Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares The Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."



Sunday, January 5, 2014

What if...

What if... What if we all loved as Jesus did? What if we saw everyone as Jesus sees them? Laying down our self righteous judgements, pre conceived notions and religious "rules"... And merely saw people through the eyes of Christ? I mean, really.. Who are WE to judge anyone? Who are WE to point out someone else's "sin"... When we have "sins" of our own? Just because in "our" eyes their "sin" is bigger and worse than ours.. Who are we to judge? When did we become so self righteous that we can look past our own sins, mistakes, short comings and failures... But can't look beyond those of our neighbor.. When were we given the title of Judge and Jury? Why do we put sins in categories and give everyone a label according to their sin... When we have probably done worse but we choose to ignore our own to make others look worse than us.. In return making us feel better about our own "sin"..

The Jesus I know and love dwelt among the "sinners".. He loved them (he loves me, a sinner) and never talked down to them making them feel unworthy.. Even though we all are.. Unworthy. He was the ultimate example of Love.

There is a phrase that I've heard numerous times in church and I have even used it myself.. Hate the sin but love the sinner... Here recently this phrase has been bothering me. When we use this, we are making ourselves sound so self righteous.. Like we are without sins of our own... To be honest.. We are like filthy rags compared to Christ. Sin is sin... We all sin have sinned and will sin.. The good news is we have a Father who loves us unconditionally, regardless of our sins, mistakes, short comings and failures. When we say that phrase we are actually stating (in my opinion) that WE are without sin and that those that sin differently than us are scum. When we get to a place that we are without sin of our own.... THEN we can use that phrase and not sound self righteous.. Good luck getting there because as long as we are living on this earth... We are gonna be sinners.

8 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

11 “No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
John 8:1-20