Monday, October 12, 2009
Service Without Requirements
A few weeks ago I watched this video. And I have to admit that was slightly concerned over the video. Why would these people willingly help people who would continue in their sin? It seemed like they were enabling the girls who lived there, and as a Christian shouldn't I be against enabling people to sin? In the midst of thinking this thought a story from the Bible came to mind. The story is found in Luke chapter 17 verses 11 to 19. In this story Jesus heals 10 lepers but only one turns back to praise Jesus because he was actually healed. Now this passage would have little impact on our understanding if Jesus just healed everyone he came in contact with, but that doesn't appear to be the case. In addition we see in John 5:19 that Jesus only did what he saw the Father doing. So it leaves us to reckon that God, the Father, knew what would happen as well as Jesus, the Son of God. If one or both knew what would happen and still healed these men than they would have healed them knowing they wouldn't respond correctly. What strikes me is that Jesus healed them anyways, regardless of their response to him. His healing was given without requirements, and so should our service. We should serve those around us without any requirements placed on our service. Now I am not one of those who is in favor of never telling someone why we serve them. I think we should be open about our service for Christ. We should share that we are doing it because we are called to love like Christ but then leave it at that. We share that we are serving because of Christ and leave it to them when they are ready to hear more. Although we should always allow the Spirit to move and if the Spirit tells us to speak we should speak. We certainly should never serve someone with a requirement that they follow Christ, for this would be contrary to the Gospel, the Gospel is not forceful upon others. The Gospel respects the freewill of the person, although there are consequences for rejection. What do you think about service to others without requirements? What do you think about these people helping out a brothel? Any other thoughts?
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2 comments:
I think that we should love people just for the sake of loving people. Of course, when they find out we are Christians they will view our faith in a different more favorable light (as opposed to an oppositional force against their sin lifestyle that has been a characteristic of a good portion of the evangelical church).
I remember a story about St Francis and one of his disciples. The disciple came up and told Francis that they need to chastise a group of people for their sin vocally. Francis wisely responded that if we live our life in the same manner as Christ, then our life will tug at their heart more than anything we could have ever said. Our life can be that witness and conviction to promote people to move towards the Kingdom instead of arguing or chastising them into the Kingdom.
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