Lisa Bevere said in a recent Adamant podcast “If people can’t get to Christ because of people, there’s a real problem.” That’s super powerful to think about for me.
I think it’s safe to say that most of us have opinions about how things should go. Some of us believe strongly in certain political movements or sides. Some of us believe strongly in the freedoms we have access to in America. I’m not weighing in with my political views here, but as Christians, there’s a lot more at stake than having a political advantage for a termed time. There are literal lives at stake, and people are dying every day without knowing Truth.
Jesus, God as man, wasn’t concerned in politics. He wasn’t aligned with democrats or republicans. He wasn’t concerned with how many people you have slept with or what you identify as. He wasn’t worried about which church or denomination you are or aren’t affiliated with, and He didn’t care about what your past looked like or what your present situation is. My point here: He didn’t care about labels, like we do.
He cared about people. He cared about their hearts and their futures. He cared about making them feel seen, not as their sin (because let’s be real, we all have it), but as a person. Even more so, as a friend. So much so that Jesus even said shortly before his death, “No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father… This is what I command you: Love one another” (John 15:13-15; 17).
This 👆🏼 was what Jesus cared about.
He called His followers friends. Prior to this, only Abraham and Moses were considered friends of God (HCSB). However, Jesus came and was a friend to sinners. After He died, the veil (or curtain) in the Temple at Jerusalem that separated the people from God was torn from top to bottom. This veil was in place to separate man (unholy) from God (Holy). He came so we could approach God - with Jesus wholly - as we are. That is our friend, Jesus. The friend who physically laid down on a cross, so that he could be crucified for us. That is love.
To my Christian friends, who are we to keep someone from knowing Christ because their sin may be different from ours? Jesus didn’t love the sin, but He loved the person. Not one of us is worthy without Christ, and His love was extended freely to us in our sin. Therefore, we must love one another as Christ loved us and extend the same invitation even through our differences.
To my non-Christian friends, before you make assumptions about Jesus based on friends or family’s Facebook feeds, news preferences, or behavior, give Jesus a real chance, because His love is life changing. His love is real. His love is selfless and unending, everlasting and Truth. It's filling in the best ways. Regardless of what you’ve been told or taught throughout your life, it is available to you, and it’s FREE. If you’re looking for a place to start, try reading through or listening to John. It’s one of my favorites. ❤️ As a side note, if you’re reading a New King James Version and you’re a newbie, I’d start with The Message, NIV, or ESV to really be able to grasp Jesus and His mission. The You Version Bible APP is also a great place to start. It's free and has a daily Scripture with a short video explaining it.
I hope you have a great week ahead, friends, and I hope you're able to share the Good News of Jesus!
“My lips will glorify You because Your faithful love is better than life.” Psalms 63:3
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