God's Love

 God’s Love.

I used to live in fear of the Last Judgement. God was supposed to be up in heaven, going through the records of every person who lived on the earth, in preparation for the Last Day of Judgement. When all of the sins of our lives would be revealed. What a rotten concept! 

Be afraid! Be very afraid!

But, hey, if you just ask God to forgive your sins, He’ll forgive you. At least until you sin again.

But what if you hadn’t asked for forgiveness in a while, and you are involved in a car crash with no chance for a quick prayer? Too bad for you!

Maybe you just walked past someone begging for a handout in the Walmart parking lot, and a sudden stroke kills you instantly. Is that sin of omission going to send you to the flames? Didn’t Jesus say we should feed the hungry, with no judgment. Inasmuch as you do it to the least of these, you have done it unto Me. 

Maybe that’s what prompted that text about praying constantly. What a wonderful life! Not!

This is the Jewish belief in the Law and sin. It is well described in the New Testament Book of James. Which has not a word about redemption.

 Oh, what a relief it was, when I found out that God actually loves us. He does not wish for any to perish.   2 Peter 3:9

I believe that Jesus gave that description of the Last Judgment as an allegory. If I was being judged on every bad thing I’ve done, it would take years! If every one one earth went through that judgement, it would be eons on eons. 

Jesus was showing the things we should be doing if we have love for God and man. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting prisoners, etc. 

Not a word in his judgement scene about believing a particular doctrine, or being a member of a particular religion. It’s all about love.

Best of all, Paul came up with a new religion. We don’t have to ask for forgiveness, or beg for mercy. 

The wages of sin is death. Jesus paid it.

That is not the same as forgiveness. Forgiveness and mercy are for Jews.

Redemption and grace are what saves Christians, according to Paul.

When I get to that last checkout register, I will not have to plead for someone to forgive my debt. I won’t have any debt.

My salvation is paid for. In full. Don’t owe anything! It is done already. No fear about getting that last prayer for forgiveness in before I die.

“…Scripture says, ‘a curse is on all who do not persevere in doing everything that is written in the Book of the Law.’ It is evident that no one is ever justified before God in terms of the Law.

…Christ bought us freedom from the curse of the Law…” 

Galatians 3:10-13 NEB

“…my present bodily life is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me. I will not nullify the grace of God; if righteousness comes by law, then Christ died in vain.”

Galatians 2:20,21 NEB

Surely we have to do something, right? 

Paul and Jesus both said we must have Love in our hearts. God is Love.

“He who loves his neighbor has satisfied every claim of the law. For the commandments, ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not covet, and any other commandments there may be, all are summed up in the one rule, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love cannot wrong a neighbor; therefore the whole law is summed up in love.”

Romans 13:8-10 NEB

But that’s too easy, isn’t it? Just love everybody?

Try it sometime. Some people are hard to love! But love we must. The love must be real, from inside us, where God is.

If we have real love for our wife, we will never cheat on her. Don’t need a law to tell us that.

If we have real love in our hearts, we won’t judge others. We will be loving, not judgmental or critical. 

Here is a well known text from Paul, from the New English Bible. It is used in weddings a lot, but it applies everywhere: 

“I may speak in tongues of men or of angels, but if I am without love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. I may have the gift of prophecy, and know every hidden truth; I may have faith strong enough to move mountains; but if I have no love, I am nothing. I may dole out all I possess or even give my body to be burnt, but if I have no love, I am none the better.

Love is patient; love is kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful, not conceited, nor rude; never selfish, not quick to take offense. Love keeps no score of wrongs; does not gloat over other men’s sins, but delights in the truth. There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope, and its endurance.”

1 Corinthians 13:1-7 NEB

Those who know me may ask, “But don’t you claim to be Buddhist? How can you talk of God if you worship Buddha?”

They demonstrate a profound ignorance of Buddhism. The Buddha was not a God. Those sects of Buddhism that believe in reincarnation may address prayers to Buddha, but not all Buddhists do. 

The Buddha was a teacher. Not how to get to heaven somewhere, but how to live a life that has less pain, and less conflict, here and now. Love is an essential part of Buddhism, too. I find his wisdom of immense value in the day to day events of living a good life.

May we all be filled with God’s love, and may that love reach around the whole world. Peace upon all.