What is it that distinguishes Christians from everybody else? Most people would say that Christians are more conservative than others, and they place a greater emphasis on enforcing moral rules relating to such issues as sexual practices, abortion, and decency. In other words, most people seem to think that Christianity is primarily about following the rules.
For some reason, Christians are giving out entirely the wrong signals. Following Jesus is supposed to be about grace, and not about law. Eric Bryant says that followers of Jesus should be practising the Art of Woo. He says that deep down, we long to be part of a loving and diverse community, to be part of a church know for caring for those the world has forgotten. Wouldn’t it be amazing if people saw our lives and wanted what we have?
I think it’s something to do with control. We want to control other people, and get them to conform to what we consider to be acceptable behavioural patterns. However, the Bible tells us to exercise faith, rather than control. Our job as followers of Jesus is to be agents of grace in the world. It’s not up to us to be making rules for others to follow. We’re here to reflect the image of Christ in the way we live our lives.