November 23, 2004
I’m all right, you’re all right, we’re all all right. Right?
Odd title, I know, but it fits something I’m hearing more and more. That’s the philosophy that everyone is really okay and as long as they are happy, we shouldn’t worry about it. I can’t tell you the number of times that someone has suggested this type of philosophy to me. I call it the “live and let live” way of Christian thinking. Is this a reasonable philosophy? Sure, if you don’t believe in heaven, hell, Christ, or right and wrong.
Essentially this is the end result of moral relativism. We should never point out to anyone their errors, if they are happy. This kind of ignorant bliss enlightens us to those who are ignorant of Scripture. Did Jesus simply come and die to “live and let live”?
Matthew 10:34-38. "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn
" ‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--
a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.’
"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”
Moral relativism suggests that what is bad for one can be good for another, but this is not true, it is simply false. It assumes there is no absolute truth, no good which is universal and good for all. Another incorrect assumption. True love means telling someone the truth, which may save their soul, though they hate you for it. True love means offering another the Truth that may set them free.
Furthermore, we have an obligation to offer others the truth:
Matthew 19:16-19. Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
"Which ones?" the man inquired.
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.' "
If we truly love someone, would we allow them to wither in sin and possibly not attain heaven? No, we would try to consistently show them the truth of God and man in order that they may be saved. Christ orders us to “love our neighbor” as ourselves, which involves an honesty about heaven, hell, Jesus, and salvation.
What I’m getting at is that we have an obligation to help others get to heaven. This is part of loving another as we love ourselves and it requires us to tell others the truth. They may not want to hear it, but sometimes they have to. The philosophy of “live and let live” is disastrous for those who need to hear the Truth.
God bless,
Jay
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Jay,
I agree with you to a point. When a sin is clearly defined as a sin, then we need to be zealous to call it that. However, there are two additional issues here:
1. Who defines what is sin? Scripture or the Church? This goes back to the issue of authority. We you must agree on this point before you will have any effect on the person you are condemning. (This is why this issue to so important.)
2. If we can agree on this point then the next issue will be: Is this particular action a clearly defined sin? If your authority has not clearly defined something a sin, but you are convicted that it is indeed a sin, then you have no right to impose your beliefs on others. You have in that instance taken a "christian liberty" and made it into a death breathing soul killing law. On the other hand the person who does not believe that whatever it is is a sin has no right to look down on you in pride or cause the other person to stumble. See Romans 14.
In Christ,
Thomas
Hi, I'm new to your blog and I think it's very nice. This passage and quoted scripture resonates with me because of my own personal dilemna. My family is from a non-Christian background and I want to convert to Catholicism but my family (including husband) is against it. I have preschool age children and my husband is only tolerating me because he thinks I'll lose interest eventually. I fear my converting will lead to destabilizing my marriage which would devestate my kids. I notice Jesus doesn't say turn a wife against her husband or vice versa.
I agree that that's the way that many people do think today..they think that they are okay as long as they do good deeds and forgive, etc. But I would like to point out that the scriptures don't go occording to this theory. The scriptures tell us that we are all born in the sinful nature because of the fall of Adam. And I often hear people say "Well Christ died for our sins" yet they stop at that. But they don't question that if Christ died for our sins which I do believe he did then how come world is still in sin. Just look at the news or out your backdoor. So I would just suggest to everyone reading this to take another look and see what there is for us. Christ not only came here to nail our sins to his death but so that we would have the Holy Spirit which you receive through baptism in his name "Acts 2:38" Romans "5,6,7,8" John 3:1-5. In acts 2:38 is how you receive the spirit..no other way. The word Christian means to be christ-like..I don't see many people like that today and its because churches have gotten so far away from the truth and looking towards popes, pastors and everything else rahter than to the scripture and Christ and people are straight out self centered today. I did a study the other day about the origins of the catholic religion and the origin of some of the holidays and rituals and I was disgusted how much ungodly things were added into it. But I encourage everyone to take a look and really see what God wants of us. We aren't okay in the state that we are in. If we are then how come he destroyed Sodom in Gomorrah. Its getting that bad here in the U.s even.
Posted by: Brittany at December 12, 2004 7:21 PMI agree that that's the way that many people do think today..they think that they are okay as long as they do good deeds and forgive, etc. But I would like to point out that the scriptures don't go occording to this theory. The scriptures tell us that we are all born in the sinful nature because of the fall of Adam. And I often hear people say "Well Christ died for our sins" yet they stop at that. But they don't question that if Christ died for our sins which I do believe he did then how come world is still in sin. Just look at the news or out your backdoor. So I would just suggest to everyone reading this to take another look and see what there is for us. Christ not only came here to nail our sins to his death but so that we would have the Holy Spirit which you receive through baptism in his name "Acts 2:38" Romans "5,6,7,8" John 3:1-5. In acts 2:38 is how you receive the spirit..no other way. The word Christian means to be christ-like..I don't see many people like that today and its because churches have gotten so far away from the truth and looking towards popes, pastors and everything else rahter than to the scripture and Christ and people are straight out self centered today. I did a study the other day about the origins of the catholic religion and the origin of some of the holidays and rituals and I was disgusted how much ungodly things were added into it. But I encourage everyone to take a look and really see what God wants of us. We aren't okay in the state that we are in. If we are then how come he destroyed Sodom in Gomorrah. Its getting that bad here in the U.s even.
Posted by: Brittany at December 12, 2004 7:22 PMI agree that that's the way that many people do think today..they think that they are okay as long as they do good deeds and forgive, etc. But I would like to point out that the scriptures don't go occording to this theory. The scriptures tell us that we are all born in the sinful nature because of the fall of Adam. And I often hear people say "Well Christ died for our sins" yet they stop at that. But they don't question that if Christ died for our sins which I do believe he did then how come world is still in sin. Just look at the news or out your backdoor. So I would just suggest to everyone reading this to take another look and see what there is for us. Christ not only came here to nail our sins to his death but so that we would have the Holy Spirit which you receive through baptism in his name "Acts 2:38" Romans "5,6,7,8" John 3:1-5. In acts 2:38 is how you receive the spirit..no other way. The word Christian means to be christ-like..I don't see many people like that today and its because churches have gotten so far away from the truth and looking towards popes, pastors and everything else rahter than to the scripture and Christ and people are straight out self centered today. I did a study the other day about the origins of the catholic religion and the origin of some of the holidays and rituals and I was disgusted how much ungodly things were added into it. But I encourage everyone to take a look and really see what God wants of us. We aren't okay in the state that we are in. If we are then how come he destroyed Sodom in Gomorrah. Its getting that bad here in the U.s even.
Posted by: Brittany at December 12, 2004 7:23 PM
