Why does it seem like much of the world respects Islam's evil agenda and the LBGTQ agenda but does not respect the church's righteousness? Could it be that we've not been righteous?
It is time to make a change.
There's a false love that has crept into Western Christianity today that has made the church limp. This false love has a way of subtly making us feel righteous, but it's a synthetic righteousness. I'm speaking of this false concept of love as a sentiment of total acceptance, free of the ability to hate, which is one of the most popular rationales for which many believers are abandoning the truth and authority of the Scriptures in this hour.
I believe the administration ( world) and its far leftist ideology were instrumental in pushing the envelope and creating such a militant aggression in our society today that is demanding people love and accept others regardless of their actions. The focus of what many call love today is based on accommodating people's ungodly and sinful lifestyles and idiosyncrasies, and frankly, even abominable behavior. This new sentiment is shaping public policy and being used as a standard of morality in evaluating people's behavior. The riots and protests in our streets are evidence of this. Even many Christians are falling for it, and demonic doctrines and damnable heresies are spreading. Apostasy!.
Undoubtedly the nations were already moving in this direction, but it was finally and totally turned upside down during the corrupt ( worlds) administrations , and I'm afraid this upside-down effect, which calls good evil and evil good; light darkness and darkness, light; bitter sweet, and sweet bitter—has infiltrated the church and profaned it. Professing Christians who voted for the great deceiver (his true colors are showing now, and this is becoming much more obvious), are among those who live in a false love and false righteousness and display so little godly discernment. This attitude is a fungus in the church that calls for every pastor to train his people in true love and righteousness.
Lack of accountability is a huge problem in our churches today, especially among preachers. It's a problem because no one wants to confront difficult and sensitive issues for fear of being labeled a pious, holier-than-thou snob. We crave the approval of man and want people to like us (we've confused Jesus' command to love with being liked). "Don't judge them, just love them" seems to be the Christian mantra these days. The problem is that you can't truly love anyone without exercising righteous judgement. Love as only a gesture of sentimentality and sympathy without righteous judgement is a false love—the very cancer that is killing the church and making her lukewarm and good-for-nothing. This is not the way to become salt and light in our society.
The greatest tragedy has been that we've carried this attitude into our gospel message and preached for itching ears, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. When a man doesn’t sense deep meaning in his life, he numbs himself with pleasure. The reason we get distracted by sex, money, sports, vacations, movies, work, relationships—anything that proposes a sense of tangible pleasure—is because we don’t feel that our lives have deep value or purpose.
As true Christians, we know the right answers.
We know we’re made for the glory of God. We know our lives really do matter whether or not we feel it. We know God created the world, He saved us and now we are supposed to pursue eternal purposes. Unfortunately, however, knowing these things and feeling deep meaning don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand.
“Living for the glory of God” is pretty vague. We can’t chart out a course for “accomplish God’s eternal purposes” like we can a new business venture. Furthermore, living for God’s glory and His eternal purposes requires sacrificing other pleasures which give just enough meaning that as long as this whole God thing is mysterious and abstract we will constantly wrestle with a greater desire for those pleasures we’re supposed to give up.
So how do we fit this together?
If God did create, then His plan for my life is the plan that is most fulfilling. Because I am born with a fallen nature, I constantly trying doing life outside of His plan. I need saved. When I am saved, I become a part of a family that far transcends my immediate friends and connections. Experiencing more of God requires my continual engagement with His people.
Creation and salvation are absolutely fundamental for understanding life as God designed. Church, the body of Christ, is a critical part of going deeper with Him. But understanding creation, experiencing salvation, and participating with church are not enough to live a life that truly matters.
True meaning comes from radical love.
Radical love sets Christ apart from Mohamed or Buddha. Radical love is the difference between Jehovah and man-made idols. Radical love is how you can tell a true Christian from a fake one. And yes, there are many fake Christians sitting pews.
You see, a fake Christian lives with the perspective as if Satan owns the world. He believes we must avoid a lot of things so we don’t get trapped in his bondage. A true Christian, one with radical love, rests in the reality that God created. And it is good. He believes we must fix our eyes on God and His creation.
A fake Christian sees salvation and holiness as being something good Christians do. To him, others can tell you are saved and growing in holiness by things you stop doing and things you start doing. He is really troubled when people stop doing the right thing. But doesn’t think twice about those who don’t. A true Christian, one with radical love, has simply come to believe in his heart that he is created for God’s pleasure and turns his heart and focus to God, to being whole-ly His.
Fake Christians view church as the congregation in which to build God’s Kingdom; while true Christians understand God’s Kingdom isn’t something that needs built, but something we participate in as we love one another and love those who do not yet know God as their Father.
These fake Christians use love to manipulate God. The longer they serve Him the more they expect something from Him. They suffer as victims, getting as many people as they can to sympathize with their troubles.
True Christians radically love God simply because He is God. Their service is not selfish. They are not seeking personal gain. They don’t compare themselves to others. They don’t need recognition in this life. They selflessly get dirty in their love for God and others because they remember with great respect that they are able to relate with God because Christ selflessly got dirty for them by giving up the pleasures of heaven to endure the headaches of earth and die on the Cross.
Many Christian live without true meaning because they do not know radical love.
Even though they read Philippians 2 every other Sabbath of even-numbered months, their lives are focused on themselves. They are fake Christians, not true ones.
If you and I want to live lives that matter, we must stop playing religion as fake Christians and remember instead Christ’s work of grace on our behalf. When we realize our freedom because of Christ’s radical love, we discover the capacity to live with the same kind of love. That brings true meaning to life and makes it matter.
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