Tuesday, October 9, 2007

2nd opinion

So I always believed that all sin leads to death. (Separation from Christ) Where did followers of Christ ever come up with the idea that we can set the hellometer. For some reason Christians seem to think that liars, thief’s, and cheats, all go to a nice part of hell and people who deal with sexual sins, drugs, or our fashionable different all go to the not so nice part of hell. Have we ever taken time to think that maybe the way we view sin is completely different then the way God views it. Maybe we have it all wrong, maybe the truth is when we say we need to reach the “worldly” we are actually talking about ourselves. Maybe the “worldly” have something that we as Christians could use……….HONESTY. There are two differences between someone who is not a follower of Christ and myself. The first is obvious, I have taken the offer of salvation, I am forgiven. The second is rather interesting, I hide my sins to appear as someone I am not while the “world” wears their sins for everyone to see. What if I was transparent? Would you still read my blog? Would you still call me Pastor? Would you still love me? What If I told you that I often fight off lustful desires and have told several lies to get ahead in life and to appear as though I’m not. What if I told you at times I don’t treat my wife the way God has commanded me and I have not always honored my parents. What if I told you that I am far from perfect every day and the only thing that separates me from a Child molester, rapist, homosexual, thief or liar was something I never earned,… It was given to me. Maybe the “world” stays away from the Church because the Church forgot what it was like to be the “world”….imperfect…..or are you?

3 comments:

Clif McKinley said...

I am proud of you on this one, you are starting to sound like the real deal.

Bill T said...

What if I told you I'm the same as you? Would you still want me in your church?
I'm personally done with playing church where everyone is wearing a mask. Where people ask how you're doing but keep on walking because they don't really want to know--because it would remind them of their own suffering in isolation. What I am becoming is real people living in real community and serving the people around them. Life is too short to play games with who we are. It's in honestly acknowledging our weaknesses that we reach out and touch and are touched by others who also see their own weakness and together we become strong.
In my own personal musings I've been coming to grips with the fact that doctrine and dogma were not what Jesus' time on earth was about. He was about being real and showing the incredible, intense, passionate love of his Father for all people in spite of our sin. Doctrine may have it's place, but Love is what endures, Love is what covers, Love is what heals and changes us, Love gives us purpose and meaning, confidence and strength. What doctrine does that?
Thanks for the stimulating thoughts--and for being real.

stendy said...

not to downplay the earnesty in this revealing expose on the hypocrisy of american christians, but i just found this blog & am totally excited to see my girl jen! so please throw a hello and love you and miss you and merry christmas and congratulations and whatever other excited exclamatory phrase you can think of her way! -steph