Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
Hebrews 13:1-6 ESV
Brotherly love. Hospitality. Love for those in prison and mistreated. Free from sexual immorality. Free from greed.
Aren’t these things in stall contrast to what the world would sell us as being the “American Dream”? I see plenty of “‘Muricans” ready to pick up their weapons and destroy others of flesh and blood that oppose them – but so few expecting prison, trials, persecution, and mistreatment by the world.
Yes, ‘Muricans have blindly started following the blind – following a different gospel than the servant, life sacrificed example of Christ that is the one and only truth, life, and way. They have traded it for a gospel of prosperity, of positivity, of feel good motivational self help that encourages blending into the world’s idea of “love” instead of standing apart in true grattitude and belief and obedience because of His love which leads us into a life of righteousness and walking upright in His ways as a living example of Christ alive and at work in the world today.
‘Muricans have been sold, and yes, I do mean sold, because the charlatans happily take the money, silver, gold, and precious time in trade for promises that those people won’t have to live like Christ. These people have been sold promises that they don’t have to obey God. They have been sold promises that if they want things in this life hard enough for themselves they can have it. They have been sold promises that they don’t have to face persecution or trial or tribulation for being a Christian because their lives on this earth will end before they have a chance for that to happen.
Are we so blind to see this is the enemy, tempting you with a false gospel?
Are we so blind to see the stark contrast of this to the life and example of Christ given to us in scripture?
Yes, that other gospel sounds easy, and comfortable, and fits nicely with the selfish and carnal and wicked lifestyle of the desires of the flesh. But isn’t it at odds with how Christ taught us to love? Hasn’t the world even tried to turn love, that sacrificial dedication to something other than ourselves into being about our own feelings and urging and desires.
What a deceiver. What a liar. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy by keeping us off that narrow path – and the enemy is doing quite well at that in the hands of so many religious people who don’t know how to love and so many lawless people who don’t know what love is.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV
Love is not a “feeling”. Disney sells this lie daily and makes a fortune off of the world.
Love is not “sex”. The porn industry sells this lie daily and makes a fortune off of the world.
Love is not “religious practice”. The harlot church sells this lie weekly and makes a fortune off of the world.
Love is not “saying something with our mouths but doing something else with our lives” – the enemy sells this lie to the world with a promise or religion in order to steal them away from a true, living relationship with Christ.
So I ask, do you know love? The kind of love that goes to the cross for others and that bids you to do the same? The kind of love that comes and abides and remains in your life and demonstrates itself as His Spirit alive in you even in the fave of trials, tribulations, and persecution?
Or have you been sold something else?
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Galatians 5:17-26 ESV
Harold J. Ballinger 