PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• I recently heard a preacher say that John 3:16 was no longer the most well-known Bible verse…
He said it’s been replaced with Matthew 7:1, which says, “Judge not, that you be not judged.”
I have no idea if he’s right or not, but I tend to agree with his thought process…
In our society that encourages others to say and do whatever feels right, there are those who often reach for the “judge not” verse in defense of whatever actions they are trying to defend.
Of course, there’s an important ingredient that people leave out when they do that…
“Context” is a big part of understanding a verse and using it in a defense.
But that’s not what this post is about.
A few weeks ago, Christian singer Lauren Daigle appeared on The Ellen Show to promote her new album and a couple of weeks later, she sang on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
While I haven’t read as much criticism over her Late Night appearance, she got plenty of it for appearing on The Ellen Show since Ellen DeGeneres is a lesbian.
I loved what Lauren Daigle’s response was… “I think the second we start drawing lines around which people are able to be approached and which aren’t, we’ve already completely missed the heart of God.”
Beautifully stated.
Because here’s the truth: we don’t have to agree with someone in order to be kind to them.
We all sin.
And it’s not about finger-pointing judgment just because one person’s brand of sin is different from your own.
It’s about remembering the truth of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that WHOEVER believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (Emphasis mine.)
And now that Thanksgiving is over, and we officially enter the Christmas season, it’s a truth all Christians should remember…
Jesus was born to offer salvation to people.
To do for us what no one else could do — offer eternal life to everyone who believes in Him.
And while we will meet people and see sin in their life, we have to remember our own first.
Because we aren’t perfect either.
It’s not about “judging” in the finger-pointing way, it’s about loving others the way Christ loves us…
So that others can want to know Jesus and accept His gift of salvation.
Today, as you pray, ask the Holy Spirit to keep opening doors for Christian leaders and artists to get the Truth of Jesus out to the mainstream.
Ask Him to use these opportunities, as well as every-day-situations, as a chance to spark a revival that this country so desperately needs.
Pray the Lord will use you as an example of His love and grace, no matter who you meet.
