On a daily basis, I run into people that profess to be Christians; People that, amidst the same breath, actively condemn the behavior of those around them. More often than not, these 'Christians' do this by pointing to actions and choices that appear to be undoubtedly wrong and sinful. Such things as premarital sex, making fun of other people, hurting others, swearing, and clothing choices (or lack thereof) rise to the top of this list.
Without falter, the condemned actions and behaviors are being labeled in the lives of people that are non-Christians and those who would, likely, never profess to be Christians. Over and over again, I hear the constant chatter concerning those individuals that partied last weekend, consumed alcohol to the point of drunkenness, and acted sexually immoral. It is SO common for these stories, and the condemnation of this behavior that follows, to be heard from people who refer to themselves as Christians.
Condemning sin in non-Christians is senseless, useless, and not worth gossiping about.
Yet it is so common.
Yet it is so common.
For non-Christians, sinning is normal. Sexual immorality, perverseness, swearing and the like should be expected. On the other hand, Christians involved in sin is a completely different ball game.
If we truly believe in the all-redeeming, all-forgiving grace provided through Jesus Christ, it will actively instigate in us a desire to abolish our sin. 2 Corinthians 5:17 speaks that, if anyone is in Christ, they will become a new creation. If we are Christians, we believe that our bodies have been bought with a price and that we have forfeited ownership of them - This is why we flee sexual immorality (1 Cor. 6:18-20). We don't "flee" sin, swearing, perverseness, bad movies, and gossiping because it is morally wrong. No! We choose not to engage in it because we know that such actions do not honor God. How do we know this? Because scripture has commanded us to act otherwise; anything that goes against God's commands through the scriptures does not honor God. It is sinful. Consequently, this is why we choose to avoid sin - In order that we can bring more glory and praise to our God, our Redeemer and Sustainer.
There are TONS of morally good non-Christians. I have plenty of friends that choose not to smoke, get drunk, abuse their bodies, or engage in the abuse of others - They are seen as great people. However, being a good person just isn't good enough.
This is the great Moral Blur:
Equating Christians with non-Christians in regards to moral standards and behavior.
Good morals mean nothing in regard to eternity. "Good people" are everywhere, but true Christians are few and far between! With this said, Christians should be radically different people. Even though we may appear morally good in many ways, our motivation for those morally good choices should be rooted in something far different than just wishing to "keep clean" and "be a good person."
As Christians, we believe that all things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16), and according to passages such as 1 Corinthians 10:31, we find the instruction to do everything for the glory of God. If I make choices to live a "good" life based on my moral intuition, those are still selfish choices. On the other hand, if my reason for making such choices is rooted in my desire to bring glory and honor to God, the lifestyle that results is one that is righteous and seeks to allow Him to have full ownership and control.
This is the drastic difference. It is not whether or not someone lives a "good" life. It is whether or not he/she bases their life on God's will by means of an increasing love for Him.
In relation to our subject matter of condemning and disapproving of non-Christians:
We cannot expect non-Christians not to sin.
It is the norm. It is what people do apart from God.
It is the norm. It is what people do apart from God.
They are not yet "new creations in Christ." So why treat them like they are?
Accept their sin for what it is - The product and constant environment of living apart from God. Move past the ugliness and distastefulness in order to allow God to work through you.
This is genuine acceptance - This is withholding judgement. This is what we're called to do in regard to non-Christians. Accept them as separated from God and be ready to explain how you have been reconciled to God.
The next time you tell your friend to stop swearing and clean up their language, you might want to instead look past the language and ask them what they think of a man called Jesus Christ.
The next time you hear someone you consider a fellow Christian to be talking badly about the actions of a non-Christian (ex. someone cheating on a test, someone cheating off your test, someone swearing profusely), challenge his treatment of that person. Why should we believe that those living in sin should choose not to sin? What reason do they have for choosing not to sin?
It can be seen as our duty to explain to them the reason not to sin; but it is not our job to condemn and judge the sin that is an active and natural part of their lives.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection and Response:
What are your motives for making the choices that you do?
Do they originate in Christ, or the desire to be a pure, "good person"?
(Or possibly something else)
(Or possibly something else)
How do Christians and non-Christians differ? What actions reflect to this difference?
AJ, I think you hit the nail on the head. This is such a crucial issue: we shouldn't strive to make people conform to a moral code, we should strive to introduce them to Jesus!
I agree with what you are saying.. We should not be making people come follow a lifestyle that they do not even know about. I also see many people who would rather not tell people about jesus and just criticize them for what they do. This is so counter productive..
I like what you said about "We should not expect non-christians not to sin" we should also realize that christians are going to sin...we will not be perfect while on the earth. I see so many christians also condemning other christians for the faults that they do..we should be holding each other accountable yes but we should not be ridiculing them and bringing them down..
Greg - Thanks for your summary in that regard!
It is a vital concept to digest and incorporate in the Christian life. True change comes through Jesus, not through moral expectations and societal pressure.
Justin - Thank you for commenting man!
You bring up some very important points worth discussing in more detail! Such individuals, that you say, "would rather not tell people about Jesus and just criticize them (non-Christians)" should seriously challenge their faith and salvation. By this I mean, are they truly followers of Christ? Why would they have such twisted, counter-productive tendencies in a life striving after the Lord? Hmm... Tough stuff. I do feel that we are called to actively challenge our salvation in order to remain more fully centered on Christ and His Kingdom.
In another regard - Justin - You've brought up this crucial idea of judgement and correction when it comes to non-believers and Believers. Through scripture, we (as Christians) are called to judge (yes, judge) those who profess to be Christians in order to serve in actions of accountability and rebuke in order to focus our lives more fully on Him. On the other hand, we are under instruction and commandment NOT to judge non-Christians according to their actions and behavior, for the Lord will distribute judgement in due time. These two aspects of Christianity are drastically different, but both are necessary and not mutually exclusive.
Thanks for sharing. If you have any examples or further input, please feel free to share it here! Or if you'd like to guest post ;)
AJ
A true Christian is when he gives all earthlty thanks from
oneself to the father in heaven, you ask how? When someone
Thanks you for something you did, tell them no it is God who dwells
In me all glory and credit goes to him! A true Christian never takes any
Earthly appreciations though gives it to God and Knows that their
treasures are stored in heaven!!