"One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”
But the other criminal protested. “Don’t you even fear God when you are dying? We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn’t done one thing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
And Jesus replied, “Today you will be with me in Paradise. This is a solemn promise.”
Luke:23:39-43
In my last post, I realised I was stepping into very dangerous territory by presenting the Bible's view on marriage. I am running in to no man's land like in Lord Tennyson's famous poem...
"Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Into the jaws of Death
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred"
Aside from being regarded as irrelevant in our enlightened modern world, to repeat certain parts of the Bible is in danger of being considered hate speech. We may not face execution as in Pakistan but we can be imprisoned for saying what is written in the Bible.
We either believe the Bible or we don't. If we throw out the unpalatable parts, we distort the message of Jesus which is that he is the only reconciliation between the World and God. We are all identified as sinners by the Bible, not one of us can claim innocence.
The Church today isn't speaking out as it should against all the life choices considered by the Bible to be sin - adultery, fornication, pornography, prostitution, living together without getting married. We are focusing on one or two sins as if they are the only sins God is angry about.
Why don't we? When we were young children, we had no problem with these laws because they didn't affect us. But now we have broken them ourselves, it is much more difficult to accept. We would rather find an alternative explanation for our behaviour that denies all accountability.
Even as believers we may not truly feel sorry for what we have done. It is very easy to accept that in general you are a sinner but it isn't personal enough to get a reaction. People react differently when their sins are named in public. They want to keep things private. It's unlikely to be any different to the way the homosexual community reacts when their lifestyle is named as sin.
Like the two thieves condemned by their sins to execution on the Cross, they will either react with anger or with fear to the judgement placed on them (fight or flight).
I accept that a person can be born gay. I think this affirms the Bible's position that we are all born sinners rather than contradicting it. Everyone can claim that they were born "that way" in excusing their sins. Is it just our genes? That is a cop-out to avoid admitting responsibility.
But it won't fool the Judge! Will the Judge feel sorry for us? Yes he is compassionate. Does that mean he will let us off? No, of course not, he is a judge to enforce the law. The law will hand down a sentence for every crime.
Then we're all doomed! Now finally you understand our predicament.
That's why the Gospel is such Good News : ) Without it, we are all lost, even the best of us. God himself paid the sentence due to us, winning our war and providing the only Way out. So easy that even the most simplest of us can find it, even a child. No exams to pass so even the least talented can attain it. That is why it is the wisdom of God.
It is rare for me to talk about the Law. I don't want to point the gun at anyone, that will only start another war. I have enough faults of my own. But I do feel that people don't understand the war they are in and are not facing up to the Truth that one day, not too far off, they will die and have to face God as Judge. And without having placed their faith in Jesus, they are lost forever :' (
They say there are no atheists in foxholes. Both criminals cried out to God to save them, one in anger, one in humility. For one, it was his belief in the goodness of God that saved him. So which of the 2 criminals do you identify with?
"For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16
It is rare for me to talk about the Law. I don't want to point the gun at anyone, that will only start another war. I have enough faults of my own. But I do feel that people don't understand the war they are in and are not facing up to the Truth that one day, not too far off, they will die and have to face God as Judge. And without having placed their faith in Jesus, they are lost forever :' (
They say there are no atheists in foxholes. Both criminals cried out to God to save them, one in anger, one in humility. For one, it was his belief in the goodness of God that saved him. So which of the 2 criminals do you identify with?
"For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16
