Most Christians do not understand the transformation that happens when we trust in Christ because that transformation never happened to them; they chose to pretend to be Christians without ever desiring to be cleansed of their sin and changed by Christ.
God said: "If you love me, you will follow my commands."
So the question is: "Why do so many people who say they are Christians refuse to obey the Scriptures", often picking and choosing only those things they like and ignoring what they don't like. And worse, angry at those who correct them with the Word.
It is a lie to say you are "a Bible believer", if you only choose what you like and disregard what Christ said in His Word- those things you don't like.
You are not trusting in Christ if you negate any of His Word. Also, anyone who hates a believer for using God's Word to bring someone to the truth is negating what God said in the following verses.
John 13:34-35 "…34 A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
We will bear much fruit if we belong to Christ!
John 15:8 "This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples."
Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-26 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, we will also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."
Matthew 5:16 "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
1 Peter 2:12 "Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us."
1 John 3:14 "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death."
When we are loving with Christlike love, we will be loving and kind all the time to everyone. We will not treat people differently based on our own expectations of them. Love is full of truth and the desire to be an asset and encouragement to others. We tell the truth because of our love to help others grow in wisdom; we never use the truth to pound others over the head to make ourselves look special or superior.
1 John 4:12 "No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us."
Harsh rebukes are for those who claim to be Christians but act in rebellion against God's Word.
1 Timothy 5:20-21 "20 But those who persist in sin should be rebuked in front of everyone, so that the others will stand in fear of sin. 21 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality."
Never hold a friend more important than Christ, but love the friend so much you are willing to risk his hatred for telling the truth.
1 John 3:6-8 "No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil."
May we love Christ more than any person, and may we love a person so much that we tell the truth to restore them to righteousness.
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