Events in the US, in my current environment see people who profess to be Christian behaving in ways that reveal some troubling aspects of their “faith and religious practice” as well as their basic morality. Not wanting to come off as “judging” folks but rather calling “fruits” as I see them, I am often times dismayed at what presents itself as “Christianity” in America. One of, if not the richest, most prosperous nations in the world is laying bare the true nature of its heart and core with its actions and support policies towards immigrants, ethnic minorities, woman, the economically challenged and the homeless. A lot, if not all of these policies and behaviors are being supported and championed by people who claim to be adhearents too or followers of the teachings of Jesus the Christ.
As I watch the news, participate in conversations and receive information from Evangelical Protestant and Christian identity/Armstrongite sources, I’m am disappointed and in most cases horrified by what I encounter. Disturbed in that it seems that “Christians” have all but abandoned the principles and teachings of Jesus/Yeshua for bigotry, racism and a fanatical nationalism based on ideas and concepts born out of British Israelite concepts amongst other things.
Christian Identity churches participate in fruitless excercises to debate the validity of Islam or the existence of the Trinity or other dead horse issues to validate their approaches to Christianity. All the time their congregations are diminishing in size and spiritual health due to rips in the moral fabric and base of such organizations because of the neglect Yeshuas basic teachings and principles. Love, compassion, mercy and care of your neighbor is downplayed and neglected as people march on in their assumed roles as “Defenders of the Faith”, confronting perceived challenges, while actually neglecting the true responsibilities to the followers of Yeshua, the Body of Christ.
After receiving a flyer for an upcoming debate about the trinity in the Caribbean, I decided to revisit and spend a good deal of time focusing on what really matters in the eyes of God and Yeshua and what our conduct should actually look like as followers of Christ. You see, in my recollection I see all of these folks who want to take up arms against perceived threats to the faith when they actually through their actions teach and convey a morality that is less than becoming as “Christian” men and woman.
What’s needed for Christians is a recalibration, a realignment with what it is to be a follower of Christ. What it is to really be an ambassador of the Kingdom of God and in essence “a piece of the Kingdom” in the flesh, declaring the Kingdom through works of Love, Compassion, Mercy and Healing. Today in going through the book of 1 John, the first of many “base” principles jumps out:
1 John 1:5-10 KJV[5] … God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. [6] If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. [8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Sobering, humbly and very direct….but John continues…..
1 John 2:3-6 KJV
[3] And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. [4] He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. [5] But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. [6] He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
How did “HE” walk? The reference list is endless, but one of my favorite references as to some of the characteristics of the walk he had is Matthew 25:31-40.
Matthew 25:31-40 KJV
[31] When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: [32] And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: [33] And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. [34] Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: [35] For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: [36] Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. [37] Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee ? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? [38] When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee ? [39] Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? [40] And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” There are other references but I believe this is a solid start in the right direction to understanding Yeshua’s morality.
With that considered….
1 John 2:9-11 KJV
[9] He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. [10] He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. [11] But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
And that is the point I feel a lot of “Professing Christians” are at…..Blinded by Darkenss….the focus is on everything else but The Christ, the Gospel and embodying the Kingdom. Misplaced priorities are defaming the faith and destroying our youth, our families and our marriages. My hopes and my prayers are that “Christians” will return to the Biblical text, the principles and the teachings of Yeshua the Messiah and what it is to truly be a Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ. They will find that it is LOVE that defines the Christian, and not the hate, anger, bigotry and racism that pervades or undergirds a lot of what we call Christianity in the west today.