"For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
John 3:17
When friends of mine who do not know the Lord think about being a Christian, they most often think of needing to follow rules or not wanting someone to tell them they are bad. It's really sad how this impression of Christianity came about, but really, it is our own fault. We are to rebuke other followers who are living in sin and claiming Christ, but we certainly aren't supposed to rebuke people of the world who do not yet know the Lord. Aren't we supposed to share Christ's love with them, speaking God's truth and show them the light?
In none of the Gospels does Jesus condemn the sinners He meets. In fact, He is often rebuked for eating, speaking and visiting with them. He only spoke the truth; to repent and follow Him. For in Him is the fountain of everlasting life, that if we drink of it, we will never thirst again. Jesus spends all his "rebuking" on the Sadducees and Pharisees for claiming God as their King but acting as lawgivers and judges. These groups of people talked about being good and following the law, but their only intention in doing so was to make themselves appear to be the highest and most righteous Jews of all.
I am often shocked at how the church often treats others in similar ways the Sadducees and Pharisees did. I've never been mistreated at the churches I've been, and I don't personally know any friends who have really seen the worst of Christians, but I saw proof of it existing last night. I was watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and the crew was building a home for a single mother who had adopted a few children with HIV. The crew had also decided to build a new rec-center for a camp for kids with HIV and AIDS. Afterwards, the kids were sharing stories around a campfire, speaking of how grateful they were for Camp Heartland.
One girl, somewhere in her early teens, told just a part of her story of being persecuted for a disease she has no control over. I don't know how she contracted it, but she's has it since she was a young girl. The pastor of their home church actually asked them to leave the church family since her disease was causing other Christians there to complain. Let me ask, what could there possibly have been to complain about? That a member of their church was still healthy despite terminal illness? That as church members, the might have to offer help if she was to get really sick? If anything, the family would have things to complain about, but instead, they left quietly. She didn't mention God or say much of what they did afterwards. I wonder if that pastor has any clue of the damage he caused in that unjustified act.
I guess all I'm trying to say is that we should take Christ's message as our own. It is His words we should spread - that all can be saved by His grace. That no one should be condemned to death but that all should see the light, while welcoming everyone we know to drink from His fountain. We should not be ashamed at Christians, and we should do all we can to keep others from being ashamed or embarrassed by association. For if Christ did not condemn the world, how can we? Christians are to speak the truth in love, after all, Christ came to give us the most abundant life we could imagine in knowing Him.
"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
John 10:10b
There is not one soul on earth that should not be included.
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