Personally, I find this approach to Christianity to be very painful. God loves you, but... God loves you but he is going to send Pygmies in Africa to hell. God loves you, but if you don't believe it just right...
You will note that in Jesus’ encounters with people, he does not shame their religions. He simply teaches about the kingdom of God. He has many encounters with Romans, and does not tell them that they are going to hell because they worship a pantheon of Gods. He does not tell the thief on the cross that he is going to hell because he has not confessed his sins. He does not tell the Samaritans in his encounters with them that they have the wrong religion. In fact, in the story of the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan is the hero. Also please note that in the birth narrative in Matthew, the three wise men are kings from the East, and they are celebrated as a part of the story. They would surely have been Zoroastrians, not Jews or Christians.
So Jesus has a habit of taking people in and welcoming them. He does not make a habit of excluding people because they didn’t have the correct religious formula down.
Most people that love Jesus, love him because of this very aspect… he welcomed everyone: the tired, the poor, the outcast, the ones who did not get it.
He did not create a formala to restrict entrance or shame people. The church would do that later.
It’s a beautiful day in God’s world, be sure to see the good.
So Jesus has a habit of taking people in and welcoming them. He does not make a habit of excluding people because they didn’t have the correct religious formula down.
Most people that love Jesus, love him because of this very aspect… he welcomed everyone: the tired, the poor, the outcast, the ones who did not get it.
He did not create a formala to restrict entrance or shame people. The church would do that later.
It’s a beautiful day in God’s world, be sure to see the good.
If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com
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