The Gap Between Religion and God’s Love

Religion is an enemy of the light of God, religion isn’t merciful, it forces itself to destroy the love of God.
In that verse Jesus drew a line between religion and God’s love.

In John 8: 1-5, “Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

There’s a gap between religion and the truth, there’s no law given to guide the love of God, but there are laws given to guide religion yet God isn’t pleased with them.

In being religious, we force ourselves to do that which is good, at times we fail to meet up, but where there is truth and love offered freely by grace unattached to any law, we don’t need to force ourselves to do that good, because the truth stands compelling.

Let love come before condemnation.
Let love come before cursing.
Let love come before judgment.

God sent Jesus to demonstrate His love for mankind, before you preach condemnation, first of all preach love.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” – John 3:16-17

When you tell people at first sight God loves them, it calms down their spirit to listen, but when you condemn them, they become resistant and rebellious to listen, loves draws near, condemnation casts away. If all we preach is condemnation all the time, who then would listen? Condemnation doesn’t save, the love of Christ saves.

On that evening, he prepared to go and preach to a harlot who stands across the road, he was prepared to condemn her, on his way, he heard a voice that said, that sister is your wife.

Remember no one was created a harlot, the Devil took them away, and it would take the love of Christ to bring them out, share the Goodnews of that love which you have received.

If you are always looking for who to condemn, then the love of Christ isn’t in you, because love doesn’t condemn.
Most of the persons we condemn because of their present state with God are God’s darlings.
Didn’t they condemn Saul who later became God’s darling?
That same Paul condemned by all preached the Gospel like no other to the same Christians who condemned him.

Don’t condemn people because of how bad they are, instead show them the love of Christ, when they receive that love they will change from their wicked ways.
I have looked through the Bible to see where Jesus condemned people, I found out just one slightly, He wasn’t comfortable with the Pharisees, they were hypocritical religious men of the law; no love existed in their hearts.

Still He loved them, He prayed His Father not to punish them, as He was leaving, He committed His Apostles to continue preaching that love even to those who rejected and killed Him.
Preach love, preach reconciliation and preach the power of His Name Jesus, when they receive His love, they have been saved from condemnation.

There’s no message the world hears more than, “Jesus loves you.”
Let’s close the gap between religion and the love of Christ, but let he who’s without sin continue to condemn.

-Kanayo Ebuka