For the past couple of days, I have pondered a line from Billy Joel's Only the Good Die Young. The line: "I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints". Have you ever pondered how the world views people....as either sinners or saints? Many people look at church attenders and see them as 'saints'. However, lets get real....there are NO saints. However, some people want the world to think they are. Admit it, you know some people just like this. They want the world to think they are saints and have more skeletons in the closet than some serial killers. On the contrary, they think if they keep them in the closet, they are ok. Or, they want to compare themselves to others, or even think that just because they know scripture or hold a revered position in their church, that makes them saintly. Truth is, we are ALL sinners and nothing more. The difference in some of us is that some of us understand that we are not saints and that it is only by His grace we stand. An understanding of His grace doesn't give us a 'free ticket' to 'sin' at will. The problem is that many people don't understand that sin is viewing anything differently than God does. This means that it is not about breaking one of the 'Big 10' or doing something that 'the church folk' view as unacceptable. Of course, we should not break one of the 'Big 10', but there is so much more to pleasing God than that. His word is full of so much that is cut-and-dry. Then, there are areas that should be left up to personal conviction. Too many people in the church want to play Holy Spirit and tell someone what they are doing is wrong, when actually, it may or may not be. One prime example is the view of to or not to have a glass of wine before bedtime. Many people say there is ABSOLUTELY NO Biblical basis for anyone to do so. Let's think about this for a moment...if we say God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, yet want to say that the 'wine' mentioned in the Bible is ONLY a reference to grape juice, what does that say we believe about God? If we say He is omniscient, yet imply that He didn't direct the writers of His word correctly and that the word is 'better translated' bla, bla, bla, we are belittling His word and His power to direct the writers of it and its infallibility. I only use this as ONE example, but there are MANY. No, I am not encouraging anyone to become sloshed, which is a whole different thing. I realize many may or may not agree with me. I am not asking your permission or approval. I am simply making a point. What is the point? Simple...I would rather laugh with the 'sinners' than to cry with the 'saints'. I love my life and my friends and am ever thankful that those whom I call 'friends' are real and not fake. In my circle, no one has to put up falsehoods or pretend to be something they are not. We are striving just to know Him more and to be more like Him, not what the 'saints' have told us for too long that we should be. So the question is simple. Would you rather laugh with the sinners or cry with the saints? Until next time, ride safe & be real!
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AuthorMy name is Sonja. I am known as Road Rash, for obvious reasons. I have been a member of His Blood Warriors since 1996 I served as Secretary of LAHBW since the charter began in February 2002. In October, I became International Secretary and currently serve in that position. Archives
June 2012
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