"Whatever Happened To Basic Christianity?"

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO RADICAL CHRISTIANITY?
(after I posted this, I realized I should have said,
"Whatever Happened To Basic Christianity?")

We are either fashioned into the image of Jesus or we are fashioned into the image of the world. This fashioning is demonstrated in attitudes, actions and associates. If our attitudes are not loving, if our actions are not loving, if our associates are not loving, then we are not fashioned into the image of Jesus.

Unhappily, many of those who claim the name of Jesus are allowing the dark issues of life and the wicked people in society to mold, to fashion them. There is no place in the Christian life for calling fire down on our enemies. Carnal anger masquerading as righteous indignation does not fool God, but it may fool the naive into thinking that Christians can be angry with sinners, and therefore mislead them away from faith in Christ.

Don't allow the devil to infect you with his foul hatred. Jesus reproved the sons of Boanerges when they wanted to pray down fire on their on their perceived enemy.
Luke 9:54-56
(54) And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
(55) But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
(56) For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

Imprecatory prayers (prayers calling on God to judge, punish and torment the lost) are not New Testament. Instead, we are to pray for our enemies to come to salvation, not to find a quick and certain damnation.

Do not let the Sodomite, baby murdering, Bible burning, Christ hating, Christian killing, haters of the world win you to their tactics. Being a Christian means being different from the world and it means being like Jesus. We can hate sin, we can speak against sin, we can stand against sin, and we can even name the sinners, but we cannot hate the sinner and we cannot be wishing them ill. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. If you are damning them, you are standing against the work of Christ.

Being a radical Christian requires radical love. Love that will not bend to evil, and will not damn those who are evil.

Romans 12:14-21
(14) Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
(15) Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
(16) Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
(17) Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
(18) If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
(19) Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
(20) Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
(21) Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.