Friday, July 27, 2012

Dropping the Stones

I have felt under a lot of conviction the last couple of months.  It seems that Christianity has been under attack from all sides here lately.  And I have been on the attack back.  But not in the way that I should.  I have used phrases such as "They will get what's coming to them", "They make me sick", and even "Society would be better without them."  However, my feelings and words towards them was way out of line.  They do not fall into line with my Christian beliefs.  What was in my heart towards these people and individuals was hatred.  I began to have a change of heart with some study.

John 8:1-11
"But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they *said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “ He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “ I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

What I had done, was carry a stone in my hand.  I looked at the sin in peoples lives and allowed myself to be judgmental of them and their lifestyles.  And I began to realize, what do I expect them to do?  It is obvious they do not have Christ in their lives.  They are unable to see the sin in their lives.  And they do not understand when we debate them because there is no way they can understand.


1 Corinthians 1:18
"For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

To enter into a debate with them is of no use.  Even scripture teaches that they cannot understand.  Does it make it okay for them to live in this lifestyle.  Absolutely not.  Everything that we know and believe teaches that it is wrong.  But, are we truly any better?  We have sin in our lives and sin everyday.

1 John 1:8-9
"If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

The only thing that separates us from the ones that hate and persecute us is that we have confessed our sins and asked forgiveness for them.  Every time that we pray, we ask forgiveness of our sins.  We want Christ our Lord to look at us through grace.  And by grace receive forgiveness.  And yet when we look at the lost that continue to persecute us, we look at them through the law.  We do not always see them in the same light as Christ saw us before we were saved.  Christ loves us, all of us.  Not just His church, but all of the world.

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

He loved the entire world.  Those that would believe and those who would not.  Christ died for everyone.  We need to see that it is the sin in their lives that makes them this way.  It should break our hearts for them when we see them, because we know what they do have.  And we know where that will lead them.  And that is never a good thing, no matter who they are.  We need to love them, show compassion to them, and most importantly, share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ.  This needs to be our mission in life.  We need to share with them His birth, life, teachings, death, and resurrection.  We need to pray for them daily, and make Jesus the center of all conversations with them.  And we need to let the stones fall from our hands.

Thanks for reading, and God Bless you all this week! 
 

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