Lately, I have found myself thinking about the way Christians respond to the world around us. It seems that everywhere we look, there is criticism, judgment, and condemnation. People are quick to point out the sins, mistakes, and poor choices of others. Yet when I read the life of Jesus, I see something very different.
Jesus never ignored sin, but He never lost sight of the person behind it.
One of my favorite verses is found in John 3:17:
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
Jesus came on a rescue mission. He came for the broken, the hurting, the confused, the deceived, and the lost. He saw people not as they were in their sin, but as they could become through His grace.
That perspective should change the way we view the world around us.
Too often, Christians can become frustrated with unbelievers. We wonder why they do not understand God’s ways. We shake our heads at the choices they make. Sometimes we even hear people use harsh or derogatory language when talking about those who are far from God.
But Scripture gives us a different lens.
2 Corinthians 4:4 says:
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.”
Think about that for a moment. The Bible says they are blind.
If we met someone who was physically blind, we would not mock them for being unable to see. We would not laugh at them for stumbling. We would not criticize them for needing help. We would show compassion. We would offer guidance. We would patiently help them find their way.
Why should our response be any different when it comes to spiritual blindness?
The lost are not our enemies. They are people who need Jesus.
One of the most powerful reminders of this truth is found in Titus 3. Paul writes:
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us…”
It is so easy to forget where we came from.
The longer we walk with Christ, the more tempting it can be to look at someone’s current situation and forget that we were once just as lost, deceived, and in need of grace. We were not saved because we were smarter, more moral, or somehow better than everyone else. We were saved because God, in His kindness and mercy, reached down and rescued us.
When I read Titus 3, I am reminded that the difference between me and someone who does not know Christ is not my goodness. The difference is His grace.
God’s kindness led me to repentance. His patience gave me time to grow. His mercy covered my failures. And if that is how He treated me, then that is how I should treat others.
The next time I am tempted to judge someone who is far from God, I want to remember where I came from. I want to remember the patience God showed me, the grace He extended to me, and the countless times He pursued me when I wasn’t pursuing Him.
The world doesn’t need more condemnation. It has plenty of that already. What the world needs is for Christians to reflect the heart of Jesus.
May we never forget that we were once blind too. And may we be willing to lovingly help others find the Savior who opened our eyes.
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Jasmine Lozano 