planning to sin?

It's the difference between accepting that our human nature is fallen or actually revelling in it. After we accept Christ's sacrifice as payment for our debt, what then? However long, we must live out the rest of our lives here on earth. There is absolutely no doubt that we will continue to miss the mark due to our human weakness. But each time we fall, even if we are battling addictive behavior, the repentance must be sincere. If we are not truly sorry, EVERY time we fail and then reconcile, we risk the sin of presumption. Tragic schisms have occurred among Christian brethren portraying this as a question of justification. Yet Jesus Himself said not everyone who cries out "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom. If after we begin calling ourselves His followers, our behavior does not radically change, He says He and the Father will DISOWN us. So how can it be both? *Eternal Security* and *Provisional Salvation, according to continued assent*

Typically, if our heads start hurting after contemplating it for too long, the answer becomes, "Well, so-and-so must not have been truly sincere when first he confessed Jesus at the altar call." This sort of reasoning backward to explain the *bad* fruit of one's eventual actions is intellectually dishonest. No pledge could be taken at face value, and the classification Christian, as reference to belonging to a group, is meaningless. However, if fellow believers give "so-and-so" the benefit of the doubt, the concept of brotherly correction comes into play.

Politicians like Barack Obama and John McCain want it both ways. In order to garner votes, they identify with the Christian reference group. Yet they rail when inconsistencies are pointed out between their words and actions as they relate to Christian doctrine. They like the platitude, "Do not judge." They think that removing a plank "from one's own eye" is impossible (it's not impossible with God's Grace), so they frolic in a perceived loophole and proclaim, "No Snitchin'". It enables a coalition to perpetuate mediocrity, when in fact the Gospel clearly exhorts striving for the perfected, so that we may approach our Heavenly Father in His Perfection. Is there any wonder that the Christian message has not effected the desired amount of change on the face of the earth? The popular mantra, "Do not judge," has fostered a solidarity in sin that rewards the sinful status quo. Worse yet, it has erased the notion of sin entirely. If our salvation wasn't necessary, the God-man, Jesus, died a very painful death for no good reason. If we're "all going to heaven" why are we HERE? Seems we'd already be THERE.

There is a chant of praise called the Exultet which is sung during the night of vigil commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord, Jesus. A line in the Exultet uses hyperbole in an ironic statement of gratitude.

"O happy fault. O necessary sin of Adam,

which gained for us so great a Redeemer!"

Lovers sometimes become effusive and nonsensical in their passion. Obviously, the *Fall* of humankind is not an occasion for celebration. One who is sincere does not wish pain on his beloved.

As it is for original sin which brought the fall of human nature, so it is for personal sin. Just because Christ paid the price for all sin at one moment in time, does not mean we, as individuals, do not continue to inflict suffering on our loving Creator every time we sin. This is true of all humans who are made in the image and likeness of God, whether or not one has accepted the free gift of Redemption through the blood of Jesus. God is not bound by time. He is eternal.

If we would only realize that though God is willing to forgive every time we ask for forgiveness, it still continues to inflict pain on Him with each instance of sin. How then, could it possibly be considered unjust to banish the hardened, unrepentant sinner to the eternal separation of hell? If our free will enables us to repent and ask forgiveness, to choose God over Satan right up until the moment we draw our last breath, how could God be considered unloving if He grants our desires?

It follows then, that the *fundamental option* of choice remains open, even for those who have previously chosen Salvation. The term "sudden death" in gaming (often used in overtime), is derived from this concept that it all depends on the final point. A lifetime of "practice" choosing readies us for this ultimate choice no matter how sudden our literal death may be. A Just God abides our assent or dissent in the blink of an eye.