In the 1920s, Bobby Jones dominated the golfing world, despite being an amateur. In one film about his life, Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius, there is a scene where a professional golfer asks Bobby when he is going to quit being an amateur and grab for the money like everyone else does. Jones answers by explaining that the word amateur comes from the Latin amo—to love. His answer was clear: He played golf because he loved the game.
When we have a true encounter with Jesus we have an encounter with true love. This love moves us away from ourselves and towards others. This love moves us away from sin and towards God.
Are you a christian because you love Jesus? Are you a christian because you love what his community can do for you?
Sin causes us to shrink life down to our personal lives. It's all about ME. Me-ism is the philosophy of life. The DNA of sin is the rejection of God and the exaltation of Me. The mission statement of your world is "I want" Sin is anti-social even though it masquerades as social. It is only social to fulfill what I want, some personal desire.
Jesus came to rescue you from you, me from me. Sin causes us to de-humanize people. People become either a vehicle or obstacle to what I want. We get angry in traffic because no one else matter more then you do.
Selfishness can cause people to get married when they're not in love. We marry people because what they can bring to ourselves. When we say the love is gone it is because it was fake love. A love that was never really there to begin with.
When it's all about you, you become easily irritate and angry. We need to be rescued from ourselves. The world defines love when you take care of my wants and desire and needs. When these desires aren't met then this worldly love punishes you.
Jesus came to break the bondage of ME so that I can live for Him and others. However, on our part, for us to be truly released from this prison of sin, we must be willing to change. Consider the woman of this story.
Luke 7:36-50 (NIV)
[36] Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. [37] When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, [38] and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
[39] When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
[40] Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
[41] “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. [42] Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
[43] Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
[44] Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. [45] You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. [46] You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. [47] Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”
[48] Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
[49] The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
[50] Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
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