Love Wins. Pt. 1

We don't need fear, condemnation, or rules.


I know quite a few people who are stuck on this idea of balance. Let me tell you, I think balance is absolutely necessary. I think that everything is about balance. My problem is with pushing so hard for balance that you're completely negating the very thing you are stating. 


There have been several times that I have posted a facebook status about something to do with God's love, our faith, or more recently grace, and it has quickly been attacked with something like "there has to be balance. See scripture so and so." With love there must be a balance of discipline. Faith and works. With grace there must be a balance of obedience. While I agree with these things, when stating of the beauty of love, the importance of faith, or the power of grace, that does not mean that I find love, faith, or grace more important than discipline, works, or obedience. It does not throw off the balance and require someone to bring things back to the center. So when it is commented that with grace there must be a balance of obedience, you are just pushing the pendulum the other way. You take the focus off of grace, to bring it to obedience, which doesn't create balance but just moves the focus. Why can't a statement be made about grace without making comment to obedience? They don't always go hand in hand. We should know, learn, and understand each of these things individually. 


Really, I think that part of the problem is that we are born into a world and born into a predisposition. Whether it comes from the world or our families, our experiences or our lack there of. We are born into a family with parents who have their beliefs and those get pushed onto us. This situation looks different with every child, but seems to ultimately go one of two ways. Those beliefs are accepted and the disposition continues, or the boat gets rocked to the other side. Parents push their children so hard that they swing to the other side. Traditional parents raise children who become progressive. Free living parents raise children who seek structure and rules. Or in some cases people are born into situations without family or parents and those experiences shape them toward a direction. It all makes sense when you think about it. This isn't a new concept. The same thing happened with our parents and their parents. The generations are fighting each other but all seeking balance.


You see it's a matter of maturity. Fear, condemnation, and rules. 


There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:18
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 1:7


A growing, mature relationship, with our Father, would confide in that perfect love rather than fear. A child fears their parents, while an adult grows into a loving bond with their parents.


Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. Romans 5:18
If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! 2 Corinthians 3:9


We don't need condemnation because we are justified in Christ Jesus. We don't need a ministry of condemnation, correcting one another and pointing out flaws, because there is a new way, a new ministry, which is much, much greater. Besides, we've all got logs in our eyes.


For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith. 1 John 5:4


Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1


It is in our faith that victory is found, and that victory has overcome the world.


Is not our faith in Christ Jesus and what he did for us? What he did for us by dying on the cross to take on and eliminate the sins of all people past, present, and future, and rising again three days later, to defeat the evil one. So our faith isn't only in Jesus, but in what he did. A faith in the elimination of our sins. A faith that believes there is no condemnation because we are in Christ Jesus. 




To be continued...