This is a response that will cause many to shake their heads, sigh, and bemoan the post-Christian age we have apparently entered.
The reality is that people I meet are often more concerned with faith, belief and ‘spiritual’ things now than the Christians I engage with; they’re a bit like the 60s generation who embraced Krishna and other strange gods and danced their way up and down Oxford Street in London and grew their hair long, smoked pot and called everyone ‘man’. These were the hippies who sought peace, love (which generally just meant sex when and wherever it was available) and something spiritual to hang their trousers on!
The problem before them (and me too) is that the ‘Church’ (the universal body of believers) is represented by those who inhabit the local ‘churches’ (meaning the building, not the people) and generally speaking, taking a long, hard look at these building dwellers, there is little to convince people to move from their ‘absolutely nothing’ position to join them!
An additional problem is that the ‘church’, which in this context means the local brands on offer, has been found to be dodgy in its dealings. The press publicise the ‘naughty Vicars’ and their shameful goings on and people like me would say, “Today a priest, pastor, leader (select which you prefer) has fallen into sin. Pray for them and the people they have acted wrongly against. Remember that one person has fallen and rejoice in the many who have not.”
The problem is not the dodgy person in the photographs spoken of in the many column inches that titillate, ignite the emotions and bring their condemnation to bear on the person in the dock. The press, and their readers, become accuser, jury and judge (even though many, if they were honest, have their own skeletons in cupboards, boxes and under their beds).
But, sadly, the hypocrisy of the press, the public and those who call themselves ‘Christian’ or ‘Church’ is obvious and apparent. To put it into context, let’s read the summing up of the human condition from the Apostle Paul (Romans 3.23):
“... All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!” (A shuffling of feet and looking the other way moment for us all I fear). So there we have it: We are all sinners but some of us are unlucky enough to have been caught and had our shortcomings made public.
Now a very silly person (quite recently) said to me, “My sins are forgiven because I believe in Jesus. They don’t believe in Jesus and so theirs are not“. Words which bring another problem out into the light, because if we are ‘Christians’ then we struggle to overcome the old sinful nature and feel pain in the sins we commit because we have ‘fallen short’ of that which God calls us be and have wounded Jesus, the Christ, as grievously as those who nailed Him to the cross.
It is true that there is forgiveness on offer - continuing with the Paul passage (Romans 3.24-25):
“And ALL are justified freely by His (God’s) grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith...”.
Every time we do something wrong ('sin') the truth is that God's love remains, He doesn't turn His back and walk away (although if He did would the scars convince you of His love for you where mere words we ignore?). Every time we sin, have sinned or will sin (or have people sin against us) the love of God remains ever-present and constant. The word 'justified' is an interesting one, because it's a legal term which means: 'found not guilty'.
A friend of mine proclaims the forgiveness of all humanity through the atoning act of Jesus, and it is true, that Jesus died to reconcile all humanity to the Godhead (that's Father, Sin and Holy Spirit). BUT (and there's always a 'but' isn't there - aside from the one writing this ;-) ) there's a little ting I'd like to draw your attention to: To be received by faith!
Forgiveness and reconciliation to God are there for all to receive. All you need to do is have the following:
Belief - accept that Jesus, the Christ, died to reconcile you to God and in that:
Acceptance - of the gift of Grace and acknowledge the things you have done wrong engage in:
Repentance - that turns us away from doing the wrong stuff and seek God's:
Restoration - to start living a new life set apart from the wrong stuff, and become a true:
Disciple - loving God; living and acting as a true believer should.
The old has gone - the new has come.
Hallelujah or what?
The next post in this series (Church. What is it good for - whose sin is greater) might prove to be shorter and yet somehow more messy. There's corporate (meaning the whole body and the leadership) guilt to discuss. A way forward for us all (local and universal) and so much more besides.
Thank you to anyone who has managed to read this brain dump scribble.
Pax
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