Jesus, religion and love

A long time ago, I attended a small college in Texas.  I remember in the psychology class that I was taking, the professor defining religion as "man's attempt at discovering God."  I suppose at the time I needed that definition for the next quiz, but it never really stuck with me as viable.  Jump ahead four decades and I see a YouTube video of an atheist gathering and at one point a young man, being interviewed, in response to a comment, says, "Yes, we're just like a church - except without the hate."  Wow, seriously?  I had to stop and really wonder was this young man product of the type of anti-God misinformation that is prevalent today or was his answer based on his own life experience?  I don't really know.  I suspect its some of both, but I also suspect it's because he has redefined love by his own standards and his own definition.

Look, I'm not going to even make an attempt to defend things that have been done in the name of religion.  So much of what has been done is simply indefensible. But want to make the point that Jesus Christ was never about religion. Jesus harshest criticism was saved for the religious leaders of his day.  He looked at them and called them hypocrites and whitewashed tombs (Matthew 23:27).  He told them that they were not children of God, but children of the Devil (John 8:44). Religion, is far less man's attempt to discover God as it is man's attempt to escape from God. It is our attempt to define God on our terms. Simply put, if we can develop a human system, that depends on our actions, then we have no need for God.

Without love we cannot have a relationship with God. Love is the defining principle behind being a follower of Jesus Christ.  The Bible reaches in 1 John 4:7-8 (NIV) "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." God himself is love.  It is not something that He simply demonstrates, but it defines his character.

So, why does there seem so much confusion.  There are people all over the world that are followers of Jesus Christ.  There are people all over the world that read God's Word (The Bible) and hear sermons about loving each other.  Most of these folks are familiar with the two Great Commandments in the scriptures.  (One) Love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength and (Two), love your neighbor as yourself.

I will not try to tell you that Christians are perfect, they are not, I can personally attest to that.  But the real issue is that people now define love differently.  At one time I could love you and not agree with you.  Now our society says that if I disagree with you, I hate you. It's very similar to what D.A. Carson describes in his book, "The Intolerance of Tolerance."  At one time being tolerant meant that I could dislike your actions, but still like you as a person. It was kind of a "live and let live" philosophy. But now, according to present day standards, if I do not fully embrace your actions I am intolerant and hateful.  And thus because there are actions defined in the Bible as sinful and because I believe the Bible to be the word of God I am defined as hateful. Redefining the definitions shows what great lengths man will take to justify their own behavior and resist the call of God in their life.

Jesus Christ lived his life, doing nothing but loving people.  His entire mission on this earth was based on God's divine love. A person that sincerely follows the teachings of Jesus will demonstrate His love. Jesus' love was demonstrated as he died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin. Jesus' love is about self sacrifice and caring deeply for others.

So, does that mean we should be tolerant of all sin?  Of course not and neither was Jesus.  In John chapter 4 Jesus called out the woman at the well for her sinfulness and then told her simply to go and sin no more.  Jesus was not looking to condemn her, he was trying to save her from herself and her sin.

If you are reading this today, I want you to know that God loves you.  God wants to have a relationship with you. But sin, gets in the way.  Religion will never adequately solve the sin issue in your life.  Religion is an attempt to put a band aid on a severed limb. It will never work.  Instead, give Jesus a try.  Define love, by the God of the Bible, not the god of religion.

If you would like to know more about how to become a true follower of Jesus Christ. Contact us at LifePointe Alliance Church.  www.lifepointealliance.org.

Pastor Jeff

Join us for worship at LifePointe Alliance Sunday mornings at 11:00am. Be sure to like us on Facebook.