tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8199619079407388156.post8514206278206988347..comments2019-06-22T21:00:05.937-05:00Comments on The Fallen Pastor: God's Answer For The AdultererDimmesdalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01111207027397156020noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8199619079407388156.post-43368885310175540512011-02-27T23:48:13.599-06:002011-02-27T23:48:13.599-06:00Cindy,
We do tend to categorize adultery and divo...Cindy,<br /><br />We do tend to categorize adultery and divorce as the worst sins in our churches, don't we? Do you ever notice that when preaching on David and Bathsheba, we often tend to bypass the fact that David's worst sin was murder?<br /><br />Yes, God's grace was even great enough to cover David's bloodshed of Uriah.<br /><br />Despite what I tend to think, it's not others who deride me the worst - it is me. But if Christ were sitting next to me right now and I said, "remember the time I committed adultery and left a whole church out to dry?" He'd say, "uh, no."<br /><br />Amazing love, how can it be?<br /><br />Thanks again Cindy for reading and commenting.<br /><br />ArthurDimmesdalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01111207027397156020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8199619079407388156.post-89000784457632972492011-02-27T23:23:54.109-06:002011-02-27T23:23:54.109-06:00Arthur,
I applaud your courage and transparency - ...Arthur,<br />I applaud your courage and transparency - and you are right. God's grace is totally undeserved - and yet it's new every morning. I am so glad. I also have felt that I could relate with the woman in scripture who had many sins and took a jar of perfume and poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped it and her own tears with her hair - she had much to be forgiven for and was the most grateful. I am not able to tell my whole story as I would like because there are many in my circle of family and friends who do not know what really happened to me 2 years ago that would cause my husband and I to leave a large church where he was on staff for 13 years - but believe me when I tell you - that I know just how you feel and it was a topic of great discussion for my husband and me as we wrestled with many things - including our relationship and why people stay in marriages that do not work when they are so miserable - how is that honoring to God? Sounds blasphemes somehow - as we argued and wrestled with the tough questions like you have done. Bottom line - people are always going to WAY harder on you than God himself. And we are even harder on ourselves. We found when pouring through scripture and in having heavy discussions that God is a merciful God - things were put as boundaries for us for our ultimate protection. No sin is greater than another - and yet we have always ranked the sin of adultery and even divorce as much higher than anything else. The punishment by our own guilt is much worse than any punishment He could lay out for us - that is why He set up those boundaries. It was for us - knowing the guilt and brokenness it would cause for so many others. Is there grace when we blow it? You betcha! I'm so glad. Otherwise I would still be guilty with no hope - doomed to a life of regret and sickness in my soul that I could not heal on my own - not even saying "I'm sorry" won't cover it - and because we have that amazing grace we can be sure that we are free from the chains of death - but never free from the memories that making those decisions have left us - nor the people that we have hurt. Thank you for being so authentic - you inspire me because you really get it. As long as your heart is right - you are still a man after God's own heart - don't ever forget it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com