Spiritual "What If's"
Reading now in Romans, Paul's statement: “No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.” Romans 2:29 NIV
Religion has always complicated the love of God, whether it came by way of institutions or the best of men/women's thoughts; even those inspired still perhaps filtered.
What if Judaism (Paul studied under Rabban Gamaliel I, the best of Rabbis in his day), even with Moses speaking with God directly, yet still, based upon their writings we derive the theology of an angry God needing appeasement, our own atonement by necessity the blood sacrifice of His Son.
Religion still today seems to taint the reality of such actions when perhaps "God so loved the world", so committed to Creation that He (pardon the pronoun) became flesh by way of Mary's virgin womb, soley for the purpose of abolishing the need for sacrifice, the same as the substitute provided for Abram when he too was so desperate to please God that he intended to sacrifice his and Sara's "only son," Isaac.
If so, Calvary then becomes the greatest sacrifice every made, yet not for appeasement by for our at-one-ment with God!
The words that now stand forever, across the ages: "It is finished!"
Righteousness imputed by grace alone!
You are and have always been loved, each of us a P-I-E-C-E of God that passes all understanding!
What if that was the message, that'd truly be "Good News" in these crazy uber-religious times!
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