Good news for 'screw ups!'

As stated in this column before, faith – the God biz – just happens to be my passion. I love being mystified by its complexities and simplicities. I relish the fact that God hears my prayers and wants this relationship with little ole me – a stinking, undeserving sinner.

Let’s back up a few clicks. I was raised in a faith-based household. But, like many, in my college years I knew more than convention was teaching and abruptly (mainly because of my bad choices and sinful nature) walked, or should I say skipped away from my faith. I was rebellious and it is humbling to admit there wasn’t much I didn’t do or try. Then, as I was traipsing around busy breaking rules, all hell broke loose in my life. It took me a while to connect the dots and wake up to the cause and effect. It was my choice to walk away and in doing so I didn’t have God guiding my steps. That’s like jumping out of a plane without a parachute! The good news is, however, many theologians agree walking away is a necessary step in our walk of faith so that we can choose God for ourselves.

Scripture tells us Jesus hung out with sinners, prostitutes, ailing ones – the broken, just like you and me! Faith is mystery. The sin that keeps us apart is exactly why Jesus came in the first place so that we could change direction, seek him out and understand how we are to live our lives so that they work according to His will. Hey, that’s basic catechism… how did life get so complicated and skewed?

Here is the great mystery – the paradox of faith. If you get nothing else about God, let this little ditty sink in: The Bible states that Jesus came for the lost children… he came for us, the screw ups! No wonder why they call it good news! What a cool God is that? That’s why Jesus is called the “Redeemer” and “Savior.” Something has to be broken to be redeemed! Us!!! To be saved from our erroneous ways we need a Savior. God just happened to know that and sent us his Son, Jesus Christ, so that we could understand God’s precepts, wrestle with our sinful nature, and have a relationship with him which brings peace and a better quality of life. Simple!

Today at work I was typing the “Spoken Call to Worship” from Romans 6 for this Sunday’s service at Fallbrook Pres. I want to share it with you because it was a real God wink in light of what I had written above. “Hear the Good News! Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life! If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his! Thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin…you have now been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord!”

This is precisely why faith matters!