Do you trust Jesus to make them whole? (Part 2)

In Part 1 I talked about various behaviors and issues of people who Christians tend to have judgmental dispositions towards, and I asked the question, "Do you trust Jesus to make these people whole?" I then asked if it's possible for us to look beneath the surface and to see the need for love in others and also to be, or fulfill, the need of love in others.

It's seemingly an impossible task for us... but yet we are indwelled by a God of love with whom everything is possible... so I believe it's possible. I want to offer a few suggestions (and ask for yours, too) as to why we, who have been embraced with such great love even in our deepest sin, seem to be quick to shrink back and/or be judgmental rather than embracing others with the love of God.

First, I think we don't trust Jesus to make others whole. We look at their behavior and that's as far as we go. We begin and end with outward appearances, and we drop all hope right there. We don't want to get too close or too deeply involved with them until their behavior changes. Instead of reaching out to them with the love of Jesus, just as they are, we "wait" until their behavior is suitable enough, and then we'll accept them. Or we try to force their behavior to change by setting up rules, prohibitions, laws, boundaries, etc. In many cases Christians have gone to court, and gone to their lawmakers, and gone to rallies and marches, and held up signs, and protested the sick, evil, twisted, demented behavior of others, thinking this will get their nation on the right track. We somehow think the key to everything is rooted in controlling behavior!

In doing all these things, even in the "name of Jesus," it's very possible that we actually leave Jesus completely out of the picture. Jesus didn't say, "go into the world and get everyone to start behaving morally, and then bring them to Me." Jesus' word to us, I think, is more like, "Just as you, like sheep, had gone astray, and you were not righteous, no, not one of you, but I came looking for you just as you were... go and find others who were just as you were, meet them right where they're at, accept them and embrace them. Love them unconditionally." And then as with the words of the song, Jesus tells us, "Bring them unto Me. I will make them whole, I can set them free."

Your rules, your laws, your looks of disgust, your protests... will never make them whole and will never set them free! JESUS makes people whole and JESUS sets people free. He really does!

Which leads to my second thought. I think the reason so many Christians don't trust Jesus to make other people whole and free is because they themselves, in their Christian experience, are not whole and are not free - at least as far as their soulful and mental wellbeing is concerned. And I believe that one major reason for this is because our own focus in our own lives continues to be a mixture of both our own flawed behavior and our own self-sufficiency. Our focus is not CHRIST, but rather our focus is our behavior, both 'good' and 'bad.'

We can never be made whole if this continues to be our focus, because controlling our behavior is not the way in which Christ makes us whole. Christ makes us whole by His love and grace. God has accepted us, and continues to accept us, not based AT ALL upon our behavior, but fully and completely based upon the life of Christ in us. Until we get that through our thick skulls and deep into our hearts, we'll never experience the wholeness and freedom that we truly have in Christ. And we'll never be able to embrace others with God's grace and unconditional love, and bring them to Jesus so HE can make them whole and set them free.

I just want to end by saying that we are all growing in this, in one way or another, and none of us have "arrived" in living out this life of wholeness and unconditional love. At least, I've never met anyone who I believe has fully experienced this and fully lives it out moment by moment! Also, this is not my attempt to bring shame or guilt upon anyone for "talking about the love of God but judging those who need Him most." I simply hope to be an encouragement to the body of Christ to grow in God's grace and unconditional love, so that we can experience the wholeness and freedom that is found only in Christ, and then go out and bring others to Christ so He can do the same for them!

Do you trust Jesus to make them whole? (Part 1)

"Do You Feel Their Pain" by Steve Camp is probably one of the most powerful songs I've ever heard. I don't say that lightly. Tears and tears have fallen as I've listened to this song that was written, if I remember correctly (can anyone substantiate this?), as an appeal to the church to respond in love to those affected by the AIDS crisis that was still in its early stages in the late 80's. The song also played a powerful part in my own life as I began the process of dismounting my legalistic high horse and began to see all people as souls Christ suffered for.

I found a site that has the lyrics of the song, and also a site where you can listen to the song. This song is definitely on my you-must-listen-to-this-song list!

Along with mentioning this song today, I want to ask two serious questions.

My first question is, "What's your beef?"

That is, as a Christian in today's world, what issue(s) are you so against that it keeps you from seeing others as Christ sees them - as souls He suffered for? What behavior(s) are other people involved in that keep you more focused on their outward appearance rather than what's going on in their hearts in regards to their need to be loved?

Is it homosexuality? Is it abortion? Is it the political persuasion of others? Is it their alcohol use? Is it drugs? Is it a certain cause that others don't agree with you on? Is it abuse? Is it injustice? Is is skin color? Is it their tobacco use? Is it their foul mouth? Is it their lewd behavior?

The issues themselves are endless. It just seems to me that the church today is known more for what they're against than they are known for actually loving and putting their arms around those for whom Christ died.

With all this being said, I don't mean for this to be confession time. :) My purpose here isn't to try to get people to "come out" publicly about various issues that they've been judgmental about. You can perhaps deal with those things in your own heart. Not that I mean to belittle or neglect any of these issues - I know how deeply penetrating some of these subjects can be. But my purpose here isn't to start a discussion on any specific issue. I simply listed a few issues that tend to be areas of contention in Christian culture today.

What this really leads up to is my second question. If you personally know and admit that, like me, you are lacking in love (whether often or from time to time) toward people who display certain kinds of behaviors, then this question, which I've asked myself a lot of times and continue to ask myself, is for you.

Do you trust Jesus to make these people whole?

My question is derived from part of Steve Camp's song:

Oh empty eyes, and lonely souls
Starving for love and crying for hope
And Jesus said, "Bring them unto Me.
I will make them whole, I can set them free"

Is it possible for us as the church - the body of Christ - to look beneath the surface of the outward appearances and behavior of others, even when it manifests itself in its filthiest and most detestable forms, and not only see the need for love, but be (fulfill) the need for love in others?

Your thoughts? I'll address this question and the subject of trusting Christ to make people whole in Part 2.