What Do you Call Me?

One of the things that Pastor Jeff said during the sermon was that Jesus doesn't call me by my sin, He calls me out of my sin. Man, oh, man!  The world call us by our sins.  "ou're the adulterer, the drunk, the thief, the liar, the (fill in the blank)".  They remember us for what we have done and don't want to know us for who we are now, in Christ.

Now here is the sticky part:  how do we label fellow Christians?  How do you label me?  How do I label you?  If I am stepping on your toes, don't feel bad.  I am dancing the jig on my own as I write this.  Do we, as Christians, remember that fellow Christians are just as forgiven as we are?  Jesus tells us to forgive others (Mark 11:25) but He also tells us that if we don't forgive others that God will not forgive us (Matthew 6:15, John 20:23). 

Let me tie two things together for you, for me.  If I don't "unlabel" my fellow Christians, if I choose to remember their past (sordid or otherwise) while claiming that my own has been forgiven, why would I ever expect that the world would see forgiveness as whole, all encompassing, and total?  Why would I expect that non-Christians would believe that Jesus can forgive when I don't act like I believe it? 

Ouch.  Maybe even double ouch. 

Division in the church is a great tactical weapon of Satan and labels fuel discord among believers.  My prayer for us all that we will not only present but truly live in such a way that we show a united and forgiven front to the world.  I pray that we will allow the light of our God to shine brightly through us and pierce the dim, hopeless darkness that covers this world.