When you talk about spiritual things with 'the people Jesus misses most,' they don’t care that God says not to live immorally. If they cared, they'd stop it and live for God. But it’s all foolishness to them, the Bible says, so don’t judge them for what they don’t understand, because pure and holy lives are foreign to them. You don’t judge the dark for being the dark.
God says He'll judge those in the world, not you. We get that backwards in the church a lot. We think we’re supposed to go down to the corner with a sign or a poster or a bullhorn and let everybody know where they’re wrong. WE call it evangelism. We actually think we’re witnessing, but that’s not what it looks like to the people we’re trying to reach. But that’s what we DO … and that can become a big PLANK in our eye.
Sometimes the plank is a lot closer to home. It’s your co-worker who lives a worldly lifestyle. It’s your neighbor with a different sexual orientation. It’s the gang at the office that tells crude stories about their wild weekends. It disgusts you and you’ve developed something of a self-righteous attitude and a judgmental spirit where they’re concerned. You can hardly be around them now without your holiness being offended. You call it ‘separation from the world,’ but God calls it ‘condemnation.’ I don’t know how you’re going to reach them with that attitude.
Sometimes the plank is a lot closer to home. It’s your co-worker who lives a worldly lifestyle. It’s your neighbor with a different sexual orientation. It’s the gang at the office that tells crude stories about their wild weekends. It disgusts you and you’ve developed something of a self-righteous attitude and a judgmental spirit where they’re concerned. You can hardly be around them now without your holiness being offended. You call it ‘separation from the world,’ but God calls it ‘condemnation.’ I don’t know how you’re going to reach them with that attitude.
Because this is the heart of KFA … we’re all people God loves. All of us are. And all God asks us to do is to love the people Jesus loved. Nothing more … nothing less.
So what’s your attitude toward those outside the family of God? Do you judge them or do you love them? God says it’s His job to judge them, not yours. Here at KFA, we’re going to teach the Word, not judge the world. We're going to love people.
Join me in that, won't you?
And be blessed.
And be blessed.
5 comments:
If I judged every person in my life, that would leave, basically, only my church family. I am constantly with family and friends who don't believe. I do love them, though. I CHOOSE to see the good things about them and love them for that. I would rather be a light for them than to avoid them.
I am so glad you blogged about this, Pastor Kevin! By condemning or shunning people you know who are nonbelievers, you push them away from yourself but also away from God. Now, you know my position on God and religion, PK, and I must say that my beliefs (or lack there of) tend to be solidified when I see "Christians" acting the way you described in this message.
court...
I totally understand what you are saying. I too have seen it a hundred times where believers will push othees away based on their judgmentalisms. My ? For you is, since you are understandably repelled when believers are judgmental, are you also then drawn TOWARD Christ when believers are gracious and accepting...or is that a one way street for you?
you should listen to the whole 11.29 message I gave on this @ www.kenoshafirst.com ...be blessed, my friend.
PK,
First of all, I LOVE that you challenge me whenever I have an argument to make; too many people would just take my words for the they are and go about their merry way.
In my previous response, I said that my beliefs tend to be solidified by negative actions, not that these actions determine what it is that I believe.
That being said, when I see Christians reaching out to nonbelievers in a sincere, nonjudgmental way, it does not draw me TOWARDS Christ; however, seeing such behavior does make me think for a moment about what I believe and why I believe that over Christianity. The same response is elicited when I see Christians being judgmental and "holier than thou". I am equally impacted by the positive examples Christians and others set as I am by the negative ones.
This is why I said that when I see this negative side, my beliefs are strengthened. Perhaps if I were to consistently see this sincere side of Christians, I would question what it really is that they have that I might be lacking. I'm just saying that witnessing Christians' actions has certainly given me insight into the hearts and minds of many believers. How am I supposed to trust or rely on those who have proven to be "fake" or insincere? I want no part of that!
COURT:
I'm glad you receive some of the challenges I shoot back at you. I do it ... A) because I care about you. and B) I guess I'm a little ornery ... still. :)
You've always been a well-thought-through and extremely intelligent person. I respect that.
The disadvantage we have as believers in Jesus is that we have a 'written out code' to follow that everyone can evaluate and judge us by. That's fair, because we say we believe it; so we need to follow it.
Those without faith in Christ don't have a written out moral code. Their code is whatever they decide it is, so it is - if not easier to follow - it is much more difficult to evaluate from the outside.
Having said that, we DO seek to live by the BIble if we call ourselves Christ-followers. My prayer is that we would live it the very best we can, and for myself, that God will gracefully blind eyes and close ears at some of the moments when I slip below what is expected of me in a moment of weakness -- and that my testimony would not be damaged because of a foolish act or word that would compromise people seeing Jesus in me.
I wish we could be perfect ... that's for someday yet to come.
As for your final two sentences, I could only suggest that perhaps you are paying attention to the wrong "Christians." There are non-hypocritical, non-judgmental, loving, Godly, Christ-like, grace-filled ones out there.
Be blessed, my friend.
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