Of Confrontation and Condemnation

I read a segment on another person's web site the other day that left me baffled, and seeking a way to minimize damage caused by other people. The web site in question was the rantings of someone who either does not believe what the Bible says about the rapture, or was just trying to make a point in a weird sort of way. In one of the rantings, the person made a statement containing the phrase: "I am the Lord." This statement, I'm quite sure, caused a lot of people to vent toward the person who made it. Somewhere along the way, the person who made the statement was hurt, and he had reason to be.
Christians have rules to live by whether we acknowledge them or not. Those who choose to ignore the rules God has given us to live by should do some soul searching to see that their salvation is sure. Many people make the decision to give their lives to Christ simply to escape hell, but never really make the decision to follow Christ, and that means living according to the scriptures. These people have indeed become false converts.
One of the rules that Christians must live by is: "Judge not, that ye be not judged"(Matthew 7:1). No, it's not one of the Ten Commandments, but it is a commandment none-the-less. As such, we are to live accordingly. The person in question was upset because his web site had been condemned, and he along with it. We as Christians must choose our words carefully. See: "The Holes in the Fence." We can condemn a site for it's content without condemning the person. Condemnation is only to by dished out by God on judgement day. How do I know this? Read John 8:11 "...Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more." Jesus was speaking to a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. There was no doubt whatsoever about the legitimacy of the claim against her because they caught her in bed with a man who was not her husband. She had been snared by a set-up. Exodus 20:14 says: "Thou shalt not commit adultery." This is one of the Ten Commandments, number seven to be exact. Just because Jesus didn't condemn her, doesn't mean the act of adultery was o.k. Jesus was in the business of forgiving sins and wiping slates clean, and He still is. Jesus forgave the woman of her sins, and told her to sin no more. That is the pivotal action that determines our salvation. Confessing our sins is not enough, we must "repent," turn from our sins, and determine to "sin no more". We can condemn the sin, not the sinner.
The number one thing that we as Christians must remember is this: that everything we do, or say, must be tempered with meekness, and born out of a spirit of love. We are to:
1. Love God with all of our being.
2. Love our families (mom, dad and siblings)
3. Love our spouses as Christ loved us
4. Love our children enough to provide for them, discipline them, teach them, and nurture them in the ways of God
5.Love our brethren (other born again believers)
and last, but probably most importantly,
6. Love our enemies
If we do everything with the love of God in mind, we will be as "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves"(Matthew 10:16). Only then will we leave footprints of direction in the hearts of those we meet, rather than leaving filthy footprints of discouragement.