Monthly Archives: February 2012

Have I Committed the Unpardonable Sin?

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Have you ever wondered about this very question? If you’re a Christian, I guarantee you’ve asked this question or been asked about the unpardonable sin, sometimes called blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Time is something we don’t understand and won’t until the afterlife.

This question unequivocally centers around our understanding of time and our inability to know what God knows. In short, there is no sin that God won’t and hasn’t already forgiven. Jesus said it was finished on the Cross and I believe He meant it.

I believe that a short, sweet, and to the point answer is the most beneficial. Rather than expand on this answer, here is a good interpretation for the so called unpardonable sin (or click on the image above):

What is the Unpardonable Sin?

Were We Born Sinners?

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Something I’ve been working through lately is the notion that we were born sinners. The doctrine of original sin makes sense to the average, compliant Christian. I’ve accepted this all my life but it is starting to make less and less sense.

God is perfect. Is it even possible that He could create something or someone imperfect? The Scriptures say we were made in His image (Genesis 1:27). If we were created sinners, wouldn’t that suggest God is also a sinner?

The average Christian response to this dilemma is that God didn’t make us sinners rather, He made us perfect and Adam & Eve introduced sin into the world. Their sin has been passed on to us but God didn’t make us sinners.

Semantics.

Here’s the deal. Whether or not we are technically born sinners or we first sin at some point in our young life, the fact is we have no real choice in the matter. We are all going to sin. The failure rate is 100%.

Sin leads to death and for those who believe in an eternal Hell, every single person is headed there- regardless of their age. A baby, a 6-year old, a 14-year old and an 80-year old. What’s the difference? The Scriptures don’t talk about an age of accountability. We made it up to make God more merciful because it doesn’t seem fair that an 11-year old would go to Hell forever but a 12-year old has reached the age where they truly know right from wrong.

If you hold to the doctrine of original sin, you’d have to believe that children are headed for the same judgment that an adult is who dies without knowing Christ. After all, one sin separated us from God, not a lifetime of sin. Thank God He truly is merciful and loves all of His creation. Thankfully He is a good Father who never fails.

I’ve yet to land firmly on this doctrine but am leaning towards the belief that God made us perfect, we sin because the world around us has become imperfect, and Christ died to make us all perfect again. Jesus said to be perfect because I am perfect. He died so that we would have life.

Whether we were born with sin or not makes little difference because the last thing to be destroyed is death and death is what sin leads to. This indirectly ends all sin as well. God is more powerful than sin, regardless of how we inherited it. Watch this video and be encouraged that a loving Father is looking out for us. We love Him because He first loved us.


Hold Your Tongue & Get Used to It

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I hate you. You’re the dumbest person I’ve ever met. I wish you were never born.

We’ve all heard these things said, said them ourselves, or know someone who has been told this. It’s amazing the impact that simple words can have on a person. They can make you feel like the most special person alive one moment and literally the worst a moment later.

James 3:3-10- We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell (Gehenna) itself.
People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!

James is warning/preparing/sympathizing to us and with us the potential that lies within our tongue. It’s the smallest member of our body but holds the most potential, both for good and for bad. The horse moves and the ship sails with the smallest use of force but the tongue cannot be controlled.

The tongue is a product of what is in our heart.

Why is it so difficult to control the tongue? Within Christianity we are not able to ask questions and the tongue brings about hate, anger, and division because the religious type gets uneasy when their faith is questioned. Anything that is worthwhile can hold up to intense scrutiny, questions, and doubt.

The tongue should bring life. Life in doubt. LIfe in certainty. Life in community. Life in honesty. Life in love.

Every aspect of our lives should be led in love and every word we speak should bring life. Our works do nothing for us except that our works come from the grace given to us by God. When we show kindness to those around us, we show Christ. When we speak life, we speak Christ.

I saw a church sign today that said, “God loves you. Get used to it.”

No thanks. If I weren’t a Christian, I think I’d laugh and say, “Stupid Christians.” They’re right. God loves me so I should get used to it…. although He only loves me if I love Him back. Because if I don’t love Him back, He will punish me forever.

I saw a different church sign yesterday that said, “God loves you anyways.” I like this because it’s true. God loves you regardless of whether or not you love Him and that is speaking life to those around us. True love has no end game and loves even if the person never changes or agrees with you. There are no strings attached.

I love you. You are a really talented person. I’m glad you are my friend.

“We are now so far from the road to truth, that religious teachers dispute and hate each other, and speculative men are esteemed unsound and frivolous.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson (“Nature” 1836)

Get “What the Hell” for Free on the Kindle Sunday, February 12th!

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Download “What the Hell” for free on Sunday, February 12th! Click on the cover below and help spread the word by sharing this on Fabebook/Twitter/Youtube and any other venue you use.

Thanks,

Jackson Baer

“Father Forgive Them” – Jesus Christ

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They nailed Him to a Cross, between two criminals, like a common criminal. Stripped of all dignity, decency, or humanity, Jesus responds in a way that none of us could.

Luke 23:34- Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.

Forgive them.

They beat Him and they mocked Him. They spit on Him and flogged Him with a lead tipped whip. They crucified the Savior of the world and as He was close to His last breaths all He could think about was them.

No revenge. No judgment.

No warnings. No condemnation.

The words Jesus spoke are so moving I can’t imagine what it was like to hear Him speak the tangible kindness that He expressed while nailed to that Cross. Jesus was thinking about those people because they didn’t truly know what they were doing. They didn’t really understand that they were killing the Savior of the world. Jesus had compassion and asked His Father to have compassion as well.

We are to forgive because our Heavenly Father has forgiven us. We are to love because our Father loves. We are to be kind because He is kind. We are simply alive thanks to only the grace of God and nothing else. He chose to create us. He chose to breathe life into us and He did so for a reason.

God loves every single person and we are His creation, made in His image. After God made us, He said it was good. We are His prized creation, His masterpiece. We should pray for those who don’t trust Christ as the Savior like Jesus prayed for them.

Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.

Will God hear our prayer? Did God hear Jesus’ prayer?