The reason teaching self-esteem and that someone is special to children is because they learn to believe if they are not special we can't love them. They also believe if you are not special they cannot love you.
Agape love does not measure love on the basis of performance or appearance. Love comes from those who have a character of love, they cannot do anything else but love.
Someone who loves God's way gives up their lives for those who are not loving just as Christ did on the cross. When the one they love fails they weep and pray for them. They may speak to the one they love in kind tones to convince them not to engage in sin. If they will not listen then we must remove ourselves allowing God to work on them without us.
Those who confront people with angry voices and hateful tones to point out sin are not showing love, they are exhibiting an attitude of superiority as though they have never sinned.
Romans 3:23
"23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
Galatians 6:1 "
Brothers and sisters, even if a person is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you are not tempted as well.'
A person with a loving Spirit does not love on the basis of performance or appearance, they just love all the time for no reason except that we are human beings made by God.
This does not mean that we keep company with those who refuse to repent, not at all. We must love people enough to remove ourselves so that they will not feel a sense of support from us in their sins.
Ezekiel 3:18-19
"When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself.
Ephesians 5:6-7 "…6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,…"
If you love God and people you will be more concerned about their spiritual well-being than you will about the responses of others when you obey Christ.
Love is not all that complicated if you know what Christ did for us on the cross as well as spending His entire life warning people so they could enjoy heaven with Him. He desired that they all listen, repent and go do paradise with Him.
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