Turning a Blind Eye

I'm not sure of the root cause(s). Maybe it's an overbearing "saved by grace through faith" (Eph 2:8-9) that disregards "saved for good works" (Eph 2:10). Maybe it's a gut-level response to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Maybe it's just syncretism, the melding of two disparate beliefs. In this case it would be the melding of Christianity and the world.

Paul urged his readers, "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves." (2 Cor 13:5) Jesus said, "You will recognize them by their fruits." (Matt 7:16) When Peter encountered Simon the magician who, the Scriptures say, "believed" (Acts 8:13), he told him, "You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you." (Acts 8:21-22) Seems rather harsh. Judgmental. You know, pushy. Because, you see, today we don't like to do that. Today we're much wiser than Peter and, if we're honest, somewhat doubtful about Jesus. "Really? You expect us to be fruit inspectors?"

We now consider it bad form to question salvation -- our own or anyone else's. If they "believe," believe them. If they're "with us," they must be of us. No, no, we're nonjudgmental. Never, never question another's claim to faith. Don't look at his life and ask questions. Don't look at her lifestyle choices and wonder. Whatever you do, don't look at 1 John. That is possibly the most judgmental book in the Bible. All that "if you do" and "if not" where "if not" is dire. They say they believe; take them at their word ... and ignore them and whatever evidence they present.

Maybe that's the problem. Maybe it's that we tend to ignore them. Maybe it's that we don't take Jesus seriously enough when He said, "Make disciples." (Matt 28:19) Maybe we aren't actually doing the "one anothers" that fill the New Testament. Maybe we're not the best examples of "love one another" disciples (John 13:35). Because it seems like a lot of people are falling through the cracks and, "Wow! I never saw that coming." In the name of being "nonjudgmental" we defy the command to love, nod our heads, and wish them well without the ministering we're called to do. Just look the other way. "It's too bad, so sad. Move along; nothing to see here." Believers turning a blind eye.