That Shoe Doesn't Fit

Once again I came across a post on Facebook that I felt compelled to respond to.  I began writing a comment which turned into a paragraph, and soon decided that it was better to blog it than to fill my friends wall with a long comment that would probably not be appreciated in that context.  Maybe she will read my view here and take it into consideration. If I give her the link she can decide whether or not to click it.  I thank you for reading, and ask that you will carefully try to discern what I really mean to say.  It is interesting that the same topic keeps coming up, but I truly feel bombarded with messages like the one below.  I'll be honest with you:  I don't even know who this guy is, but I see his words and they reveal something.

You can click this to enlarge it and read what I am responding to.

Honestly, this quote sounds like the angry rage of intolerance to me. While fear can be the result of a belief, accusing others of fear because of their moral beliefs seems illogical.  While a person may fear the dark because they believe that something they can't see will attack them, they don't necessarily believe that night is wrong. We don't automatically assume that those who are afraid of heights are morally opposed to tall buildings, airplanes or mountains. If someone is opposed buildings of great height, would you conclude without question that it is because they suffer from acrophobia?  If I have a phobia, based on the reasoning of Henry Rollins, it's of immorality and it's consequences, I'm not just a homophobe. My fear is of the price the unrepentant heart will pay without accepting The Savior.  "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and "the payment for sin is death, but the gift that God freely gives is everlasting life found in Christ Jesus our Lord."  (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  We are all as guilty of sin as a thief or a murderer because all sin no matter how big or small is still sin which separates us from God.   

I am making a proclamation of freedom from sin!  I want everyone to know that they have that right.  I don't hide behind the Bible, I do my best to live by it.  I take what it says to heart even when I am convicted for losing my temper, being unkind or grumpy, being lazy, or the many other ways I mess up from day to day.  Don't think that I don't consider those things serious, they are, and I struggle with them.  Sanctification* is a process, but it only begins when we admit that we need God's forgiveness through His Son, Jesus.  If we keep telling ourselves we aren't so bad, we won't be saved because we don't think we need God's mercy.  I know I am a sinner saved by grace. 

More and more I feel like people are randomly pointing their proverbial finger in my face, and the faces of others who share my beliefs and values, but they really don't know what I truly stand for.  They are firing shots into a crowd of strangers.  I try to avoid randomly spewing out judgemental, stereotypical comments, so it stings when I feel like I'm dodging bullets.  Hate and anger aren't going to take us anywhere we want to be.  Positive change begins with love.  You don't have to agree with someone to love them, nor do you have to allow them to force their choices on you.  The choice I wish everyone would make, to accept God's forgiveness through Jesus, is one that can never be forced.  It has to be the real and authentic decision of each individual.

I do understand that there are people on both sides who are very verbal about their opinions on certain issues.  Folks get defensive and the mud flies back and forth.  I don't want to be about an issue, I want to be about Jesus and His offer of forgiveness to anyone who believes.  No one can turn from sin on their own, but if they accept that He died in their place, they will want to let Him help them.  Maybe if I keep telling people there is forgiveness available, they will be able to admit that they've done wrong and receive it.  My message is forgiveness.  Will you believe in Jesus and accept it?

*Sanctification is being made holy.  When we trust in Jesus Christ we are pardoned from all of our sins immediately, and we begin to gradually change as we fight against the sin in our lives.  Someday the transformation will be complete.  1 John 3:2 says, "Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is."