“The true test of a Christian is not loving Jesus but
loving Judas”
sEEN ON FACEBOOK
This caught my attention and made me stop and think.
- How could I love a theif?
- How could I love a liar?
- How could I love a traitor?
Judas, was an Apostle chosen by Jesus. He had a love of money that caused him to lose his soul. In every listing of the apostles, Judas Iscariot’s name is followed by “the one who betrayed Him” (Matt. 10:4; Mark 3:19; Luke 6:16). Treasurer for the Apostles, scripture tells us that he was stealing money from it (John 12:6). He was willing to betray His Lord for 30 pieces of silver. In the garden, when Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, Jesus called him friend (Matthew 26:50). He did have a conscience, he tried to give the money back, but the deed had been done. He ended up taking his own life (Matthew 27:3-5).
How can we have compassion on him?
How can we have compassion on any one in their sins?
We first have to realize that our enemy is not the sinner, it is Satan. How do we love the sinner?
God does say that he is angry with the sinner every day. Read Matthew 23 and see the righteous indignation of Jesus toward the Pharisees in their sin. But does God love the sinner, did Jesus love the Pharisees? John 3:16 tells us that He does.
Loving someone does not mean that we condone the sins that they are living in.
Loving them means we have compassion on them, care for their soul and want to see them repent and have a relationship with their heavenly father.
A young woman who has been in an immoral relationship and finds herself pregnant, wanting to abort her child, should bring about compassion not judgement, caring but not condoning.
The LGBTQ people need compassion. Harshly judging them only causes them to defend their sin and lifestyle in that sin. Approaching them with compassion, wanting to show them the grace of God, doesn’t mean we condone their sin, just that we are looking at them as a soul that needs saving.
Before we get too “proud” of our righteousness, judging others in sin, consider what Jesus said in the parable of the Lost Sheep: “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7) We should have the same care and compassion for the lost sinner that the Shepherd did in the parable.
Can I love Judas? Can I love a sinner? I think I must if I want to have the mind of Christ.