Wednesday, March 06, 2019
Judgmental, Unloving, Hypocritical ...
We are at war with the forces of evil. And Christians are never going to be at home in the culture and kingdoms of this world.
Our belief in God, Jesus, marriage, politics, authority, self-denial, and unwavering commitment to being like Jesus are at odds with the belief system of the world. Our conviction about loving others as ourselves doesn't fit in a me-first world. And to top it off, we want everyone else to join us.
The world says all sorts of bad things about us. Sometimes you will even hear it from co-workers, friends, classmates, or family.
Unloving. Because we do not believe everyone can live any way they choose, we are attacked as unloving. Wrong. But let's be sure we give no ammunition to the enemy. Treat people as Jesus did. Serve people. They may not like, or even hate, your belief system. Do not attack non-believers. After all, why would they live differently? But we do. And we do have a call to live as those who love God and our neighbors. So be sure those that know you see you being the good neighbor to everyone you meet. Love in action.
Judgmental. We are told we are judgmental because we believe Christians live to certain standards and we condemn anyone that does not agree with us. Not so. But we must be sure we have a basis for our convictions. The Bible matters. We must not arbitrarily choose what Christians believe and practice. Do not hold up the church as the standard. And certainly do not hold up your political beliefs as the standard. Be able to use Scripture as the basis for your convictions, and do not pick and choose what you teach. The world may not agree but you have a solid basis.
Hypocritical. We are told that we that we do not live up to the convictions we proclaim. Nope. But again, let's not give ammo to the enemy. We must be constantly becoming more like Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit put to death that which is evil within us. So we are not perfect. But we do repent and part of our repentance is to change.
So treat people well. Stand on Scripture. Be more like your Master.
Let the world say what they will.
Do not be afraid. Be strong and courageous.
Live Jesus.
Make more disciples.
We are at war with the powers of evil.
And we will win.
Into the battle.
Our belief in God, Jesus, marriage, politics, authority, self-denial, and unwavering commitment to being like Jesus are at odds with the belief system of the world. Our conviction about loving others as ourselves doesn't fit in a me-first world. And to top it off, we want everyone else to join us.
The world says all sorts of bad things about us. Sometimes you will even hear it from co-workers, friends, classmates, or family.
Unloving. Because we do not believe everyone can live any way they choose, we are attacked as unloving. Wrong. But let's be sure we give no ammunition to the enemy. Treat people as Jesus did. Serve people. They may not like, or even hate, your belief system. Do not attack non-believers. After all, why would they live differently? But we do. And we do have a call to live as those who love God and our neighbors. So be sure those that know you see you being the good neighbor to everyone you meet. Love in action.
Judgmental. We are told we are judgmental because we believe Christians live to certain standards and we condemn anyone that does not agree with us. Not so. But we must be sure we have a basis for our convictions. The Bible matters. We must not arbitrarily choose what Christians believe and practice. Do not hold up the church as the standard. And certainly do not hold up your political beliefs as the standard. Be able to use Scripture as the basis for your convictions, and do not pick and choose what you teach. The world may not agree but you have a solid basis.
Hypocritical. We are told that we that we do not live up to the convictions we proclaim. Nope. But again, let's not give ammo to the enemy. We must be constantly becoming more like Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit put to death that which is evil within us. So we are not perfect. But we do repent and part of our repentance is to change.
So treat people well. Stand on Scripture. Be more like your Master.
Let the world say what they will.
Do not be afraid. Be strong and courageous.
Live Jesus.
Make more disciples.
We are at war with the powers of evil.
And we will win.
Into the battle.
