Let's Do It!

Religion hurts. I am not theorizing here. Here is a real-life example. 

I am part of the prison ministry team of the church organization that I attend and I have the privilege to connect with inmates in person and through letters. 

Couple of weeks ago when I was at a particular correctional facility sharing the good news of the love of Christ Jesus, I met a man who came from a very churchy background. He said was raised in a church, used to be a drummer at the church and that most of his immediate family were pastors for multiple generations. But when he made some wrong choices in life, they disconnected him from their lives. Yes.

The man was deeply hurt. His questions were along these lines: how could his family, the supposed servants of a loving God be this nasty to him? Is God like this too?

Welcome to religion. This is a classic example of what religion does to a person. It condemns, hurts and alienates people from God's love. Religion mouths the name of Jesus, but its only god is the organization that it serves. 

The truth is, those hurtful actions by his family members are alien to Jesus. Listen to Jesus' words, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:17). Read the Gospels closely; the only crowd that Jesus chastised was the religious crowd,  not because He hated them, but because they were dependent on their self-efforts to be in right standing with God.

Condemnation is not from God, because the price for the sin of the human race was paid for by Jesus Christ, once and for all. As Paul said, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Rom 8:1). 

It's the goodness of the Lord that leads a person to repentance (Gr: metanoia - which simply means a 'change of mind'). Jesus did not die for us when we had all our acts in order. He demonstrated his love towards us by dying for us while we were sinners (see Rom 8:5). Period.

So we see that God's love is unconditional towards every human being (not just the Christians. see John 3:16). And if we are His ambassadors, is not it fair to assume that we are to represent our King? 

Let's look at everyone as God sees them. 

Let's do it, by abiding in Him!