In my last post, I asked the question, "Who among your family, friends and acquaintances would KNOW that you are a Follower of the Christ?"
There is a big NEGATIVE side to that question, that might have occurred to some of you, as it did to me. What could be negative about it? you ask.
Well, sadly, very sadly, in today's culture, especially in the USA, some folks view Christians as judgemental, condemning, condescending, right-wing, anti-gay hypocrites.
Sad, sad indeed.
Now don't get me wrong. Jesus clearly said in Matthew 5, "11 Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you." Some folks will condemn us, say evil against us FALSELY because of Jesus. I am NOT talking about that. I am talking about when they say evil against us- and it's TRUE!!
We Believers are the representatives (e.g. ambassadors in 2 Corinth 5:20) of Jesus Christ. We are NOT representative of the Jewish Pharisees who had the negative reputation described earlier. We are representatives of Jesus who said, "For even the Son of Man came not to BE SERVED, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Oh that nonbelievers would say that about me... and about you. He is a SERVANT. Servants in this day and age are rare. Be rare, serve in the Name of the Christ!
We OUGHT to act like it.
There is a big NEGATIVE side to that question, that might have occurred to some of you, as it did to me. What could be negative about it? you ask.
Well, sadly, very sadly, in today's culture, especially in the USA, some folks view Christians as judgemental, condemning, condescending, right-wing, anti-gay hypocrites.
Sad, sad indeed.
Now don't get me wrong. Jesus clearly said in Matthew 5, "11 Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you." Some folks will condemn us, say evil against us FALSELY because of Jesus. I am NOT talking about that. I am talking about when they say evil against us- and it's TRUE!!
We Believers are the representatives (e.g. ambassadors in 2 Corinth 5:20) of Jesus Christ. We are NOT representative of the Jewish Pharisees who had the negative reputation described earlier. We are representatives of Jesus who said, "For even the Son of Man came not to BE SERVED, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Oh that nonbelievers would say that about me... and about you. He is a SERVANT. Servants in this day and age are rare. Be rare, serve in the Name of the Christ!
We OUGHT to act like it.
Amen!, Good word Brother!...Ephesians 5:1.
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