Posts by Lucas Bitter

Christians are not fighting a battle against the people of our world ““ we’re actually fighting a battle for the people of our world!  We’re fighting to relate to them, to build trust with them, to build friendships with them, to show love to them, and ultimately to share with them that God so loved the world he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him doesn’t have to perish, but shall have eternal life.

Our sinful minds do not operate on principles of forgiveness and love; they operate on the principle of revenge.    “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”   It is because of our sin that the world is stuck in a cycle of revenge.   It is because of our sin that the world is full of hatred and suffering.

God is not embarrassed to deal with us, just like he wasn’t embarrassed to deal with Adam and Eve.   God does not turn his face away from us in disgust.   Instead God loved us so much that he decided to restore our families by dismantling his own.

Jesus “redeemed” us ““ that is, he bought us.  And we came at a tremendous cost.   Jesus gave up his blood, he gave up his life, and quite literally he gave up his soul.  Perhaps some of you remember that as Jesus was dying on the cross he shouted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”   Jesus was allowing himself to be disconnected from God and punished for all of our sins. . . . so that in turn we could be connected with God, and forgiven.