If you haven't figured it out by now, I am a Christian, obviously. However, "Christian" is a title that gets throw around a lot that I feel should be a little bit more defined as it pertains to me. I am a Christ follower. I believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ. He is my Lord and my Salvation (insert cheezy Christmas and Easter songs here). Many of my friends, both "Christian" and non-Christian alike, try to throw verses from the Bible at me to prove to me how wrong I am.
The Christians like to throw verses at me about many things. You should remain pure...1Th 4:3-5, you shouldn't live together before you are married (so you're not tempted to have sex)...1Cr 7:2. My non-believer friends like to throw out pretty typical stereotypes as well. You can't be friends with gay people and be a Christian...Lev 18:22, you can't be pro-choice if you're a Christian...Jer 1:4-5 (really the Christian friends like to throw these at me as well). There are plenty more verses that have been thrown my way, however...I am a Christ follower, and CHRIST is who I listen to. Sure, he makes some points about some of these things as well, but the one thing Jesus always talked about conquering everything, was love...I got in a religious debate on Facebook with some of my Christian friends about a post. It was a news story about a pastor who performed his gay son's marriage ceremony. His son is also a Christian. I agreed with the pastor 110%. My Christian friends did not. They spouted verses at me, tried to tell me I was wrong. I was taught to love! I was taught not to judge, I was taught to accept others for who they are because everyone is created in God's own image. Considering I paraphrased from many different Bible verses in those last few sentences, I feel like I don't need to justify my point much there.
These are the verses I try to live by. These are the morals that were instilled in me by many fantastic pastors, some incredible parents, and wonderful friends.
1 Cor 16:14-Do everything in love.
Luke 10:25-37: And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test,
saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said
to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" And he
answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your
neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered right;
do this, and you will live." But he, desiring to justify himself, said to
Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going
down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and
beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going
down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise
a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he
had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and
wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care
of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the
innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay
you when I come back.' Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to
the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed
mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
Romans 5: Peace and Hope
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,
we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have
gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast
in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our
sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4
perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to
shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy
Spirit, who has been given to us.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still
powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a
righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much
more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were
God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much
more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only
is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through
whom we have now received reconciliation.
Those are just a few of the passages that I hold dearest and nearest to my heart. I will never judge, I will never hate, and I will always LOVE.
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