What does love mean to you? What about tolerance? What does that word mean to you? Does being loving and tolerant towards someone mean that you approve of everything that they do? Is it unloving and intolerant to speak out against the behavior of someone else and tell them that they need to change? Let’s take a look at one example.
The other day President Obama signed an executive order lifting the federal ban on human embryonic stem cell research.
Now, is it “unloving” and “intolerant” to tell President Obama that he is very wrong to allow scientists to kill unborn human babies for scientific research?
When a person confronts evil and speaks out against it, should that be defined as “love” or as “hate”.
In the media today we are being taught that “love” is about approving of everyone just the way they are and cheering on however they want to live their lives.
But this is NOT what love is about, and a simple illustration shows this very clearly.
Imagine the following situation…..
Two people enter a supermarket. As they head down the aisles, they see a 3 year old boy who is opening up a bottle of Clorox and is about to pour it into his mouth.
The first person grins widely and yells out to the little boy enthusiastically: “Chug it down little man!”
The second person is absolutely horrified and runs over and rips the bottle of Clorox out of the little boy’s hands.
Which person is being loving in that situation?
It is the second person of course.
Our society has developed a very warped definition of “love”.
Today it seems that if you love someone, you are supposed to cheer on whatever choices they make, even if those choices are incredibly self-destructive.
The reality is that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Love is about caring for people, wanting the best for people and about meeting the needs of people.
Love is NOT about participating in and cheering on their self-destruction.
When we see someone caught in sin, the loving thing to do is to urge them to turn from their self-destructive ways and to turn to the Lord God.
To cheer on the sinful choices of others is the total opposite of love. Instead, it reveals the selfishness, laziness, self-centeredness and utter lack of holiness in our own lives.
So when “Christian” leaders cheer on the sinful behavior of others are they being loving?
Not at all.
In fact, they are shaking their fists at God and they are enabling others in their self-destructive behavior.
The Scriptures define what right and wrong are, and when people shake their fists at the Word of God they do so to their own peril.
Isaiah 5:20 tells us the following: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
The reality is that America has become a nation that has almost completely switched the definitions of good and evil. Killing unborn babies and rampant sexual immorality is now “good” and preaching against sin and telling people to repent from wickedness and turn to God has become “evil”.
As the world continues to reject God, those who stand up for God and for His Word will be increasingly persecuted. In fact, we should not be surprised by this, as Jesus Himself told us that we would be hated. In John 15:18, Jesus said this:
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
As the world becomes a darker place it will be important for all of us to seek the Lord and get closer to Him than ever before.
Let us show the world what love is all about – loving the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.