Category Repost

Christians are So Unlikable (Repost)

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Mahatma Gandhi is sometimes quoted as saying “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

People often think this statement is shocking and the world is expert at finding hypocrisy, as if evidence of hypocrisy determines the loser of every argument.

But what’s really shocking is “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:6-8

The first quote exalts Jesus as an admirable example that others don’t live up to. The second quote explains that the only reason we are able to exalt Him at all is that He did not abandon us. The sins of mankind, including Christians, only amplify the magnitude of Christ’s love in His sacrifice. I wouldn’t be here to write this otherwise. Christians being bad people is not news, because everyone is a sinner.

Would anyone prefer that God judge everyone who was not like Christ on their own merits? Gandhi’s quote seems to want that, without considering the true implications.

Jesus alone, crucified and risen, is the Way. There is no other plan.

May His grace overwhelm us today. We all need it and need to share it.

[This is a Rewind Wednesday of a post originally shared in November 2021]

A Man in Need of an Ally (Repost)

Todd R Leave a comment

Tribalism comes in many forms and isn’t always a bad thing.  I was at a high school football game last night and watched two football teams and two marching bands perform.  All of these groups are examples of tribes formed for common purpose – to perform music and to win games.  With respect and sportsmanship, friendly competition can be a lot of fun.  The Star Spangled Banner sounds great when played by a group, and football can’t be played alone.  But when winning at all costs, an “Us vs. Them” tribalism, takes over, it can be a serious problem.  Athletes and musicians can become bitter, rival cliques, and players on the field can play dirty.  Different tribes stop treating other tribes as people made in God’s image.

The post below from late 2021 tells the story of Jesus’ love for the Jewish tax collector Zacchaeus, where, Jesus was proclaiming a new paradigm, where there is no “Us versus Sinners”, but in His death and resurrection He created a church that is “Him for Them”, and then “Us for Them.”

It is an example of how following Jesus requires overcoming bitter political and religious tribalism with the love of Christ, and one of my favorite posts.

I hope you’ll take the time to read it!

(Estimated reading time 10 minutes)

Found! A Man in Need of an Ally

Christianity is Not in Decline. Ever.

Todd R 2 Comments
The tomb is empty. Photo by Pisit Heng on Unsplash

Too often I start reading something thinking it will be encouraging, but find it filled with phrases like “post-Christian world,” or “Christianity’s decline.”  I just read that apparently, I’m “living in the ruins of Christendom.”  However, because Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” our faith and hope are not based on any ruin or decline we see in the communities and world around us.  Other things may end up in ruins or in decline, but Christianity does not.  It was not in decline on Good Friday and it is not in decline now.

In a recent post about the massive expansion of Christianity under Communist China, I wrote: “As Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 – ‘And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’  This rock is the gospel of the kingdom of God, and not even a brutal regime like that of Chairman Mao could prevail against it.”

The best of the kingdom of God is always in the future, never in the past, which brings me to the Rewind Wednesday part of today’s post, from last November:

“Today, many will hear the good news of the kingdom of Jesus, and some may hear and be saved!  Also today, none will be snatched out of His hand! (John 10:28)

True progress will be made today and every day.”