Call-out culture… and the judgement therein.
If only we were as aggressive in calling out sin in the church as we are about the losses of our favorite team (or insert whatever analogy works in your friend group).
There are certain sins that I’ve seen continue to exist in the church – to be allowed to exist in the church – in the name of keeping someone involved. We are more afraid to offend humanity than to offend the very presence of God. If we call it out, they’ll leave. But maybe we ought to let them go. Or perhaps we ought to truly love the sinner and lead them back to Jesus.
Let me be very clear about one thing… If you aren’t willing to walk through restoration with them, then you have no business calling the sin out in them.
If you aren’t willing to walk through restoration with them, then you have no business calling the sin out in them.
The goal here is to remove the hints of unrighteousness in the church, that He may inhabit the church. Not to purge the church of all its people. We are all flawed, and on this side of eternity, we will be in that fight against our flesh.
No, what I’m talking about is setting a standard determined by God Himself (Be holy, for I am holy), and upholding it. And lovingly confronting that which sets itself up against that standard of holiness.
“Only God can judge me.”
Ever heard that one?
Ever been the one to say it?
I regret to inform you that’s not entirely true. God certainly will judge each of us one day, and He is the only righteous and true Judge of heaven and earth.
“Only God can judge me.”
I’m not sure that’s what you really want.
But He also says this in Matthew 7:16-20:
16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
So while we do not have the power or authority to pronounce judgment on another person, we are able to identify them by their fruit. In other words, we can observe and make a judgment on the type of person they are. And if someone who professes to be a Christian is producing ungodly fruit, then we actually do have an obligation to address it.
“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” Ephesians 5:11
God doesn’t play about His children.
Here’s the thing: God doesn’t play about His children, and Satan doesn’t move in gentleness. Our enemy has one ultimate goal: destroy. So we can’t handle sin gently either. We can’t allow it in our own lives first, nor should we abide it in the life of the Church. Let’s not cheapen the sacrifice Jesus paid. Don’t water down the blood.
Love your neighbor as yourself. Love them enough to tell them the truth. To have the awkward conversations. To confront the ungodly aspects of an otherwise godly person.
Love covers a multitude of sins. But it doesn’t ignore them.
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