Black, White, or Gray

Ever had someone ask you if you are a “black and white” type of person?  You know, the type of person that sees life as either right or wrong, with no room left for middle ground?  Well, I know I have.  I’m definitely a black/white person.  I firmly believe there needs to be absolutes in life…and as such…in my world, you are either right or wrong…no maybes. 

So where am I going with this?  Well, I recently completed a study on the book of 1 John.  It’s an awesome book of the Bible, but better yet…it’s tailor made for a person like me.  In chapters 2-4 of this book it reminds us about the word LOVE.  Not that love is an emotion or a feeling…but as specific description of the makeup of God.  These few chapters remind us how we are to treat each other, how God views us as His children, and how we are to act as His children.  My favorite is 1 John 4:16,

…God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him (HCSB).

That’s definitely an absolute black/white right there.  If you don’t live in love…you ain’t walking, talking, or living in/with God.  Wow.  Hey…it’s time to get correct people!  Anyway, instead of focusing on chapter 4…I’ll start with 3, and we’ll see where my mind takes me.  So…

In 1 John 3:1, 5-7, 10, the Bible says,

Look at how great a love the Father has given us, that we should be call God’s children.  And we are!  The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him…(5) You know that He was revealed so that He might take away sins, and there is no sin in Him.  (6) Everyone who remains in Him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen Him or known Him.   (7) Little children, let no one deceive you!  The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous…(10) This is how God’s children - and the Devil’s children - are made evident.  Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does ont love his brother (HCSB).

Now let me be real…I’m no stranger to racism, stereotypes, and then some.  I have memories in my childhood that are deeply rooted in being physically abused for literally just “being black” or “being smart” or “the new kid”…I mean whatever the scenario, I’m pretty sure I’ve lived it.  To me…that plus hundreds of other events in my life that I can think of should qualify me as a person to HAVE an excuse to not love.  I should be one on the list of people to live in the “gray” area of life where I can pick and choose who to love and who not to love.  Bitterness and anger SHOULD be my best friends.  Yet, when I look at the book of 1 John and I look at myself in the mirror and say…whose am I, I have to remember, I’m a child of God.  I’m a Christian and as such I’m instructed by my creator, my Father, to love everyone.  It may, quite possibly, BE the tallest order we ALL may ever have to face.  I know it is for me.

Yet, God is not someone who asks us to live life in the “gray” area or to question His instructions.  This simple passage really hit me this past week.  If I’m truly going to be like Christ…I MUST live and walk in love as Jesus did.   There are NO exceptions.  There is NO “gray” area, no compromise, no nothing.  God expects us to live a life that is dominated with a pure passion to seek after HIM.  How do we find Him and walk like His Son, Jesus Christ, did?  We walk in love.

I’ll leave you with these with these few verses for all to marinate on.  But in all honesty…read the entire book of 1 John for yourself and gauge yourself on where your love walk is.  I only pray that you’ll remember that God’s desire for His children is to be like Him, walk like Him, and stop making excuses or adding “asterisks” to the Bible to make it say what you want it to.  The Bible has never changed in over 2000 years.  It’s the written word of God, it doesn’t need your own interpretation…it simply needs your application.  So…what kind of person are you?  Black, white, or gray?

1 John 3:11, 14-17, 23-34:

 (11) For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love one another…(14) We know that we have passed from death to live because we love our brothers.  The one who does not love remains in death.  (15) Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.  (16) This is how we have come to know love:  He laid down His life for us.  We should also lay down our lives for our brothers.  (17) If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need bur shuts off his compassion from him - how can God’s love reside in him?…(23) Now this is His command: that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as He commanded us.  (24) The one who keeps his commands remains in Him, and He in him.  And the way we know that He remains in us is from the Spirit He has given us (HCSB).