Last night in my NT Biblical Theology class the question was posed about Paul's reaction to today's statistic that 60% of Christians believe that Jesus sinned while he was on earth as a result of today's church leaders not teaching the biblical truth. So if that is true, 60% of Christians believe that Jesus did, in fact, sin, I wonder if they have eternal salvation.
Lets look at the facts: - All through the OT, God's people looked forward to the perfect sacrifice (Jesus) to free them from sin. In looking forward to that, they sacrificed spotless lambs
- The bible says, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, not giving into temptation and living a sinless life.
- If Jesus did sin, then how is his death different than mine?
I'm sure there are other truths to look at but if we just take these three, can that 60% still be saved if they believe that, even tho Jesus sinned, he still died for the sin of the world. Is that possible?
Comments welcome.
Like most of Americans, I have anxiety.
I have anxiety over not being able to help my clients, repaying loans, commitment and decisions. I have anxiety over homework and getting things done before on time, picking out the right things. I have anxiety over anxiety sometimes. I have anxiety over the things my friends and family go through and I have anxiety about getting enough sleep on the weekends (although, I will admit that one is subsiding). I have anxiety, probably the most anxiety, over house shopping - the more we, the more serious we get and that creates anxiety in me.
I have anxiety about not being a good therapist. Which is absolutely ridiculous at this point in my life as I have been seeing people for exactly 3 months and 2 days. Of course I'm not good at it. And this is okay, I'm not expected to be great three months into the job! Good gravy!
Well, I work in a therapists office, you would think that I would just take my anxiety to them...well, there probably is a bit of anxiety over that too...somewhere.
A while back a friend came over to visit. He had been struggling with things for a while and I asked him, "Why don't you just do something about that? ...There are options you know." He (humbly maybe) said, "Well, others have it worse than me and I can live with this."
I have been thinking about that statement for the five months since that conversation because I too, have just been living with stuff.
I have learned, in "my years of counseling experience" (go ahead, laugh) that we as human beings love to just not change. We love to live in our dysfunctional way of being even though there may be a gazillion ways to improve our way of life. But is that really what we ought to do?
Yes, there is a lot to be said for being content and satisfied with the place and ways God has ordained things but I believe that He loves us too much to leave us in our dysfunction.
I couldn't say much to the comment he made. I think I said something like, "Well, one thing I have learned mentoring kids is that even though this is not the worse thing in the world and that people do go through worse things than you are experiencing, this may be the worst thing for you and you only have certain experiences."
So to point out the ginormous plank in my eye, I do settle for less than God's best for me. I sit with anxiety with opportunities for others to help me day after day. I have squandered opportunities to grow countless times before. And as one of my girls said to me a few months ago, "I want to change now and I don't know where to start! I realize I have done what I needed to do to go forward and get through things, and now I don't know where to start! ..."
