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I confess...

I confess, although I'm a pastor, sometimes I have questions that take me to the brink of what some would call heresy.

I know the right answers to my questions, or should I say, the answers I'm supposed to know. At times I think they are good answers too, at other times I feel like my answers, the ones I was taught, and the ones I've come to myself, don't quite get it all. I have answered all of them to one or more people at different times. I have even preached about them and yes, most of the time I believe them, really I do. Yet, every once in a while, late at night, or in my reading, or more study, they come back to my mind and make me think some more, usually these are growing experiences, but the starting point is not always clear or easy.

Here's one I'm dealing with lately. Even to confess that I'm engaging these thoughts would scare some people, but if we don't engage our thoughts and questions, what's the alternative? So, let me go on with my confession...

If the Bible talks about Grace abounding/increasing much more than sin (Rom 5), why doesn't it seem like that is reality at times? It says, for example;

"...just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. Uh? For just as through the disobedience of the one man, the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Don't rush to accuse me of anything, ok, go ahead if you want to, it's your right, although you might not be right in doing it...sorry, that's another post

I'm just reading the Bible and asking, why does what I read here and my reality seem somewhat at odds?

I'm the last person to take one or even a couple of verses and want to build a theology around it by removing it from the context of the whole story. Having said that, sometimes Sin and it's effect, seems greater than grace and it's effect. You know, round peg, square hole. Don't miss it, the keyword is "seems". Having said that, sometimes it's not always easy to understand these things. Ok, maybe it is for some of you.

I'll keep reading the rest of the story, again, as I do, I confess, sometimes I'm a heretic.

Posted by ed