tolerating sin
I've been thinking about what it means to be loving of a sinner or of someone who holds a belief or lifestyle contrary to your own. In this case, as a devoted follower of Christ, I can easily use the issue of homosexuality but I won't...its too easy to get off course when involving a hot topic like that.
Let's say you meet a girl who lives a pretty loose social life. Hmmm. Nice girl, very friendly, has made some mistakes, doesn't dress or act like "church people," but is at church and you befriend her. You've read the scriptures about loving thy neighbor and evangelism. You've grown up hearing about how we love the sinner but hate the sin, etc. All that crap aside...
How do you make clear that you disagree with her lifestyle while also saying, "I love you for what God created you to be, his child." Because the more I think about it, I realize it seems to be this ‘big trump card answer’ that only would works or makes sense to other Christians. Tell me if this sounds right:
Suzy Sinner: Hey Johnny I went out and…blah blah blah…last night. It was cool. You should come along sometime.
Johnny Christian: Um, I’m busy with bible study. Sorry.
Suzy Sinner: You go to bible study every night. How come you never hang out with me outside of church? We are friends right?
Johnny Christian: Yeah. We’re friends all right.
Suzy Sinner: What’s the matter? I don’t understand. Am I not cool enough for ya (sarcasm)?!?
Johnny Christian: Well, in your case. I love the sinner, but hate the sin. I think you do a lot of things that are wrong…blah blah blah.
Back to reality. This may have been the right thing for Johnny Christian to say at this time, but was it the best thing to do? Should he have done this:
Suzy Sinner: Hey Johnny I went out and…blah blah blah…last night. It was cool. You should come along sometime.
Johnny Christian: Ya know Suzy…I’m not really into that stuff. I know you are, but its not my thing and I’d rather hang out with you somewhere else. You’re cool, that’s not my stye though (said really smooth, maybe with a little wink afterwards).
Suzy Sinner: That’s cool. See ya at church on Sunday.
Johnny Christian: Bye Suzy.
It seems to me that we run the risk of either (1) condoning the sin by not speaking up and ignore it in the name of love or (2) we condemn the sinner in hopes that they will, all of the sudden, choose us over the sin because it makes so much sense to us. Are there solutions to this? Yes. Are there formulas? I would say no.
But Jesus sure had it figured out. He ate with prostitutes and even let one touch his feet. But many have likened the image of God to the cheap picture of a longhaired hippie looking guy with a big smile and a thumbs up T-shirt that says, “Jesus is my Homeboy.” What a load of crap I say. Jesus is our Savior who died to bring life and relationship. He was a revolutionary, not a cheap icon for Christian pop culture to make money off of.
Ok. I went off subject a bit.
How do you love the sinner without condoning the sin?
How do you hate the sin while loving the sinner?
Is there an answer besides: JESUS.
I'm done writing now...
Jared Bell
Let's say you meet a girl who lives a pretty loose social life. Hmmm. Nice girl, very friendly, has made some mistakes, doesn't dress or act like "church people," but is at church and you befriend her. You've read the scriptures about loving thy neighbor and evangelism. You've grown up hearing about how we love the sinner but hate the sin, etc. All that crap aside...
How do you make clear that you disagree with her lifestyle while also saying, "I love you for what God created you to be, his child." Because the more I think about it, I realize it seems to be this ‘big trump card answer’ that only would works or makes sense to other Christians. Tell me if this sounds right:
Suzy Sinner: Hey Johnny I went out and…blah blah blah…last night. It was cool. You should come along sometime.
Johnny Christian: Um, I’m busy with bible study. Sorry.
Suzy Sinner: You go to bible study every night. How come you never hang out with me outside of church? We are friends right?
Johnny Christian: Yeah. We’re friends all right.
Suzy Sinner: What’s the matter? I don’t understand. Am I not cool enough for ya (sarcasm)?!?
Johnny Christian: Well, in your case. I love the sinner, but hate the sin. I think you do a lot of things that are wrong…blah blah blah.
Back to reality. This may have been the right thing for Johnny Christian to say at this time, but was it the best thing to do? Should he have done this:
Suzy Sinner: Hey Johnny I went out and…blah blah blah…last night. It was cool. You should come along sometime.
Johnny Christian: Ya know Suzy…I’m not really into that stuff. I know you are, but its not my thing and I’d rather hang out with you somewhere else. You’re cool, that’s not my stye though (said really smooth, maybe with a little wink afterwards).
Suzy Sinner: That’s cool. See ya at church on Sunday.
Johnny Christian: Bye Suzy.
It seems to me that we run the risk of either (1) condoning the sin by not speaking up and ignore it in the name of love or (2) we condemn the sinner in hopes that they will, all of the sudden, choose us over the sin because it makes so much sense to us. Are there solutions to this? Yes. Are there formulas? I would say no.
But Jesus sure had it figured out. He ate with prostitutes and even let one touch his feet. But many have likened the image of God to the cheap picture of a longhaired hippie looking guy with a big smile and a thumbs up T-shirt that says, “Jesus is my Homeboy.” What a load of crap I say. Jesus is our Savior who died to bring life and relationship. He was a revolutionary, not a cheap icon for Christian pop culture to make money off of.
Ok. I went off subject a bit.
How do you love the sinner without condoning the sin?
How do you hate the sin while loving the sinner?
Is there an answer besides: JESUS.
I'm done writing now...
Jared Bell
posted by Jared at 3:04 PM
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