Site icon God in me

Love the sin out of people – David Upchurch

Love the sin out of people

If God forgives us for our sins, why can't we love the sin out of people instead?

David Upchurch delivered the sermon “Love like this….” at my church this weekend. His message discusses how God loves us, and how we can love each other.

God loves the sin out of us, and aren't we supposed to be Godly as Christians?

That doesn't mean that we have to accept the actions of other people, especially when they are doing harm to themselves or others.

But, we don't have to condemn them for their actions, as God will deal with them on his terms. Our responsibility is to help them overcome what is ailing them, not to add on to their troubles.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” – 1 John 4:18 (NIV)

We know that there are no perfect people, we all are sinners. And, because we are not perfect, we should then be willing to accept others who are also not perfect people even though they may sin. That does not mean that we have to embrace their actions.

We can choose to love the sin out of people

We can choose to love the sin out of people instead. Let's work towards removing fear, and embracing the love amongst each other.

I know, what if they are unwilling to love you? That's okay because God loves us unconditionally, and when we do the same we will break down the barriers.

How do we break down barriers through pure love? It takes time, but as you consistently love the sin out of people, the people will begin to see the purity in your heart. You will give them hope for a different plan or a different direction.

This morning, I could feel fear and anxiety growing while heading towards brunch. I made the mistake of switching lanes leading me in the wrong direction, and potentially making me late.

Trust God to love the sin out of people

I asked God to calm me and give me guidance. He immediately showed me, love, even though I wasn't trusting entirely in him and I switched directions, cooling down as I moved towards the right road.

I think of something so simple as getting in the wrong lane of traffic as the perfect example of how we wind up committing a sin trying to undo a mistake. And how keeping an open mind allows us to switch lanes, and head the right direction.

Something so simple puts us at risk of totally changing our lives in a split second.

How important is it for us to learn to have the love for everyone in everything we do and say? Having our hearts in the right place makes life-changing impacts for us and others.

I can't tell you how many great opportunities I've blown because my heart was not in the right place. I don't want to fail those who I care about most, and most importantly, I don't want to let God down.

My goal, and hopefully you will join me, is to love the sin out of people everywhere I have the chance.

Thank you, David Upchurch, for your great sermon last night.

Exit mobile version