Can Christians...
Lie? Yes
Cheat? Yes
Murder? Yes
Use swear words? Yes
Use God's name in vain? Yes
Commit adultery? Yes
Be pedophiles? Yes
Have premarital sex? Yes
Be gay? Yes
Be white? Yes
Be black? Yes
Be Asian? Yes
Be of Jewish descent? Yes
Be Catholic? Yes
Be Protestant? Yes
Be homeless? Yes
Be rich? Yes
Be poor? Yes
Be depressed? Yes
Be suicidal? Yes
Be perfect? No
Christians can be anyone, come from any background, struggle with any sin. Christians are sinners. No one is perfect, not even those who are true followers of Christ. We often come off as judgmental hypocrites who are intolerant of anyone who does not believe the same.
Here's the reality:
Romans 3:23 All have sinned.
Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death.
John 3:16 Whoever believes in [Jesus] shall not perish but have everlasting life.
Romans 5:8 While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Let's be honest. Everyone judges someone else at some point in time. It doesn't matter who or why, it happens. Sometimes, we butt our noses in someone else's business where it doesn't belong, before we know all the facts. Sometimes, we try to stand up for something we believe in only to smear the name of Jesus across the ground.
This is what I believe: You are a sinner. (Romans 3:23) You need a Savior. (Romans 6:23) The Bible is God's Word. (1 Timothy 3:16)
This is what I want you to know: God loves you. (John 3:16) Jesus died for you. (Philippians 2:8) God wants a relationship with you. (John 15:9)
This is what God wants us to do: Do justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly with Him. (Micah 6:8)
I grieve for those who do not know the Lord and love living in their sin.
I grieve for those who have claimed to know Jesus, but have turned away from His Truth.
I grieve for myself, when I choose my own way instead of God's because I know He wants what is best for me.
I rejoice when God chooses to use me for His purpose.
I rejoice when a fellow Christian returns to the Lord after knowingly living in sin.
I rejoice when someone comes to Jesus as his/her Savior.
Jesus summed up the 10 Commandments with these 2 commands (Matthew 22:37-39):
Love the Lord your God.
Love your neighbor.
I don't believe the second is possible without the first. In fact, I cannot love someone else the way God does because I'm still a sinner. The very definition of God is love. We are to follow His example. But first, we must love Him. When we love God, we desire to be like Him. As we become more like Him, we are able to love others as He does.
1 John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another. For love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
I know it seems like we Christians bring our "religion" into everything. This is why: True followers of Christ surround their lives with Christ. Every decision we make, every political issue, every activity we get involved in should be in line with God's Word. We cannot separate our faith from our life. The life of a Christian is following Christ. Yes, we make mistakes. Yes, we may come off as judgmental. But what we believe and how we make decisions is something we feel so strongly about that we cannot take it out of our arguments. We stand firm on what the Bible says.
No matter what you believe or what you think of me, I love you. When I tell you that you are a sinner headed to hell, it is not to condemn you, to judge you, or to hate you. It is because I care about your soul and where you will spend eternity. This is a serious thing to consider. I don't want you to spend eternity in hell. God created hell for satan and the angels who followed him. He does not want you to go there. However, He cannot allow someone who has not confessed his/her sinfulness into heaven. He is a holy and just God.
You probably have many questions. You have probably heard all the answers before. Or maybe this is the first time Christianity was explained a little more clearly. I don't know exactly what all of my readers believe. Regardless of what you have heard or currently believe or thoughts you have about what I've written, please feel free to talk to me. Ask me your questions. I will do my best to answer them. The most important thing here is where you spend eternity. You have a choice. It is not mine to make.
