Jan 3 - 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

May the Lord make you

Increase and abound in love

for one another and for all,

and may he so strengthen

your hearts in holiness

that you may be blameless

before our God and Father

at the coming of our Lord Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

Yesterday we talked about the pendulum. It flows between the grace and awe (on the good side … and permissiveness and crushing despair on the negative side).

Today, the Apostle Paul talks similarly about the pendulum. It swings between love and holiness.

I invite you to view this pendulum in terms of evangelism. Love and holiness – and blamelessness – are attractive qualities in a lost, broken, and hurting world.

Wait … blamelessness is not always an attractive quality. Why? Because it often lapses into legalism and pride and judgment. “If you’re not as ‘good as me,’ then you’re ‘bad.’”  

That’s not endearing evangelism.  

However, holiness infused with love, forgiveness, and grace can be very attractive. It’s not prideful. It’s not legalistic. It’s not judgmental. And yet it has life-giving standards. There’s something different, attractive, honest, and pure about it.

Every heart wants this … because every heart, deep-down, aches for these morals and standards. Why? Because we’re made in God’s image, and he has placed these desires in our hearts.

At the same time, though, every heart fights against these standards. Why? Because we’re sinful. Worldly. And while sin often offers a temporary attractiveness, it ultimately swallows us in filth and despair. (Have you seen that?)

One of the secrets to evangelism is to offer the world a different and better path to life … but to do it in abundant love … rather than lecturing or judgmentalism.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants to be

a lover, not a fighter