Enough Slamming God's People!

I have had enough. And even then some.

I am now committing myself to sticking up for the church. I know...God is our defense and my top priority is to defend God's honor, but there is a sense in which I think God's honor is at stake.

What am I talking about?

Within the past few months and years, I have heard a steady stream of "Christians" attack Christians who have strong convictions or hold to traditional approaches to Christianity. Sadly, many of these statements tend to come from younger beleivers, some of whom perfer to identy with the emerging church.

Here are some statements I have heard or read lately that illustrate this:

"I'd rather hang out with lost people than Christians."

"The folks down at the bar do a better job taking care of one another than the church does."

"Walking down the street one day I saw someone walking toward me earing a t-shirt with “Jesus” in big, red letters on the front. As I got closer, I saw in smaller letters: “protect us from your followers.” In my experience, most of the bad done to me in business or personal relationships has been done by those claiming to be Christian and inerrantists. Those that were most helpful played golf on Sunday mornings."

"Jesus always attacked religious people but loved hanging out with prostitutes and drunks and 'sinners.'"

"I'm sick of church people. I want to be around people who are real."

Since when did it become so cool to despise God's people? Call me uncool, but I love the church, I love God's people, and I'd rather be with a brother in Christ than a rebel against God. That doesn't mean I don't have compassion for that lost person, or desire to spend time with them to influence them toward Christ, but I have the deepest and greatest common bond with fellow believers.

Jesus loved the church and died for her. Stop slamming her and pray for her and love her. If you don't, you can't be Christ-like. Have you ever stopped to think that when you slam the church you're slamming who Christ died for, is praying for, and is working to purify? So, in a sense, when you slam the children of God, you're dishonoring their Father. Think about that before you drag God's people through the mud again.