The more I grew in my Christianity and the more Christ moved in my life the less I cared if anyone else liked me.
I love people as He loves but do not have a NEED to be loved by any other human being.
I am more concerned now about becoming the person Christ wants me to be than i am about how others treat me. After all, Christ answered not a word when He was placed on that cross. Only those who trust in Him will have a relationship with Him and spend eternity with Him. When Christ loves us no one else could love us the way He does.
John 13:34-35 "…34 A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Love is not based on performance it is based on the love of Christ in those of us who have been born again. Love takes many forms, it is demonstrated in the Fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Love includes rebuke, correction and admonishment when necessary. It always exhibits a desire to help not to hurt or dominate. The purpose of the corrective forms of love is to bring someone to repentance either to save them from hell or if they are born again already to encourage Spiritual growth.
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
Those who will not confess their sin to be cleansed will remain spiritual and emotional babies if they are born again. Born-again believers grow in direct proportion to how often they confess their sins. I have met many people who are as immature at 70 as they were at 20 because they would not admit the sin of pride. They had head knowledge but very little wisdom.
We must admit our failures, and monitor our attitudes by learning the Word of God, while asking for wisdom, to do what God tells us to do. Knowing is not enough, impressing others with knowledge is useless and even delays or prevents wisdom. The purpose of gaining knowledge is to grow in wisdom, it ought never to be used to self-aggrandize.
Those who seek knowledge for its own sake to appear superior will not gain wisdom, they will only think they have.
1 Corinthians 8:1 "Now concerning food sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes one conceited, but love edifies people."
Proverbs 4:5-9
"5 Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not abandon her, and she will guard you;
Love her, and she will watch over you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;
And with all your possessions, acquire understanding.
8 Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”
Those who will not confess to become born again are headed for hell if they do not repent before their death.
