'Love' Requires a Compass
When we dig a bit into our lives, we may find that 'love' has been as much a delight as it has been a delinquent. Why?
Foundations are life's most important items to get correct. They are equally as important in death as in life. From firm life foundations reliable compasses are created. This is especially so when we consider 'love'.
Once a king dreamed of an enormous, dazzling human statue with a head of gold, chest of silver, thighs of bronze and legs of iron. As he ran his eyes further down this staggering creation from human hands he felt afraid. He saw its feet constructed from an amalgam of iron and half-baked clay. (See Daniel 2:31-35). This statue must topple.
The western world flees right and Christian reason, it now has feet of clay.
This world ever hankers for more sin, hence lunging deeper into a desperate darkness of greed and immorality - it crashes.
When 'love' justifies sin, supports indulgence and is the lubricant to wild behavior - only pain and heartache can result. Sin always does that - it leads to trouble, stumbling, confusion and finally destruction.
Same-sex marriage, as well as the current explosion of gender ideologies are examples, for these are justified by 'love'.
'Love' desperately requires an accurate compass. Love is not the arbiter of truth, morality or wisdom.
The Lord explains His foundations many times in the Bible:
I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line (Isaiah 28:17)
God IS love, this is true. God’s fabric is love. But ‘love’ is not His measuring line of behavior – righteousness is.
True love will always seek to protect, for it never fails. The lover reaches to the loved one for rescue when harm confronts. That is how righteous love works.
How is sin reckoned? It is measured against righteousness.
How is love reckoned? It is the measured against righteousness.
Pure love is the end result of pursuing righteousness. BUT - righteousness is not the end point of pursuing love.
Righteousness teaches real love. Sin teaches its deceitful shadow – lust.
Where there is righteousness men will love to be the shelters and the satisfiers of others.
Love is not a stand-alone virtue. The pedestal of love is righteousness.
Today's Soul Snippet:
'Gethsemane is the choice of self-denial - the garden of righteousness.' ~ anon