God owes Me
"God owes me!"
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...is an excuse we see played-out in so many areas of America today.
So many people see prior victimization as an excuse to do as they please,
expecting a free pass to Heaven when they die.
Frankly, self-identification as a victim often creates a lot of self-inflicted woes
that pile up on those who have seen prior abuse. It increases their woes in life.
But rather than dissect all the examples I see today, let's look at the Old Testament.
In the Book of Numbers, where God was leading the Israelites,
fresh out of 400 years of slavery, toward the Promised Land.
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The Promised Land already had people living there, and God was going to dispose of them.
Think about that. Their sins repulsed God. He decided to eradicate them.
God can do that.
So, God intended to give their cities and farmland to the Israelites.
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Moses sent 12 spies, including Joshua and Caleb, one from each tribe to see the lay of the land.
The spies returned after their recon mission, and 10 of the spies were afraid of the people there.
Though God had promised them the victory, only Joshua and Caleb believed God's promise.
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The Israelites believed the 10 cowardly spies instead of the 2 believing spies.
This angered God, so he declared in Chapter 14 of the Book of Numbers
that all the Israelites 20-years-old and older would never ever see the Promised Land,
except for Joshua and Caleb.
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God condemned them to wander in the wilderness until every last one of their unbelieving carcasses fell and was buried in the sand in the wilderness.
But first, He sent a plague that killed the 10 spies and the leading civilian troublemakers.
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When is the last time that a civil rights preacher mentioned this in one of his sermons about
'The Promised Land',
that God demanded obedience and trust from a huge contingent of newly-free slaves?
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The past abuse one has endured does not excuse current bad behavior.
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Who decides what is appropriate?
God decides.
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eric j. rose
idontwantgod.com
GOD OWES ME
Unconditional Acceptance
This article leads of the article above.
Some people believe in an "Uncle Jesus".
"He Always Forgives"
This song is misleading, because the New Testament clearly states that God's forgiveness requires our repentance- before we die.
And... the entire concept of forgiveness is rooted in the understanding of our sin.
While Jesus wants us to repent so He can forgive us,
the concept of forgiveness is also rooted in the understanding that Heaven is an exclusive place.
There is no place in Heaven for people who make no time for God in this life.
