Feb 10, 2008

Love is…

There is a Spiritual gift referred to in the bible as the gift of love. When I was a child, I prayed for that gift, and received it, much the same way one receives salvation, or tongues, or prophetic gifts (although in the broader sense, all gifts are prophetic – especially salvation). I felt an understanding come over me, confirming that I had received that gift at about age seven. I received many words from God at that age including the knowledge that I would be called into ministry, but that it would be different than the role of my pastor – so I accepted that, though I didn’t understand it. Age seven was the beginning of my spiritual awakening, which began as an intimate walk with the God of my understanding.

The gift of love has no real explanation in the bible. We are told what love is, but how is that a gift? If it is a single gift, then it is more like a “gift set”, like a pen and pencil set, or a set of towels or something, right? A set of attributes and attitudes…hmmm…sounds dangerous! Sounds like transformation, trials, and pain to me! Yuck! Who wants ­that?!!!

Abraham had an easy life, right? As did Moses, Noah, Joseph…you get the picture. What if I were to suggest to you that these men all had something in common that went well beyond their faith and favor with God – but also included those things as well? Would I have your attention for a moment? Can you identify it?

Concepts are taught to us by Holy Spirit (another hard lesson that I learned in my zest for biblical understanding). If we prayerfully read the bible, “understanding that surpasses knowledge” is able to renew our minds. If we read the bible as we would any other book, then it’s little more than a history lesson along with “how to” lessons. Can we agree on that?

What if we set the bible down, and continue to allow God to place concepts on our heart in our daily walk with Him, instead? What if we learn to listen in our prayer time, rather than speak? What if we begin to see that the bible is NOT the forth member of the Trinity? What if we begin to become dependent on the person of God and not solely on the written word? What if intimacy begins to outweigh principle, and relationship outweighs righteousness? Can we trust in that?

If we can, then we can begin to understand the gift of love, and we can begin to see how “that current” flows in a different stream than most conservative evangelical traditions are able to allow by design. A stream that says all things must mirror and line up with the bible (and our interpretation thereof) or it is discarded as a form of unrighteousness or Ungodliness, etc. Let’s just say that we find it “wrong”.

The automobile industry learned long ago that form (design) had to follow function (use). Cars evolved. God is the function (way, truth, life), the bible is the form (design, handbook, etc). He is the creator, we (and the bible) are the created. The author is found in his works, but the works can NOT accurately define and reflect all of who the author is, NOR can the works become a replacement of actually knowing the author and learning the concepts that He wants us to learn – in the order in, and in the complete understanding what and how He wants us to learn and to grow individually - the perfection of His proper transformation process.

God is infinite, and even according to the bible, INCOMPREHENDABLE… so why then, do we hold on to the form, and reject the function in the process, as the pharoses did? I am not writing this to pick on any one group. Rather, it is my hope to encourage those that would be courageous and willing to step outside the traditional self-perpetuating mindset of religious institutions, and into the freedom of salvation and transformation found only in relationship with God (it is for “freedom” that Christ set us free). Let us, as Christians, with the understanding of Christ, and His love, listen to the instructions of our Father, and trust in “those instructions”, perhaps even when they conflict with our own biblical understanding (ouch that hurts). Let us pose the question “What would love do?” in all of our understanding.

God wants to remove us from the illusions that we cling to. Yes – It is for freedom that Christ set us free! So, getting back to the real question here, CAN YOU IDENIFY THE COMMONALITY OF OUR GREAT SPIRITUAL LEADERS?

The answer is right in front of us. Here’s a big clue.. Enoch! Not much said about him, is there? But of all the biblical characters, wouldn’t you have loved to be Him? Other than “He walked with God” and “God took him” there’s not much to go on, is there? THIS IS THE BIG CLUE!!!

Didn’t God (according to Genesis) create us for his own fellowship????? ALL of these great leaders willingly and knowingly sought out God to fellowship with. They didn’t need a bible, they didn’t need a pastor, they didn’t need a church structure or hierarchy to identify “position” or “authority” or other illusionary concepts perpetuated by pretentious religious nonsense.

What is the gift of love? The burning desire to fellowship with, and to become one with God Himself.

It is understanding the call of Christ is not just to love God our Father, and our neighbors (as ourselves), but to also want to become one with Christ and all that is His, according to His own prayer for us, and to seek the fellowship with God, as Enoch, love as Christ loved, and live by the teachings of Holy Spirit as He speaks directly through us and in us.

Now, if we pick up the bible, and appreciate it for the glory of God that lies within it – without allowing it to become a substitute teacher (when the real one resides within us), we can begin to have a holy awareness of the person of God as he reveals Himself to us through His Spirit AND His works. For to do this, is to authorize Holy Spirit and His presence and power to work in our lives by His design. And…to walk with Him, even as Enoch did.

It is for freedom that Christ set us free! The gift of love, is the gift of freedom to walk with God, and to lose the illusions of religion and false doctrines that binds us to all else.

God bless you,
David R. Thayer