Christ's Love Compels Us

We’ve been walking through the steps of spirituality.

I am no teacher or expert, and you have every right to challenge what I say, but I urge you to use this as a starting point on your own journey of discovery.

The postulate I want to focus on is:

‘Sooner or later freedom must submit to a master or ethos to be meaningful. But the measure of that faith is in shaping the inner self around it, not in holding on to external dogma.’

This means that, eventually, we must submit to a master for freedom to hold any meaning.  

That master is love, God, and the holy spirit. It refers to the ‘internal’ rather than the ‘external’ physical aspects of worship.

First, let me be clear- I am not against the church, I just want to do it in the best way.

I want to discuss how we define ‘church.’

The seed of the church starts with the Catholic Church, from which the modern church (as we know it) has flourished.

If we think about ancient Rome and how the church was run back then, it revolved around money, power, and control.

It was very much about doing as you were told or face being punished.

This was not out of love in the way that God intended.

Why does this matter? It is important to know where the concept of the church came from and what it is rooted in, historically, because it defines how we practice faith today.

Interestingly though, the outdated traditions and practices we still follow (and have been led to believe are sacred) have not even been listed in scripture; attending church is never even mentioned!

In my article Are You Living Free? I discuss this in more detail.

So many things, such as attendance and denomination, are rooted in old ways of practicing faith. Often we feel the need to participate in them and lose sight of the spiritual needs that God intended for us.

After all, God looks at the heart. If people live in a love-based way, they’re going to be covered!

However, we are seeing a growing political environment that allows normal, everyday ‘sins’ to pass through (greed, judgment, lies) while other ‘sins’ (not attending church) are magnified.

What do you think God feels when we gossip, knowing that He is the one who knows the whole truth and tells us not to gossip?

I previously mentioned the 4 steps to freedom, love, joy, and peace:

1. I am right with God
2. My intentions are only for good
3. I will do my absolute best in everything I do
4. I will Invest in relationships

If we continue to remain rooted in the old ways born from money, power, and control and don’t prioritize the above steps, we are not living out of the love of God.

I remember someone once told me that the height of arrogance is to disagree with God.

Where God speaks and doesn’t speak, are we listening? Are we committing to love, even when it’s hard?

So, how do we do it right? 

The love of Christ compels us.

The term ‘compel’ means to give us direction and meaning; It determines our thoughts, beliefs, actions.

Being right with God and living in love is all we need. You can still have church without all of the practical things like membership, attendance, and tithe.

Those practical things do not matter- you are free in Christ.

What I mean by this is that I believe you need to do what works for you.

If your version of the church means being at home surrounded by 10 loved ones rather than in a church around strangers, then why not do that?

Remember this-

Water is the greatest carrier of information. When love is spoken into water and frozen, the make-up of the water changes down to a molecular level, creating beautiful images.

When hate is spoken into the water, negative images and patterns form.

That is the power of positivity, happiness, love.

Have a blessed, wonderful day!

Alex Loyd