Are you tired of the constant searching for the worst in other people, especially in politics, media, and entertainment? From the President on down, anybody can have their past investigated, going through your high school yearbook, social media, old friends, and anything they can find to embarrass you and accuse you of one of the popular “isms” that are the prominent sins of choice in today’s culture. I read of one Yale opinion writer who vowed to go around with her camera following “white boys”, hoping to record them doing or saying something socially unacceptable that can be  used against them in the future, in case they ever run for political office! (Boy, am I glad I went to high school and college in a time long before social media and cell phones. Some of us might be in big trouble!)

Do you find joy and satisfaction when someone from the “other side”, politically or socially, gets caught in a scandal or some sinful behavior that embarrasses them?  Do you feel gleeful when one of “those hypocrites” gets caught?  If so, then you and I who claim to be followers of Jesus may need to take a serious look at our hearts and attitudes! Remember the time when Jesus taught his followers how to pray and part of that was the line “Forgive us our trespasses (sins) as we forgive those who trespass (sin) against us”?  Oops… that kind of throws a monkey wrench in our culture, doesn’t it? Maybe some of we Christians need a remedial course on the basics of Christianity, remembering who we are, who God is, and what he has done for us Jesus! Let me share a few major points that we, and certainly our culture, seems to have forgotten:

1) FROM GOD’S STANDPOINT, ALL OF US HAVE SINNED AND FALL WOEFULLY SHORT OF GOD’S STANDARDS FOR WHAT HE ORIGIANLLY CREATED US!

²³  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  –Romans 3:23 (NIV)
Simply put, this means ALL of us are guilty of sin, and the result is that ANY sin will separate us from God for eternity! And the worse news is, there is nothing you can do about it to save yourself or earn God’s approval or forgiveness! It’s easy to point out other’s sins and shortfalls, but we struggle to see it in ourselves. Jesus taught us that the contamination of sin is not just in our actions, but in our very hearts and thoughts:

²⁷  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ ²⁸  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. – Matthew 5:27-28 (NIV)
If you think social media or reporters are dangerous, remember that God knows EVERYTHING you do or say:

¹²  For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. ¹³  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.  – Hebrews 4:12-13 (NIV)

2) IN SPITE OF OUR SIN, GOD STILL LOVES US SO MUCH HE SENT HIS SON JESUS TO DIE FOR OUR SINFULNESS AND OFFER US FORGIVENESS AND POWER TO OVERCOME SIN AND HAVE A NEW BEGINNING AT LIFE!

¹⁶  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  – John 3:16-17 (NIV)
 Yes, in the final judgement, all of us have to give an account for our sinfulness; but rather than condemnation right now, God offers us the gift of forgiveness now, and His power to change and become new people from the inside out! This free, unmerited gift is called God’s Grace, and is free to all who accept Jesus’ sacrifice for them and put their faith and trust in Him. Even though God has every right to condemn us for our rebellion and sinful thoughts and actions (like people are gleefully doing to each other today), he chose instead to forgive and offer to redeem and restore us to what he designed us to be in the beginning of creation!

Jesus preached primarily about the coming Kingdom of God (Heaven) where there will be no more sin in any form! For those who accept his offer, we will live forever, with Him, in a sinless world where there is no death, sickness, hunger, or evil thoughts of any kind! It may be a world very much like the earth we live in now, and we will have new bodies that will never get sick or weak! Isn’t that the kind of world you would prefer to live in?

3)THEREFORE, GOD CALLS HIS PEOPLE TO JOIN HIM IN A LIFESTYLYE OF FORGIVENESS AND REDEMPTION TOWARD OTHERS, RATHER THAN THE EASY CONDEMNATION, NIT-PICKING, AND DESIRING TO DESTROY OTHERS THAT IS SO PREVALENT IN OUR CULTURE TODAY!

GOD DOESN’T WANT TO THROW ANYONE’S LIFE AWAY! EVERYBODY CAN REPENT, BE REDEEMED, AND HAVE A BRAND NEW START AT A NEW LIFE FOR ETERNITY!

The  Bible makes it clear that most people will not choose a path of redemption and forgiveness, and will go on spewing vitriol and hatred, even celebrating sinfulness in others, somehow thinking they are justifying their own thoughts by condemning others who they perceive as worse than them!

²⁸  Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹  They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰  slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; ³¹  they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³²  Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.  – Romans 1:28-32 (NIV)

True Christianity has always been radically counter-cultural to society, and today God is calling us to be just the opposite of what we see in our destructive world today! No matter how much we may disagree or even despise others, God views every human being as made in the image of God and of infinite value to him. He wants everyone to accept his grace, his offer of forgiveness and redemption, and so should we! The New Testament continually calls us to “put to death” our old sinful patterns and begin the new lifestyle of God’s coming Kingdom:

⁵  Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶  Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. ⁷  You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸  But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹  Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰  and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.  –Colossians 3:5-10 (NIV)
³⁰  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³²  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. – Ephesians 4:30-32 (NIV)

Remember, when you became a Christian, God’s Holy Spirit dwelt permanently in you, and offers to do a character transformation within you:

²²  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  – Galatians 5:22-24 (NIV)

Are you willing to be a person of forgiveness, mercy, and hope, even for the most vile in our world?

Are you willing to stand up for the joy and promise of God’s future Kingdom, even though you may be ridiculed and mocked?

There are many “radical” groups today, wanting to change society to create their idea of a perfect utopia.

Are you willing to be radical for God, promoting forgiveness, redemption, and eventual restoration of God’s amazing perfect, sinless, eternal Kingdom?

I invite you to invest your time, heart, and energy on what really matters and what will make an eternal and redemptive difference, the Kingdom of God!