Sinners in the hands of an angry God

I'm not a sinner. I'm a saint. What does that mean? Do I not sin? Am I perfect? No, and yes. No, I still sin, but I also am perfected. Have I just worked really hard for this status? No, but Jesus has, and I have accepted that he did that work for me, and that nothing I ever could have done could be sufficient for a perfect God. Hebrews 10:14: "because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy". I also believe that because of Jesus, God now looks benevolently upon me. He likes it when I glance at him. He sees me as his bride.

I had the privelege to travel to New Jersey this past weekend to photograph a wedding for an amazing family. They live gracefully, they treat other gracefully, however, at their wedding, I heard a phrase from the pastor that made me realize again how many lies (subtle and not so subtle) are taught from the pulpit, and why it is so necessary that Charles is going to Grace Ministries to teach the message of Grace.

The phrase (during prayer): "There are so few times I think in this life that you (God) are truly pleased by what we do, we are so sinful, but now at this moment I think you're pleased."

What an awful God this man believes in. He thinks God might be pleased because the couple is getting married today? As if anything we do in our own merit could win us points or lose us points with God? God is pleased with us because He, through Jesus made us acceptable to him. He is delighted with us because we are his children, because I am me. Period. End of story. Not because I gave an orange to a homeless person, or displeased because I lied to a child about having gum in my purse.

In the same prayer he prayed "that they would stay pure, that they would stay righteous" as if they are not already proclaimed pure and righteous. 1 Cor 1:30 "God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom. (NLT)

Being in a church and surrounded by friends who understand the truth about God, I think we start to think it's really not that bad out there (out there being outside of our little grace-bubble) but then we enter churches, or listen to the radio or tv, or worst of all hear lies spouted at the alter and broadcast on church signs on the roadside (which is a book in itself) and its clear to me why so many people are repulsed by Christianity and why so many Christians do not understand or believe the truth and why so many Christians are still working really hard for God's approval.

I think I get upset because the message of works based acceptance from God and others has been so ingrained in me, it is so easy to fall back on that belief, whether it is conscious or subsconscious. I couldn't pray for years because I felt so bad every time I started to pray because it had been so long, I though surely God held that against me, and I'd basically end up saying "God, it's been so long, I'm so ashamed that I don't think of you enough, and I never pray to you, and..." the prayer would usually end somewhere around there and not be taken up for another few months, when the same basic crap would come out of my mouth. Satan has great tricks for keeping God's children away from him- one of the strongest for me is the "I'm not worthy because I haven't done enough" lie. So sorry if I've offended anyone. That guy just really struck a nerve.