Matthew 22:36-40 reads, “Teacher, which is the GREATEST commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘LOVE your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
So tell me, what do you think Jesus meant by "love"?
All I'm hearing you say is that it means to preach hellfire for any evidence of sin.
Okay, I got that. But is that it? Is that the sum total of what you are saying Jesus meant by "love"?
That's it?
Then how does the speck in the eye versus the log in the eye come into play, and the forgiveness and compassion and mercy?
Or do they all get based on "learning" to abandon gentleness, and "finding" the courage to constantly tell everyone they are going to hell for their lack of perfect sinlessness, because that - alone - is the only REAL meaning Jesus taught for the idea of "loving" each other.
I'm perfectly serious. Go ahead, teach me. Explain why I need to abandon all my other ways of understanding what Jesus meant by love, for the sole interpretation of the "courage" to pound on the idea of hellfire for any trace of sin.
Because I'm not seeing that level of utter rejection of all tenderness in Jesus's meaning, and I don't see any lack of humility in it, either. All I see is savagery, and the creation of a monstrous world of abject terror and constant threats of damnation in the name of "true" love - and anything "less" harsh as being a "rejection of the truth".
Is that what you mean? Is that what you are saying Jesus actually meant by the word "love"? Do I understand you correctly? Please explain.
Sadly you have no understanding of the absolute nature of God or of the perfection of Christ. Jesus was murdered by the sin of the world in which we are all complicit. Each of us has a hand in his cricifixion.
God’s perfection and sinlessness is so absolute he cannot see us with any sin. This is precisely what hiding in the cleft of the Rock is about. We literally hide in Christ, allowing Him to cover our sins so that His Father will not see them.
We are utterly and absolutely lost and damned without Christ at the heart of our lives. God does not look beyond sin. If He did He would not have needed to send his Son, Christ to provide the means of salvation.
Sin blinds Gods’s eyes to us. In our sinful state we cannot enter into His presence. Even the tiniest sin condemns us to eternal death. Only by being washed in the blood of the Lamb do we have any hope of eternal peace and love with God.
Looking for sweetness and light in this fallen world is a fool’s errand. There are none among us, not one, worthy of salvation except by atonement, sacrifice and surrender to Christ. Jesus said we must die to our selves to be born into His life.
Yes, you have been taught poorly. God is not a saintly grandfather who overlooks our sin. He is the Lord of the universe and we are but specs of dust in His creation. Surrender yourself to God before it is too late.