Christian Living
© 2004 by Josprel
[email protected]
The Touchstone
by
Josprel
Yes, they claim to follow Jesus Christ. Yes, they say that the Nazarene is their example. Yes, they repented of their sins, confessed them to God, availed themselves of His grace through Christ Jesus, and are forgiven - they say. They are born again - transformed, they say. Their minds have been renewed, so they are "new creations" - they say.
They castigate the rest of mankind for being lost in sin. All who have not experienced their definition of salvation are lost; bound for hopeless isolation from God; doomed to serve eternity in the Lake of Fire - they say. Because they love the rest of humanity, they trumpet a warning for mankind to be saved, but it must be their way - they say.
Those making these claims are the somewhat large, tunnel-visioned, fanatical element of evangelical and fundamental Christianity that takes upon itself the dubious task of critiquing the spiritual experiences of others. If what they claim were reinforced by the touchstone of love given to the Church by the Master, there would be no reason for an article such as this. Sad to write, such is not the case. More often than not, these people are cruel, thoughtless, at times spiteful and vindictive in their denunciations.
One would think that, making such peremptory affirmations of the high quality of their own walk with God, these paragons of arrogance would exemplify their worldview in their living. Surely, the rest of humanity has the right to expect them to be obedient to the One they claim is their Master, but they are not. If anything, their deportment often stains the name of the Christ they purport to follow. Alleging that they "love the sinner while hating the sin," they demonstrate no love even for each other.
Evaluated by the Lord's touchstone of love - "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35) - pronounced by Him as being the identifying mark of His true followers, they score high on the side of impostors.
John, the Apostle of love, also advocated this touchstone for testing the genuineness of one who claims to have passed from death to life. "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death (1 John 3:14)."
Powerful words - words impossible to misunderstand! Those who do not love the brethren are in a state of spiritual death (are not born again). Put in a positive note: Those who are born again demonstrate their new birth by loving all others who are born again.
This is the new command the Nazarene gave to his followers (John 15:34). His caliber of love brings his true disciples into a unique relationship, one impossible without Him. As Lucian, the Greek satirical author who lived in the
second century wrote of Christians, "Their Master makes them believe they are brothers."
Without conforming to the touchstone of this new command, those claiming to follow the Nazarene forfeit the privilege of such a claim; moreover, they can make no claim to love God!
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if you have love one for another"(John 13:35).
-30-
For more stories and articles by Josprel, log on to:
http://www.worthfinding.com/columns/perrello.html
FaithWriters.com
ChristianWriters.com
AuthorZone.com
http://www.geocities.com/josprel
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 786 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Joseph Perrello or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 786 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.