Forgiveness
I haven't posted for a while, due to my ongoing conversation concerning grace and the moral code in my previous post with my good friend, Jon, whom I met during my days at Northwestern Bookstore. But, I've recently become reacquainted with forgiveness, after a long, long time, and I wanted to bask in it's freedom for a moment or two.
Forgiveness is something I've had a hard time wrapping my mind around for a long time, and I owe it all to the church and its moral code, as Jon puts it. Because of the way the church views sin (and please be reminded that I was a baby Christian in a fundamental, legalistic Church of Christ (nondenominational) and this affected me deeply, to my very innermost core) I had forgotten forgiveness, because according to these people, you basically had to be perfect, nevermind the cross, and good luck to you, because hell is real and lots of people are going there. There was no grace for living life.
I'm so fearful for the church, because it's so full of Pharisees. I'm currently watching some people I work with damn someone because of some decisions they're making, as a baby Christian. I try to argue with them, but to no avail. I'm deeply concerned for this baby Christian. What's going to happen to her faith? What if she never hears forgiveness and grace? How can you love a god who doesn't forgive you and doesn't set you free? A god like that isn't worth loving.
That's what I was living with for 5 years. It was the most miserable time in my life. As time went on, I became depressed; as the depression grew worse, I slipped away, little by little, until I woke up one day and didn't recognize myself and was horrified. All because I didn't believe God forgave me, because I was told that you had to be perfect to get into heaven. Sick. Sick and wrong.
Forgiveness is there! It's there for our mistakes and our shortcomings! It's there for you and me and everybody else, and it's fricking free! This is so amazing.
Have you accepted Christ as your personal savior? If you have, you're forgiven - the slate is clean! Hallelujah! It makes me want to dance in the streets and tell everyone what God has done! You don't have to perform to get into heaven or to be near to God! It's free! All you have to do is ask!
Go in grace.
And peace.
Because that's what follows.
Amen.
Forgiveness is something I've had a hard time wrapping my mind around for a long time, and I owe it all to the church and its moral code, as Jon puts it. Because of the way the church views sin (and please be reminded that I was a baby Christian in a fundamental, legalistic Church of Christ (nondenominational) and this affected me deeply, to my very innermost core) I had forgotten forgiveness, because according to these people, you basically had to be perfect, nevermind the cross, and good luck to you, because hell is real and lots of people are going there. There was no grace for living life.
I'm so fearful for the church, because it's so full of Pharisees. I'm currently watching some people I work with damn someone because of some decisions they're making, as a baby Christian. I try to argue with them, but to no avail. I'm deeply concerned for this baby Christian. What's going to happen to her faith? What if she never hears forgiveness and grace? How can you love a god who doesn't forgive you and doesn't set you free? A god like that isn't worth loving.
That's what I was living with for 5 years. It was the most miserable time in my life. As time went on, I became depressed; as the depression grew worse, I slipped away, little by little, until I woke up one day and didn't recognize myself and was horrified. All because I didn't believe God forgave me, because I was told that you had to be perfect to get into heaven. Sick. Sick and wrong.
Forgiveness is there! It's there for our mistakes and our shortcomings! It's there for you and me and everybody else, and it's fricking free! This is so amazing.
Have you accepted Christ as your personal savior? If you have, you're forgiven - the slate is clean! Hallelujah! It makes me want to dance in the streets and tell everyone what God has done! You don't have to perform to get into heaven or to be near to God! It's free! All you have to do is ask!
Go in grace.
And peace.
Because that's what follows.
Amen.
posted by Heather | 1:17 PM
1 Comments:
...because according to these people, you basically had to be perfect, nevermind the cross, and good luck to you, because hell is real and lots of people are going there. There was no grace for living life. I'm so fearful for the church, because it's so full of Pharisees.
How can you love a god who doesn't forgive you and doesn't set you free? A god like that isn't worth loving.
I slipped away, little by little, until I woke up one day and didn't recognize myself and was horrified. All because I didn't believe God forgave me, because I was told that you had to be perfect to get into heaven. Sick. Sick and wrong.
Forgiveness is there! It's there for our mistakes and our shortcomings! It's there for you and me and everybody else, and it's fricking free! This is so amazing.
-mocha monolgues 05.17.06
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