Grounded in Grace

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves

So what does a Christian look like?  If you never spoke a word, would someone be able to tell you are a Christian by the way you live?  Being a Christian is more than posting bible verses as your Facebook status. Genuine Christians affirm the Bible alone communicates God’s divine answer to humanity’s needs, provides moral  guidance and tells stories of recorded  gospels of Jesus Christ, which offer forgiveness, mercy, grace, redemption, hope, joy and eternal life.  Unfortunately a great deal of us don’t portray the authentic image of Christianity.  (I myself am guilty!)

Authenticity  is  becoming more and more a thing of the past.  People and churches today are taking Gods Holy Word and distorting it to make it acceptable to society.  I personally am sick and tired of a world that is so full of hate.  What ever happened to “Love your neighbor as yourself”?  If you study that verse you will go on to read, “No other commandment is greater than these.” That is Gods message to us.  LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF!!!   No where in that verse does it state, love your neighbor but only if they are not gay, love your neighbor but only if they have never committed adultery, love your neighbor but only if they are not an addict, love your neighbor but only if….I could go on and on.  The scripture says, Love your neighbor as yourself.  Why is this so hard?  Please do not misunderstand me in thinking that I believe any of the above mentioned things are right, however when did we become a society that hates the sinner instead of the sin.  The greatest tragedy is that we are allowing this behavior to take place in the church.  By church I mean the people who claim to be Christians.  What is a Christian? A dictionary definition of a Christian would be something similar to “a person professing belief in Jesus Christ, the son of God or in the religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ.”    Let me break it down a little bit, to be a Christian we must believe in something and as Christians that we believe in Jesus.  If you go on to study the word “believe” you will see that its defined as, to accept (something) as true; to feel sure of the truth of (something).  So, let’s think about that. If we as Christians believe in Jesus we accept and feel sure that what He represents IS truth.  So why are we constantly trying to twist and turn Gods word?  Why are we hating the sinners of the world and not reaching out to them?

I do not understand why people are so concerned with the trash in someone else’s back  yard when their yard has just as much trash if not more. Matthew 7:1-5 says, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see 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,’ when there is the log 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.  We all have our faults, we all fall short. There was only one perfect man to ever walk this earth and he died on a cross over 2000 years ago so that we would not have to be perfect.  Jesus died so  we would have redemption and forgiveness for our short comings.  I believe His word in Ephesians 1:7 which says, In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.  Jesus Christ took a horrible beating, there are not many people I know (if any) that would do that for me or you so why can’t we do as He commands and love our neighbor as ourselves especially knowing what He did for us.    Again, I am guilty.  I have been judgmental, I have gossiped, I have sinned in more ways than I care to talk about, however I have been redeemed. I still fight a daily battle with myself to live as Christ wants me to live and not how the world wants me to live.   The worlds way often seems so much easier.  I slip, I fall…we all do.  But by Gods grace and mercy we can stand before him and confess our sins and inequities and they are forgiven.

Lets take a stand, lets hate the sins of the world but love the sinners.  Love like Christ loves, forgive like Christ forgives.    Jesus talked to prostitutes,  right? According to the New Testament, Jesus did talk to prostitutes. He had compassion on them because they were trapped in sin. He spoke to everyone. There is no type of person that was excluded. Since Jesus came to die for the sins  of mankind, sin did not prevent Him from loving people. He loved all sinners, including prostitutes.  Lets learn to love all people.  Lets love the homosexuals, the adulterous, the addicts, and the prostitutes because honestly my friends…..That is what Christianity looks like!!

Matthew 22:37-40

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. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”