'Of course, I don't hate you, I just hate the thing you do. It won't affect the way I relate to you, I'll just grit my teeth behind my evangelical smile whenever you do that or talk about it'.The truth is of course that the poor person who is the beneficiary of this 'loving' response knows that you are gritting your teeth, knows that behind the smile is disapproval and feels judged, belittled or patronised - or on a particularly good day, all three. Fortunately session four of the course (the one just after lunch that no-one remembers) teaches us how to deal with the offense our poor witnessee feels.
The bottom line is that if you disapprove of the things I do, you by implication disapprove of me. After all, it is me who decided to do whatever it is that offends you. It is my worldview, my values, my background that led to the choice to so behave. You can't artificially seperate out me from my actions. So if you hate the sin, you are at some level hating the sinner. People are sensitive to hypocrisy, to unspoken criticism, they know what's going on, precisely because our actions ultimately belie what is going on underneath. Anyone who has ever lived within an atmosphere of unspoken criticism will know how crippling this can be.
'By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another'. I don't think evangelism, bringing good news, has anything to do with accusation, explicitly or implied. It's about a community demonstrating what God is like. His pure motives, His sacrificial service, His extraordinary hospitality, His absolute self-control, His grace, His mercy, His justice and permeating it all, His love. That's our unique calling. It's about a group of people being distinctively different to the world around them. Different in the same way that God is different. Holy as He is holy. Loving rather than accusing. Loving rather than hating, Loving rather than self-promoting. Behaving lovingly towards yourself, towards others, towards God. That's the heart of holiness - being distinctively different.It's what church is - a distinctive, open community representing who God is (a Triune loving community, open to us).
The call to holiness then is for those within the community of faith. For those in that community, there is both an expectation and an urgency to cooperate with the Holy Spirit so that minds can be renewed and lives transformed. Not because piety is itself a goal, but that collectively we are called to represent Christ to a world that does not know Him. It is as we respond lovingly to one another in God honouring ways that the character and life of Jesus is made visible. It is therefore of profound importance that our lives reflect that. Otherwise people receive a false view of God.
It's how Jesus lives it in the Gospels: The word of knowledge for the Samaritan woman, but no judging. The word of encouragement and welcome to the cheating tax-collector, but no accusation. Words in the sand for the woman caught in adultery, but no condemnation. Yes, we see Jesus angry with those who should have known better, those to whom God had already revealed Himself - and especially the religious leaders - the ones who should be the witnessing community. But to those who the community is for, who had no shepherd, to the poor, the marginalised, the judged, He brought only good news.
So in the church; discipline, encouragement to Godly living, iron sharpening iron. Holiness, repentance, confession, accountability so that those outside might see God and be attracted in. To whom much is given, much is expected.
To those as yet outside the community; welcome, open hearts, hospitality, selflessness, compassion, no accusation or threat.
To everyone; grace, peace and unconditional love.
No comments:
Post a Comment