How long can you drive your car without filling it with gas? Some cars get better mileage than others of course, but without gas any car will stop running. Not to fill it when you have somewhere to go is ridiculous.
Yet some of us live our lives as if we need no gas, as if we are so all-important that we don’t worry about what we do, who we hurt, or ignore, or abuse, or even kill. We become so pompous that we don’t think we have to forgive anyone for what they may have done to us. After all, we deserve our payback, don’t we?
But then, how can we call ourselves Christian? We are driving our life along dangerous and —dare I say sinful— roads? Where is the gas of our Christianity? Where is Jesus Christ in our actions?
Many call themselves Reverends, Pastors, or ministers of God. But shouldn’t ministers of God be the primary advocates for God’s pre-requisite for salvation: Forgiveness?
Without the gas of Christianity, which is forgiveness, sincere Christian love cannot exist. So, that sort of Christian car is only a façade that takes us nowhere. It will NOT run. In fact, it will come to a dead stop.
Christianity without forgiveness is not only useless, it is deceitful and brimming with the darkness of lies.
And what we do in the dark will always come into light.
Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.–Solomon, Proverb 9
Translating a World on the Edge 