As I was scrolling through Facebook the other day, I came across a post that grabbed my attention. It was of a preacher, ripping churches for hypocrisy in their abhorrence of same sex marriage. He stated that while judging the gay lifestyle, they ignored sin in their own ranks. It got me thinking, as a Christian, am I a disciple or a hypocrite?
Emotions
The ruling of the Supreme Court brought out a lot of emotions from the Church in the United States. It also brought out a lot of emotions from supporters of the ruling, and showed the divide that is prevalent in this country. It struck some core beliefs as to where the church thinks the morality of this country is headed. We are seeing unprecedented events almost daily that would have been impossible as little as a decade ago. From the perspective of the Church, the outrage of immorality has waned and what use to be considered evil is now considered acceptable.
The Planned Parenthood story, as shocking and grotesque as one might find it, is an accepted practice by the current government. It's outrage seems to be more centered on the group that is bringing these practices to light, than to those who are picking body parts out of the womb for market. As a Christian I am screaming (and posting), "Stop the insanity!" Yet there are others who defend that this is acceptable healthcare for women and is good for low income communities.
Am I a Hypocrite?
But as I am shouting from the rooftops, am I being hypocritical? Have I ever been hypocritical as I see sin perceived in others and have something to say about it? Am I crying about the sin of another, yet perhaps neglecting the sin of my own?
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. (Matthew 23:1-4 NIV)
The Source of My Faith
The source of my faith is two-fold. It is my experience in the things that Jesus Christ has done in my life, and it is the Word of God. In fact, my experience started before I read my first word in the Bible. The truth is, Jesus showed His love for me before I even owned a Bible. He showed mercy toward me, before I opened to the first page. My faith is not based solely on what I have read, but also on what God has done. So I tend to be very passionate about what I believe. Yet in my human frailty, I can be hypocritical (as I have been).
However one thing is for certain, no one is blameless.
For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23 NIV)
If I am honest with myself, I am just a run of the mill sinner, saved by the Grace of God. Nothing I have done has made me special and certainly not qualified to judge someone else. Although I can discern wrong, I am in no position to judge.
Did Jesus Judge? Does Jesus Judge?
When a woman (where was the man) who was caught in the act of adultery was thrown before Jesus, He was reminded about the law. "Moses said she should be stoned, what do you say?" the religious demanded. Jesus said nothing. He just stooped down beside her. "The law demands punishment!" they shouted. Jesus wrote in the dirt.
As the religiosity became impatient, He finally replied, "You who is without sin, cast the first stone." No stone was cast and no condemnation was given. Jesus, who was the only one who was without sin, chose to stand with her instead of against her. He said, "I don't condemn you, go and sin no more."
It is important to realize that Jesus did not then, nor does he now sit on a Judgment Seat, but rather a mercy seat. So why should we?
Do not judge or you will be judged. (Matthew 7:1 NIV)
In a court of law there are four key players outside of the defendant. There is the judge, the prosecutor, the defense attorney and the witnesses. As a member of the Church Body, I have a role to play.
I am not to be Judge for that is God's role (James 4:12), I am not to be prosecutor for that is the role of Satan (Revelation 12:10), nor am I to be defense attorney for that is the role of Jesus (Romans 8:34). But I am called to be a witness. A witness of things that I have seen and heard (Acts 4:20).
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses....(Acts 1:8 NIV)
My main mission in life is to be a witness, and only a witness.
Salt and Light
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ... (Matthew 5:13 NIV)
For salt to be effective it must be on what it seasons. The church cannot be kept on the spice rack, not applying itself to a lost world. Neither can it be hid or its message extinguished, but must also be visible, shinning the truth of Jesus Christ.
The Church is not always right in its efforts and should hone it's rhetoric for effectiveness. We should be slow to speak, and use wisdom when we do. But speak we must, in a spirit of anguish over what is in store for those around us. Tolerant of people, but never tolerant of sin. No condemnation, but love, for while we were still sinning, Jesus Christ died for us also.
Trying to be a Disciple
Humanity is flawed, and we in the Church are part of humanity. But we also have a calling, a calling to be a witness to who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us. We have a commission to share His story of reconciliation to God through the message of the Cross. We are to speak of our values and beliefs, but not in arrogance, only in Love. (1 Corinthians 13:1)
My biggest challenge as a disciple of Jesus Christ is to make sure I get my calling correct. If I step outside of what I am called to do, I am not in His will. So if you hear me talking of things I have seen and heard, of talking about things that God is doing for me and in the world we live in, if I am talking about what God's Word has to say about all that is going on and what we can expect to happen, please understand, I am trying to be a witness not a judge, I am trying to be a disciple not a hypocrite.
Your comments are welcome, please let me know what you think.
Thanks for reading,
Your friend Will
No comments:
Post a Comment