Post published by Believe85

THOUGHTS, IDEAS and a VISION FOR CHRISTIAN FAPSTRONAUTS FROM A GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE

As I attended a Good Friday service last night, my thoughts turned to you, me and this chronic sin pattern we share.

A storm hit the neighborhood, taking power out. We had no light. We were in the dark, except for the lights from our smartphones.

Symbolic thought: This sin we commit on smartphones takes the power out. It doesn't bring light. It brings darkness. We commit our sins alone.

But Redemption comes together -- at the foot of the cross.

The theme of the sermon was that Jesus didn't just take our sin upon Him, paying the price for it. He took our shame.

Hebrews 12:2 -- “For the joy that was set before him [he] endured the cross, despising the shame”

Shame puts us in isolation. It goes beyond alleging we did wrong. It says we ARE ontologically wrong. We're good for nothing hypocrites, us so-called Christians who do these things in the dark on smartphones that make us dumb.

Why would Jesus "despise" the shame? Odd choice of words. Did a little Internet search this morning and came across this explanation from John Piper:

It means Jesus spoke to shame like this:

“Listen to me, Shame, do you see that joy in front of me? Compared to that, you are less than nothing. You are not worth comparing to that! I despise you. You think you have power. Compared to the joy before me, you have none. Joy. Joy. Joy. That is my power! Not you, Shame. You are worthless. You are powerless."

What do we do with all this?

Come to the cross and present what we do alone on screens in isolation, looking at naked images, to the One who Himself hung naked (most likely ALL exposed, with no loin cloth you see in paintings because the Roman tradition of crucifixion was to maximize the shame with public nakedness).

I saw myself on my knees at that cross, head bowed. I don't know any of my fellow Christian Fapstronauts by face but I saw you there, joining me, first a few, then a dozen, soon hundreds, even thousands.

We share the same sin. We share the same Savior. We are in this together. We will escape together. Some already have to inspire us who aspire.

What else did I "see'? Drops of blood slid from the naked body of Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God. Down his torso, thigh, knee, chin, ankle and over nailed feet, falling where? On OUR heads, cleansing us like only His blood can, leaving Satan speechless and powerless.

It's an individual decision to come to the cross, but a communal experience.

You say you're not worthy, Fapstronaut. You have been here before. You keep sinning, falling into the same patterns, your mind conditioned for those endorphin hits, reacting as if you're Pavlov's dog salivating uncontrollably when the bell is rung.

Jesus knows. Jesus sees. Jesus forgives, not once, but 70 X 7 times, which means forever up to infinite transgressions.

Satan wants to keep us isolated. This forum provides a place where we can at least put words on a keyboard that say "I am here and I'm not alone." I'm relatively new, but it's helping me, this faceless community.

I thought about all this in my quiet time this morning, Christian music playing into my ears through Bluetooth earbuds. Lauren Dagle sang: "You say I'm free. How can it be?"

Good question. We can relate.

Hillsong United sang:

Thank You, Jesus
You set me free
Christ my Saviour
You rescued me

As I write these words, a new song played on my playlist from Hillsong United: "Who YOU say I Am."

Who the Son sets free
Oh is free indeed
I’m a child of God
Yes I am
Free at last, He has ransomed me
His grace runs deep
While I was a slave to sin
Jesus died for me
Yes He died for me

Fellow Fapstronauts: Have a happy, joyful, shame-free, NoFap Easter.

The Lord is Risen! His blood has set you free. You are free indeed.