North Point Community Church senior pastor Andy Stanley says Jesus Christ cared for His people regardless of their status and appearances—something His followers should emulate.
"If Jesus was worried about guilt by association, He would've stayed in Heaven," Stanley says, according to The Christian Post.
Stanley points out that Jesus always put people's needs first, and the Church must follow His example.
This won't be easy, the pastor acknowledges, because people often don't want to accept what is right for them. Even though the Church might be criticised for doing the right thing and standing up for the truth, Stanley says these things must still be done.
Jesus never "dumbed down" the truth to please people, Stanley notes, and He also didn't lessen His grace when issuing strongly worded advice. Jesus is "the embodiment of grace and truth," especially concerning sensitive issues such as sex and gay marriage.
Many people in today's society might disregard biblical standards and engage in sex before marriage. They might even applaud same-sex relationships. But Stanley says this should be no reason for the Church to stop talking on these issues.
At the same time, Stanley says it's important for Christians to exhibit love and understanding towards their enemies while carrying out good deeds.
Atheists and people belonging to the LGBT community are constantly attacking the church and its members, but Stanley believes it's no reason for Christians to engage them in battle.
"The epicenter of who we are is how we treat each other," he says. "Be proactive about how to be a good neighbour."
Even Jesus said that people will know about Him through the way His disciples treat others, says Stanley. Hence, Christians should be careful with how they treat people, lest they want Jesus to be misrepresented.
Churches should not only do good works, says Stanley, but be "seen" going out and about doing these things in order to build a positive reputation and "awaken the culture to the wonder of God."
