The Kingdom of Heaven and Ice Cream

A recent article by Phil Drysdale, http://www.phildrysdale.com/2014/07/jesus-saved-you-from-your-sins/, discusses the dangers of preaching a gospel centered on our sin and need to be saved from it. While he states very clearly that Jesus did save us from our sin (note the past tense), he argues this is NOT main point of the gospel. Rather, the main point of Christ's coming to earth, as stated by Phil, was to bring us into relationship with God.

I grew up in an extremely conservative church in which sin was much the focus. I remember hearing about a "relationship" with God but that was such an enigma. What was very clear, however, was my sin and my need to be saved from my sin. As I kept sinning, I figured "it" just wasn't working for me. Thus, the gospel was not much good news for me. While Jesus did save me from my sin, that was not the purpose of his coming. He came to restore my relationship with God through the power of the spirit.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous,that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, (1 Peter 3:18 ESV)

Focusing on sin and our need to be saved from it is causing needless division in the church and alienating others from it. If we focus on our need to be saved from sin, we are forced into arguing whether or not something is sinful, and we need to convince someone they are a sinner so they have agree they need saving. A problem with this philosophy is it is based on moral behavior rather than relationship with God. This is why so many outside the church point to mistakes made by those in the church - for every finger I point at another, three are pointing back at me.

Indeed, Romans 3:23 tells us that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,". However, the very next phrase, Romans 3:24 says "AND all are justified freely through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

In short, we are restored into full relationship with God through Christ. Listen to the spirit as it speaks the truth of who you are - created in His image.

What of the picture?

The Kingdom of God less like a hospital and more like a going going out for ice cream after a doctor's appointment. That is assuming someone other than you covers the tab.

In order to be admitted into a hospital, you have to first be diagnosed with a sickness.  Hospitals are pretty depressing places unless you are there to have a baby or bring someone home when they are well. Everyone likes ice cream!

Blessing the Blessed

In the past year, high-profile sports figures such as Michael Sam of the NFL and John Amaechi and Jason Collins of the NBA have come out as being athletic and gay. This is significant as the athletic culture has rejected anything gay making it extremely difficult for anyone to come out. As such, a number of athletes have come out after their active involvement in the sport. This is not unlike the inclusion of athletes of color not too long ago. Few people are not aware of Jackie Robinson's story and we have recently celebrated its significance with the movie 42. The sports culture appears to be taking steps similar to the U.S. military when they abandoned "don't ask don't tell" in favor of embracing all who wish to serve our country. The sports culture

Some people, many of them friends of mine, are attempting to minimize the significance of these men and women coming out. For example, this cartoon compares the praise Jason Collins has received for coming out to the criticism Tim Tebow has received for public display of his faith. I understand where some Christians are coming from when they cry "foul". We all want celebrities to be praised for sharing our beliefs. As I am a Christian, I smile when I see Tim Tebow take a knee in the end zone. I loved it when Sammy Sosa of my beloved Chicago Cubs would point towards heaven after a home run.


While I understand the emotion behind such satire, it is not a fair comparison. No openly christian person has ever been excluded from professional sports. I have been involved in sports for several years and I have never known a player or coach afraid of coming out as christian for fear of discrimination or rejection. While I have seen players ridiculed by teammates for standing up for their moral values, this harsh treatment often comes from others of the same faith. For example, one christian athlete might tease another for his or her decision to remain sexually pure until marriage. Christians have been the majority of our country's professional sports arena since its inception. Gays, on the other hand, have only recently found the strength to be open in professional sports. They should be applauded for their bravery and I am grateful our society provides them sufficient support to come out.

I understand the emotions behind those who would have christian athletes keep their faith to themselves. We, as Christians, are to blame for this response. Some people associate Tim Tebow with judgement and pride rather than humility and charity as modeled by the focal point of our faith Jesus Christ. This is unfortunate as Tim Tebow and many other Christians are very compassionate and charitable.

As humans, Christian or not, we take care of and show respect for our fellow man.

Toxic Shame and Addiction

The cycle of addiction is expressed in a variety of ways, but just about every "cycle" demonstrates that shame comes before use. Therefore, removing shame is essential in breaking any addictive behavior whether is be drugs, food, sex or anything else.

One problem with christian counseling is the claim that "if we completely surrender of lives to Christ, we will no longer struggle with X, Y or Z." I would use caution in suggesting that if we give our whole life to Christ, we will find this kind of victory over drugs or anything else.

I have worked with addicts claiming complete victory over drugs through complete surrender to Christ, only to find them back on the streets. One problem with suggesting this "cure" is that it heaps additional shame on top of existing shame. For example, if the addict is in love with Christ and still struggling, they may feel as if they are doing something wrong.   Likewise, they may have "victory" for a period of time only to struggle later. Thinking they should be free of addiction may prevent them for seeking the necessary help they so desperately need.

The apostle Paul speaks volumes of wisdom when he said, "...everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial." That is a great summation of our freedom in Christ. He goes on to say that "...nothing can separate us from the love of God". What does this mean? In terms of our salvation, we are FREE from the penalty of sin as sin is no longer an issue for salvation. Jesus took care of sin, not only for us but the entire world. I believe (and this is my opinion) that a person can be an active user and be in love with Christ. I believe a person can be saved and use drugs. Sounds a bit crazy, but so is grace. As Paul says, "...the things I do not want to do, I keep on doing."

Unfortunately, the consequences of drug abuse are horrible; i.e., "not everything is beneficial." There is no need to expound on this. Addicts don't need to be told of the ill effects of drug abuse. Addicts need to be introduced to the radical and unfair love of God through his son Jesus Christ. Knowing "there is no condemnation" helps to remove the shame which feeds the addictive cycle.

Christ has removed death's sting. As we are no longer under the law and the power of sin is the law, sin is no longer an issue in terms of our salvation. Christ's blood was and is sufficient for the forgiveness of the entire world.