Things that Hinder our Love

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:37-39

This much-loved and often-quoted passage of scripture assures us that no circumstance of this life or any threat we face can dissolve the bonds that keep us in the Father's love. As much as this already speaks to me by itself in terms of the Christian's relationship to God, it spoke to me differently this morning in light of another passage of scripture:

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." - John 13:34 

If, as Christians, we are all children of the same Father, fixed in his affections by bonds that no circumstance can sever, and if we are commanded to love as he loves us, why are we so easily divided in our affections from one another? The love that is manifested by God toward us should rightly be manifested through the Spirit of God among us. Why, then, is this "unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" the exception in the church rather than the rule?

I believe there are two primary reasons for this:

1. Unbelief - We are not convinced of God's love for us.

Many of us have been so battered by this life and are so full of rejection and fear that virtually every day with us is a game of "He loves me; he loves me not." The consequence of not believing in his love is a continual cycle of doubt, fear, worry, and despair, resulting in double-mindedness, the inability to focus properly, and an emotional miserliness that separates us from both God and man because we're so afraid of losing what we have (or think we have) that we can't reach out to anyone else or let them reach out to us. It's rather difficult to link hands with someone when you're hands are already full. To join with others, we have to put our "stuff" down first.

2. Pride - We're too caught up in love of self.

Pride, which is really love of self above all else, can stem from rejection as a type of defense mechanism (usually manifesting in a stormy, unpredictable temperament), but often it is a separate category entirely. Pride is like fire; it consumes everything in favor of itself. Pride sees everything in terms of how it relates to self: "That's not what I like," "That's not how I would do it," "That doesn't make me happy," "That's not how I see it," "Where does that leave me?", and so forth. A person caught in a stronghold of pride practically generates their own gravity field, drawing everything to themselves. Even if they dislike and avoid you, it's usually difficult to escape their influence, as they'll find ways - even subtle ways - of conveying their disdain for you and poisoning others against you. For some people, this is almost a game.

In Proverbs 6, Solomon tells us that there are seven things that are "abominations" in the sight of God, and pride (love of self) lies at the heart of every one of them. In Job 41, he describes a fearsome creature with the characteristics of a classical dragon and calls it "king over the children of pride." These are strong testaments to what God thinks of pride.

Needless to say, pride is the mortal enemy of love. I believe these two things: unbelief and pride, are at the heart of our failure to love one another as God loves us, and together they have left the church divided, weak, and often at war with itself. Indeed, lack of love for others may be at the heart of why many of us are not growing as we would like to spiritually, as we're disobeying the commandment Jesus said lies at the heart of all true spirituality (Matthew 7:12; 22:40). If we rejoice in the Bible's declaration that nothing in this life can separate us from God's love for us, then we should take Christ's command to love one another as he loves us all the more seriously, and allow nothing to separate us from one another. The first step in that direction could be a prayer like this:

"Father, in the name of Jesus I confess my failure to love others as I ought to, as the Lord commanded us to, and ask your forgiveness. I desire to make this right in my life. I ask you to deliver me from unbelief and pride. Touch and heal me from every source of rejection that suppresses my ability to experience your love for me and hinders me in loving others. Expose every root of pride within me and grant me the strength to dig them out. Fill me with the same love for my fellow Christians that you have toward me, that I might be a blessing and a source of life and healing to all around me. I ask these things in faith, knowing that it is your will for your children to live in love, toward you as well as toward one another. You alone can make this possible. Teach me to yield to you so that you can do your works in me and through me. Amen."

* Scriptures are quoted from the NASB.

Matthew 24 and the Rapture Debate, Part One: The Unknown Day and Hour

This video addresses two issues with regard to Matthew 24 and the rapture/second coming of Christ:

1) Should Matthew 24:36 be used with regard to the timing of the rapture?

2) Pre-tribulationists (appealing to Matthew 24:36 and the timing of the Abomination of Desolation) insist that post-tribulationists contradict Jesus when they maintain that the rapture and the second coming are one and the same event. Is this an accurate criticism? I answer this charge from the post-trib perspective.

* If you enjoyed this article and would like to support the author so that he can create more such content, you can donate via PayPal to rhawes73@gmail.com (or send an email to this address if you would like to donate some other way). Thank you for your support!

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True Humility is knowing One's Identity in Christ

Some time ago I called a pastor acquaintance of mine to ask for prayer. When he picked up the phone, the first thing he said to me was, “What can I do for you, man of God?”

For an instant, I was speechless. It had never occurred to me to think of myself in those terms. Had he picked up the phone and said, “What’s up, basket case?” or “How’s it going, screw-up?” I probably wouldn’t have batted an eye; in fact, I probably would have assumed the Holy Spirit had given him a word of knowledge. But “man of God” - I wasn't prepared for that.

The Christian faith places a great deal of emphasis on humility, and for most of my life I guess I thought humility was the art of running yourself down. Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. Humility is an attitude of reverent awareness that what you have, and what you can do, you have and can do by the grace of God. Humility keeps one thankful toward God and merciful toward one’s fellow human beings. The alternative is arrogance, which leads to contempt for both God and man.

At its core then, humility is simply an acknowledgment of the truth: the truth concerning oneself in relation to God.

For this reason, running yourself down isn’t just counterproductive; it’s actually a form of self-delusion. Further, I believe it’s an affront to God. The scriptures are clear that those who belong to Christ have received the favor of God (Romans 5:1-11), even the right to be called his own children (John 1:12-13). We are to receive an inheritance along with Christ (Romans 8:16-18). Indeed, Jesus said that it is the Father’s “good pleasure” to give us the kingdom (Luke 12:32). He doesn’t merely tolerate us, he delights in us (Ephesians 5:1). We are important to him, first because we are created in his image, and second because we are being conformed to the image of his son (Romans 8:29), who is ever pleasing to him. When we look down on ourselves we effectively deny these truths and thereby subtly imply that the sacrifice of Christ that was designed to bring these things about really hasn’t done so.

There is a place for conviction in our lives. The Holy Spirit brings this about in his own gentle way, but he never rubs our noses in our failures and inadequacies. Given that we are to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1), it stands to reason that we should not do these things to ourselves, either. Yes, it’s easy to become discouraged at times—especially as we reflect on the power and holiness of God, and as we compare ourselves to various famous names in the history of the faith—but as Christians we are called to be “overcomers.” A person who runs himself down is not overcoming; he is being overcome. Victory will never come to one who chooses to crown himself with defeat.

So, yes, let’s pursue humility, but let it be genuine humility—a humility that comes by way of the truth and that leads us into thankfulness and mercy, and onward to victory. Acknowledge who you are in Christ and what God has said about you in those terms. Know that, if you belong to Christ, then you are indeed a man or woman of God, no matter what you may feel like at the moment or how far you have yet to travel on the road to maturity. It isn’t easy to change a habitual pattern of thinking, as those who are prone to anxiety and depression know only too well, but it’s the essential first step and it is possible with prayerful determination. The alternative is futility, self-delusion, and insulting the father who has so graciously made us the children of his favor.

“For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that...we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.” - Hebrews 6:16-18

*Scripture is taken from the NASB.

Singularity, Transhumanism, and the Future of Mankind

Scientists, researchers, and engineers are working hard to "enhance" human beings by probing the mysteries of our genetic makeup and exploring ways to integrate us with machines. According to at least one leading expert, the effort to merge humans with machines will bring about "singularity" (a fundamental turning point in human affairs) by 2029 - a mere 12 years away.

Meanwhile, fundamental questions need to be asked: What does it mean to be human? How much can we "enhance" or "augment" ourselves and still remain human? What will augmented human beings think of non-augments? Will enhancing human beings also enhance our capacity for evil? 

And, on another level, what, if anything, does the coming singularity have to do with Bible prophecy? Do the scriptures hint at transhumanism in the last days? What does the Mark of the Beast really entail? And why can't those who take the Mark be forgiven? These are all questions that Christians are going to have to face in the very near future. How will we engage with society on these issues? What decisions will we make for ourselves and our families?

* If you enjoyed this article and would like to support the author so that he can create more such content, you can donate via PayPal to rhawes73@gmail.com (or send an email to this address if you would like to donate some other way). Thank you for your support!

** Click here to visit my YouTube channel.