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Posts Tagged ‘Jesus perfection’

LIFE BEYOND RELIGION

Posted in It's Not About 'Religion', tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Lots of fascinating statements in this meme, eh? Let me throw you one more: I follow Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God) and I most certain AM anti-religion.

In fact, judging by the statements in the meme, many other Jesus followers are anti-religion. Let’s go through the list:

  • I most certain am anti-sexism.
  • Any thinking Jesus follower is anti-racism because we know that all people have equal value in the eyes of God. There are NO exceptions to this truth.
  • The same truth applies to LGBTQ people. God LOVES them and offers them the same gift He offered me: a new, transformed and eternal life, starting RIGHT NOW, through faith in His Son.

    How do I know these things? One of the four original-source biographies of Jesus’s physical life on earth says: God expressed His love for the world in this way: He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not face everlasting destruction, but will have everlasting life.

That’s an all-encompassing statement; there are no footnotes indicating any exceptions. So no matter what you believe or what anyone has told you, ALL people have equal value in the eyes of God.

  • I oppose abuse of any kind and so do all Jesus followers I’ve ever encountered. That doesn’t mean any of us are within shouting distance of perfection. Just like atheist/agnostic people or folks from other faith groups, we can make mistakes in the heat of emotion or through insecurity or self-centredness. No one is above temptation.
  • Anti-war? Like many people, I take a more nuanced position. Consider this: what would the world be like if Nazism hadn’t been defeated through war? I don’t like the answer and I suspect you don’t either.
  • As for the last statement in the meme, after reading this far, do YOU believe that religion is anti-you? If you’re with me, then skip religion and follow Jesus instead.

Before you ask, let me answer: NO, following Jesus doesn’t mean you obsess on observing petty rules, feeling superior to others and judging people based on their behaviour, their clothes/jewelry or how “good” you think they might be.

The thing I try to remember, the thing I NEED to keep me humble, is the FACT that no matter how good I think I am, it’s not good enough. Did you know this — Jesus told anyone willing to listen that “you are called to something higher: Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

Really? Yes, really. That’s why I call myself a Jesus follower. By claiming Him as Lord, Saviour and best friend, I benefit from Jesus’ death on a Roman cross. That death wipes the slate clean for ALL His followers. This means all the wrong things I’ve done, and all the right things I’ve failed to do, are GONE. God sees me like He sees Jesus: perfect in every way.

Just as important, when I became a Jesus follower, I opened the door to Him coming into my life RIGHT NOW and making me the person God designed me to be. That process won’t end until this life is finished and I go to be with my creator in Heaven.

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

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FROM SLAVES TO DIVINE PARTNERS

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 8, 2025| 3 Comments »

Oh, boy. There is a lot to unpack in this atheist meme, so if you’re wondering if the viewpoint expressed here has any accuracy, stick around. It’ll be worth your while.

  • Followers of Jesus of Nazareth — who many people believe is the Son of God — have come to understand who He is and who they are. In response to that, people like me have made conscious decisions to make Jesus our Lord, our Saviour and our best friend.
    Nowhere is slavery involved in any way, shape or form.
    My pastor friend, Ross Carkner, explains it so well: “A slave is someone who is forced to obey another … Christians are people who of their own volition surrender their will in favour of following … specifically following Jesus.”
        • As followers of Jesus, God works in and through us to bring physical and spiritual aid to a world that even the most optimistic person must admit isn’t doing very well.
          Are we doing a good job as junior partners in God’s work? Quite often, NO. And that certainly applies to me. Jesus followers often misrepresent God. We often let our selfish and petty insecurities get in the way of what He’s doing . But in the end, that doesn’t matter.
          “God’s plan for us [and the world] never changes, so there is no plan B,” writes pastor Chris Norland. In fact, God can and often does use our failures to further His work.
            • So what does this mean for the charge that God wishing evil or harm to others and being malicious? If point number two isn’t convincing, let’s go back to Ross: “There is no one in all of history who has, with any real and lasting credibility, ever made a case for the historical Jesus being malevolent.”
              Ah, but wait, you say: the meme doesn’t even mention Jesus! Ross’s response: “Since the existence of Jesus was expressly understood as God in the flesh …. to refer to God as malevolent is not only a misreading of the Bible, it is reflecting our own brokenness as we deal with the enormous challenges of living in this hurting world.”
              In other words, the meme’s creator is blaming his/her own failures, and the failures of this struggling world, on God. Where’s the credible evidence to support this claim? There simply isn’t any. NONE.

            As you digest all this, consider these truths: no matter who you are or what you’ve done or not done, God LOVES YOU. God offers YOU the gift of His Son. If you accept that gift — Jesus’s life, sacrificial death and resurrection — then Jesus comes into your world and starts the life-long process of making you the person God created you to be.

            Just as important, ALL the bad things you’ve done and the good things you’ve failed to do will be wiped out. God will see only His Son’s perfection. And when this life ends, you’ll spend eternity in the presence of your maker. Sound good? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.



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            PERFECT PERSON, PERFECT GIFT

            Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 16, 2019| 6 Comments »

            I was having on online conversation with someone who has a very unorthodox view of Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God) when he asked some fascinating questions:

            What is there in God which makes God perfect? And what (by extension) is in Jesus that makes him better than all of us?

            I’ve never wondered about these things, but I imagine many people have, given the overwhelming imperfection of this world. If you’re one of those people, I hope my research and thoughts will be helpful.

            Is God perfect (i.e. without fault)? Many people say yes, based on the words of Jesus. In one of the original source documents about His life on Earth, Jesus establishes this astonishing standard for anyone who follows Him: “you must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.”

            Two points that need to be made here:

            1. Since God’s existence can’t be proven or disproven, the same can be very credibly written about Him being perfect.
            2. Who defines perfection? Ask 10 people this question and I’m pretty sure you’ll get at least five dramatically different responses.

            So what is there in God that makes Him perfect? For me, it’s establishing free will for all human beings and then sticking with free will no matter what. Some might see this as bad, given wars, human trafficking, terrorism, hip-hop and most of Steven Seagal’s movies (hey, gotta keep it from getting too serious).

            But I see free will as being the characteristic of perfection because it’s the characteristic of absolutely perfect love. And by perfect, I also mean the word’s less-known second definition: “complete, not deficient” (according to the Oxford dictionary).

            That perfect love is also exhibited in Jesus. Read the ancient biographies of His life and you’ll find out He has unfathomable wisdom, unmatched understanding of the human condition, unshakeable trust in God and a willingness to sacrifice Himself for the good of everyone who’s willing to follow Him.

            Why the sacrifice? Because the wrong things we do and the right things we fail to do build an impenetrable wall between us and God. When someone as remarkable as Mother Teresa knew she couldn’t be good enough to overcome that wall without Jesus, then what does that say about me? What does that say about YOU?

            Only one person can—and has—penetrated that wall: Jesus. Nowhere is there even the slightest shred of evidence to suggest he had even one fault. So he was capable of taking the penalty—eternal separation from God—that we deserve onto His perfect shoulders when he was put to death.

            God rewarded that sacrifice by raising Him from the dead, putting Him in charge of EVERYTHING and offering Him as a life-changing gift to everyone on this planet. Including YOU. Are you willing to consider accepting this astounding gift? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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