Christians are not perfect people - just greatly flawed sinners saved by grace. The new birth is of the spirit, so it is impossible to look at it with physical eyes and understand what it really is about.
Let me try to explain. Jesus, died for all men. He carried the burden of sin of mankind and on the Cross where He was crucified, sin was defeated and man was released fom the slavery to sin. Man was reconciled to God. The prison doors were flung open and all mankind, enslaved by the chain and yoke of sin, were invited to step forth into a new life. Some prisoners audaciously grab this message of hope and run out into the light, while some slink further into the deeper gloom of the prison muttering it must be a trap and the promised freedom is hollow. Others have become so acclimatised to prison, they are too afraid to function anywhere else.
God created Man. He gave Adam & Eve one simple instruction - do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now, there isn't anybody out there who actually believes this tree or the fruit thereof was a symbol of or about sex, is there? If they read a couple of verses up, they'll find God had already told Adam and Eve to procreate and FILL the world. Now I dunno about all you lot, but this strikes any logical person as a commandment to make love, do it lots & lots, do it frequently with great zeal and have babies. Unless there is anyone who actually thinks GOD lacks a basic knowledge of Biology and did not quite realise children would only come about from Adam & Eve 'doing it'! LOL
To all those who think GOD is a pleasure-hating-kill-joy, let me share something - GOD INVENTED SEX. HE made it the pleasurable fun joyful activity it is designed to be. However, His commandment about sex is to share this pleasure in a committed marriage as He knows human emotions are not built for casual sex. No matter how much peeps protest, someone is usually hurt in a casual sexual relationship. Human minds and souls become scarred. Men and women lose that joyful innocence we have as children as we become cynical, hardened and brittle from putting our bodies, mind and emotions through a wringer they were not designed for. (Sex is for another blogpost .. LOL)
So man eats of the tree and something happens - he now knows good but can only DO evil. I hear people protesting - I do good, I am nice, I give to charity etc etc. Ahhh, but to the Judge of the universe, our 'so-called good is rotten through and through'. Humans do 'good deeds' to feel good about ourselves, we do good while having evil thoughts, we do good often with base motives etc. With GOD, good and evil is totally black or white. If you want to be 'good' in your own strength, then the passmark for goodness is 100%. Any slip-ups and you are a sinner - plain and simple. Man has an extra burden: Sin came down in our DNA from grandpappy Abraham so even if you never commit one sin, your DNA labels you a sinner!
Huh? Really? Ok, let's face it - the human race is totally 'screwed' and on its way to hell! Straight to hell! Do not pass go! Do not collect £200! Just go straight to Hell!
But GOD made a way out. He decided to take man's sin upon Himself, pay the price for sin, and then offer man freedom from the Sin DNA principle by giving us new lives. So Jesus was born, lived a totally sinless life while faced with every temptation, was crucified, on that Cross unflinchingly accepted the whole outpouring of God's wrath and judgement for Sin, took Sin and Death upon Himself, died and was resurrected on the 3rd day! He is GOD's spotless lamb, the divine gift to Mankind. His death has paid the price in full. I'll repeat something I have said on a previous blog postcard: No-one will go to hell for their sins because the full price has been paid. Anyone who chooses to go to hell will do so for rejecting God's redemption.
So Christians still make mistakes, still fall, still do the wrong thing. It is a new birth, which means a new life. We start off as babes and grow into adults. When a believer sins, the bible tells us to run to Jesus and repent. To my fellow believers, I say one thing. JESUS died for everyone. We are not called to hate one group or the other. Sin is sin. If you hate homosexuality, then please also hate lies. Hate fornication (sex outside marriage) and also hate gluttony. hate adultery and also hate the lust for money. Hate cruelty and also hate abuse. Can you see that we are called to hate the SIN and love the sinner? We are only saved by grace, perfect because GOD calls us so, Holy because HE clothes us with His holiness. In and off ourselves, we have no goodness. The message we are called to preach is called the GOOD NEWS. We are to tell all that Jesus died for them and the prison doors are open. We are called to share a message of hope: 'though a man or woman's sins be as red as scarlet, GOD can make them as white as snow. He will forgive ANY sin no matter how dire or evil it is. JESUS has already paid the price for it. Telling people they are worthless hopeless useless sinners who are their way to Hell is NOT Good News! (D'uh!). The Good News is telling everyone there is NO reason anyone has to go to Hell.
God is kinder than we could ever think, more loving than we could ever imagine. Let us learn to love ALL, even as we are loved by Him.
xx
Let me try to explain. Jesus, died for all men. He carried the burden of sin of mankind and on the Cross where He was crucified, sin was defeated and man was released fom the slavery to sin. Man was reconciled to God. The prison doors were flung open and all mankind, enslaved by the chain and yoke of sin, were invited to step forth into a new life. Some prisoners audaciously grab this message of hope and run out into the light, while some slink further into the deeper gloom of the prison muttering it must be a trap and the promised freedom is hollow. Others have become so acclimatised to prison, they are too afraid to function anywhere else.
God created Man. He gave Adam & Eve one simple instruction - do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now, there isn't anybody out there who actually believes this tree or the fruit thereof was a symbol of or about sex, is there? If they read a couple of verses up, they'll find God had already told Adam and Eve to procreate and FILL the world. Now I dunno about all you lot, but this strikes any logical person as a commandment to make love, do it lots & lots, do it frequently with great zeal and have babies. Unless there is anyone who actually thinks GOD lacks a basic knowledge of Biology and did not quite realise children would only come about from Adam & Eve 'doing it'! LOL
To all those who think GOD is a pleasure-hating-kill-joy, let me share something - GOD INVENTED SEX. HE made it the pleasurable fun joyful activity it is designed to be. However, His commandment about sex is to share this pleasure in a committed marriage as He knows human emotions are not built for casual sex. No matter how much peeps protest, someone is usually hurt in a casual sexual relationship. Human minds and souls become scarred. Men and women lose that joyful innocence we have as children as we become cynical, hardened and brittle from putting our bodies, mind and emotions through a wringer they were not designed for. (Sex is for another blogpost .. LOL)
So man eats of the tree and something happens - he now knows good but can only DO evil. I hear people protesting - I do good, I am nice, I give to charity etc etc. Ahhh, but to the Judge of the universe, our 'so-called good is rotten through and through'. Humans do 'good deeds' to feel good about ourselves, we do good while having evil thoughts, we do good often with base motives etc. With GOD, good and evil is totally black or white. If you want to be 'good' in your own strength, then the passmark for goodness is 100%. Any slip-ups and you are a sinner - plain and simple. Man has an extra burden: Sin came down in our DNA from grandpappy Abraham so even if you never commit one sin, your DNA labels you a sinner!
Huh? Really? Ok, let's face it - the human race is totally 'screwed' and on its way to hell! Straight to hell! Do not pass go! Do not collect £200! Just go straight to Hell!
But GOD made a way out. He decided to take man's sin upon Himself, pay the price for sin, and then offer man freedom from the Sin DNA principle by giving us new lives. So Jesus was born, lived a totally sinless life while faced with every temptation, was crucified, on that Cross unflinchingly accepted the whole outpouring of God's wrath and judgement for Sin, took Sin and Death upon Himself, died and was resurrected on the 3rd day! He is GOD's spotless lamb, the divine gift to Mankind. His death has paid the price in full. I'll repeat something I have said on a previous blog postcard: No-one will go to hell for their sins because the full price has been paid. Anyone who chooses to go to hell will do so for rejecting God's redemption.
So Christians still make mistakes, still fall, still do the wrong thing. It is a new birth, which means a new life. We start off as babes and grow into adults. When a believer sins, the bible tells us to run to Jesus and repent. To my fellow believers, I say one thing. JESUS died for everyone. We are not called to hate one group or the other. Sin is sin. If you hate homosexuality, then please also hate lies. Hate fornication (sex outside marriage) and also hate gluttony. hate adultery and also hate the lust for money. Hate cruelty and also hate abuse. Can you see that we are called to hate the SIN and love the sinner? We are only saved by grace, perfect because GOD calls us so, Holy because HE clothes us with His holiness. In and off ourselves, we have no goodness. The message we are called to preach is called the GOOD NEWS. We are to tell all that Jesus died for them and the prison doors are open. We are called to share a message of hope: 'though a man or woman's sins be as red as scarlet, GOD can make them as white as snow. He will forgive ANY sin no matter how dire or evil it is. JESUS has already paid the price for it. Telling people they are worthless hopeless useless sinners who are their way to Hell is NOT Good News! (D'uh!). The Good News is telling everyone there is NO reason anyone has to go to Hell.
God is kinder than we could ever think, more loving than we could ever imagine. Let us learn to love ALL, even as we are loved by Him.
xx
2 comments:
Good post. Thought provoking and to the point.
Thanks Ejiro. Sooooo lovely to get a comment from you. Very glad it touched you. xx
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