Before we get started this week, i just want to apologise about the lack of a word for word last week, i had to use the time i normally put aside for this to study and write up my first testimony in front of a church. If you want to know more about that, please read this weeks main post I can do all things Through Christ. But without further ado, let’s have a look at chapter 6 of crazy love.
The running theme of this chapter is the idea of what we truly love about being in a relationship with God. is it just the blessings we get in this world? Francis gets this across by using this quote john piper:
“The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—
is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the
friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and
all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties
you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no
human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with
heaven, if Christ were not there? ”
We do seem to be a people that get carried away with the trials on this world, to the point we do sometimes forget about Christ being our richest reward. I do really like theme of this chapter becoming about what it truly means to love God.
When your love for the lord becomes an obligation rather than a loving, caring relationship. That’s when we start to have a problem. Love out of obligation, out of some fear that maybe, we might not get into heaven, that we might just be lukewarm so we need to push ourselves harder than ever before to love the Lord. But that’s just the problem, loving the Lord with all our hearts shouldn’t be a chore.
Francis goes on to make a statement that i honestly cannot fully agree with. He quotes Galatians 5:13-14 and says this: “Do you understand what this passage is saying? When we love, we’re free!” So far so good, however, it’s the next sentence that i disagree with. “we don’t have to worry about a burdensome load of commands, because when we are loving, we can’t sin.” Now here’s where i disagree.
In 1 John 1:8 it says: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” to say we can’t sin, is to deny the forgiveness of the father, why would we need to repent our sins if we can’t sin in love? We are all capable to sin, the only sinless one among us was Jesus himself. And to claim that we can’t sin is simply untrue. The problem with using love as a shield for our sin is we may end up actively going against the Lord but saying it’s okay because “i’m loving so i can’t sin.” We are not held by sin, we are free from sin, and we are secure in his promise, but that by no means, means we can’t sin.
The last part i’m going to mention in this chapter is found on page 107 where Francis talks about how being persecuted by man for the works of Jesus is an honour, and i can’t help but agree.
Luke 6 (22-23) says ”
Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets”
We are not called to be loved by man, we are not called to be surrounded by the praise of others or to have many followers. We are called to love others, but the world will not love us in kind. We will be rejected at times, and yes it will hurt. But we must keep in mind that we already have the greatest love that we could ever dream of. The struggle comes in when it comes to those times of persecution, and if we can truly rejoice in that.
There’s always a light in the darkness, and his name is Jesus, he is worth the hardships, the persecution and the struggles of this life. And may we be a people that can rejoice in suffering for his holy and righteous name.
Next week is looking to be a fun chapter, seemingly bringing us back to prosperity ministry with the title “your best life… later” So keep an eye out for that in the next week. I’ll soon be looking for a new book to continue this series with so please give me some suggestions! and as always.
Keep reading and May God Bless you.
Life after darkness 