Seventy Times Seven

 

There are a lot of professed Christians in our world who have given Christian's a bad name, a really bad name, a name so bad people detest all things Christian because of them. 

People are choosing not to be called Christians because they don't want the association with the masses of 'Christians' who are saying the words they speak come from God, from Jesus, when they don't.

I told someone recently that I understood when they said they don't want the label 'Christian' even though they love Jesus.

I really, really understand.

I also told them they can love Jesus and not be called a Christian. 

The word Christian means--- follower of Christ. 

I'm a follower of Christ, so many 'Christian's' today are not.

We've come to a place in time where there are so many hypocritical Christians, that they are turning people away from Christ, as if they had horns and were carrying a pitchfork. They are exhibiting Satan's attributes more readily than an actual self-declared Satan follower. I'm not lying. I'm not making this up. I've had firsthand experience with the disgust of those who see the un-Christlike actions of many, many so-called Christians.

These 'Christians' are deluded, they are deceived, they believe their own lies as if they are truth. We are warned about these people but we never thought they'd be called 'Christians'. 

2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 

2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 

2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 

2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 

Many 'Christians' are completely convinced they are Christ's true followers. They are allowed STRONG DELUSIONS so they will believe lies.

Loving your enemies doesn't mean forcing them to believe as you do. Loving your enemies doesn't mean doing things they despise for their own good. 

Show me ONE instance of Jesus forcing a single person to follow him, to believe him, to love him. 

Jesus didn't do a single thing to coerce followers his way, for their own good.

When spreading the gospel the disciples were told if someone didn't want it, to leave them, to go away. 

You can hate sin. You're supposed to hate sin. You are not supposed to hate the sinner, not ever. 

There are such hate-filled 'Christians' today it's sickening.

We are individually accountable to God, not collectively.

We answer to God for ourselves, not others.

When Jesus helped the adulteress, he told her to sin no more- leaving it up to her not to sin again. He even redefined what adultery meant- making it harder for those fantasizing about adultery to get away with their sin. They didn't even have to physically do the act of adultery to be guilty, they just had to indulge it in their minds.  So when he helped the adulteress he wasn't sending the message that adultery was okay now, not at all.

Treating all people as God's children and leaving God to judge their eternal life, leaving vengeance with God, this is what we are to do. 

The worst blatant sinner you know right now living in the worst of sins, is a child of God's who has the potential to belong to Christ Jesus.  If you treat that person with hate, who are you revealing to them but Satan. 

No, I'm not advocating hanging out with blatant sinners, I don't want you to make a group of devil worshipers your new best friends. Just don't hate on them, love them with the love of Jesus whose HEART BROKE for the sinners that refused His salvation.  He may have said harsh things to the Jewish leaders of his day, but he wept over them when they refused him.  And he didn't tell a single disciple to go scream at people.

God will sort out all those that don't belong to Him, that's not our job.   

Bringing truth, only truth to those who desire to hear it, that is what you do. If they don't like the truth, that's between them and God. Wipe the dust off your feet and keep on walking. And that doesn't mean turning your back on anyone if they have a need you can help with. Just because someone has rejected the truth, doesn't mean you let them starve when you have food. 

Mat_5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

Mat 18:21  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 

Mat 18:22  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 

Endlessly. 

 

How can you forgive endlessly if you are busy hating those whose very existence you believe to be a sin against you?