Sinners Created Anew
When we try to make our own religion
as all humans do
it’s always a legalistic one
even if it’s dressed up as inspirational.
We like to be productive beings.
We like to think that our thoughts and deeds
either add or subtract from our score
in the cosmic scheme of things.
But things look different when we meditate on the gospel…
In Jesus, we see that God entered flesh
then hopped on the cosmic down escalator
to die - not just for the ‘good’ law-abiding people
(because there are no wholly ‘good’ law-abiding people),
but for the despicable ones too.
God did this to show
that by following the legalistic self-made God
(the God that was supposed to make us ‘good’)
we eventually end up killing the true God.
God did this not to make us feel guilty.
In fact, while hanging from that cross,
the true God forgave all of us.
We didn’t know what we were doing, he said.
When he rose from the dead, the legalistic God was proved
to be an utter fraud.
Now we are left with a preached God
who speaks a word of forgiveness and liberation
from outside of the law
so that our distrust might end
and we sinners might be created anew
by the Holy Spirit.
Amen.