One of my biggest turned off when I talked with other Christians is this statement,
"You are going to hell because _____!"
or
Have you heard a testimony about A,B,C who went to hell and back? They saw D,E,F in hell!
SERIOUSLY??
"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." 2 Timothy 4:3-4
The ONE and ONLY Judge is God himself!
The ONE and ONLY,
Do not forget that.
Yes, we are all sinners,
Yes, God loves the sinners and hates the sin,
Yes, we all will be judged someday based on what we did, good and bad (2 Corinthians 5:10)
Yes, ALL of US!
I do believe that there is a heaven and hell,
I do believe in ONE God,
I also believe in his WORD of TRUTH.
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8
Please, do not try to be the judge,
We could be the helper.
Please, do not try to be the judge,
We could be the listener.
Please, do not try to be the judge,
We could be the prayer buddy.
Please, do not try to be the judge,
We could be the witness of God's love and TRUTH.
"And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7
We do not have to compromise to be a good Christian,
We do not have to agree with everything to be a good Christian,
We just have to do God's commandment,
"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." Matthew 7:1-5
Preaching the "go to hell" sermon with a heart of condemning,
"I know best" attitude,
"I know better than you" mindset,
"I am more holy than you" mentality,
will NOT work.
People tend to forget that we are all sinners, (Romans 3:23)
We just sin differently, but a sin is a sin!
We sin everyday with our hearts, thoughts, actions and words.
Telling other people that they are going to hell without knowing what's going on in their lives at that moment is just careless and loveless.
I am not trying to tell you to keep sinning.
NO!
But, I am trying to tell you that there is a way out and help for your problems.
I am not trying to tell you to not reminding other people when they are doing something wrong.
NO!
But, I am trying to tell you that LOVE and compassion should be your foundation in heart, not anger, not judgment, not condemning, not "I know better" mentality, etc.
"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;" Luke 6:37
Wondering why you are a Christian and never bring any of your "non Christian" friends to church or know Jesus?
Wondering why the only people you hang out with and bring to church are those who already are Christians?
Because you are too comfortable in your own "I am so holy" bubble,
that you could not stand talking to others who are struggles with real life problems.
Because you are sick of their sins and forget the person,
Because you want them to do what you want according to your time,
Because instead of trying to help them to know and understand God,
You ordered them around to seek God and condemning what they do wrong without giving them a way out.
Pray and Fast and Read the Bible,
are very true and helpful,
if you are a Christian.
Telling other people to do those stuff while they do not even know who Jesus is all about,
is not helping them,
it makes them confused, mad and stay away from you (as far as they could).
My point is we must live a life that shows Jesus daily,
we must also show others that we messed up in life,
but we find a way out through our faith-hope-love in Jesus.
We draw the line of what is OK with us and what is not OK with us,
we don't need to compromise, but we find a boundary that we both respected of each other.
Provide the help that they need to find God and a way out.
Last but not least,
I do believe in heaven and hell,
We will go to one destination if we do not find the right path and not making the right decision.
Is it always easy to follow Jesus?
NO
Sometimes HE is silent but He never forsaken nor forgotten me,
ever!
That is my strength to survive in this life and His promise to me,
that He will be with me to the very end. (Matthew 28:20)
xoxo,
Lindsay
