Thursday, April 20, 2006
3. Love in Religion
Summary:
Problem 1: The statement "It's not about religion, it's about relationship" might misrepresent true Christianity. One needs not choose either religion or relationship; rather, the relationship one finds through faith in Jesus Christ will lead to "Pure and undefiled religion before God."
Problem 2: The statement "It's not about laws, it's about love" might misrepresent true Christianity. Again, one needs not choose either laws or love; rather, love is the motivational factor for obedience and good works, and all works done without love are of no value.
Conclusion: God's love for man motivates man to love God. Man's love for God motivates him to have pure and undefiled religion before God, and to obey God's commands.
And here is what love for God looks like:
Mark 12:30:
"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all they soul, and with all they mind, and with all thy strength..."
Here is my interpretation of these things:
Heart: passion
Soul: emotion
Mind: intellect
Strength: good works.
One's love for God should be passionate, emotional, intellectual, and full of good works. Note that one area is not greater than the other. One need not be concerned with having more passion than emotion or more intellect than passion, etc. The commandment is to us ALL of each of these factors in the love for God. ALL OF EACH, not some of one and more than another.
Confusion: One might say, "It's not about passion; it's about love," "It's not about being emotional; it's about love", "It's not about being smart; it's about love," or "It's not about doing things; it's about love."
Right thinking: Love is the motivational factor. God's love for man motivates man to love God. God has given us the way He expects us to love Him, and this love must entail ALL the heart, ALL the soul, ALL the mind, and ALL the strength. It again creates a false dilemma to say one must choose between A: passion / emotion / intellect / good works and B: love.
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