This subject is being addressed because it seems to be the most overlooked key to a relationship with Jesus Christ, and therefore salvation unto him. The subject of love is I believe of paramount importance. Paul tells us that love is the only thing that will endure beyond the grave.
1 Corinthians 13 (World EB Version) 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don`t have love, I am nothing. 3 If I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don`t have love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love is patient and is kind; love doesn`t envy. Love doesn`t brag, is not proud, 5 doesn`t behave itself inappropriately, doesn`t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; 6 doesn`t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with. 13 But now remain faith, hope, and love: these three. The greatest of these is love.
Most professing Christians don’t seem to even care to find what Jesus has commanded. I can’t blame them. Churches, with their “Age of Grace” teachings, have led them to believe they don’t need to worry about the Law (John 14:15 Matthew 5:18). But if one is not following his ways, one is not following Christ. Jesus will not be following our ways, so if you want to be with him, you must follow him.
The first error to be addressed is the interpretation of John 3:16. This one verse is not the entire Word of God, and not the entire key to salvation. One needs to read on. This is not all there is to salvation... just believe in Jesus and accept his blood as atonement for our sin. We must repent from sin. We must change our direction. We must Love Jesus. To love him is to give honor to him.
John 14 15If ye love me, keep my commandments. 17These things I command you, that ye love one another. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. John 12: 25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
John 13: 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Love is more than just a feeling of affection. Love produces action. Jesus commands us to Love. This statement from Jesus makes love a word of action.
Matthew 22 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
John (1 John 4:20) is calling you a liar if you profess to love God and can’t bring yourself to love one another. Jesus says if you can’t forgive others, God will not forgive you. Unforgiven means UNSAVED. This is a serious accusation because if you don’t love Jesus, you will not be with him after death. You are NOT a Christian if you are holding a grudge against any man/woman. And you can’t use the excuse that they did you wrong. We are instructed to love them regardless. Who are you to say they did you wrong? Maybe you can’t see that you’ve also done wrong. You are in no position to judge anyone. Paul says all have sinned. Your sin is no lesser than your fellow man’s sin. A guilty man keeps his mouth shut about the guilt of others, unless he is also a fool, in addition to being guilty.
1 John 4 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Revelation 21 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part inthe lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Matthew 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Luke 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Romans 3:12 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;
1 John 3 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Matthew 5 18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
Matthew 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Luke 6 27But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. 29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. 30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. 31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 1 Corinthians 16 22 If any man doesn`t love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. Come, Lord!
We are commanded to pray for those that have wronged us. This does not mean that we pray that they would receive punishment, or even to pray that they would see the error of their ways. By praying for them, you are wishing them well, and asking God to bless them. There are few Christians that get this point. And this is why Jesus said, few there be that find his path. If you wish to be among the few, you will have to do what few have the courage to do. Stop following conventional wisdom. This conventional wisdom is the wisdom of the masses: the wisdom of the world. Saying you are Christian and following the way of the world is not being a Christian. Saying you are Christian and doing what the world does as opposed to what Jesus says is not being a Christian. You have been fooled if you think you can follow the way of the world and get a ticket into heaven. This is not about a ticket to heaven. This is about being with Jesus. Jesus will say to you, I never knew you. In other words, you were never mine. You did not follow me. You were never with me.
Matthew 7 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
If you bring up someone’s shortcomings to others, you are talking behind their back. This is vile. This is not love. This is doing the work of Satan. If you are doing this you are not on the road to salvation. You need to repent. These are harsh words that I am not ashamed to say because without heeding these words, you will surely not be with Christ. You will be your own damnation, and I want better for you. This is True Love.
James 4 11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
1 Peter 3 8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: