My brothers, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. 2 For example, a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in. 3 If you look with favor on the man wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or, “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” 4 haven’t you discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my dear brothers: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to those who love Him? 6 Yet you dishonored that poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 7 Don’t they blaspheme the noble name that was pronounced over you ⌊at your baptism⌋? 8 Indeed, if you keep the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. 9 But if you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of ⌊breaking it⌋ all. 11 For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. So if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you are a lawbreaker. 12 Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom. 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who hasn’t shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:1-13 (HCSB)
F. Jason Whitaker
Older men are to be level headed, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance. 3 In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine. ⌊They are⌋ to teach what is good, 4 so they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, homemakers, kind, and submissive to their husbands, so that God’s message will not be slandered.6 In the same way, encourage the young men to be self-controlled 7 in everything. Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching.8 Your message is to be sound beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us.Titus 2:2-8 (HCSB)
Why do so many "Christians" jump at the opportunity to judge? Are we any better than anyone? Do we boast in ourselves? Are we that strong, are we that much stronger than our flesh than non-Christians, and do we have so much pride in what we have done? I say that we are all sinners and all that we can boast in is the Love of our Lord. Shall we compare notes? Shall we compare how perfect we are compared to everyone else? Wouldn't we see how our sins are still the filthy rags that they always were? Sin is sin, that is the truth and sin is not good, but those who say that they are without are fools. Christ did not come to this world so that we can hate each other, Christ did not come to condemn but to redeem. To tell anyone God hates them is a shame. I just want to cry over the ignorance of this. We are suppose to be the light in this dark world, we are suppose to be the examples of hope and love: the Hope and Love of Christ Jesus. I sin. The only thing that I know is that Christ came to redeem me from the debt of sin. He came for me and He came for the world. For God so loved the World that he sent His one and only Son. There is hope. We should not just say that we are naive, so let us remain this way. We are suppose to turn and sin no more. If we judge, so shall we be judged. I am so far from being perfect, but it is not about us being perfect. It is about a relationship with our God. For the grace of God has appeared with salvation for all people, 12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14 He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people for His own possession, eager to do good works.15 Say these things, and encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. Titus 2:11-15 (HCSB) Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people. 3 For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. 4 But when the goodness of God and His lovefor mankind appeared,5 He saved us --not by works of righteousness that we had done,but according to His mercy,through the washing of regenerationand renewal by the Holy Spirit.6 He poured out this ⌊Spirit⌋ on us abundantlythrough Jesus Christ our Savior,7 so that having been justified by His grace,we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:1-7 (HCSB) It makes me sad that people carry signs that proclaim "God Hates Fags". God loves everyone and wants a relationship with us. Sin is sin, one sin is no different from another sin in the eye's of God. Whether or not being gay is a sin is not for me to force upon anyone, but I do believe that ANY sex outside of that between a husband and a wife are sin. I also believe that divorce is a sin. I believe that smoking tobacco is a sin. The focus should not be on SIN but on a relationship with God. God should be the one to convict us of sin. Christ came to save, not to condemn so why do we think we have the right to condemn. Condemnation is the pointing out of something wrong without the hope of a change and Conviction is the pointing out (By the Holy Spirit) of things that need to change and it provides a way to change. Please read all of this before coming to some conclusion. Read the Bible and if I have written anything that goes against the Word of God you should tell me. I pray now for redemption and God's love to be revealed. |
