Okay, here it is. What do you do when you know someone who is suddenly proud of their immorality and decadent lifestyle? They were humble (or not vocal about it) just a moment before. Now they seem angry with anyone who might want them to reconsider their choices or dislike what they do. We cannot bring the Bible to bear too harshly against them – for their unbelieving position has always been there – and with that the state of “lost-ness.” Their willingness to embrace this licentious lifestyle does not make them more lost than they were a moment before. However, their angry stubbornness might make us think that their conversion is less likely anytime soon. So how would Jesus Christ respond to this?
He would respond with love. That is Biblical – and Christians should follow the Bible (the lost aren’t likely to give it credence until they see it followed in OUR lives). In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, God defines “love” for us:
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails.
Notice that “love” is a verb, not a feeling (noun). We certainly do not have warm-fuzzy feelings about our friend’s choices and actions. However, we should treat them as these verses would indicate. We should be patient and kind (too many Christians try to belittle and humiliate their unbelieving friends for immoral choices). We should be very careful to present ourselves humbly, not arrogant and superior as too many Christians are prone to do. Rudeness is not present in love. The Christian should be self-less and not angry about such choices – though we can hate the sin – we do not need to hate the sinner for these choices – thinking no evil of them. Jesus illustrated this when the crowd was about to stone the prostitute. He forgave her, but cautioned her to go and sin no more. He did not think she was the devil’s spawn for her choices. But neither did He rejoice in her sin. He did not condone it. Likewise, our friends’ sin does not deserve our approval, not even tacitly. We should not overlook it as though it is not there – we should rejoice in the truth. Recognizing the truth that it is a sin and it is reality is the first step in dealing with it. Denial is not. Christians should be willing to bear up to their sensitivities which work out in angry attacks over our “disagreements” over this sinful lifestyle, trusting and hoping that the friend will someday realize the truth about themselves, their choices, and about Jesus Christ as their only hope of change. We endure to the end with our friends, never quitting or failing. Perhaps this is how we should treat everyone – regardless of their status as a “believer!” What a thought!
As I See It, expecting the non-regenerated to live as the regenerated is simply delusional. Sinners sin because they are sinners. When they are set free through faith in Jesus Christ, then we can gently encourage them to trust Scripture for their lives. Regardless, let us treat them with Biblical “love.”
Holler for Jesus,
Greg Yount
First Baptist Church of Bakersfield: http://tinyurl.com/weR4him
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