Gentleness and respect

  Gentleness and respect

The apostle Peter tells us,

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." 1 Peter 3:15,16.

This is what Christians must do. We must be prepared to tell people why we believe in Christ Jesus, why we believe in God.

Not only that we must do so with gentleness and respect. We must never force our beliefs on anyone. We must respect the person even if we disagree with them. 

Presenting our hope in Christ Jesus in a gentle way with respect will most of the time win the respect of those we are talking to. Making it easier to present our hope in Christ Jesus.

When you talk to others about your faith, do you present it in a gentle way, respecting the person you are talking to?

Please think about it.

Respect for others

 Respect for others

The apostle Peter writes,

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 1 Peter 3:15,16.

Love and respect are two of the cornerstones of the Christian faith. If we do not show love and respect to those around us, they will not listen to us.

We must at all times love and respect even our worst enemy. 

At the same time we must be willing and ready to present the Gospel of Christ that gives us our hope, even in the darkest times of our life.

If you consider yourself a Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus, are you showing respect to those around you irrespective of whether you agree with them or not?

Please think about it.

Reverence for God

 Reverence for God

Jesus said,

"He said to them, "When you pray, say: 

" ‘Father, hallowed be your name,..."  

                                                       Luke 11:12a

Jesus teaches us to honour God as holy. We as believers must never get into the trap of treating God as anything less. 

Sadly over the years I’ve seen people approach God in a very flippant way. Taking God for granted or treating Him like a servant or supernatural banker.

We should never fall into this trap.

While God wants us to have a personal relationship with us. We must never forget that He is the Lord God Almighty. Who deserves to be honoured at all times.

Question. How do you approach God? Do you tread God with the reverence He deserves?

Please think about it. 

Do it with respect

Do it with respect
The apostle Peter states,
"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." 1 Peter 3:15,16.
Peter here is simply telling those who believe in Christ Jesus to be prepared in a respectful manner to tell anyone who asks why we believe in Christ.
I have seen over the years many calling themselves Christians who do not respect the people they are presenting their faith to. They put down a persons faith and lifestyle of others and then expect them to listen to what they have to say.
We should never disrespect others no matter how much we disagree with them. An excellent example of how we should present our faith comes from the book of Acts. Acts records Paul while he was in Athens.
It states,
“So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.” acts 17:17.
Notice he didn’t argue he reasoned with them. The book of acts then records,
“Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods."    They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.  Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?”Acts 17:18,19.
When Paul finally spoke at the Areopagus, he essentially presented if you will a first century ‘Ted Talk’. Paul did not insult his listeners. Rather he met them where they were at.
He noted they were very religious and that they even had an “alter to an unknown God”.
From that point he started to talk about Christ. The result was some scoffed at what he said, others believed and others wanted to hear more about what he was saying.
This should be the way we present the gospel message. If we do so we will get the same result. Some people will scoff at us. Others will believe. And importantly others will want to hear more of what we are talking about.
So my question to you. If you claim to be a believer in Christ Jesus are you presenting the gospel message in a respectful manner?
Please think about it.

Outcome of a Disagreement

Outcome of a Disagreement
The apostle Peter wrote,
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12
A short while ago I had a disagreement with a man claiming to be Christian over something he said, This man went to church every week and during the week. He was a kind and gentle man. By all standards a good man. Who did good works. Yet judging by what he said some around him questioned if he really was a Christian.
He had an offbeat sense of humour which is not a bad thing. That being said he would say things that quite frankly shocked people. It was obvious he hadn’t thought of the consequences of his words. Sadly he is not alone. There are many within the church that are like him. Many who despite claiming to be Christian have a very secular attitude. Looking more like the world around them than Christ.
Billy Graham the American evangelist said,
“Those outside the church expect followers of Christ to live differently, yet today many in church are chasing after the world - not to win them, but to be like them.”Billy Graham
Francis of Assisi said,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                           Francis of Assisi.

We need to remember that the world is watching anyone who claims to be Christian. We need to remember that the only way we will win souls for Christ is if we live as far as humanly possible Christlike lives.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  
gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”  Galatians 5:22,23.
If we are exhibiting these traits in our daily lives then we will win souls for Christ.
The apostle Peter wrote,
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 
Dear friends,
 I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:9-12.
We need to remember what Peter said, we are aliens and strangers in this world. We need to abstain from sinful desires. Living as good a life as we can. For that is what sets us apart from the world around us and that is what will attract people to Christ.

Francis of Assisi wrote a prayer that I think all who consider themselves Christians need to read and take to heart. He wrote,

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” 

                                                                  Francis of Assisi

Please think about it.

With Gentleness and Respect

With gentleness and Respect.
The apostle Peter states,
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 1 Peter 3:15,16.
Christians, believers in Christ Jesus, are called to be respectful of everyone. Especially when we interact with those outside our faith. We are to treat them with gentleness and respect. Whether others treat we Christians with respect or not we are to respect them.
Our obligation as Christians is to present the gospel of Christ in a respectful manner to others. We are not to force our faith on anyone. We are to simple present what we believe giving the person the opportunity to accept what we say or reject it.
Please think about it.

Judgement and Duty

Judgment and Duty
The Psalmist states,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16.
The Psalmist here makes it clear that God knows you intimately. The way I read this is that God knows your very DNA. He knows why you are the way you are even if you don’t.
It is for that very reason I believe no man has the right to judge you and say whether you will get to heaven or not.
Jesus said,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1,2.
The apostle Paul saying,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. 
“Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
Christians have limitations as to who they can judge. We cannot judge those outside the church especially when it comes to where they will spend eternity.
Christians however can judge other Christians, but only to determine if someone claiming to be Christian is following and presenting the message of Christ correctly. If they are not then we have the right to expel them from our congregation.
And while Christians believe the words of Jesus, who said,
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
Who said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. John 3:16-18.
While these words are true. This does not give Christians the right to say to anyone they are not going to heaven. Again because we do not know what is in a man’s heart.
Billy Graham the great American evangelist said,

It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict,

 God’s job to judge 

and my job to love, 

                                                                                 Billy Graham
Jesus told his disciples their duty,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.
He did not tell them to judge. He taught his disciples to respect and love others. To present the gospel message to anyone who would listen.
This is the duty of the Christian to this day.
Please think about it.

With Gentleness

With Gentleness.
The Apostle Peter writes,
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,  keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 1 Peter 3:15,16.
Is Christ truly Lord of your heart? If he is then are you prepared to answer anyone who asks you the reason you believe as you do?
If you do tell people about Jesus do you do so with gentleness and respect?
These are key things when presenting the gospel to anyone.
I live in Canada one of the most multicultural countries in the world. Within walking distance of my home are not only churches but a synagogue, a mosque, and other places of worship.
It is possible to have conversations with people from all faith, even atheist. The key to having conversations about Jesus and telling others what we as Christians believe however is respect. We must respect the differences we have with other people.
We as Christians in a secular democracy must even stand up for the rights of those who believe differently from us. In doing so we make friends. And good friends can talk about anything without fear.
True Christians love, Jesus when asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment.  
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.
The apostle Paul defined love as,

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, 

it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil 

but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

As believers in Christ, as followers of Jesus we must remember this. In doing so we can and will win souls for Christ.
As Christians we must always remember the words of Jesus who said,

“So in everything,

 do to others what you would have them do to you, 

for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” 

Matthew 7:12.

Are you doing this?
Please think about it.

Freedoms Rights and Respect

Freedoms, Rights and Respect
The apostle Paul wrote,
“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive.  
Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” 
                                                                    1 Corinthians 10:23,24.
In a previous blog I wrote that especially here in North America we have a habit of worshipping rights. Particularly the bill of rights. Some Christians and non-Christians are out there yelling about “THEIR RIGHTS!” . 
They demand their rights while failing to realize others in a democracy have their rights also.
Sadly all to many people Christian and non. Hold their rights and freedom higher than the rights and freedom of others.
From the beginning of the world God gave man freedom. It is a fundamental right of every man and woman on the planet.
God gave this freedom to man, knowing that to truly have freedom God had to give man the right to even reject Him and deny His existence.  That is the nature of true freedom. The right to believe what we wish.
Freedom also has another aspect,
Nelson Mandela said,
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
                                     Nelson Mandela
I quoted above the apostle Paul who said,
“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive.  
Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” 
                                                                    1 Corinthians 10:23,24.
No matter who we are we should be respecting the rights and the freedoms of others. That includes the right to disagree.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
                                                                                                               Romans 12:18.
That to me means allowing, even people whom we vehemently disagree with, to have the freedom to believe and do as they wish. The only proviso being they are not hurting or restricting the freedoms of others.
Please think about it.