Love is under valued and under estimated. In my own observation religion and/or the religious spirit is born and given life because of this very problem that there is no value in Love. The focus on Jesus, in the Christian faith, is his death and resurrection, which brings salvation to accepting souls. This is a wonderful thing. However, the more we learn in theology and the more we learn the traditions of the church meeting and its government, the value of Love becomes dimmer. There are many people who can feel this within the church’s walls. They feel that something is missing. They get frustrated and tired of roles, rules, and programs because something about it becomes spirit-less, especially when lives aren’t being changed. Church members look very faithful but the spirit on the inside of them is lacking something. Some leaders like to see it as the face of rebellion. But there are genuine and legitimate concerns. Many members sit in the pews confused by the sermon message of one to the sermon message of another. They go to bible school with some things they understand and other things they don’t.
In other words, there is something missing. There is more beyond the intellect. There is more beyond knowledge. I went to school to be a counselor but if my presence does not exude a passion or reverence while counseling, I’m just a walking text book and the people that I’m counseling will not be changed. They would feel that my presence is not really with them. I wouldn’t be giving them any substance. The same goes for Church membership. If you find yourself robotic-ally following church tradition alone, you will have no substance. You are just a religious person. You are only what people have sermon-ed you to be. You are only the scriptures that you’ve memorized. You are only a totality of every book and sermon that you’ve ever heard. There are people who know the bible backwards and forwards yet their souls are hellish. Love the Word but Love God more. The bible doesn’t save you; it only leads you to the One who does. The Love of Christ is lost in the congregation. This is why people run to other faiths and beliefs. This is why New-Agers like to speak of the Christ consciousness, Light, and Love. People want to be loved and accepted. This is why people are depressed in the pews with no real hope. This is why the song, music, and message only last a few days before you forget the experience and the inspiration.
It’s not enough to just look at the crucifixion with Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. It gives us more when we know the depth of the Love that He was giving in doing so. If we knew this love to the deep of the core in the heavens, a lot of what we go through today would not be happening. How can you love or give love when you can’t understand the deepness of His Love? You can’t, it’s not possible. Until you learn this origin of the Spirit of Christ, you can only be religious, no matter how hard you try. Until you know this love, you can’t love yourself totally. Until you know this love, your faith will swagger. Until you know this love, you will have fears. Until you know this love, you can’t have trust. Until you know this love, you will never know Love. Until you know this love, you can never ever change. Knowing this about Our Lord is like the umbilical cord of life from Him. Soak in the very aspect of the state of His heart when He gave His life. Soak in the thoughts he had of you while dying on the cross. Soak in the thoughts he had that you would be able to overcome sin and death momentarily. Soak in the fact that He knew there would be a greater chance of you knowing the Father in the same fashion that He did once his death was complete. Soak in the fact that if you were to be able to interview Christ and ask Him what was the last thoughts on your mind before you died, He would say, “You”.
To God be the Glory. If you knew this love, Christianity would be a different experience for you. If you knew this love, you would have no problems loving others and being loved. If you knew this love, no one could hurt you. If you knew this love, righteousness would grow from gratitude.
God is telling me and telling you to stop being Christian and start being Christ, start being Love. The Spirit of Christ is a state of being (love), not a state of doing (tradition/religion). If you want change, you have to go after His Love. There’s a whole lot of Love that you haven’t experienced yet from Him to you. Learn the value and richness of the Love of Christ so that you will no longer be hindered in your experience of love on this earth. Put down your whips and chains of religion. The Lord pleads and begs of you to come to this Love that the beauty of life can be felt even more so. This world has yet to experience this kind of Love but God can only get through by those who choose to know His kind of Love. Only then can He send them out to fill the void and the empty spaces in people’s hearts and souls. True love does exist for you but you have to go into the heart of God. It beats for you and for you only.
1 Corinthians 13:1-8 (NIV)
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.