As I walk through Viola's book, he comments that the Bible is "the greatest love story of all time. It is the classic romantic tale...and your Lord is an ageless romantic." He goes on and develops the story of Adam and Eve and out of Genesis 2 (it is worth the read)! I want to pick it up in Chapter 6 entitled "The Divine Frustration." At this point in the book Frank describes the love of Christ for the church and he says : "The love of Christ for His beloved Bride is like a blind love. He doesn't see any flaw in her." So here is the question: if Jesus sees us, the church, as holy and blameless according to Ephesians 5:25-27, then why do we always focus on our imperfections and flaws?
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Interesting side note... my webfilter is blocking whatever the picture is for this post.
So I read Ephesians 5:25-27. Then I thought about all of the places there are criticisms of churches in the Bible. So is it possible there is a difference between 'the church' as a concept and individual churches or denominations? And maybe when we focus on imperfections and flaws we are not separating 'the church' as in Christ's bride which is perfect in his eyes from what we often term as the church but what is really people.
imperfections and flaws? I am taking the view point that each individual is the church, in the following statements...
Because we live with memories and thoughts that have imprinted actual patterns in our brain. It is a constant renewing of our minds. It is laying down the old. When we think of the flaws...ask ourself does it line up with God's word for us.
and ya...BNL...I'm jealous...!
Amen, Gerry!
It's ok to know where we came from and what we do wrong but it's even better to look into the future. My favoorite rolemodels are people who were totally messed up and still are in a way but believe God so strongly that they don't care and just "pretend" (?) they were holy allready... And go for Him
"So here is the question: if Jesus sees us, the church, as holy and blameless according to Ephesians 5:25-27, then why do we always focus on our imperfections and flaws?"
I think this is one of the flaws and imperfections of people. People will forever point out the bad things in any organization. Im starting to think that it is human nature to be negative and people are inherently evil.
I don't care for the idea of "blind" love. I think it takes the wonder out of the idea of grace - that Christ could look at us as we are, wash us clean and call us His Bride.
I don't believe He's blind - I think he sees every blemish and forgives each one. And I think that's one of the things we find hardest to accept from Him.
In our own way, we all strive for perfection. We are to live like Christ after all right? Nobody wants to fail, and we think that flaws and imperfections are failures. That's why it's so hard to just accept the fact that we are seen as holy and blameless by God, we aren't perfect. Like Scott said, maybe it's because we may be negative and inherently evil.
I just thought of another thing. Okay, so we strive to be perfect. To be perfect is to be flawless, resulting in the problem at hand. But if we understood that it was okay to screw up and have flaws, how can we strive to be perfect?
I just thought of another thing. Okay, so we strive to be perfect. To be perfect is to be flawless, resulting in the problem at hand. But if we understood that it was okay to screw up and have flaws, how can we strive to be perfect?
Why do we focus on our imperfections and flaws? I can't speak for others but I know I've been intensely programmed to do just that. The deluge of descriptors such as: "sinner","unworthy", "immoral","imperfect" etc rained down in "Fire and Brimstone" threats. "Eternal damnation", "condemnation" etc were clearly and extensively described and defined. Grace, love, mercy, - these ideas got lost in the cacophony of the denunciation of my worth. Even some hymns reinforced these ideas. For example, the hymn, "Alas, and did my Saviour bleed? the first verse carried on - "and did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred Head, for such a wretch as I? Tough words.
I need to be deprogrammed and reprogrammed. I find it a challenge to fully comprehend God's grace, mercy, and love, especially when I continually stumble back into sin.
How can I know the extent to which I have been saved, unless I know that I am "such a wretch"? If I don't know that I am a "sinner", "unworthy", "immoral", "imperfect", etc, why would I feel the need for a Saviour to come and pull me out of the grave I've dug for myself?
The beauty of grace is knowing that we need it and that we don't deserve it at all. That He loved us while we were still deep in sin. That forgiveness is only one small step away - but that we definitely need forgiveness. The beauty of grace is knowing that the Lord, who was spotlessly clean, BECAME sin for us, so we can wear robes of righteousness and our hearts can be whiter than snow. The fact that I have been adopted to be His girl not because I was the cutest in the orphanage or the most well-behaved, but because He knew I needed to be rescued, is what wakes me up in the morning with songs like "How Marvelous, How Wonderful, is my Saviour's Love For Me" on my lips.
We can't know God's grace, mercy and love, unless we know the mess we make for ourselves without Him.
So, even in our relationships with each other, to ignore the fact that we have imperfections and flaws, would create superficial relationships and not truly show the nature of God, who loves us and covers us... He doesn't ignore or turn a blind eye; to say that would ignore much of Scripture. He forgives us and loves us through our junk, and that's what we should be doing for each other.
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