God’s love compels us to love everyone, as Jesus did. In our walk of love, we help strangers and anyone in need. God commands us to love others. This is not a call to allow other people to walk all over us. Nor is this a call to ignore the other Biblical commands such as speaking the truth in love. Even if it is a truth that they would rather not hear, we are to speak it gently and out of love.
When we obey the great commandment to love God more than yourself; followed by the second greatest, to love your neighbor as yourself means you love God and His righteousness first and foremost. You abhor sin in yourself, and when your brother or neighbor acts unrighteously, we’re to continue our love for them, but reprove with love. If they refuse or continue in wrongdoing, we are called to separate ourselves from them with love.
God said to Josuha 4 times in one chapter God says to Joshua 1:6,7,9,18 “be strong and courageous” It takes strength, courage and sacrifice to walk with God. God called His children to be holy and not to let any unclean thing or evil persons be named among us 1 Corinthians 5:9-13. Churches have failed because they have walked in their love of the flesh and love sinners as a brother. That’s sin and not love of God. They defile the name of Christ by tolerating blatant sin among themselves.
When you do, you bring shame on the faith. It stains your walk. When unbelievers see you sin, you are shaming the name of Jesus and the faith to those in the world. This is a major cause of church failure in attendance. Who wants to be part of self-righteous hypocritical sinners?
God’s grace has called us to “live righteously, teaching us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, in this fallen world” Titus 2:12. We don’t live by the world’s standard of lies, deceit and greed or associate with those that do. It has become a strain on the true believers to watch the degradation of the faith. At the judgment, they will pay. Everybody won’t be raptured, otherwise people would be missing and the world would know it has occurred; but there is no mention of missing people in the entire bible.
The bible is clear we are not to keep friendship or company with those who walk in sin, believers included. If they turn from their way of thinking and repent, then you’ve gained a brother if not disassociate yourself from them even if they’re family Matthew 18:15-18.
Jesus said:
When you love God you obey Him John 14:15; 1 John 5:2-3. Timothy warned that in the last days, many will not turn away from their idolatry, greed, lies, and deceit. When we love God first we will warn and reprove the ones we love.
The lack of discipline in the faith is responsible for church closures around the world. 1 Timothy 4:1. They love as the world does, in word only. To know love, you must first love God because God is Love. Many Christians lack spiritual maturity because they walk not in truth, but a mixture of worldly values and idols. They have tossed aside bible principles and Godly doctrine for a watered down half truth.
As we approach resurrection day, the state of Christianity is in sad shape and getting worse quickly. Because of those like the unrepentant mortgage broker. For this type, their God is in their belly. They “deceive many with vain words because of this the wrath of God will come upon the children of disobedience“ Ephesians 5:6. We only have to look at the state of the faith.
Walk in The LIGHT
We are called to reprove sin in any believer As all sins should be, by the ministers of the gospel, and by other saints, and will be by God; either by his Spirit convicting them, or by his judgments, and the letting out of his wrath and fury, either here or hereafter, for the punishment of them.
Do not participate in the worthless and unproductive deeds of darkness, but instead expose them [by exemplifying personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character] Ephesians 5:11 We are children of Light, when we walk in the light those who walk in darkness are convicted of sin. Churches today have become lost because they tolerate much sin among them. You can’t fool God; Light up the darkness!