MAN’S RELENTLESS WAR ON LOVE

     The personality of man is a paradox: a self-contradiction of claiming the desire to see true love, yet when it is displayed it is renounced and even opposed.  This irrational response is the result of an internal struggle that we all face due to our resentment over what we do not naturally possess by earthly standards.  Man, in and of his own strength is incapable of true love.  True love must come from above. 

     To have some understanding of our predicament let’s look at the Bible history on the war against love and how it came to rule the Earth.  The concept of war first began when “Lucifer,” the once “perfect” and holy angel entertained evil thoughts against GOD with desires to rule in His place.  Suddenly and without notice he wanted to rule everything and everyone, and he began to spread his slanderous and tyrannical campaign against GOD among the other angels of heaven. His political campaign was highly successful, receiving 33% of the angelic vote, even to the extent of leading them to initiate the first violence among GOD’S creatures: “And there was war in heaven.” The Bible calls this rebellion against GOD’S creative love as the “mystery of iniquity.”  When Lucifer renounced the eternal ministry GOD ordained for his supreme joy and abandoned GOD’S call on the goodness of his heart forcing the Holy Spirit to depart the rule of love through which GOD works then became Lucifer’s nemesis and arch-rival. From this moment forward, Lucifer was given a new name, “Satan” [meaning Adversary]. 

     After being cast out of heaven, Satan brought his hatred of love to Earth, conniving a plan to take dominion of the Earth.  He did this by using life’s desire to receive and express love and corrupting its every expression.  From the very beginning of mankind Satan schemed to use Adam’s sense of love and compassion against him to secure the destruction of his family.  When our Premier Mother, Eve, after being seduced into eating the fruit that GOD had warned would kill her, she brought the fruit to Adam for him to eat.  Adam was now faced with a hardest choice of his young life.  Adam knew that his wife must die, for GOD said this to be the fate for anyone who ate of that fruit.  But Adam deeply loved his wife.  The great depth and sensitivity of Adam’s love for Eve MEN TODAY CANNOT FATHOM!  Men today are dwarfs in every respect when compared to the great intellect, physical coordination and sensitivities of Adam.  Adam cried more bitterly for a brown leaf than you or I could cry for our closest friend or loved one.  His compassion and fear for Eve overwhelmed him, and he had to choose to live without her or die with her.  Adam succumbed to his grief and chose to eat the fruit and die with Eve.  While his love may seem touching his method of expression was destructive, for the suffering that has taken place ever since is the result of misusing the greatest gift that GOD could bestow to the creation of life: His gift of Love.

     Had Adam upheld his love for GOD as supreme, this would have demonstrated a more excellent love for Eve, for Adam would have discovered that GOD had already found a way to rescue his wife from death.  He did not have to die with her!  How different would the history of man have been!  GOD would have become the Christ and laid down His life for Eve just as He has done for the multitudes of her children.  Christ would readily die for the one as for the many, as Jesus said, “Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.” Matt.18:14.  

     The history of man’s fall into sin even explains the guilt and shame we feel for every wrong action.  When Adam and Eve first sinned they ran and hid from the presence of GOD (Gen.3:8).  Their shame blinded their eyes and they could not see GOD’S Love for them, nor could they discern that GOD would not betray their vulnerability because of their sin.  GOD had to speak to them and assure them that a way was found to rescue this young couple from their choice of suicide.  And when Adam and Eve believed GOD’S Word of Redemption they taught their children the plan of salvation through the sacrifice of “GOD in Christ.”  Generation by generation this message of GOD’S salvation has been passed down, even to our day.  Although the message has taken many turns and corruptions GOD preserved its essence to those teachable in spirit. 

     And when we see how our Premier Father was led into sin through the exploitation of his love we can see the repetition of this snare of the Devil all throughout history.  Billions of people have been deceived to their earthly as well as their eternal ruin, all because of demeaning the true expression of love. 

     Satan plays on our moral sensibilities through temptation to secure our harm and destruction just as he did with Adam.  His enticements are many: through sentimentalism; the loneliness we feel to relive the past; our mourning for lost friends and loved ones; our passion for social activities; even our natural compassion to help strangers in need.  All this and more takes place by his blurring the distinction between GOD’S Love and man’s.  GOD’S love, ‘agape’ is seeking the other’s wellbeing regardless of the cost too Himself.  Man’s love ‘phileo’ is self-serving, futile and ultimately failing in nature. 

     Then there’s the criminal side of human nature.  How often we see this today with every con carried out in a façade of love, care and friendship. Examples: Every song on the pop charts is a love song. But the lyrics are not sincere, let alone obedient to love’s true meaning.  Every man who talks a woman’s defenses down by declaring his love for her only to have sex is a nothing more than a user and deceiver.  Then there are entire corporations and governments concealing the ‘fine-print’ of contracts and legislation, the false promises of politicians to gain the trust of the voters, the salesman’s self-serving smile, the exaggeration of some product’s benefits while totally neglecting to warn of its known failings, the panhandlers holding signs saying “willing to work for food” when the local missions provide two meals a day to the homeless.  Then there are those who say they ‘just need to borrow’ knowing full well the debt will never be repaid.  All this the Bible says is the sin of lying and a betrayal of love. 

     “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil” Isa.5:20  It has ever been man’s corruption of GOD’S gift of love that uplifts the fraudulent as something of a noble character.  The perversion of love permeates all of society.  Everything from gay and lesbian lifestyles to the U.S. export of junk food, cigarettes, booze and pornography, the sensibilities of human beings have become callous to their own foolishness.     The result of distorting the true meaning of love is that the world has chosen to exalt lies over and above the truth.  The betrayal of love has become the world’s standard, heralding the inferior as the superior, literally removing the authority, truth and blessings of GOD’S love; the Love given to save, not destroy: to set free, not oppress.  The point is, that the sinful heart of man can’t bear the truth of GOD’S definition of love, for it strips away the covering of pride (the chosen garment to cover our nakedness, guilt and shame).  But Jesus freely offers to cover everyone’s guilt: “I counsel thee to buy of Me…white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.” Rev.3:18.  That “white raiment” is the superior garment of Christ’s Covering Love lavished on the human race when Jesus voluntarily went to the Cross of Calvary.  And the only price He asks is faith. 

     The supreme evidence verifying Satan’s defiance of true love is seen when he led men to murder our very Creator when He, Jesus Christ came to the rescue of the human family.  But GOD’S Love for His children could not be corrupted or conquered!  And the weapon used by Jesus Christ to defeat Satan was not a sword, canon or nuclear warhead; it was the unshakable Love of GOD residing in His heart that secured the salvation of man (Jn.17:6-8). GOD the Father ordained this “from the foundation of the world.” And Jesus accepted the task!  He would save His children at any cost to Himself!  It was His willingness to allow evil men to nail His hands and feet to a tree to be made a public spectacle, stripped naked before the mocking soldiers and priests that forever changed the destiny of those who repent of their sins; even for the loveless men who were there yet were unaware of the great victory that Jesus Christ secured on their behalf.  But there was one who changed his mind and repented that day: the crucified thief who alone called Jesus “Lord” on the day He died.  It was Christ’s willingness to drink the cup of humiliation until His death that covered the guilt and shame of every sinner: “specially of those that believe.”  The righteousness of Christ covers the repentant sinner.  It can never cover the unrepentant (Nu.15:27-31; Acts 17:30; Rom.2:13).   

     Man refuses the character strength of humility because it stings the pride of the sinful heart and reproves the sinful ambition for self-glory.  And yet, without humility before GOD repentance will never be achieved or salvation received into the heart.  You and I have been given the opportunity to learn and grow in our appreciation in what GOD has accomplished through love alone.  And through His written promises the faithful among friends and family will one day be restored to life at the 2nd Advent of Jesus Christ and remain together forever to live in the community of heaven, to have fellowship, to laugh, explore and discover the eternal wonders of the Bible verse, “God is love.”    

     It was Christ’s supreme Love for “Our Father” which secured the salvation of man. Unswerving love for GOD reflects the supreme love for man because when GOD is held in highest esteem, and His Word is cherished as the manual of instruction for one’s life, all people are safe with this individual because he (or she) does not seek their own but the other’s well-being in accordance with Heavenly Law (I Cor.10:24; Isa.8:20).  

     In closing, the finest example of contrasting GOD’S love with that of man’s is seen in Christ’s relationship with His Apostle Peter.  Peter had learned this profound lesson of true love after he had promised to Jesus with absolute confidence that he would not abandon Him, no matter what obstacles stood in his way.  And even though everyone else would forsake Him Peter promised that he would not and that his love for Jesus was unflinching.  But Peter did not understand the true mettle of his character; and this assurance he extended to Christ turned out to be a rope of sand because he did abandon Him and deny Him in the time of Christ's betrayal, torture, and crucifixion.  But Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith in GOD would not be swept away.  This prayer was answered at the place where Jesus was being held prisoner after His arrest, and right at the very moment when Peter denied knowing Jesus before the spectators there.  In the book of Luke, chapter 21, we read, "And the LORD turned and looked upon Peter."  At the very moment of Peter's third denial of Jesus he looked into those eyes beholding him.  When Peter saw that look on his Master's face, that tender expression—that quiet, merciful face showing to Peter the depths of unreserved love and forgiveness the Bible says, "And Peter went out and wept bitterly."  Peter was brought to the place where he was most vulnerable to his own destruction, for the waves of guilt were about to flood the soul of Peter in which suicide would seem the only remedy.  But Jesus would never betray Peter's vulnerability just as it was predicted of the holiness of His love centuries before through the prophet Isaiah: "A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice and truth."  Right after that moment of the Savior's expression of love to the wounded soul of Peter the Bible says, "And the men that held Jesus mocked Him, and smote Him.  And when they had blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face, and asked Him saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?"  This was Satan's personal retribution for the Savior's mercy to His beloved Apostle Peter. 

     The love GOD calls us to can only come from Him.  And all He asks of us is our permission for Christ to come into our hearts and live out the wonders of His Law of Love that is embodied in the Ten Commandments. Said Jesus, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.” “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven.” So as the end draws near and the character of men is seen straying more and more from heaven’s love displaying the world’s increasing belligerence against it, simply remember Christ’s words, “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” 

     In the history of warfare, from heaven to the Earth’s long and bitter involvement, Satan’s hatred of love has been constantly demonstrated, as seen in all of the cruel deeds among men even to the forbidding of simple charity through financial strangulation.  This is evident by the fact that the more we want to do good in our society the more we are being hindered from it.  If this does not display the true character of man, nothing will.  But the day is soon to come when we will not be hindered and we will be free to bless one another through heaven’s true love forever.