In response to Arthur Saginian’s letter (Nov. 18), I wanted to clarify what the real meanings of the scriptures he cited mean for him and anyone else who’s been hurt by the church.
Leviticus 19:2 was addressed to the Israelites who had been called to be a holy nation, and the perfect holy character of God was the model after which the Israelites were to live. He was calling them out of the polytheistic, mystical and pagan cultures surrounding them. This is echoed and amplified in another verse he cites (Deuteronomy 18:13), and verse 14 explains why: “…for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and diviners.” In Matthew 5:48, Christ sets an unattainable standard and that’s the heart of the marvelous truth about the Gospel (the Good News): that Christ has met this standard and all we need to do is to repent (of sin) and believe (that Jesus is God incarnate).
Arthur, you and I will never find perfect people anywhere — not even in church. To quote John MacArthur, “We’re just sinners colliding.”
I don’t know what happened to push you away, but I would be delighted to welcome you back. We attend Grace Baptist — a Bible-believing and teaching church, that in our own imperfections do the best we can to love God and love people. I extend a welcome to anyone who’s been hurt by the church to come a-new to our Christmas concerts across Dec. 10-12. If you hear an English accent in the choir, that’ll be me.
Life is short and eternity is long. God’s offer of reconciliation expires when we do.
Paul Butler
Valencia
