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Ben Granger
Ben Granger's blog
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Love
2 stars|3 comments|March 10, 2008|433 reads
 


     Christ commands us to love everyone... But it's obvious that we aren't going to love everyone, and even can't love everyone for that matter... So what's Christ talkin' about here? Why would God ask us to do something physically imposible? Doesn't he know we're just human?
     Of course He does. He understands why we like and dislike certain people and He understands the differenses and even conflicts between peoples personalities. The real problem is not whether we can love everyone, it's a problem of miss-interpretation. You see, when we read that God instructs us to love everyone, we automatically assume that what He's saying is that we've got to have feelings for everyone of love and happiness and of shmarmy little butterflies.
That's NOT the case. God is NOT about shmarmy little butterflies. Let me just make that clear before I go on, GOD IS NOT ABOUT SHMARMY LITTLE BUTTERFLIES...  
     You see, the love that God is talking about here isn't a noun, it's a verb. God NEVER instructed us that we had to, 'like' everyone, He instructed us to LOVE everyone. What is love? simply, to treat everyone, as we would want to be treated, (this obviously is excluding massochists!). That's why this is so revolutoinary, because if you love people by that term, then we can still be at peace with everyone regardless of whether or not we like those or even agree with those people or not. You see, we can LOVE our enemies, we can't like them.. you see the difference? So love everyone, they way you would desire to be loved. treat them witht the same respect, the same dignity, the same gentle kindness, as you want others to treat you. in this way, you fulfill the law of Christ.

In Christ
Ben

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RobinJoy Hutchison
 RobinJoy Hutchison
March 11, 2008
Very wise.  What a gift... that our Lord loves all of us more than we deserve!  An example to follow huh? "Who is this King of Glory that pursues me with His love?"-Third Day.  I love that song.  :-) 
R B
 R B
May 18, 2008

Hey Ben,

Here is my take on it, for your consideration.

Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal.2:20)."

I no longer live?  How about... I no longer try to do for God the living... but I expect from God to do the living for me?  Few talk about this experience, but I tell you it's true. It is an adjustment in our thinking.

When we depend on God to back up His own word, He will... but when we think we must do the thing that God is talking about, we often fail.

I can be a great actor. I might be able to fool you for awhile and you might think I really love you and am a Christian. Though you (example: guard at the abortion clinic), treat me very badly.

Now if God is supplying the ability to behave around you (in a loving manner), everything lasts and works perfectly. But if I do not depend on God to do the living (for me and through me), if I do not believe what Paul said was true in Gal.2:20, then I am destined to run out of my acting abilities. At some point if I am only empowered by my own energy, I will fail miserably.

This is what I have found out, take it for what it is worth.  R...

Ben Granger
 Ben Granger
May 18, 2008
Here's the thing, I didn't say we love others in our own strength, in fact I said we couoldn't, your absolutly right, BUT God didn't ask us to do anyhting withought Him did He? no matter what He askes us to do, He will give us the courage and the strength to do it right? That's what's so cool about God is, He doesn't ask things that are physachaly imposible with us without giving us His strength. God NEVER intened us to do ANYHTING without Him! That's the beautiful dependance on God. 
On the same hand, Jesus loved, and He was perfectly and completly Human.  ??? I belive that if we are following God that we CAN love others, but I belive that we can only love EVERYONE PERFECTLY, with God's help. Y? becuase GOd is the source of all love, in fact, He IS love.
Thanks for reading my blogs! if you still have anything else, please let me know!
Ben