Do Unto Others...

"This year, or this month, or, more likely, this very day, we have failed to practise ourselves the kind of behaviour we expect from other people." --C.S. Lewis, The Case for Christianity

The Golden Rule. (as it's called, though you won't find these words in the Bible.) Isn't this what C.S. Lewis is getting at? The failure to practice this simple statement given by Christ (in effect, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you...") is what leads to those outside the faith screaming, "Hypocrite!" and never darkening the door of a church. Yes, our reply is often, "There are hypocrites at the mall or at the ballgame and you don't seem to let the hypocrites keep you from attending those places," but this tends to shift the focus back on the one screaming, "Hypocrite!" rather than cause the introspection that it ought to produce. While the latter statement is true and should cause the one leveling the charge of hypocrite to, perhaps, look more deeply at why they do not attend church or why they are anti-God or anti-Christian, should we not take to heart the fact that someone sees hypocritical actions in our lives? This is a subject that requires a delicate balance in the Christian's life. On one hand we must realize that sin is an ongoing battle for us. One might call to mind the bumper sticker that reads, "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven." We will always struggle with our sin nature. (see Romans 7:14-25 for Paul's treatment of the old vs. the new nature.) While it is important for people to understand this, it is even more important that we "Die to self daily" and allow the work of Christ wrought in our hearts to do its efficacious work and demonstrate its power in each of our lives. As God continues to work and shine in our lives, perhaps the charge of hypocrite will thus carry much less weight in the argument of the unbeliever's heart and we can then witness and cut to the heart of the matter: Our inherited sin and it's effect on the brotherhood of man, and the only answer for it....Jesus Christ and His atoning work on the cross. Put more succinctly, Practice what you preach!