The whole thing is worth reading but here’s a large excerpt of the Internet Monk on a subject that’s all too relevant to this blog.

How do we take hold of the grace of God for ourselves but then deal with people who aren’t God and can’t be God? People who are going to hold us to the law for their own protection, and who won’t risk further dealings with me until guarantees of repayment and promises of no future sin are on the table?

Protestants are often faulted for having a view of “cheap grace.” Is this what “cheap grace” looks like? The forgiveness of the prodigal’s father on the one hand, and the real-world demands for repayment and improved behavior on the other?

Roman Catholics often refer to the Protestant Gospel as a “legal fiction.” Is this what they mean? A sinner enjoys forgiveness, but cannot adequately make amends, repayment or restoration for his sins against those he loves?

My sins have returned. God may have forgotten them. Other persons have not.

What do I do?

Wait till you read this! Christians are actually loving sinners, serving them, and developing relationships with GAYS! And not just Christians… MEGA CHURCH CHRISTIANS! Who do they think they are–Jesus?

I’ve come to the conclusion that this post crosses some sort of frontier of illogical thought, even when it comes to the ODMs.  I’ve read the article that it links to, and I have a hard time seeing how someone can find fault with it.  Apparently, repentance is only for those outside the Church, not in it.

From my reading of the article, it seems the pastor of First Baptist Church of Sugar Hill, hit the proverbial ball out of the park.  It is refreshing to see a pastor approach his community and congregation in humility.  Here’s a few of the things he said:

“Today we in Sugar Hill, and America at large, live in a post-Christian society. But if we acted more like Jesus in our words and the way we live, the world would be far different. It’s time we begin to think, act, and live like He did.”

“I am 37 years old and I believe the Bible is 100 percent truth without error. But the Bible tells us we are to judge our own lives and not the lives of those outside the faith.

“In John 4:18 we read that ‘perfect love drives out fear.’ I apologize for driving you out of the church and making the church a place that you fear. While the Bible teaches that we should all have a reverential fear of God, we should not fear those who sit in the pews. I make this apology and genuinely ask you to forgive me.”

I think some Christians confuse justification and salvation with being correct.  Apparantly the ODMs believe it when Ali McGraw** says in Love Story, “love means never having to say you’re sorry”.  I think being a Christian means continually being able to say “I’m sorry”, and even humbling ourselves to those we consider our enemies.

Apparently though, this is a bad sign for the SBC.  I guess it depends on whether we see the church in a primarily defensive posture or in a posture that is advancing the Kingdom into the darkness.  I think this pastor has seen the fruit of our defensive walls, and it seems he was brave enough to make some some changes.  I pray that more pastors and Christians as a whole follow in this pastor’s steps.

**Oops,  I knew I wrote that too early in the morning.  Thanks for the correction, Keith.

In honor of Oprah taking the google hits from Rob Bell at CRN. Honest, this was today’s “Get Fuzzy.”

But seriously, why Oprah? Isn’t Star Wars or Shirley MacLain just as dangerous? Oh yeah, it’s about the google hits.