Secular culture doesn't even have a word for "sin" anymore so there's no way to talk about it in secular terms. You're accountable to whatever narrow or broad social groups you belong to, and they may condemn you for saying the wrong thing or voting for the wrong person.
Some attitudes I think I'm seeing: if you have a stray racist thought then you're a racist (now a noun rather than an adjective.) There's no forgiveness, so the only recourse is denial of one's own vulnerability, which leads to self-righteous judging. Or, if someone enters the country illegally (no matter for what reason), then they forfeit their humanity and deserve to be treated cruelly and unjustly. More locally, anyone who falls into addiction or simply finds themselves living on the streets is dehumanized by labels like "vermin" and "criddler".
If we're not "endowed by our Creator" or "created in the image of God" then what basis is there for believing in the innate worthiness of any human being?
Grace and forgiveness are our path out humanity's instincts for violent tribalism. But these days, all that's left is for us to teach by example or via a kind of gentle, patient nudging which I'm not very good at.
Although, is it too much to say it’s both? “Jesus died for sinners, or whom I am the worst.” And yet, “the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.” By living into the ethic of redemption, we realize the forgiveness of our sins was never just about us: it was about turning the whole order upside down, not because we can create heaven on earth by subverting the empire, but because we can enact a picture of heaven on earth by subverting empire.
An excellent corrective to reducing the Gospel to therapy and/or social justice without denying the validity of either in the broad expanse of what Jesus Christ has done and is doing.
It's the scandal of the Gospel. No matter what we do, no matter how bad, no matter if we ask for forgiveness (see the Prodigal Son...), God has forgiven us.
Not because we deserve it. Because God's love is infinite and all-powerful.
I was with you up until here: “People want and need to be forgiven by God.”
This is not true. sinners don’t seek God nor do they consider his laws (Romans 8:7). Not everyone even wants to be forgiven; most people are self-righteous.
Secular culture doesn't even have a word for "sin" anymore so there's no way to talk about it in secular terms. You're accountable to whatever narrow or broad social groups you belong to, and they may condemn you for saying the wrong thing or voting for the wrong person.
Some attitudes I think I'm seeing: if you have a stray racist thought then you're a racist (now a noun rather than an adjective.) There's no forgiveness, so the only recourse is denial of one's own vulnerability, which leads to self-righteous judging. Or, if someone enters the country illegally (no matter for what reason), then they forfeit their humanity and deserve to be treated cruelly and unjustly. More locally, anyone who falls into addiction or simply finds themselves living on the streets is dehumanized by labels like "vermin" and "criddler".
If we're not "endowed by our Creator" or "created in the image of God" then what basis is there for believing in the innate worthiness of any human being?
Grace and forgiveness are our path out humanity's instincts for violent tribalism. But these days, all that's left is for us to teach by example or via a kind of gentle, patient nudging which I'm not very good at.
Amen brother.
Although, is it too much to say it’s both? “Jesus died for sinners, or whom I am the worst.” And yet, “the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.” By living into the ethic of redemption, we realize the forgiveness of our sins was never just about us: it was about turning the whole order upside down, not because we can create heaven on earth by subverting the empire, but because we can enact a picture of heaven on earth by subverting empire.
This is really amazing
If you make ten million mistakes I will still love you. That's what He instructed me to do :)
An excellent corrective to reducing the Gospel to therapy and/or social justice without denying the validity of either in the broad expanse of what Jesus Christ has done and is doing.
I think a lot of people are uncomfortable with being forgiven because it means they might have to forgive.
It's the scandal of the Gospel. No matter what we do, no matter how bad, no matter if we ask for forgiveness (see the Prodigal Son...), God has forgiven us.
Not because we deserve it. Because God's love is infinite and all-powerful.
I was with you up until here: “People want and need to be forgiven by God.”
This is not true. sinners don’t seek God nor do they consider his laws (Romans 8:7). Not everyone even wants to be forgiven; most people are self-righteous.