"If you don't see the real me, you won't see what love has won..." Vota

Sunday, October 17, 2010

I will not tolerate!

I have been dreading this post for a week now because I am sure to get some flack either here or on FB as do most of my convicting or controversial topics. The topic this morning is tolerance. This is not a new word, but I think it has been given a new definition by the media and the politicians. It has been a great soap box for a lot of people. I was taught all about it in college as a teaching major. Here is my question, do you really just want to be tolerated? To me this is the most degrading, inhumane, disregarding way any person could be treated. Can you imagine a conversation with a friend: "I don't really like you, I just tolerate you." Yikes that would be a huge slap in the face for me. Now if this person hates you for whatever reason then it is no news that the person does not like you and really who cares if they tolerate you-- It is the same thing. First, but not my point, this is their problem, not yours.

Second, and I am getting to my point, wouldn't you rather have love than tolerance. You know the kind of love that overlooks differences, dislikes and crosses ALL boundaries and loves the person not the personality? This love is one who is honest... well this kind:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8  4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.

You know there is a God who came to earth as a man to show us ALL this kind of love. He did not come to tolerate us. Not even one of us deserved His tolerance, but He went so many steps farther and He loved us unconditionally. He did not say to us that since our lives we were so egregious in His eyes there is no way He could ever love us. No! He instead faced God's wrath and hate of our sin for us. He was so distraught over facing His father wearing our sin that His sweat was mingled with His blood. It was not His impending death that caused Him this much anxiety.

Now I get to my point. Every one of us has this sin and wears this sin until we are washed in His blood. Even after that baptism we have to work to keep ourselves washed... I mean we have to have faith to turn from our sinful tendencies. It is not, NOT easy! You know we are all sinners. We may not all have the same sins, but we are all the same and walking straight to hell with out the lead of Jesus to the Cross.

We tend to overlook the sins most common to us Christians: gossip, divorce, fornication, drunkenness, materialism... we do not go bombing divorce attorneys in the name of Christ. No one is bombing Macy's... AND what on earth are you doing to such a powerful name dragging it through the mud to begin with by claiming It and bombing anything??? My point is this, there are no sins that God has not atoned for through the shedding of His blood. We can not pick and choose who we bash and who we do not. We DO NOT bash anyone but maybe our own sinful selves. We can't go pointing our finger at all who have some terrible sin and neglect our own terrible sin. I will say what would be a more effective approach in leading people to Christ is to be Christ. You know love them. Invite them to meet your best friend (I hope He is your best friend for if not we need to talk).

I wonder about all of these groups and agendas where people are speaking out boldly on topics such as homosexuality and abortion. There are FB groups, political groups, lobbyists... but there are no groups (prominent at least) speaking out on materialism, divorce, fornication... Don't you think if we are going to take a stand, it should be for Christ and not on a soap box. What Christ must think of us driving a Hummer living in one house and owning others for vacation all while we travel the land preaching against homosexuality or lobbying for a pro-life law. What you are doing is dragging Christ behind your Hummer. (This is just a hypothetical situation of a real problem.) How many people who are FB members for the Protect Marriage group who have been divorced? Probably 50% if the statistics are accurate. Need I say more?

Maybe I should start a FB page that is an "I'm a sinner too and need a Savior" page. Where all people are able to join... You don't see any of those floating around. We walk through life with our own agendas. Our own Americanized version of what Christ told us to do. Much of what He said we have decided does not apply to us because we live in a new age. How wrong we are. The Bible clearly tells us that many will call on the Name of the Lord, but will be forbidden entrance to Heaven. Matthew 7:21-23 21"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. 22Many 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?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Only doing what God wills of me will allow me to know Jesus. Picking my battles does not apply to Christianity. It may work in parenting, but that is beside the point. We have to love others and work to bring them to Christ. Beating them up (verbally or physically)... OK so when is the last time you followed on purpose a person who verbally assaulted you unless you are Christ or have Christ in you? You think the woman contemplating abortion will have anything to do with you if you bomb her doctor's office or verbally attack her?

Does this make you think? It does me. All I do for God and the Name of Christ will NOT get me to His side.

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