Looking for Everlasting Love? You Won't Find it with the Vampires, Werewolves or Other Things that Go Bump in the Night

Stock photo Twilight, http://bit.ly/wv6x8q

by:  Dawn Ford

OK, it’s confession time. 

I’m a Christian woman who got sucked into the Twilight series.  In my defense, it started a couple of years ago when I saw several of my fifth grades girls^* walking around school with the books.   As a speech therapist, anything that got my language impaired/learning disabled girls (or boys for that matter) reading was of interest to me.  I had done lesson plans for the Harry Potter series, as well as  Lord of the Rings, so I figured, this was no different.

What I didn’t expect was how hooked I got.  I devoured the four books in a week, waited with great anticipation for the first two movies and started reading other books in the same genre.  When the third movie was about to be released, a reporter friend Dave, was tasked to write an article on the world wide phenomenon.  On his Facebook page he posed a simple question, “Why do women like Twilight?”

It gave me time to pause, to reflect and quite frankly shook me back to reality.  I realize the main reason I was enthralled with the series, (especially the first book) was the love between the two main characters.  The idea of someone loving you forever, with that kind of intensity is intoxicating.  Who wouldn’t want to be loved like that? Of course, the shake back to reality came when I remembered I was already loved in just that way.

Scripture

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Back Story

In John 3, Jesus is talking to Nicodemus a Pharisee.  His chief job, as part of the Jewish ruling counsel, was the strict interpretation and observance of Mosaic Law.  By the time Jesus came on the scene the Pharisees along with Scribes, and Sadducees had twisted these laws into rules and regulations that where impossible to follow.  They were Jesus’ staunchest critics because He called them out at every opportunity for their legalistic, unrealistic ways.

Nicodemus came to Jesus at night.  He had heard Him preach during the day, had seen Him perform miracles and Nic wanted to know more.  Right off the bat, Jesus blows Nicodemus’ mind by telling him, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again,” (John 3:3).

It was taught widely among the Jews at that time, that since they descended from Abraham, they were automatically assured of heaven. In fact, some Rabbis taught that Abraham stood watch at the gate of hell, just to make sure that none of his descendants accidentally wandered in there.¹

Then Jesus utters the most famously quoted verse out of all 31,373 in the bible, shattering another long standing Jewish belief that God not only loved the Jews, but the whole world. 

Our Take Away

 In one verse we learn it all:

• We learn the object of God’s love (agape, unconditional love): the world.     

• We learn the expression and the gift of God’s love: He gave His only begotten Son. God’s love didn’t just feel for the plight of a fallen world. God did something about it, and He gave the most precious thing to give: His only begotten Son.
• We learn the recipient of God’s love: Whoever believes in Him. God loves the world, but the world does not receive or benefit from that love until it believes in Jesus, the gift that the Father gave. For the record, believes in means much more than intellectual awareness or agreement. It means to trust in, to rely on, and to cling to.
• We learn the intention of God’s love: should not perish. God’s love actually saves man from eternal destruction. God looks at fallen humanity, does not want it to perish, and so in His love He extends the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. 
• We learn the duration of God’s love: everlasting life. The love we receive among people may fade or turn, but God’s love will never change. He will never stop loving His people, even unto the furthest distance of eternity.²

It's not about being judgmental. 

I didn’t see the fourth Twilight movie, I won’t see the fifth and I don’t have the books on my shelf anymore.  Don’t misunderstand me.  I’m not saying reading this material or other secular works are wrong.  For me, it made me take my eye off the true love that is extremely intoxicating, all encompassing and undeniably infinite.  

Questions:

 1.  Is there something in your life that takes your eyes off the true love, the unconditional love of God?

2.  If so, how will you chose today to refocus on what's really important? 

References:

• * ATTENTION PARENTS:  Fifth grade girls should not be reading these books.  There is a teen rating for a reason.  If you do find your child reading these books or any other above their age range, use it as a teachable moment and read the books together. 

•  1 and 2:   http://www.blueletterbible.org/, David Guzik's commentary at John, Chapter 3.

Dawn Ford is VP of Infinite Love Ministries, INC (ILM).  A non-profit corporation dedicated to showing all the infinite love of Christ. For more information, check out the tabs at the top of this page or visit our website,  http://www.infiniteloveministries.com/