In the life of each individual, there are certain weaknesses and struggles that each person will have over the course of their life. However, weaknesses, struggles, and vices can vary from person to person.
For me personally, I am not addicted to coffee or pop. They are not my vices. I rarely ever want either beverage. Other people really struggle with limiting their intake. I shouldn't judge them for their struggles and expect them to overlook my different vice.
We run into problems in the church when we vilify a person who struggles with certain sins, because it isn't a sin we ourselves struggle with.
For example, we silently judge the homosexual or unwed mother in our community, because "how could they so blatantly break God's law?" while we help ourselves to the third plate of food at the church dinner.
Yes, the Bible condemns homosexuality as a sin and sex outside the bounds of marriage. Gluttony is also a sin and so is pride.
If we thank God that we are not like the _______ sinner, then we are being like the Pharisee instead of the tax collector in Luke 18.
God doesn't have a point system to get into heaven. He doesn't rank them and have a list of the worst and least bad sins. He doesn't say that cursing is -10 points, but pride is -30 points. There is a line on the ground. If you have sinned, you are on the far side of the line, separated from God. Thankfully, God offers mercy to the repentant sinner. If you submit to the Lordship of Jesus, His blood covers your sins and allows you to cross the line.
So maybe it is time that we stop silently judging those who struggle differently than we do. Maybe it is time for us to say, "You struggle with X. I struggle with Y. Let's challenge each other to cast off our sins by God's grace."
Monday, September 4, 2017
Saturday, September 2, 2017
Loving the Other Side
When something controversial hits the news, every few days, I sometimes break my rule of internet-ing and read the comments to an article. Why do I read the comments? So much hate. So much scorn. So much anger.
As a Christian myself, my thoughts are directed to the other Christians commenting and posting about the controversy at hand. Instead of holding criticism of Christianity up to show how persecuted* we are in the U.S., I challenge believers to surround the controversial events in prayer.
-Pray for Christians to have discussions that are both loving and gentle. Pray for Christians to live 1 Peter 3:15-16. (Discussion means that you hear what the other side says, not use the time when their lips are moving to think of more arguments).
-Pray for people to have open hearts & minds as they learn about world events and discuss them.
-Pray for Christians to meet hate with love, anger with peace, intolerance & mockery with prayerful answers.
-Pray for God to use these events to draw hearts closer to Him.
-Pray that these events doesn't alienate & turn off those who are not Christian, but lead to more discussions characterized by compassion.
-Pray that God will raise up Christians to *know* what they believe, *why* they believe it, and how to lovingly *share* their views without hate or judgment.
-Pray for those who suffer persecution and who face beatings, threats, death, loss of property, and more around the world.
Christians, may your words be steeped in 1 Peter 3:9, 13-16 as you respond to people about the latest controversy and at all times.
9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. ... 13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
*As a side note, I recommend that American Christians who talk about persecution in the U.S. read about the persecution of the early church (beatings & death) and the persecution of believers in other nations (described by organizations such as the Voice of the Martyrs). Remind yourself what the Bible says about how we our to treat our persecutors and what our response to persecution should be. Pray for places where persecution goes beyond hateful words and financial repercussions. Pray for places where persecution is rampant due to owning a Bible, having or attending a house church, or converting a local. The mood in America has changed, but then again, the Church does not always display the love God asks us to show, the Church does not always reflect the attitude of the early church believers who rejoiced in their ability to suffer persecution for Jesus' sake.
As a Christian myself, my thoughts are directed to the other Christians commenting and posting about the controversy at hand. Instead of holding criticism of Christianity up to show how persecuted* we are in the U.S., I challenge believers to surround the controversial events in prayer.
-Pray for Christians to have discussions that are both loving and gentle. Pray for Christians to live 1 Peter 3:15-16. (Discussion means that you hear what the other side says, not use the time when their lips are moving to think of more arguments).
-Pray for people to have open hearts & minds as they learn about world events and discuss them.
-Pray for Christians to meet hate with love, anger with peace, intolerance & mockery with prayerful answers.
-Pray for God to use these events to draw hearts closer to Him.
-Pray that these events doesn't alienate & turn off those who are not Christian, but lead to more discussions characterized by compassion.
-Pray that God will raise up Christians to *know* what they believe, *why* they believe it, and how to lovingly *share* their views without hate or judgment.
-Pray for those who suffer persecution and who face beatings, threats, death, loss of property, and more around the world.
Christians, may your words be steeped in 1 Peter 3:9, 13-16 as you respond to people about the latest controversy and at all times.
9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. ... 13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
*As a side note, I recommend that American Christians who talk about persecution in the U.S. read about the persecution of the early church (beatings & death) and the persecution of believers in other nations (described by organizations such as the Voice of the Martyrs). Remind yourself what the Bible says about how we our to treat our persecutors and what our response to persecution should be. Pray for places where persecution goes beyond hateful words and financial repercussions. Pray for places where persecution is rampant due to owning a Bible, having or attending a house church, or converting a local. The mood in America has changed, but then again, the Church does not always display the love God asks us to show, the Church does not always reflect the attitude of the early church believers who rejoiced in their ability to suffer persecution for Jesus' sake.
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