When we talk of the teachings of Jesus Christ, we are called to love, to reflect His love. We are not called to judge those or impose laws on those who do not know Him. We are called time and time again to love, to love unconditionally. In Hebrew there is no exclamation point to express importance, so in that, repetition is used. The more it is repeated, the more importance it holds, and if it is repeated 3 times, it is declared to be of the utmost importance. The example I was given by the person who taught it to me was this, say someone would say 'never, never, never,' in Hebrew, to properly translate that to English would be, 'no, never, not ever, never under any circumstance.' The first time, it is important, the second time, it is something that should be never forgotten, the third time, it should be imprinted on your soul. In that, 'love one another', is used 11 times in the New Testament.
I feel that so many of us have established so many conditions on which we 'love one another'. It has become tainted in so many ways we can't count. We are quick to condemn those who don't know Chirst, and yet, we are to do no such thing. We are called to love them, and that's it. The times when condemnation is used in the New Testament, is only when there are those who have already come to the faith, not before. We attempt to impose and enforce 'God's will and laws' on those who don't even have a relationship with Him.Even in Leviticus, a book which lays down some very strict laws and guidelines for the Israelites to follow says the same thing.
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. - Leviticus 19:18
The foreigner residing amongst you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God. - Leviticus 19:34
That's twice in just that book, and as some of you know, Leviticus is a pretty hard-line approach for laws that the Israelites were to follow.
Time and time again we are told to love unconditionally, especially when it comes to those who don't know Christ. We are called not to judge. We are called to not impose laws that we ourselves cannot follow.
In the council of Jerusalem Paul is quoted saying
Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke neither we nor our ancestors could bear? - Acts 15:10
And that was for the believers, not the non-believers. In the gospels, the only time Jesus reprimands people is when they are doing something incorrect within the walls of a church or are believers who are perverting the word for their own purpose. He NEVER reprimanded a non-believer for the lives that they led before they came to faith. He just loved them, and in that I believe that when it comes to dealing with non-believers, we are called not to open our mouths in any way shape or form of judgement. We are just commissioned to love them.
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