While scrolling through the App formerly known as Twitter I came across this:
Sadly, I have been around my share of these types of people. You probably have been too at some point in your life. Here is the type I am referring to: “God, I thank you that I’m not like other people - greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector…” - Luke 18:11 CSB
There is plenty of grace to go around as long as it fits into people’s perceived views of sin. “Grace for me but not for thee” because your sin is unforgivable in their eyes.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. - Romans 3:23-24 CSB
Someone else will always be the “wretch” in the hymn because their sin is so grievous1 to the finger pointer that there is no way God could ever forgive it. In the above screen shot it was John Newton’s slave trading and since slavery is the unforgivable sin the grace of almighty God is rendered useless.
The terms “justified” and “freely” do not compute. In 2016 B.C.2 I had a church member call me late one night because he was wrestling with God’s grace. He asked me if a pedophile could be forgiven if they repented of their sin and asked for forgiveness. In other words could a pedophile be saved. I said yes because Jesus Christ atoned for his sin on the cross. The church member was horrified that Christ would atone for such3 a sin. He saw pedophilia as the unforgivable sin and there was no way “justified freely” was going to work.4 Wow, I just realized that there are two unforgivable sins and I am the one who gets to point them out!
Awesome sauce for everyone!
“Doesn’t matter.” and “He still did it.” are the words that hang on the banner inside the sanctuary of First Baptist of Bludgeon5. You definitely have to be on guard while visiting this church. Here are a few pointers:
Make sure your smile is lit up like a Tim Taylor Christmas light display. The facade must be as real as possible.6 Remember: you’re dealing with people who see grace as selectable so make sure they do not see what you’re dealing with.
Make sure you dress up in your Sunday best because your Monday through Saturday best is at best hot garbage in the eyes of God. Sunday is the only day that counts, it’s in the Old Testament somewhere.7
Please keep the King James Bible prominently displayed at all times, seriously, at all times.8
And finally, if you stay for the potluck after church get eyes on the iron skillets and the location of Bitter Betty. If you know you know.
“Go read the first two lines again, bro.” is sound counsel for both me and for you.
I’ll leave us with wise words from a guy named James - “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Depending on the type of sin some even get elevated to General.
“B.C.” - Before Covid. It’s how I mark time now.
I betcha’ your such a sin is way worse than my such a sin! Especially for all the Presbyterians reading this.
And yet this man was justified freely because God loves him and has a wonderful plan for his life. Thanks Rick Warren.
I’m really hoping that people get the subtlety of the name of this church without me having to hit them over the head with their lack of understanding.
I just described the majority of Southern Baptists on Sunday mornings. Ouch.
Well I’ll be… I went and did it again.
If you’re a KJVO reading this please calm down before your head explodes and you call me an unsaved heretic in the comments, we all know the KJV corrects the Greek and Hebrew.
Here's what we all want. We want to get our sins paid for at enough of a discount that we can imagine we paid for them but some people still can't afford it. Grace is all or nothing. This is a very fine piece that you wrote Scott. I like it a lot.
On the matter of the 'Sunday Best', I've always heard something like, 'If you were going to visit a king in his palace wouldn't you wear your very best?' Well, I have an answer to that. If you go to Buckingham Palace, the servants are in perfect impeccable uniforms. The court people there for business and favors are perfect. The King himself wears clothing suitable to the dignity of his office. But the little princes and princesses are running around in their diapers just like it is a trailer park. That's me. To anyone who doesn't like it: Take it up with Dad.
Thank you for the posting Scott.
They don't "really " grasp the concept of grace. I believe their statements reveal, as much if more so, their feelings about themselves than others.
They haven't let the Holy Spirit "have His way" in their life. Until they know how forgiven they are - they can't extend it. They're very unhappy people inside.