I personally have been hurt by people who called themselves Christians and seen people who call themselves Christians hurt others. The world watches as sometimes so called Christians act worse than they do. In the name of Christianity many horrible things are done within the body of Christ all the time, and the world watches.
The world is aching for real love but sometimes they can't see it among those who profess to know God Who is love. Love is not a word to be thrown around lightly. If the actions toward your bother or sister are not loving then how can that be called love. When the world sees this happening they want no part of Christianity.
Discussion Topic
Are you living in the light?
Posted on 09/19/09, 11:14 pm
Our speaker today is PenguinPeru.
This story is true and will be brief. It leads to this message.
There was a Christian woman who attended the University of Oregon. She was a proclaiming Christian. With one of the classes she took, she always gave this professor a hard time. On occasion, she would give this man dirty looks and/or call him names such as "boogieman" and so forth.
One day, rather perturbed and concerned, this professor asked her what was wrong. Self-righteously, she proclaimed that she was a Christian and thought that he was like most of the staff who taught at that university. The truth, he later proclaimed to others was that he was a Christian himself and was taken aback by this student's verbal attacks about what she assumed was his character.
What did this student do wrong and this is the Scripture that comes to mind. This is the same Scripture that the student was ignoring.
1 John 2:9-11: "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him."
Isn't that what's the problem with many Christian churches today? Isn't that why Christian growth is hindered?
We must be the salt in the world (Matthew 5:13). When we treat each other poorly, it reflects poorly to the world around us. What did this woman's action prove to me, the reader? What did this woman's action prove to her fellow students (saved or not)? What would have happened if this instructor wasn't saved, or worse yet, was planning on being saved and wanting to find a good Christian friend? In that case, could the instructor have used the excuse to change his mind and say "no" to becoming a Christian because of this woman's treatment to him? We must seriously consider these questions for our own treatment of other brothers and sisters as well as our neighbors (the general world around us). So, here's a homework assignment to those who read this. Whenever you have a chance, answer the above questions seriously and ask God to guide you as you meditate on this.
On the flip side, we can be the salt that the Lord wants us to be and this can have a REAL POSITIVE impact on the world around us. Our actions DO speak louder than words and when we live that life, others will naturally be drawn to it. Satan uses some Christians such as that woman to do his work much like he used the Pharisees to be so extreme in their religion that they missed the point of reaching out. However, let God use you to thwart this subtle attack by Satan to keep the lost in the dark. God bless and have a wonderful day.
This story is true and will be brief. It leads to this message.
There was a Christian woman who attended the University of Oregon. She was a proclaiming Christian. With one of the classes she took, she always gave this professor a hard time. On occasion, she would give this man dirty looks and/or call him names such as "boogieman" and so forth.
One day, rather perturbed and concerned, this professor asked her what was wrong. Self-righteously, she proclaimed that she was a Christian and thought that he was like most of the staff who taught at that university. The truth, he later proclaimed to others was that he was a Christian himself and was taken aback by this student's verbal attacks about what she assumed was his character.
What did this student do wrong and this is the Scripture that comes to mind. This is the same Scripture that the student was ignoring.
1 John 2:9-11: "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him."
Isn't that what's the problem with many Christian churches today? Isn't that why Christian growth is hindered?
We must be the salt in the world (Matthew 5:13). When we treat each other poorly, it reflects poorly to the world around us. What did this woman's action prove to me, the reader? What did this woman's action prove to her fellow students (saved or not)? What would have happened if this instructor wasn't saved, or worse yet, was planning on being saved and wanting to find a good Christian friend? In that case, could the instructor have used the excuse to change his mind and say "no" to becoming a Christian because of this woman's treatment to him? We must seriously consider these questions for our own treatment of other brothers and sisters as well as our neighbors (the general world around us). So, here's a homework assignment to those who read this. Whenever you have a chance, answer the above questions seriously and ask God to guide you as you meditate on this.
On the flip side, we can be the salt that the Lord wants us to be and this can have a REAL POSITIVE impact on the world around us. Our actions DO speak louder than words and when we live that life, others will naturally be drawn to it. Satan uses some Christians such as that woman to do his work much like he used the Pharisees to be so extreme in their religion that they missed the point of reaching out. However, let God use you to thwart this subtle attack by Satan to keep the lost in the dark. God bless and have a wonderful day.
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Reply #1 09/19/09 11:34pm
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Reply #2 09/19/09 11:51pm
I too have been hurt by those who profess they are Christians. There is a big difference between those that profess Christianity and those that possess Christianity.
I agree with Penquin-Peru. Love is the key to true Christianity. Jesus said that the second greatest commandment was "that we love one another". -
Reply #3 09/20/09 12:42am
I know that in the groups I have started or added a new topic on a few occassions I would be put down on my view. I would have to admit that I responded negatively. The as I thought about it I went back and deleted my negative answer for the Apostle Paul admonished the Christian not to quarrel with each other on the finer ponts of the Bible. I have relatives of different denominations and we all have come to the conclusion that as we all agreed on salvation by grace though faith then we would leave the rest up to God.
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