I'm posting a portion of a much longer post by a blog friend I only know as Lin. He is astute in his seldom posted thoughts about all things theological and Kingdom and what he has said here deserves a wide audience. So I will invite the few that read this blog to hear what he has to say on this subject. May we hear and beware of being found guilty.
[All emphasis is mine.]
What I find interesting is how many Christians will excuse the evil done by other Christians (often the [Christian] celebrities) but won't excuse the same evil done by unbelievers. It is as if the professing Christian gets a "get out of jail free" card the unbeliever does not deserve for some reason. Is it really as simple as buying a plastic fish for your car and attending church?
In fact, these days ministry is a magnet for sociopaths and narcissists. Check this out . Or, this. Where else can you get instant credibility, a respectable title and an audience sitting in pews in rapt attention. All because of a title. Often the pew sitters don't even know the guy personally. That is cult of personality.
Many Christians actually have lower ethical and moral standards for those who profess Christ (often those who make a nice living off His Name) than they do for unbelievers. I once had a local judge point this out to me. He was an old friend from undergrad days, an agnostic, who asked me why Christians will pack out a court room on a zoning hearing concerning a porn shop but then come back and pack the court room to give character witness for a pedophile (while the victim looks on helpless with no such support from the "church') and beg for leniency in sentencing. The only difference is the pedophile professed Christ so, for some reason, he deserves a break. Why? It makes no sense. I would imagine many pedophiles would profess Christ to receive a lighter sentence. Often the victim is accused of being unforgiving in those situations, too. See SGM/CJ Mahaney as an example.
The agnostic judge asks a good question and we should think hard about our answer so we don't cheapen that priceless Blood [of Christ]. Here is a rule of thumb as a believer: Remember the Cross. LIVE OUT the resurrection. We are supposed to be the light of the world. People are supposed to be able to trust us. We are supposed to overcome evil. Not look for excuses to do evil to others.
Yet, what happens in Christendom is often the exact opposite of what 1 Corinthians 5 teaches us concerning the Body of Christ. We are to judge those IN the Body. We are not to judge the world. But that does not make for a good culture war that evangelicals have engaged in since the 70's...and lost, BTW.
Now our problem is that the world is often looking more virtuous than we do. Our scandals are coming out faster than we can say, "sinners sin" or "cheap grace". At least the world is honest about sin as they don't do it in the Name of Christ or making a living off His Name while doing the evil. No, in many ways evangelicals are worse than them. Hebrews 10: 26-31 anyone?
If you wonder why the world hates us, it might not be because of Christ or because we are "the light of the world". It might be because we deserve it. It might be because we spend too much time excusing "walking in darkness". (1 John 1)
Thank you Lin.
Paul B.
What I find interesting is how many Christians will excuse the evil done by other Christians (often the [Christian] celebrities) but won't excuse the same evil done by unbelievers. It is as if the professing Christian gets a "get out of jail free" card the unbeliever does not deserve for some reason. Is it really as simple as buying a plastic fish for your car and attending church?
In fact, these days ministry is a magnet for sociopaths and narcissists. Check this out . Or, this. Where else can you get instant credibility, a respectable title and an audience sitting in pews in rapt attention. All because of a title. Often the pew sitters don't even know the guy personally. That is cult of personality.
Many Christians actually have lower ethical and moral standards for those who profess Christ (often those who make a nice living off His Name) than they do for unbelievers. I once had a local judge point this out to me. He was an old friend from undergrad days, an agnostic, who asked me why Christians will pack out a court room on a zoning hearing concerning a porn shop but then come back and pack the court room to give character witness for a pedophile (while the victim looks on helpless with no such support from the "church') and beg for leniency in sentencing. The only difference is the pedophile professed Christ so, for some reason, he deserves a break. Why? It makes no sense. I would imagine many pedophiles would profess Christ to receive a lighter sentence. Often the victim is accused of being unforgiving in those situations, too. See SGM/CJ Mahaney as an example.
The agnostic judge asks a good question and we should think hard about our answer so we don't cheapen that priceless Blood [of Christ]. Here is a rule of thumb as a believer: Remember the Cross. LIVE OUT the resurrection. We are supposed to be the light of the world. People are supposed to be able to trust us. We are supposed to overcome evil. Not look for excuses to do evil to others.
Yet, what happens in Christendom is often the exact opposite of what 1 Corinthians 5 teaches us concerning the Body of Christ. We are to judge those IN the Body. We are not to judge the world. But that does not make for a good culture war that evangelicals have engaged in since the 70's...and lost, BTW.
Now our problem is that the world is often looking more virtuous than we do. Our scandals are coming out faster than we can say, "sinners sin" or "cheap grace". At least the world is honest about sin as they don't do it in the Name of Christ or making a living off His Name while doing the evil. No, in many ways evangelicals are worse than them. Hebrews 10: 26-31 anyone?
If you wonder why the world hates us, it might not be because of Christ or because we are "the light of the world". It might be because we deserve it. It might be because we spend too much time excusing "walking in darkness". (1 John 1)
Thank you Lin.
Paul B.
4 comments:
Thank you Lin and Paul for bringing this article to our attention. This perfectly conveys my frustration over the years to the present.
Debbie,
I give a hearty "AMEN" to what you've said.
Paul,
As a sinner saved by grace, I heartily agree with Lin's words. Strangely enough, my wife and I were talking about this about an hour ago.
Lin's final paragraph is so right. I have often heard unbelievers speak about the hypocrisy. A fellow once said to me, "I can have nothing to do with church because the church people I know can never admit to being the same as their neighbors, sinners."
Someone once said,"The problem is not that unbelievers don't know Christians; it is that they DO know Christians."
This....."Someone once said,"The problem is not that unbelievers don't know Christians; it is that they DO know Christians."....is vintage Aussie J.
Thanks,
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