"Oooh Shiny!"

Just like when you were a kid and saw something that gleamed and sparkled…
when we hear or see something too many times, it loses it’s luster and becomes common place. It's not as attractive as it used to be. It has been cheapened. We don't esteem it at such a high value as we once did. Such a thing has happened in this day and age to “grace” (the grace of God.) I pray that the true meaning of the story of God’s grace, the Gospel, retains it’s edge. That when the Spirit of God speaks to each one of us, we listen, we obey, we love. For the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ truly was and still is the most beautiful, most tragic, one and only example of unconditional love, grace and mercy for the salvation of all who believe. And for that reason we need not add or take away from it but tell it as it is.

“For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.” ~Hebrews 4:12 (Amplified Bible)

Have we tarnished the name of Christianity?
Are we staying true to the word of God,are we living like the kingdom in the here and now?
How are we preparing for the return of the King?

Yes, we need to be feeding and clothing the poor and needy, but that’s not all of it.
Showing others mercy, kindness, love. Remaining in the hope of the return of our Lord. For His kingdom is not of this world. But while we're here, we need to be obedient to our Lord’s commands, not for necessity’s sake, for if we indeed love Him the evidence of our love(and faith) will be obedience.

“If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.” 
~John 14:15 (ESV)

“only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes” ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer, from Cost of Discipleship

So what happens if we say we love Christ but do not obey? What happens if we say we believe and do not obey with the love that must accompany obedience? We are only giving lip service to Jesus. It truly is a narrow way after the narrow gate(Matt. 7:13-23).

What should the basis or intent of our actions be?
To do all things for the glory of God in love.

“And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.” ~I Corinthians 13:3 (NASB)

“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
~John Wesley

This quote by John Wesley puts things in perspective that being a Christian is not to be taken lightly, we have a responsibility. We must do everything humanly possible as if it all depended on our actions but have the faith that it all depends on God. It is ultimately for His glory and purpose.

Are you glorifying God's name, obeying His commands, fulfilling His will out of love for Him?

Here's a question I'm sure has crossed someone's mind… How can we love God if we don’t love our brother/neighbor?
You can't. You have to love them or you don't love God. But if we don't love God and His love is not in us it is impossible for us to love our neighbor properly.

“We love Him because He first loved us.” ~I John 4:18

Some take a position that we must love our brother before we can love God and reasonably so. But what the apostle John is telling us in 1 John chapter 4, is that we can only love others because we love God, and God’s love is filling us and overflowing onto those around us. Our loving our brother/neighbor is evidence that we love God and that His Spirit is in us.

To sum it up:
Can we really say we’re loving one another?
This is not passing judgment, it is a challenge. A checking of the compass to make sure our bearing is straight. We must stay the course, with encouragement, reproof, and most importantly love.

Glory be to God in the highest.
May we never lose sight of our first love, Jesus Christ.

Grace & Peace