I have been reading a lot about the human trafficking , prostitution and child rape lately. I am left with this one question how do i tell a 15 year old who has been raped 18 hours a day for 10 years of her life - repeat this after me -
Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness.
I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin.
And so on……
The very thought of saying this to someone like her makes me feel like thousand of insects are crawling on my body. Even if i happen to ask this girl to say this to me - i would want her to slap me hard and and ask me - “how am i a sinner ??? , Sneha I was defiled , used and raped all my life and I am the one who needs to say sorry to God?? Thanks but no thanks"
Let me ask you this - how will you explain gospel to a hindu priest who all his life has never ever thought even one bad thought and has a clear conscience - you dare not even ask him to call himself a sinner , because if you do in a way you are calling his entire life a big lie.
And yes , my favorite one - oh he doesn't know Jesus - he looks fine but I am sure he has sleepless nights and he feels empty and he cries alone in bed every night No ma`am , unfortunately he does not - he is educated and he has embraced his imperfection and he loves himself even without you shoving your gospel down his throat.
Do you want to hear the super epic one ? Hey i know you have depression - Jesus loves you now say this after me I am sinner and my depression is a result of my sins... " SO spiritual wow.
See the problem with this church version forgiveness of God is that i need to tell myself and convince myself that I am a bad person. That I better know that I am “sinner” and I have sinned against God. Really ? that girl has sinned against God the girl whose dad sold her off - that man has sinned against God who rejected your gospel because it required him to see himself as less and bad.
Forgiveness and my shortcoming is glorified so much that the gospel stops here for today`s church -forgiveness is nothing but just a massive representation of God`s immovable longing for me.It is not the mourning of my sin but celebration of my God crazy obsessed love for me.
I reject this gospel and this sinner's prayer. I reject it because I have tasted the Lord and i know He is good. My God is too charming and loving to let men woe me into believing less of myself.
I won`t let people tell me that the life of my Lord was so cheap that He gave it up for a bunch of filthy sinners. This so called prayer offends God - it turns the eyes of my brother and sister towards their sin and not Gods heart.
I won`t let people tell me that the life of my Lord was so cheap that He gave it up for a bunch of filthy sinners. This so called prayer offends God - it turns the eyes of my brother and sister towards their sin and not Gods heart.
What Forgiveness of God is Not or Related to :
1. Highlighting of my sin
2. Realization of how bad of a human being I am
3. How unlovable I am that Jesus had to die to make me lovable
4.Constant reminder of my shortcoming
5.Choice that God could have avoided
What Forgiveness of God Definitely is:
1.His longing to get back into an unbreakable relationship with me
2.His heartiest desire to restore me back to my original position of a king
3.Proof of His relentless love for me
4.Clear definition of my real worth in His eyes
5. Beginning of my new life in my new family with God as the loving Head
6.His plan A for you with no plan B
If ever in my life I happen to baptize anyone or God uses me to plant a church this will be our “Prayer of Salvation” which sings the reality of God's Triumphant love for me and not the defeated sin.
God,I have got to know that you love me so much and and I am not what this life has taught me till now. I am not a liar , a whore , a thief , a robber , a rapist, useless , good for nothing , imperfect idiot or_________ I am not what people defined me to be but I am Your beloved creation. I am so worthy and madly loved by you and wanted by You that you decided to buy me back and bring me back to my original place of being your son/ daughter even though it costed You your most precious thing - Jesus. I know Jesus died on the cross to pay for all the things i did wrong because I did not know who I am. I accept the sacrifice of Jesus which has removed the wall of separation between You and me. I know that You have willingly, very happily and intentionally and legally adopted me as your son/ daughter in Jesus and today I accept you as my Father. I give you the right to take care of me , love me and be my family till forever.I know You will never change Your mind about me and I will always be apple of Your eye. I believe that now I have been born again out of You and Your fullness dwells in me as Your Spirit.Satan is under my foot now because from this day onward as Jesus was so I am.I am excited about this journey with You.
Amen !!!
And yes , feel free to create you own version ladies and gentlemen but make sure it is oozing out our Father's love which is like a river flowing down on us.
Booya !!!!!! Old Salvation prayer - you never had a place in my Daddy`s journal.
