I'm borrowing this from my friends Jeanette and Kenny. They both have this posted on their Facebooks, and this is a very powerful statement. It very much goes against the grain of most Evangelicals but I totally agree with it. If we are not living our lives for Christ and showing how much of a difference He does make, why would anyone who is not a follower be interested in knowing Him? We can evangelize to the cows come home and lasso Christ around people and drag them into the fold. But until they realize that it is a one-on-one relationship and see proof of that in His followers, it will be all for nothing really.
I have no desire to bring people to Christ. I want to live and love in a way I bring Christ to people.
I believe us Christians are missing the point, it is not about saving lives, leading people to Christ, or trying to bring people into church. If you can't love for the sake of loving then stop doing everything else until you can.
Ondra,
ReplyDeleteI feel honored you would post this, thank you. We did not steal these words from someone else's mouth. We merely were talking one day about what it meant to be a Christian and how misunderstood we felt to people who are not Christ followers. Furthermore, how we as Christians' are increasing this gap by being judgmental, fake, and kind and loving with a motive. We see people doing loving acts of kindness but with what purpose? Christ loves us for the sake of loving, because he really loves his children. After having my son, I know what unconditional love really is; as I love my son without conditions and nothing could ever change that. I think it is important to love, (love as the bible describes) because we have love in our hearts. We should love one another without motives. Our job (if you can even call it that)as a Christian is not to save people that is our Father's job. Our job is to lead people to Christ; however, not in the way many Christians' or non Christians' would think. We can lead people to Christ best by having Christ's love in our heart, by showing love to others, and living a life in a way that we bring Christ to the people. Maybe if Christ followers were as compassionate about loving as they are about saving people, bringing people into the church, and damning them with our judgments’ maybe we would not be as taboo. True love is seems to be rare, and when someone exhibits love in the truest form people will want to have that and know what that is. What are non-Christians to grasp onto? If it leads no-one to Christ am I damned and are they? I am not the judge nor is anyone else for that matter. All I know of... is Love.
Jeanette Jablonski-Lucas
A Christ Follower's Journey.....I like that, we Christians are all on a journey of discovery, to the Truth that's in Christ Jesus. We judge from the Truth, it's not to harm or hurt, for we ourselves have been in a pit, and God reached down into this pit and lifted us upward into His glorious light of hope.
ReplyDeleteFor Christ is the doorwway to the Truth and He is the only way to the Father. Here is what it's like to be a Christ follower, you start to hear the voice of Christ, and as a follower hears, Christ knows them too, He will provide and protect His own. As the follower listens and follows the words of Christ, He gives His followers Eternal life, that is knowing the One true almighty God and His Son Jesus Christ. As a result, His followers shall never perish (no one shall snatch them out of the hand of Christ or out of the Father's hand). His followers are sealed by the Holy Spirit. This is good news!
Christ opens up a way, a path that leads us onward, upward,forward towards the Truth of God that's in and through Jesus Christ. The more you know of Christ, the more you know God. His truth is in His Word, His truth becomes brighter and brighter....the truth sets you free and He gives you peace that's above all understanding.
Everyone has some idea of how to love, even the unbelievers know how to love. But how many people have read the Truth on what God's word says about following after the world, and what it says about God being at enmity with the world? What does it truly mean to follow His Son? God wants everything from us, our whole hearts, minds, wills....If we can learn about God's love through His Son, by receiving His pure love and sacrifice on the cross, then we can learn how to love our neighbors and our enemies and those who misuse us.....love is a sacrifice.
The path is narrow, and not many people are going to find the door, because they are not hearing or reading His Truth. God's word is Truth. Truth hurts and many are offended of the Truth. The brighter you become, the more the world is going to hate you....if they hated Jesus, they will hate you. The path is very narrow. What does light and dark have in common? Nothing. We can't serve 2 masters, God and money. We must choose.
It's so easy to look outside ourselves and see those who miss the mark and those who make the mark. The question is, "What's truly going on inside our own hearts today?" We must examine our hearts daily, to see if we are in the truth, and know that nothing is impossible for God.
We are to judge,but to judge rightly, there's a righeous judgement, even Jesus judged and spoke the truth in love.
Many people are searching for God's will,and His will is found in His Word, and they still say "what does God want for my life?" First, God wants everything, 2. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)
Reflecting on a Christ's followers journey....how glorious, hard, beautiful, amazing, joyful, painful, peaceful, we must keep pressing forward towards the mark, the way is broad that leads to destruction, but the way to the Truth is very narrow and only a few will find it.....Keep asking, searching,knocking my fellow soldiers of the cross, there is so much to learn, know, experience,every day is another day to discover our amazing God, and how awesome He truly is. Amen! Sending you all much love and peace. Lory