I really get what you mean here- so many Christians didn't get what it meant that "God loves you", because we were told "God loves you, so now get right." "Jesus died for you so you better give it all up for Him." That isn't even love, it's a bill for services rendered. We were making woefully inadequate payment, but payment nonetheless. In most churches "free gift of salvation" means 'no down payment, but make payments the rest of your life'. When we understand that isn't the gospel, but that He already made us right -righteous- freely, no charge, all the love we couldn't manufacture on our own just flows through us and out. We were laboring under religion, not understanding we weren't getting the real gospel, which does change us from the inside out, without us trying. If we werent so glad to be REALLY loved, we could get angry that we were lied to all this time! O.o :)
I really get what you mean here- so many Christians didn't get what it meant that "God loves you", because we were told "God loves you, so now get right." "Jesus died for you so you better give it all up for Him." That isn't even love, it's a bill for services rendered. We were making woefully inadequate payment, but payment nonetheless. In most churches "free gift of salvation" means 'no down payment, but make payments the rest of your life'. When we understand that isn't the gospel, but that He already made us right -righteous- freely, no charge, all the love we couldn't manufacture on our own just flows through us and out. We were laboring under religion, not understanding we weren't getting the real gospel, which does change us from the inside out, without us trying. If we werent so glad to be REALLY loved, we could get angry that we were lied to all this time! O.o :)
ReplyDelete