Why is it you evangelicals always focus on the obvious sexual sins in condemning unbelievers when you will never judge your own house in condemning covetousness of your leaders and the fact that you people have caused America to fall by your inaction in condemning sin and caring only for yourselves? Judgment begins with God’s house, I assure you of that! (James E.)
Answer:
I can’t agree with you more! In fact, our churches should be involved in rebuking and disciplining their own. Furthermore, evangelicals should be showing kindness, caring and mercy to the outside world, not judgment and hatred. Certainly, that’s what the Scriptures tell Christians to do.
What Scholars Say
Rest assured, scholars such as Philadelphia Bible University’s Paul Benware, Moody Bible Church’s Erwin Lutzer and Dallas Theological Seminary expert Joseph Dillow, point out that Ephesians 5:15, Galatians 5:19, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Colossians 3:24 all apply to Christians – not to the secular world.
Explaining further, although Christians are saved, they may still lose out on positions of authority and responsibility in the Kingdom of Heaven, let alone rewards, when they stand before Christ at the judgment seat. Christians may not inherit all they were meant to. (Study 2 John 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Cor. 3:14-15; Luke 19:17-26).
Thanks for pointing this out. We need to hear it! Hopefully, we can begin to get our act together from reading letters like yours.
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References & Recommended Reading:
Benware, Paul. 2002. The believer’s payday. Chattanooga, TN:
AMG.
Dillow, Joseph. 1990. The reign of the servant kings. Hayesville, NC: Schoettle.
Lutzer, Erwin. 1998. Your eternal reward. Chicago: Moody.