Christian Duty

Christian duty
The Psalmist writes,

“For you created my inmost being; 

you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

I praise you 

because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 

My frame was not hidden from you 

when I was made in the secret place. 

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

 your eyes saw my unformed body. 

All the days ordained for me were written in your book 

before one of them came to be.” 

                                                                              Psalm 139:13-16

A few months ago I met Sean for the first time at his mothers funeral. I’d known Sean however for over thirty-eight years. You see Sean at one time was Anne my wife’s nice. She underwent Sexual reassignment surgery sometime ago transitioning to Sean.
As Anne, Sean had always had problems regarding who she was. As a result she’d dabbled in drugs, had been part of a lesbian relationship, all to no avail.
Finally one day she realized what was wrong and started the long process of psychological evaluation and eventually surgery to become Sean.
We were able to spend sometime with Sean and I asked him, “are you happy?” to which he replied, “Very happy and very content.”
I could see in his eyes he was being honest. Even though we were at the funeral of his mother a sad time, I could see that the very confused young woman I’d known for so long was in deed not only happy but content for the first time in his life.
I know many calling themselves Christians would not agree with what Sean did. That is between them and God.
What Sean did, did not change who he was on the inside. The transition did not change Sean as a person. Sean is still Sean an individual loved by God. And that is how we must look on anyone as and individual loved by God.
The scripture I quoted at the beginning of this blog post tells me God knows the individual on if you will, a genetic level. He knows what makes us what we are.
God does not see just what is on the outside of a person but what is on the inside. That is why God and God alone can judge the individual not man.
We as Christians must accept people for who they are, an individual loved by God, unconditionally. We must accept all people without judgement.
Billy Graham the American evangelist said it best,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge 

and my job to love." 

                                Billy Graham

If you claim to be a Christian do you?
Please think about it.

No right

No right
The Psalmist writes,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16.
This is one of my favourite scripture quotes. It tells me God has known me from the moment of conception.
It tells me I am unique and wonderfully made.
Above all it tells me God knows why I am the way I am. Something no individual in this world can say. Thus to my way of thinking no one has the right to judge me. Nor do I have the right to judge anyone else. Even Jesus said,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”Matthew 7:1,2.
As a believer in Christ Jesus I take Jesus admonition not to judge others to heart, for the simple reason I have no idea what makes a person the way they are.
My job as a believer in Christ is to love. Jesus when asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment.  
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
Matthews gospel also records Jesus as saying,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,...” Matthew 5:43,44.
This is what I as a believer in Christ Jesus must do, love unconditionally.
Billy Graham perhaps one of the greatest evangelist at least of my generation said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge

 and my job to love,” 

                       Billy Graham.

If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus do you truly love?
Please think about it.

Wonderfully made

Wonderfully made
Speaking about God the Psalmist wrote,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” 
                                                                                     Psalm 139:13-16.
I believe in God. I believe as the psalmist states God created us. That he knows all about us. And God is the only one who truly knows all about us.
God knows what makes us, us. He knows why we are the way we are. That is why I believe Jesus states,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 
           Matthew 7:1,2.
We do not know what is in the hearts of other people.
Sometime ago I was driving a person through the down town of our city. We were stopped at a traffic light. A man who was dressed poorly walked passed our car he was mumbling to himself and he seemed to be a little wobbly on his feet.
The person with me commented “Drunk already and its not even noon.”  The person couldn’t have been more wrong.
The man had a mental illness coupled with a physical disability that made him the way he was. The person I was with didn’t know that and had judged him unfairly. This man was actually a nice guy once you got to know him.
The incident illustrated to me why we should not judge.
It’s easy to look at someone and see what is on the outside and make a judgement call that is not right.
Christians do this all the time and it should not be so.
Many Christians judge those who’s lifestyle is not in keeping with the way they think a person should live.
A few days ago I was sitting down with some people who’d been “Evangelical Christians” for a lot longer than I have.
They remembered times when Christian ministers smashed rock and roll records. When men wearing long hair in church were looked down on. Women had to wear skirts or dresses to church. Pants were forbidden.
Going to church in blue jeans was not permitted in some congregations.
Going to see a movie was taboo or even live theater was frowned upon.
The list of do not’s went on and on forever it seemed. Was it any wonder that many young people and for that matter people in general didn’t want to go to church?
Those calling themselves Christians were turning people off church. Something that potentially has eternal consequences.
It’s happening today. When was the last time members of, as some Christians put it “the homosexual” community felt welcome in some evangelical churches.
Why would a woman who’d had to walk through a wall of placards waving people to get into an abortion clinic want to attend any church. And I’m certain the doctors and nurses in those clinics and hospitals would not feel welcome in many churches.
Tony Campolo the American evangelist said,
“We ought to get out of the judging business. We should leave it up to God to determine who belongs in one arena or another when it comes to eternity. What we are obligated to do is to tell people about Jesus, and that's what I do.”
                                              Tony Campolo
That’s what we all should do. Our churches should be open to all. We should not be judging anyone or showing favoritism.
James writes,
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  
because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” 
                           James 2:12,13.
Interestingly enough there is a time when the Bible states we can judge. The apostle Paul writes,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 
                                                                                      1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
We are to judge the actions and words of those who are within “The Church”. Those who claim to be Christians. And if we find them doing wrong we are to expel them.
Other than that we are to be welcoming and showing unconditional love to those around us.
Please think about it.