This is a blog for those who refuse to take what we are told about anything at face value. It is for those of you who are questioning what your friends and family believe. It is for you who are in need of encouragement. The name comes from Matthew 7:13 where he writes about the wide and straight/narrow gates/paths to eternity. I choose to look at this scripture as saying we shouldn't be too far in any direction on the spectrum, but should be somewhere in the middle ground.
The “Grace/Law” picture at first glance conveys a message of Jesus the Christ’s grace being sufficient for all religions and beliefs. It also shows the law dying on the cross, which would remove the notion of sin in the world. This is very controversial in Christianity today and there is great criticism between the grace and law messages, as well as all of those in between. The letters of grace each represent a belief system; the beliefs being Evolution, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Gender Equality respectively. The cross has the Ten Commandments nailed to each arm representing the law being fulfilled through Jesus’ death. The cross also reinforces this idea with the words, “The Law Fulfilled” engraved on it.
Jesus' death on the cross doesn't really make sense as a sacrifice, but His death to fleshly desires does. We are called to be Christ-like and are called to be living sacrifices, so wouldn't it be safe to venture that Jesus' sacrifice was a living sacrifice? Sacrifice for atonement of sins was a specific practice for the ancient Hebrews and was nothing like what Jesus did for us on the cross. Sacrifice for the Hebrews consisted of choosing an animal without blemishes, projecting their sins onto the animal, slaughtering the animal, and laying it before God. Jesus came and was set before God at His baptism, slaughtered His flesh in the desert when He was tempted by Satan, projected His cleanliness onto us, and rose again because He was perfect in the sight of God.
