“Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2
For those of us who call ourselves Christians, we do not always act as we should, which is as Christ acted and has called us to act. That is to love our fellow human beings and to show that love by doing good works, but also just in how we treat one another. In today’s society, we tend to hold grudges and be quick to anger. We look down on people based on their race, and economic well-being and other differences. We don’t forgive transgressions, even when the ones in the wrong have paid their dues. In this regard, I am referring to our criminal justice system in the United States, which has lost for the most part its roots in focusing on the reform of criminals and not just the warehousing of them.
But it is not just the criminal justice system but society as a whole where even after serving one’s time in prison and being released has forever a stigma attached to themselves for the rest of their lives and find it extremely difficult to get a job and make a legitimate living. We as a society make it to where the criminals cannot change.
Perhaps it is about time that for those of us who call themselves Christians to look into the mirror and ask “Really, Am I a Christian, do I embody the life, message, and teachings of Jesus Christ? Do I show and live in love as my Lord Jesus?” Remember and take this to heart the next time you say to someone “I am a Christian.” As the song goes “They Will Know We are Christians by our Love.” When as Christians we show our love we do not need to say we are Christians, people just know, including ourselves. So are you a Christian?
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