Who Are You?

Hello (hello, hello)
Is there anybody out there?
Just nod if you can hear me.
Is there anyone at home?

*Cough, cough* Sorry, it's a little dusty around here. Looks like no one's written a post in quite some time. This won't be much of one either, but I want to write something before I forget.

A co-worker was lamenting recently about how his messed-up past keeps haunting him, following him around, and he feels sort of branded by it. I knew about some of his problems already but he spent the next few minutes filling me in on some more. He feels trapped by things he's done in the past, and like people now see him as a certain type of person because of the things he's done. It occurred to me that an important lesson Confucius taught me might apply here, with a twist.

Confucius said, "Don't concern yourself with getting recognition. Rather, concern yourself with being worthy of recognition". The twist obviously, is that in this case, the word "recognition" might be replaced with the word "acceptance". The point being that recognition (or in this case acceptance) shouldn't be the goal, but self-improvement.

Well, he dismissed that right away because he doesn't buy into that Chinese philosophy stuff. Okay I suppose it is that, but I just see it as an interesting bit of wisdom that can help get you through some things that don't seem to make sense. It seemed to make more sense after I re-framed it in a Christian context, like an old man/new man sort of thing. You can't change who you were, but you can change who you are and who you will be. You can't change what you did, but starting now you can change what you do.

The past is always there, but it is the past and not the present. Talking about this co-worker's situation reminded me of the freedom I've gained since becoming a Christian, and it reminded me again how sweet grace is.

Love,
derifter

Go To Church, Go To Hell

While reading the story of a church whose sign read, "I kissed a girl and I liked it. Then I went to hell.", what bothered me most wasn't that the sign is offensive to lesbians (and it is). What bothered me most is that the song sucks and now I have it stuck in my head. Just kidding.

What really bothers me most about it is that the sign suggests that the way to not go to hell, is to refrain from wicked behavior (aka "sin"). Refraining from wicked behavior is a good thing, but it's too late to use that as your plan to avoid hell. Romans 3 says,

"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²²This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

Note 3 things:
1) All have sinned, so it's too late to avoid hell by being good.
2) We are justified freely "by His grace", not by our behavior.
3) This righteousness is from God, and it's "apart from law".

The church sign is so misleading that maybe it should have read, "Come to our church if grace doesn't appeal to you - We'll judge you by your works!"

Seriously, try not to sin, but don't think that will keep you from hell. Instead, revel in the fact that Jesus died for you to keep you from hell. And that plan works!