How I treat others…
The reason I treat people the way that I do is solely to give all honor and glory to God. It’s a simple act of passing on to other people what God has both demonstrated and given to me. Here are some examples of how this manifests in my daily decision and actions and they are all based on the foundation on the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The answers to many of these questions could simply be “Because God Said So”. While It’s good to be obedient, it’s very cool to be obedient and actually understand why “God Said So”.
Why I choose to be generous to others…
I believe that God showed the ultimate act of generosity to me – he sacrificed his son – so that I may be free from the chains of sin.
Given that I believe this…how can I not give freely and be generous to others?
Why I am compassionate towards others…
I believe that while I was still labeled a sinner in the eyes of God, basking in sin and moving away from God and not towards him, he still showed grace to me through the sacrifice of his son.
Given that I believe this…who am I to be hard-hearted towards others who are still enslaved by sin? God wants to redeem all people back to himself and I want to help that agenda – not be against it (story of Jonah).
Why I don’t judge others…
I believe that whether or not I gain God’s favor has nothing to do with my actions and EVERYTHING to do with HIS action. My favor comes through Jesus Christ, not whether or not I sin this hour or the next.
Given that I believe this, how can I “put people on my bad side” based on their actions?.
Why I forgive others…
Again I believe that God has forgiven all of my sins.
Given that I believe this…I freely forgive others for anything.
Why I turn the other cheek…
I believe that God will bring justice on whom he wants, in his own way, in his own time – with the ultimate purpose of carrying out his will on earth.
Given that I believe this… retaliating or fighting back or yelling back or hitting back when that has been done to me only brings honor and glory to Collin and NOT to God. Let God handle it when you have been wronged. He will do what is best for His kingdom. Turn the other cheek and let God work.
Why I’ll never tell someone “You owe me an apology”, or “I won’t do (fill in the blank) until you apologize”…
I believe God forgave me and will keep on forgiving me no matter what I do and how many times I sin. His forgiveness knows no bounds and is unconditional. My debt to God for my sins has been forgiven forever.
Given I believe this…who am I to demand that anyone owe me anything.
Why I’ll never divorce my wife (mostly from a husband’s perspective):
First, my thoughts on marriage and how society (the world) has misconstrued the original intent.
The Bible gives marriage a purpose, and a man and wife have distinct roles in that marriage. Our society has created unbiblical reasons to get married that are based on conditions. And as soon as those conditions aren’t met, we bail on the commitment. The following are examples of worldly marriage mentality that sets up marriage for failure:
The condition: I will be happier if I get married.
The condition, unfulfilled: My husband isn’t making me happy lately. I deserve happiness.
The condition: I will be in a better financial position if I get married.
The condition, unfulfilled: My husband lost his job and we are no longer stable…maybe I should leave.
The condition: I want someone to love me unconditionally.
The condition, unfulfilled: He doesn’t love me like I deserve to be loved. I deserve better.
The condition: I want a partner so that we can work as a team – so let’s get married.
The condition, unfulfilled: She is being selfish and is not pulling her weight around the house. She needs to change.
The condition: I want to get married to start a family and have kids.
The condition, unfulfilled: The doctor said my husband is not fertile and we can’t have kids of our own.
The condition: I can have a better relationship with God when I’m married.
The condition, unfulfilled: My husband never prays with me. This is not what I wanted.
The condition: I need to find my soul mate.
The unmet condition: My wife isn’t compatible with me anymore.
In summary, the world’s view of marriage can be summed up in this way: One sinner expecting the other sinner to measure up to a pre-determined set of standards and goals. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE RECIPE FOR FAILURE.
Why I can’t justify ever divorcing my wife, for anything including unfaithfulness…
I believe what the bible says about marriage. Marriage is a reflection of Christ and the church and is meant to glorify God. I believe this is the purpose of my marriage. Christ (the head) will never detach himself from the church (his body).
Given that I believe this…divorcing my wife does NOT reflect Christ and the church (in any way) and gives no glory to God (in any way). With this belief, divorcing my wife makes as much sense as cutting off my body from the neck down.
(However if the belief of the purpose of my marriage is like one of the above worldly reasons – to be happy, or to be in a better financial position, or to have someone love me unconditionally, or to have a teammate – then it makes a lot of sense to divorce when my conditions are not met.)
Why I don’t have to feel insecure… about anything…
I am on sound footing – the Rock of Jesus Christ.
Given that I believe this…nothing can shake me.
Why I don’t have to manipulate people (white lies, not being transparent, trying my best to push my agenda, etc)…
I believe that God is in control, complete control.
Given that I believe this…my decisions (that are aligned with God) will always work for my good. I am not in control, He is.
Why I choose to never label anyone in this world as “ugly” or “evil”…
I believe that we are all made in His image.
Given that I believe this…I don’t define beauty by the world’s definition. We are made in His image and we all have the potential to draw close to him. No sin is bigger than God’s grace. None of us were made in the devil’s image.
Why I choose to believe that no one is inferior…
God doesn’t love me (or anyone else) for what I can do for him. He loves all equally, and therefore I should too.
—————————–
AND THIS LIST CAN GO ON FOREVER! There truly is a gospel-based answer for EVERYTHING that matters in the Kingdom of God.
I was really helped by reading The Gospel Answer. In it I have been challenged even further to be a more loving disciple toward the world & not ever be hard hearted toward a sinner. I have watched some of your videos Collin and appreciate how you make a clear distinction between what is a true disciple of Christ and the modern day version of faith of the religion of “christianity”.