Love of the Individual

Love should not only be extended to those who agree with us, but to all who are loved by God. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Though Job did not agree with his friends' assessments of himself, he still respected them. Hmm!

Often, if we’re not careful we get caught red-handed – loving our church and its ways more than people who are lost. We become a clique or denomination unto ourselves. But the scripture says “God so loved the world that He gave His Son” not He so loved the church, and there is not a person alive that God does not love despite their sin. And we are called on to express that love as Christ did. Thus, love in the Christian community should be, first of all not based on principal, commonality, doctrinal unity or common ministry ideologies. It should be a love of the individual who is also loved by God. If we start there, we should be able to find some unity in other areas of life to work together for the good of God’s kingdom.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“….He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” – II Peter 3:9