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The title may sound obvious to you, but the concept seems to throw Christians off. People who don't know Jesus can't act like Him. People who don't love Him won't follow Him or His commands. So, why do we expect them to?
Imagine this: you and I have begun to play a game of basketball. Two friends come over to us. They are playing football and want to combine our games. Well, as you can probably guess, it doesn't work out. We realize we can't play by two sets of rules or else we're all just mad and confused. And that's always been the issue: today (and forever) we're playing by two sets of very different rules. Christians know the Word and walk in Its commands. We follow the laws God has established because we love the One who wrote them.
But, lost people don't have the same convictions Christians do. They have no loyalty to the King of Kings because He is not their King. Just like Americans couldn't care less about the rules established in the United Kingdom by their rulers because they aren't ours, lost people hold no allegiance for our Ruler, Jesus Christ.
Now, as humans, most people have a basic moral compass. Even lost people will tell you murder is wrong. However, the finer statutes God sets for us require more sacrifice that cause us to look more like Him. If you have no desire to look like Him and if you just want to be you and live your life, the Christian "rulebook" is going to look really harsh, mean, bigoted, and totally not fun.
The world says to be comfortable and to make yourself happy. But, God's Word doesn't. Since we have Jesus, we no longer play by Satan's "All About Me" handbook. It's supposed to be all about everyone else now. We switched our set of rules to the Truth, but lost people haven't yet. That being said, these lost people will act just that: lost. I don't expect a lost person not to cuss or get drunk. They truly do not understand why those things are wrong. They don't get why those things are sinful and will eventually lead to death without repentance.
So, when we point accusing, condemning fingers at lost people, we often confirm to them why they chose not to follow Jesus. Notice that in the Bible, Jesus doesn't usually kick-off conversations with sinners by pointing out they are one from the get-go. He befriended them. He ate with them. He taught them the Truth.
Too often we use our social media platforms to spout passages of Scripture on the friend (who doesn't know the Lord and whom we disagree with)'s post. What do we expect? A comment to convert them to change their minds? It doesn't work that way, my friends, and we would do so much better in witnessing to lost people if we could keep from insulting and arguing with them.
I see people who claim to be Christians acting anything but that. They call people stupid and tell them they're going to hell. Name one time Jesus uses this tactic to spread the Gospel. It doesn't exist. Our conversations are to be graceful and seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6). We should always do our best to try and live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18).
We have to quit expecting lost people to read our arguments and decide to be saved. There is a better way. Here are a few suggestions:
Be friends outside of Facebook. If they know the Lord and their beliefs no longer line up with the Lord, lovingly remind them what His Word says (Matthew 18: 15-17). Just... not on Facebook.
Invite them to church to learn about God's truth. By understanding God's truth and accepting it, they can begin to live it out.
Live a life that they see Jesus in you. Be an example. How do you act at work or at the grocery store? Would people know you know Jesus from your actions?
Tell your testimony. Be open and honest. Be transparent. By showing what God has done in your life, they can know God can work in theirs too.
Remind them of God's truth, but also remind them of God's love, grace, and mercy in spite of that. Sure, God is filled with wrath against sin. But, that's why He lovingly sent Jesus to die for those sins. He showed us love, grace, and mercy we didn't deserve, so that one day we could be with Him again.
Change your tone from "holier than thou" and self-righteous to understanding and sympathetic. You were lost once too. Remember what it was like, and show love the way someone either showed you or you wish you had been shown.
As for Christians who do play by the same rules as us, we must hold each other accountable. Lost people do not understand what they're doing is sin, but saved people do. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring forth conviction in their lives. Kindly remind them in love what the Word says. Remember, everyone is watching. Try to avoid social media as much as possible for this. Lost people want to see what you'll do and say in these situations. If you act in your flesh and misrepresent Jesus, you're only confirming the lies the enemy has spoken to them about Christianity.
Lastly, remember these lost people are not your enemy. We have a very real enemy in Satan. He comes solely to steal, kill, destroy, and devour (John 10:10 & 1 Peter 5:8). As we were once lost, we must remember that people are not the enemy here. We've got to stop treating each other as such.
Be broken by the yoke that you know is on their lives. Have compassion knowing they are still believing lies and could have better. Have righteous anger focused on sin and the chains it forges. Our battle isn't between flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). The enemy would have us against each other, but we are all God's creation, and we should treat each other as such.
Be angry that Satan is holding lost people captive, and ask God to allow you to be a part of showing them Who can set them free. Remember, our purpose is to edify and to build up rather than to tear down. Lost people expect us to condemn and attack them. Break the mold. Be the Christian who understands Whom they represent. Be the Christian who emulates Jesus. Feel compassion for those who believe and act differently than you do. When Jesus saw lost people, He felt compassion for them because they needed a Shepherd (Matthew 9:36). Be like Jesus.
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