Why is it that the very people who preach and do the opposite of God’s will, tell us that they are the “true” and “good” Christians? Do you get the feeling that these individuals are delusional?
Most of us know or have known that person who is mean by nature and who gossips and does spiteful things, yet they boast that they are a “good friend” or that they are good, decent people. Its almost as if they live in some kind of dark, mirror image of our world — as if they live in a world in which good is bad, but bad is good.
These days, it seems that people from the upside down world, have made it into our realm or, plane of reality — people who preach hatred and intolerance, who are cruel and cold-hearted, are actually trying to convince the rest of us, that it is they who are actually the good ones. Its quite scary when you stop and think about it, because given the attention they receive in the media, one might think that they’re telling the truth — that they have it right and the rest of us don’t. They do not.
Matthew 5:7-9 tells us:
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
The Bible is clear on what is expected of us and the New Testament guides us on how to speak, act and live. Its really not ambiguous and while it can be difficult to truly understand all Bible passages, the ones that teach us what is expected of us are pretty clear. For example:
“You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister ? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” – Romans 14:10-13
“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” – James 1:26
A great many of the people who today go around condemning the rest of us, as they piously hold themselves up as beacons of Christianity, love to quote only from the Old Testament. But the Old Testament also teaches us that we are all called upon to be good, kind and faithful people:
“Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you.” – Proverbs 3:29
“Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.” – Proverbs 22:24-25
When we meet a fellow Christian who is perpetually angry, bitter and cruel, and who willfully disregards the tenets of our faith, we of course need to be compassionate towards them, but we need to also recognize the damage they do. People all around the world are abandoning the faith and its because of false Christians who preach hatred, vengeance and cruelty. They are giving us all a bad reputation and the frustrating part is that they aren’t preaching or sharing the truth, but rather, their own personal ideology and political views, which they try to disguise as “Christian values” — values which in reality, are far from the true Christian faith.
