“LOVE ONE ANOTHER!”

John 15:12-17                      (ESV)

“12 "This is MY commandment, that you “LOVE ONE ANOTHER” as I have loved you.

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are MY friends if you do what I command you.

15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from MY FATHER I have made known to you.

16 You did not choose ME, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the FATHER in MY name, HE may give it to you.

17 These things I command you, so that you will “LOVE ONE ANOTHER”.”

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a meeting at our state capital where members of several “religions” were speaking about being “inclusive” of all “religions”.  The concept sounds noble as everybody has a free will to make their own choices regarding how they worship, or even if they worship, and who they worship!  Some were even present who chose to worship satan.  The main problem with any of the “choices” is when we “choose” a god of our “choice” then we become a determiner of how that god will act and react to our sins?  It is my understanding that this would make us a god, and that hasn’t turned out that well for those who have tried that before!!!  And ALL “choices” have consequences!  

Seeing the people who cannot SEE their error is a tragic thing.   2 Corinthians 4:4 says “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of CHRIST, who is the image of GOD.”  They are correct in that they have the right to reject JESUS as the SON of GOD, just like the Jews of 33AD did.  But the price those are now paying for being wrong is an eternity experiencing the WRATH of GOD ALMIGHTY!  That, my friend, is a price that is far greater than anything they can imagine. 

It is easy to just say that everyone has a choice, BUT that choice has consequences, and the consequences are REAL!  Not wanting anybody to experience the consequences is part of “LOVE ONE ANOTHER”, but Scripture tells us very plainly “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and THOSE WHO FIND IT ARE FEW”!  

Yes, we can “LOVE ONE ANOTHER”, but at the same time we have a duty to alert them that the path they are on leads to death, hell and destruction.  When we “LOVE ONE ANOTHER”, we are not to rubber stamp anything and everything they do, just as CHRIST didn’t condone sin.  HE told the woman supposedly caught in adultery in John 8:11 “Go, and from now on sin no more”!  We are to “LOVE ONE ANOTHER” enough to show the error of their ways, but not in a hateful manner, then leave the “choice” and consequences up to them!!!