Speak and act

Speak and Act

“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  
because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgement!” 
          James 2:12,13.
A note to Christians. Be careful what you say and do. Your actions may potentially determine where someone spends eternity.
Francis of Assisi made two profound statements,
Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.
                                                                                          Francis of Assisi
“The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 
                                                                                                         Francis of Assisi.
Jesus said
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” 
         Matthew 7:12.
Jesus also made it clear as to what the prime mission of Christians was when he said,
"Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 
                                                                        Matthew 28:18-20.
This is the duty of all Christians. We must do this in the most none judgmental way as possible.
We cannot present the gospel of Christ properly if we are judging peoples ways or lifestyle.  Yet all to many Christians do.
The apostle Paul show us how to present the gospel. While in Athens Paul was surrounded by pagan practices some of which would have been morally repugnant to what he believed yet he, if you will stuck to the script. He presented the gospel. He discussed it in public places as a result he was asked by Epicurean and Stoic philosophers to come to a meeting at the Areopagus and present his beliefs. This was the equivalent of the internet chat room of his day.
The Book of Acts records what happened,
“So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.  
A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.  
Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?  
You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”  
(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) 
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  
For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill.  
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” 
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”  
At that, Paul left the Council.  
A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
                                                                                             Acts 17:17-34.
Paul never condemned those of other beliefs and lifestyles. Paul showed respect by not condemning or ridiculing them.
Paul however presented the Gospel of Christ in a plane and clear manner. He said in effect this is what I believe it’s up to you to decide if you believe me or not.
This is what all Christians should be doing.
Please think about it.