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Fairfield Church of Christ
in Centerville, Tennessee.
60th Anniversary Celebration
November 1, 2009
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By Devin
Perhaps you have heard some of the following phrases used at one time or another: “A fool and his money are soon parted”, “God helps those who help themselves”, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”, “Money is the root of all evil”, and “Forgive and forget”. It would probably come as a surprise to many folks, both Biblical and non-Biblical scholars alike, that none of these sayings can be found word for word in Holy Scripture anywhere. Though some have spiritual connotations, none can be found by “book, chapter, and verse”.
Another phrase that many have given Biblical origins to is “hate the sin, love the sinner”. Once again, though spiritual in nature and thought, this phrase cannot be found on any page in God's Word. Credit for this statement is generally given to Mahatma Gandhi, the beloved political and spiritual leader in India during the early part of the 1900's. In fact, the casual person might even be shocked to learn that there are many verses in the Bible that on the surface seem to say just the opposite of what Gandhi preached. Listen ..... “Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.” (Psalm 139:21-22) “Was not Esau Jacob's brother? Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated.” (Malachi 1:2-3) “The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.” (Psalm 5:5) “I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the Lord.” (Psalm 31:6)
This is what one writer recently said about the subject. “The difference between us and God in regard to loving and hating is vast. Even as Christians, we remain imperfect in our humanity and cannot love perfectly, nor can we hate perfectly (in other words, without malice). But God can do both of these perfectly, because He is God. God can hate without any sinful intent. Therefore, He can hate the sin and the sinner in a perfectly holy way and still be willing to lovingly forgive at the moment of that sinner's repentance and faith. The Bible clearly teaches that God is love. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:8-9) Mysterious but true is the fact that God can perfectly love and hate a person at the same time. This means He can love him as someone He created and can redeem, as well as hate him for his unbelief and sinful lifestyle. We, as imperfect human beings, cannot do this; thus, we must remind ourselves to “love the sinner, hate the sin.”
How exactly does that work? We hate sin by refusing to take part in it and by condemning it when we see it. Sin is to be hated, not excused or taken lightly. We love sinners by being faithful in witnessing to them of the forgiveness that is available through Jesus Christ. A true act of love is treating someone with respect and kindness even though he/she knows you do not approve of his lifestyle and/or choices. It is not loving to allow a person to remain stuck in sin. It is not hateful to tell a person he/she is in sin. In fact, the exact opposites are true. We love the sinner by speaking the truth in love. We hate the sin by refusing to condone, ignore, or excuse it.”
We are not God ..... nor will we ever be. It is impossible for us to adorn the cloak of the Creator of the universe. You see, God can actually “forgive AND forget”. It's a different story for those of us on this side of eternity.
Go the extra mile - Devin
The above text is the Viewpoint from the bulletin front page dated 2/2/2010
| UPCOMING EVENTS: |
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Today is Tuesday, February 09, 2010 |
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MEMBER BIRTHDAYS... |
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Fairfield Church of Christ 1860 Hwy 100 Centerville, TN 37033 (931) 729-5142 View Directions |
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