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So, as I\u2019m drilling down to uncover why so many of those who profess to know Christ are comfortable with killing, and torture, and war, I\u2019ve discovered something:\u00a0It turns out that what we really seem to lack is an abiding connection to the love of Christ in our daily, walking around lives.<\/p>\n
At least, I cannot personally fathom how anyone who was abiding in Christ \u2013 who is Agape love incarnate \u2013 could look at another person made in the image of God and condone their torture, or approve of their death, or justify their suffering \u2013 even if it was in the best interest of our nation.<\/p>\n
Not only are we disconnected from the love of Christ ourselves \u2013 and lacking in love for one another \u2013 we are also more often ruled by our fears than by our confidence in our Lord Jesus.<\/p>\n
The truth is, our world is inundated with a continual, abiding fear. We are immersed in fear. We are surrounded by it. It is nearly inescapable in our culture today.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t believe me? Just watch the evening news and count how often the word \u201cfear\u201d is used. Listen for how many times the news anchors refer to people who are afraid, or who are horrified, or terrified, etc. and you\u2019ll see what I\u2019m talking about.<\/p>\n
Then pay attention to the TV shows you watch. Notice how often fear is used to motivate everyone\u2019s actions. Or how those real-life mystery shows train you to suspect your spouse or to mistrust your neighbors.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s on the Internet too. Just the other day I posted this on social media:<\/p>\n
\u201cFear says: Buy bigger guns, locks and dogs to protect yourself. The reaction I received to that was this: Wow. Instant, automatic fear response. (And, yes, this was from a Christian).<\/p>\n Our choice is simple: We either decide to remain in a place of fear \u2013 and then we make decisions that flow from that fear \u2013 OR we decide to live in the love of Christ and then we make decisions that flow from Him and His love.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s not kid ourselves here, we cannot do both.<\/p>\n Either we put our hope in Christ and we walk in His love, or we walk in fear and we live our lives as people who must manage those fears.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s consider this for a moment: Could someone who honestly put their hope in Christ ever live in continual fear? Of course not! And someone who is led by their fears can\u2019t \u2013 at the same time \u2013 be completely trusting the Lord and placing their hope in Him. The two are mutually exclusive.<\/p>\n As I\u2019ve said once before, Jesus came and introduced us to something called \u201cThe Good News (or Gospel) of the Kingdom\u201d and it is about complete submission and daily reliance upon Christ.<\/p>\n We either follow the Way of the World (which involves fear, and violence, and torture, and power, etc.), or we follow the Way of Christ (which involves trust, and love, and humility and service to others, etc.).<\/p>\n We cannot follow the Way of the World and the Way of Christ at the same time. It\u2019s like saying that you\u2019re going to get in your car and drive East and West at the same time. It can\u2019t be done.<\/p>\n Either go one way or the other, but you can\u2019t do both because one path will take you in the opposite direction from the other one.<\/p>\n Why am I writing about fear? Because fear is the flip side of the coin from love. We\u2019re told that\u00a0\u201cPerfect love casts out all fear.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(1 Jn. 4:18) And I believe that if we cling to our fears we\u2019ll also experience less love and suffer from the effects of that deficiency.<\/p>\n Anyone who doubts this can simply look around you. Our world is not following the Way of Christ. It is saturated with fear. It is ruled by fear. It is all about power and control and exploitation and selfishness.<\/p>\n Jesus came and died to demonstrate a better way. That\u2019s what we call the Good News.<\/p>\n It means we can abandon those ways of being and start living a different way \u2013 a Heavenly way. It means we can actually be transformed from within by His incredible love and His amazing Holy Spirit into people who are not ruled by fear any longer.<\/p>\n Because we put our continual hope in Jesus we can love without fearing pain. We can trust without fearing violence. We can give without fearing poverty. We can share without fearing guilt.<\/p>\n As followers of Jesus, we have to say no to fear and yes to love. We have to repent and turn away from the way of the world. We have to put our hearts into His capable hands and begin to trust Him with everything. We have to start learning how to walk in love and to leave fear behind us for good.<\/p>\n Abiding in Christ means abandoning fear. The only thing that casts out all fear is His perfect love. When we are filled with his love there is no more room for fear. When His love fills us, we can\u2019t help but love everyone around us \u2013 even our enemies.<\/p>\n \u201cI pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord\u2019s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge\u2014that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.\u201d (Eph. 3:16-19)<\/em><\/p>\n ** Keith Giles is the author of several books, including the forthcoming\u00a0\u201cJesus Unbound: How the Bible Keeps Us From Hearing the Word of God<\/a>\u201d,\u00a0<\/strong>available July 4th, 2018.<\/em><\/p>\n He is also the author of the Amazon best-seller,\u00a0\u201cJesus Untangled: Crucifying Our Politics To Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb\u201d<\/a>. He is the co-host of the\u00a0Heretic Happy Hour Podcast<\/a>\u00a0on iTunes and Podbean. He and his wife live in Orange, CA with their two sons.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nLove says: Welcome friend. What\u2019s mine is yours.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u201cEasy enough to say until you\u2019re watching some thug rape your wife or daughter.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
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