Happy New Year, perhaps a few weeks too late, but nonetheless, happy New Year. I think it might be helpful to do a series on the basics of Christianity, because I think a number of people have assumptions about Christianity and faith, but not all assumptions are true. So, allow me to start at a beginning. God is love. I’ve been thinking a lot about John, which is one of the four gospels, or stories of Jesus life, John 3:17. Many people know John 3:16, where Jesus is describing himself and God to a Jewish leader named Nicodemus. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only unique Son that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus continues in 3:17, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
For me, what that means is that Jesus didn’t come to judge or condemn the world. He came to save people from themselves. And as I understand Jesus, those who follow him are to try to live out what Jesus taught. So, anyone who claims to follow Christ and is out there condemning others, they are not following Jesus, at least in doing that. Billy Graham said, “It’s my job to love, the Holy Spirit’s job to convict and God’s job to judge.” As followers of Jesus our task is to love people, and when they ask, help them know more about God as we know him through scripture. A Christian worship service isn’t about making ourselves feel bad about what we’ve done; it should be more of an expression of gratitude for what God has done for us in saving us, even though we clearly didn’t deserve it. Well, at least I sure didn’t deserve to have God love me; I can’t really speak for others.
This position of trying to love others doesn’t mean that we approve of any and all behaviors, but rather that it is our place simply to love people. Wherever they are, whatever they are doing, love is the task of followers of Jesus. Honestly, sometimes we are better at loving others, sometimes worse, but that is our highest goal. Jesus himself, when he had a woman caught in the very act of adultery, didn’t condemn the woman. He instead asked her condemners how they were in a position to condemn, and when they all left, I imagine subdued because they were also sinners in need of grace, Jesus said he didn’t condemn her either, but to go and sin no more.
That’s who I hope I am becoming, with God’s grace and guidance, someone who loves folks so that they can hear that God loves them too. If you have any questions or thoughts, please reach out to me through our website, www.unionpc.org. I’m always happy to try to answer questions to the best of my limited ability.
Moore is pastor of Union Presbyterian Church in Los Altos.
