It’s most shameful witnessing Christians who seem to erroneously believe Christianity is mostly about being blessed with personal prosperity, wealth, and protection from enemies.
Source: Christianity is about a true relationship with Jesus Christ – The Zimbabwean
Yet, forgetting that the cornerstone to Christianity – as Christ Jesus Himself taught – is about a true relationship with Him, that leads to a Holy life, whereby we are led by love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Jesus said that true Christians should be known for, loving their enemies (NOT ‘sending back to sender’, as that is akin to ‘an eye for an eye’, that Christ rejected), blessing those who curse us, doing good to those who hate us, and praying for those who spitefully use us and persecuted us (Matthew 5:44).
Christians are supposed to show love, patience, goodness, and kindness even to those who don’t agree with us (and, even insult or mock us).
Why should we not? We ourselves sin against God everytime (as, “There’s none righteous, no, not one – Romans 3:10), yet, whilst we were still sinners, God loved us so much that He gave His own Son, to die for our own sins, that we may have life.
Christianity is about living a righteous life (which is only possible by the leading of the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with might in the inner man), as Christ said, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).
Sadly, as Christians, we have painted a very bad image of Christianity and Jesus – by being focused more on worldly lusts (esp, wealth, partying, etc), with absolutely nothing to show for our Christianity.
We are self-righteous. We are hypocritical. We are self-conceited. We are selfish. We are vindictive.
The same as were the scribes and Pharisees. In fact, we are far much worse than them – yet, Jesus commanded that we be more righteous than them.
COMMENTS
‘We ourselves sin against God everytime’…if you sin against God everytime you’re not a christian but a dinner who needs to repent and be saved. Rom 6 v 18 you’ve been made free from sin and are now servants of righteousness,
Yeah! That’s a sad commentary regarding Christianity. “We are self-righteous. We are hypocritical. We are self-conceited. We are selfish. We are vindictive.”
What’s this “WE” the author speaks of? If “WE” are like that, then to be Christians “WE” better get busy in study learning what God’s righteousness is, recognizing our faults by developing self-awareness, realize how anti-Christian that makes us, and begin working intensely to overcome ourselves because “WE” are anything but Christ-like. Otherwise, “WE” are Christians in name only, and the future beyond this realm is unpleasant beyond our imagination.
I am a Christian dedicated to following Jesus in every aspect of life. I don’t want to be any part of the author’s “WE”.