How Jesus Loves
The way Jesus loves is so inspiring, and yet a lot of people who profess to follow Jesus exhibit none of His qualities. Ouch! That was a very critical statement, and it is true for the majority of the Christians in modern times. Unfortunately, this Christian Identity crisis is repelling people, especially young people and teens, and also causing some Christians to leave their faith. It is a tragedy when people regard the way that Jesus loved and accepted socially outcast people, some with sin issues, as “woke”. Some of the loudest people in the US who proclaim to be of Christian faith, lean into the most cruel, violent, and hateful rhetoric on issues such as immigration, women’s rights, race relations, and alternative lifestyles including but not limited to LGBTQ. If Christians had to be graded on how well they followed the teachings of Jesus and sought to be transformed to be like Him, as He actually is – not how we imagine Him to be, many of us would fail. Having a code of values that you agree with versus having a “personal relationship” with God are two very different things.
One of the main issues is that many Christian agendas promote exactly what the Bible warned against:
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. – 2 Timothy 3:5
The Amplified Bible describes it this way:
…holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them. – 2 Timothy 3:5 (AMP)
So what does it look like when someone has a “form of godliness” but denies the power of it? A good example would be, for a person to tell anyone who would listen about their faith in God, the Christian values, etc. but when corruption, evil schemes, and illegal activity is going on in their social group same person ignores it, makes excuses for it, and even goes along with it. Yes, it is costly to walk in the godliness that pleases God. This is because to please God and keep Him first in our lives, it means that other people – even those in our social groups will not take priority. It means that when they want us to co-sign and applaud their evil works and attitudes, we are not supposed to join in. We are supposed to measure everything with the Word of the Lord and be led by His Holy Spirit. Is this easy to do? Absolutely not when your heart has not yielded and committed to do so. Even with your best intentions to do the right thing, it can still be difficult to stand against people who you want love, friendship, approval, and appreciation from. I honestly think this is where it becomes very telling on who knows Jesus and has decided to follow His example, from those who like the idea of following Jesus. Jesus was BOLD as a Lion! You see he did not sneak and malign people behind their back. He did not give “dog whistles” and innuendos to point blame or accusation against someone. Nope, he directly addressed the error of the Pharisees, and other wrong doers and called out their corruption while in their presence. He did not just tell His followers where he stood on various issues, what He did was show them by example what He would and would not tolerate. Why does this seem so difficult for some of us to do? Dear reader, please do not be one who puts more admiration and esteem in man (human leaders) than you have for God.It requires resisting the temptation to “follow the crowd” and checking “peer pressure” whenever it rears its ugly head. It requires faith that the God who saved you is able to keep you and supply all of your needs – so depending on others won’t be an excuse to fall into unsavory practices. It actually does require studying the Word, so that you can recognize the works of the evil one and have a biblically accurate strategy and response to them.
Now, let’s keep it real… It is very easy to broadly look at the culture and identify the issues and become critical and disheartened by it. However this is not the purpose of this message. The truth is that this message is very important to me because 10+ years ago the enemy started using this scriptural passage 2 Timothy 3:1-8 to launch harassment, accusation, mocking, and all sorts of other evil works against me to discourage me from my call to ministry. It completely devastated me to have such negative things said not just about me, but about my walk with God. All of a sudden it was like some grimey bank robbers stole the riches of my faith, my salvation, my purpose in life, while I was the one left holding the bag all splattered and stained with ink. They were off and on their way to enjoy what seemed like all of the things prepared for me. It is very easy to shatter someone’s world with an accusation, some juicy gossip, or just a critical opinion. It is easy to blame others for the problems or inconveniences that can be experienced in life. It is very easy to harbor hate, resentment, and disapproval in your heart towards someone that you don’t like anyway. While it is very easy to do those things, doing those things will not give God glory. In fact Psalms 1 warns us that these types of actions will put us out of favor and right standing with God.
Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example],
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers) – Psalms 1:1
Now when a 2 Timothy 3:1-8 accusation is targeted at you, let’s just say it hits different, and not in a good way. It is the shattering of the mirror by which one views themself that makes them look at the world differently as well. I had to get to a place in my relationship with God, by which I stopped defending myself from the claims and being so offended and hurt by the fact that it had even been suggested to be true. I had to go to God, and ask Him what He thought about it. I had to listen for His answer, AND agree with it regardless of what the answer was. This is the experience, that while it can be incredibly painful, discouraging, and soul shaking – it can also be necessary to grow into the person God purposed us to be, and to find the place of submission to God where regardless of any targeted accusation and mocking, etc. you are not leaving Him, because you know without a doubt that He has not left you. This is the type of submission process that Jesus experienced (albeit at a much higher level) when He chose to go to the cross. Unfortunately, this part of the significance of Jesus’ crucifixion, the suffering, the pain He endured, the mocking, the cruelty at the hands of those He chose to die for- this only is mentioned around Resurrection Sunday and Easter celebrations. We don’t actually expect regular people to uphold the same standards that Jesus did, because that is too “woke’ or too “extreme” or “religious”. In fact, the only time I really see people being held to this standard is when they have already fallen short of it, so the people pointing it out can have some amusement mocking them with the scripture. They can be “righteously angry” and use the scripture as a weapon. Some do it in the name of “correction,” saying that they have to give “tough love” because God chastens whom he loves according to Hebrews 12:6-11. The problem comes when people witness another Christian (regardless if it is a leader or lay person) get openly rebuked and shamed when there is no attempt to privately correct and counsel that person. It’s superficial to shame someone publicly and say we don’t tolerate (fill in the blank) when in most cases there will be no other means to make sure that person has actually been corrected and will work to improve their walk with God.
There are examples from the Bible where this type of open rebuke and open shaming of a person was taking place and Jesus did not participate in it. He did not join in with the Pharisees that wanted to stone the woman who was caught in adultery (John 8:3-11). She was seized from a man’s bed – because she was caught in the act, and dragged to the public place where Jesus was. He looked down at the ground and wrote, not just to prove a point, but to not look upon her nakedness or lack of modesty. Instead of stoning her, he had compassion on her and told her to sin no more – actually correcting her. He also corrected the Pharisees by saying, “Let He who is without sin, cast the first stone.” Jesus could have made an example of this woman in a negative way like the Pharisees attempted to do, however the example that He made of her is one of love, compassion, and sincere correction that we are still talking about today.
Another example of Jesus correcting someone is His encounter with the woman at the well (John 4). Jesus went out of His way to travel through Samaria (most Jews avoided Samaria) to meet with the woman at the well. He casually spoke with her, asking for a drink. By the end of the encounter, he had gently called out her sinful lifestyle, and challenged her to go deeper in her faith in God – to become a true worshiper in Spirit and truth. She is the 1st person that Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah to, and she upon hearing that news was one of the 1st to proclaim Him as the Messiah to others. If Jesus had decided to condescendingly approach her, and insulted her by mocking her sinful living situation, there is no way that she would have received Him. Now, if we are supposed to represent Jesus, how in the world are we OK with marginalizing people and agreeing with cruel and mean spirited handling of people in or out of church?
The woman who washed His feet with her hair, Zaccheus the tax collector, the “sinners” that Jesus and the disciples chose to fellowship with are all examples of Jesus loving, accepting, and even correcting people that had fallen at some point. I know that this does not mean to turn a blind eye to sin, or to just become a doormat for people to do as they please with no accountability. What this actually means is to truly live by the “Golden Rule” (Matthew 7:12 CEB) and treat others as we want to be treated, or at the very least how Jesus would treat them. Have I, or most of us always practiced this – of course not. Is this easy to do – in our own strength and power no, when submitted and yielded to God – yes it’s easier to do. Will everyone always accept or understand what it looks like to walk and live according to the love and examples of Jesus? Some did not understand it when Jesus actually walked the earth, and it will be no different during our time on earth. It was revolutionary for Jesus to interact with those on the fringe of society, for Him to have dealings with people that by Levitical (priestly) standards would have been considered sinners, ungodly, and unclean, but He did it anyway out of His love for them, and for our benefit, so that we could learn what love is supposed to look like. It was also revolutionary when Jesus called out wrong doers, He did it publicly and in their presence. This was not to abuse them, but rather to hold them to account for their sinful practices, and to let them know that regardless of the form of religion they displayed, they needed to get in alignment with God. While in modern times it would be perceived as a harsh and abrasive, possibly even disrespectful thing to do, Jesus’ loving compassion and empathy for people and His boldness to confront corruption that the religious and community leaders were involved in needed to be done so that we would have those examples to follow in our lives.
I believe that there will be more people in high positions that will be willing to “call out” corruption, evil works, and ungodly attitudes that are prevalent in some of the highest levels of leadership. It already has begun. I believe that God is doing a work in the hearts and minds of those who will be bold as a lion and confront the wickedness that has infected our country, culture, and moral standards. It will not be “political theater” and the words of the righteous will not fall to the ground. The wake up call is coming for those who have adopted corruption, illegal activity, and degrading moral standards to inspire others to do the same, and it will not be something that they can downplay and ignore.
Now this is just my perspective, but I believe that God is really calling people who have gotten “caught up” in all sorts of political and social movements that pulled, distracted, and even seduced them away from God’s plan for their lives back to right standing. This is the time to repent and seek God for His mercy, grace, forgiveness, and restoration. For we all like sheep have gone astray, each of us have turned to our own way (Isaiah 53:6a) but we do not want, nor can we handle God pouring out our sin and iniquity on us. If you are an intercessor or just have a heart to pray for others, please get right before the Lord and allow God to lead you into the prayers that need to come before His throne. Please dedicate some time to set aside your needs and tend to the needs of your loved ones, your community, your nation, and even the world in prayer. We often have not because we ask not (James 4:2-3), however we are at the beginning of 2024 (or whenever you read this) and we have the opportunity to ask now as we are entering the year. Please give your opinion and beliefs about other people to God and ask Him to cleanse your heart. Because, we may see some of the people that we never thought could or would change for the better, do a 180 degree turn! Let’s stop following anything other than God and make room for Him to step in and bring the chaos back to order! And finally, let our inspiration and motivation for all that we are doing be love. Love to show compassion on those who have lost their way, and love that is bold to correct and not accept corruption as the “status quo”.
Supporting Scriptures
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to destruction” – Proverbs 14:12.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow and difficult to travel is the path that leads the way to [everlasting] life, and there are few who find it. – Matthew 7:13-14
13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, with the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” John 2:13-16
45 Then he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things[a] there, 46 and he said, “It is written,
‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’
but you have made it a den of robbers.” – Luke 19:45-48
Matther 23 – The whole chapter
2 You are jealous and covet [what others have] and [a]your lust goes unfulfilled; so you [b]murder. You are envious and cannot obtain [the object of your envy]; so you fight and battle. You do not have because you do not ask [it of God]. 3 You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask [c]with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires. – James 4:2-3
As always thank you for reading and please share!
Blessings Always,
Dionne Renae ♥♥♥
Lessons 'n Blessings 