This is going to sound ridiculous, but you only live once. I have a dog that poops and pees in the house when opportunity arises. I looked at this dog today and said, “Lupe, I forgive you.” She trotted over to me. I realized I can be mean. I realized I am mean because I don’t want to be hurt, but the ones I love end up getting hurt anyways. So, being mean doesn’t work. Being mean is a form of control through fear. It is abusive and can manifest either physically, verbally, spiritually, sexually, socially, and so on. It comes from the heart.
1 Cor. 13:5, “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
Perfect love casts and thrusts out fear, but I would venture to say that fear pushes out or hinders love.
1 John 3:14, “Anyone who does not love remains (habitually lives and dwells) in death.”
If I am not loving by and through Him then I am nothing, 1 Cor. 13:2. I am attempting to impart and show what “I suppose” is love. I am “trying” to love. That is not love. Godly agape love is unveiled and revealed from above through Christ in us, Heb. 1:2. Love is not “I will love you when you act like this”. Read Romans 5:8. Now, that is love.
Jesus died for me, forgave me, gave his life on earth for me, resurrected for me, became a man for me, did not sin for me because He IS LOVE. And in Him is no darkness.
Being religious is also being mean. Another form of control. Looks all nice on the outside, 2 Tim. 3:5.
Pure legal religion is the practice of hypocrisy.
The definition of the Greek word for hypocrisy, ὑπόκρισις
It means: the acting of a stage-player,”because such answered one another in dialogue; hence the meaning “dissembling or pretense.”
Hypocrites also do this,
Roman 2:1, “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”
Lord, I pray I not be religious, but real in You. Remove the scales from eyes so I can see You in me.
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