Inside Outside

Why do we view sins as not so bad, bad, and really bad? I have been thinking a lot about this over the past week. Isn't sin, sin? Are we to judge as God judges?

God's word says; "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." -Romans 3:23

My sins, and they are many, are not better or worse than yours or your neighbors - or anyone else's for that matter. So who are we to pass judgement on another? Why spew contentment and hate when we know what another person's sin is? Isn't God's forgiveness and love for them just as much as it is for us? There is no "them" and "us" in the eyes of God so we need to stop dividing people up into these two categories.

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." -1 John 4:7-11

Judgement comes from knowing another's sin, wrong doing, wrong living, wrong...whatever you want to label it. It comes because we "See" their sin. Sins that are on the outside. It's so easy for any of us to label a person "not saved" or "unreachable" because we know what they are doing is wrong. And that my friends...is WRONG! I get it. When sin is on the outside it's easier to feel better about our own sins, but it's all sin!

 "All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death." -1 John 5:17

The sin that lives on the inside maybe hidden, but it's not hidden from God. The sin that is polished up on Sunday morning is still just as wrong and ugly and deadly as the sin that was judged all the week long. It's time to stop judging people because of their sin and start loving them as Christ commands us to do. To live as a Christian means to follow the teaching of Christ. To live as He lived. We will not be perfect all the days of our life, but we can work towards becoming more like Christ each and every day. We need to look past the transgressions of other human being and love them.

"Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." -Ephesians 5:1-2

Yes I know God's word speaks very directly about sin, and we all sin. Every single last one of us. There is no getting away from it. Jesus died for all our sins, every single last person on earth. So love, don't hate. Have mercy, don't judge. Give forgiveness and be forgiven. Let God make the changes because let's face it, we can't. I cannot find a better example of this truth than in Galatians.

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited,provoking and envying each other." -Galatians 5:13-26

So if your sin is showing on the outside or if it's hidden on the inside, remember sin is sin and we are not to judge another's sin, but work on our own.

~Peace & Blessings~
 Jen