Edification part 4
Let me drop my passage of Scripture today and then we'll get into it. "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT). I think passages like this are why people focus on "religion" as a code of moral rights and wrongs. But here's the deal--Jesus didn't come to give us a religion. He didn't come to give us a moral code. He didn't come to make bad people good. He came to make dead people alive. That phrase "to teach is what is true" is so important. Because the ultimate truth of the univese is, "God is love and He loves you." That's the truth that the Scripture teaches us. "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so." And, listen, it's not about FOCUSING on what's wrong in our lives. It's about REALIZING it, and CORRECTING it. Hebrews 12:7 in the NLT says, "As you endure this divine disciple, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?" Sometimes we get into that idea of "greasy grace" and we forget that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. We focus on the "all things are lawful to me" part but disregard the "not all things edify" part. What I'm saying is, just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD. WHat I'm saying is, when you look at the Bible cross-eyed, through the lens and understanding of the finished work of the cross, that's when you can learn that truth. Again--the truth that God is love and He loves you. The truth that the Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hand. And that love is what equips and empowers us to love. That love is what equip and empowers us... to live! Because to live is to love and to love is to live. They aren't just connected, they are the same thing. So when we're talking about building each other up--edifying each other--we need to understand that it is our heavenly Father who first builds US up or edifys US. We need to understand that we are being prepared. We are being matured. It's ok for God to chasten and correct us. Obviously that's for our good. He's not punishing us, or beating us down. He's edifying us and lifting us up! So when we accept that correction, that's when we can begin to enjoy everything God has for us, instead of robbing ourselves of what He has provided for us by going our own way. We can receive and release His love by focusing on His love. We can learn how to love by learning how we are loved. Letting God love the hell out of us and loving Him back by loving each other. Love is the only thing that can truly edify someone. You can't be properly built by anything but love. Love is what people need. And love is what we have. Because love is what God has given us. And it's not JUST what we have... it's WHO WE ARE. So BE who you are. Receive and release that love. Let what's in you come out. And watch what a difference it makes. Watch how the love inside you come out affects everything and everybody else. It's amazing to see. Letting the love that has built you up... out... builds everybody else up! Don't tell people what's wrong with them, tell people what's right with them! Give them the opportunity and the change and the room to grow. To be who they are. To be loved, and to love. That's what this life is all about. That's how we experience it, and that's how we enjoy it--by sharing it with the people we come into contact with! It's all about love, guys. It's all about love...