Naomi25
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- Aug 10, 2016
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But what is repentance? I believe it is acknowledging Christ’s love sacrifice and offer to restore our Garden relationship and a willingness to turn 180 degrees from distorted self love and begin to love outwardly. This takes practice and the power of the Holy Spirit. Focusing on flogging ourselves and wallowing in the mire of self reproach is a luxury we cannot afford....it gets in the way of our sanctification. Furthermore, abusive parents punish without a chance of redemption - it is called torture. I treat my dog with more compassion than many Christian’s view of God’s bloodlust towards humanity
Well, yes, I agree. But, for us to receive this restoration of our garden relationship, we must first confess our sinfulness and ask forgiveness. We can't ignore this part of our redemption, it is clearly spelled out in scripture: "Repent!"
But I heartily agree that once we have forgiveness in Christ that we don't need to...we shouldn't flog ourselves in regards to our flaws. Be realistic about them, sure. Repent from them, sure! But we are not slaves to them anymore and have the freedom to do all this knowing God sees us as he sees his Son.
I don't know that I can see eye to eye with you on the "most Christian's view of God's bloodlust towards humanity". I know it's a very deep and emotional topic, because it, well...it matters so much. It matters because we're talking about who our God is, and there cannot be anything more important, can there? The thing is, we cannot shrug aside that God himself calls for blood to pay for sin. Because blood is life. The bible is too full of this idea for anyone to ignore it, really. I think the question we have to ask about it, the one that really establishes our God's character, is...has he made a way for us to avoid paying with our blood? And the answer is yes. Our God, while being completely holy and therefore MUST having payment against sin, still loves us enough to send HIS beloved son to die in our place. This is the Gospel, this is the miracle. And this is why our God is both Just, Holy, and Loving and Good.
In all the 'religions' of the world, only Christianity has a God that extends a hand towards his children. Every other 'god' tells his followers what they must do to reach him. God sends his Son so that we can have that Garden relationship restored! It's staggering, when we think on it, really. That an almighty being that created the universe through will alone, would send his son to die for his own creation that had rebelled against him in the first place. How can we doubt the love and grace or the commitment he's shown, or the length he's gone to save us??
It's like, if you'll forgive me using an analogy: having a deep hole, but then providing a ladder, a rope pulley AND a lift, to get out of it...and people only look at the hole! Yes there's hell...yes there IS a consequence for our sinful actions. BUT God has provided a way out that is beyond our wildest dreams. How can we look at that and then only call him blood thirsty?
Anyway...sorry, got babbling a bit there, but you probably get my point!