Fire On Your Head

“All you need is love,” echoes the resounding anthem of what has been dubbed the “Love of God” camp. Images of casually-dressed young people lounging on picnic blankets, “soaking” in God’s presence, a sparkle in their eyes and the joyful sounds of laughter flood my mind. On the other side of the chasm, proponents of the “Holiness” camp, tidily dressed men in suits, women in long skirts, standing tall and lined orderly, bellow their cry, “Holy, Holy, Holy, merciful and mighty . . . .”

Have you noticed this great divide among believers? Some emphasize the all-encompassing love of God, that love that causes Him to overlook our falling short, the love that means “God enjoys me” and actually wants me to enjoy Him! Their interpretation of Scripture, the way they pray, and the way their faith is lived out is greatly influenced by this belief that God is “in a good mood” and is more inclined to love and bless than to punish.

Others emphasize that we serve a holy God who cannot be in the presence of sin. They raise the prophetic voice and call men and women to repent of sin and turn to God. They have a great reverence and respect of God, the fear of God that causes them to strive earnestly to avoid sin.Their preaching is designed to prepare men and women for the judgment day, much like the preaching of John the Forerunner.

While both sides are needed, it is often human nature to couple all-or-nothing resolve alongside conviction and take things farther than they were meant to go. While in FIRE school, I had a classmate who, after hearing compelling yet one-sided teaching or preaching, was sure to ask, “Where’s the balance?” Unfortunately, many people jump in without considering balance. Today many people in the Church are coasting on the love of God message. They assume a posture that says, “He loves me, and I’m going to heaven, no matter what I do.” How many people can you think of who call themselves Christians but live nothing like one? There is an epidemic of sexual immorality, homosexuality, divorce, substance abuse, bitterness, anger, hatred, self-affliction (cutting, burning, anorexia, bulimia, etc), pornography, abortion, and on and on, in the “church.” We expect these things in the world, but not in the Church! Is there no hope that in Christ a person rises above sin? The saying, “if it waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck!” sums it up: if a person acts just like the world with no remorse or true desire to stop sinning, we should not assume that they are a Christian simply because that is what they claim to be!

On the other hand, the heart behind the holiness or repentance message, as absolutely needed as this message is, is frequently forgotten and the standards are taken to an extreme. People assume outward expressions of holiness, usually characterized by a long list of “thou shalt nots” as if simple avoidance of playing cards, alcohol, certain TV shows, movies, music, and dancing constitute salvation. In some denominations there are strict standards to govern modest dressing and even how a woman’s hair ought to be kept. I’ll never forget a woman I knew who evidently felt it essential for a woman’s head to be covered in prayer. She consistently neglected to bring a scarf along and evidently also forgot to ensure the length of her shirt. Every time we engaged in pre-meal prayer, she would raise her arms to rest her hands on top of her head, which naturally raised her shirt a few inches. While her head was covered, her abdomen was embarrassingly uncovered!

Let me make it clear that I do not mean to criticize the convictions of individuals. I’m simply outlining some of the principles that some of the Christians who emphasize holiness live by. Many times these individuals have no more of a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ than the unwed mother who comes to church in a low-cut tank top and mini skirt. Jesus said that these people merely clean and polish the outside of the cup, while it is far more important that the inside of the cup is clean.

Just think of all the unfortunate public scandals where a prominent Christian leader, outspoken about holiness, has fallen from grace when it’s discovered that he indulges in the very sin he so boldly speaks against. Having standards is not the same as knowing God, and standards alone do not give the power to say “no” in the day of temptation. In fact, this message of strict outward holiness can lead to an understanding of God being “the cop in the sky” or an angry Father whose children can never please Him. What follows is an unholy fear of God, a timidity and a dread of Him, rather than an experience of His loving kindness.

So, “Where’s the balance?” What am I getting to with all of this? Let’s take a look at the words of Jesus that spoke so wonderfully to me this morning: “If anyone loves Me, he will obey my teaching.” (John 14:23a)

It’s that simple! Love, true love is followed by obedience! Jesus didn’t say that in time the one who loves Him would overcome sin, but that today, right now, he or she would obey Jesus! He goes on to say that “He who does not love Me will not obey my teaching.” The profoundly simple solution to enjoying the love of God while living a holy lifestyle is . . . . LOVING JESUS! (See also 1 John 2:3-6) He even went on to say that God would make His dwelling in that person, and would give him the Holy Spirit, which implies power to continue obeying!

Love for God is evidenced by obedience to God; disobedience is evidence that a person does not love God.  After all, the first and greatest commandment is, “Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). This immediately implies that love takes on an action, and that action is obedience. The person who does not keep Jesus’ commands is ultimately guilty of breaking the first and greatest commandment, loving God will all of his being.

When have you ever truly loved someone and intentionally done something to hurt them? The best example I can think of is the way junior high girls often behave. One week two girls are friends, and the next week the second girl is gossiping about the first girl and spreading hurtful rumors. No one will disagree with the first girl when she exclaims in tears, “you’re obviously not a true friend!” Have you heard the term “frenemy”? It was recently added to the dictionary and refers to: “a person who pretends to be a friend but is actually an enemy; a rival with which one maintains friendly relations.” How many of the people showing up at church on Sundays are “frenemies” of God? If you love Him, you will obey His teaching! That’s all there is to it! Might you occasionally slip up? Yes, but let’s make one thing clear. An “accident” is just that–unintentional. There is no such thing as “indulgences” with God. It is not okay to choose to sin with the intention of repenting later. This isn’t what someone does when they love someone, and the Bible is clear that intentional sin is dealt with in judgment and is entirely different than shortcomings.

So what about the person who wants to truly love Jesus and rise above sin but finds herself stuck in the sin cycle? There is overwhelmingly good news! After repenting of sin, that person must only begin to ask God for a revelation of His love! God IS love, and His actions are done in love. Even when He brings a rebuke, it is because He “chastises the one whom He loves”, longing to see that individual rise above sin and walk in the joy of purity. 1 John 4:19 contains the wonderful words that will lead to victory: “We love Him because He first loved us!” So many people know so much of the fear of God and have heard so often that He is angry with their sin, that they have never been able to encounter His love. When you experience the love with which God loves you, you won’t want to go on sinning! You will not want to do anything that would hinder the uninterrupted flow of love and complete acceptance that God will pour into your heart!

If you find yourself longing for this love, know that you must only ask! Ask the Lord for a tangible experience of His love to you. Ask Him to show you how He feels about you and the love He has for you. Meditate on the Song of Solomon, on other Scriptures about His love, such as the Gospel of John or the book of Ephesians, and on the theme of the great expression of His love for you that He mad in sacrificing His son so that your sins could be forgiven. It can take time and persistence to truly experience this love.

Most Christians have been conditioned to believe that God is more likely to be upset with their sin than in love with them. We must diligently renew our minds, feasting on the revelation of His love for us that is found both in Scripture and in the sacrificing of His Son until we know that we know that we know that He loves us! This is contrary to the human experience and for many it’s contrary to their experiences with their earthly father. However it’s a revelation that will grow deeper and sweeter with each day that you spend in His love! For further reading on this subject I strongly encourage meditating on 1 John. Be encouraged with these words:

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4: 16-18

This is my prayer for you and for me: That we would know and rely on the love God has for us, not being afraid of Him, but receiving His love. I pray that as we receive His love our hearts will overflow with love for Him in return, and that in love, sin would become detestable to us. I pray that we will turn radically from all that would break our fellowship with God, and that we would enjoy continuous, uninterrupted fellowship with The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.