So our church has been doing a sermon series on how we mind the gap between what we say we believe and how we actually live. We have addressed several topics stemming from the statement, "I love God, but...". It has gotten me thinking how often we do this without realizing it. I love Jesus, but I have to make a living. I love Jesus, but I have a family to support. I love Jesus, but he doesn't realize why I can't do such and such. I love Jesus, but look at all the good things the world has to offer. And the reality is, none of the "but" statements above involve something that is inherently evil. It isn't like we are talking about "I love Jesus but I have an urge to kill someone." No, these are things that are basic to life and are morally neutral if not morally good. But we turn them evil when we use them to qualify our love for and devotion to Christ. This is why John is so adamant in 1 John 2:15 when he says, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." We are so good at making it seem like this verse has nothing to do with the the things of the world we actually love. We are so good at rationalizing and explaining that I need this or that and therefore it isn't love of the world.
I know the argument back at me on this is, "well we need balance." I respectfully disagree. Tell me what is balanced about 1 John 2:15. Tell me what is balanced about Jesus saying that the amount of devotion he expects from us will, in comparison, make our love for family look like we hate them. Tell me what is balanced about the Christian experience throughout scripture and throughout history in which men, women, and children, willingly suffer and die for Christ rather than be caught saying, "I love Jesus, but..." What arrogance we have that we think we are different, that our circumstance is different and thus we play by different rules.
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