In a recent conversation one of our friends made a comment that I haven’t been able to forget. It was something to the effect that “You probably would all think I’m a creep. Have been married several times…”
My guess is that along the way others have also made self-disclosing comments that have gotten lost or overlooked in the discussion that followed.
The reason I’m mentioning it is that the community that has formed here over the last few months has shown a lot of love for one another. At the same time, because we still find ourselves in the necessary tension between truth and grace, we are trying to admit and affirm our brokenness without indulging or encouraging something worse.
Recently, did a Google search to find a list of all of the commandments of the New Testament. One site not only gave me the list I was looking for, but then went on to use the list to prove that every pastor in the world is a heretic.
Reminded me that in the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians he wrote, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2Cor 3:5-6).
Am guessing that together we agree that the law of God is good. But we aren’t. Only “in Christ” and “because of Christ” can sinners like us have a right relationship to God, and therefore with one another.
So if any one of us rightly admits, “I’ve passed the point of no return so many times by doing what I can’t undo. But that’s why I’ve given myself to Christ and that’s why I’m here,” we say, “Welcome to our/your group. That’s why we are here too… bragging about all of the wonderful things Christ has done for us that we don’t deserve.”
That’s a whole lot different than saying, “I’m proud of the fact that I’m trying to see how many times I can get married, have no need of your Christ, and want you to accept me, and all that I’m doing, just as I am…”
Has been said many times before. But can’t think of a better way to say it. We’re here because we’ve discovered that in throwing ourselves on the mercy of Christ…
He loves us enough to accept us just as we are, and too much to leave us that way…
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