God is love and as His children we are called to be love as well. We know instinctively to love others is to meet needs and put ourselves second to others. Jesus taught the Greatest Commandment is to love God with all of our heart and mind and the second is to love one another. (Mt 22:36-40) In fact the Scriptures state if we do not love others we cannot know God for God is love. (1 Jn 4:8).

In today's culture the definition and practice of love has been stolen and replaced with a lie. What I mean by that is God is eternal, He created us for relationships. He not only designed relationships He is the Author of Love for being love itself. Therefore, God has always defined what love is and what it looks like. In a nation that has marginalized God love has been redefined as something it was never intended to be. The vacuum created by removing God from life and becoming our own god is the original design is lost. What was the original design God walking with Adam and Eve before the Fall experiencing perfect love and relationship. After sin entered into the world love for God, one another, and Creation has decayed and drifted far from God's truth.

Trying to love with God at the center of it creates tribalism, racism, fear, and isolation. Love doesn't work without its Author. Look around and see all the societal norms intertwined with counterfeit love. Love from God's perspective means we do not tell people want they want to hear but what they need to hear. We warn people against sin and the death it brings. For instance, when God said marriage was between a man and a woman in covenant under God there is no marriage configurations other than the original design. Marriages between same-sex partners are sin, a distortion from God's plan. To bless, condone, or even remain silent about the attack on marriage is both sins of commission and omission. 

Another destructive aspect of sin and broken love is the gay and lesbian forms of sinful slavery. Being labeled for one's sexual desires was never God's design. We are created in the image of God and homosexuality is not the image of God. Love is not condoning or promoting the gay and lesbian lifestyle. True caring love is saying this is not God's plan for your life, its rebellion against God and leads to death. True happiness is not found in twisted forms of sexuality, but in surrender to the God of love. 

Love is now shaped as empathy for sinful tendencies and rebellious life choices. Compassion is not furthering sin but helping individuals escape its trap. Its a cruel thing to accept that which is the opposite of God's Word and condemning others to spiritual and physical death. Its like knowing a highway's bridge is missing in a construction zone and removing the signs of danger so that people continue driving until their death.

Gender dysphoria and the mutilation of children through sex change surgery doesn't change the sex God had given them at birth. It mutilates the body and there is a lifetime dependence on medicines to change what cannot truly be changed. Many, many individuals having gone through these surgeries regret the choice and never have true happiness. We need to protect children from the confusion over gender and help them know Jesus Christ as the their Lord and the One who created and loves them the way they are. God doesn't make mistakes in creating us in our mother's womb. There have only been two genders for God created them by His design to bring glory to Him. 

True biblical empathy is declaring that we too struggle with sin in life and the only antidote is Truth found in a Savior. Whether we deal with a particular sin or not, ignoring it is wrong and demonstrates that one does not care for those trapped in sin. Remaining silent isn't an option, yet many Christ followers remain silent fearing hate and misunderstanding that might come. The reality is only God's Word sets people free and to hide it makes others slaves to sin and confusion. Yahweh warned the prophet Ezekiel that to remain silent is to be complicit in the death of others. Our example and words should bring life and not further sin and death. Love doesn't remain silent it compassionately shares truth from the Gospel. Unless we take back the original meaning of love lies masquerade as truth enslaving others to spiritual death. The quote that is often credited to Sir Edmund Burke states, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to remain silent."  Love has set us free, let us now do the same for others....