First, I'd like to remind all readers that this is a Christians Only thread in a Christians Only Forum.
This concept is very easily definable within Scripture and is very significant in the current state of affairs in our world.
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
1 John 4:7-8
Only God can define love. And if love is defined by God, and taught so in the Bible, then what is considered to be love by the world's standards, cannot be love. If someone who does not live in alignment with God's Ways is loving something, or someone, what they are experiencing and expressing cannot be love. The world does not define what love is when love was first defined by God and His Word.
There are many who love all kinds of things in this world; cars, money, power, drugs, alcohol. You name it.
I have personally known multiple addicts who truly believed they loved their substance of choice. They loved what it did for them, they loved how it made them feel physically, how it made them feel about themselves mentally and emotionally and they loved how it made them feel loved by others.
I have a sibling who has battled alcohol for many years. They admitted to me, on more than one occasion, that they believed the alcohol was 'who they were' in a sense. They had been duped by the substance to actually identify with it at a very deep level, as part of themselves. Refusing to accept that it was a problem in their life, they would encourage me to stop with the judgment of the alcohol and just get to know them for who they are. They promised that I would like them so much better if I'd just get to know them. Many attempts to explain to them that the alcohol was not who they were fell on deaf ears; explaining to them that if they'd just sober up long enough to learn who they really are that they would see the difference. This was all to no avail and the spirit of the substance still owns them to this very day.
The Bible speaks in many places of snares. It refers to idols as snares, and even to the ways of the pagan nations (the world) as snares. These snares are just like they sound. They are spiritual traps that ensnare a soul and it is very difficult, if not impossible, to free oneself from them. Without God's divine providence, it is impossible to be set completely free of these snares.
The main point of this discussion is that anything can be made into an idol in one's life, absolutely anything. The person can truly believe that they are loving, and in-love with, that thing or that person. But if that experience is not in alignment with God, and His purposes for mankind, it cannot possibly be love. It is not of God, ... it is of another. The spirits that indwell idols, and accept worship of them, are very powerful demons. Worship can come in many forms. One of the most common forms is simply putting that thing above all else.
Young people today are addicted to so many different things and they have no awareness, nor belief in the possibility, that what they are doing is detrimental to their well being and to their very soul. All kinds of tech is loved and held as a type of idol; people in great numbers are in love with the idea of their social media images. In their twisted understanding of reality, they truly believe it is who they are.
There are many ungodly lifestyles today that are based around this false experience, and idea, of love, but there are much, much worse lifestyles coming right behind them. There are already organizations in place to foist upon the world the acceptance of love between grown adults and children, Pedophilia. And there are even those who will someday be loving and marrying animals.
LOVE is OF God and ONLY God can define love. He has done so in His Word. Anything less than that IS NOT LOVE.
This concept is very easily definable within Scripture and is very significant in the current state of affairs in our world.
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
1 John 4:7-8
Only God can define love. And if love is defined by God, and taught so in the Bible, then what is considered to be love by the world's standards, cannot be love. If someone who does not live in alignment with God's Ways is loving something, or someone, what they are experiencing and expressing cannot be love. The world does not define what love is when love was first defined by God and His Word.
There are many who love all kinds of things in this world; cars, money, power, drugs, alcohol. You name it.
I have personally known multiple addicts who truly believed they loved their substance of choice. They loved what it did for them, they loved how it made them feel physically, how it made them feel about themselves mentally and emotionally and they loved how it made them feel loved by others.
I have a sibling who has battled alcohol for many years. They admitted to me, on more than one occasion, that they believed the alcohol was 'who they were' in a sense. They had been duped by the substance to actually identify with it at a very deep level, as part of themselves. Refusing to accept that it was a problem in their life, they would encourage me to stop with the judgment of the alcohol and just get to know them for who they are. They promised that I would like them so much better if I'd just get to know them. Many attempts to explain to them that the alcohol was not who they were fell on deaf ears; explaining to them that if they'd just sober up long enough to learn who they really are that they would see the difference. This was all to no avail and the spirit of the substance still owns them to this very day.
The Bible speaks in many places of snares. It refers to idols as snares, and even to the ways of the pagan nations (the world) as snares. These snares are just like they sound. They are spiritual traps that ensnare a soul and it is very difficult, if not impossible, to free oneself from them. Without God's divine providence, it is impossible to be set completely free of these snares.
The main point of this discussion is that anything can be made into an idol in one's life, absolutely anything. The person can truly believe that they are loving, and in-love with, that thing or that person. But if that experience is not in alignment with God, and His purposes for mankind, it cannot possibly be love. It is not of God, ... it is of another. The spirits that indwell idols, and accept worship of them, are very powerful demons. Worship can come in many forms. One of the most common forms is simply putting that thing above all else.
Young people today are addicted to so many different things and they have no awareness, nor belief in the possibility, that what they are doing is detrimental to their well being and to their very soul. All kinds of tech is loved and held as a type of idol; people in great numbers are in love with the idea of their social media images. In their twisted understanding of reality, they truly believe it is who they are.
There are many ungodly lifestyles today that are based around this false experience, and idea, of love, but there are much, much worse lifestyles coming right behind them. There are already organizations in place to foist upon the world the acceptance of love between grown adults and children, Pedophilia. And there are even those who will someday be loving and marrying animals.
LOVE is OF God and ONLY God can define love. He has done so in His Word. Anything less than that IS NOT LOVE.
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