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Here's the deal: There's a guy named "Normal Bob" Smith who runs JesusDressup.com and MuhammadDressup.com, probably two of the more unpopular sites on the Web. I recently registered JesusDressup.net, JesusDressup.org, MuhammadDressup.net and MuhammadDressup.org because nobody else had, and on the chance that someone decided to look up my domains, they'd get alternative commentary to Mr. Smith's sites. Then tonight while perusing some of the e-mail responses on Mr. Smith's sites, the above quote by Brennan Manning came to mind. Big-time. If we say we love God, but we hate anyone, then we're first-degree liars. (1 John 4:20) There's no two ways about it. Take a look at some of the e-mail people have sent "Normal Bob"--probably people who claim to be Christians--and ask yourself why people say they would rather go to hell than spend eternity with hypocrites like so many of us if people like us are going to be in heaven. What does the Bible say about hypocrites like too many of us? Luke 18:9-14: To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about [or to] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." If you think for a moment that you deserve to go to heaven because you're a Christian and that others deserve to go to hell if they aren't, look in the mirror: If it weren't for grace that you don't deserve, you'd be heading to hell with the rest of them. The only difference is with those who ask for forgiveness and pursue righteousness--and if the only righteousness we're pursuing is self-righteousness, then I don't think we'll be asking for forgiveness because we'll be too good in our own eyes to think we need it. Jesus made it perfectly clear that not everyone who calls themselves a Christian will go to heaven. You can call yourself whatever you want, but if you aren't following Him and living like Him, it doesn't matter what you call yourself. If you say you love Him but hate anyone else, you're not a Christian. Period. Matthew 7:21-23: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" Look at the condemnation Jesus cast in Matthew 23. Guess what? He's not talking here to unbelievers! He's talking to those who are so wrapped up in their own righteousness that they're essentially telling God where He can stick it. And if you don't like what Jesus is saying here, take it up with Him. I can only imagine how much He is already crying that we're so stuck on ourselves, just like the Pharisee in Luke 18, and because of those of us who claim to be Christians but live like we couldn't care less about God, people are gladly running into hell just to get away from us. And I can't say I'd blame them for thinking that way. If we call ourselves Christians, what if people aren't seeing in our lives the mark of a true disciple? Then we're probably lying to ourselves and to God. John 13:34-35: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Notice what Jesus said: We must love one another. There is nothing optional about this. You have no other choice. If you hate anyone, then just shut up about being a Christian, because you aren't one. Jesus does not give us the option not to love others. He commands us to love others. You don't have to like them--but you are mandated by God to LOVE them. If you aren't willing to do that, then shut up about calling yourself a Christian because you're giving the rest of us a bad name. Is Jesus soft on sin? Not at all! The above passages in Matthew 7, Matthew 23 and Luke 18 are just the tip of the iceberg. Do we have to condone sin as we love the sinner? Not at all. Look at His encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4. Look at His conversation with the rich ruler in Luke 18. Look at His confrontation of the Pharisees in John 9. Look at Peter's renewed relationship with Him in John 21. Jesus doesn't try to keep people's feelings from being hurt by ignoring their sin; He confronts people about their sin but also offers them a way out of it. And He does so with love. It takes His love in us for us to point others to His grace. And if we don't have His love in us--go back to 1 John 4:20--then we don't know Him and we can't call ourselves Christians. Can others see His love in you? If they can't, what are you doing to change that? Get plugged into Christ. Get filled up with His love and emptied of all of the trash in your own life. If you hate anybody, His love isn't in you. Don't let it stay that way any longer. |
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May 31: