His Love Comes First!

I never thought the day would come when the decade of my childhood would seem so far away. The years have gone by like a runaway train, yet in my mind it still seems like yesterday. And while I begin this writing with a number of clichés, I can assure you many more will follow, as the Word says there is nothing new under the sun. However, for me and many others out there, this is all new, and while every day brings new questions, the answers for yesterdays keep every day exciting. One common church memory of the era in which I grew up was the knots on your head from the weekly Bible beating. All of us churchgoers at that time were easily recognizable by the bumps on our noggins. There was no doubt about the need to fear God in my church, and believe me when I say we did. The Bible tells us fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and, of course, that would be very true. However, I believe our fear of God has more to do with who He is and what He is capable of as opposed to this often-painted picture of some mean giant waiting for us to make a mistake so He can zap us off the face of the earth. That picture has, unfortunately, in many cases done more to scare people away from God than it has to draw them to Him. As I have grown older, and some may say wiser, two things have happened. I have grown to understand how little I truly know, and most of what I do know is subject to change, with one exception: the eternal love of God. One thing I am convinced of is the church in America has placed far too much emphasis on doctrine and far too little emphasis on love. Now, I’m not saying that doctrine is not important. I am saying, however, the message of the love of God seems to have been shortchanged, at least in America. Think about it. People are looking for love more often than not in all the wrong places, but, nevertheless, we all seek love and acceptance. The greatest love that has ever existed has been mired down by judgment, rules, and conditions, yet the love that God offers is a love that knows no bounds. Somehow we have communicated that the love of God is conditional upon our salvation, yet the love of God exists for every person in the world. Yes, God loves everyone! There is a great story in John, chapter 8, where Jesus is speaking in the temple, and the spiritual leaders who have caught a woman in adultery interrupt him. They bring this woman before Jesus and remind Him that the law states she should be stoned to death. Can you imagine her fear? She was caught in the very act of a sin that by law would lead to her death. She has no hope, yet Jesus, at this point, doesn’t even address her sin, but rather her accusers. “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” Tell me that didn’t mess with some people’s minds. Hey, this woman is guilty. She should die, and what do you mean asking me about my sin? In this entire story, Jesus shows us a great example of how we too should view other people and their sins—with grace and love. The woman had no need of anyone telling her what she had done was wrong. Of course she knew it was wrong to commit adultery. What she needed was for someone to give her hope and another chance. She needed someone to stand on her behalf before the accusers and plead her case. Jesus never took the role of accusing this woman of her sin. As a matter of fact, He said, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” I speak with many lonely people in this world, and, quite frankly, many are hurt because we have become the accusers rather than the comforters. God’s love is for everyone. Salvation is for those who believe, but if we don’t show them love, how and what will they believe in? Jesus showed us, by his approach to sinners, how we should act. I believe with all of my heart that if the church would put love first when approaching the world, the church buildings could not hold all of the believers. If you’re reading this today and you have been beaten up by your mistakes, I would like to offer this truth to you: God loves you, and He has sent His Son to pay the price for your mistakes so you don’t have to. We all make mistakes, some more than others, but Jesus has paid for all of them, even the ones you haven’t made yet, so don’t let guilt keep you away from the peace of true love. Remember, God loves all men, women, and children, and because of that love, He provides salvation. It’s not the other way around. His love is not conditional, but salvation and forgiveness are.