Snapshots and Synapses

With one exception that I'll get to later, I've never known anyone who has led a sin-free life. I know for sure that I haven't. I recall hearing one pastor claim that they "haven't sinned in 30 years!", and I immediately had the thought: "You just did."  Believe it or not, a Christian's goal is not to live sin-free. Now, I realize that this statement may shock people and seems a little counterintuitive especially since many religions promote the idea of reaching perfection. There are many Christian circles that promote this same ideal, but at the heart of Christianity, there is a different goal. I'm not saying that anyone who desires to live sin-free is a "bad Christian" or an untrustworthy person. I've been that person. I'm just saying that the goal of a Christian should not be to live sin-free. Instead, it's a by-product of reaching our goal. Why would you want to be without sin? So let's be honest: why do you want...

See  What does God's Economy Look Like? (Part 1)  for context. Economy is built around value, so what does God value? Scripture says that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills . He has no need that is beyond His ability to provide. We know that God is the very nature of love , and that those that know God love others. In fact, if we don't love others, we don't know God. An often quoted Bible verse ( John 3:16 ) tells us:  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." This verse alone demonstrates what God values. It's been said that if you want to know what someone values, look at their how they spend their money and how they spend their time. We know that God the Father loves Jesus (see John 3:35 , Matthew 3:17 , John 5:20 , John 17:24 ), so for Him to give His only Son shows that God the Father loves the world. But is it the world He values or what is in the world? Jesus didn't ...