The great gospel preacher Willard Collins conducted a survey many years ago. He asked several Nashville area psychologists what the religious backgrounds were of the people they saw whose greatest challenge was guilt. The overwhelming leaders were members of the Assembly of God and members of the churches of Christ.
Now imagine a scene in a worship service where the preacher asks everyone who believes they're going to Heaven then and there to raise there hands. What kind of response would he get? Unfortunately I think he'd see few hands go straight up. Most would want to raise them but just couldn't be sure.
I don't claim to have all the answers but I think I have a pretty good idea about this these two scenarios. It's really simple. Some how for some reason over the years we have either forgotten or not paid attention to I John, specifically I John 1:7 through 2:2.
To truly grasp the meaning of this passage, one needs a basic understanding of Greek verb tenses since this book was written in that language. There are three types of Greek verbs. An aorist verb signifies a single action event; something that happened once. A perfect verb represents an action that has already happened but which still has ramifications. The sacrifice of Christ is the best example of this. Finally, the present tense verb indicates a continuous action; something that is ongoing. This is the tense regularly used in I John and specifically it's used in chapter 1, verse 7.
Understand that because for too long too many people have not. Now look at verse 7 again with that thought. The blood of Jesus continually cleanses us if we continually walk in the light. That doesn't mean we have to continually be perfect because we can't be. Verse 8 tells us that. The first verse of chapter 2 reinforces the idea that Jesus is still there for us after we sin.
What does this really mean for us? It means we can eliminate the idea of a good person doing or saying something bad as their last action on earth and being sent to Hell for that one misdeed. Teachers for too long have taught the idea that a good person could be in a car wreck and if they say a bad word then are killed they're going to Hell because they didn't ask to be forgiven. If that were the case then the opposite would have to be true. One could be a convicted murderer. Their last action on earth could be something good. Yet that doesn't make them a good person. It doesn't mean they're "walking in the light". So why have we fallen for the idea that one can happen but not the other?
Joe Barnett from Texas is a great gospel preacher. He tells the story of holding a meeting. An older lady in the congregation asked him to visit with her. She had something on her mind. Barnett went to visit her and she told him about a situation in which she had said something unkind to another church member quite a while in the past. She'd told that member she was sorry and had prayed about it. She wanted Barnett to pray for her and he did. Two or three years later he was back for another meeting. The same lady approached him with the same problem. He says he refused to pray for her. He would however pray for her lack of faith. Why pray for a situation that's been forgiven by the continuing cleansing of Jesus? God forgives us easier than we forgive ourselves. That in itself is worth talking about.
Not only have too many Christians been carrying too much unneccessary guilt, I believe this has probably driven away more people from the church than any other single issue. Seriously, who wants to serve a God that makes us walk that kind of tight rope? Fortunately we don't and more of us need to start figuring that out.
AMEN brother!
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