soapbox - 1

i hate labels.

you know - alcoholic, addict, single, racial identifiers, denominational identifiers, sinner, lost - that kind of thing.

i finally found Scriptural references to back me up on this. the gist is this - you've sinned, but you are not that sin - you don't become that sin (i'm quoting beth moore again). whether it's transgression (deliberate sin) or sin (in the general sense), we do not become the sin we've committed, nor do we have to remain enslaved to it... it is for freedom that Christ set us free (galatians 5:1)... psalm 19:13 and 32:1-6 are the OT reference points. in the NT, as Christians, we are REDEEMED. we are NOT defined by that sin - that totally takes away from the sufficiency of the work of the cross. according to ephesians 1:3-8 (kjv) we are loved, blessed, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed, and forgiven. this is further backed up by philippians 2:15 and romans 4:1-17.

that's who the Word of God says i am. if you want to label me, go ahead, but please do your best to stay within the confines of who God says i am. i am a Christian - i will not accept any other label.

disclaimer - i wrote this sunday afternoon - before kayla spoke and before josh's sermon - how cool is that? it was saved as a draft... although i have to give josh props for the idea that the church needs a whole lot of cool tatoos to remind us of who we are in Christ...