Moral Christianity

35‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ 37“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38‘When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39‘Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
Matthew 25: 35 - 40 NKJV

I read a article this weekend about a church in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota which has suddenly been put in the natioanl spotlight.  See, it seems the pastoral staff of this church made the decision to conduct a wedding.  Not just any ordinary wedding, but a wedding between two women.  As a result, the lead pastor has now been removed from his position and the church removed from the canopy of the national congregation.  Now, whatever your own view of the homosexual issue going on in our country, I believe that our own culture wars shouldn't be fought in our houses of worship.  Are you telling me that that very same building which has protected persucuted souls is now too high and mighty to be a refuge for yet another persecuted person?  Excuse me, sir, but you are a hypocrite.  In His woes to the Jewish Pharisees, Jesus Himself warned me of people like you.  For you tout your christian faith openly to others while at the same time using it to disparage those you don't agree with.  Can you imagine the response of Christ if He were approached by these same two women?  I'm sure you already know, but let me educate you.  What did Jesus do when He was confronted by the sinning woman at the well?  How did Jesus treat the cheating tax collector hiding in a tree?  What was Jesus' response when the Pharisees accused Him of spending His time with sinners?  Simple, He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance {Mark 2: 17}.  It certainly makes my heart glad that my salvation has not been decided by the likes of our modern christian moral army.  Our own sunday morning group has often heard of how God will judge harshly those of immoral behaviors.  Now, why would God do that when His followers here on earth do their best to pass judgement on those we find "immoral?"  How do you think the two women at the center of this controversy will view the church now?  I'll tell you how, the same way I see them, for the hypocrites that they are. 

16And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” 17When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Mark 2: 16 - 17 NKJV

I think we've long lost sight of just who Christ Jesus is.  Not only that, who God is.  After all, we're told that God...is Love {1 John 4: 8}.  Unless these women dig deep into the issues of this church, I would not blame them one bit if their first thoughts were of a God who is angry and disgusted with them.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  This isn't a God issue, this is a "us" issue.  We're the ones who have happily bastardized God in the name of our own morals.  How is the love of God shown through those who would shower others with anger and spite?  You are no different from those Pharisees Jesus called too hypocritical.  We do well to remember that the final judgement of mankind is not ours to deal with.  If it were then I shudder to think of who in our ranks would not be saved.  The apostle Paul tells us that it is Jesus who lives through us today {Galations 2: 20}.  Knowing this, is there any doubt how we are to see those who might be considered outcasts of society?  As the popular christian catch phrase from some years ago asked...what would Jesus do?  I'll tell you what He would do, He would show His love, grace and mercy to those whom others persecuted.  So, if Jesus indeed lives in us, how is He manifested today?  Yes, through those whom His Spirit dwells in.  I believe that the pastor in this instance was doing nothing more than exhibiting Christ who is in him.  Yeah, I know that there are plenty of hypocritical moralist christians out there who scream Gods judgement upon women such as these.  The truth is, they are the ones with the issue, not God.  How many times has a overzealous christian struck at those he disagreed with by invoking Gods vengence?  As I said, I have seen this type of christianity in our own group.  When we place ourselves in that judgement seat we put ourselves above God Himself.  How great will the fate of those who practice the condemnation of others be?  I for one don't want to find out.  That will never be the God I serve.

7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4: 7 - 8 NKJV

~Scott~