Our world is a dark and sinful place. There is so much pain and suffering in the world, as a result of the sin of man. Christians are being persecuted. Many have given their lives for the sake of the Gospel. There is nothing more important to them than to live anddie for the One who died for them.In our country, we see a completely different situation. We are surrounded by people who sin openly, and are not ashamed about it. There are many who claim that homosexuality is no longer a sin, though the God we worship never changes. There are Christians who will continue to share the Gospel with those who live in unrepentant sin, but many claim that they are doing it all wrong. As Christians we need to love one another. In fact, Jesus tells His disciples in John 13 that people will know they are His disciples if they have love for one another. I agree that love is important. I think many will know who we belong to by the way we love, and I believe it is the most loving thing to tell someone in sin that they are in sin and need a Savior, and that Savior is Jesus Christ. I think that we also take the verse in John 13 out of context.
We are called to love the world, as Christians. We are, however, to have a special love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are not called to coddle unbelievers and not proclaim the Gospel out of fear, for we do not want to offend them. We are not called to bash our brothers and sisters that are doing what we are all called to do. We are called to love our brothers and sisters, and by that love, people will know we belong to Christ. We are only capable of loving, for the love of God has penetrated and changed our hearts. The Church could do a lot better job at loving one another. The Church is made up of sinful people, and we continue to struggle and fight that sin until the day we die. The purpose of the Church is to come together, as a community of believers, and help each other, encourage one another, to be equipped together, to fight the battle of sin in our lives, and to share the Gospel to a broken and dying world, glorifying God all the while.
For a believer, the Church is vitally important for your spiritual health. Many of us become way to busy during the Christmas season and other school breaks. Do not miss out on church. Make it a priority. Be an example to your family and friends, and get plugged in. Serve with your church, pray with your church, and grow with your church. Love theChurch, for people will know whowe belong to by our love for one another.