Dispensationalism and love

By Cal Cook

Last Sunday I spoke just a little about Dispensationalism. I’ve included a relatively informative link for further information on the subject. http://www.endtimes.org/dispens.html

The fact that God has dealt differently with people throughout the ages is obvious to even the casual reader of scripture. Yet the common theme throughout history has been God’s love and mercy. The Psalms may be the most obvious references of God’s desire to show us His mercy, if we would only turn to Him and receive it! Last week’s Call to Worship is just one example:

Psalm 145:8-9 The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

This week’s Call to Worship is filled with further proclamation of His loving nature:

Psalm 85:9-11 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. 

The interesting thing to me is that these Psalms were written while under The Law. After living for several hundred years under this system of sacrifices and requirements the Psalms proclaim something that seems almost contrary to that system. Yes they do speak of observing ordinances and even at least one reference to The Law itself as being good…yet as we see here there is something else behind them. There is a Heavenly Father desiring more from His children than obedience!

I love my two boys with all my heart and would even give my life for them if necessary. Yes my desire is that they would not only listen to my advice, but follow it! Yet even more than that my greatest desire for them is that they would see my love for the Lord and follow in it! Not because I told them to, or even because I make a good argument for it. But through seeing how I live my life they would come to the realization that there is something more than living, obtaining and losing. My hope is that they would come to the realization (as I did) that no matter what we obtain in this life in the end it is all vapor!

The only thing that will last the only thing that will endure is the love we share while we are here! Love for God and love for one another…Jesus said that these two sum up all the Law and all the prophets. Whether you believe in Dispensationalism or something else…believe in love, it is the one thing behind it all.