Love Changes the Heart
The short excerpt is by Tim Keller, and the Scripture is Hosea 11:4 I led them with ropes of human kindness, with ties of love. I lifted the load from their neck and went down to feed them.
Fear of Hell and damnation will never change the fundamental structures of your heart. What's wrong with you and me and the world is self-centeredness and self-absorption. Me over you, and me instead of you. That is what is wrong. When you scare people and say, "You'd better be good because of the fear of Hell and damnation," why are they being good? Are they being good for God's sake to please Him, or are they being good for their own sake? They are using God saying, "If I live a really good life, then God will have to give me success. He will give me a family, a man or woman of my dreams, and He will take me to heaven." In other words, God is still the means to an end to get the things that you have really been building your identity on.
Love will change the fundamental structures of the heart! Radical unconditional love is the only thing that will take our mistrustful, in denial, conniving little hearts and shock them into a whole new way of living and being. Jesus Christ was the judge of the earth who came not to bring judgment but to bare judgment and to go to Hell for His enemies. Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd. You can be sure that I will do anything for you because I have done anything for you. I lost everything, so that I wouldn't lose you."
Champions, have a great week!-David Vining
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