Christian,
We so often love to study, debate, and converse with others on social media (Christian Twitter/Facebook/Instagram) concerning the deep things of God. These things in my opinion, can be good and beneficial for the Christian walk. But may we never be a people who forget the widow who sits in the back row of church, or the mother of five children who barely made it to church on the Lord’s Day. What about the neighborhood man who was on his way to feed his daily drug addiction, only to walk in church doors because he heard the singing of the congregation. May we always remember the sin that has been rampant in our own lives, the same sin that we, by Gods grace attempt to kill daily. Yet, may we never forget the sin that has rocked the lives of others before Christ saved them. Sexual trauma, child abuse, addiction, and idolatry to name a few. These things have been so a part of ones life that now need to be completely transformed by His grace. May we never forget that Christ does the work in an individual, sanctifying them through His Word, and by His Spirit. This sanctification takes place in different ways, at different times, and at different speeds. Things take time, patience, tough love, and care.
Christian leaders, point the people of God to the perfect One. Teach them to pursue holiness in their own lives, but to never take their eyes of the Holy One, who is Christ. Get to know the people under your care. Again, this takes time, love, effort, and much patience. May we never forget that the ones we are speaking to on our social media, our favorite books, podcasts, or the like, make up only a fraction of the Christians who fill the pews on Sundays. In fact, the majority of the Christians we encounter on any given Sunday no nothing about popular books, podcasts, or the latest debates many feel they have to defend themselves in. May we be a people who attempt to give others the grace that has been given to us. May we forgive others as we have been forgiven. May we remember the words of Sinclair Ferguson who reminds us that, “Christ Himself is the only adequate resource we have for the development of sanctification in our lives.” He is the perfect One, not us. We are to look outside of ourselves to Him, not inside of ourselves to try hard to become just like Him. Again, Sinclair reminds us, “that the determining factor of our existence is no longer our past.” Point people to Christ, their forgiveness in Him, the righteousness He has freely given to them, and their rest in Him. Not backwards to their failures, past sin, or daily struggles. In other words, attempt to view the people of God, as hard as it may be at times, in the same way He views them from His glory. They are His own. He has purchased them with the blood of Christ. He has drawn them with the Spirit, they have heard His voice, have come to Him, and He promises to raise them on the last day. When the father sees His own, he doesn’t see their past, their struggles, their sin, their neediness, or their shaky pursuit of holiness. So neither should you.
When He sees His own, He sees His Son. Oh, what a comfort that is…
ruiz1689 