God loves all people
~ Christians believe Jesus died on the cross because God wants all people to be forgiven and saved, including you and your neighbor, equally
~ Christians believe in treating others the same way we want others to treat us
~ Christians believe our God calls us to show his divine love to all people everywhere, no exceptions
Serving others in love keeps all the commands. Serving others in love makes all the beliefs real — not just something we know in our heads, rather something we do with our lives that changes us and fulfills the eternal will of God.
It’s not a law system that governs our behavior and keeps us in check. It’s not an honor system that forms our morality and shapes our ethics. It’s a love system. The whole thing is based on and flows out of and through love.
That’s true freedom. Because when you love like that, when you consider the needs of others more important than your own, then whatever controls you doesn’t anymore. People who used to be stressed about being famous don’t care anymore if anybody knows their name. People who used to chase power are now serving. People who used to pursue money are now giving it away. People who used to live in fear for their own safety and security are now living in liberty and risking their lives to love people who’ve never felt safe at all.
We only know love because we have seen Jesus on the cross. Once you’ve seen that love and you know it’s for you, you can’t help but show that same love to others.
Peace,
Allan
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