The Christianity I Had Lost Sight of | Misconception 3

*Spoiler Alert!* If you have not watched/read Prince Caspian, want to watch/read it in the future, and mind knowing part of what happens in it (although I imagine one might have to live under a rock to not hear things about it), you may want to skip this blog post. Otherwise, read on.

The next misconception I am going over is related to the last one, but different enough that I thought I would post about it separately:

The Lord is by my side only when I am afraid, but not when I am sinning.

(This one is also featuring illustration from the Chronicles of Narnia.)

I did not realize I had the above misconception until one day when I was watching Prince Caspian. I was viewing the section in which the Telmarines were running away from the Narnians (if I'm recalling it correctly). On second thought, perhaps it was the Dryads they were running from. In any case, they were running towards the river. The remaining Narnians were behind them, Well, all except Lucy and Aslan, that is. They were waiting on the other side of the Beruna Bridge. The Telmarines began to charge across the bridge. It seems they didn't see a girl and a lion as sizeable threats.

I love the appearance of Lucy's countenance as the Telmarines began to charge across. She was ready to face them. She had strength, peace, and valor. Why? Well, because Aslan was by her side, of course! How could she fear? She had seen him save her and her family and friends once, and she knew for certain he would do it again. She was without fear of her enemies because she was with him, Aslan, the Great Lion, and she knew he was on her side.

What of it? Well, as I considered that image, I realized something. It's a beautiful picture of God's presence with us when we are in danger. We Christians love images such as that. They are empowering. They help to provide us with courage as we realize He is with us. They are Biblical images. But there is something I had forgotten, and perhaps you forget it as well at times: He isn't only there with us when we are afraid - He's there when we are committing sin. I used to see it this way: when I was scared, I thought of God as right at my side. And when I sinned, I thought of Him looking down at me from way up in the sky, shaking His finger at me for a moment and then saying, "Well, Rachel's done that again. I keep telling her not to and she doesn't listen to me. But oh well. She'll confess it soon. She is only human - I shouldn't expect much from her."

But no, no, no! It isn't like that in the very least. Not only is it more serious to God than that, but God doesn't just look down on us! He's with us! He's in us! And in light of what I spoke of in my last blog post, that should really shake us. I know it shakes me. The Maker of the universe is with us, even in us, when we are in trouble, and when we are disobeying His commandments. If we could only see Him with us and in us with our eyes, and hear Him with our ears, I imagine we would never sin again. But that isn't His will for us right now. Really, we shouldn't need to see Him with our eyes or hear Him with our ears. We can see Him with our hearts and read His Word in the Bible.

But I need to clarify something. Please don't think I am trying to throw you or myself into the guilt ditch. Despite how serious our sin is, God forgives it all if we have accepted the atonement He's provided. And we need to learn to forgive ourselves. We shouldn't pass off sin as no big deal, because God says it is serious - that's why He sent His Son to die for us. But we also shouldn't hold sin against ourselves when God no longer holds it against us. We must confess it, ask God's forgiveness, and then leave it at His cross.

Acts 17:28:

For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'

Psalm 139:7:

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

Psalm 90:8

You have placed our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your presence.

That's all for today folks! As a little update, my younger brother bought a baby budgie last week and he is named Snowflake. He is very cute. If you don't already know, we have had another budgie named Sunshine for nine years. I'll try to put some pictures of the birds in my gallery soon.