Abandoning Love

Are you a Christian who shares the following observation about the current state of the body of Christ?

"The most basic tenet of Christianity is love; yet, how many Christians, especially in my home country of the United States, actually embrace that tenet? Every day, I see people who claim to be Christ's followers deny other people acceptance into the fold because of what they wear, how they look, and where they are from. The Bible says many will be deceived. I used to think the Church as a whole would be on the right side of things, but now, I wonder if the majority of Christians are the deceived. We cannot follow Christ without love. Has the Church abandoned love for the sake of worldly things such as wealth and [a] political agenda?"

I understand where this person is coming from, in general. However, there is an assumption that the person saying these things understands the subject matter they are addressing. For example, what is a tenet? By definition, a tenet is a "doctrine, principle, or position held as part of a philosophy, religion, or field of endeavor." Do Christians live by tenets? I would say that we do not. Tenets are outside influences designed to modify our behavior. In other words, they are laws. Laws can and do dictate how we act, but they do little to change our hearts. You can motivate a person to behave a certain way through force, manipulation, the promise of rewards, or threat of punishment. What does the recipient of these actions see as your motivation? To me, it would come across as fake and not genuine. Therefore, the desired effect would be lost. 

Continuing on, what does this person mean by "people who claim to be Christ followers?" Basically, it means Christians. But, when I read the phrase "Christ follower," the mental picture is that Jesus Christ is in front of a person, and that person is trying to imitate the actions of the Lord. Once again, this gives the impression that a person is being instructed on how to act instead of living instinctively in response to the Holy Spirit's leading through a changed heart. There is a popular ministry called, "I am Second." The implication is that Jesus or God is "first" in a person's life, and they are "second." However, it is this thought process that robs Christianity and the Gospel of its central meaning. That being, "Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27)." We are not necessarily following Jesus Christ as we are being led by Him from within. Being led symbolizes the idea that Christ is our life, not that He is first and we are second. He changes our hearts, and that changes our behavior. 

Generally speaking, as Christians, we should accept others even if we disagree with them. However, from my experience, what people wear, where they are from, and how they look could indicate what they believe. There is a difference between acceptance and tolerance. Acceptance means that you understand that everybody is different and has different experiences. In this case, you are trying to meet them and forge a bond on agreement points. Whereas tolerance could mean that you could be compromising the truth to get along. If that is the case, then denying people "acceptance into the fold" may have some merit. You cannot have unity with each other "until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13)."

The Bible does say that many will be deceived, including Christians. However, this is usually due to unbelievers or believers being led astray by "false Christs and false prophets (Matthew 24:24)" performing signs and wonders. But, to stand in judgment of people in this way without giving examples of what you are determining to be deception can make you out to be the bad guy. Who is to say that the one making the judgment isn't the one who is deceived? The apostle Paul said, "Brothers if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted (Galatians 6:1)."It is this attitude that we should have towards our fellow Christian brothers and sisters. If they are guilty of being deceived and have fallen into sin, go to them and restore them gently, but be on guard to not fall into the same sin. 

There may be a point about the church abandoning "love for the sake of worldly things such as wealth and [a] political agenda." The prosperity gospel comes to mind when mentioning the pursuit of worldly things. Throughout history, the Church has sought to place its mark on society. At times, however, it does seem that Christians equate political agendas with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The idea that God's ability to reach the lost and hurting world with the message of Jesus Christ is tied to political success is not true and a bit arrogant on our part. Politics is the fruit of one's faith, but faith in Jesus Christ is not dependent on the political climate of a given moment in time. Ultimately, we have to define love. Love means different things to different people. As Christians, we have to use God's definition of love and then allow that to dictate how we engage the world around us. 

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails ... (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)" These attributes of love are examples of the fruit of the Spirit. God shares His love with us through the indwelling Holy Spirit. As we mature in our relationship with God in Christ, we will bear these fruits to the world around us. When we do this, love will not be a tenet that we embrace. It will be a natural expression of a heart changed by an encounter with the living God. A heart changed by God will abandon the world to be a part of God's agenda in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.