A Lenten Reflection
How shall we be known?
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35
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, see how they *love*, they must be a Christian!"
In our culture, it's just not always 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. Even though they can't see into another's soul, even though they don't know the depths of another's heart. They seem to forget that judgement, in the sense of condemning another person's soul, 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 condemn, but to love. We are to warn, but out of love. We are to witness, but out of love. Everything we do must come from that place of love, for without it, we are nothing and we have nothing.
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." 1 Corinthians 13: 1-3
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. There are many who act as if they want to light the bonfires themselves...instead of weeping and praying over those who might suffer from said fires.
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 condemnation (for that belongs to God alone) but rather we should be heartsick at knowing what they are missing. We should deeply long 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. For they too, are made in the image of God.
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:
"And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be GENTLE unto all men, apt to teach, patient." 2 Timothy 2:24
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 always 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?
How much more will they want to listen to us if they see us walking in the way of Christ, and attempting to live in holiness ourselves?
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. Further verses also instruct that if I want forgiveness, I must forgive, and that the merciful shall receive mercy.
I'm in trouble without mercy, grace and forgiveness. I am lost without any hope if Christ does not extend those to me. And because He does, and because He has given me grace to live daily, mercy and forgiveness for my sins, I want to show others that same latitude.
And if Christ tells us that it is by our love we shall be known, then let me ever endeavor that love will be my trademark. I want to be so branded with the Savior's mark, His love, that it is undeniable whom I serve and belong to.
I may stumble....I may fall, but my Shepherd picks me up. And though I am a wayward little sheep, He dusts me off, puts me in His flock, and says, "This one is mine. I know her and claim her, she is marked with my love."
On towards the Cross,
-Beth Haynes Butler
How shall we be known?
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35
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, see how they *love*, they must be a Christian!"
In our culture, it's just not always 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. Even though they can't see into another's soul, even though they don't know the depths of another's heart. They seem to forget that judgement, in the sense of condemning another person's soul, 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 condemn, but to love. We are to warn, but out of love. We are to witness, but out of love. Everything we do must come from that place of love, for without it, we are nothing and we have nothing.
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." 1 Corinthians 13: 1-3
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. There are many who act as if they want to light the bonfires themselves...instead of weeping and praying over those who might suffer from said fires.
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 condemnation (for that belongs to God alone) but rather we should be heartsick at knowing what they are missing. We should deeply long 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. For they too, are made in the image of God.
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:
"And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be GENTLE unto all men, apt to teach, patient." 2 Timothy 2:24
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 always 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?
How much more will they want to listen to us if they see us walking in the way of Christ, and attempting to live in holiness ourselves?
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. Further verses also instruct that if I want forgiveness, I must forgive, and that the merciful shall receive mercy.
I'm in trouble without mercy, grace and forgiveness. I am lost without any hope if Christ does not extend those to me. And because He does, and because He has given me grace to live daily, mercy and forgiveness for my sins, I want to show others that same latitude.
And if Christ tells us that it is by our love we shall be known, then let me ever endeavor that love will be my trademark. I want to be so branded with the Savior's mark, His love, that it is undeniable whom I serve and belong to.
I may stumble....I may fall, but my Shepherd picks me up. And though I am a wayward little sheep, He dusts me off, puts me in His flock, and says, "This one is mine. I know her and claim her, she is marked with my love."
On towards the Cross,
-Beth Haynes Butler
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