Just because you are a Christian, does not necessarily free you from your sin nature. You can be a Christian and very much in touch with your old nature! If you are a liar by nature, then you may still tell lies. Expand this to any of the less than desirable traits which can curse us as humans, and you have a potential for some very poor witnesses walking around!
But, no matter how bad our lives were, and may still revert to on occasion, we continue to have this darn ‘Call to Perfection’ - “To be perfect, as He is perfect”. But, try as you may, you will never achieve this – because He is perfect, not us. So, we struggle to overcome, we struggle to do better, we struggle to not allow Satan to weigh us down with the weight of our own sin.
And yet, in our own sin, we see other Christians sinning as well. What is our responsibility when they sin? We are told to examine ourselves first – this is so we are not puffed up when we talk with them about their sin. We are to humiliated by our sin – if we are honest – and should lift up others in prayer for their strength through the next temptation which will lead them into sin.
Though, there are a few things we can know about other Christians. To use lying as our example – a Christian may tell a lie, but lying is not the basis of their life. If the Holy Spirit is truly in their life then we will see repentance and struggle – not comfort in the ability to lie. I know of one whom calls himself a Christian, grew up in the church even, but he is about the smoothest liar I have ever seen, next to my own father. And worse, he apparently is unable to admit he is a liar. You are judgmental, you should not judge him since he is a Christian, you misunderstood, etc, etc, etc. But, he is still a liar and unrepentant. So, I have to lean towards the ‘you need Christ’ side of the discussion with him – even if he is a pastor!
Now certainly we know there are no murderers in Heaven, so they are not Christian if they take human life by choice and as a lifestyle. The same is true for anyone whom practices sexual sin as a lifestyle. (Sorry, all men have problems in this area, but it must not be the basis for their lives… Oh yes, the rest of the men whom can not admit this, are liars as well as struggling with immorality!)
But what about all of the gossips in the Church? Or how about thieves? Or any of a hundred other bad witnesses I can think of? You could argue that they were never discipled correctly or even that they have been corrupted by the culture. But, think on the parable of the seeds. Some were eaten by birds, some fell amongst rock and could not germinate, but some did grow and grew strong in fertile soil. Jesus was telling us that not everyone, whom claims to be of Him, will be of Him. All the more reason to mind to our own spiritual growth and strength. (I do not believe most whom claim to be a Christian actually are…….. Of course, God could be far more understanding than I!)
But, more on that thought at another time…..
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