Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Chameleons of a different color

Opposed to popular belief chameleons are not evolved camouflagers. Their name doesn't even have anything to to with that, it simply means ground lion. The actual belief is that they change to colors to find mates, not unlike many humans except we usually only turn red ^^;;;. I am going somewhere with this.
Who are we?
Paul said, "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

Is there a double standard? 
NO
There is not a double standard. We are who we are and we have standards that are not to be discarded. Where is the context? Before it, it reads, " But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend."


Paul is teaching true love. He is teaching that if we are with sinners we speak in the way that the sinner understands and if we are with Jews we teach in the way that the Jews understand. The problem comes when we use our knowledge and not our love. Listening and feeling are the crux of the Gospel. Do we sin against Christ because we get preachy and on our high horse and neglect the weightier matters. Or do we with love take a brother up and do the things which Christ would have us?
If we treat a person with love will we offend them? No it is impossible for as Paul later teaches us, "Charity never faileth." "The love that we as Christians," as C.S. Lewis said, " extend to one another is not charity. Charity is the pure love of Christ. It is His love that we must share, not our love if we are to reach out in Charity." We must realize that we cannot feel but what Christ feels if we want to be perceived as true disciples of Christ and not Chameleons.

No comments:

Post a Comment