Scuba Pete
Le plongeur avec attitude...
Wrong is wrong... sin is sin. Most people (not just Christians) tend to categorise a sin by how it affects them. God is more concerned with how the sin affects the sinner.
Matthew 18:15 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18 "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. NIV
From this short passage, I see a few things about holding sin up to someone.
1) You should have a relationship with the person. (Brother)
2) Don't gossip- just between the two of you FIRST.
3) You should be worried how the sin is hurting them.
4) You should only worry about sin that is IN THE CHURCH.
5) It is far more important to FORGIVE than it is to CONDEMN.
Of course, Matthew 5 through 7 shows us a whole different side to judging others.
As for being embarrassed to be a Christian: I can relate. First, there are many times when my sin causes me to be embarrassed to be a Christian. God deserves SO MUCH BETTER than I could ever be.
Secondly, there are LOTS of hypocrites in the church, and I am one of the worst! When I get to be perfect, I'll demand all the other people do the same. Until that point, I accept the fact that I am one of the worst sinners this world has ever known: If Jesus can love me, he can love anyone. So, since Jesus loves me, I will try my hardest to love everyone as well.
Matthew 9:10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." NIV
It's obvious here that sinners were pretty comfortable around Jesus. I doubt that he concentrated on their "sins" as much as he concentrated on loving them.
Matthew 18:15 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18 "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. NIV
From this short passage, I see a few things about holding sin up to someone.
1) You should have a relationship with the person. (Brother)
2) Don't gossip- just between the two of you FIRST.
3) You should be worried how the sin is hurting them.
4) You should only worry about sin that is IN THE CHURCH.
5) It is far more important to FORGIVE than it is to CONDEMN.
Of course, Matthew 5 through 7 shows us a whole different side to judging others.
As for being embarrassed to be a Christian: I can relate. First, there are many times when my sin causes me to be embarrassed to be a Christian. God deserves SO MUCH BETTER than I could ever be.
Secondly, there are LOTS of hypocrites in the church, and I am one of the worst! When I get to be perfect, I'll demand all the other people do the same. Until that point, I accept the fact that I am one of the worst sinners this world has ever known: If Jesus can love me, he can love anyone. So, since Jesus loves me, I will try my hardest to love everyone as well.
Matthew 9:10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." NIV
It's obvious here that sinners were pretty comfortable around Jesus. I doubt that he concentrated on their "sins" as much as he concentrated on loving them.
