Thoughts on Grace/Judging Others/There's A Good Chance You're Not Really Saved

One thing that is on my mind a lot is how judgmental we are of people who commit the “big sins” like drugs, homosexuality, alcoholism, and premarital sex. I’m pretty sure that Jesus didn’t rank sins like we “Christians” do, and though some vices bring forth more harmful consequences than lying or gossip, they are all equally worthy of the full wrath of God. The wages---or reward/punishment---of sin is death! (Romans 6:23.) That’s some serious bidness, and regardless of what you do, you cannot help yourself out of this mess. If you are not in Christ, you are just as chained to sin and spiritually dead as Marilyn Manson or Hitler. So don’t brag that you have never done the “big ones”; every sin is a “big one” to a holy God, and before you are covered in Christ’s righteousness you are extremely evil and wicked and disgusting (read Romans 3!) So if you are His now, remember how far He has brought you, and never consider yourself better than anyone else…because you’re not.

Romans 8:5 says “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” Homosexuality, drugs, profanity…Christians constantly make a big deal and “take a stand” against these topics, and it has given us the reputation of being anti-gay, legalistic, hypocritical haters of Obama. This reputation in no way glorifies God. Sinners are going to sin; it’s their nature, what do you expect? We don’t need to protest allowing gay marriages or gossip about girls who sleep around. Jesus did not do this. The people that He harshly rebuked were, on the contrary, the religious people that were harshly rebuking the “morally repugnant!” Jesus realized that sinners sin! Criticizing lost people for their morals does no good at all; if they are not spurred by the Holy Spirit, they are not going to truly change.

If anything, we as Christians should love homosexuals and drug addicts, and show them that we are equally needy of mercy, no better than them, and that Jesus satisfies! If we’re going to rebuke people, let’s rebuke the Church! In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul is telling Christians to not even associate with people who call themselves “a brother” but is guilty of sexual immorality, greed, idolatry, drunkenness, or swindling.) He says, “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you.’”

We must remember our own neediness! Regardless of social status or income or race or gender or physical appearance or spiritual background, we all must be covered in Jesus’ blood or we are absolutely worthless. Donald Trump is in need of Jesus exactly as much as a homeless guy is. Ellen Degeneres is in need of Jesus just as much as Billy Graham is. You are in need of Jesus just as much as I am. The only difference is some of us have received grace, and some of us have not. But you must remember that just because you have received grace does not mean that you did the right thing or made the right choice; “For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7.) This leaves no room for bragging about anything other than the LORD! That is freeing! God does not owe us mercy, Jesus does not have to save us, the Holy Spirit does not have to take over; but it is by His grace we are saved!

One thing I must note, however, is that just because sinners sin does not mean that we should support what they do. Murderers should go to jail, alcoholics should go to rehab, and abstinence programs should be established. I don’t think we need to make war against homosexual marriages (nor should we support them.) However, I am all for making a stand against abortion and for life, because that really is a matter of life or death.

Now that I have hopefully established that we should quit being so insensitive to hurting people who find solace in vices that we consider despicable, I must rebuke you who claim to be His but are truly enemies. Read 1 John, seriously. Here are some chunks from that book that should convict all of us, but hopefully it will especially convict you fake Christians that are bringing destruction to the Church and, ultimately, to yourselves.

This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. Whoever says “I know Him” but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps His word, in Him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in Him: whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.

We have the victory because of Christ! If He has freed you, you are no longer a slave to sin but a slave to righteousness. So claim this victory and walk in the light…yet don’t look down on the broken. Read Romans and 1 John and let’s talk about them. ☺