Loving one's neighbor as one loves oneself is one of the cornerstones of Christian love. Salvation - saving human beings from sin and its consequences, which stem from a separation from God - is the major component of this cornerstone. In other words, a Christian loves his neighbor - an actual concrete being who represents humanity through the depths of his or her own individual spiritual depth of personality - he is interested primarily in certain valuable spiritual acts that may spread salvation. The chief aim of these acts would be to help keep the neighbor aligned with God or to help to bring the neighbor into alignment with God.
The love of God underpins all acts and movements of neighborly love. Thus, neighborly love is motivated foremost by a Christian's love of God. This love of God includes the love of the divine within oneself; that is, the love of one's own ideal spiritual self. Love of the neighbor emanates from the core of this divine self and "loves" the ideal spiritual self or what is divine in the neighbor. In this sense, Christian love aims for an expansion of love and salvation that is both concrete and personal.
Love of one's neighbor can only work if it is supported by self love - by the love of what is divine within oneself. This love of what is divine within oneself can only work if it is supported by the love of God. If any of these links are removed, the alignment required to practice proper neighborly love ceases to exist. Conversely, love of one's neighbor cannot include anything that sacrifices one's own salvation. Put another way, any act done for the sake of a neighbor's salvation that includes sacrifice of one's own salvation is not only counterproductive, but sinful.
When a Christian is willing to renounce his own salvation for the sake of another, he is in a state of sin. He is in a state of sin because he has essentially declared that he has separated himself from God; that he has turned his back on his own ideal spiritual self; on his own divine self. Though such a declaration may appear noble on the surface, it is actually a massive performative contradiction. True love of one's neighbor is supported by purely positive qualities. Any "love" of the neighbor that includes the surrender of one's own salvation nullifies these positive qualities and turns the act into one of pure negation. Put in simpler terms, Christians cannot hope to turn their neighbors toward God if they themselves have turned away from God. Any thought or action that entertains such hopes are not only misguided, but also sinful.
Here's something to consider - Jesus was willing to sacrifice nearly everything to save others, but He did not and never would have considered renouncing His own salvation to ensure the salvation of his neighbors.
The love of God underpins all acts and movements of neighborly love. Thus, neighborly love is motivated foremost by a Christian's love of God. This love of God includes the love of the divine within oneself; that is, the love of one's own ideal spiritual self. Love of the neighbor emanates from the core of this divine self and "loves" the ideal spiritual self or what is divine in the neighbor. In this sense, Christian love aims for an expansion of love and salvation that is both concrete and personal.
Love of one's neighbor can only work if it is supported by self love - by the love of what is divine within oneself. This love of what is divine within oneself can only work if it is supported by the love of God. If any of these links are removed, the alignment required to practice proper neighborly love ceases to exist. Conversely, love of one's neighbor cannot include anything that sacrifices one's own salvation. Put another way, any act done for the sake of a neighbor's salvation that includes sacrifice of one's own salvation is not only counterproductive, but sinful.
When a Christian is willing to renounce his own salvation for the sake of another, he is in a state of sin. He is in a state of sin because he has essentially declared that he has separated himself from God; that he has turned his back on his own ideal spiritual self; on his own divine self. Though such a declaration may appear noble on the surface, it is actually a massive performative contradiction. True love of one's neighbor is supported by purely positive qualities. Any "love" of the neighbor that includes the surrender of one's own salvation nullifies these positive qualities and turns the act into one of pure negation. Put in simpler terms, Christians cannot hope to turn their neighbors toward God if they themselves have turned away from God. Any thought or action that entertains such hopes are not only misguided, but also sinful.
Here's something to consider - Jesus was willing to sacrifice nearly everything to save others, but He did not and never would have considered renouncing His own salvation to ensure the salvation of his neighbors.
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