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Posts Tagged ‘did Jesus pay for my sins?’

LEARNING AND UNLEARNING

Posted in It's Not About 'Religion', tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 5, 2023| 1 Comment »

Well. This atheist meme certainly paints “religion” in a very bad light. And I get it. As a follower of Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God), I want nothing to do with the negative, judgemental attitudes that infest religion like a cancer.

So, from a Jesus-following perspective, what about the points made in the meme? Give me a few minutes to go over them and, hopefully, give you something substantial to think about.

  1. Am I “nothing” without God? From one viewpoint, absolutely. You, me, this planet and this universe would not exist without its creator. But my faith tells me all human beings are loved by God. No exceptions. He so much thinks YOU are “something” that He sent His Son to show us a new way to live, and then die to make up for ALL the wrong things His followers have done and ALL the right things we’ve failed to do. In that way, we are *everything* to God.
  2. Some of our desires are, indeed, sinful. My desire to always look good means I’ll sometimes lie or hold back information or avoid difficult situations. That’s sinful. Are you OK with all your desires? What actions have you done — or not done — because of your desires? Got any regrets?
  3. Our spiritual selves are of vital importance. Would anyone other than atheists (who claim we have no souls) think otherwise? But our physical selves matter just as much and I don’t know of any Jesus followers who disagree with me. That’s why so many Jesus followers support Samaritan’s Purse, LifeWater, International Justice Mission and other organizations that help people physically and spiritually.
  4. When this meme was created, I’m assuming “saving others” meant spiritually. Well, from my perspective, that’s false. I am not responsible for spiritually saving anyone. Jesus told His followers to “Go everywhere in the world. Tell the Good News to everyone.” See the difference? In words and deeds, I’m supposed to *tell* them about Jesus. It’s GOD who does the saving.
  5. Just one way to live? That’s ridiculously vague. People, including Jesus followers, live all sorts of lives. That said, Jesus told anyone willing to listen that “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Anyone who doesn’t like that has a problem with Jesus, not His followers. And if He is the Son of God, then he has the right to make this statement. (If you’re not sure who Jesus is, check out the ‘Links to other sites’ tab.)
  6. Are all people “broken”? You won’t like the answer, because all people older than toddlers, who have even a slight ability to discern right from wrong, are broken. All of us have done wrong and failed to do right. That includes you and it certainly includes me. Just ask my patient and forgiving wife. Now here’s the thing: Jesus told anyone open to hearing that “You must be perfect, just as my father in Heaven in perfect.” So, that’s what it takes to get to Heaven. Since we ALL fall short of this standard, we ALL need saving.
  7. Sometimes I can trust myself. Sometimes. Other times I miss the target more often than a drunk darts player. So in the end, I cannot trust myself to make the right decisions, to understand who I am and who God is. That’s just one reason why I follow Jesus. Because I CAN trust Him.

So, do my explanations help you better understand a life of faith? Does following Jesus (and avoiding “religion”) make more sense? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation. 🙂

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PAYING OFF OUR SPIRITUAL CREDIT CARD

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 17, 2021| 6 Comments »

Most of us have grown so accustomed to living in a credit card world that we give it no more thought than breathing or going to the bathroom.

We use the card, a bill arrives every month and we either pay it off or pay the minimum and eventually deal with the interest charges.

This system exists in another world, too: the world of our behaviour. When I’m rude to another driver, engage in hurtful gossip or find shady ways to avoid paying taxes, that goes on my spiritual credit card. When I ignore the needs of people around me, stay silent in the face of injustices or fail to use my God-given gifts for good, that goes on my spiritual credit card.

You might notice that I’m writing about two elements of behaviour: the wrong things we do and the right things we fail to do.

As a follower of Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God), I know both elements are equally important to my creator.

Do you pay attention to both? I often don’t and that’s something I need to pray about, asking God to open my eyes and heart to see and act on the opportunities He gives me to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a hurting world.

Returning to the spiritual credit card theme, I’ve built up quite a list of items, many of them things I’m not even aware of. So have you.

As with the credit card in your purse or wallet, all the wrong things we’ve done and all the right things we’ve failed to do must be paid for at some point. This is more important than you might think because Jesus tells everyone who’s willing to listen that “You must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.”

Jesus says this because when this life ends, perfection is the admission price to spending eternity with Him in Heaven. Nothing else will get you past the bouncer at the door.

So my question is: how will you pay off your spiritual credit card? I know that I can’t pay off my card and achieve perfection. It’s simply not possible. And I believe that’s the case for you, too.

Acknowledging this FACT means someone has to pay off our cards for us. And the only person who qualifies – the only person who is perfect – is Jesus.

When He was physically on earth, government and religious officials who were offended by His words and deeds arrested him on trumped-up charges and put Him to death. But their actions served an entirely different and life-changing purpose: His death paid all the credit card charges for everyone who believes in Him and follows Him.

Now, when God looks at Jesus followers, all He sees is His Son’s perfection. And that’s what the bouncer at the door to Heaven will see, too. But just as important, when you say yes to God’s gift of Jesus, you welcome Him into your life RIGHT NOW to help you become the person God created you to be.

Sound like a good deal? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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