I wanted to write more in my recent posting built on the adage, “confession is good for the soul”; but as it was, the post was getting rather long so I decided to save it for another day—this being that day.

I wanted to comment on the quote from Shane Claiborne, “To all nonbelieving, sort-of-believing, and used-to-be-believing friends:  I feel like I should begin with a confession.  I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians.”  As clever as that statement is, it holds an authenticity we must consider—that sometimes our words, actions, and behaviors do not rightly reflect God’s Word or His character.

I think most Christian are also familiar with the saying, “Christians aren’t perfect; they are just forgiven.”  Although true, that statement makes me a little nervous because it comes off a bit defensive and as a justification for sin.  I do not know the intent of the person who coined that phrase, though I admit to a bit of frustration about the violent actions and hateful speech of some who profess to be Christians—because there is no way those behaviors can be justified by someone who is growing in the “grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

Jesus told this parable:  “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?’  He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’  The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’  But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn”’” (Matthew 13:24-30).

Jesus’ words confirm that there are those in churches, who associate with the body of Christ, that do not belong to Him; in fact, their presence amongst us is because satan plants them there.  That reality is difficult to grasp in the midst of a service with a dynamic worship and compelling Biblical teaching—yet we must believe Jesus’ words.  As Paul journeyed to Jerusalem, he called together the elders from the church in Ephesus and warned them, “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.  Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.  Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears” (Acts 20:29-31).  Not all people who confess to be Christians are His disciples; and not all people who attend church are Christians—sometimes the actions or words of those people serve to cast a dark shadow on the name of Jesus.

There is also the problem of “carnal” Christians, those who claim to be saved but don’t live like it—“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God” (Romans 8:5-7).  Paul identifies some of the works of the flesh in his letter to the Ephesians:  “adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outburst of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like” (Ephesians 5:19-21).

I have seen the comments of many who equate all Christians with terrorists, and yet will vigorously defend Muslims proclaiming that not all are jihadists (that is not to say all Muslims are terrorists, rather that some people will not afford Christians the same latitude as Islamists).  So I wrestle with wanting to apologize for the acts of a very few people who claim to be members of a church, or Christians, and knowing that I cannot compromise the righteousness of God.  I do not want the activities of satan (“for we wrestle not against flesh and blood…” Ephesian 6:12) or the carnal words and lifestyles of some Christians to present obstacles for unbelievers, yet Jesus proclaimed “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Matthew 10:34); then He continued by telling his disciples that divisions may come in their most intimate relationships, declaring, “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (verses 38 & 39).

In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church, Paul wrote, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.  For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.  To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16). 

There are always going to be people who are offended by Christians, who are unwilling to recognize His many disciples quietly serving the poor, the children and helpless, the displaced, the broken and wounded of this world.  Our best response is not to be defensive or argumentative (which are ineffective); rather, to follow Samuel’s example of praying for God’s people “For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people.  Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and right way” (1 Samuel 12:22, 23).  And to pray for all people, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).