penance?

Guilt is an interesting emotion.... it is at once a dirty feeling and a great motivator... but it usually misses the point.

We love to beat ourselves up because of our failures... society almost demands it! as if self-flagellation is the path to absolution...

Dusty Rush preached a sermon a few weeks ago about Old Temple vs New Temple theology, and in it he told the story of fictional character Rodrigo Mendoza (played by Robert De Niro) in 'the Mission', a movie about 18th century slave trade in South America...

Mendoza is a ruthless mercenary slave trader who wants to turn from his evil ways, and ultimately seeks redemption from a Jesuit priest after killing his beloved brother in a duel over a woman. For his penance, Mendoza drags the heavy weapons of his former trade in a sack on a journey to accompany the Jesuits to visit the tribe which Mendoza has terrorized during his former life.

Upon meeting the son of one of the men he kidnapped and delivered to a plantation owner, Mendoza expects the native Guarani Indian to kill him. Instead, he cuts the pack of weapons off of Mendoza, effectively freeing him of the heavy burden he has carried for so long and absolving him of his sin.

To some, this is a beautiful story... many Christians believe this is an accurate picture of God and man.

To me, this is a horrible, misguided, ugly tale of man's attempt to assuage the wrath of the Living God. The reason it is so horrible is that the sacrifice has already been made, the absolution has already been granted and

the PENANCE HAS ALREADY BEEN PAID!

the longer Christians hold on to some twisted man-made model of forgiveness and penance and penalty, the further we stray from the truth!

Hallelujah! Christ paid your debt!

Praise God! you are free!

act like it!

'til the whole world hears'