Understanding the Forgiveness of God
Why Couldn't God Just Forgive Us? by Eric Pazdziora
I haven't had much reading or blogging time lately. I have had a lot of inspiration for writing, but not enough down time to process my random thoughts into a worthwhile post.
The above link is to another post from Eric Pazdziora. His blog was brought to my attention this week by a friend (The Cult Next Door) and I've spent quite a bit of time reading his writings this morning. I especially loved this one.
When I first left the cult I was raised in and its unusual teachings on Jesus and salvation, I struggled with what to believe. I had been so programmed to accept that "our" unusual beliefs were exclusive "truths" the rest of Christianity did not have and that I was highly privileged by God to know them. These were "truths" that could not be found in other Christian churches, which is what binds you to the cult. The question you ask yourself over and over is "Where would I go if I left? Where would I fit in knowing what I know?"
I was seeing flaws in some of the things I had been taught when I left; specifically about salvation. But there was fear and anxiety attached to rejecting those beliefs. Rejecting what I had been taught felt like possibly rejecting God and His "special people in the earth." I did not want to be guilty of rejecting God or His truth. And if I came to the realization that I had been deceived, I did not want to be deceived yet again. So I developed a fear of deception. Not a concern; a fear.
One of the biggest challenges for me was understanding Who Jesus was. I did not want to simply forsake one set of beliefs and embrace another. I wanted to fully understand and know what I believed. I wanted to be convinced through Scripture. I spent a lot of time studying the Scriptures that illuminate for us Who Jesus is. And today I am absolutely convinced of Who He is.
The post above is about the cross and forgiveness, but Eric so simply and effectively puts into words the truth of Jesus' deity at the same time. I am so thankful that God has opened my eyes. The understanding I once struggled for is now so glaring it is almost blinding. I just had to share the link.
I haven't had much reading or blogging time lately. I have had a lot of inspiration for writing, but not enough down time to process my random thoughts into a worthwhile post.
The above link is to another post from Eric Pazdziora. His blog was brought to my attention this week by a friend (The Cult Next Door) and I've spent quite a bit of time reading his writings this morning. I especially loved this one.
When I first left the cult I was raised in and its unusual teachings on Jesus and salvation, I struggled with what to believe. I had been so programmed to accept that "our" unusual beliefs were exclusive "truths" the rest of Christianity did not have and that I was highly privileged by God to know them. These were "truths" that could not be found in other Christian churches, which is what binds you to the cult. The question you ask yourself over and over is "Where would I go if I left? Where would I fit in knowing what I know?"
I was seeing flaws in some of the things I had been taught when I left; specifically about salvation. But there was fear and anxiety attached to rejecting those beliefs. Rejecting what I had been taught felt like possibly rejecting God and His "special people in the earth." I did not want to be guilty of rejecting God or His truth. And if I came to the realization that I had been deceived, I did not want to be deceived yet again. So I developed a fear of deception. Not a concern; a fear.
One of the biggest challenges for me was understanding Who Jesus was. I did not want to simply forsake one set of beliefs and embrace another. I wanted to fully understand and know what I believed. I wanted to be convinced through Scripture. I spent a lot of time studying the Scriptures that illuminate for us Who Jesus is. And today I am absolutely convinced of Who He is.
The post above is about the cross and forgiveness, but Eric so simply and effectively puts into words the truth of Jesus' deity at the same time. I am so thankful that God has opened my eyes. The understanding I once struggled for is now so glaring it is almost blinding. I just had to share the link.
Comments
Eric, I enjoy your writing very much! I'm sure there's all kinds of good stuff there for me to dig into when I have time to do more reading.