I have realized more recently a few things about myself. I realize that I tend to make harsh statements, meant to attack to the very core of the problem. In most cases, that seems right, but in my case it has not tact. My timing has been off. So with that, I need to state a few things.
I do not hate John Piper. I do beleive he is a man of God. I enjoy some of his sermons. Do I disagree with his notions on Calvinism, yes, BUT in NO way do I feel like John Piper is a terrible man.
I do not believe that me attacking pastors openly is Godly. I believe that we are called to make peace. How can I make peace if all I do is point out the flaws of well-liked pastors, and try to destroy a reputation?
I need people to know, that I have been in the wrong. It is easy for me to tell every single person how something is wrong. It is easy for me to point out what I disagree with theologically, while calling out pastors. It is easy for me to be mis-interpreted.
To that, I am sorry. I am sorry for the frustration I have caused because of it.
Now, this is something else I need to say. Recently, I have been accused of many things involving my theology and apologetics.
I want to make something utterly clear. I want to tell you the Gospel I believe in.
I believe that Jesus Christ came to reconcile us to God. That means this. That God Loves us, and wants to be with us. But why did Jesus have to come?
Sin. When we chose ourselves, bettering our lives, create moments of injustice, bring oppression on our family, friends, neighbors and strangers, we sin. When we bring "Hell" to earth, we sin. When we go against the Light of the world (and the purpose), we sin. Sin is disquised in many ways. It ranges from lust to greed, from power to pride, from actions to words. Sin is disguised in the very acts that bring a pleasure that is fleeting. Sin has taught us how to feel guilty, how to live a life filled with temporary solutions. Evil has allowed things such as rape, human trafficing, murder, genocide, terrorism, starvation, and cancer to rule our thoughts, create doubt and seperate us from any sense of rationale when it comes to God. Our situations in life have led us to make choices, choices that we so often see lead to Drug addiction, alcoholism, debt, abuse, sexual impurity. Life has made us compromise, teaching us that God does not HOPE for the best for us. This is what has sepearted us.
It is in the seperation where the Beautiful Story Begins.
Even though this world has many oppressive, evil and merciless people. Even when we ourselves have done the wrong thing. Even when you and I have choosen ourselves over the light. Even as we try to hide all of that ourselves. Christ came to BE with YOU. Christ came to Save you. I believe that Jesus Christ came to be a light in the world, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1) Jesus came to SAVE te world, not CONDEMN it (John 3). Christ desires to toss your guilt, your sin, your shame, your rage to the depths of the ocean, because NOTHING seperates you from the LOVE God has for you. How is Christ going to do this? Christ came to over power evil with LOVE! When the blind were oppressed, Christ healed them, and stood up with them. When the prostitute was about to be stoned, Christ intervened. When lepors were outcasted, Christ met them, despite what the world had said abot the lepors. When the woman came to be healed, Christ gave her faith that over powered her illness. When the many were hungry, Christ fed them. (There were many more interactions) Christ came in the world to make sin leave the world. However, we still needed forgiveness. Evil was still around. We were still sinners. We needed an atonement, a place where we recieve mercy. So the powers that be, chose to kill Jesus.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5)
It does not stop there. The Cross of Christ was our place of reconciliation to God. Our place where Mercy met us. Cross proved to have no power over the Love that God has for us. Christ died on the cross, ONLY to be resurrected to LIVE with us. The resurrection proved to be TRUE to what Jesus said He would do. The resurrection
The picture we gain from the Gospel is that God LOVES you. Nothing will ever stop God from Loving you. When I say nothing, I mean NOTHING. NO SIN, NO EVIL, NO POWER OR PRINCIPALITY OR GUILT OR SHAME OR DRUG OR ALCOHOL OR THE VERY FLEETING ACTS WE FILL OUR LIVES WITH, WILL EVER STOP GOD FROM LOVING YOU and DESIRING to be with YOU!
His life taught us how to Love others, His death brought us to a place of forgiveness and reconcilitation with God, His resurrection proved that HE wants to be with US! And NOTHING will change that.
That is the Gospel I believe in. A Gospel that teaches us to COME to Christ, Seek Christ, be soaked in Forgiveness.
This Gospel teaches us, WE ARE FREE. Free from our oppression, Free from our injustice, Free from our past, our sin, our guilt.
This Gosel teaches us that we have the Freedom to Choose Christ, because Christ has chosen us.
This Gospel teaches us that we do not have to accept what evil is, and we can destroy it. Christ has given us the freedom and the Love to overcome starvation, genocide, murder, rape, thrist, cancer, sex trafficing and anything that dares to rob us from the Love of God.
That is the Gospel that I preach. That is the God that I Love.
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