For the super-organized person, putting labels on files and shelves can be very helpful and satisfying. But attempting to label people is too often an excuse to not have to talk with them and actually listen to another point of view. Worse than that, it is often a pre-judging of the other person, and as Christians we should know better! While Jesus and his leaders never mentioned “labeling”, they had a lot to say about our words and judging.
Labeling & pre-judging may be more of a reflection on your heart than that of the person or group you are criticizing!
Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22 (ESV) 21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’will be liable to the hell of fire.
Jesus is saying that even to get angry enough to think of murdering your brother is the same spiritually as actually murdering your brother! “Anger,” here, refers to a seething, brooding bitterness that always threatens to leap out of control, leading to violence, emotional hurt, increased mental stress, spiritual damage, and, yes, even murder. Anger keeps us from developing a spirit pleasing to God. Then Jesus adds that if we continue to insult others and even call each other “stupid” or “you fool”, we are actually in danger of eternal condemnation and the fires of hell!
If that’s true, then a lot of Americans are in serious danger of Hell right now because of the angry words and accusations we are throwing at each other! To point out the worst of what’s being said, those on the “right” often feel they are being told “You need to confess that you are ignorant, deplorable,red-neck, sexist, misogynistic, xenophobic, homophobic, bigoted racists, and when you admit that, then we can talk about how you can change and see the light and become tolerable human beings again!” Now, those on the “right” are not quite as adept as those on the “left” at using “ism” and “ist” words, but they do tend to use other descriptive phrases! Sadly, their message to those on the “left” is just as judgemental, and may sound something like this: “If you would just confess that you are arrogant, condescending, elitist, entitled, smug, know-it-all, whining and cry-baby progressive-propoganda dupes, then we can talk about how you can change and see the light and become tolerable human beings again!” Do we all feel good about those descriptions? Maybe I’m just a little naive, but I don’t think those are the best conversation starters to bring people together!
As Christians, we don’t have the the luxury of succumbing to the Satanic-inspired world of political gutter politics and division. We are commanded to be like Jesus in our words and conduct, and treat others the way God treated us! That means remembering at least two basic things Jesus taught us:
1) Every person is created in the image of God, and is therefore of inherent worth to God, and should be to us as well!
John 3:16-17 (ESV) 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
ALL of us are sinners, having fallen well short of God’s standard of goodness and righteousness. That’s true for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and you and me. We all have sinful tendencies toward fear, vile thoughts, and mistrust of others. Jesus knows this, and yet he came to earth not to condemn us, but to forgive, save, transform, and renew us into his own image! So why are so many of us so “Hell bent” on labeling & destroying each other? The Bible clearly tells us that Satan is our Accuser, who desires to destroy our soul!
Revelation 12:10 (ESV) 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
if this is true, by looking at your words and actions lately, are you acting more like a follower of Jesus, or a follower of Satan?
2) Jesus tells us to love and pray for our enemies, and treat each other with respect, even though we are all lost sinners undeserving of God’s mercy and grace!
Matthew 5:43-48 (ESV) 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
As Christians, we are called to forgive and love others, especially those who disagree with us and may be openly hostile to us! Christian love is tough! It involves much more than marching in protest with a cutesy sign that says “Love trumps hate”. It involves putting others’ interests before your own, and giving of your time, money, and heart to the lost and hurting around you. It also means patiently giving others the benefit of the doubt, even when they say or do foolish things at times (haven’t we all?)
In II Timothy, the apostle Paul gives us a dire warning of what it will be like in the last days:
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (ESV) 1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
Now, I can’t tell you how close we are to those “last days” right now, but that sure describes a lot of what we see happening around us! As Christians, let’s work to avoid using the slanderous, denigrating labels we hear from both sides today! Friends, we are being played, duped and manipulated by factions on both sides of political beliefs today who want to divide us, denigrate us, and turn us against each other! As someone whose been around for almost 65 years now, I can honestly say that I can count on one hand the number of people that I actually, personally know that would fit any of those labels that are being tossed around today. And if you are inclined to play the “label game”, I challenge you to do this: rather than just toss around labels at whole groups of people, actually make a list of individuals that you actually, personally know that you think fit these labels! List their actual words and actions, over the course of years, that make them fit that label. And if you can’t, then take a good look at your heart and your motives. Are you really a servant of Jesus, trying to bring forgiveness, hope, and reconciliation, or are you an unwitting tool of Satan, sowing fear, distrust, and slanderous, destructive accusations at fellow human beings for whom Jesus died?
In Matthew, Jesus reminds us that we will all stand before him in judgement some day, accountable for our words and actions:
Matthew 12:33-37 (ESV) 33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will account for every careless word they speak,37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
My friends, I encourage you to be careful in your speech and conduct. Guard your heart; guard your words; and guard your conduct and motives. This is not a game we are playing; this is a struggle for people’s souls! We, as Christians, have a higher calling to be reconcilers, forgivers, peace makers, and sacrificial lovers of those who want to to harm us. That’s the way of Jesus, and that’s the only way we can overcome this creeping evil in our land. I sincerely pray for all of you, as well as myself, that God’s Holy Spirit will empower us to be salt and light, and the aroma of Jesus, in a fallen, fearful and dark world. And I pray that as you and I both stand before Jesus at the judgement, that he will be able to say of us “Well done, good and faithful servant!”