For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. – 1 John 4:9-11
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. – 1 John 4:19-20
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. - 1 John 3:10
Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' – Matthew 22:37-39
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. . .And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. - excerpts from 1 Corinthians 13:4-13
When I was growing up, my family attended the Presbyterian Church, and one of my favorite aspects of Church was the singing. A song that I liked particularly as a child was "And they'll know we are Christians by our love." It was easy to memorize as a child, and even now I often find myself humming it under my breath.
The lyrics are:
When we see our friends, family, co-workers and acquaintances who don't know Jesus as the only way to God, we should not rush to pass judgement (for that belongs to God alone) but rather we should be heartsick at knowing what they are missing. We should want badly for them to have the same saving relationship with Christ as we do, and our love and concern for that person's eternal salvation should be where all our interactions with that person start. We should share our faith in gentleness and love.
The epistle of 1 Peter addresses this very subject:
But in your hearts set apart 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. (1 Peter, 3:15)
Paul addresses it in 2 Timothy:
2 Timothy 2:24
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be GENTLE unto all men, apt to teach, patient.
If we don't approach others from an aspect of love, of gentleness, but instead as a battering ram of judgment, we are not helping to bring people to Christ, but rather to push them away from Him. How many of us ever wanted to do what school yard bully told us to do, how many of us respect the stance of someone who is telling us all that is wrong with us? How much more apt are we to listen to someone who knows we care about them, that we love them?
We get so fixated on other people's sins, we forget to worry about our own first.
Jesus taught us, saying: "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye." (Matthew 7:1-5
Yes, we can discern if someone else is living in a life of sin, but then we are to use that discernment to make sure we are not doing that same thing. We are not to look at someone else's sin so that we can feel better about ourselves, or to put them down. In the verse above it says that by the standard we judge others, so we will be judged. Now, I don't know about you, maybe you live a far better life than I do, but I know I am a sinner, and that I need God's grace and mercy. There is no way I am anywhere near good enough to even approach the gates of Heaven, I need the shed blood of Christ to cover me. So if I want God's grace and mercy, I better be willing to give that to others as best I can. I don't want to be harshly judged by God, so I better not harshly judge anyone else.
There is a Christian comedian named Mark Lowry, he also sings and writes music and performs with the Gaither band. He is a funny guy, but also weaves serious topics into his comedy. On the nature of sin he said this:
"Love the sinner, hate the sin? How about: Love the sinner, hate your own sin! I don't have time to hate your sin. There are too many of you! Hating my sin is a full-time job. How about you hate your sin, I'll hate my sin and let's just love each other!"
That, to me, says it perfectly. Worry about your own sin.
This is my stance on the matter: When I can master the two greatest commandments ( Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' Matthew 22:37-39)...when I have mastered those two commandments, then I will worry about someone else's sin. Until then, I will just love them and share with them, from an aspect of mercy and gentleness, how much Christ loves them.
Can people tell from the way you treat other people that you are a follower of Jesus Christ? If not, why not? Please remember friends, that if we do not love, then God is not in us. And if God is not in us, we are not saved. So the next time you judge someone harshly for their lifestyle, their faith (or lack there of), their vices or family life...remember God the Father is watching, and will judge you by the same standard you are judging them. I for one need God's grace and mercy, how about you?
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. – 1 John 4:9-11
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. – 1 John 4:19-20
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. - 1 John 3:10
Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' – Matthew 22:37-39
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. . .And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. - excerpts from 1 Corinthians 13:4-13
When I was growing up, my family attended the Presbyterian Church, and one of my favorite aspects of Church was the singing. A song that I liked particularly as a child was "And they'll know we are Christians by our love." It was easy to memorize as a child, and even now I often find myself humming it under my breath.
The lyrics are:
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
By our love, by our love
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
By our love, by our love
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
I wish I could say that in our modern American society it was easy to spot a Christian by their love. That you could watch someone, point a finger at them and say "See how they are behaving, see how they are helping that person, see how they donate their time, they must be a Christian!"
In America, it's just not so. Oh, don't get me wrong, there are wonderful Christians out there who are helping the homeless, the battered, the needy, who visit prisons and staff food banks. But there are many more who call themselves Christians who aren't interested in showing the world love and mercy, they'd far rather be on the Judgement seat. They seem to forget that judgement belongs to God alone, it is He who will decide who is saved, and who is not. They seem to forget our "job" as Christians is not to judge, but to love.
But Beth, you say, the Bible is clear there are sins out there, and we should point those sins out....at whatever cost. Read your Bible, Beth, tell me there aren't sins that God hates.
News flash, friends...God hates all sin. He hates pride, and unjust anger. He hates haughtiness, and He hates it when we push people further away from Him. You see, when we loudly and proudly tell the world they are sinners and that they're going to Hell...it's evident to the world we are not doing this out of love. Some modern day Americans who say they are Christians are almost delighted to tell someone what their shortcomings are, how damned they are...it's told with an almost gleeful zest.
The epistle of 1 Peter addresses this very subject:
But in your hearts set apart 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. (1 Peter, 3:15)
Paul addresses it in 2 Timothy:
2 Timothy 2:24
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be GENTLE unto all men, apt to teach, patient.
If we don't approach others from an aspect of love, of gentleness, but instead as a battering ram of judgment, we are not helping to bring people to Christ, but rather to push them away from Him. How many of us ever wanted to do what school yard bully told us to do, how many of us respect the stance of someone who is telling us all that is wrong with us? How much more apt are we to listen to someone who knows we care about them, that we love them?
We get so fixated on other people's sins, we forget to worry about our own first.
Jesus taught us, saying: "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye." (Matthew 7:1-5
Yes, we can discern if someone else is living in a life of sin, but then we are to use that discernment to make sure we are not doing that same thing. We are not to look at someone else's sin so that we can feel better about ourselves, or to put them down. In the verse above it says that by the standard we judge others, so we will be judged. Now, I don't know about you, maybe you live a far better life than I do, but I know I am a sinner, and that I need God's grace and mercy. There is no way I am anywhere near good enough to even approach the gates of Heaven, I need the shed blood of Christ to cover me. So if I want God's grace and mercy, I better be willing to give that to others as best I can. I don't want to be harshly judged by God, so I better not harshly judge anyone else.
There is a Christian comedian named Mark Lowry, he also sings and writes music and performs with the Gaither band. He is a funny guy, but also weaves serious topics into his comedy. On the nature of sin he said this:
"Love the sinner, hate the sin? How about: Love the sinner, hate your own sin! I don't have time to hate your sin. There are too many of you! Hating my sin is a full-time job. How about you hate your sin, I'll hate my sin and let's just love each other!"
That, to me, says it perfectly. Worry about your own sin.
This is my stance on the matter: When I can master the two greatest commandments ( Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' Matthew 22:37-39)...when I have mastered those two commandments, then I will worry about someone else's sin. Until then, I will just love them and share with them, from an aspect of mercy and gentleness, how much Christ loves them.
Can people tell from the way you treat other people that you are a follower of Jesus Christ? If not, why not? Please remember friends, that if we do not love, then God is not in us. And if God is not in us, we are not saved. So the next time you judge someone harshly for their lifestyle, their faith (or lack there of), their vices or family life...remember God the Father is watching, and will judge you by the same standard you are judging them. I for one need God's grace and mercy, how about you?
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