Right after I pressed the “Send†button for Words for the Day on Friday (the one that was written about how nice things were going in my life that morning), I was copied on a nasty e-mail about me that some guy had sent to a friend about a WFTD I wrote the other day.
In it I had recounted how I got angry and suddenly used profanity when I was informed that someone had stolen my $15,000 lawnmower and trailer the previous night. I also mentioned that afterwards I felt bad about falling captive to satan with anger and profanity and prayed to God to forgive me.
He ended his e-mail about me as follows:
“Summary & Conclusion:
He is either lost, very immature, or very confused about the whole idea of “death to self”. Those who are dead to selfish motives have no reason to get angry, spew vulgar words or condemn others.
Me thinks the person is confused about truth and faith in general.
I am to him an old hypocrite and Pharisee since his own words and conduct are ignorant and hateful. Me thinks he might want to stop blogging and spend that time in prayer. Apparently he is above most of the rest of us and can do as he pleases.â€
I tell you I get so sick of this type of hypocritical “Christian†I could puke, (preferably in his face). It’s not enough that I accepted Christ as my Savior and surrendered my life to Him, kicked meth and heroin addiction, alcoholism, being a criminal, a warlock, or whatever; oh no I have to be PERFECT in order to be a “real Christian†according to his pious mindset.
I wonder whether God Himself gave him a lifetime appointment as my judge and jury. I reluctantly wrote him and gently reminded him that Jesus was the only perfect “man†that ever walked this earth. I mentioned to this fellow that albeit he might not use profanity himself, as sure as the sun comes up, he commits sins just like every other poor slob on the face of this earth and he shouldn’t be talking about the “speck in my eye” while he has a rather large 2X12 pressure treated board sticking out of his own eye. According to the Bible that I read daily, his sins will convict him just like mine will me, and that is why we both need the blood of Christ.
I agree that we should make every effort to eradicate sin from our lives and I try awfully hard to do so, but no one will ever be 100% successful; righteous Abraham wasn’t; venerable Moses wasn’t; the “anointed one†King David wasn’t; the Apostle Paul, Peter, “doubting†Thomas weren’; NO ONE other than Jesus!
I tried explaining in a nice way that he does not know my mind or heart and should not be questioning my faith, or judging, or insulting me by saying I am either lost, immature, or confused because I committed a sin.
He wrote back in part: “It is certain that we do not know each other and it is equally as certain that Jesus desired that we walk in truth, love and grace ever ready to forgive and accept the weaknesses of others. It is equally true that not one word will fall to the ground from all of scripture. I did not intend to judge either your character or your person as I do not know you at all. What we are strongly admonished to do throughout the New Testament epistles is to learn to discern which seems at times similar to judging but it has a completely different motive. Our motive in correcting, exhorting, admonishing and on rare occasions rebuking is the uplifting and restoring of a right walk (righteous living).â€
I responded in part, “Hmmm… I don’t understand your thinking and insults towards me, but I do forgive you. I live for the Lord every day as best I know how. He has forgiven my dark sins and evil days and I love Him more than I can describe with mere words.
In spite of my weaknesses He has blessed me enormously… I have been on the wrong side of God and I suffered mightily for my sins. I suggest that if you can stomach it that you read my book, “Miracle on Luckie Street”; it’s full of curse words, violence, sex, mayhem, drugs, alcoholism, witchcraft, prison, sadism, and other evil. That was the summation of my homeless, penniless, lonely, life of fear and rage and sets the stage for what a remarkable thing God did when He transformed me into a new creature. When I was 22 years old I miraculously came to know the love of Jesus Christ and God lovingly changed my life forever and for the last 40 years I have tried to be a better person.
I realize that people struggle with sin far better than most, because I have struggled with it all of my life right up unto this very moment. Maybe you don’t, but most people do. Spiritual warfare is being waged every day against all of us.
I don’t want or need divisive arguments about Scripture with another Christian. It distracts me from working for the Lord and is satanic in nature. I simply told you that I cannot envision Jesus making remarks like you have chosen to make about me and I stand resolutely by that statement. Perhaps you could think of it in terms of “correcting, exhorting, admonishing or perhaps the rare occasion of rebuking in order that the uplifting and restoring of a right walk might occur in your life.â€
I ended the thread but could have added that I think this gentleman’s thinking will do more to harm the message of Christ of loving compassion and forgiveness than anything else a professed Christian could do. Before I accepted Christ as my Savior the guy who wrote me this letter would most definitely have turned me off against Christ, and if he was preaching in my church and I was a baby Christian listening to this garbage I would leave that church before he could spit on me – probably never to return…
Don’t be a hypocrite or listen to hypocrites folks; instead pray for them. Jesus said we should forgive those who sin against us. Why would He say such a thing if He were not willing to do the same for us if we happen to sin against Him? Mind you this is not a license to live however we want, but it is an assurance that God understands that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak… Remember Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.â€
“Methinks†Jesus loves us in spite of ourselves 
Paul put this entire issue to rest in an elegant way. Stop and rest for a moment and meditate on the below – Selah…
Romans 7:14
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!