Posts filed under 'spiritual'
a gospel of suffering
Jack told me that the movie the Passion of the Christ was not as big of a shocker to the Poles as it was to most American Christians because they already have a strong understanding of a suffering Savior. He said that to be a Pole is inseperable from being a Catholic, and that they are used to seeing graphic crucifixes in their churches and commonly understand that suffering is the message of the gospel. If you endure suffering on earth, you will be rewarded with heaven. Jack, a pastor of 30 years said this was a sick twisting of the gospel. I halfway agreed.Jesus suffered in our place for sin we have committed and therefore we cannot earn heaven by suffering, this is truly a twisting of the gospel. On the other hand, Jesus asks us to take up our cross and follow him. He says that people who are persecuted for following him are blessed. The disciples frequently thanked God for the opportunity to suffer for the gospel. The book of Hebrews talks of people being stoned, beaten, sawed in two and says the world is not worthy of them. How might suffering be part of the gospel? Can we follow in the footsteps of Christ without suffering?
March 9th, 2006 at 11:09am
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