The Balance of Living a Life of Love and Grace in the Church, and Recognizing God's Framework for Conflict

This will be a several part post because I have so much to say on the subject.

Part 1
Several years ago I spoke with a Pastor who shared with me his vision for the Church. He is a Reformed Minister, but had come from some other Evangelical denomination previously. He had a vision of meshing together good theology, with good Christian living, and good Christian living for the right reasons. He pointed out a passage in 1 Peter
22Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;

This was the beginning of my journey through scripture about what it means to love one another earnestly, to have a sincere brotherly love, that this is part of what it means to live in obedience to the truth, and all of this because we have been born again in Christ.

Here is where right theology meshes itself together with that deep love we are to have for one another. Notice at the end of the passage it says that it is through the living and abiding Word of God, as that is where our right theology comes.

Now this is not easy. In fact especially in the Church. So we are supposed to love one another earnestly? Is there not even a clause so that I don't have to really show love to those people that are mean to me, or maybe just not real lovable? Nope.

How does this look? There are so many verses that I could share, but the following really hit me today Titus 3
to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
I think this is a start.

Thinking of Christ's love toward us is also helpful. He loves us when we are difficult, He loves us when we are not particularly lovable, and He even loves us when we sin. If Christ is to be our example, should we not truly look to Him for how we ought to live. Are we not being molded to be like Him?

I feel I must place a disclaimer here so that I am not misunderstood. In no way do I want to pound Law over your head to the point you think any of this is about you. For it is all about Christ and His Grace. God's favor on us rests solely in Christ, and has nothing to do with our good works. God is working in us and through us to mold us, and the only striving that we do is out of Gratitude for what Christ has done for us in His finished work on the cross. I am just currently annoyed with not only others, but also with myself at the lack of love we have for one another. I know we all sin, and will continue to, but I think it is wrong when people justify continuing in sin.

I will continue on with this topic later.

Sola Gratia