People that know I’m a Christian, also know that I’m not perfect. My wife of 38 years knows it first hand, as do my two grown boys, my brother and sister, my parents (God rest their souls), extended family, etc. The people I work with day in and day out know I’m a Christian and also know I’m nowhere near perfect. I’m simply a believer and I can be harsh, unkind, mean spirited, judgmental, what have you. You know, all the “bad” things our flesh has to offer. At the same time, I strive to be the Christian God teaches us to be every day and fail often. Never have I suggested or claimed to be “perfect”. Never have I claimed to know everything or to understand everything, to the extent that I think no one can teach me anything. But, I do claim to have been perfected when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
The reason I thought to write about this subject at this particular time is primarily due to what I view as this underlying premise in the country today manifested in the public/political discourse as presented in the various so-called “Main Stream Media” news outlets. In a general sense, the premise is the idea that people who believe in liberalism, more than half of which identify as atheists, seem to expect moral perfection from people claiming to be “God-fearing” conservatives while at the same time “accepting” of, mixed in with a little normalizing and a shot of redefining , amoral behavior in and amongst their “followers”.
Broad brush, I know, but you know how I like to start there and drill down to the heart of the matter. By doing so, I hope to highlight the diametrically opposed, yet, at times, mirror-like similarities between the behavior of people claiming faith and allegiance to the doctrine of God as given to the world in His bible and people claiming faith and allegiance to the doctrine of men as propagated by the secular world at large.
Hypocrisy is a word bandied around by both conservatives and liberals these days to describe each other when the behaviors of certain public figures living in the social/political/public/national “space” come into question. And in the worldly sense of hypocrisy, which in my mind simply means to fault others for “wrong” behavior while behaving the same way, I often agree with that description.
The left’s/atheist’s/non-believer’s hypocrisy often takes the form of liberals standing in judgement of so-called, “god- fearin’, Christian conservatives” who seem to tolerate certain behaviors amongst themselves that are somehow off the mark for someone claiming to be a Christian. In other words, you got non-believers using Christian principles and at times citing specific passages from the bible to judge Christians as a way of discrediting not only the individual but also the very fundamentals of Christianity itself. Meanwhile, as time goes on, the “anything goes” amorality and utter depravity of the left/atheists/non-believers, is more and more “in your face” every day.
And in their judgement, what comes through loud and clear is their expectation that Christians are supposed to be perfect and I mean perfect in the sense of someone who is without spot or blemish, flawless.
When it comes to conservatives standing in judgement of “non-believing heathens”, (I mock those “Christians”), I often get the sense of self-righteousness; the opposite of humility. Then I wonder the depth to which these “God-fearin” conservatives truly understand the word of God.
Whether the hypocrisy comes from the left or the right (in the public square), it often comes through as this childish, unproductive chorus of “I know you are, but what am I…”
What I’m driving at is the idea that someone who identifies as a liberal or someone from the “left”, which statistically means an atheist, which means a non-believer, presumes to be able to use the word of God to judge “Christians”. And in their perverted and corrupt minds, in their judgment, they expect Christians to be perfect. How many think this way? Your guess is as good as mine. And I’m sure there are some who don’t expect complete flawlessness, but there are definitely those who look for imperfection and exploit it for political gains and, again, to discredit Christianity at large.
I think this gets to the heart of why the country is as divided as it is. You got two groups with diametrically opposite outlooks on life, on relationships, on “fairness”, morality; you name it… As I discuss in Cows In the Pews And the Atheists Too, Chapter Two, “The Big Round Up”, I refer to these two groups as the Christian herd and the Atheist herd. And that people in these herds are “mooing” through life in ignorance. Heavy and offensive accusation; again, I get that. If you’re one of the offended, let me try to help you to at least be a little less offended.
If you recall from my last post, “Why Do You Sit In The Pews?”, in Acts, chapter 17, the apostle Paul stood on Mar’s hill in Greece and told the Athenians they were both superstitious and ignorant. Remember too, these were the “smart” people of the time, the Epicureans and Stoics, the philosophers…
Acts 17:22-23
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, [Ye] men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
Here are the definitions for superstitious and ignorantly:
From Strong’s Concordance: “too superstitious” in verse 22 is G1174, deisidaimō: as being devout without the knowledge of the true God
From Strong’s Concordance: “ignorantly” in verse 23 is G50, agnoeō: not to know (through lack of information or intelligence)
Do you see the similarity in how the left approaches the right and conversely, the right approaches the left? The thing that strikes me is the mirror-like vantage points of the two groups. In my mind, it’s pretty obvious that, if you, as a professed “Christian”, are being devout without the knowledge of the true God, you worship through lack of information or intelligence. I view many churchgoers as fitting into this “herd”. And the reflection of that is someone who is a professed “atheist” who is also being devout (to the “religion” of atheism) without the knowledge of the true God, who worship the “no-god” doctrine of atheism through lack of information or intelligence.
This gets to the root of my oft repeated position that I believe the majority of people have allowed themselves to be herded into one or the other of these two groups out of weakness; a weakness stemming from a lack of direct and personal knowledge of the word of God, i.e. ignorance.
Now, I don’t know if all of that will help you be less offended, but if what I’ve argued here is an apt description of the basis for you being in one group or the other, I don’t understand why you’d be offended in the first place. If it’s true, hurt feelings aside, it’s true and it’s more likely that what you really feel is exposed or vulnerable, and if that’s the case, I understand why you choose to be offended. It’s who the flesh is, it’s what the flesh does…
Let’s consider a recent occurrence to illustrate my point.
Democratic Senator from Ohio, Sherrod Brown sometime during the week of November 16, 2018 was quoted as saying:
“When Jesus said when I was hungry, you fed me. When I was thirsty, you gave me drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me. What you did for those who seemed less important, you did for me. Not the least of these. It’s just society may act like they’re less important, but we don’t because we understand the value of people, we understand the dignity of work, we understand the values this country stands for.”
Now, I’m gonna leave the sourcing to you because where this statement was reported is secondary to the statement itself. The information I was able to find associates Senator Brown’s comment with a discussion between two commentators who I’ll not name, again, because it is secondary to what the quote and the discussion illustrates. However, I am quoting these statements so you can find them yourself.
The discussion is in context of the on-going immigration issues our country faces and the recent caravans approaching the US and Mexican border.
Commentator 1 says:
“Well, Matthew 25 applies here, don’t you think? That’s what he was quoting. We have people who are fleeing for their lives who are in desperate need, who want to come to this country and seek asylum legally, by presenting themselves at the border.”
And:
“I think we’re pointing out the hypocrisy on the right, that likes to claim they are Christians but ignore the teachings of Christ. Matthew 25 clearly directs us to help those in need.”
In response, commentator 2 says:
“So people that don’t believe in God get to tell Christians what it is to be a Christian.”
There are several things that come through here, the least of which is commentator 2 rightly questioning the underlying notion that commentator 1, a non-believer, can judge ALL Christians as hypocrites who ignore the teachings of Christ. That aside, consider the outright audacity it takes to use the word of God in an attempt to manipulate people emotionally into agreeing with his open arms, open border position. Keep in mind also that commentator 1 is in front of a camera making these statements on the national stage.
More importantly, in his mishandling of the word of God, what also comes through is his clear expectation, again, as a non-believer, that “Christians” are supposed to be perfect. I put Christians in quotation marks since it is very likely that in his heart of hearts, there’s no such thing as a “Christian” since there’s no such thing as a god. He mocks…
To that I say this, and it can’t be stressed enough, Christians are not perfect, but we are perfected:
Philippians 3:12-14
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
The other thing that can’t be ignored is the ignorance; and frankly, willful ignorance. I bet chances are pretty good that all he’s done is search the bible for passages about the poor and needy, and what “Jesus” teaches about it and then throw it out there without any context, without any sense of understanding, as if it’s as simple as, “it’s in the bible, enough said, now you “Christians” get on with it.”
Look, I really don’t know for sure what’s in this guy’s heart, but at face value he is mishandling the word of God to his own destruction…
2 Peter 3:16
As also in all [his] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as [they do] also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
Notice the phrase: they that are unlearned. From Strong’s concordance, the phrase is G261, amathēs; ignorant:—unlearned.
Notice also the word unstable. From Strong’s concordance, the word is G793, astēriktos; unfixed, i.e. (figuratively) vacillating:—unstable.
Finally, the word wrest. From Strong’s concordance, the word is G4761, strebloō; to wrench, i.e. (specially), to torture (by the rack), but only figuratively, to pervert:—wrest
So, here we are back to the word ignorant and an understanding of the effect of being so, which is destruction. This is serious stuff. This national figure, a non-believer, on the national stage, uses the word of God in an attempt to yoke Christians into acting in a way he expects “Christians” to act. And if it so happens that an unlearned Christian who hears him is persuaded somehow to agree with this guy’s mishandling of the word of God, it is, again, out of ignorance.
Let me try to wrap this up. I am not perfect; Christians are not perfect in the worldly sense of the word. Nor will they ever be. God makes it pretty clear in Romans that no one is perfect; which is to say: innocent.
Romans 3:10
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
The expectation for Christians to be “perfect” is a false premise from the onset. In fact, in truth, it is precisely because we are fallen descendants of Adam, imperfect by nature, that the nation of Israel and all other gentile nations needed and required a savior.
Like I said, I’m not perfect in the carnal/worldly way of thinking, but I am perfected… Meaning I have been made whole or complete by the willful, knowledgeable decision to believe in the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Bottom line, I’m as flawed as the next guy, the difference being, because I chose salvation, I’m a work in progress.
For the atheist with the audacity to use the word of God to his own destruction, I wouldn’t want to stand next to him or anyone in that state of being when Christ returns.
