They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love

Many people say that they are Christians. But are you mirroring the Man we are named for?

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, [Jesus],

because he has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to set free the oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

Luke 4:18, 19 (CSB)

If we are condeming the poor and homeless saying they don't deserve assistance, if we support the idustrial prison complex (the same prison that enslaved Paul) instead of healing and redemption, if you believe that slavery does not need to be called out, atoned for and captives set free, if you believe that people deserve to be thrown away and cast aside then you are not love and are not a reflection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Throughout the New Testament Jesus revealed who He is so clearly. By bucking rules and tradition in order to embrace those society had deemed undesirable. By going to those others have disqualified. By healing and touching those cast aside. By calling out corruption and injustice. By feeding those with no food. By meeting people where they are. He modeled love in every aspect of His life.

We are supposed to be God's manifestion of Love on this earth. Yet, we condemn while singing in church that in Christ there is no condemnation. We preach about being set free by Christ but then seek to enslave others. We pour out rules and condemnation. Rules and judgement. Rules and punishment.

When Jesus came to SET US FREE through His LOVE.

God is love and if you are full of hate, rules, and condemnation He cannot abide (but that is another post for another time). Social programs are of God. Freedom of choice is of God. Redemption and second chances are of God. Loving your neighbor as yourself is a commandment and is of God.

Today the Church is looking less and less like the Jesus we are named for. We resemble less and less the God we are made in the image of. We speak with vitrol, hatred, unkindess, going tit for tat, throwing people away and condeming them to Hell when we don't even have that authority. Focused on likes on social media and the offering plate instead of the good news of salvation. We forget that God will not allow who He is to be tarnished by those who have forgotten the purpose of the Gospel. Hallelujah!

So, How will they know we are Christians? By Our Love.

♮We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord

And we pray that our unity will one day be restored

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love

Yeah they'll know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other, we will work side by side

We will work with each other, we will work side by side

And we'll guard each man's dignity and save each man's pride

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love

Yeah, they'll know we are Christians by our love.♮

Songwriters: Peter Scholtes

This hymn is the basis for this whole word. Often when I would sign it, I would wonder if people would actual know. Is this just a song I sing or am I the living embodiment of God's love? Being one in the Spirit, one in the Lord means we are Love and exhibit the Love of God in the Earth. Am I? Are you?

Are we exhibiting His Love? 

If you want to know what that looks like read 1 Corinthians 13.

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.

Love doesn’t strut,

Doesn’t have a swelled head,

Doesn’t force itself on others,

Isn’t always “me first,”

Doesn’t fly off the handle,

Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn’t revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end

Love NEVER Dies

 

In the end all that matters, all that remains is what we do for Christ. And God tasks us with "three things to do to lead us toward ...: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. (MSG)"

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW