Christians Dealing with Sin

Sometimes Christians can be a little too overzealous when it comes to pointing out the sins of the world, especially these days. With all the perversion we see on TV and in the movies, and the evil that seems to be flaunted in our faces, we feel it's our duty to set everyone straight. Some Christians can even be pretty mean about it. I don't believe this is the way we're supposed to be acting or how we're supposed to be dealing with unbelievers.

The Bible talks about wheat and tares in Matthew 13, comparing the kingdom of heaven to a man sowing good seed in his field. I look at "the kingdom" as being the Christian body and, hopefully, we are sowing good seed when we practice being Christ-like while teaching others.

"And while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way."

Satan comes and plants evil wherever he can, and that includes false teachers and evil-doers right in our churches. Evil is everywhere and "grows" right along side of us. This is where I think we get ourselves in trouble. We seem to think we have to do everything we can to get rid of those darn "tares." We isolate ourselves in our little churches and groups so we don't have to be exposed to them, and God forbid if we discover someone in our group we think is a hypocrite. We don't hesitate to give him a piece of our minds and banish him. Sometimes we even stand on corners and shout about "the wrath of God" and carry signs condemning all kinds of wrong-doing. Somehow we seem to have missed some of the verses in this parable:

"The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest."

He doesn't say anything about condemning them or trying to get rid of them; He says to let both grow together until the harvest. I feel He's telling us to let them be, and that He'll deal with them when the time comes. I'm not saying we're supposed to condone sin, but I don't think we're supposed to attack these people. Maybe if we could learn to "grow together" beside them with an attitude that's truly Christ-like, with sincere humility and loving-kindness, more good seeds could be sown.

It's not easy being a Christian these days. It's even harder trying to witness to people because we're faced with a hostility that wasn't there years ago. I just can't help but think a lot of it is our own fault because maybe we're displaying a "holier-than-thou" attitude without even realizing it. I like to think I've been full of humility and loving-kindness, but if I really examine myself, I have to admit I've been lacking. Maybe instead of condemning unbelievers, we should start listening to some of their accusations against us. If they keep saying we're holier-than-thou and judgmental, maybe that's what they're seeing in us.

The last verse of the parable sums it all up:

"In the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."

One day we will ALL stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ to answer for what we've done in this life. Jesus will be the one, who ultimately decides how to deal with the sins of the world, and the tares will be bundled together and burned, and the wheat shall be gathered to God's Kingdom forever.