Animosity? Wash my feet!

We're to pattern our lives as Christians after Christ whose title makes us what we are. To proclaim the Christian moniker and clothe ourselves in scarlet, is an injustice to Jesus.

Have you ever had a Christian snub you because of animosity or superiority? Have you ever had a Christian gossip about you? How about proclaiming you're guilty with no evidence? Ah, yes. It's easy to spot a Christian who curses, uses drugs or is lascivious, but how can we spot Christians who straddle the fence on issues of love?

Now, if you will, imagine that Jesus attends your church regularly. Perhaps he's even a leader within the church! Someone comes in who was known to sin this week (as we all have). Jesus avoids the person, fails to speak or to be friendly as he goes about slapping his friends on the back. Or perhaps Jesus heard a tale about someone. He gathers his friends around and whispers and laughs! Perhaps Jesus misunderstood a situation and ostracized a person! Is this the Jesus you worship? I think not! But why do Christians still act like we do?

They say "When in Rome do as the Romans do!", but here's what Paul said that we're to do:

Romans 15:7 "...receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God."

There are two parts to this passage. 1) We are to receive each other, and how? 2) as Christ receives us. How did Jesus receive us? With grace! He treated us better than we deserve! Dave Ramsey says that all the time in response to "How you doin' Dave?" "Better than I deserve!" he responds. Why do we expect Jesus to treat us so mercifully, but yet we have little mercy ourselves? It's because we aren't faithful to our "faith"!

The reason we "receive one another" mimicking Christ, is to glorify God! It's God's will for us to be Christlike!

1 John 2:6 "He that saith he abideth in him (Jesus) ought himself also so to walk, even as he (Jesus) walked."

Do we walk as Jesus walked? Do you walk as does Christ? Many do not! They are  the ones who need to do something. "Change" is the word in vogue during the Obama administration. If we walk differently than Christ walked, we need to "change"! However, Obama never mentioned that "change" has two directions. We need to change and be more like Jesus.

John 13:14 "If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you."

If you don't like me, there's a change you need to make! You need to do what Jesus did. If you have animosity toward me, wash my feet! And if I have something against you, I assure you, I WILL wash yours! Not because you deserve it, but that's what Christians are to do!