I've come across a number of people over time that have a distinct disdain for anything related to "religion". I don't condemn them - in fact depending on their interpretation and descriptions attached to the word, I might even agree with them...
To some, the mention of Christianity in particular immediately conjures thoughts of a guilt ridden, ritualistic servitude and life of condemnation immersed in hypocrisy. Of course and still amazingly, the opposite is very true. But one has to wonder where these ideas and impressions come from. Were they given life by the example of someone claiming to live under the banner of Christ? Were they acrimonious conclusions drawn from viewing the scripted religion of past media presentations or over zealous and over acted presentation? Each case may present a different answer, but I cringe when I think about some of the potential possibilities.
I haven't found in scripture yet where Jesus made a habit of yelling and threatening while pounding on the pulpit. He didn't live lavishly or promote following Him as a way to materially gain the things that you want. He simply spoke the truth and walked in the way of His conviction, giving us an example to follow. He let the raw beauty of the truth speak its own calling to the heart of the people He addressed... and it drew multitudes.
There are some who view Christianity as the "religion of guilt" and from an outside and incomplete viewpoint, it's an easily obtained misconception that lacks the full context of the truth. For certain, we've ALL done things in our lives based on God's standards that have caused us to fall short of them leaving us guilty at some point or other. Some have said that Christ raised the bar even higher for us by raising our consciousness to understand that even our thoughts alone could make us culpable and subject to God's judgment - not just the actions of our hands or the words that pass from our lips. I personally tend to believe that Father God has always known the hearts of men and that Jesus just brought our attention to that fact.
ALL of mankind has failed God's standards and were made guilty by their own thoughts, words and actions. It's a fact that exists whether one chooses to believe it or not. The only question is whether or not they're going to stay that way until they're judged for it. Choosing to leave it lay, either denying it or ignoring it will result in their paying the ultimate price for it in judgment. It's a simple fact and one that only the Holy Spirit can drive home. To express those facts in some form or other as the Holy Spirit leads us, to those that need to be aware of them is the right thing to do, but failing to express the truth of existing grace and relationship with God or doing it with any less enthusiasm, if not greater, leaves a larger emphasis only on guilt.
For myself, I grew up guilty and under it's negative connotations because that was the emphasis I drew from what I received as a child. I was only very afraid of God and the ominous power over me that He represented because of the definite fact of my guilt. And it's a terrible and tragic misunderstanding of the truth of the beauty, wonder and awe inspiring grace and person of God that He makes available for us to experience.
As an adult having read the entirety of scripture and studied it over time, I eventually came to understand that God didn't create mankind because He wanted someone to hate and beat up - He's not a bully despite anyone's terrible thoughts to the contrary. He's actually the most positive power and personality in all that exists. It's because He has so much love and is the very embodiment of love that He created mankind to share it with. This is evidenced through the compact that He's made available to mankind in complete scripture, exemplified and made possible through the fulfilling of His own actions contained in the beauty of the gospel. His actions are far greater in His relieving the weight of my guilt than the weight of my guilt alone and should be the emphasis of my exhortation to anyone.
He's a positive and loving God who's given us both the burden of a choice and the responsibility to bear its result. He's given us a guide to Himself and made the journey possible through His grace along with all of the positive benefits of relationship with Him. I'd argue that if there's anything negative, it's because that's what we choose in spite of His warnings and against what He hopes for. The gospel and indeed the whole of scripture is a positive love story, His hopeful and love bearing, courting of mankind...
I'm not guilty by reason of His grace... and THAT'S the story I want to tell.
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