We Christians are generally not afraid to tell the world how it should live but are often afraid to tell the church how it should live. Putting it another way; as Christians (salt and light) we are called to "love the Lord our God with all our soul and heart and mind and to love our neighbors (the world) as ourselves".
We are called to love the world, not condemn it for according to the Bible, the world is already condemned.
Many people in the world, even non-Christians can quote John 3:16 which says "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."
Do we know the next verse though"
John 3:17 says "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."
Many Christians, with full 'justification' and 'standing on the WORD', condemn the practices of others when we are actually called to "go into the world and make disciples of them, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" and teaching them about Christ, and His salvation. [My paraphrasing of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20]
Does this mean we are not to be 'angry' at the sin that in the world - sins of hatred and greed and immorality and murder and the like? Of course we are but, the Lord said we are to be "in the world but not of the world"
It was finally revealed to me while studying the Bible on this issue, that I have had it all wrong - I had it the wrong way around.
I stand very firm on many social issues and it upsets me see the 'world' often making a mockery of Christian moral values. And many times they are correct, there is no perfect Christian person or Church or church leader.
What I had been wrong about was that I was angry at the people perpetrating certain acts and lifestyles instead of speaking God's salvation plan to them and showing them by MY life actions, that God's way is better than the world's way.
I was even angrier with the churches that condone some of these 'politically correct' actions and attitudes under the guise of Christian love and acceptance.
That is where the Light of Truth was shone the brightest into my spirit.
Yet, I realize I make little attempt to call other Christians to account for bringing the world's value system inside their churches.
Fellow Christians should be bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to the 'lost' world and not condemning it and we should be confronting our churches because they are 'found' yet they condemn themselves by bringing the bad news of the world to into their walls.
From the Sermon on the Mount, Christ said that we are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
He also said that we are the light of the world - like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all.
In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."
The only way that the Christian church will affect the 'world' in a positive way is by showing Christ to it and standing firm on Biblical truths, not allowing the 'world's' secular, relative truths to pervade its walls.
Is there indeed more of the world in the church rather than more of the church in the world?
We thank you so much for reading this article. If you found it interesting and want to know more, please visit our website at: http://www.threecordministries.org. We also invite you to keep up to date with us on our Facebook Page at: Three Cord Ministries on Facebook.
We are called to love the world, not condemn it for according to the Bible, the world is already condemned.
Many people in the world, even non-Christians can quote John 3:16 which says "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."
Do we know the next verse though"
John 3:17 says "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."
Many Christians, with full 'justification' and 'standing on the WORD', condemn the practices of others when we are actually called to "go into the world and make disciples of them, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" and teaching them about Christ, and His salvation. [My paraphrasing of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20]
Does this mean we are not to be 'angry' at the sin that in the world - sins of hatred and greed and immorality and murder and the like? Of course we are but, the Lord said we are to be "in the world but not of the world"
It was finally revealed to me while studying the Bible on this issue, that I have had it all wrong - I had it the wrong way around.
I stand very firm on many social issues and it upsets me see the 'world' often making a mockery of Christian moral values. And many times they are correct, there is no perfect Christian person or Church or church leader.
What I had been wrong about was that I was angry at the people perpetrating certain acts and lifestyles instead of speaking God's salvation plan to them and showing them by MY life actions, that God's way is better than the world's way.
I was even angrier with the churches that condone some of these 'politically correct' actions and attitudes under the guise of Christian love and acceptance.
That is where the Light of Truth was shone the brightest into my spirit.
Yet, I realize I make little attempt to call other Christians to account for bringing the world's value system inside their churches.
Fellow Christians should be bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to the 'lost' world and not condemning it and we should be confronting our churches because they are 'found' yet they condemn themselves by bringing the bad news of the world to into their walls.
From the Sermon on the Mount, Christ said that we are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
He also said that we are the light of the world - like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all.
In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."
The only way that the Christian church will affect the 'world' in a positive way is by showing Christ to it and standing firm on Biblical truths, not allowing the 'world's' secular, relative truths to pervade its walls.
Is there indeed more of the world in the church rather than more of the church in the world?
We thank you so much for reading this article. If you found it interesting and want to know more, please visit our website at: http://www.threecordministries.org. We also invite you to keep up to date with us on our Facebook Page at: Three Cord Ministries on Facebook.
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