will real "love" please stand up?

I've heard the word "love" misused a lot lately.

This is very frustrating to me because Christians and non-Christians alike seem to innately associate the word "love" with God, but then they supply their own definition of the word "love" and supply the same definition to God.

It doesn't work that way.

God is love. That is a true, biblical statement. For you to associate "love" with God is absolutely correct.

But when you assume that "love" equals "accepting" and you assume that what you choose to accept is what God must choose to accept because He is "love"... that's wrong.

God already has created His standards and shown what true love is. He is the first definition of love... and His definition of love is multi-faceted. It includes mercy, grace, and judgment. It includes correction and discipline of His children and a high standard against anything evil. That's the God I serve, and you see it all throughout the Bible.

Lately, though, although we use the word "love" to describe our "love" of peanut butter, ice cream, and our family and friends, the "love" we ascribe to God isn't a passionate love. America has seemed to replace the "love" of God with the "acceptance" of God. He accepts anyone all the time and in every way and he accept people in every situation... even if it's against His Word.

Now, here's the thing. God is accepting and accepts everyone who comes to Him for help and salvation, and as Christians, we should do the exact same thing. When someone comes to us for help, we receive them, and we accept them just the way they are.

Here's the other thing... if they aren't coming to us for help, we are called to love them, but we don't need to accept and approve (and dare I say, legalize) their sinful lifestyles. No matter your opinion, my God has not and will never "legalize," "accept," or "approve" a homosexual lifestyle because He is love. He will always accept people who come to Him, but He will never accept homosexuality. It is a sin.

You can argue with me to your heart's content, but there is a truth that no fact in America can change: marriage was meant for a man and a woman. Period. I will stand behind that fact and teach it to my family and others who will listen.

God's love is multi-faceted and manifests in many ways. It does not simply manifest itself through acceptance, but it is shown through discipline, holiness, standards, directions, and much more. Read through the Bible with an open mind and you'll find out more.