Good morning to everyone. Grace and peace be with you.
I know that the last three days have been kind of … “hello” … what are we doing …. Are we doing it right? Also, after yesterday’s post, I thought that might be it for a while. However, I met a friend of mine at CVS at lunch, and we had a ‘save the world’s problems’ in the parking lot. We got through several hard-hitting and needing attention topics. But when we left, we were also hit with profound ideas of areas that make you challenge just how good a Christian are you? I know I felt that way.
She told me about a conversation that took place at her church regarding the topic of sin and the sinner. Odd conversation to have at church right? Haha. Anyway, keep up with me because this has lingered in my mind since our conversation.
Sin. Karalee paraphrase, that which goes against God’s will and desire.
God equals sin as sin. Whether it is taking something that is not yours, gossiping, committing adultery, or murder, sin is sin. There is no one worse than the other. Sin is sin.
Now, man … in our infinite wisdom … has quantified sin into different categories. Minor (taking a pen or office supplies, theft as a whole, gossiping), to Medium (embezzlement, taking from the elderly, drug abuse/alcoholism, pornography, etc.), to upscale large unforgivable (murder, pedophilia, trafficking, etc.).
We as Christians are to be forgiving in all things because Christ forgives us. We are to be welcoming in all circumstances and loving because Christ is welcoming and loving to us. I would say that in most cases, we do about 80 percent good in this area. However, what about the other 20 percent? What is holding us back? My observation of my own life … how bad did I rate the other person’s sin? That’s right, not how does God see the sin in my life, but how bad was the sin that the other person did that I know about or heard about?
If a drug addict or thief comes in and says that they are turning over a new leaf and asks to sit with me in church, I will have little to no problem with them and will welcome them to the Kingdom. But what if a pedophile, did the same thing? What if the pedophile was the one who hurt someone I knew? What if the victim has had to be institutionalize several times because of what they did to them? How welcoming am I going to be? Am I going to invite them warmly and ask them to sit with me? Will I show them the same grace that God has shown me on my repeated sin? I am no pedophile, but where in the bible does it say that a pedophile is worse than a gossip, a thief, or an adulterer?
I have no answer to this pondering dilemma; however, I believe that we all have the answer somewhere within us. As you think about this very real issue that we have as Christians, go to Him in prayer and ask him to help you navigate this road. Remember that Saul (Paul) was delightfully killing followers left and right, all in the guise of God, until the road to Damascus.
Today will be a day of prayer and thought-provoking topics on a random scale I am sure. But this topic from yesterday has truly stirred my spirit. The enemy has already infiltrated and is summoning his logic for each scenario, it is clearly him because the things he is saying is not from God. My question to you is this … if the man convicted of the Delphi murders were to come to church, or even his wife … would you welcome them with open arms and welcome them home?
Be blessed today my friends.
***His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ** 2 Peter 1:3
I know that the last three days have been kind of … “hello” … what are we doing …. Are we doing it right? Also, after yesterday’s post, I thought that might be it for a while. However, I met a friend of mine at CVS at lunch, and we had a ‘save the world’s problems’ in the parking lot. We got through several hard-hitting and needing attention topics. But when we left, we were also hit with profound ideas of areas that make you challenge just how good a Christian are you? I know I felt that way.
She told me about a conversation that took place at her church regarding the topic of sin and the sinner. Odd conversation to have at church right? Haha. Anyway, keep up with me because this has lingered in my mind since our conversation.
Sin. Karalee paraphrase, that which goes against God’s will and desire.
God equals sin as sin. Whether it is taking something that is not yours, gossiping, committing adultery, or murder, sin is sin. There is no one worse than the other. Sin is sin.
Now, man … in our infinite wisdom … has quantified sin into different categories. Minor (taking a pen or office supplies, theft as a whole, gossiping), to Medium (embezzlement, taking from the elderly, drug abuse/alcoholism, pornography, etc.), to upscale large unforgivable (murder, pedophilia, trafficking, etc.).
We as Christians are to be forgiving in all things because Christ forgives us. We are to be welcoming in all circumstances and loving because Christ is welcoming and loving to us. I would say that in most cases, we do about 80 percent good in this area. However, what about the other 20 percent? What is holding us back? My observation of my own life … how bad did I rate the other person’s sin? That’s right, not how does God see the sin in my life, but how bad was the sin that the other person did that I know about or heard about?
If a drug addict or thief comes in and says that they are turning over a new leaf and asks to sit with me in church, I will have little to no problem with them and will welcome them to the Kingdom. But what if a pedophile, did the same thing? What if the pedophile was the one who hurt someone I knew? What if the victim has had to be institutionalize several times because of what they did to them? How welcoming am I going to be? Am I going to invite them warmly and ask them to sit with me? Will I show them the same grace that God has shown me on my repeated sin? I am no pedophile, but where in the bible does it say that a pedophile is worse than a gossip, a thief, or an adulterer?
I have no answer to this pondering dilemma; however, I believe that we all have the answer somewhere within us. As you think about this very real issue that we have as Christians, go to Him in prayer and ask him to help you navigate this road. Remember that Saul (Paul) was delightfully killing followers left and right, all in the guise of God, until the road to Damascus.
Today will be a day of prayer and thought-provoking topics on a random scale I am sure. But this topic from yesterday has truly stirred my spirit. The enemy has already infiltrated and is summoning his logic for each scenario, it is clearly him because the things he is saying is not from God. My question to you is this … if the man convicted of the Delphi murders were to come to church, or even his wife … would you welcome them with open arms and welcome them home?
Be blessed today my friends.
***His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ** 2 Peter 1:3
Good morning to everyone. Grace and peace be with you.
I know that the last three days have been kind of … “hello” … what are we doing …. Are we doing it right? Also, after yesterday’s post, I thought that might be it for a while. However, I met a friend of mine at CVS at lunch, and we had a ‘save the world’s problems’ in the parking lot. We got through several hard-hitting and needing attention topics. But when we left, we were also hit with profound ideas of areas that make you challenge just how good a Christian are you? I know I felt that way.
She told me about a conversation that took place at her church regarding the topic of sin and the sinner. Odd conversation to have at church right? Haha. Anyway, keep up with me because this has lingered in my mind since our conversation.
Sin. Karalee paraphrase, that which goes against God’s will and desire.
God equals sin as sin. Whether it is taking something that is not yours, gossiping, committing adultery, or murder, sin is sin. There is no one worse than the other. Sin is sin.
Now, man … in our infinite wisdom … has quantified sin into different categories. Minor (taking a pen or office supplies, theft as a whole, gossiping), to Medium (embezzlement, taking from the elderly, drug abuse/alcoholism, pornography, etc.), to upscale large unforgivable (murder, pedophilia, trafficking, etc.).
We as Christians are to be forgiving in all things because Christ forgives us. We are to be welcoming in all circumstances and loving because Christ is welcoming and loving to us. I would say that in most cases, we do about 80 percent good in this area. However, what about the other 20 percent? What is holding us back? My observation of my own life … how bad did I rate the other person’s sin? That’s right, not how does God see the sin in my life, but how bad was the sin that the other person did that I know about or heard about?
If a drug addict or thief comes in and says that they are turning over a new leaf and asks to sit with me in church, I will have little to no problem with them and will welcome them to the Kingdom. But what if a pedophile, did the same thing? What if the pedophile was the one who hurt someone I knew? What if the victim has had to be institutionalize several times because of what they did to them? How welcoming am I going to be? Am I going to invite them warmly and ask them to sit with me? Will I show them the same grace that God has shown me on my repeated sin? I am no pedophile, but where in the bible does it say that a pedophile is worse than a gossip, a thief, or an adulterer?
I have no answer to this pondering dilemma; however, I believe that we all have the answer somewhere within us. As you think about this very real issue that we have as Christians, go to Him in prayer and ask him to help you navigate this road. Remember that Saul (Paul) was delightfully killing followers left and right, all in the guise of God, until the road to Damascus.
Today will be a day of prayer and thought-provoking topics on a random scale I am sure. But this topic from yesterday has truly stirred my spirit. The enemy has already infiltrated and is summoning his logic for each scenario, it is clearly him because the things he is saying is not from God. My question to you is this … if the man convicted of the Delphi murders were to come to church, or even his wife … would you welcome them with open arms and welcome them home?
Be blessed today my friends.
***His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ** 2 Peter 1:3
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