Stirring Up a Pot

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. Proverbs 10:12

In continuation with yesterday's concerns, it is important that we also take the viewpoint of those who grasp the enormity of God's grace and are aware that we all are but sinners saved by that grace ourselves. So the fine line between judgment and correction is tight and delicate. When you are aware that your brother in Christ is not operating in a life that is pleasing to the Lord, it is ON YOU to assist them in seeing how their choices or decisions are not God-honoring. However, it is NOT ON YOU to judge them and to offer punishment to them. Hmmmmm. What?

It's easy with children, right? They are smaller and younger and easier to persuade. It is far less complicated to correct a child as they are still in a place of submission or of fearful respect. When you inform them that a decision they are making is going to harm them or others AND explain how or why that is truth, they tend to begin striving to correct that action. They are still in a place of awareness that pleasing a superior equals a greater reward and less painful existence.

Ah, and then they (we) grow up. The place of pleasing a superior shifts. Our superiors alter. Our desire to strive for correct behavior becomes skewed. For the past several decades, we have watched the embrace of individualism and the push for personal pleasure as opposed to pleasing others. And to an extent, that is not bad. You should be happy. You should work a job that you enjoy. You should marry someone that you want to share a roof with for the rest of your life. Moving away from family arranged marriages and following the footsteps of your father's occupation is not detrimental. Yet, we have now gone to the complete opposite end of the spectrum.

Little regard is given to the effect that our decisions make on those close to us. It's my body; I can do with it as I wish. It's my money; I can spend it as I wish. It's my car; I can drive it how I wish. It's my life; I can live it as I wish.

Now where am I going with this and how does it tie to the passage? We have a plethora of people operating under freedom of choice - given by God and abused by man. With this abuse of liberty, you also have an enormous growth of frustration with those who are hoping to maintain a life clean and pure and free of question. So with those who are struggling to not conform looking upon those who are comfortable in their conformity, we see a rise of hatred and judgment. This just causes more "strife". It often just pushes people further away from grace and mercy.

Yet on the other hand, we have a large population of religious leaders who are extending grace and mercy and scorn judgment as it is only the place of God to issue judgment. So what is right? Whatever you say or do, do it all for the glory of God. WHATEVER. To me this is very black and white. You are not to judge. You are not to furrow your brow and demean people. At the same time, you are not to passively excuse SIN.

"Hey Buddy! I am a sinner and I really struggle with __________. It is hard. Daily, I must make the decision as to whether I am going to ask God to help me with this battle or if I am going to try to take it on myself. Do you deal with any of that?"

or

"Has this behavior brought you closer to God or further away from Him?"

or

"I don't know if I could do that. My strengths are different and it would be a stumble for me. It would probably cause me to lead others to stumble."

or

Just live it.

There are things that you can do to speak truth to your fellow believers that does not give them a rise of hatred towards you or to feel your hatred towards them. Hate the sin...not the sinner. BUT DON'T INGORE IT. God loves them so much and needs you to model a life that is honoring to Him so that they are able to see the difference.

Grace is to be extended. You are not to judge. Do not operate in hate and resentment. But don't be foolish enough to think that your passive acceptance of continual sin is not going to be something you must justify on Judgment Day.