This is evil?

"Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh" So this is Paul talking to the Phillipians and he describes the Circumsicion party as "evil"

So what do we normally associate with the word "evil"? We usually think of things like murder, stealing, child abuse etc. However Paul describes the guys who bugged the early Christians to get circumcised as "EVIL"....

Now I would say they were a pain in the ass or irritating or misguided; bugging the new Christians to remove their foreskins to be right with God..However the great Apostle says they are evil. Ok what's evil? Well it's the same old show that's been going on for thousands of years: do some weird difficult meaningless thing to appease a moronic God..right? Then he/she will like you and perhaps let you keep your job and keep you from getting cancer.

Today it's more like go to church, read your bible, witness, fast..join a small group, quit smoking, don't drink; you name it (ps none of these are bad things). If you get the steps right you can control this deity who must be dumber than us if He/She needs such actions to think well of us.

Well as Robert Farrar Capon has said..God has discarded all such nonsense and given everyone (yes everyone, including your selfish vindictive ex wife or husband) a free pass. He has given the whole world (including the young kid in the pickup truck, who cut you off on the freeway, almost killed your young family,and then laughed) a blanket pardon via His son Jesus Christ. Yes the whole world (Hitler,Manson,Bundy)is forgiven no questions asked because of the life and death of Jesus Christ.

I know what your going to say "Ok its a free pass initially ..but then He (God/Jesus) is going to want something from me right? Slowly he will suck my freedom from me..and all my fun if I want to stay in His favor"...Well that's evil thinking. Paul says "as you recieved Christ Jesus so walk ye in Him" . In other words its a completely unasked for free gift in the beginning and it stays that way (free) through till the end. Or Paul says "He (God) is the same today yesterday and tomorrow" God is not a bait and switch condo saleman..He offers an absolutley staggering free gift..FREE ACCEPTANCE: NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO OR DON'T DO after you accept it.

There I said it.!!.Sin doesn't matter. Don't let the door slam too loudly on the way out, because I know I have lost you now. I am going to say it again..sin doesn't matter.As Paul says in Hebrews"He has by one offering perfected us forever" (my translation).

Now sin can get you in trouble, end your marriage, ruin your health or put you in jail or you might just get away with it (most do). But sin has absolutely no bearing on your relationship with God. God knew we would screw up our relationship with Him (with our constant sinning, known and unknown) and he completely took it out of our hands.

Now the reason Christianity is called a narrow gate is who can walk in that freedom..?? Who can actually take God at his word that He is perfectly eternally happy with us..even if we are self centered little backstabbing you know whats. Who can look at his own life (like Abraham) as good as dead (sinfullness) and still confidently look God in the eye without shame?

In His/God's absurd world he has rewarded us a full days wages when we didn't even show up for work. Many are called to this ..but few will drop their worldly earning based defiant logic and accept a gift they will never on their best day deserve. Jesus grew very weary trying to get people off this you get what you deserve mentality..in fact when he stood these rules on their head..He made the religious authorities so nuts they killed Him.

Paul warned that there will always will be well meaning..logical sounding people out to spy out and take our freedom away in Christ. Usually they come in the form of Christians with a real supposed answer to our restless frightened hearts. Just jump through what ever prayer, belief, tithing hoops they suggest and you will know the abundant life. Let me tell you, if you never think you are measuring up or keeping up with your Christianity..you don't get the hilariously good news of the gospel. The wonder of the gospel is that it tells us of a God who looks at us on our worst day, face down in the toilet and late for work and says we are perfect; and just for fun he put an extra 8 hours plus overtime on our timecard!

We all think we are maybe ok when we get back from the Ronald McDonald house volunteering after church...but God says the drunk in the toilet is on the same plane. Now that's just not right...but WHO is the boss and WHO gets to say how it works..you or God?

Before you get the wrong idea; I am not saying you should go light the town on fire and steal from the poor and waltz on with God..(its possible). But I am saying you cannot go too far in divorcing your behavior from your relationship with God..it's just not a factor.

What is a factor however, is accepting His strange word about your self..while you are still a sinner. He says you are perfect and beloved..blameless (trust me I have 40 verses that say this) right now, while your head is in the toilet.(maybe I have fallen too much in love with that toilet metaphor). That is walking by faith and if you must try to please Him..thats how you do it..(for without faith (says Paul) it's impossible to please Him.