I would like to hear from yo
u what this concept would look like in the culture of Branches Church...People = There will always be four groups of people with us as we meet together... 1. the community checking us out 2. guests socializing with us 3. attenders plugging into our ministries 4. devoted followers of Christ stepping into leadership and investing in others
Accepted = you've heard me discuss the difference between acceptance and approval
As they are = with all the baggage that comes with bad choices, weak religion, nasty attitudes, opposing political views, lack of belief in God and all
Lovingly challenged = demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit, not allowing a "clean up your life" attitude to prevail, but demonstrating and mentoring Christ's call to follow Him as you are
Become what Jesus wants them to be = many of us may be stuck thinking that this may be all there is in life...Jesus came preaching more; more life, more of God, more joy, more freedom, more hope, more faith, more good, more love, more peace, more, more, more...and this applies to everyone of us right now regardless of where we are in our walk with God; or think we are!
Let me know.
Mike
Accepted:
ReplyDeleteI really dislike the saying "Love the sinner; hate the sin". I think it's a cop-out, a saying I learned in church because the people teaching me didn't want to deal with the reality of the humans whose actions they were condemning. What do those words even mean? Outside of the church, nothing. No one would think they make any sense. Some people identify themselves with what others would consider sin. Like gay people. Gay pride rallies, parades, whatever, are for people who take pride in the thoughts, feelings and actions that make up their identity. How do you separate someone from those things? How do you separate a person from the emotions that dictate their thoughts that control their actions? Can you really hate all of those things and still say that you love the person? And what part of the person would that be? What part is there left to connect to, to develope a relationship with? If you hate everything about a person except their physical selves, and those only while they are not using their bodies to engage in sin, how can you love that person? If you hate their lifestyle, their sin, so much that you are constantly feeling confronted and probably threatened by it, how can you be open enough to even sense that person's soul?
Tasha, I hear what you are saying. I think that comment, "Love the sinner; hate the sin," is a "cop-out." I think righteous hatred has it's place only for the enemy of our souls, who is trying to kill and destroy us.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, it is too hard to untangle the sinner from the sin in all of us. Jesus called us to compassion and love for the whole person. His anger, was only every directed at the destroyer, who becomes the en-slaver and more so with each choice away from the freedom of the Lord.
I am trying to see the people all around me in that light. I get angry when I see bruises all up and down a woman's arm and know that she is being beaten, but my anger will only enslave me unless I direct in at the enemy, who has enslaved her persecutor.
I think the church has dug themselves a pit over the years with turning anger against the actions of people instead of the actions of the evil one. Satan stands happily applauding while the pit grows even deeper.
Jenny K