Such a good article. We Christians can be the worst critics to other Christians. I don’t get it. Instead of encouraging and loving, we criticize and tear down. Thank you Jesus for your Grace, please help us show more grace and love to everyone.
Thank you Peter for this article, to remind us all to show more grace and love.
Wonderful article as usual. I also appreciate you linking to your Sunday sermons and your articles for Not the Bee. Please keep doing that! I watch and read every one.
2 Peter 1:5 "For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,5 and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with BROTHERLY AFFECTION, and brotherly affection with LOVE. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Here's the diagnosis if these qualities are absent:
2 Peter 1:9 "For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having FORGOTTEN that he was CLEANSED FROM his FORMER SINS." Forgetting you HAD former sins [and, if you're like me, still struggle with many of them plus new ones], can lead to harsh "I gonna straighten you out" attitudes and words, rather than brotherly affection and love. Don't ya think?
Great book on these things is Unoffendable by Brant Hansen, who has had much to be offended by.
I also saw the video and though maybe he could have been a tad softer, he was right. I was so embarassed for the BB guys because I felt like Mr Musk had serious questions and they could have engaged with him, knowing that anything said could have been edited out, since it wasn't live, and they missed their opportunity. I believe the man in the mentioned video was angry with the BB guys because his heart was broken, as was mine, that they were given such an amazing opportunity and all three of them chickened out. None of them answered Mr Musk's questions, none of them chose to engage in discussion about his comments and confusions about Christ. IF there was opportunity afterwards and IF they did speak with him and counsel him further off-camera, then the portion where they "presented the gospel to him" could have been eliminated, because I don't see how you cannot see that it wasn't the gospel at all? Yes, I think the video you mentioned went a little far, but he was heart-broken and did what he thought he should at the time... maybe grace goes both ways. <3
Man oh man I agree. I am so tired of us Christians even using non-absolute doctrines to separate us! Paul wrote in 1 Cor 10 to be united and of 1 heart. How can we possibly do that unless we lower certain "standards" and raise the importance of LOVE.
Great reminder. Thank you. I’m not easily offended and I love to hear people laughing. To that end, I try to be funny when appropriate. I know the feeling when another Christian looks at you as if they think a lightning bolt should come strike you. Your friends advice was excellent.
Curious indeed as I also watched a video that made me think the exact same things that you've written about here. I think especially in these difficult times, extending a bit more grace would certainly be welcome.
A few years ago Lauren Daigle was on the Ellen Degrees show and was asked what her beliefs were regarding gay marriage and LGBT issues. Lauren was a rising star in Christian Music at the time, but was thrown into a meat grinder of criticism simply for appearing on a show that has an openly gay hostess. And what mad things worse was that she gave a “safe” answer to the question, and told Ellen that when she is asked that question she simply tells people to read the Bible for themselves and see how it answers. Christians immediately began a frenzy of hateful criticism of Lauren because she didn’t answer like a seasoned pastor, but instead like the 20 something entertainer that she was. As a Christian, I was ashamed at the time of the way the Church at large was treating Lauren Daigle. She wasn’t jumping on the bandwagon of “ex-vangelicals” or even affirming the behavior she was being asked about. She simply, and in her own way, said “take it up with God.” But I saw just how critical the church can be of it’s own at that time, and often continue to see that narrative play out. We need to be better about lifting up our own and encouraging one another, instead of acting like the rest of the world. This was a good reminder of that. Keep up what you’re doing, your biblical perspective is always enlightening!
Thank you for this. I find myself leaning more to the Gospel than the law when dealing with other Christians. I’ve seen condemnation chase nominal Christians away from the faith, instead of pulling them closer.
Your posts are very useful to me as I navigate expressing my faith in a world that generally makes me very angry.
Thanks for this article. I believe too many Christians have forgotten, or never learned, that grace comes not only from Christ via the Holy Spirit, but can come from believer to believer. To be able to bless another by extending grace too them is a blessing many never learn. Sad, but true.
Such a good article. We Christians can be the worst critics to other Christians. I don’t get it. Instead of encouraging and loving, we criticize and tear down. Thank you Jesus for your Grace, please help us show more grace and love to everyone.
Thank you Peter for this article, to remind us all to show more grace and love.
Wonderful article as usual. I also appreciate you linking to your Sunday sermons and your articles for Not the Bee. Please keep doing that! I watch and read every one.
Here's a command to those who claim Christ:
2 Peter 1:5 "For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,5 and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with BROTHERLY AFFECTION, and brotherly affection with LOVE. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Here's the diagnosis if these qualities are absent:
2 Peter 1:9 "For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having FORGOTTEN that he was CLEANSED FROM his FORMER SINS." Forgetting you HAD former sins [and, if you're like me, still struggle with many of them plus new ones], can lead to harsh "I gonna straighten you out" attitudes and words, rather than brotherly affection and love. Don't ya think?
Great book on these things is Unoffendable by Brant Hansen, who has had much to be offended by.
I also saw the video and though maybe he could have been a tad softer, he was right. I was so embarassed for the BB guys because I felt like Mr Musk had serious questions and they could have engaged with him, knowing that anything said could have been edited out, since it wasn't live, and they missed their opportunity. I believe the man in the mentioned video was angry with the BB guys because his heart was broken, as was mine, that they were given such an amazing opportunity and all three of them chickened out. None of them answered Mr Musk's questions, none of them chose to engage in discussion about his comments and confusions about Christ. IF there was opportunity afterwards and IF they did speak with him and counsel him further off-camera, then the portion where they "presented the gospel to him" could have been eliminated, because I don't see how you cannot see that it wasn't the gospel at all? Yes, I think the video you mentioned went a little far, but he was heart-broken and did what he thought he should at the time... maybe grace goes both ways. <3
Man oh man I agree. I am so tired of us Christians even using non-absolute doctrines to separate us! Paul wrote in 1 Cor 10 to be united and of 1 heart. How can we possibly do that unless we lower certain "standards" and raise the importance of LOVE.
Great reminder. Thank you. I’m not easily offended and I love to hear people laughing. To that end, I try to be funny when appropriate. I know the feeling when another Christian looks at you as if they think a lightning bolt should come strike you. Your friends advice was excellent.
Curious indeed as I also watched a video that made me think the exact same things that you've written about here. I think especially in these difficult times, extending a bit more grace would certainly be welcome.
A few years ago Lauren Daigle was on the Ellen Degrees show and was asked what her beliefs were regarding gay marriage and LGBT issues. Lauren was a rising star in Christian Music at the time, but was thrown into a meat grinder of criticism simply for appearing on a show that has an openly gay hostess. And what mad things worse was that she gave a “safe” answer to the question, and told Ellen that when she is asked that question she simply tells people to read the Bible for themselves and see how it answers. Christians immediately began a frenzy of hateful criticism of Lauren because she didn’t answer like a seasoned pastor, but instead like the 20 something entertainer that she was. As a Christian, I was ashamed at the time of the way the Church at large was treating Lauren Daigle. She wasn’t jumping on the bandwagon of “ex-vangelicals” or even affirming the behavior she was being asked about. She simply, and in her own way, said “take it up with God.” But I saw just how critical the church can be of it’s own at that time, and often continue to see that narrative play out. We need to be better about lifting up our own and encouraging one another, instead of acting like the rest of the world. This was a good reminder of that. Keep up what you’re doing, your biblical perspective is always enlightening!
Thank you for this. I find myself leaning more to the Gospel than the law when dealing with other Christians. I’ve seen condemnation chase nominal Christians away from the faith, instead of pulling them closer.
Your posts are very useful to me as I navigate expressing my faith in a world that generally makes me very angry.
God bless you and keep going!
Thanks for this article. I believe too many Christians have forgotten, or never learned, that grace comes not only from Christ via the Holy Spirit, but can come from believer to believer. To be able to bless another by extending grace too them is a blessing many never learn. Sad, but true.
Thank you for that reminder. God help me.