Last night the pop culture world was all “atwitter” about the ABC show The Bachelorette. I confess I watched this time because the bachelorette confessed Christianity. I’d hoped this season would show a different kind of dating.
Wrong.
Not only was it not as tame, it was worse. The bachelorette, while claiming to be a christian, sung the praises (literally) in anticipation of the “fantasy suite” (i.e. fornicating lair lol) option and proceeded to dance a greek goddess dance after a night in the suite. There was no doubt as to what had happened. A particular contestant, Luke P, had specifically joined this season, excited to meet a fellow believer. In their final one-on-one date, he told her he was concerned about hearing she was singing the praises of the fantasy suite & rightly so. She had self branded herself as a Christian – to fellow Christians that comes with certain expectations. Namely, that we ABSTAIN FROM SIN as much as possible. One guess as to what ensued…
Yep. The “you can’t judge me” speech. Poor Luke P never knew what hit him. She sent him off with the flip of her middle finger, a disgusted eye roll, and “how dare you tell me what to do” speech, shocked, for some reason, that someone called her bluff.
I’m sorry, but frankly I’m over it. Part of being “in the family of God” is having ACCOUNTABILITY with fellow members. People who lovingly help us stay away from things that separate us from God. We are actually TOLD to warn our brothers “lest they fall” (into hell). The judging the Bible actual forbids is referring to JUDGING THEIR SOUL, to say someone is “going to hell”. But imploring and rebuking fellow christian brothers and sister to “stay the course” are actually what Paul and all the apostles DID and ENCOURAGED. Is it easy? No. Do we LIKE to rebuke? No. But, sometimes it is necessary.
One of my favorite bloggers, Matt Moore, left the homosexual lifestyle. One of his quotes stuck with me. Concerning a “loving” church he had attended, who never rebuked him: “They would have quietly “loved” me straight into the pit of hell”.
Somewhere along the way, we’ve let sexual sin creep in. It’s not ok. Neither is my gluttony or your gossiping. But we’ve got to stop hiding behind the “you can’t judge me” phrase. That “right” was left at the foot of the cross when we died to ourselves. No, you do not have a right to judge my SALVATION but, Yes, you do have a right AND AN OBLIGATION to judge and rebuke and help remove my sin. It’s part of the deal. “Shall we go on sinning, since His grace covers us?? NO! God forbid! We died to sin when we were baptized – how can we stay there now?” (Romans 6:1-3, AET April Estes Translation lol) So, PLEASE judge me. If my actions are not lining up with God’s will please let me know. Don’t “quietly love me into the pit of hell.” Sin is deceiving, my friend. You can be IN IT and not even SEE IT. Let’s vow to be each others’ lifelines, comrades, and push each other onto glory!
Sweet Mimosa 