Beware: Soapbox Discussion

So, I've decided to get on my soapbox for just a little bit today; please bear with me. This is something that's been on my chest for a while, as we've been hurt by issues very close to these; we've even lost "friends" over silly things, such as these, and I just need to get it off.

There are a lot of Christians who give Christians a bad name....did you read that right? Yes, you did. To an outsider looking in, we as Christians can look pretty hyprocitical sometimes. Yeah, we do; we can actually look pretty pathetic; we make mistakes. We're all sinners. Did you hear that part? We're all sinners. Yep, every single one of us. When we become Christians, we acknowledge that we are sinners....so, then, why do we feel the need to nit-pick one another? Why do we feel the need to go around trying to pick out each others' sins, or rather what we judge to be sins? I say we because I think we are all guilty of this at times.

The one thing I do not like is putting labels on Christians; for example, and I've heard some of these a lot: "I'm a Baptist." "I use KJV only, and you're all wrong if you don't; in fact, you're being deceived." "You use birth control? How dare you interfere with God's will." "You send your kids to public school? You must not love them enough to care about their Christian education." "You, as a woman, need to get behind your husband and be under his control." (Ouch, that last one can be touchy, huh? But notice the word behind....it doesn't say next to; I know this can be very controversial, but I firmly believe that God intended us to be a helpmeet, which doesn't mean to stand behind your husband....it actually means to be a partner, a companion and helper.)

My sister told me a joke a while ago that I will share here: "There was a Nazarene who died and went to Heaven; as he was passing the Baptist tent, the angels turned to him and said, 'Shhhh....that's the Baptists....they think they're the only ones here.'" How true and how sad is this joke? How often do we put labels on ourselves, on other Christians, on our churches, on every single thing we do in our Christian lives? But what do those labels even mean? Are they Christ-centered? I mean, does being a Baptist save you? Because I use different versions of the Bible, does that mean I'm being deceived, and I could possibly be on my way to Hell?

No, I do not agree. I do not think that when Jesus went to the taxcollectors' houses for supper, He was thinking much of getting them to join a certain sect of Christianity; I don't think when he forgave the adulterous woman, He was telling her that she should only use a certain version of His Word, or else. I think that when He spent time with these people, He saw them through eyes of love, through the eyes of a Saviour. He wanted these people to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.

Aren't we, as Christians, all, or shouldn't we all, be striving for the same end? To bring souls to Christ....not to the KJV, not to the Baptist Association, but to Christ, Who loved us enough to die on that lonely cross for all of our sins?! In the end, this verse sustains my thoughts and actions: Galatians 3:28 (New King James Version)
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

We are all one in Christ Jesus. So then, what right do I have to judge another? Shouldn't we stop judging and let God be our Judge? After all, it is Him we should strive to please, not each other.