Should Christians Just Live Their Lives and Let Everyone Else Live Theirs?

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Oftentimes, when we Christians express their beliefs in public, those who disagree with us will accuse us of meddling, intolerance, bigotry, or just not minding our own business.  Granted, many times it would be easier for us just to be quiet about the declining moral condition of our nation, abortion, violence and sex in the media, adultery, homosexuality, etc.  It does seem very quiet when one’s head is buried in the sand.  Nevertheless, we followers of Jesus Christ seem to always be speaking out about something, injecting our biblically-based opinion into the public arena, many times where we certainly are not welcome.  Why do we do this?  Do we enjoy being ridiculed and mocked for our beliefs?

Let’s see if we can shed some light on this subject.

Everyone lives by their beliefs

Everyone conducts their lives based on their beliefs.  What we believe to be true guides us in how we live.  You don’t stick your hand in the fire because you believe that the fire is hot and it will hurt.  You eat because you believe it keeps you alive.  You show up to work on time because you believe that you’ll get fired if you don’t.  We are motivated to certain actions and behavior by what we believe.  It would be unreasonable, illogical, and perhaps insane to act otherwise.

Does everyone believe in God?

When asked, most people will say they believe in God.  Consider yourself: Do you believe in God? Many people who say they believe in God do not live like it.  Many simply say they believe in God and then conjure up a god in their own imagination that allows them to do whatever they want to do and think it’s all right with god.  If someone truly believes that there is a God, would they not think it important to find out what He is like, what He expects of us, how we can please Him, and how we can have a relationship with Him?  How could anyone, in their right mind, believe that there is an all mighty Creator God to whom we are responsible, and simply not care?

Should the Christian ‘judge not’?

Many times, when a Christian expresses his or her belief that certain things are wrong, someone counters with, “Doesn’t the Bible also say that you shouldn’t judge others?”  Well, sort of.  First, let’s define the word ‘judge’.  If we define judging as pronouncing condemnation or judgment against someone on the basis of our own authority, then we are out of line, we don’t have that power.  However, God does; it is His opinion that matters.  Therefore, when Christians state that the Bible (remember, it is God’s Word to us) says that something is wrong, it is not we who are judging anything, we are simply conveying the message God has given us.  In addition, the Bible repeatedly tells us to be discerning (Romans12:2; Ephesians 5:10).  It also tells us to test everything according to His Word (I Thessalonians 5:21).  So, clearly God does not want His people walking around with their fingers in their ears going, “La, la, la, la”, we are to evaluate everything in light of the teachings of His Word.

Christians can’t remain silent as we see someone headed for an eternity without God.

The Christian’s Motivation

Okay, back to the issues of beliefs.  Christians believe that God is real, that He loves us, and that He sent His Son to die for our sins, so that we (through faith in Jesus) can be forgiven and live in harmony with Him forever.  We respond in love and gratitude for who God is and what He has done for us.

We also believe that the Bible is God’s Word to us and is authoritative in our lives (II Samuel 7:28; Psalm 119:60; John 17:17; II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21).  We have good reasons to believe that God gave us the Bible as a guide for living and a guide to knowing Him.  This is why it holds such an important place in our lives.  This is why what it says is so important.

The Bible and Sin

The Bible says that sin will prevent us from entering Heaven or having a relationship with God that does anything but incur His wrath.  The Bible tells us, “…that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (I Corinthians 6:9-10 ESV; see also I Corinthians 15:50; Galatians 5:21; Ephesians 5:5; I Timothy 1:9; Hebrews 12:14, 13:4; Revelation 21:8, 22:15).

However, the Bible also says that we can be forgiven of sins and have the kind of relationship with God for which we were created. Following the passage that lists some of the sins that keep one out of the Kingdom of God, we read, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (I Corinthians 6:11 ESV).  No matter what sins we’ve committed in our lives, when we trust Jesus for our salvation and live for Him we are forgiven of those sins and begin a wonderful personal relationship with God.

Conclusion

Christians believe in God and want to live their lives for Him.  Christians believe that the Bible is God’s Word to humanity and is the authority for our lives.  The Bible gives us God’s standards of right and wrong.  The Bible tells us that everyone is sinful and separated from God unless they have a trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior.  Christians want others to be forgiven and have a personal relationship with God, and we believe that the Bible instructs us to share that opportunity with others (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16).

Therefore, the reason Christians can’t just live their lives and leave others alone is that we love God and we love others.  We can’t remain silent as we see someone headed for an eternity without God.  It would be like knowing someone was about to accidentally walk off a cliff, but saying nothing because we don’t want to butt in.  That is not the loving thing to do.  So, next time you wonder about a Christian’s motivation for speaking out about some current issue, remember that we speak out of our love for God and our love for others.

Related Reading:  How Tolerant Should A Christian Be: Are Christians Judgmental

Resources – The Holy Bible, English Standard Version “Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Tagged as: Life, Love, Others