Rowina

My intent on that post was that we might have the attitude daily of the tax collector in Luke 18, and that with this understanding we will not want to put ourselves on a podium, but rather have a repentent heart.

As we see stories in the news, of more and more despicable acts on the part of people, we must always remember we are no different than they are. "For all have sinned", and ALL sin is grievous in the eyes of the Lord. In You bringing up the sin of slave labor, and sweatshops, I believe that you are reminding us of our "unseen sin". In a sense we are all guilty in this building collapse for promoting monetary gain and convenience at the expense of human life. This sin is also systematic, and societal as well, being melded into both capitalist and communist political systems. 

 

As another example, We are all quick to condemn abortionist, and the Woman who has an abortion, and rightfully so. But do we as Christians admit our guilt in every abortion, in that we support a worldly system that does not believe in the sanctity of human life. If you do not believe me that we are responsible for abortion, then think about it this way. How many a child has been aborted due to the stigma and shame associated with having a child out of wedlock in the churches, and how has this perception  then continued on in the society as a whole that sees the gift of life as shameful, and burdensome?

 

Now, I am not trying to take away the personal responsibility of the individual who commit the sin of adultery, or fornication out of wedlock, nor the abortionist who murders the child. It is a sin, and it is theirs. But in our placing ourselves on a podium of being "Morally better" than they are, we are in effect judging and condemning the sinner, instead of the sin. As the Pharisee prayed, "Thank God I am not like other men..." We too are doing the same in "condemning" abotionists, and those who have children aborted.

 

What then should our approach be? When we see abortion occurring, It is we who need to say "Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.". When we see slave labor and sweat shops, we should first repent of our part in that sin, for we have "aided and abetted the criminal" in their sin. When we see our society heading into greater "lawlessness", we need to realize our role in that.  We have not loved the sinner, as Christ Jesus "who while we were yet sinners" died for the penalty of our sin. Instead we have persecuted the sinner and condemned them.

 

In the Old testament, when Josiah was made aware of the sin of his fathers, he "tore off his clothes" in repentence. How many of us are "tearing off our clothes", being made aware of our sins? When we look down on the sinner from our lofty podiums instead of seeing ourselves as no better than they are we perpetuate the sin in our society.

 

There is, however, a better way. As Jesus outlined in the upper room discourse found in John 13-17. That is the way of Love. The New commandment he gave us, "to love one another as he loved us". How did he Love us? "Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very form of a servent, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (phil. 2:6-8)

 

Now we may not be a ble to do much to fight this sin in the world, but we can repent, and understand our part in it. We can daily, hourly, and minutely go to the foot of the cross with our face on the ground saying "Lord have mercy on me a sinner", and he will forgive. In fact he already has forgiven us, by his grace. And we in turn as stewards of that grace can extend that to the sweat shop owner, the teen who gets pregnant, the abortionist, the murderer, and what have you. In extending grace to those who offend us, we in fact are perfecting God's Love for others (read 1 John 4,5 here). We are the medium through which his love and grace flow. It is by this testimony that the world will be overcome. And thus sin will be overcome. Therefore, sin is not overcome by our "fighting it", but rather by God's Love overflowing from us.

 

Our repentence is our testimony. Think about that in terms of these end times. I pray the Holy Spirit will reveal this connection to those who are his. All glory to God.

 

Psalm 139:23-24....1 Timothy 1:13-16

 

David H