Dikes, Drunks and Dope heads

Did that title make you uncomfortable? I sure hope so. It's much easier to mumble under our breaths than to read as a blog title. And it's much easier to speak about it in gossip than to pray about it in a pursuit for their souls.

Lately I've seen two things be all over social media: overdoses and gay marriage. With that I've seen a lot of horrible names gorilla glued to the back of those in the midst of the struggle, "Tranny... pill popper... queer... druggie... homo... dope head... dike... alchie..." My heart is so heavy, and I'm praying yours is too.

Let me put this is perspective:

"You know, I heard they're a porn-addict, they just keep relapsing and I'm sick of people babying them. Like, just stop it, it's not that hard."

"Mm, they're recently divorced and I'm sure it's their fault. I heard their parents are divorced too, so I'm sure they pressed on them to get divorced."

"I don't feel bad, if it wasn't for their pride they probably wouldn't have lost their job. Now their family has to suffer because of it."

Hurts your heart to hear things closer to home doesn't it? I bet. And I can guarantee that it hurts not only theirs but Jesus' too. That is not going to bring them to Jesus and I can tell you this sure fact -- Jesus would not refer to them in that way... ever. In our judgmental mouths we are tearing the church apart and ripping gospel opportunities out from under our feet. And let me make this clear, that's exactly how satan wants it.

Satan wants our mouths to push those who don't know Christ to things that are so fleeting. Things that take life and make this life the closest to heaven that they will ever reach. In our quick tongues we are allowing the enemy to make us the enemy. We are letting satan win.

Let me repeat, we. are. letting. satan. win.

Please hear me out, my goal isn't to hurt you, my goal is to put in perspective how our words hurt. How real the swords of our tongues are. 

Just because your sin might be easily hidden or accepted doesn't mean that the sins you struggle with aren't taken seriously by God. Nor does it mean that someone who seeks the same sex or narcotics are not fully forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ just as ours were if they call on His name. Jesus' blood did not have a limit, nor was it holier for you than it is for them. Jesus' blood was the perfect sacrifice that covers all sins, all struggles, all shame, and in deeming their sin as more is making what Jesus did seem less.

Guys, come on, we are the church. We are to be love, not to deem who God loves and doesn't.

"Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:34-39

People are running to an artificial love faster than ever because we have lost sacrificial love in our lives, in our churches, and that God calls us to.

My sweet sweet reader, we need to stop referring to people by their sin and start referring to them by their greatest purpose. Just because our sins are washed clean doesn't mean that theirs can't or won't, nor does it mean we are no longer sinners. It just means that the penalty of our sin is paid in full, not by anything that we could have done, but by everything that He did. So why is there this pride within? We do not determine their salvation. We are called to make disciples while speaking truth in love.

They too can be children of God. They too can be saved from their sins. They too can see freedom. They too can run in joy. They too are loved by our creator. And they too need to be reminded of those truths. That's their greatest potential spoken by a great God.

Amen.

Amen.


Here in Your Presence - Elevation Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxhY9-oMVRc
"Mercy is falling, lift up your hands receive Him now... I know your past is broken, you can move on it's over now."


Proverbs 12:18
"The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing"