One really has to wonder. We so often go into the presence of God and ask for forgiveness, we confess our sins, knowing full well that we are forgiven, that God loves us more than we love ourselves. But how much do we take this incredible act of mercy from the love of God, for granted?
What if, for example, in order to confess our sins and receive forgiveness, we had to perform some sort of taxing, painful or utterly detestable act? Would we then think twice about sin? Would we truly hesitate and even work really hard not to sin?
What does that then say about what we really think about our love of God? Do we claim to love him and try to obey him only as it is convenient, only as it doesn't cost us much, if anything?
Personally, I believe that trend of, and the foundational mindset of, American evangelicalism leads to and encourages this.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Taking for granted
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Is this why the ancient Hebrews practiced animal sacrifice for atonement, so that it would physically cost them something every time they went astray? It doesn't sound like much to us but for an old world agricultural society, I'll bet it did. And if memory serves, they were admonished to sacrifice a good animal too, not a sickly one. In our times, we are only asked to repent, resist, and desist. But you raise a good point.
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