A Suggestion
Recently the news has been filled with the details of actor Mel Gibson's drunk driving arrest. Bad enough that he was driving drunk, but Mel also made several anti-Semitic remarks to the arresting officers. Perhaps out of embarrassment and a desire to apologize, Mel has asked if Jewish people would help him with his alcohol problem.
I have a Jew to recommend. Mel might be familiar with this particular Jew. Mel even made a movie about Him. Of course you know that the Jew I am recommending is Jesus. Jesus can not only help Mel with his problem, Jesus can set him free.
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)."
Amen!
posted by Pastor Bruce @ 5:55 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Hi Bruce,
I know its been a while since we've even been in the same city, but I stumbled across your blog here a while back.Anyway, I have a question regarding your post here.
Martin Luther had a reputation for drunkenness as well as pretty intense anti-semitism, did he know Jesus? Was he set free?
Josh Meier comes out of the box swinging! Good to hear from you, Josh. I trust that you and your family are doing well.
Now to the issue you raise. I think it would be quite inaccurate to say Martin Luther had a reputation for drunkenness. In fact, you can go on line and read sermons of his against drunkenness which he saw as a common problem among the German people of his day.
Yes, Luther made anti-semitic statements. These were unfortunate and rose from some wrong thinking and expectations on Luther's part.
But, was Luther's life radically changed by the Lord? Absolutely. His life didn't demonstrate perfection but there was an obvious change in direction when he came to the knowledge of the truth. He was set free.
Can this be said of Mel Gibson? At this time, I would say no. However, I hope to someday rejoice in Christ setting Mr. Gibson free.
Thank Bruce, we're all doing well. Truly, I didn't intend to sound like I came out swinging.
Some sermons were definitely pointed at the evils of drunkenness. That doesn't mean that he never got drunk, or had never been seen drunk by other people.
He seems to make reference to his own drunkenness in several of his personal letters. I will try to find them as well. Of course, ideally, we only preach what we practice, but we can only do so imperfectly at best. Perhaps he understood the problems to preach against more fully because he suffered the same.
I do not doubt Martin Luther's salvation. Frankly, I do have doubts about Mel Gibson's eternal state. However, my doubts do not arise from his being caught drinking and driving, or being anti-semitic, whether he truly is or not (depending if one views alcohol as a truth serum or not). It has to do with his trust in Christ.
What if tomorrow I were caught falling down drunk behind the wheel of my truck and said the exact same things to the officer as Mel did? Do I just have to depend on the other stuff I have/haven't done to outweigh it so other people will think I am saved?
However, the posting you made here made it sound as if that determination could be made based on his actions in that one instance.
At what point is one's radically changed life, radically changed "enough"? When are you set free enough"? By most of the arbitrary criteria we set up in the church, Martin Luther probably wouldn't make it either.
Anyway, wasn't tryig to hijack anything, I just want to be careful in this area in particular as it can cause some serious pain for struggling believers.
He is Risen,
Josh
Josh,
My point was not to make a determination about Mel Gibson's spiritual condition just based on this one incident in his life. My point was that Mel Gibson was asking for Jews to help him with this area of his life. I was simply suggesting a Jew who could give the most help.
We don't depend on what we do or don't do to make ourselves or anybody else think we are saved. We depend solely upon Christ and His finished work for our salvation.
I'd love to discuss more the issues you raise. They are important. Send me an e-mail and we can further the dialogue.
God Bless.
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