Having a conversation with others regarding them not being in church is quite interesting, yet typical.....too many hypocrites in the church. I wonder, though, how many accusers are willing to take a step back and look at their own lives? Honestly, not many. Yes, the Bible says, "don't judge or you'll be judged" (Matthew 7). I'm curious, though, how many are taught that Christians are to judge those INSIDE church walls (or congregation members) (1Corinthians 5:12)? This is what needs to happen: Christians need to start calling out sin within the body of Christ. Verse 13 of 1 Corinthians 5 says that GOD will judge those outside the church. This MUST be done, though, out of love for the person. Too many times, and I've been guilty of this, Christians want to point out sin while showing disgust for the sinner. Jesus never did that. Remember the woman brought to him after being caught in the act of adultery? He showed her such compassion and love. I've always had this question: Jesus had every right to call those men out for watching a woman having sex with someone who wasn't her husband. Why didn't He? What He did tell them is this, "if you're without sin, cast the first stone." Jesus was without sin, yet spoke gentle to her. He showed her love and compassion WHILE telling her to "go and sin no more". See, we forget about the "go and sin no more" part of the story. How many times have any of us told someone he/she shouldn't be sleeping around? Wait, how many times does the Bible have to tell us to not gossip? Seems to me there are plenty in the church guilty of that one. Gossip about the preacher...the praise leader...congregation members....everyone...YET they want to call someone's sin out regarding having sex. Oh yeah, what about the gluttony issue! How many of us within the church are fat? Yeah, I said it! FAT! Most of us sure didn't get that way due to a medical issue. Most of us got that way because we ate/eat too much food. Who's aware, though, that gluttony doesn't only relate to food? Gluttony denotes an unhealthy appetite for something. For some it's food. For another it may be money. For another it may be material goods. Yeah...how many of us within the church are gluttonous? Too many. Unfortunately, the "prosperity gospel" further feeds that issue (but that's another blog).
Seems to me that the church needs to worry about cleaning itself before it attempts to force clean someone else. Why do I say these things? Because I've both been guilty of this and a victim of this. I've lost "friends" because I left a church. I lost friends because I no longer believed as they do. Thankfully, God sent people to replace those who shunned me. Instead of loving me...and showing me God's love....I was left to myself. I no longer worry about "friendships" within the church. I no longer worry whether or not someone is offended by the Word.
More in the church should think about God's "Amazing Grace" (when it comes to those outside the church body). "There but for the grace of God go I."
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