Hmmmm

I just read a blog on the Free Believer's Network "What is Relationship with God?".
You may want to read it here before you continue on as my post relates to this.

I certainly agree on many of his comments concerning the nature and expression of God's love
through His people.

But to say that any and all people who are loving and kind - are therefore children of God - and that because they love, they are therefore citizens of heaven, or that they know God - well this is not necessarily true.

Yes I fully agree that love is the ultimate and the deepest expression of Christ in us, (the width, depth, height) and that love, His love, is the factor that should motivate us, challenge us, and move us onward into a deeper expression of Himself in this world.

However, we also know that it is those who have been forgiven much that indeed love much. It is people who are forgiven of their many sins, saved by grace, ... these are those who love deeply and above all, value and appreciate Him much. They in turn are those that love and appreciate others in this same way. So again, it is those who are forgiven much that love much.

To make a conclusion or assumption that just because people are loving and kindhearted, they therefore know God, are Christians - however you want to say this, is not true. This is the exact same erroneous thinking of those who would say - 'because you go to church' - ' because you speak in tongues' - 'because you are baptized' -'insert your [particular] belief here', that you are therefore someone who knows God. Just because things appear a certain way, or someone concludes it to be so, it certainly does not necessarily mean that it is.

Salvation truly does require faith and a belief in the gospel, an endurance against many things, for ALL MANKIND are lost and without hope and truly all mankind are therefore in desperate need of God's mercy and forgiveness. This was why Christ died on the Cross 2000 years ago. No matter how loving people are, without Christ in their lives, they still need this revelation of what the Cross means for THEM and thus to be transformed by it.

We must not lose sight of the fact that all men need to know and believe Christ died for their SINS.

This is why we must keep our message of Christ simple, we must share it in a simple way. Simple is the key. We live it and share it in a very simple way - whether it's blogging, emailing, coffee shop, work place, whatever sharing. Simple is definitely the key. Of all people, Paul could have spoke in a very scholarly way considering how educated he was. He could have used his mind to speak in a very scholarly and eloquent way to others, but he laid that at Christ's feet, didn't he? He chose instead to speak in a very simple way to others - and to lay that at Christ's feet. So that it was Christ who would find root in people's heart. That is how the cross truly works! But it is the Cross, the power of the Cross, that saves mankind. And it is faith in WHAT HE HAS DONE ALONE that saves us.

Love will always be a mystery to mankind without the Cross. But love is complete (and perfect) with the Cross, the ultimate expression of love. Shall we speak of a love that does not speak of the Cross first - a love that is not of above and not of Christ? Many may know 'of' love and speak 'of' love with many words, (scholarly & complicated) but love 'without the message of love on the Cross' SIMPLY is not a love that will endure nor have power to transform one into the image that Christ would have for all. It might look similar, but is it ? It certainly would not go to the Cross and lay down one's life. We must remember from whom we have believed.