God is Love, And...

So. Much. More.

This post is in response to social media. I was recently looking through Insta and saw a picture (or a quote or something). I don't actually remember what it was now. It was posted by someone that I have had issues and theological differences with in the past. She is somewhat of a public figure and I mistakenly went down the rabbit hole of reading the comments...

There were people that were totally against what she was posting about and people that were vehemently defending her. For the most part, it was all the typical arguments. The people against her said that she was sinning and the people defending her said that the other people were being judgmental and not "good" Christians. And I feel like we have that discussion all the time and it always leads back to the argument that "God is love" which I feel like is very misguided.

Before you object, let me explain. God is love. Yes! Absolutely! But to say that, at the expense of everything else, is a very limited view. It's like saying someone is a teacher and not taking into account that she is also a wife and mother.

God is love! And grace and mercy. For that I am so thankful! But God is also a jealous God. He gets angry. He calls us to be holy as He is holy.

Now let me take that one step further. I feel like, especially in the context of these Instagram comments, people were saying "God is love" to encompass the idea that "because God is love, Christians must be tolerant of all things and 100% nonjudgmental." There was an underlying idea that people should not say negative things about this woman, because they should be loving like God. I am not denying that people should be loving and I certainly do not think that Instagram, or any public social media outlet, is the place for these conversations, here is my blanket statement on the issue:

Jesus socialized with sinners- tax collectors and lepers and adulterers... He was loving and nonjudgmental and desired a relationship with them because He wanted them to know Him. But He also called the Pharisees out on their shit! The reason for this: the Pharisees claimed to be Christians. They called themselves followers of God and were therefore held to that standard- the standard of holiness.

I think that as Christians, we are called to hold other believers to that standard. This can be done in a nonjudgmental way- and should never be done over social media! My tattoo represents (for one thing) mercy and holiness. God is merciful! He forgives our sins and pardons us when we do unfathomable things, but that does not allow us to stay in our sin. He is also holy. We serve a perfect God!

Jesus reacts to the sins of believers and nonbelievers differently and I think we are called to do the same. God is love! And we can love because He first loved us. But love does not mean that we accept everything. Live in the tension of grace and truth. Hold each other accountable. Push one another further to the cross. Strive to be more like Jesus!

That's all. I'm stepping off my soapbox now...