This is primarily for Christians. Read it if you want. Be interested to see what anyone thinks, but if you don’t like being ticked off then don’t read it. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
Not to sound too up on myself here, but lately when I watch, read, or listen to the news I feel like I’m in the middle of a gap watching people take up sides.
Maybe its the current presidential race going on, or maybe its looking back thru history at the founder’s faith in God and recognizing our own evil that they wrote our Declaration and Constitution so carefully, up until the point they kick prayer out of school and hearing so many different people’s ideas of right and wrong until it is no longer about certain rights and wrongs but only relative right and wrong depending on the individual.
I stand looking and I wonder how long?
I’m a Christian. Christ rescued me a couple of years ago.
To me there’s Christianity and then there’s everything else. Jesus spoke the truth when he said, He’s the truth, the way and the life. and no one goes to the Father except by him. So according to him its by him or you don’t go. If you don’t believe what he said, then you either think he’s a liar or a lunatic. If you say he never existed, then remember I’m currently directing this to Christians.
If you are a Christian but don’t believe that Jesus existed, then well … that’s just weird.
I stand in the gap and wonder not about the non-Christians. I don’t expect them to behave or act a certain way. I don’t expect them to believe in Jesus, or that he told the truth. Heck I expect them to be mad at me or think I’m crazy for claiming to know “the truth” but yet another topic.
I stand in the gap as I see different Christians line up against each other.
Recently Charles Barkley … (although half the bloggers say its Barclay so I hope I picked the correct spelling) said that conservative Christians are fake Christians. He then gets on them (conservatives) for judging others. About how conservatives say abortion and gay marriage are wrong. He says they ought not to judge others.
I’m not going to rebuttal Sir Charles as that is also not my point.
My point is the different reactions of Christians. Or at least those that claim to be.
It’s at times like this I see myself with an over-sized sword. Swinging it around and ready to cut myself. But here goes:
I think Sir Charles brought up a point inadvertently of course, but a point nonetheless. That the church has actually done a terrible job in judging. Too often I hear people talk about others. How that man loves that man in a special way and how terrible it is and such a sin. Then they go home to live with their boyfriend or girlfriend they haven’t and may not marry.
The Bible doesn’t say that we shouldn’t judge anything. Matthew 7:1-6 says this:
1″Do not judge, or you too will be judged.2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3″Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6″Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
Verses 1 and 2 are great by themselves. People like it because then you can’t tell them anything is wrong about anything, but if you add in verses 3-6 you see this is talking about not judging others on the same sin you yourself are guilty of.
I think when Catholic priests are found hurting children or when Fred Phelps and his cronies start hating gay people and hurting them, then the church needs to turn to its “own” and say, “Stop it”
Kick them out of their positions. Send them to jail and protect our kids and stop hating people from the pulpit without any mercy or compassion.
We spend too much time pointing at the sins that sinners commit and not enough time getting on our own for committing a much worse sin.
I think that we seem to get all caught up in trying to point out everyones dirty laundry and forget to wash our own.
Christians need balance and we need to get our own houses in check. But we seem to be all across the board. We have people who claim to be Christian who don’t read the Bible, don’t know what it says, don’t even believe it is God’s word to us. They believe that there is more than one way to heaven ??? despite what Jesus says ??? They believe good works will get them to heaven, that Jesus committed sins, that he didn’t even rise from the dead ??? despite Paul’s letters saying how important this is to make it worthwhile?? That Satan is not real but merely a symbol for evil. And they don’t believe the Holy Spirit is and living entity… And I’m sure the list goes on beyond this.
Mostly I think this is a lack of discipleship. A lack of understanding in the Word of God. Too many Christians don’t stand for anything because they don’t know what it really is they are trying to stand for.
Then we wonder why an unbelieving world finds us so unbelievable. We acknowledge Christ with our lips and then we deny him by our life-style.
So this is my stand
Jesus is God.
Jesus did not sin. – His sacrifice would’ve been pointless
He did die and then rise again. – without this our belief is pointless.
The Holy Spirit is real and really working in remnant that truly believe and accept Christ.
Good works will not get us into heaven. They are merely evidence of God’s work in our lives.
Satan is real and our real enemy.
Other people who believe differently than us are to be loved. Not hated. Not despised and not merely to be tolerated. Christ is reaching out to them in love, how can we not do the same?
There is sin. We need to judge it correctly and love those who commit it.
Sin inside the Church is bad if not worse than sin outside the church.
I am a sinner saved by grace. Forgiven and Free.
I still battle temptation. I still sin. Not like I used to. But there is grace and love for even me.
Don’t take my word as rock solid here. I’m just a man. If you want to check me out then check out the book you claim to believe. If I’m wrong then point it out. I don’t mind being corrected when it puts me on the right path. I will however judge your correction with my knowledge of the Word to be sure.
Alright I’ve swung my over-sized sword and just poked at a bunch of different points without arguing them in order to focus on my main argument. If you want to message or comment me to explain my position, I’ll do my best to answer. If you are a Christian and disagree with me go ahead.
If I get too many messages regarding similar questions I’ll post another blog to cover it. If I made a mistake above then I’ll correct it later. Its late and I’m tired. Time for bed.
