The Conversation Overheard

Sarah and I went out to eat yesterday and two pastors sat down at the next table. One of them had a very loud voice and we couldn’t help but hear his conversation. They were discussing some book they had recently read. Pastor #1 insisted to Pastor #2 that “when we do unholy things, God is no longer holy”.

I looked at Sarah and shook my head and whispered to her that I want to say something. Luckily though, Pastor #2 said that “the attributes of God cannot be changed”. Pastor #1 chimed back in and agreed while trying to correct what he originally said by saying “when we do unholy things we are no longer serving God but serving the devil and God wants nothing to do with unholy people.”

They continued to discuss different issues and even got into whether or not a penny more than 10% is a tithe or an offering.

Now I know this guy probably meant well and I didn’t hear the whole conversation. But I couldn’t help but think that he is probably living his life not bound by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ but bound by some magical formula based off of his own actions.

As we left the restaurant, a sense of relief came over me. This life would be too hard if I had to live by that formula. Luckily I don’t. Christ presented the best way to live and I do my best at times to follow that. Sometimes I fail, and the blood of Christ covers that. It’s not some magical formula. It’s simply grace and the type of forgiveness in which Christ still wants to be a part of my life even when I am far from his holiness. And it’s enough to pick myself up and try again.