Without Christ There is no Love

In another thread, I read about the sad relationships between in-law children and their in-law parents. There is no love in most relationships today; everything is transactional. The only kindness shown is when people are getting their own way without regard to how their attitude and actions affect others.

Since those in our adult children's generation, there was little taught about loving sacrifice and honoring anyone. They were taught to love themselves; the focus was mainly on themselves, so they do not understand what empathy toward others looks like.

Exodus 20:12 "12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."

I have seen this too in my own life. Once I realized there could be no discussion or resolution, I let them walk away and got on with my life.

People who mistreat others to have power over them cannot be reasoned with; the only solution to our peace is to remove ourselves and walk with those who love Christ as we love Him.

We can pray for those who love to hate us, but a relationship cannot happen until there is repentance and a realization that the way they think and act is not Biblical and does not honor God.

John 13:35 "35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
born-again
1 John 4:7 "Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."

Most people in our adult children's generation have no idea what love looks like or whether or not they are acting with dignity and kindness.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 "1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."

Unless adult children have repented and trusted in Christ, there can be no relationship. Those who claim to be Christian but walk in anger and contempt will never understand what love and honor look like. They don't honor God, nor do they honor anyone else.

Keep looking up, we are going home soon!


Here is what love looks like that is absent in most people these days, including Christians.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 "4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant.
5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered,
6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

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."

When someone consistently displays a lack of the fruit of God's Holy Spirit, they are not born again. This fruit defines them, and is evident to every other authentically born again believer.

Perhaps when we encounter the worldly mistreatment from family we ought to be praying for their salvation whether or not they attend "church."