Put Down the Gun!

1 Thessalonians 4:9
But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

God tells us that love in the life of a Christian is everything. It's not something that comes later or secondary, but it is the very first fruit that is seen. God's word says that He is love. So if God lives inside the believer then His love is going to be the first characteristic shown. God also says in the word that he who says he loves God but doesn't love his brother is a liar. Jesus tells us that they will know us by our love for one another.

But let someone do one thing wrong and you'll see an immediate reaction of anger and almost hatred toward that person. This attitude is expected of the world because they don't know God, but it is one that has crept into much of the Christians. How could this be possible? It could be because God is not in us. It could also be that we have fed the fleshly side of us so much instead of the spiritual side that it rules our thoughts and hearts. Either way, it's a sinful and dangerous place to be. Dangerous for the lost person because of dying without Christ and sinful to the child of God because it's not of God.

If we are supposed to be know by our fruit, and our main fruit is love, then how are you known today? Do you tell those around you that you love them until they mess up? If they come against you or do something contrary to you do you immediately pick up your imaginary gun in order to take them down like some kind of bad cowboy or indian?

The truth of it all is that God shouldn't have to tell us how to love if He dwells in us. Paul shouldn't have to preach a three-point message on why we should love one another if Jesus is our Savior. Adrian Rogers shouldn't need to do a sermon series on why we should love the brethren if the Holy Spirit is our guide.

So kindly put down that gun and pick up the Bible. Read how God loves you and how He lives inside and through the believer.