The Politics of Tolerance and the Gay Debate

Ah, the good ole’ “T” word, thrown around in debates for great rhetorical effect, but meaning nothing in reality.

When I received some tweets from RA_Whipple on the comments at a news report at The Guardian, around a writer who is in a huff because a school backed out of his community opera due to homosexual references (and some of the dialogue), I was inspired to write something on this wonderfully abused word.

What so many people seem to forget is the complete irony in their comments on intolerance and bigotry. The old joke goes that if you are intolerant of intolerance you are guilty of intolerance yourself. And this is quite true. People who call people bigots are essentially saying that the views of those people are not worth much and not valid. The problem is that that, in itself, is a bigoted view. And it’s incredibly self-righteous to go around calling someone a bigot when you essentially have the same attitude.

Everyone is intolerant. That’s a fact. I bet the same commenters at that post would be completely against the opinions of paedophiles or serial killers or, it seems, even some Christians. If a Christian goes around saying that they are not too keen on gay marriage and homosexuality, they’re labelled a homophobe, bigot, intolerant and whatever other word is popular at the moment. But all the labelling and name-calling exposes the hypocrisy of the whole debate rather nicely.

Tolerance is a political word. It’s used by politicians to garner votes, much like gay equality. I bet most politicians couldn’t give a fig about whether or not gays can get married, or the questions of justice around that, but in a democracy they’ll use that to gain political advantage – or change their minds just as easily when the public is swinging the other way.

The problem with this whole argument is that people often shout loud about homophobia and gay marriage rights etc. but in reality you won’t find a single homosexual friend in their circles nor will they really let a homosexual couple babysit their kids. It’s all very well to talk of gay rights at a newspaper website, but don’t let it get too close to home.

A friend of mine who studied law brought up an interesting comment on this the other day. One day in class her professor showed a clip of gays at a rally of sorts, behaving obscenely and doing all kinds of things. The question was asked: are you for gay equality? Ok. Now, would you REALLY let those kinds of people in the video look after your children? Would you REALLY invite them over for dinner? Hang out with them in public places?

My point here is not to say all gay people are obscene, but to show that everyone has their limits when it comes to tolerance. Most people probably wouldn’t invite these people over for dinner etc. despite how loudly they shout ‘tolerance’ and all those politically correct words. All they really want is to be seen as tolerant, but they’ve got their own lines that shouldn’t be crossed – usually not spoken about publically – because we shouldn’t ever really talk about those, that would be intolerant.

Tolerance is a way of saying that, actually, no one should really have an opinion. But at no time in the past has a lack of an opinion ever pushed society forward in a good way. In fact, the very lack of opinion and mass intolerance against having a strong opinion on a matter is becoming damaging to our society. Leaders with opinions are unpopular. So many leaders just sway to and fro depending on whatever the public wants. There’s no conviction and a result is that there’s no true leadership happening. And then when finally a leader arrives with an opinion, it’s usually an extreme view (ala Julius Malema) and the lack of any strong leadership causes so many to gravitate towards the only strong leaders there are.

This has nothing to do with tolerance anyway. This has more to do with being fashionable. Let’s be real here: there are certain things we all won’t tolerate.

There is a gigantic difference between love and tolerance. You can love someone while disagreeing with them. My wife and I disagree many times. Christians are told by Jesus and the Scriptures to love. There is no commandment to be tolerant, but there are commandments to love – and even love unconditionally.

Christians often talk about ‘hating the sin but loving the sinner’. It holds true. I always found it perplexing at the office when it proved true that actually the Christians were the only people loving the homosexuals, despite their differences of opinion. This is not a biased view, it was plain as day to anyone.

I was never ashamed to go to lunch with one of the openly gay guys at the office. I’ve never felt hate, repulsion, or disgust towards any gay person, ever. (I don’t know of any single Christian in my wide circle of friends who hates gay people either.) Yet I don’t believe homosexuality is really something God wants for them and I do believe sleeping with another man is what is called a ‘sin’. If you call this old fashioned, that’s ok — just because something is old doesn’t make it wrong. So-called Progressives have no right to take the moral high ground here.

While non-Christians often spoke of gay rights at the office (I work from home now), some of them wouldn’t even talk to those that were openly gay. They would often walk in the office and talk about that ‘gay guy’ and wonder openly how any man could have sex with another man and declare their disgust for it. But then, almost in the same breath, how they hate judgemental people and Christians especially who tell them that it’s a sin to sleep around. I’ve seen the same attitude exhibited by religious and non-religious types: I know atheists that are incredibly anti-gay.

The thing is, I’m called to love all those people too.

Tolerance and love are not the same thing. So-called lip-service to ‘tolerance’ about homosexuality is all the fashion right now, but it’s really nothing more than a fashion for many people. But loving homosexuals, even ‘obscene’ homosexuals, those that might prowl the street corners at night, is a tall order for believers and non-believers alike; and don’t expect to see much real love from some of the loudest proponents of homosexual marriage. Expect to see a lot of political correctness, but not much actual reality.

Think about it like this. Will you love a paedophile? Do you feel disgust, repulsion, hate for paedophiles? If so, consider how consistent your views on tolerance and bigotry actually are. And, if you’re a Christian, remember that Jesus commands we love those people too, even though we know they might hurt our children. (Sure, don’t ask them to babysit, but love them unconditionally despite their views or struggles. And remember love does not mean you unconditionally accept their views, it means you unconditionally accept them.)

That is the challenge. And that is not popular either.

Tolerance is also not the same thing as justice (love and justice share a closer relationship) and I’m thankful that despite my views on homosexuality I could vote for gay marriage in the realm of justice and politics, because Jesus said the Church and State should be separate. Although I don’t know much about marriage laws so I never comment on this issue much and have no real political opinion on it. When I vote, I vote on other issues, and I think this issue is often blown completely out of proportion and the entire debate around the subject is framed incorrectly.

Jesus, Psychology and the Holy Spirit: Don’t be the Victim

Isn’t it interesting how you can’t really find much psychology in the Bible? Unless, of course, you really start interpreting verses in a particular (and even awkward) way?

This has often been a frustration for me because when it comes to morality I want to know how I’m supposed to live morally, not just what morals I should have. But the Bible is rather silent on this.

For example, let’s look at the case of addictions. If you have a certain addiction problem, such as a sexual addiction, there are many answers in the world of psychology to help you deal with it. But when you go to the Bible you can’t really find anything rock solid in terms of a formula. What you’re told are really a few basic things:

(1) Don’t do it
(2) Walk by the Spirit
(3) Think of things that are good and pure

But we want to know how to do all these things. Which steps do I put in place to walk by the Spirit? How do I think of things good and pure? Doesn’t God know it’s not that easy? And yet the Bible offers not much (if anything) in that department. All it says is do it.

But beneath this frustration lies something profoundly deep, yet profoundly simple and profoundly liberating. If that’s all the Bible says about something like sex addiction, it means that God really believes we can just do it. You never see Jesus offer a psycho-analysis of a problem, ever. You don’t see him say things like, “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye” and continue with, “I’ll tell you why. It’s because when you were a child your parents shouted at you too much and judged you. The need to perform was ingrained into you. So now you are judgmental of others.” Rather, Jesus simply says, “Hey, stop judging others. First take out the log in your own eye.” (Matt 7:3, paraphrased of course.)

We like to shirk our faults onto others. For quite some time our Western society has punted the victim mentality. Every action of yours has a supposed psycho-analytical background and, of course, solution. It’s not your fault – it’s the fault of your parents or even, in the case of pop-spiritual-psychology, it’s because your great grandfather was a Freemason or something like that.

It’s rather typical of our society and for humankind in general, in its thirst for knowledge of everything without having accountability to God (remember the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden?) to formulate mathematical equations even around how to become a better person. This is nothing new. Except it’s always complicated. For example, to sort out a judgmental attitude we have to travel back in time to when we were kids and assess what our parents did to us and forgive them and work through the hurt they (often ignorantly) caused. Because this kind of thing involves forgiveness many people think it’s a very Christian way of looking at things, but I daresay it isn’t. It’s good to forgive our parents – when I realised they weren’t perfect and forgave them for that it was liberating – but how many times must I go back to my childhood to find the source of my attitudes, problems, addictions, sins and guilt?

Jesus says we should forgive and yet provides no reason why. It’s something we should do because God says so and He knows what’s best for us. It seems obvious that forgiveness is good and healthy and all of God’s morals bring lasting joy (some of them require pain first) but there’s not always a logical reason why we should do something Jesus commands us to do. Such as love our enemies, for instance.

And what is the point of going back in time anyway? That’s like tripping over a rock during my morning run and breaking my leg, then going back to the rock later to see how I tripped over it expecting that knowledge to sort out my broken leg. There’s obviously no point in doing that. We can’t go into the past for everything, that’s blaming the past rather than taking care of the problem in the now.

I’m not advocating a problem with psychology and with Christians who feel called to that field. Their task is a difficult one, however, as that field is in desperate need of some decent moral reasoning. It’s also in desperate need to stop nurturing the victim mentality. But more than that so is our culture.

As a generation X-er I was psycho-analysed and characterised from the day I was born and grew up in a culture when psychology really had become the new religion for many. Talk shows were and are all about it. In school it was drilled into me. The subject of ‘guidance’, for instance, never equipped me or anyone for the real world but only ever was interested in psycho-analysis and sex, at least as far as I can remember.

I couldn’t even get away from it in the Church, except here psychological ideas were tagged with an extra spiritual component. For example, you need to find where you were hurt in the past and let Jesus heal there; your grandfather was a Freemason so you are suffering from some sickness; you were laughed at in school and so you have a low self-worth, and that’s the result of your depression, but Jesus can give you a better self-worth, etc. While this may sometimes be the case(s) (although I question the Freemason thing) it’s not always the case for everyone, but the problem with our culture is it expects a blanket answer and formula for everyone. Many churches, books, pastors etc. got on board with this thinking and pop-psychology became the new religion. This is still a problem. Go into any Christian book store and it’s plain to see.

Getting rid of guilt

We do look for where we can shift the responsibility for our actions in the great quest to ease our conscience and no longer feel guilty anymore. I acknowledge this wide-ranging problem of guilt, but I believe the solution lies in the grace of God – coming under his Fathering and knowing there is grace and forgiveness there. I also acknowledge that true moral living can only be lived in reality when we have the Holy Spirit, which requires us to be born again.

But the issue is that when we believe too strongly in psychology (you need to go through endless healing ever to live morally well) and too little on what God says (you really have the ability to do this thing) we find ourselves constantly battling to live the way we want to. As I’ve jettisoned pop-psychology in my life more and more I’ve found it really is easier to live the way God wants me to, because it becomes simpler to do so. It’s liberating. My mind and my attitude aren’t hampered by a victim mentality and endless formulas for getting things done.

In parenting my kids I want to teach them very early to stop pretending to be a victim and to take responsibility for their actions and just live well. Victim mentality is not helping anyone. Pop-psychology and spiritual-pop-psychology is creating a society that doesn’t know its right hand from its left anymore, because every action has an excuse. Don’t be the victim. Walk by the Spirit. Don’t rely on psycho-analysis. Take Jesus’ word for it that we can just do it. He has given us everything for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). We can do this thing.

Why Theology is Important for Social Justice Pt 1

I think theology is a highly important topic. That’s why I write about it so much. Our theology (or lack of one) is important because it influences the way we live, and therefore it influences the way we see justice and how we take action.

Justice, or social justice, is a big topic these days. Everyone’s talking about it in some form or another, while fewer may be doing something about it, and even fewer can get to do something about it full-time.

If you’re a pantheist (the belief that God is everything, and everything is God, basically) or a panentheist (the belief that God is IN everything, and everything IN God) I think social justice will be a challenge. If God is everything, God is also the evil people of the world, and he is also that instinct, that tendency, to do evil. If God is IN everything, he is also IN that tendency, and IN evil people (and they are IN him).

Pantheism and panentheism is a very interesting and romantic way of looking at the world. But I think it can lead to problems of justice. I think Taoism is one of the most mature pantheistic philosophies out there, but a core tenet of Taoism is not to disrupt the flow of things — as the Beatles sang: “Let it be.” Evil and death can seem so natural because it’s all we’re used to, but if we believe we must not disrupt the ‘flow’ of things, then how could we be passionate about social justice? I don’t see any logical way that we could.

Now I would like to be fair to pantheism and panentheism and not write it off just like that with a few words. I’d be open to debate it as I think it would make an interesting discussion. But even pantheism’s modern cousin (a kind of spiritual environmentalism) presents the same problem. Even its strange cousin (a sort of atheist pantheism, which we’ll talk about) presents problems for justice.

Our theology influences our worldview, and our worldview influences the way we live. We’ll expand on this through a series of posts.

I Don’t Live in a Democracy

Some of you might think this is going to be a political post, but it isn’t a rant about the ANC or anything like that — it’s about something far, far more awesome.

This weekend for me has been brilliant, and I’ve begun to really get this revelation that I, as part of the Church, have been transferred from this world and its oppressive systems into a Kingdom, a Kingdom with a King whose name is Jesus.

That might sound all typically-Christian-like but here’s the main thrust of the matter: ALL of this world’s political and economical and any other system you can think of have nothing to do with me whatsoever. They literally, not just figuratively, have nothing to do with me and I have nothing to do with them.

Essentially, I no longer live in a democracy. In this Kingdom I live in there is a King and I follow out his instructions to the tee. I don’t have a vote or a say. Because He is an exceedingly good King I need never fear His decisions, His council, and His rule. I can obey Him in perfect freedom because every one of His decisions are / will be perfectly just and good.

I’ve said before that I would prefer to live in a monarchy with a good king than a democracy. There’s a lot of pressure in a democracy — I need to make things happen for myself, I need to put the system to work, and everything revolves around me and myself, and I’m sick of that kind of self-absorption where the centre of the universe is me.

Now, I’m transferred into a Kingdom where the centre of the universe is a living (yes, living) King who rules in perfect goodness. Now I can just enjoy life as He takes care of the big things, while I just enjoy being His child and His agent on this earth, and do whatever He tells me to do. I know that He’ll take care of things and I needn’t worry.

I can’t tell you what a relief it is. I realise this little write-up probably doesn’t do it justice but now I understand more than ever why the early Christians used to say, “Jesus is Lord” and why we do too. Because Ceasar is not Lord — the systems of this world are not my Lord, and Zuma and Malema and Obama are not my Lord. Their governments have nothing to do with me and I have nothing to do with them.

Sure I still live in this world and that’s the point — I am in this world but not of this world. I’ll live with wisdom as God gives me direction in terms of my finances etc., and there’s nothing wrong with people being in politics either and we need to be salt and light to this world. All I’m saying is that His Kingdom is not of this world, and the Kingdom Christians live in is wholly and completely and utterly different — and free in such wonderful and unbelievable ways.

The Christianity of Principles, Keys and Formulas vs the Christianity of Jesus Christ

The diagram above is not what Christianity is actually about, yet so many treat it that way.

I’ve spent years trying to unlearn much of what I learned about Christianity in my earlier years, because much of what I learned was about principles and formulas. Let me use a quote to drive home my point:

The French Author, Jacques Ellul, once said this:

“There are no such things as ‘Christian principles.’ There is the Person of Christ, who is the principle of everything. If we wish to be faithful to Him, we cannot dream of reducing Christianity to a certain number of principles, the consequences of which can be logically deduced. This tendency to transform the work of the Living God into a philosophical doctrine is the constant temptation of theology, and their greatest disloyalty when they transform the action of the Spirit which brings forth fruit in themselves into an ethic, a new law, into ‘principles’ which only have to be ‘applied.'”

What’s he getting to? Well, let’s maybe use some modern experiences to get to the point. When was the last time you walked into a Christian bookstore? What did you notice the bestsellers were? I’ll give you a hint on some of the kind of titles you might have seen:

How to Pray for Results
Sowing and Reaping: Understanding Prosperity
Ten Spiritual Disciplines for Success and Happiness

While titles may not be so bluntly obvious, much of the content is around the kind of ideas I’m talking about above. Heck, my book ALIVE: How to Enjoy Living is titled in a similar way, but I hope that its content is a far cry from the kind of content I’m making fun of above — where Christianity is relegated to principles, ‘keys’, and formulas. Where all of these are also directed at ‘our’ success. As Ellul is getting at, this kind of Christianity has been separated from its core — the person and Being of Jesus Christ.

God is a Living god, not a bunch of principles or keys we just need to do to see results. Even if we believe this, we often don’t treat Him that way, expecting that if we pray correctly or tithe correctly or do whatever correctly then, and only then, we will see results. But even the desire to see results can really also show that our heart is not interested in Jesus himself, but instead in results.

I mean, what do I enjoy about my wife? I enjoy her – her presence. If my relationship with her was about results then it wouldn’t be much of a relationship.

Christianity is about relationship. In fact, it’s even deeper than relationship, it’s Jesus Christ himself. (That’s why I think it’s also about enjoying God.) Jesus is a living Being, a real person, who lives in and through me. In the end, Christianity is Christ. That’s probably the best way to put it.

Dirty Christians, Dirty Pastors, and Dirty Jesus

(Picture credit — here)

Work has been keeping me incredibly busy and it’s been a while since I’ve blogged, but I was stirred enough to write something after reading another one of John Ellis’s interviews, so during my lunch break today I thought I’d quickly slap something together.

Those who know Ellis will know he was the front man for the “Christian band” Tree63 for many years. He has written some wonderful worship songs, some of which we sing in church. I also wrote about his new album in my last blog post.

Now Ellis has taken to swearing and saying things like “There is religion and there is reality. God lives in reality, assuming he exists at all” and “I will never lose that spirituality that I happened to find in the orthodox version of what God is. But I don’t believe that jesus-is-fine-and-everything-is-fluffy.com.” (More at the interview link above.)

There is religion and then there is Jesus. Jesus is not religion. I think Ellis is fighting his way back to his ‘first love’, trying to get out of religion and just find Jesus. I have this inkling because I think I’ve been in his position before.

What Ellis experienced in America, in my opinion, is religion. So much of religion rules that country. When people assume you’re going to hell because you don’t believe that God created the earth in six days, that’s religion. When people think you’re the biggest heretic ever because you don’t believe in their interpretation of Hell, that’s religion. When people compartmentalise, divide, and judge you based on even the smallest amount of doctrinal discrepancy, that’s religion. And so much of America seems that way. It’s all about who’s side you’re on and where you sit. It’s never about relationship, it’s about which bullet points you nod your head at and claim to believe, and whether or not you’ll tow the party line.

I came to the realisation many years ago that I would sooner follow a dirty pastor than a clean one. Let me explain what I mean. A clean pastor is the guy where everything is so wonderful and perfect, his teeth shine whiter than Obama’s, and he always has the perfect thing to say. His theology is clean cut; his preaching is clean cut; his family are perfect; and of course his hair is so clean cut it’s unbelievable.

A dirty pastor is the guy who makes mistakes and is real about it. He’s open about his mistakes. His theology is jumbled; he doesn’t always have the answers; he is just a fellow traveller on this narrow, dirty, rocky road that is finding his way and finding Jesus. The only difference is that God has called him to lead others on the road. That’s not an easy thing to do.

This whole “don’t hang your dirty laundry in public” idea (echoing a comment at the article) is crap. If you don’t hang your dirty laundry out then people will assume you have none; and then one day it all comes tumbling down when they discover that their ‘perfect pastor’ is actually just bluffing his way through it all. Pastors who don’t hang out their dirty washing don’t build people to Jesus, they build people to themselves, or rather to the image they’ve set up for themselves; pastors (or, should I say Christians too) that do hang their dirty laundry out are like Paul from the Bible – boasting in their weaknesses so Christ may be glorified. I’ll follow a guy like that any day.

When I picture Jesus I picture a dirty guy with mud on his clothes and having maybe forgotten to brush his teeth that morning. He’s not worried about his image — after all, if you clean others you’re going to get the dirt on you. Jesus walks with us through the muck and crap of our lives and so he is bound to get dirty.

Give me dirty Jesus, who isn’t afraid to get mud on his clothes and sand in his hair. Give me dirty Jesus where sin isn’t some sort of kryptonite that makes him run away. Holiness isn’t idealism. Holiness isn’t clean teeth and ironed clothes. Holiness is wild, free, and prepared to get dirty.

A dirty Jesus equals a dirty Christian, who, like Jesus, isn’t afraid to waddle through the muck and help those who are stuck in the muck. I think this is what Ellis might be getting at, although I think an academic degree will never teach anyone that. This is something that we have to live through to understand.

I’m also thankful to the many dirty pastors I’ve encountered in my life who’ve gone against the usual flow and just been real. Many of them have really shaped my life in a wonderful way — Marcus, Alan, Barry, Shaun, and others. You know who you are. And of course Dave now too as I get to know him. I know many of you won’t even get to read this because you’re too busy getting dirty with those that need it. Good. That’s what I’m talking about!

Faith Like a Child

(Picture from GettyImages)

I’m sure many of us have heard of the phrase “have faith like a child” or “have childlike faith.” I think the phrase is helpful and true, although it is not said directly in the Scriptures like some think it is.

In Matthew 18 Jesus said we need to be as humble as a child, and in Luke 18 he says we must receive the Kingdom like a child. He never uses the phrase ‘faith like a child’, but talks about receiving the Kingdom like a child.

However, we can make a link between receiving and having faith, as there is certainly a link there. Also, perhaps humility can teach us something about faith. Furthermore, God is our Father, as the Scriptures say, so there is always an element of us being his children that is true.

When I was a child I used to wake up in the morning, go downstairs and have my breakfast without really worrying if tomorrow there would be breakfast on the table. Sure, my experience may be unique when we look at the thousands of street children today, but there’s still a powerful picture here in my opinion.

We ought to just know that our Father is taking care of us, like a child in a safe home knows their parents are taking care of them. If that promotion hasn’t come by yet, no worries, it will when we’re old enough and ready for it. If that increase hasn’t come yet, it will when we’re old enough and ready for it. We need to be humble and obedient to God’s instructions, so that when he says this or that we do it rather than rebel. It’s for our own good anyway. That’s being a child.

And can I tell you there’s something about getting to be a child again that is exceedingly comforting. I have a Father who will take care of me. He can bear the burdens of life while I can just enjoy my life, like I did when I was a kid, without having to worry about the nitty gritty details. God will take care of that. I don’t need to perform, I don’t need to be constantly driving for this or that; the burden is on God’s shoulders.

I think that this blogger really gets it. Have a read. It’s so encouraging.

Love is WAR

(Pic found at this guy’s website.)

Jesus’ commandment that we should “Love one another” is an act of war.

It’s an act of war against the devil and the philosophies and attitudes of this world. Every time we obey this command and the others of Jesus, we wage war against these things. We implement the victory Jesus got for us on the cross into this world and so usher in a new Kingdom and reign.

Our war is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and powers. Against every thought that comes up against God. If our war is not against flesh and blood, we don’t take up guns and shoot each other. Rather, we work to capture the hearts of people through our relationships, our speech, our conduct, our deeds. And these things in themselves also wage war against the devil and wicked philosophies because our relationships, speech, conduct and deeds are decidedly anti-devil and anti wicked philosophies and ideas. Everything we do is an act of WAR. We are not on the defensive, we’re on the offensive.

Jesus has gotten the victory over all these things and came to destroy the devil’s works. (1 John 3:8.) Christians are to implement this victory into our world, our time, our age.

Let’s go and wage war today.

Am I a Product of My Time? What Church History Does to You

So I just finished reading Bruce L. Shelley’s Church History in Plain Language and thoroughly enjoyed it.

This is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to trace church history from the beginning until now, whereas previously I’d only look at certain periods separately.

Personally, I think church history should be something all Christians get round to looking at. Understanding our own background helps us understand our own context, and the context of others, and makes us look at the basics of our faith very differently.

How? As one looks at church history they may begin to realise how many Christians believed what they believed simply because of the time that they lived in. They were a product of the time. And in so many ways one has to realise that they are too. So much of what I claim as true is just the influence of my time. In years to come, people will look back at many of my beliefs and say, “What was he thinking?”

Is there anything we can rely on then? Or is all truth simply so subjective? I think Shelley ends off his book by getting to the real point of Christianity, the one thread that carries through all the ages, regardless of what people believe, and we can rely on again and again.

The thread is this: Not WHAT we believe, but WHO we believe? As Shelley says:

“Christians can hope because faith always reaches beyond earthly circumstances. Its confidence is in a person. And no other person in recorded history has influenced more people in as many conditions over so long a time as Jesus Christ. The shades and tones of his image seem to shift with the needs of men: the Jewish Messiah of the believing remnant, the Wisdom of the Greek apologist, the Cosmic King of the Imperial Church, the Heavenly Logos of the orthodox councils, the World Ruler of the papal courts, the monastic Model of apostolic poverty, the personal Savior of evangelical revivalists.

“Truly, he is a man for all time. In a day when many regard him as irrelevant, a relic of a quickly discarded past, church history provides a quiet testimony that Jesus Christ will not disappear from the scene. His title may change but his truth endures for all generations.”

What a great journey. While Shelley’s history covers the Western church, I think I’d like to pick up something next on the Eastern church. Should be fascinating.

PS: I think the period that fascinated me the most was the High Middle Ages, the Gothic era. Check out the two Gothic cathedrals below. Fascinating. The architecture itself shows you the prevalent thought of the day — that heaven and earth were intertwined in majestic and mysterious ways. Love it.

(Picture thanks to this guy)

(Picture thanks to Wizardmydude.wordpress.com)

All Those Sins are Washed Away

One of the hardest things to believe in Christianity is that, quite simply, all our sins are forgiven and washed away through simply asking God to forgive us.

We complicate this endlessly. But the Bible is emphatic — our sins are washed away by the blood of the Lamb.

If they are washed away when you become a Christian, they are washed away as you live as a Christian.

Listen to this: THEY ARE WASHED AWAY. If you sin and sin and sin and sin constantly, doing the same thing, these are WASHED AWAY by the Blood of the Lamb. You can sin now and ask for forgiveness and then sin in the next moment and then ask for forgiveness. God doesn’t count your sins, He washes them away. We count them. He doesn’t. When God looks at you He sees you as righteous because you are in Christ.

Your sins are washed away. Washed away, washed away, washed away.

It’s so hard to really believe it, isn’t it? We want to constantly add conditions. Are you sorry enough for your sins? Are you determined to stop doing them? Did you repent properly? Did you do all the acts of penance correctly?

The promise is that Jesus washes away our sins if we ask. It’s really simple. When I first decided to believe in Christ I asked God to forgive me of my sins and he did so. I didn’t have to worry about all this other stuff. I simply repented and that was that. Why should I have to worry about it now?

His mercies are new each morning. His steadfast love never fails. (Lamentations 3:22, 23.)