Shaming evangelicals…….
How recently can one repent and be forgiven by Christ and be accepted in Christian community, given the opportunity to begin living into a more righteous way of life? A minute? A day? A month? A year? 10 years? What measure of time, of “wait and see”, of “pay your dues” standard shall we put upon someone? How long were you held at arm’s length and scowled at suspiciously by other believers when you believed? Is it possible for a person to change? Isn’t that the whole premise of “new life in Christ”? Does that mean one can never lapse into an old habit again? Does it mean that one suddenly wears a halo and is ready for beatification? Is there room for hoping for the best of another believer? Is there room for grace?
Hmmmmm……Can one who has lived a worldly life change and be received into evangelical community? Some of us say “yes.” How shall we respond to those, even other believers, who say “no” and “never” ? How shall we respond to people who believe that those who hold views different from their own or who have done shameful things in the past, are “irredeemable”?