“No Love” Without Hate

Luke Chapter 3:1-38

During Jesus’ baptism, the spirit came down, as God’s divinely appointed proof that Jesus was the Messiah, the Savior. The same spirit is a gift from God to be received by every repentant sinner. The same spirit is the love of God poured into our hearts as a result of Christ’s work on the cross; this comes after our conviction of sin through the Law.

This is the same spirit that was poured out at Pentecost to the world (after Christ’s completed work); to be received by every repentant sinner. It is this same Spirit of God’s Love which brings about repentance, spiritual life and love (the Kingdom of God). This is the only true love there is in the world, and without this Love there is no salvation. It is this same spirit (the Word) which reveals the following:

1) Dead Conscience
2) No love
3) Adam’s sin

1) Dead Conscience

John the Evangelist with the gift of the spirit in his heart reveals a world devoid of God’s Love, with no Spirit. A world that has stood still since the 40 days in the wilderness in Egypt. A world which has rejected God’s supreme gift of mercy, Christ; as the Israelites did in the desert.

Humanity has lost all conscience; no feeling of guilt, no godly love for one another, no unity. Instead, formalism, institutional frameworks of governance and charity have developed and completely replaced God’s power of Love in people’s hearts. This is the real sin of rejection.

Certification and one’s qualification as having the highest institutional merits instead of the one qualification of God’s love; has turned the church into fragmented institutions with divisions – the sign of having no love. Revealing our rejection of Christ; our greatest sin.

This lack of conscience among all the people in our world is pictured as the spiritually deprived world of our day; the 40 years in the desert, the valleys, rocky mountains and crooked roads. These are the tremendous pictures of our hearts as seen by John the Baptist. Our hearts have no conviction of sin by the first and second table of the Law.

So we see why and how John the Baptist reacted:

– When multitudes came forth to be baptized, he referred to them as a generation of vipers – they had no fruit of repentance – no love, the fruit of faith.

All types of people came: (publicans) tax collectors, soldiers; these and many more are the professionals of our day; the secular people of the world.

One answer was fitting – the axe is laid at the root of every tree that does not bear fruit of repentance. Repent, repent is the cry in our wilderness.

2) No Love born of God

With the ax laid at the root of every tree, with pending eternal death of every soul of a human being – the question should be:

What shall we do to bear the fruit of repentance?

The Baptist gave the perfect answer: revealing what no man can do in this world:
“He that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none”.

Dividing your wealth into two or three parts to give those without is an impossible task. Yes indeed we are lost sinners; what shall we do?

“He, who hath meat, let him do likewise”. To the publican he says, “exact no more than that which is appointed to you”. Who on earth can reach this perfection?

“Do no violence (hatred) to no man, neither accuse falsely” (heart judgments) etc. These are the same laws that we know, the Ten Commandments:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind etc. and your neighbor as yourself. Thou shall not lust, commit adultery etc.

Which man on earth can keep all these and more Laws …  an impossible task.

The answer from John the Baptist is miraculous and wonderful:

“There is one who baptizes with Fire”: a fire that removes all sin – Gods spirit of Love (Christ) born into men’s hearts. This fire completely transforms humanity.

To those who have received the gift of Love, hear the voice of God from heaven:

“Thou at my beloved son (the ones whom God loves, with the love which is born into their heart upon repentance) in thee I am well pleased”

It is this love born out of faith which makes believers holy, ready for God’s salvation and His Kingdom.

3) The Sin of Adam (The human race)

Jesus’ public ministry began when he was about thirty years old. Surprisingly, Luke presents the great connection, the relation that exists from Joseph, the legal father of Jesus; a son of Heli, a son of Matthew; all the way right back to the beginning of human creation; to Adam. This is not intended to prove Jesus’ age or the genealogy of Joseph or Mary. It is entirely different from Matthew’s Gospel, which gives Joseph’s genealogy as the husband of Mary, Jesus’ legal father. What is presented here is our sinful connection with Adam.

Adam is called son of God; this expresses a different relation. This relation of Adam dispels the pagan myth about the origin of humanity and shows that God is the creator and Father of all the mankind.

In taking Jesus’ ancestry back to Adam, Luke presents Jesus as the Savior of humanity. This is the chief importance of Luke’s genealogy. Jesus is the Savior of all mankind, being the seed of Abraham and heir of David. This is Jesus’ work and office as the Savior of the world through the Love of God which filled the Son’s heart – that of his sacrificial death for the sins of the world. There is no other love than this.

Faith in Christ saves every individual in the world.

God saw the wretchedness of mankind and his love moved him to save all who would believe in his Son.

This is the love of God which declares a sinner free from the bondage of sin and death. Jesus is the fulfillment of the whole law of God and in Him we have been set free through faith.

This love of God has a supreme purpose for man. It first reveals man’s sinfulness and then baptizes him with fire, the removal of sin by Christ’s sacrificial death. Our repentance and faith brings forth in us spiritual love, joy and hope in the resurrection which is our salvation.

This is the “Ancient Truth” presented in the publication: True Faith Revealed, author: Apollo Kikule.