“Judgmental” “Hypocritical” “Cliquey”
These are some of the words I’ve heard used to describe Christians. And you know what? They definitely apply. Sometimes. Not always. Just as they apply sometimes, not always, to people of everywhere and of every faith. Unfortunately, when they apply to people who call themselves Christ-followers, Christians as a whole get a bad rap.
One of the greatest deceptions many Christians live with is the deception that following Christ means that you have a responsibility to tell others about their sin. Jesus addressed this issue in Matthew Chapter 7. In verse 4 He said, “Why do you say to your brother, “Let me take the dust out of your eye”? And all the time you have that stick in your own eye!”
Jesus tirelessly taught that each of us personally is to deal with our own hearts, and our own relationship with God. We are to deal with our own sinful thoughts and actions. As we do, our outward behavior will reflect that which is Christ-like. The behavior doesn’t come first – that would be the flip way around. When we try and clean up our acts without cleaning up our hearts, any change we are able to accomplish will be short-lived. We just don’t have the strength within us to keep up the facade. It is only when we seek to have Christ’s strength within us that we will have the power to treat others in the way that God wants us to treat them.
Can we be uncompromising in our beliefs and not ‘judge’ or ‘condemn’ others for their beliefs or actions? Absolutely. If we first and foremost have hearts that truly are in the process of transformation into Christ’s heart. If we love them with God’s love. Not the world’s distorted view of love… but God’s love. How does that happen? Stay tuned….
Peace.
~kp