Danny Hickman Supporter Believer in The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

I'll take a stab at this. Some people who call themselves christian do sometimes spend a lot of time condemning others. It's as if they don't understand John 3:17. It elucidates John 3:16. Jesus came to save us from the power of sin and its consequence, which is death. Jesus healed, fed, raised the dead, and performed a variety of miracles during His earthly ministry. None of that was His reason for coming here. He came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10).

What made Him state that He didn't come to condemn the world? He didn't say that. He said God did not SEND Him to condemn... 

God had/has every reason to condemn us for our sinfulness. We don't get any cleaner when we believe than we were before we believed. Our status changes because God wants to save some of us. No other reason. 

It's not easy to get many saved people to believe that they don't deserve to be saved. Many compare themselves to people whom they believe deserve to die (and go to hell). So by comparing themselves to the bottom feeders it gives them a good feeling about themselves. (We cast out demons and did many wonders in your name Matt 7:22. Why would you think you need to remind God that you served Him, as if He would either not know, or would have forgotten?)

Listen to disciple John according to Mark 9:38: "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us." Jesus tells them to not forbid a person to do miracles in His name. He says 'No one who works a miracle in [His] name will speak evil of [Him].' Apparently that's what matters more. 

God made it really simple to avoid death. Romans 10:9 says, If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Acts 16:31 records a Roman jailer being told, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household. It's really not much to it. 

Nowhere in the scriptures are we told that you must stop whatever sin you've been committing in order to be saved. We're told to repent. It means to have a change in your evaluation of your sin. It means to change your mind about your life. It's good if you can discontinue doing something that you shouldn't do. But sin isn't a doing, it's a being. 

Judgmental christians struggle with much of what I'm pointing out. They say things like 'You can't be gay and saved. You have to stop being gay to be saved.' 

How do you stop being an adulterer? Or a murderer, or a liar? One lie makes you a liar. I think some of us must believe that if you quit lying (whatever that looks like) you're no longer a liar.
I'll tell you how. Become a believer. 

Judgmental christians say that if there's no change (that the judge can see) then you're probably not saved. The bible says that God looks at the heart of a person (1 Sam 16:7). The bible says 'blessed are the pure in heart.' (Matt 5:8)
Judgmental christians say 'your life should show that you've changed.' Never mind that many atheists live model lives. Behavior isn't an indication of what we believe about sin and death. 

The situation is what it is because in large part, many preachers preach the law instead of the gospel. A little leaven (law) leavens the whole lump. They teach a mixture of God's grace and our obedience to His commandments. 
It creates a judgmental congregation; one member comparing themselves to another.

July 30 2021 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report