In this post I'm going to try to tackle the strangely ironic reason why many people are put off following Christ, which is the actions of those purporting to be His followers. I say it's ironic because Christ Himself said His followers should be "salt and light" and that "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." So what's going on?
A friend recently posted this video on Facebook in which Graham Allen talks about an interaction with a "Christian" woman that exemplifies the problem. The woman makes the mistake of judging Graham by his tattoos rather than who he is and what he does. It's a sad example of a distinct lack of love and lack of grace. That's certainly not Christ-like.
I've been fortunate to not experience this type of attitude very often. Almost all the Christians I know, and have known, balk at the idea of judging people by appearances or lording it over anyone from some weird sense of moral superiority. We recognize we're filthy rotten sinners saved by grace. If you need chapter and verse let's go with Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" and Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."
Now, don't get me wrong. We're all prone to hypocrisy; me included. Sometimes I judge people without really knowing them and I'm sure I offend people without hardly trying. But that's part and parcel of being a fallible human being. We all mess up. As Christ followers we can confess this, ask for forgiveness and start over. By God's grace and not anything good in me, I can start over. I'm not better than anyone and much worse than many.
Some Christ-followers - along with non-Christians - get fed up with Christian hypocrisy and want to denounce all religion and shun the church. Unfortunately Jesus doesn't really give us this option if we want to be true followers of Christ. He loves the church, so much so in fact, that He died for it. The scriptures describe the church as His bride. If we reject His bride, how can we say we love Him? So what do we do?
Let me wrap up this blog with one of my favorite scriptures, written by St Paul to encourage Christians in one of the early churches in Philippi. This is how we should be in the church, I think:
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
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