You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

...You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am LORD. -Leviticus 19:18
...You shall love your neighbor as yourself. -Matthew 22:39

This verse is mentioned several times in both the bible (old and new testament). Clearly God honored this commandment, wishing for us as Christians to uphold it with great importance. In fact, Jesus mention it second only to loving God.

Recently, my husband and I have been doing some deep studying and allowing ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit rather than by man's views or doctrines. Tonight as I was researching things on the internet I found many forums of Christians bashing Christians. I was so saddened and disheartened that I had to stop looking around and felt led to come here and type up a little something about this. This is the first time I have noticed something like this, as I see it frequently in the Christian community. However, this is the first time I've seen it in such a concentrated volume. It was so sickening to me. Why do we spend so much time bashing others for their beliefs instead of working to reach the lost for God's kingdom. Does it really matter to which doctrine you subscribe, if  you truly believe that Christ died and rose again to save you from your sins and live that out in your daily life. If you have denied yourself and taken up your cross to follow *OUR* Savior (Matt. 16:24) and I have done likewise what do we we have to argue about? We will never see eye to eye on every single issue because we are imperfect, flawed. We each read and interpret scripture according to the way we have been molded in life. Let me be clear: Sadly,  I don't believe everyone is going to heaven. I don't believe that truth is relative.  I believe there is ONE truth and we must trust in that Truth if we are to live eternally with our Lord.  I believe there is such thing as righteous judgement and I believe that we are called to hold each accountable. However, if a brother or sister in Christ is clearly practicing scripture out of the Bible, I don't believe they ought to be judged. I think there are far more important matters at hand!
How about we reach out in love to our unsaved family, our neighbors and our community and represent Christ's teachings so that others may join us in the His kingdom! Imagine how much more we could do for Him if we set aside our self-righteous works of the flesh and replace them with  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). 


I leave you with one final thought from Galatians 5:25-26- If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Until next time, may Christ's love and blessings be upon you and yours.