I just stumbled across the most amazing quote. I think I've heard it before, but it really hit home in my heart this time. It is on one of my favorite blogs.
Here's the quote:
"I like your Jesus, but not your Christians . . . your Christians are so unlike your Jesus." -Gandhi
Wow...makes me think about how I act towards people...am I being like Christ? Am I living a life of love, as He did? Do I give people the grace He continually gives me?
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10 comments:
So if Ghandi knew Jesus, apparently better than us hypocrites, why did he not accept Him as his savior? We do not save people and we do not keep them from God. The old excuse of "the hypocrites in the church kept me from going", will not wash before the Lord. You stand and fall all by yourself. One day Ghandi will stand with all those who haved walked the earth and receive his due. This will based on his reception or rejection of Christ nothing more and nothing less. What is amazing is that those who profess to be believers today don't recognize the voice of the "accuser" when they hear it.
He is mocking the church, and rejecting Christ in the same breath. Conviction comes by the Holy Spirit, not Ghandi.
John 16:8-11
John 3:16-19
Chris,
While you are correct to state that "the old excuse of 'the hypocrites in the church kept me from going' will not wash before the Lord", neither does that give us license to be haughty or arrogant in how we conduct ourselves as His ambassadors (2 Cor 5:11-21).
I think the point Stephanie was trying to make (and a point I think she made quite aptly) is that Christians sometimes (okay, often) obstruct the ability of people to clearly see the person of Christ. To many, we will be the only Bible they ever read, and the only exposure to Christ they have in their lifetime. In that sense, their response to Him has an awful lot to do with us. His "irresistable grace" is not so irresistable when we we do things that are repellent to non-believers.
Take my job for example. I work for a Member of Congress. Most of his constituents will never get to deal with him personally. Instead, they deal with me, and I represent him in everything I do. How I greet them, how I treat them, how I explain things to them, how I help them through the tough situations they sometimes find themselves in - it all reflects on him. If I don't do my job well (since, after all, they're voting for him and not me) the reality is that he pays for it at the polls. Now, that isn't fair. I can tell you he gives them plenty of good and compelling reasons to vote for him, apart from what I do. However, it's what I do that will resonate with that constituent later on when they make the decision to vote for or against him.
No one is disputing that the choice to follow or reject Christ still lies with the person. However, the conduct of his representatives reflects directly upon Him, and many of them will make this most important of decisions based on that and that alone.
Your salvation is based on your "reception or rejection of Christ" - this is true. However, what Christ looks like to you depends in large part on what I do to show you what He looks like in my life.
Amen! Poor Gandhi, he evidentally never ran across a true disciple of Christ. Hey, that was a true compliment and a blessing Stephanie. Thanks! You are one of my new favorites too! :)
Once again it is Ghandi's excuse to refuse Christ. All men are sinners no one seeks God. He died in his rebellion. Why do we hold an unbeliever up for reverance and call a brother who adheres to the Word of God haughty and arrogant? That is a purely subjective pov btw, and therein lies the real problem. I am not responsible for keeping anyone out of the Kingdom. Those who are to come to salvation will come to it. The Holy Spirit tills the soil, so, sow seed and water, and let God give the increase. 1 Cor 3:5-8
I agree that someone will go to heaven if they really want to. It is, essentially, not our responsibility to "save" souls because, well, we can't. But, our effective ministry will speak for itself by the way we have lived our life, and by the way people have responded to our living. Our difference in this world should be black and white, our love and grace for people being the one constant that transcends the gray areas. I will not condemn Ghandi because he did not accept Christ as Christ was presented to me: in the comfort and safety of Orange County, CA. I will not exalt him, per se, but I will hold him in regard because of his astounding humanity. So many christians hold the bible up and throw their evangelical seeds into the wind, being cast upon rough soil as well as soft soil, and sometimes the seed is received and growth occurs. Other times, as we all know, it is not. That doesn't mean you keep throwing seed at the hard soil, forcing it in; nor should you curse the soil, damn it to hell, and walk away. Alex said we are amabassadors, as said in scripture. I say we are irrigators.
Chris,
First of all, do not misrepresent me. I do not hold up Ghandhi. I do find his quote compelling, and reserve my right to do so without making any implicit endorsement of Ghandhi's right position before God.
Secondly, I do not call those who adhere to the Word of God "arrogant or haughty" as a default position. You clearly missed the point I was trying to make, which is that an person's ultimate responsibility for his or her own salvation doesn't mean that we, "those who adhere to the Word of God", have permission to be haughty or arrogant in our presentation of the Gospel to them. Was I saying that all believers are haughty and arrogant? Clearly no. Am I saying that some of them are? Clearly yes. You may not be responsible for keeping someone out of the Kingdom, but are responsible for how you conduct your earthly ministry, and that ministry has a direct impact on how people choose to receive Christ.
No Alex, it is not a default position. It is a veiled way of calling me haughty and arrogant, which if you re-read my comment, is what I was addressing.
Ghandi's quote is an excuse, compelling or not. You are right that we are responsible for how we conduct our ministries, and I would be remiss to discard Truth in the performance of my calling.
Jimwelches
Ghandi's humanity is still fallen humanity. As far as I am aware, it is still true that all our good works will not save us.
According to the sower and the seed;some falls on the rocks, some on the path, some in the thorns and thistles and some on good ground. It does not say that the sower made the ground fallow. It says that he sowed seed. So preach the Word and whosoever will, will come.
Chris,
I honestly didn't have you in mind when I made my original comment, so I apologize if you took it that way. I really was speaking generally. Now, do I think you've been haughty or arrogant at times on your blog? Sure. Have I been too? Oh yeah. I only know you from a blog, and if there's one thing that's true about blogs, it's that there's no shortage of haughtiness to go around... it's the fuel that powers the blogosphere. However, please don't take personal offense at my original comment. It was a meant as an indictment of specific conduct, not a specific person, and certainly not you.
Apologies for the confusion.
Alex, I really like the example that you gave about your job. As the saying goes, "We may be the only Jesus many will ever see". I say, "we need to do our job". As Steph said in the following 'flashlight' post" be a guiding light pointing to the Father and not a light pointing in someone's eyes. I want to stand before the man someday in heaven and see that even though someone may come to Christ without my loving representation of Him, I prefer to be the right kind of light.
Chris P: The point of the quote was not at all making an excuse for Gandhi lack of accepting Christ, but to convict Christians of their behaviors that are not Christlike. We all have different gifts Chris, but we cannot neglect the parts of the gospel that speak of caring and "demonstrating" Christ any more than we can neglect the parts that tell us to preach the truth (by the way, that says 'in love')and sow seed. Part of sowing seed IS ACTING like Christ. If we look at things like: "Well that's Gandhi's problem, we are missing the point".
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