Monday, March 16, 2015
Judgement and Justification
Chelsen Vicari:
The church is here to fix the world, really and truly, but the great news of the Gospel of Christ is that the process starts by fixing us. Yet we act as if there is nothing wrong with us, it's just the world that needs fixing.
Don't know about you, but I need fixing.
gospel grace judgement
We so badly want to appease everyone, that many Evangelical Christians mistake Jesus’ words, “Judge not, that you be not judged,” to mean accommodate sin so as not to offend. Well-intentioned or not, I fear Evangelicals have confused being non-judgmental with justification and affirmation.I could not agree more. And what really bothers me about this trend is how it cheapens grace. Without and understanding of sin, what need is there for grace and at that point Christianity simply becomes a banner for "Feed the Poor."
[...]
Mind you, I’m not just talking about hot button issues like same-sex marriage or even abortion. In far too many churches that I have visited, simply words like “Hell,” “sin,” and “transformation” are avoided because they invoke negative connotations with the Gospel.
Hear me loud and clear: I am not endorsing mean-spirited criticisms, insults, and discrimination within the Church. Christ was clear on judgment. But he was also clear on righteously rebuking and turning away from sinfulness. (See John 8:3-11)
Talking this week with a local pastor, I was introduced to the stark reality of socially accepted Jesus. Nathan Knight is the pastor of Restoration Church, a relatively new church plant in a Northwest neighborhood of Washington D.C. Pastor Knight said that contemporary urban culture “loves gentle Jesus. They love traditional nice good teacher Jesus. They love tolerant Jesus. They don’t love judgmental Jesus.”
The church is here to fix the world, really and truly, but the great news of the Gospel of Christ is that the process starts by fixing us. Yet we act as if there is nothing wrong with us, it's just the world that needs fixing.
Don't know about you, but I need fixing.
gospel grace judgement
