Messy grace
"...One person told of a lady, in her 40’s, who has always been single, sexually active, but never married. This woman is now adopting a child since she does not think she will marry, but wants a baby. Another told of lesbian lovers where a similar choice has been made, but this time there is an artificial insemination so one of them carries the child. They will be the parents of this child when it is born. Or take the couple who were married, are now divorced for financial reasons, but live together. Or the lady who has sold her womb to be a surrogate mother for another couple. Another person is given to a rabid anti-Iraq War position and spends hours fighting President Bush.
...What does that mean? Well, it is simple. If the lesbian lovers bring the child to term and raise it for four years and then both of them are converted – and come to church – will they be welcomed? And what will be our counsel to them? The same would be true for the singe woman who adopts a child . . . or the couple that is living together as divorced . . . or the pregnant woman whose baby has been sold to another. And how would we white evangelical respond if someone took a distinctly non-Republican position in a discussion? What would we do with such folks if they visited church? If they invited us over for dinner? Would we invite them into our homes and lives? Is our moralistic agenda greater than our Gospel agenda? Are we ready to get our hands dirty with seeing new life in Christ brought to maturity...?"
Read the rest here
Wow! This is pretty challenging but it's reality. I think we've had our heads in the sand for so long that we just never think about this (which is absolutely insane). For the most part, the people that come to our churches are white middle/upper class people and if we're honest, we like it that way because it's comfortable and keeps giving us what we've always known. And yet...
We are called to reach those are far from God. I think our view of people that are far from God is people that are still "normal" but all of a sudden start thinking they need God. It's not the people who are living in an obviously different lifestyle and start seeking for God. I think our tendency is to want to power trip and play the Pharisee by gatekeeping. "You can't come in here...look at you. Don't you know the Bible says 'thou shalt not stink?!' And we get this chip on our shoulders that makes us think that it's up to us to decide who in and who's out (we'd preferably like to keep the people we don't like out...) Instead of living the mission of God of reconnecting people to Him, we get caught up in our own egos.
So what are we going to do about this? Are we gonna tell the lesbians that they need to split up and destroy the only family that child has ever known? Is there room at our table? Do we actually love people or do we just say we do?
...What does that mean? Well, it is simple. If the lesbian lovers bring the child to term and raise it for four years and then both of them are converted – and come to church – will they be welcomed? And what will be our counsel to them? The same would be true for the singe woman who adopts a child . . . or the couple that is living together as divorced . . . or the pregnant woman whose baby has been sold to another. And how would we white evangelical respond if someone took a distinctly non-Republican position in a discussion? What would we do with such folks if they visited church? If they invited us over for dinner? Would we invite them into our homes and lives? Is our moralistic agenda greater than our Gospel agenda? Are we ready to get our hands dirty with seeing new life in Christ brought to maturity...?"
Read the rest here
Wow! This is pretty challenging but it's reality. I think we've had our heads in the sand for so long that we just never think about this (which is absolutely insane). For the most part, the people that come to our churches are white middle/upper class people and if we're honest, we like it that way because it's comfortable and keeps giving us what we've always known. And yet...
We are called to reach those are far from God. I think our view of people that are far from God is people that are still "normal" but all of a sudden start thinking they need God. It's not the people who are living in an obviously different lifestyle and start seeking for God. I think our tendency is to want to power trip and play the Pharisee by gatekeeping. "You can't come in here...look at you. Don't you know the Bible says 'thou shalt not stink?!' And we get this chip on our shoulders that makes us think that it's up to us to decide who in and who's out (we'd preferably like to keep the people we don't like out...) Instead of living the mission of God of reconnecting people to Him, we get caught up in our own egos.
So what are we going to do about this? Are we gonna tell the lesbians that they need to split up and destroy the only family that child has ever known? Is there room at our table? Do we actually love people or do we just say we do?
grace... hmm let me weigh in... Jesus said to the woman who was caught in the act of adultery.. " woman where are your acusers?" she could not find any left to cast stones... Jesus was the only one left and fully capable of casting the stone... He was eligible and the right to.. He stated "now go and sin no more"... He did not say " i won't judge you" He stated the obvious because they both realized she was guilty. without sin there is no need for grace. without being guilty of falling short of God's laws (not ours) is man's need for forgiveness. the gospel is about exposing people's sin's and man's need for God. there is not skirting the issue. its saying: what you are doing is sin and you need to repent. you need Jesus. that's where people are not willing to get messy. its not popular and not comfortable. its not culturally appropriate but without it its a dead and irrelavant Gospel. but the other part of the story of the Gospel is the hope for changed lives in Jesus! that's the promise we forget to share.
the scarey part is the "grace message" is used to say " ya i can commit adultery because i know God will or has already forgiven me". that is slam in the face of God's character. or "we should judge not lest we be judged" as the great escape clause to allow people to remain in sin thus nullifying the effectiveness of our Lord's sacrifice and the need for a saviour.
sure its messy. its all messy on all sides. making sure we have not become so like the world as a church and saying that we will allow you to stay in your sinful condition is not a sign that we are being like Christ and loving but rather doing more harm. its like having the cure for cancer and not sharing it with people.
Bear
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5:45 PM