I have seen and heard something a lot lately. “That pastor preaches hate.” “They’re intolerant.” And other similar rhetoric. It could be true. But I’ve seen this written and heard it said about pastors and Christians simply sharing the Gospel. So let me be clear: 

Preaching the Gospel- the Truth of God’s Word- isn’t hateful. The Gospel should offend us when we are living in contradiction to it. And this world lives in contradiction to it. Believing it to be hateful is something different. 

That’s actually conviction. 

Ask yourself: in my anger am I upset because they don’t agree with my lifestyle, choices, behaviors, etc. because the Bible speaks against it?

Your anger toward someone who says they’re a pastor or Christian can be justified. If they aren’t acting like Christ and living according to the Word, then that’s righteous anger. That includes the very public Christian leaders of our world or people in the limelight that claim to be Christian. Be angry if they aren’t living like Christ. But in your anger, don’t also sin. 

Even more, if your anger is because they don’t tolerate the sin and behavior of yourself or others because you or someone else tries to justify it by the world standards, then you have found yourself an idol just as much as the egotistical Christian leader. Your desire to be justified in your actions despite the truth of the God’s Word is the very thing that causes you friction. It is the very thing that further leads a divide between you and Christ. We can choose to live and behave however we want. But we cannot pretend that justifying our sin, our apathy, our ego…whatever idols we have in our lives…is the same thing as what God’s Word says.

We are called to be separate. To be holy. To be righteous. We are called to be a people that looks like Christ and points people to Him. We imitate him. If people know us more by our political ideologies, job, hobbies, or anything else BEFORE we are known for being people that strive to live well for Christ, we have missed something, and that something is Christ. 

The world should see us living as people who love Jesus as our Lord and Savior, as our redeemer, as our everything. It doesn’t matter if you’re a pastor, cop, nurse, retail worker, waitress, or stay at home parent. Our lives should reflect Him. No matter your job, economic status, political party, or anything else, you will be known for what you treasure, what you identify with, what you believe. Do people know you believe in Christ? Do people see Jesus in you? Do people know you by your association to Jesus before anything else? These are questions we must ask.

We cannot continue to live in this world and claim to know Christ, yet not live for Him.