Thursday, November 27, 2008

A post in a Christian chat

I will resist bashing the heretical Catholic doctrine of "Original Sin" (the leading Biblical understanding of which is that we inherit a sinful tendency or temptation, and Christ did as well, which we could, but fail to resist where Christ's successful resistance made his willing sacrifice able to atone for our sin).



However, this thread has just crossed into a very important apologetic and theological pitfall. Merely because Christ has atoned for our sins, does not give us freedom to sin. Merely because Christ allows us to be free of hellfire and punishment for our sins, does not mean that sin is allowed.



Our God is not a god of fear, ruling creation from a high throne and doling out punishments upon wrongdoers. That was never God's plan, though such things were used by God when we were "children". Christ's death and resurrection changed things for us, as a father changes things for his maturing children. The father has not changed, nor have the real rules, only our understanding of them and the maturity we are expected to have gained.



No, our God is a god of Love. And it is love that is supposed to drive our actions: our love for our God, and our love for our neighbor. The fear of hellfire has been removed, and out of sheer love from gratitude we should then swear our undying loyalty and obedience. Moreso, out of sheer love, we should love that which our God loves, that is, our fellow humans. This is the True Law, the heart of God.



It is the heart God most desperately desires for us, the children and heirs of God.



LoveIn Christ,
~Warren