Jesus came to free us from the law. He gave us 2 commands, and only 2. Love God, love men. The end. And somehow, we come up with all kinds of other things to go along with it; don't smoke, don't drink, don't sleep around, don't do drugs, don't cuss, etc. And I feel God screaming at us "THAT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER!!"
The thing is that God came to show us He loves us enough to do away with the rules. God loves us enough to send Jesus to die to make the rules not apply to us. And He gives us ideas, guidelines - things to make our lives a little bit easier, but its not a new law - they aren't rules. We get so caught up in our own ideas of Good and Evil that we want to label everything as one or the other. We are so uncomfortable with "gray areas". We so are American (justice for all) that we get caught up in the ideas of fair and equality and we miss the point.
Fact is, God isn't fair. Some of us are called to die martyrs. Some of us are called to live dirt poor. Some of us are called to live as widows, childless or orphans. And you know what? That isn't fair at all. But God isn't about fair. He's about your best interest - the best thing for you and how to bring you to your full potential. Jesus' death was about doing away with the law - and therefore the rules and justice. So its not about being fair anymore - thank God!!! Fairness is getting what you deserve. I deserve a bunch of BAD stuff and so do you!
So next time you look at someone and say "that's wrong" or "that's right" stop and think about it. God loves them regardless of what they are doing. And thank God He loves you regardless of what you do. Its not our place to pass judgement on whats right or wrong. Its not always sin that brings death, its our own minds that decide on our own whats good or bad. Its time we stopped making up our own laws to replace the one God did away with. Its time to start living in the new kingdom, in the new fullness of life and stop worrying about right/wrong, fair/unfair, just/unjust.
Fair is a hard one to put trust to anyone else with, but its true.
ReplyDeleteBut the gray thing, you're right. Even some of my friends who are having a hard time right now didn't come to me for a while because they thought I would tell them "that's so wrong" and didn't realize I see more in gray than in black and white most of the time. I love the fact that my parents didn't raise me Christian per say, they raised me as a good person (love others, happiness is something everyone deserves and can have, etc.) Christianity therefore was never an obligation and being kind because God commanded it wasn't either, it was simply be kind because you don't want others to be cruel to you. The having an all mighty loving God was just a plus:)