Love them into the Kingdom

I agree with people who say that we need to love people into the Kingdom of God. And my heart is broken over all the bitterness that Christians have over the "world" and its woes. Remember the parable of the ungrateful servant? (Mt 18:21-35) There are many places in the bible where the same message is communicated. A servant is forgiven a great debt, and then turns around in ungratefulness to hold against others their sin. Recognize that this is the story of the church, of our lives. WE have been forgiven such a great debt. Yet we stand condemning others when we should be loving them as God loved us.

• The bible says that God is a God of Love Joe 2:13
• The Greatest Commandment is: Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength. Mt 22:34-40
  
• The Second is like it: Love your neighbor as your self
• Christ gave only one new commandment: Love as I have loved you Joh 13:34
• Our primary method for reaching the world with the gospel of god is Love: They will know you by our love
  

The thing we tend to forget is that Gods love is not a pampering love, it is a perfecting love. God wants us to be holy more than he wants us to be happy. 1 Pet 1 He would rather see us cold, lonely, depressed, and afraid than living happily in sin. Look at Jonah, David, Paul. God brings us low to draw us close. This is as true in marriage, in parenting, and in discipleship as it is in the church. God wants to accomplish so much through us.

Often what He is trying to accomplish comes thorough tough love. Blessing comes in through the gate of the lords discipline. Heb 12 For the Christian especially many times it comes through trials and suffering James 1. But the pain is not God's goal. It is meant to wear away those hard edges that keep us from useful service. It is meant to prepare the soil of our heart for the love of God. Both to give, and to receive his blessings.