It seems to be everywhere I turn.
Christians are to love others. I have no problem loving. But I do have a problem 'loving' in the way the world wants to be 'loved'. The 'love' that is touted as 'real love' is an all accepting, non-problem solving kind, get all down in your mucky muck with kind of 'love'. And honey, THAT ain't LOVE.
If I see a fellow Christian wallowing in sin, I am not supposed to join them in their sin to show them that what they are doing is wrong. Neither am I supposed to yell at them, "YOU'RE SINNING!". I am supposed to go to them humbly and say the Bible requires XYZ and you are not doing XYZ. I want to help you do XYZ. What can I do to help? This is not judgement this is LOVE. I am not loving them by supporting/letting them continue to do XYZ without being exposed to the Truth. If they accept the Truth, WONDERFUL, but if they don't it's their problem God's their judge and I can continue to expose them to the Truth (in a friendly, non-hypocritical manner of course).
"Then Peter began to speak: 'I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.... He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.'" ~Acts 10:34,35&42
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For
in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the
measure you use, it will be measured to you." ~Matthew 7:1-2
God loved us enough to provide atonement for our sin. God loved us
enough to give us a way out of our pit. God also gave us the standard
by which we are to live and get this! It's the BIBLE! God's commands
are more than to just 'love'. They include have nothing more important
in your life than Him, do not murder, steal, covet, commit adultery or
lie! (all can be found in Exodus 20) Are you really being a friend if you don't tell others the truth?!
"If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love....My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." ~John 15: 10&12
So to be in love you have to keep His commands, which means you first have to know them, so you have probably been reading your Bible and if you've been reading your Bible then that hopefully means you are wanting to know more of God and the Truth therein contained in the Word of God. So if you know the truth, apply it to your life and see people outside of the truth, how exactly is it loving to let them keep on living in a lie? If the Bible is your standard by all which will be judged, it's not judgement to encourage others to live a Christ pleasing life, it's LIFE SAVING.
You cannot approach people with a holier than thou attitude with a plank sticking out of your own eye, but if you are in the Word, living a Christ pleasing life, yes you may still occasionally sin, but you are showing hate to others who are wallowing in sin and are blinded by the logs in their eyes.
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You
hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will
see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."~ Matthew 7:3-5
Imagine finding your friend in a mud pit, they are happy to be rolling in the mud and are slinging it everywhere, but you know that they cannot experience the glory that God has for their life because they are too busy enjoying the mud. You call to them, extend your hand, but in no way join them in the mud because you know just how much the mud will hurt you and those around you.
Or you are out about town and see your friend who's fly is down. Is it really love to ignore the fact that their fly is down and risk offending them by telling them so? The loving thing would be to discreetly say, "Hey, Check your zipper."
But Christians are attacking Christians and 'groups' are attacking Christians because of standing up for truth, for showing real LOVE. The love that leaves others in their pit and won't even call attention to embarrassing situations is a cheap imitation of the love that Christ shows to us. He gave His LIFE. Can we not take the time to show others there is a better way than what they are choosing? Are our egos so fragile that we can't handle a, 'No thanks, I'll stay in my mud pit!'? What situation can you speak truth into?
God is the judge, but as a mom, wife and friend I am a fruit inspector. If I let my children run around like the little hellions that their sin nature is, I am not doing myself, my husband or any friends a favor by imposing us on a situation. The battle is tiring, but the end is worth it. God does not desire our happiness, He wants holiness. That is true for children and adults.
"For God so loved THE WORLD, that He gave His one and only son. That whosoever believes in Him will not die, but have eternal life." ~John 3:16 (emphasis mine)
I've taken the liberty of modifying 'the woman at the well' passage found in John 4, to be more personal and as a note I am in no way slamming any state or city, just trying to make it personal. Since we are to love the way Christ loves, let's look at how that might play out...
Now Jennifer learned that her 'Pharisee friends' had heard that she was gaining popularity and winning more to follow Christ — 2 although in fact it was not Jennifer who brought them to Christ, but the Holy Spirit. 3 So she left Georgia and went back once more to Texas.
4 Now she had to go through Louisiana. 5 So she came to a town in Louisiana called Shreveport, near some places where people shopped. 6 The shopping was good, but Jennifer tired from her journey, sat down at a restaurant. It was about noon.
7 When an old acquaintance from Louisiana whom Jennifer kept up with on Facebook and texted occasionally too came to sit at her table, Jennifer said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (Jennifer's family was still shopping.)
9 The Louisianan woman said to her, “You are a Texan and I am a Louisianan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Texans do not associate with Louisianans.)
10 Jennifer answered her, "If you knew the gift of God that I know you would ask me for a drink and I would be happy to share with you a gift of living water"
11 “Jennifer,” the woman said, “you forgot your purse. How can you share with me a gift of 'living water'? Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you saying I am not good enough? Isn't it your pastor's job to talk to like that?”
13 Jennifer answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water God gives them will never thirst. Indeed, the water God gives them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
15 The woman said to her, “Jennifer, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to buy water.”
16 Jennifer told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” (identifying the sin, without passing judgement)
17 “I have no husband,” she replied.
Jennifer said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” (I knew the truth because of relationship and I exposed the truth)
19 “Jennifer,” the woman said, "I can see that you are a true friend"...Jennifer went on to say, "But a time is coming and is upon us when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth." (leading it all back to God and the standard of His Word)
25 The woman said, “I know about God, but do not know Him. Can you tell me about Him?" Jennifer replied, "I would be happy to."
By rewriting this, I really am not trying to say I am Jesus, perfect, or anything like that. Those who know me, know that I am not. I do try to follow the example He set though.
For the record -
There are certain ways to handle sin and someone sinning, refer to Matthew 18:15-18 They may not accept what you say, but hopefully in the end God can be glorified.
Loving a person who believes in a certain something, does not mean that I will watch TV shows that promote that something, does not mean that I will expose my children to that something in order to "further their education", but does mean that I will stand for Truth and they can take it or leave it. God calls us to live in the world, not of it and just because 'everyone is doing it' doesn't mean that it aligns with the Word of God.
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