Salvation is Offensive (and Intolerant), and Rightly So...

The Holy Spirit is the one that convicts us of our sin - through the proclamation of the truth that we are sinners. And I don't mean the overall statement that "I'm a sinner and you are too". I mean that realization that I have sinned in so many ways that it would make your head spin - and you have too! Not everyone likes to hear that. We have ALL lied a countless number of times. We have all stolen items of all different monetary worths. We've lusted after others, been angry at our brothers, coveted what others had, etc. These are all very personal sins! We shouldn't lump them all together when we proclaim the truth of the gospel to the lost by just using the Romans Road and telling them that they are sinners and asking if they understand that. THEY DON'T!!! We must make the sin in their lives look as black and deathly as it really is. The Bible states that sin is "exceedingly sinful". Most people have no possible idea as to how lost they really are.
And the problem is that this truth stings. It HURTS. It is VERY offensive, since Jesus ("The Truth") is the "Rock of Offense". It should make a lost soul cower in fear in the realization that they are headed to Hell because they have broken every commandment ever given by a Holy God and any good they have ever done was just a stab at bribing the just, holy, judge. But the GRACE and UNLIMITED LOVE and FORGIVENESS that is shown in the death of Christ is the GOOD NEWS that offers a chance to the one who has been humbled by the law of sin and death. Once the offensive truth is understood and repentance fills our heart, crying out to God for forgiveness and trusting (believing) in Jesus alone as our savior leaves us with the ASSURANCE that we have a home in Heaven with Jesus for eternity.
Now THAT will leave you rejoicing and praising God for His Love and Forgiveness extended towards you - IF you have humbled yourself to the truth. If not, well... not everyone likes to hear the truth or look in the mirror to compare themselves with God's precepts instead of comparing themselves to the people around them. If the Holy Spirit does not draw them as you speak the truth in love, they WILL be offended, and most likely will blaspheme the one who loved them enough to forsake the glory of Heaven and die in their law place. Sad, but true.
Add to that the world's view of Christianity as intolerant (which it is). People claim Jesus was a "good man", or a "good teacher", or a prophet. However, if Jesus is not who He claimed to be (The Son of God, The Messiah, The Lamb of God, etc.), then He was just a schizophrenic lunatic who lied constantly and was constantly in the right place at the right time.
But because Jesus is exactly who He says He is, and who the Bible says He is, then true Christianity and the true Church (Bride of Christ - actual saved believers and not all of those professing to be Christians - the "goats", if you will) is VERY intolerant. In Acts 5 it says that the name of Jesus is the "only name given under Heaven by which man might be saved." If that is not intolerant, I don't know what it. When I hear people say that everyone is right in whatever they believe and their god will know their heart, I just want to scream. Their god is an idol; a made-up diety that looks more like Santa Claus than the One True God. The entirety of the Bible makes it very clear that ours is a jealous God, but that He, being the most glorious and Holy and wondrous of all beings in all time and space, is the only one worth our attention and praise. For Him to point us to any other or allow us to praise any other idol would be ridiculous. Glory be to God, our Maker, Sustainer, Judge, and Saviour!

Why Blog???

Why do I want to blog? I don't really know. My mother started "Jael's Musings" last year (see http://jaelsmusings.wordpress.com/ ), which inspired me to start one, but I have been so busy with work and school that I never really put my mind to it. I know plenty of people that have started blogs and abandoned them, and I definitely don't want to end up there (one more project half-done, eh).



I guess one reason I want to blog is that I am always listening to great preaching from the likes of my pastor at Blackshear Place Baptist, Jeff Crook, along with John Piper and Paul Washer. They make me think about what I believe as a Christian, what is most important in my walk with God, what the most important things are that I as a Christian need to convey to the lost (unbelieving) people of this world, etc. Since I like to write, I thought I would put the proverbial pen to paper and get some of my own musings recorded to share with others. I often comment on my friend's Facebook posts, but sometimes my comments are too long and take up six or seven comment windows (I am a bit long-winded, you know). That has REALLY limited my use of Twitter!! They only allow 140 letters at a time, you know.



In addition to my thoughts on salvation and the Bible, I'd like to be able to post videos and photos that those of you not into the social networking sites can get to. I'm posting a video today that I made of a fly-around of a 120 square foot pentagon building I designed for a friend out in California.



And hopefully by now you know why I titled my blog as I did. If not, keep reading my blogs and eventually you'll figure it out. In my day-to-day conversations with my friends, I don't have parentheses to limit my rabbit trails, though... I've got a lot more to say on this, but I have GOT to get to bed.

Thanks for visiting!

Shawn Rainey