How do we embrace foreigners and aliens in our country and love them if we don’t love their religion? I’m sure that in biblical times, the same was true—that foreigners had foreign gods and yet God still wants us to have mercy and care for their physical needs. So what does that look like today? How is the church responding, and what does that mean for extremists like that Florida pastor and for extremely accepting people who say it’s okay that their Muslim, as long as we love them that’s what matters. Cause yeah, it matters that we love people and that we care for their physical needs, but when and how do we also bring Jesus to them? Is it only in the way we can care for them physically? I know that’s not the quickest way, and that we could “lose” some by not verbally bringing the gospel to them, but I mean, how do we do it? I know that Jesus came and lived among us for 20-ish years before he even began his ministry. He lived and dwelled among us and acculturated himself (while still remaining blameless and without sin). He blended in so well that Jewish leaders couldn’t even bring themselves to see that he was the Messiah (partially cause of the pride of their own elevated position). So Jesus lost some, but gained others. He couldn’t win them all, although, I know he wants to. So. Given Jesus’ example, we should live incarnationally, acculturated without adopting sinful tendencies, acculturated and not maintaining any sort of pride of being better than them. Living a Jesus inspired life around people, in front of people. Dang, following Jesus is seriously a life-long commitment. There’s no doubt about that.
I know I sound confused. I think to follow Jesus is to constantly be walking the line between being humble and being confident. accepting yet upholding truth. acculturated but not adopting generational sin. realizing our wretchedness and realizing God's grace. It just sometimes hits me hard when I think about that. It's not easy. My mind's kind of blown at the moment.
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