We live in a broken world filled with imperfect people. Christians are included in the category of "imperfect people." The balance of being aware of the world and managing to not get caught up in worldly passions is a consistent battle for Christians. However, this does not give Christians an excuse for acting like everyone else.
As Christians, we are supposed to be like Jesus, set apart, holy and pure. Unfortunately, it is obvious that often times we fail, and non-believers notice. The moment a person is labeled a Christian, people tend to hold them to high standards. Christians' standards are to glorify God in everything we do. However, remember that by no means are we perfect because our human nature holds imperfections too.
For example, the tongue, which has a way of its own, is not perfect. According to the Bible, it is something that we have to tame, consistently discipline, due to our human nature. Today, my professor gave a good example of human nature.
"It is not natural to be calm and collective in an argument... It is natural to call the other person out and count all 'the points' you make from your rebuttals," he said. "Natural? There is nothing natural about it."
Thus, this is why Christians are encouraged to tame their tongue in controversy so they do not use it like a sword. We should remember to take this into account whenever speaking or acting because what we do or what we say effects non-believers' views.
In class, we learned that only 22 percent of non-Christians have a positive view of evangelicals, according to Barna's poll. This percentage does not surprise me. With the way some Christians carry themselves and the unfortunate growing number of conflicts within the church, it is no wonder why people have a negative view of Evangelicals.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
A Sinless World
“This world would be a better place if…”
Many people use this statement before entering in a subject to place blame on. However, whatever that subject may be, it all comes back to the idea of sin.
Sin, deliberately disobeying or acting wrongly, is everywhere. “This world is full of sinners,” the church frequently claims. For this reason, Jesus Christ was sent to save us.
Scriptures explains how “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. I think this would have still held true even if Eve didn’t sin in the garden. God gave Adam and Eve one instruction and they chose to disobey. Eventually, Adam and Eve bore children. If, as parents, they did not sin, I think that someone else would have eventually sinned. If they didn’t sin, I don’t think God would have needed to send his son, Jesus, to save us. However, I do think that He still would have sent Jesus to show us Himself.
On the other hand, I also have a different thought of what a sinless world could be like. Perfect. When I think about how a perfect and sinless world could look, I have similar thoughts of how I view heaven, a place with no pain, sorrow or suffering. In a perfect world, why would we have a need for hoping? There would be no hope because we would have already had what we long for now. Thus, people could be worshiping all the time.
If you know me well enough, you know that I question a lot. I am normally the one who asks the “What if” questions. The most frustrating thing for me, however, is knowing that not all of my questions will have an answer.
Thus, when a “what if” question is posed to me, I normally react with a safe response. It is a response that keeps me out of trouble or places me in a position where people may not judge me for one reason or another. This common response, “I do not know”, although safe, is not always necessary.
I’ve learned that it is okay to question some of the harder things in life because while I may not have a definite answer, I am reassured of the greatness of God, knowing that we cannot wrap our mind around everything.
Many people use this statement before entering in a subject to place blame on. However, whatever that subject may be, it all comes back to the idea of sin.
Sin, deliberately disobeying or acting wrongly, is everywhere. “This world is full of sinners,” the church frequently claims. For this reason, Jesus Christ was sent to save us.
Scriptures explains how “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. I think this would have still held true even if Eve didn’t sin in the garden. God gave Adam and Eve one instruction and they chose to disobey. Eventually, Adam and Eve bore children. If, as parents, they did not sin, I think that someone else would have eventually sinned. If they didn’t sin, I don’t think God would have needed to send his son, Jesus, to save us. However, I do think that He still would have sent Jesus to show us Himself.
On the other hand, I also have a different thought of what a sinless world could be like. Perfect. When I think about how a perfect and sinless world could look, I have similar thoughts of how I view heaven, a place with no pain, sorrow or suffering. In a perfect world, why would we have a need for hoping? There would be no hope because we would have already had what we long for now. Thus, people could be worshiping all the time.
If you know me well enough, you know that I question a lot. I am normally the one who asks the “What if” questions. The most frustrating thing for me, however, is knowing that not all of my questions will have an answer.
Thus, when a “what if” question is posed to me, I normally react with a safe response. It is a response that keeps me out of trouble or places me in a position where people may not judge me for one reason or another. This common response, “I do not know”, although safe, is not always necessary.
I’ve learned that it is okay to question some of the harder things in life because while I may not have a definite answer, I am reassured of the greatness of God, knowing that we cannot wrap our mind around everything.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Divorce: An Unhappy Ending
I was introduced to the word 'divorce' during the time of B.A.Y, the friendship of three best friends. Using the first letter in our names, we created B.A.Y. because we thought we were "cool". Thus, as "cool" best friends, we did everything together. Rather, we tried to do everything together.
My two best friends had divorced parents. However, I wasn't concerned about the term 'divorce' until it started interfering with B.A.Y.'s play dates. We were frustrated as there were scheduled mandatory days and weekends for my best friends to be with one parent. In fear of loosing our friendship, we shed tears and threw fits while our parents tried to assure us that "it was not the end of the world". We believed them until one best friend moved in with her dad, 12 hours away. Shortly after, the other best friend moved due to the relocating of her new Step Dad's job.
After six years of adventures, the best friendship disappeared; B.A.Y. lived unhappily ever after.
You can always learn in an unhappy ending. For example, I learned that divorce is the epitome of an unhappy ending. From observation and experience, I noticed that divorce affects more than two people. It affects everyone, from immediate and extended family, to neighbors and friends.
Today, divorce is common. Although it is accepted by a majority of our society, divorce is still controversial among Christians. The divorce rate amongst the Christian community is significantly higher than other faiths, according to studies from Barna Research Group, a leading research organization, which provides information involving faith and culture. Thus, it is apparent that society's acceptance of divorce has negatively influenced many Christians' worldview. We should still be accountable to one another and not be passive when hear about divorce.
I think that divorce should not be an option in a Christian marriage, unless an unfaithful act is committed by either spouse. Divorce should not be seen as the "get out of jail" card, as I have once heard it referred as. Matthew 19:9 says, "I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery." I still believe this is the only way divorce is allowed and that remarriage is not highly tolerated. However, even with these beliefs, I still have questions.
--Some of my concerns came from my thoughts about how Christ treats his bride(the body of Christ). Even when we sin and abandon him, he never leaves us, so why does he permit leaving the adulterer or adulteress?
--Focusing on the idea of sin, I question why we weigh divorce higher than other sins if there is no sin greater than any other sin.
--Another question is common among many. It involves the question of permitting divorce based off of other exceptions besides adultery. What about those who are currently struggling through an abusive relationship?
With many questions, I tend to shy away from discussions about divorce. I am uncomfortable not knowing where I completely stand on the issue. I fear that by asking questions, I may offend someone. I also fear questioning because I expect negative responses. I automatically think of an unhappy ending. However, this does not mean it is okay for me to stay in my comfort zone. I should remember that sometimes asking questions is a way of showing accountability. Accountability should be present in good and bad situations.
"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God" - Romans 3:19
My two best friends had divorced parents. However, I wasn't concerned about the term 'divorce' until it started interfering with B.A.Y.'s play dates. We were frustrated as there were scheduled mandatory days and weekends for my best friends to be with one parent. In fear of loosing our friendship, we shed tears and threw fits while our parents tried to assure us that "it was not the end of the world". We believed them until one best friend moved in with her dad, 12 hours away. Shortly after, the other best friend moved due to the relocating of her new Step Dad's job.
After six years of adventures, the best friendship disappeared; B.A.Y. lived unhappily ever after.
You can always learn in an unhappy ending. For example, I learned that divorce is the epitome of an unhappy ending. From observation and experience, I noticed that divorce affects more than two people. It affects everyone, from immediate and extended family, to neighbors and friends.
Today, divorce is common. Although it is accepted by a majority of our society, divorce is still controversial among Christians. The divorce rate amongst the Christian community is significantly higher than other faiths, according to studies from Barna Research Group, a leading research organization, which provides information involving faith and culture. Thus, it is apparent that society's acceptance of divorce has negatively influenced many Christians' worldview. We should still be accountable to one another and not be passive when hear about divorce.
I think that divorce should not be an option in a Christian marriage, unless an unfaithful act is committed by either spouse. Divorce should not be seen as the "get out of jail" card, as I have once heard it referred as. Matthew 19:9 says, "I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery." I still believe this is the only way divorce is allowed and that remarriage is not highly tolerated. However, even with these beliefs, I still have questions.
--Some of my concerns came from my thoughts about how Christ treats his bride(the body of Christ). Even when we sin and abandon him, he never leaves us, so why does he permit leaving the adulterer or adulteress?
--Focusing on the idea of sin, I question why we weigh divorce higher than other sins if there is no sin greater than any other sin.
--Another question is common among many. It involves the question of permitting divorce based off of other exceptions besides adultery. What about those who are currently struggling through an abusive relationship?
With many questions, I tend to shy away from discussions about divorce. I am uncomfortable not knowing where I completely stand on the issue. I fear that by asking questions, I may offend someone. I also fear questioning because I expect negative responses. I automatically think of an unhappy ending. However, this does not mean it is okay for me to stay in my comfort zone. I should remember that sometimes asking questions is a way of showing accountability. Accountability should be present in good and bad situations.
"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God" - Romans 3:19
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