But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NKJV)
Doctrinal Point #3: God loves sinners and made provision to save them through the atoning work of Christ.
The most popular Bible verses, according to statistical data on the internet, are as follows:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16 (NKJV) "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jer 29:11 (NKJV) You probably noticed that both of these verses would have to be considered "Good News" verses.
If you were to stop people on the street and ask them to describe the Christian religion; many would use words such as, "somber, strict, stiff, stoic, superstitious..." And that is only a few of the "S" words. What this tells me is that God is really, really good; and that the church has done a poor job in representing Him to the world. Most non-Christians are not interested in taking on the bondage of religion. Too often rejecting our brand of Christianity without understanding that Christ brings real freedom and a life of joy. If you are a Christian--please hear me--we need to do a better job in representing Jesus and His message of "Good News!"
Does God hate sinners? Does He hate Muslims? Does He hate homosexuals?* The answers should be so obvious as to render the questions as rhetorical in nature, but just in case you are not sure--let me answer each question in turn. "No"..."No"...and "No." Please note the following truth: "God demonstrates (an ongoing process) His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." So, if God does not hate sinners, what does He hate? God hates the sin that enslaves them--the sin that is so self-destructive--the sin that does so much damage--the sin that separates people from their Creator.
Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, too much of my own preaching has made it sound as if You are an angry God looking for ways to punish mankind. I have no doubt about Your position as to being the perfect judge, but I also know that the word that defines You above all others is 'love.' Please help me to be a better representative of Your love. May I demonstrate more of Your grace, mercy, patience and other character traits when I preach the Good News. Amen"
* When asked by The Barna Group what words or phrases best describe Christianity, the top response among Americans ages 16-29 was “anti-homosexual.” For a staggering 91 percent of non-Christians, this was the first word that came to their mind when asked about the Christian faith. The same was true for 80 percent of young churchgoers. Do I believe that homosexuality is a sin? I simply believe that the Bible represents the truth. (There is no way to parse the Apostle Paul's words concerning homosexuality and come away believing that it is an equal and blessed lifestyle) However, I do not classify homosexuality as a bad sin while classifying other sin as less or "good" sin. I have a number of homosexual friends that I love and pray for. I have not be called to persecute homosexuals or anyone else. I have been called to "preach the truth according to God's Word"--to "love my neighbor as myself"--and to "leave all matters of judgment in the hands of God." The danger of making the above statement is this: The pro-homosexual crowd will consider it a "hate crime." The anti-homosexual crowd will believe that my position was not stated as clearly or strongly as it should have been. It is indicative of the Satanic maneuvering that has placed "The Church" between a rock and a hard place. Time for "God's people to humble themselves, turn from their wicked ways and pray."
Doctrinal Point #3: God loves sinners and made provision to save them through the atoning work of Christ.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16 (NKJV) "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jer 29:11 (NKJV) You probably noticed that both of these verses would have to be considered "Good News" verses.
If you were to stop people on the street and ask them to describe the Christian religion; many would use words such as, "somber, strict, stiff, stoic, superstitious..." And that is only a few of the "S" words. What this tells me is that God is really, really good; and that the church has done a poor job in representing Him to the world. Most non-Christians are not interested in taking on the bondage of religion. Too often rejecting our brand of Christianity without understanding that Christ brings real freedom and a life of joy. If you are a Christian--please hear me--we need to do a better job in representing Jesus and His message of "Good News!"
Does God hate sinners? Does He hate Muslims? Does He hate homosexuals?* The answers should be so obvious as to render the questions as rhetorical in nature, but just in case you are not sure--let me answer each question in turn. "No"..."No"...and "No." Please note the following truth: "God demonstrates (an ongoing process) His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." So, if God does not hate sinners, what does He hate? God hates the sin that enslaves them--the sin that is so self-destructive--the sin that does so much damage--the sin that separates people from their Creator.
Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, too much of my own preaching has made it sound as if You are an angry God looking for ways to punish mankind. I have no doubt about Your position as to being the perfect judge, but I also know that the word that defines You above all others is 'love.' Please help me to be a better representative of Your love. May I demonstrate more of Your grace, mercy, patience and other character traits when I preach the Good News. Amen"
* When asked by The Barna Group what words or phrases best describe Christianity, the top response among Americans ages 16-29 was “anti-homosexual.” For a staggering 91 percent of non-Christians, this was the first word that came to their mind when asked about the Christian faith. The same was true for 80 percent of young churchgoers. Do I believe that homosexuality is a sin? I simply believe that the Bible represents the truth. (There is no way to parse the Apostle Paul's words concerning homosexuality and come away believing that it is an equal and blessed lifestyle) However, I do not classify homosexuality as a bad sin while classifying other sin as less or "good" sin. I have a number of homosexual friends that I love and pray for. I have not be called to persecute homosexuals or anyone else. I have been called to "preach the truth according to God's Word"--to "love my neighbor as myself"--and to "leave all matters of judgment in the hands of God." The danger of making the above statement is this: The pro-homosexual crowd will consider it a "hate crime." The anti-homosexual crowd will believe that my position was not stated as clearly or strongly as it should have been. It is indicative of the Satanic maneuvering that has placed "The Church" between a rock and a hard place. Time for "God's people to humble themselves, turn from their wicked ways and pray."
No comments:
Post a Comment