180 west at dusk
stickstickfire
When I woke up on my birthday, this is what was waiting for me outside.
“ I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.
Isaiah 44:22
Another beautiful day in Orange Cove
Bumper Sticker Theology
I’m usually not a huge fan of bumper stickers, but one caught my eye recently that I really liked. It read “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven”. What a great statement to sum up what we as Christians believe. So often the world labels Christians as perfect. The world expects Christians to be perfect in every situation. If they see you make a mistake they’ll immediately label you a hypocrite. Even some Christians expect other Christians to be perfect. They’ll judge people by the way they look or by things they may have done in the past and won’t welcome them into their churches. The fact of the matter is, nobody is perfect. We were all born with a sin nature and it is up to us whether or not we choose to live to please out sin nature or to please God. Jesus lived his entire life free from sin. He was holy and blameless. While living this type of life if something we should strive for, it is nearly impossible. But, that’s why God sent his son, who was perfect and sinless, to die in our place. The penalty for sin is death. Jesus endured the suffering and died so that we could recieve salvation through him. No matter how bad we mess up God will always forgive us. All we have to do is ask. “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2
“ But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
Exodus 9:16
Muscle Cars and Bullet Shells: The Gospel According to Clint Eastwood
The other night my friend Stephen and I were discussing the film Gran Torino and discovered some interesting paralells between Clint Eastwood’s character and Christ. In the film an Asian family moves into the house next door to Eastwood, much to his dismay. Later in the film, Eastwood befriends the son after he tries to steal his prized Gran Torino. The family makes the son work for Eastwood to pay for his transgression. Eastwood takes the young man under his wing and teaches him life lessons so that he can live his life effectively. The Asian gangsters want the young man to join forces with them, even after he refuses. They rob him, shoot up his house and even kidnap his sister and he still won’t join them. In the end, to deal with the gangsters for good, Eastwood confronts them and sacrifices himself to save the young man and his family and to put the gangsters in prision. In his will, Eastwood gives the young man his Gran Torino along with the lessons he taught him about life. I found several connections between the film and Biblical salvation. In this story, Clint Eastwood can be a metaphor for Christ. He came along side the young man and taught him the way he should live his life, just like Christ showed us the way we ought to live (see 1 John 2:6). In the same sense, the young man is a metaphor for us, the sinner and the gang is a metaphor for Satan. He is tempted by the gang to join them and live a life of crime. The young man knows better and resists this but, the gang is relentless in their attack and he gives in. Eastwood give the young man a second chance, much like the Lord has given us a second chance. When the young man wants to risk his life in order to retaliate, Eastwood steps in and gives his life so that the young man can continue to live. The young man did not ask for this and did not do anything to deserve it but Eastwood died for him anyway. Finally, the Gran Torino is a metaphor for salvation. Eastwood gave the young man a free gift after he had done nothing to deserve it. In fact, he actually tried to steal the car earlier. Eastwood looked past that and gave him the gift anyway. As sinners, we have done nothing to deserve the free gift of salvation but the Lord gives it to us anyway. No matter how many times we do things that displease him, that gift is always there. Satan is unrelenting in his attack and the only way to withstand it is to have Christ step in and take the bullet for us much like Clint Eastwood did for the young man. Christ died so that we wouldn’t have to. He endured the suffering on our behalf and offers us his free gift of salvation. The only thing he asks in return is that we have faith and believe (see Galatians 3:22). If anyone wants to recieve this gift from Christ, all you have to do is ask. Ask Christ into your life, ask him to forgive you of all the sins you have comitted against him and ask him to set you free from the evil one. I promise you, he will not let you down (see Hebrews 9:15). Just like Clint Eastwood died so that the young man would not have to, Christ died so that we would not have to. Just remember, unlike Clint Eastwood’s character, Christ was risen from the dead and lives in those who call upon his name and live for him (see 2 Corinthians 5:15). Ask yourself this; will you take the gift? And if you already have, ask yourself; am I living for Christ? “For it is by grace you are saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” -Ephesians 2:8
