Matthew 7: 3-5 HCSB 3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? 5 Hypocrites! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
As the world shifts to an even more morally corrupt environment, I find the church being selective in the issues they want to speak up against. The same sex marriage is an issue that some clergy members have chosen to fight and some have chosen to embrace. Abortion is another issue that again has the church divided. Drinking, drugs, homelessness, and poverty. You see we could all pick different issues in today’s society and run with the persecution stick. What I want you to think about are these issues any different than the secret sins we all carry in our lives. Now before anyone thinks anything wrong I am against same sex marriage, because the Bible is against it. I am against marijuana and drinking because I have never seen either one produce a faithful follower of Christ. But along with these I also believe poverty and homelessness is wrong. You see the first four things listed are acts that people set out with a bit of intention to commit. The last two are acts that sometimes just happen, and most of the times are ignored by society. We the Church who claim to Love God and Want to keep His commands should not be so divided about these issues. They are all wrong, not because I say so but because the Bible says so. I don’t draw my opinion of myself, but must draw it from the One who paid a price to ransom me from sin. Now let me say that if you want to quit reading now before I really upset you I understand. You see what really has me scratching my head is how we the Church can pick one or two of these issues and say they are wrong and then do other things that contradict scripture. You say what do you mean? I am glad you asked. We say same sex marriage is wrong and it is. Allow me to clarify what I mean by homelessness and poverty being wrong. It is not the simple act of being poor or homeless that is wrong, it is the fact that we the Church often times ignore them and think they are beneath us for some reason. God established the church to help the poor and the homeless. While people don’t see their problems as ours, but what we fail to understand is that during the time Jesus walked the Earth He made a habit out of helping those types of people. While people may read this and think that these two issues are not the same as the others, I would have to disagree. The Bible says in James 4:17 so it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn’t do it. I have to look at this issue and same sex marriage with the same glasses. God provides those glasses in the form of His Word and He says both are wrong. I know I know here I go again, just trying to stir the pot some may think. Let us get off that subject and on to the next. What about drinking and marijuana? Many people are now saying that it is ok if you are a Christian and you socially drink. I have been asked what is my opinion on that subject? I have to refer to the Bible because I don’t really have my own. The Bible outlines for us who should not drink and then goes on to tell us not to be drunks. With this issue I usually try to employ some common sense. How well would you respond to someone who wants to talk about Jesus while they are holding a beer or have a joint hanging out of their mouth? Yea, that is what I thought; you most likely dismiss them as some type of nut or hypocrite. I have never in my 38 short years of life seen drinking and drugs produce anything but pain and heartache in the end. But, we have those churches out there that would rather allow members even leaders to drink, drug, and even run around on there spouse and never say anything about it. You see the Bible says that is just as wrong as the same sex marriage or abortion. I could go on forever but what I am attempting to do is to get you to look at the fact that we categorize sin to make us feel better. The Bible say in Romans 3: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. We just try to say that my sin isn’t as big as their sin. God looks at all sin as the same. For the church to make the resurgence that society needs for us to make, we MUST look at all sin the way God looks at it. Now I am not saying that we cast everyone out on their backsides because of their sin. But the days of sweeping it under the carpet need to be done. The Apostle Paul gives us a way to deal with the sin of brothers or sisters. I hope you notice I didn’t say the world. You see the people who aren’t followers of Christ don’t think they are doing anything wrong, they are living the way sinners are suppose to live. The Bible is written to those in the Church and it is time that we start living up to the Truth of what God says.
Thoughts from Pastor Toney 