Inspired By Another Post...And Jesus

I read several blogs. I know, pick yourself up off the floor and take a moment to recover, because you had to be shocked by that! :) One is MckMama's blog. She's a wonderful writer and an amazing photographer. She wrote a fabulous post today on Christ. A post that I couldn't resist echoing a little on my own blog. I'll admit I skim-read a couple paragraphs of her post, so don't hold me to all the details...but I read enough to know that I don't disagree with her point.

For several years now I've been praying on and off for a close friend of mine. She is probably reading this post right now. Now worries I'm not going to shock her with anything here -- she's heard it all before from me! :) It's just that the post I referenced reminds me so very much of thoughts I've had, rather, conversations we've had.

I'm a Christian. For me that means that Christ is the Son of God. He was both fully* man and fully God. He walked and talked and sang and danced and rejoiced just as you or I would here on this earth. But at the same time He was God. He was there at the creation and will be there at the end. He is the Lamb. He died for my sins, and yours, and the weird old man that lives down the street from me, and then rose again on the third day. And now, this is the awesome-tacular part, he is seated at the right hand of God looking out over us all, and (get ready for a run-on sentence like you've never seen) when God looks at me, he doesn't even see me anymore, since I accepted Christ as my Savior He sees Christ, not the sinful creature that is Emily.

I know you're sitting there if you're not a Christian going, "What the heck?! He doesn't see you!?" No. He doesn't. I'm sinful. To God I'm an untouchable - as I am. The truth of the matter is I need saving**. And God, in His Sovereignty, knows this. So, He sent His Son. Crazy, right? I can't imagine now...having a child of my own. It makes this picture God has painted even more poignant. It's like letting your child walk out in front of that emergency vehicle that's going 65 mph - times 1,000,000,000 - knowing that they will be in agony, knowing that you won't get to ride in the ambulance with them, knowing they will be scared, knowing they will be in unimaginable pain -- and you let it happen. But allowing it just the same. So God did this, and Christ died because a blood sacrifice is the only way to atone for sin. He paid the ultimate price.

He paid the ultimate price. There is nothing we can do. "For by grace you are saved through faith, and not of yourselves - it is a gift from God - not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2" 8, 9 It is all through the cross.

Wow...what a tangent...sort of...I don't think I could ever consider the gospel message a tangent! Anyway...

Back to the original thought of this post - You believe this (the above) or you don't. In MckMama's post she draws a fantastic metaphor. She took a photograph and said (and I paraphrase): "Either you think I took this or you think I didn't. One person can't say I did and another say I didn't and they both agree that they're right. Either I did take it or I didn't." She continues to say, much more eloquently than I am doing now, that there is absolute truth and it's not rude and intolerant to say so. :) (This is where I stand up and cheer yay! rah! I agree fully!) It seems to me there is a trend in the worldview to be so tolerant of others that you can't say what you believe without being rude and inconsiderate. To say I don't agree with you, concerning religious beliefs particularly, means you are unaccepting. Such is not the case. And such is not what I feel I, as a Christian, am called to.

Christ calls believers to share the news. This doesn't mean we have shove the gospel down people's throats, or do it in a rude manner, it means we have to be honest. And sometimes honesty is absolute. Actually, honesty is always absolute, because it is true. And where this is truth, there is usually a lie. And when someone believes a lie, they don't like to be told.

Anyway, apologies for the rambly nature of this particular post. And the length. Jesopete, this is why I don't write about the Lord much -- I'm just so verbose on the subject matter! :) Please let me know if you have questions about my confusing explanations - I would love to explain myself better.

* So I totally spelled fully incorrectly the first time and wrote 'bully man.' Now there's a picture of Christ if ever I saw one! The bully on the playground, I think not! :)

** "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.." Romans 2:22, 23