My $0.02 on Morality

I love Chick-Fil-A...the waffle fries are scrumptious, the chicken is mouth-watering, and the milkshakes make my eyes roll back in my head. I'm not going to quit eating it because of anyone's opinion, but I also did not make it a point to eat there today. But this isn't even about CFA. It's not really about gay marriage either. Or abortion, for that matter. It's about the moral decay of the entire world around us.

I've gone back and forth about publicly having an opinion, because I don't want to offend anyone. But let's get real...

THE GOSPEL IS OFFENSIVE!!!!!!!

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?" When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?"...From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more (John 6:60-61,66).

Allow me to rewind, before I get dubbed a hypocrite. I was raised on religion, and rebelled on a grand scale. At some point, I broke every rule in the book...that Bible book. I messed up in ways that I will never,ever, ever, in a million years, share with another human being. I was a horrible person.

$0.01 = GRACE

This is the Love that rocks my world. Perfect love, that sees every awful, horrible thing in my memory (John 2:25), loves me infinitely and unconditionally in spite of my own horrible self (Proverbs 10:12), and redeems every shattered piece of my soul (Psalm 49:15). This is the sacrifice of the cross, the spotless perfection of Jesus' life, that allows God to blanket our unconscionable mistakes, and creates a newly born image of Christ. Yeah...it's that good. The chance to be perfect instead of horrible? I'll take it.

This is the easy part. Confession, forgiveness, acceptance. You don't have to change a thing.

$0.01 = TRANSFORMATION

What you do have to do, however, is to present yourself and be subject to the renewing of yourself as only God's Spirit can do...And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2). If you re-read the paragraph after grace, you'll see that a Christian is recreated into the perfect image of Christ. God looks at you, and sees HIM, in all his glorious perfection. The rest of life is an attempt to stay that way.

This, is a daily repetition of failure, contrition, and forgiveness. Grace that is new every morning.

Maybe it will begin to make more sense, like this:

GRACE (0.01) + TRANSFORMATION (0.01) = MORALITY (0.02)

I make mistakes every single day. I sin every day, with or without knowledge. I have friends from all walks of life...they sin every single day, with or without knowledge. We tend to prescribe a value system for the sins of this world, but the reality is that each act of willful disobedience against God evokes the same response from Him. In God's eyes, sin is sin, and we are all guilty. 

The brilliance of the Christian walking in faith is the tool of conviction. If we are seeking Him in our daily lives, then He will gently point out our mistakes, drawing us back to Him (1 John 3:19-21). As we read His revealed Word in Scripture, we cannot help but see how we all fall short of perfection. That moment when you sense that something just feels "wrong"...THAT is the voice of God whispering in your ear to come back. He is longing to repair every instance of damage to your relationship. 

My last thoughts, which are perhaps the most "offensive"...if you're not being gut-checked on a regular basis, there are two explanations:

You are Jesus...

Since that's highly unlikely, here is the truth: You have been duped. Lied to, misled, seduced, desensitized, corrupted, and deceived by the father of all lies (John 8:44, 1 Thessalonians 3:5, 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:10). If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The devil has a powerful way of taking the Gospel and selling truth mixed in with lies. If you can justify something that Scripture says is immoral, then say hello to Satan, because he is screaming in your ear. I have done this, for the record. I have listened to the cunning lies, and seductive false truths of the great liar, and found myself frolicking along behind him. Only to wake up the next morning and be humbled by the voice of God reminding me of the truth.

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:13-14).

So don't be complacent. Don't be numb to the moral crumbling around you, or in you. Ask Him to enlighten you...He will. Read His word...He will speak. Don't judge the sinner, and don't judge the outspoken Christian. 

Love every person you meet...

speak the TRUTH of the Gospel firmly but with kindness...

and seek Him every day, with all your heart.