Far too many Christians focus on what I like to call the “sappy” side of love and attempt to apply that side in every situation.

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
(1 John 4:16 KJV)

Most believers are very familiar with this passage of scripture but most do not have the fullest revelation of the love of God. If the truth were told, none of us do, but we endeavor to grow in understanding of God’s love. I would like to take a few moments to add your understanding by pointing out an aspect of God’s love that is many times overlooked and misunderstood. There are many sides of a mountain, but each side provides a different view.

Far too many Christians focus on what I like to call the “sappy” side of love and attempt to apply that side in every situation. This makes about as much sense as going to war without a gun. The love of God is the most powerful weapon available to you and I but you we must know which direction to point it or we will be faced with a backfire.

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.   
(Rom. 11:22 KJV)

God does not have love. He is love. God is good but, according to Romans, He is also severe. The word severity means: decisiveness, rigor, abruptly, as well as – to cut. This tells us that there is a side of God in which His actions can best be describe as cutting; hence, the word severity is used. If we are to accept the “feel good” love of God, we must also embrace the severe and cutting side of love. God is good and even when He is severe, He is still good and He is still love. How can severity be love?  Well, let us use a different word: correction.

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
(Prov. 3 11-12  KJV)

My family grew up with a father who loved us, but was not afraid or unwilling to correct us kids when it was necessary. My dad firmly believed in not sparing the rod. Scripture clearly states that if you do not discipline your child then you hate them.

He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.   
(Prov. 13:24)

If you do not believe this, just look at families that choose not to spank or properly discipline their children. They not only suffer the affects now, but they will live to regret it when those kids grow up and lack the self discipline that is necessary to avoid the traps that the devil sets for them.

There may be the occasional exception to this due to the personality of the child, but if God says to do something you had better do it or suffer the consequences. In our house we knew dad loved us! My dad would do anything for us, even the hard things, as long as it was going to help us. I did not enjoy the correction, but I knew that is was for my own good. This is a great example of God. God is love, but we often forget that He is a father and fathers have to do the difficult things sometimes.

Now before you allow your imagination to wander, I am not saying that God puts sickness, disease, poverty and the curse on you in order to teach you a lesson. That is biblically absurd.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 
(John 10:10  KJV)

If something in your life is killing, stealing or destroying – God is not the one doing it! However, we have been given the gift of free will and sometimes we do not always make the right choices. I often say that if you do not make the right choice on purpose, the wrong choice is made by default. God will support your choice, even if it is the wrong one. If a man does not make Jesus his Lord, the devil will be by default and if that man dies in that condition and goes to hell, God will not stop it

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 
(Matt. 18:18  KJV)

Another way to phrase this passage of scripture is:  Whatever you refuse on earth will be refused in heaven and whatever you permit on earth is permitted in heaven. Notice the choices are made on earth. We live here on earth and our choices affect God’s involvement in our lives.

You can choose to rob a bank tomorrow and God will not stop you. So, when you find yourself in jail, you cannot ask:  “Why did God do this to me?” He didn’t, you did. Call it severe if you want to, but it is love. What if God sent a getaway car and helped you escape? Would that be good? Would that be love? No, it would be unjust and in the long run, it would not be to your advantage.

Someone may be saying: “I believe everything happens for a reason.” So do I, but probably not in the way that you may think. For example, if someone is drinking and then gets behind the wheel of a car and ends up killing someone, people may use that phrase. The accident absolutely happened for a reason. The person was drinking--first stupid mistake-and then decided to drive-second stupid mistake-and for that reason a person was killed. There were reasons, but God was not responsible for any of them. Unfortunately, God is still being blamed for things that He had nothing to do with. This happens because so few know God. They may know a lot about Him but still be ignorant of His nature.

We can see the Father’s nature in the ministry of Jesus. Jesus neither did nor said anything unless He saw His Father do and say it first. Jesus, Himself, said:  “when you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” 

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. 
(Matt. 21:12-13 KJV)

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 
(Matt. 23:27  KJV)

These are just two examples of Jesus, who was the express image of love, having to do the tough or severe thing in order to help people and carry out the Father’s will. Can you imagine if a pastor said something like this on Sunday morning? People would leave in droves and accuse the pastor of having no compassion.

If the pastor’s motive was right and he was following the leading of the Lord, then people would not be offended at him but their offense would be with the Word himself. People think that love should always give you a warm feeling inside and that love would never say or do anything harsh. I submit that such people would even attempt to correct the Almighty Himself. Love gives people what they need instead of what they want. If you are a parent, you know this.

We live in a very weak and wimpy society that is very resistant to correction unless it is always supported with positive reinforcement and soft tones. This mentality has found its’ way into the church and that is why good pastors are abandoned and talked ugly about. This is why churches are divided. This is why marriages are destroyed and children lost to the world. This is why people stay sick and die young. This is why the plan of God is hindered! 

It’s time for ministers to serve T-bone steaks instead of spoon-feeding pabulum to their congregations. Correction is not an option but rather a necessity for experiencing the glory of God.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
(Rom. 8:18-19  KJV)

The world is waiting to see what a real, live Son of God looks like, but we will fail to show it to them if we fail to accept the goodness and severity of God. We must be willing to hear and do the hard things. We must be open to correction.

Remember, pride is what prevents one from receiving correction and pride is what got Lucifer kicked out of heaven. Correction is one of the greatest things God could ever do for us. Remain humble before the Lord and open to His goodness and correction. The other side of love, it does the child of God good!

Step of Faith Ministries
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