Now let me go ahead and get this out of the way before I start. Yes we are all different but I’m not about skin color. I am talking about different in thoughts, beliefs, actions, convictions, and many other things. It is ok to be different and it is also ok for me not to agree with you or you with me. I am not going to force you to change the way you think, act, or believe and you cannot force me to change the way I think, act, or believe. Even God, in His all powerfulness and all knowing, gave us free will and never forces us to think or do as He does. You can call me whatever names you want and it will not shame me or change my mind because I stand firm in my beliefs.
Now I have heard many preachers say that the Bible tells us to “Live the sinner but hate the sin”. Now while those words never appear in the Bible that way of thinking is shown by example over and over again. Here is an example from the book of Matthew:
“As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’So he arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, ‘Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard that, He said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.’”
Matthew 9:9-13 NKJV
Now Jesus didn’t say “Hey dude…would love to have have you come hang with us but you’re a sinner so I can’t be friends with you. Get with me if you ever stop collecting taxes from your people and maybe we can be friends.” No not at all because, while Jesus hated the sin, He still loved Matthew. If He would have said “No. I hate the sin you are committing so I must hate you too!” Matthew never would have been saved and done the many great things that he did.
Here is another example from the book of John:
“Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?’ This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.’ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’”
John 8:2-11 NKJV
Now, here again, Jesus didn’t say “Heck yeah! Stone that sinner! She can’t be redeemed or loved because she sins!” Nope. The woman was not out of the reach of God’s love just because she had sinned.
Now the question is, when Jesus told the woman “Go and sin no more” did he use His Godly powers to make her stop sinning? No. He showed her love and compassion and told her what was right and sent her on her way letting her make the choice for herself. God gives us free will to make decisions for ourselves. Good or bad it is up to each of us.
The point is when you come across someone you disagree with, either personally or biblically, feel free to share your point of view but do it with love and compassion for the person. Never enter into argument or judgement for yours is not the place of judgement. Condemn the sin but embrace the sinner. Be the example.
Now is that how it works in the secular world? No far from it. Today we live in a world of “mob rules” where those with the loudest voice set the standard. They will twist both truth and logic to fit their narrative and when you disagree they will resort to calling you “homophobic” or “domestic terrorist” or “religious nut” or whatever the newest catch phrase is. They will use harassment, and sometimes the courts, to try to get you to submit to their “truth”. Smear your name, your business, your beliefs in the media or to whatever outlet will give them a voice. When all that fails many will even resort to violence.
What the world needs more of right now is FREE WILL. You are free to believe what you want to believe and I am free to believe what I want to believe. If you would like to discuss our differences in a civilized manner I would be more than happy to do so but we should never condemn or try to force someone to believe the way we do and vice versa. After all…we are all different and that is ok.