We must ‘love' people into faith and right living. Our great commission is to reach the lost.
We must ‘love' people into faith and right living. Our great commission is to reach the lost.
[bible]Matthew 5:14[/bible]
The following is a story told to me by a friend and sister-in-Christ.
When Colleen first accepted Christ, she was divorced, had two children with her ex-husband and a child by another man after the divorce. She was also living with another man at the time of her salvation. She was active in some church activates, but the church she attended limited her involvement. She was allowed to help with the children's Sunday school, VBS programs and such but not to teach or lead anything.
She said she attending for quite some time until an evangelist came to speak. He said that living together without marriage was a sin. She said at that point she realized it was sinful. The veil had been lifted. She went home and told the man she was living with that he had to move out until they got married.
I asked her if the Pastor ever said the same thing. If anyone had said anything to her about why she was not allowed to teach or do other things. She said she was told because she was living with someone but it did not register as a sin. She heard it when the Holy Spirit lifted the veil from her ears and eyes. The church body ‘loved' her into faith and right living.
When I asked how Larry reacted when she told him she said not well at all. They did marry, eventually. They did have a bit of a rough start.
[bible]1 Corinthians 13:1[/bible]
We must reach them where they are at that moment in time.
That does not mean we condone a sinful lifestyle or act. It means we say we love you anyway, we accept them the person. It is our responsibility to pray for them and share truth with them, but the Holy Spirit will teach them in His timing. It is our job to love them into faith and right living. Most people are trying to find someone who cares and wondering where they are.
People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. Until the veil is lifted and the Holy Spirit convicts them we must love them into the faith.
We are to ‘confront in love,' and it is difficult to paint everyone with the same paintbrush. I have seen some who do not confront in love, but with a Bible in one hand armed with all kinds of verse with a condescending, argent and self-righteous tone to their voice.
So many Christians have absolute ideas that literally shut out other people. Dress this way not that, home school only, read only this Bible version not that, sing only this type of hymn not those new ones, stick to the meaty stuff, don't read anything light, stick to reading things about the doctrines of the Christian faith. This list could go on for a very long time. New comers are bombarded with a long list of ‘you're a sinner' and going to hell.
[bible]1 Corinthians 13:2[/bible]
We should also remember that we are all at a different stage in our Christian growth. We can not force newer members to eat tough rawhide when they still have only their baby teeth.
[bible]Mark 16:15[/bible]
Yes I know there are churches with a watered down gospel. It does happen. One of the ladies in my Bible study group left her former church because the choir director is living an open lifestyle that the Lord calls an abomination. You know which one I am referring to.
That same church suffered an arson fire last year. They have never found who started the fire. Churches in this area took up donations for the restoration and repair of the damage. I donated money and I know some will believe that was a wrong decision. I know the Church is wrong in allowing this man to lead a ministry. That is not loving him, its enabling and encouraging his sin.
[bible]1 Corinthians 13:11[/bible]
Be blessed.
KraftyKatz
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Author: kraftykatz
Location: Parchment Michigan USA
Gender: Female
Age: 65
Blog Entries: 296 (archive)
Blog Comments: 1079
i am 65 years old and have been married for 37 years. we have 3 adult children, 2 sons and 1 daughter, who is married. we have no grandchildren. i have 2 cats which keep me company. i enjoy reading, sewing and crafts of all kinds. i do counted cross...
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i grow up in a small, socially segregated community. we were very poor, living in a house without indoor pluming. that means we had an old fashioned out house and no hot running water indoors, only cold. i accepted christ at the age of 15 in a small country church...
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