The Bible says: “Of (God) and through (God) and to (God) are all things, to (God) be glory forever.” (Romans 11:36). Therefore, everything in this world must be ungodly. Everything in the world is man-made and gives glory to man. So, everything in this world must be counterfeit and not of God.
Accordingly, John tells us: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15-17).
This means we must not love houses. Do not love cars. Do not love cell phones. Do not love jewelry. Do not love money. Do not love fame. Do not love women. Do not love power. Do not love life. Do not be deceived by the vainglories of the world. “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2).
If they tell you about the famous Burj Khalifa building in Dubai, know it is hogwash. It is to the glory of men and not of God. If they tell you about the majestic Eiffel Tower in Paris, know it is claptrap. If they wax lyrical about the ancient pyramids of Egypt, know it is codswallop. If they want to entice you with the Coliseum in Rome, tell them: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offence to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:23).
The Bible says: “Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.’” (Matthew 24:1-2).
The disciples were foolish to expect Jesus to be impressed by a man-made building. Jesus Himself is the Word of God that says: “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it.” (Psalm 127:1).
Thus, the 110-storey twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York came down according to prophecy: “In the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.” (Isaiah 30:25).
Love of God
Since all things must be of God, the only true love is the love of God. The only genuine love must be the love that God gives. God only gives His unique love to His spiritual children. So, the Bible says: “God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” (Romans 5:5).
The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love. (Galatians 5:22). Therefore, genuine love only comes from the Holy Spirit. If a man is not born of God, he cannot have the Holy Spirit. If he does not have the Holy Spirit, he cannot have the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which is love.
Whatever love unbelievers claim to have cannot be genuine because it is not of God. Their love is counterfeit. It is the kind that shipwrecks marriages in divorce. It is the kind that is simultaneously full of hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, and selfishness. (Galatians 5:20).
We cannot truly love unless and until we have received and internalised the love of God. It is the love of God that teaches us to love. It ensures that we do not love like unbelievers, or with the love of so-called Christians that is full of quarrels and often ends in divorce.
Instead, it ensures that we love with the love of God, which never fails. The love that: “suffers long and is kind; (that) does not envy; (that) does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
One Love
The first and greatest commandment says: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37).
This is tautological. It implies that the love of God permits no other love but the love of God. If we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, there can be no room for any other love. Only the love of God is acceptable.
Thus, Jesus says: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26).
It is only out of our love for God that we can love anyone else, for of God and through God and to God are all things, that all the glory may be to God forever. (Romans 11:36).
Thus, the Bible does not just tell husbands to love their wives, full stop! Instead, it says: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” (Ephesians 5:25). In every way, and always, the foundation and yardstick of genuine love must be exclusively the love of God.
Jesus says: “Without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). This is because through Jesus are all things, to Him be the glory. When Jesus says we can do nothing without Him, He is saying something much more comprehensive and all-encompassing than even Christians imagine.
We can do absolutely nothing without Jesus. We can do nothing righteous without Him. Without Jesus, we cannot bear fruit. Without Jesus: “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6).
Can a man love his wife without Jesus? Absolutely not! Without Jesus, He can do nothing. Before a man can love his wife, he must first love God. Before a man can love his wife, He must first love the Lord his God.
The love we approve in an unbeliever is abomination to God. If the love does not come from the love for God, it is shallow. It is temporal. It is hypocritical. It is sentimental and emotional. This kind of love, which is celebrated in Hollywood and Nollywood, is abominable to God.
Jesus says: “What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15).
Works of Men
Since all things are of God, through God, and to God, all the works of men must be useless and worthless, for they are not of God. That is why salvation is by the grace of God and not by the works of men.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-10).
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