I am guilty of much of what I'm about to talk about.
I acknowledge this and I am trying to change.
The other night I was with a group of people. One of them shared that he had recently talked to a group of strangers about their experiences in "the church." For all of them, "the church" had been a negative experience. They said that "the church" was full of people who were nit-picky and pushed others away for not being perfect. My friend was so upset by this.
I think that many "church people" are upset by the "world's" view of "the church."
But we forget that we are a part of "the church."
We forget that it is "the church's" responsibility to show people Jesus Christ.
And that is not nit-picky.
God wants people to respond to His love.
People won't respond to His love unless it is shown to them.
And it is not shown unless it is unconditional.
Salvation comes before sanctification.
Salvation is for all.
The goal of Christianity is the peaceful annihilation of all other religions.
"The church" has turned itself into a religion. We have turned perfection into a religion because it is what we expect of ourselves.
And, I think, it is what God wants of us. (He knows that it is impossible, but that is why He gives us grace and mercy.)
But we as Christians cannot hold everyone to the standards to which we hold ourselves.
And we cannot forget that not everyone grows or learns in the same way and on the same timeline.
It is unfair for us to expect a non-Christian to understand that their sin is something that should be eradicated.
And baby Christians cannot be expected to immediately drop every sinful habit.
Dropping sinful habits is a part of sanctification.
And sanctification is a process.
But I think that we as "the church" don't always remember this.
At least not in American culture, where we expect everything to happen instantly.
We are "the church" that we so often criticize.
Let's stop criticizing and start changing.
Let's show love the way Jesus did.
Let's not be afraid to eat with tax collectors and sinners.
Let's show that "the church" knows that God is the judge and we are not.
I acknowledge this and I am trying to change.
The other night I was with a group of people. One of them shared that he had recently talked to a group of strangers about their experiences in "the church." For all of them, "the church" had been a negative experience. They said that "the church" was full of people who were nit-picky and pushed others away for not being perfect. My friend was so upset by this.
I think that many "church people" are upset by the "world's" view of "the church."
But we forget that we are a part of "the church."
We forget that it is "the church's" responsibility to show people Jesus Christ.
And that is not nit-picky.
God wants people to respond to His love.
People won't respond to His love unless it is shown to them.
And it is not shown unless it is unconditional.
Salvation comes before sanctification.
Salvation is for all.
The goal of Christianity is the peaceful annihilation of all other religions.
"The church" has turned itself into a religion. We have turned perfection into a religion because it is what we expect of ourselves.
And, I think, it is what God wants of us. (He knows that it is impossible, but that is why He gives us grace and mercy.)
But we as Christians cannot hold everyone to the standards to which we hold ourselves.
And we cannot forget that not everyone grows or learns in the same way and on the same timeline.
It is unfair for us to expect a non-Christian to understand that their sin is something that should be eradicated.
And baby Christians cannot be expected to immediately drop every sinful habit.
Dropping sinful habits is a part of sanctification.
And sanctification is a process.
But I think that we as "the church" don't always remember this.
At least not in American culture, where we expect everything to happen instantly.
We are "the church" that we so often criticize.
Let's stop criticizing and start changing.
Let's show love the way Jesus did.
Let's not be afraid to eat with tax collectors and sinners.
Let's show that "the church" knows that God is the judge and we are not.
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