At one point during a sermon a few weeks ago, the speaker stated something along the lines of how Christianity isn't pessimism or optimism, but realism. I've used that statement more than once in conversations about the gospel lately. I think it's so very true in that it communicates a healthy balance between the daily acts of celebrating grace and repenting of sin.

We have the overwhelming debt of our own transgressions on one hand (pessimism/wrath) and the perfect sacrifice of Christ on the other (optimism/grace). If we dwell too heavily in the weight of our sin, we'll never experience the freedom and joy Christ promises. Jesus spoke, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full" (John 15:10-11). I fail to keep his commandments everyday, but joy remains because I am reminded of the price Christ paid for the world on Calvary.

In the same way, if we relentlessly bathe in grace without remorse for actions done against God, we forget about His hatred/judgement against sin and God mentally morphs into this jolly good buddy instead of a mighty, and powerful Lord. I am reminded of Romans 5 and the beginning of Romans 6 where Paul writes:

"Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?"

So yeah. We can't become so lost in the freedom of grace that was poured out on the cross, that we forget the reason for Christ's coming in the first place--our sin. And! We can't live defeated lives because of our inability to embrace that forgivness. (I'm repeating the same things) Anyway. I love it, this reality.

Not to mention, one could also state that despite our feelings, emotional states, pessimisms, optimisims, philosophies, theologies, doubts, and assurances, the truth/reality of Christ and his fulfillment of God's promises through the Cross, remains absolute and unchanging. Goosebumps. Ahhh...

A few other things:

A friend called me odd today, and I didn't know quite how to take that.

Also, I took the above picture in my best friend's back yard a few weeks ago. I think the tree on the right looks like a heart. :)