God loves everyone, right?
I mean, Im sure you’re a good person, or at least that’s what you think… You probably like to do good to others and like for others to do good to you. Maybe you struggle with things here or there, but for the most part, Christian or non Christian, you’re probably a pretty decent person… or so you think.
And then I’m sure you’re probably good at pointing out all the evil in the world. You probably would love to see justice be served to those who do evil, and rightly so. We should definitely seek justice, that’s part of how we’ve been created… And I’m sure you’d probably never trust, talk to, or let alone interact with those kinds of people… You know… Those who oppress others by forced slavery, sex traffickers, murders, and rapists… They should be put in prison, taken off the streets, beaten, and even killed, right!? Let justice reign and let justice rain! Right!?
And if that’s evil and horrible, where do we even begin with “the most evil people in the world”… ISIS.
We might think and even say, “We should take em down! We should bomb them so hard that they’re wiped off the map! We should take em out, kill em, and fight untill we wipe the memory of ISIS out our very own minds! They’re bad people that do horrible, terrible, ungodly, evil things. Let Justice reign and let justice rain!!”
Well, did you know that God created every man to ever walk the earth, and in that, He has not made one single mistake with creating His masterpieces… You are His walking masterpiece that He loves more than you could ever imagine… Your mom, dad, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandma, grandpa, and best friend, are all created in the perfect image of God. God made you because He loves you… He wasn’t lonely… He wasn’t bored… He desired to create you because He LOVES you.. Soak that in… Because you and every member of ISIS is the same to God. Ha! Did ya get that…
God loves you 100% as you are right now… He won’t love you any better when you become better… He won’t love you any less when you become less… He loved you 100% last week, last month, last year, and the first breath you took… And that will never change… And lemme tell you. You are no different than every ISIS member to ever live. What right do you have to hate them and want them to be destroyed.
Sure, I’m all about Justice. And we should fight for justice. But that does not invlove a desire of killing and destroying from a place of hatred and disgust. You have no right to hate them.
God wants them. God wants every single one of them! Why wouldnt He, He created them in His own image because He loved and loves them. And you are no different. And you are definitely no better.
Romans 3:10-12 – “No one is righteous- not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”
Feel special and righteous?
We are all sinners and we are all in need of the cross. We all need Christ, and whether you want to believe it or not, we all have a natural desire to seek out something greater and bigger than us… That’s because we all know something’s missing… Something inside of us is missing, and we all search for it, even if you don’t think you are. That’s why Christ came and that’s who Christ is. He came because He’s the missing piece in our hearts that we have a natural desire for as human beings that were made in the image of God. And some of us have recognized that truth, some of us are still unknowingly or knowingly searching, and some have found a temporary replacement.
ISIS is no different. They need the cross. Only faith in Christ can save them, just like the rest of us. The reason the cross is even a thing is because of John 3:16-17.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
As followers of Christ, do we really expect to not be persecuted? Well, if you’re an American, you might actually think that.. and that’s too bad. But Christ actually GURANTEES we will be persecuted for our faith in Him.. And what are we to do about that… We are called and commanded to love them. To truly and sincerely love our enemies. Ever read Matthew 5:43-48?
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind to only your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
So what is your response to ISIS… Where’s your heart? Because Gods heart says, “I love you. I want you. I created you. Come, I will make you new.” I didn’t know if you knew this or not, but as the Spirit dwells within in you, your heart will transform and continue to become more Christlike… And what does His heart look like?
In Matthew 9, Jesus talks about how the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few, so we should pray for more workers….. Shoot! Pray for ISIS to become those workers!! Ever read about how Saul turned into Paul? Think ISIS is bad, who do you think Paul used to be? And what did Paul turn into?
We are called to love. So stop babbling and flapping your lips, and instead get on your knees and seek the Lord in this… Seek His heart, and ask for His love and compassion. Align your heart with His, and seek out ISIS just as Christ has sought out you… And in that, love ISIS. And pray FOR them. Pray for Christ and for His Church to run towards, not away from, ISIS. Pray for the Church to be the Church, and fight for justice and fight for the cross. Pray for Gods glory to spread to all nations and to all peoples. Pray for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done… And believe it or not, but part of His will is for you to love ISIS.
Church… Stand firm and love hard. We are the Sons and daughters of our Father who is the Creator. We are heirs with His Son, Jesus Christ. And we are the Church. We don’t back down, and we don’t lose. We already stand victorious, so start acting like it!!! Let His Spirit continue to permeate throughout your very being and love Gods masterpieces like you’ve never loved them before.. And I know it’s not easy… But when did following Christ ever become easy?
So ISIS… Know this… You are loved. And I pray you see that truth.
