Here are two ideas:
1. Its a projection of our own sin, which we need to confess and turn over to God.
2. In order to foster compassion and create opportunities to practice our sanctification - our citizenship in God’s Kingdom.
Comments?
That is some of it, but not the sum of it. Not all are hypocrites. Some have cast the beam from their own eyes and can see clearly the beam in their neighbors. Makes no difference to loving your neighbor. This- the second commandment is as great as the first "Hear O' Israel thou art to love thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy strength." It is in love that you would share Christ with your neighbor. The Spirit of discernment allows us to see sin. This is where we become coworkers on behalf of the Kingdom, we bring that which is not sanctified, their Redeemer and Savior. We mediate on behalf of Christ to bring together two parties the sinner and Christ their Redeemer. " For there is one mediator between God and man and that is Jesus" but many mediators between man and Christ.
me·di·a·tor
ˈmēdēˌādər/
noun
noun:
mediator; plural noun:
mediators
a person who attempts to make people involved in a conflict come to an agreement; a go-between.
"the government appointed a mediator to assist in finding a resolution to the dispute"
synonyms: arbitrator, arbiter, negotiator, conciliator, peacemaker, go-between, middleman, intermediary, moderator, intervenor, intercessor, broker, honest broker, liaison officer; More
umpire, referee, adjudicator, judge
"the mediator in their salary dispute"
John20:21-23
21Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.”
22When He had said this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
23If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”
This is very clear. We bring Christ, if we are rejected, Christ is rejected. The binding and loosening is in that. For if they receive our message and repent they are set free if they reject they remain bound. We determine that only by our presenting Christ and their receiving or rejecting.
Matthew 28:18-20
The Great Commission
…18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”…
In receiving and in the application of baptism you are set free. Now some people may have been baptized and just continue to sin, they simply make void their baptism. For then is understood the saying: James2:18
Faith and Works
…17So too, faith by itself, if it is not complemented by action, is dead. 18
But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that, and shudder!…
And none of this makes a difference to "Love thy neighbor as thy self" For even if your neighbor be in sin we should still show love and kindness, and even praying for them. This our sanctification.
Sanctification is the act or process of acquiring sanctity, of being made or becoming holy. ... To
sanctify is to literally "set apart for particular use in a special purpose or work and to make holy or sacred."
So if our neighbor is our enemy, we are called to act greater than the publicans and to love even those who do not love us. Does not mean we love what they do- but do to them what you would have them do unto you. Pray for them! I have some unpleasant neighbors who are into some non-kosher spiritual stuff. I chose to pray for them and be the light of Christ. Though Sodom and Gomorrah will fair better at the judgement than them... and I have shaken them off like the dust on my sandals I am still gracious . And trust me they make it very difficult. And for the most part because of my faith they are rude and unkind to one of my children who is of the age of one of theirs. They were friends at one time. But since they have adopted some occult practices they have come to have a disdain toward myself and family. So love of my neighbor has now boiled down to not being rude to them as they are to me . I keep my child away from them now, to say the least. The devil certainly tries the faith. And now I am at.... I can not bring myself to pray for them, I physically feel sick when I do. I attribute this to:
Effective Prayer1John5:15-17
…15And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him. 16
If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he should ask God, who will give life to those who commit this kind of sin. There is a sin that leads to death; I am not saying he should ask regarding that sin. 17All unrighteousness is sin, yet there is sin that does not lead to death.…
So, now I just do not repay them with evil, which too-is love. God Bless!