Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
You Are Not Worthless Horse Pucky

You Are Not Worthless Horse Pucky

Last updated on: December 7, 2021 at 9:33 pm by Keith Giles

You Are Not Worthless Horse Pucky 2021-12-07T21:33:58+00:00 Keith Giles

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Image: Pexels

It’s kinda surreal to see an article calling me out by name and criticizing something I’ve posted on my blog on the Patheos Progressive channel. I mean, I get it when an Evangelical Conservative like Ricky Gantz or even anti-gay theologian Robert Gagnon comes at me and posts something about how I’m a false teacher or a dangerous heretic, but when the person calling me out is on the same Progressive Patheos channel as I am…that’s…kinda weird.

Anyway, the post by our very own Ted Peters – Sin and Grace – begins like this:

“Sin and grace. If nobody cares about sin, will grace go unnoticed?

This is not a problem for Patheos columnist Keith Giles. He contends that we are obsessed with sin. How I wish this were true. If it were true, then we could drum up some interest both in understanding sin as well as repenting from sin.”

As I read through the article, it seems that Ted’s problem with me seems to be that I downplay sin and what I should be doing is following the age-old formula used by Christian Pastors around the globe which [as he explains it], goes something like this:

“I’m a Lutheran. When the Lutheran preaches, the task is clear: convict of sin and liberate with forgiveness. The law of God reveals to us our sinful state and our abject helplessness before the throne of grace. After hearing the law, we are supposed to feel as useless and worthless as horse pucky. Then, when we feel guilty, shamed, and worthless, the gospel comes to the rescue. The gospel pronounces the good news of divine grace alone (sola gratia), namely, we are forgiven of our sins and justified by our faith. After hearing the gospel, we are supposed to feel as joyful as Revelation’s angels singing te deums. In principle, I affirm that this is excellent theology.”

See? This is EXACTLY why I wrote the article in question that Mr. Peters is responding to. Because I am already very aware of that formula and I totally reject it.

What I think he misunderstands is that, when I say “…we are obsessed with sin” I’m NOT talking about the people in his pews. I’m talking about pastors like HIM. And, then when he responds by handing us the “age-old formula” above he pretty much proves my point for me. [Thanks, Ted].

The Church is obsessed with sin. Pastors are obsessed with sin. Hymn writers and worship leaders are obsessed with sin. Every sermon, every song, every Bible study, every prayer is soaked to the saturation point with one thing: SIN.

That, to me, is the problem. Because when I read the New Testament what I see is that “God was in Christ, NOT COUNTING OUR SINS AGAINST US, but reconciling the world to Himself” [2 Cor. 5:19], and “…Love keeps no record of wrongs” [1 Cor. 13:5], and “I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more” [Heb. 8:12], and “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” [Luke 23:34], and “I judge no one” – Jesus [John 8:15], and….SO MANY OTHER VERSES just like these that affirm – over and over and over again – that God forgives sin: instantly, automatically, and categorically.

My point is that what we should be focused on is not SIN but on our RECONCILIATION to God as beloved children. In other words, I believe we should start every Church service where Ted [and every other Christian pastor on Earth] wants to end the service: With the Good News, which – in his own words – is this: “namely, we are forgiven of our sins and justified by our faith. After hearing the gospel, we are supposed to feel as joyful as Revelation’s angels singing te deums. In principle, I affirm that this is excellent theology.”

Yes. And if we started with the Good News [rather than always needing to share the Bad News first], then I would also affirm that “this is excellent theology.”

However, Mr. Peters admits that he is a Lutheran, and not only a Lutheran, but a Lutheran pastor. This predisposes him to follow that age-old formula above where everyone must first be reminded of their uselessness and worthlessness and become extremely aware of how much God sees them as “horse pucky”, and THEN [and only then], can we give them the Good News that they are forgiven [after the song service, and special music, and sermon, and altar call], but only until next week when they can come back go through the whole “Sinner-Wretch-Sermon-Song-Forgiven” merry-go-round again….and again…and again.

My question is: Why? Why does anyone need to run through this revolving door of “Wretch-Sinner-Worm-Horse-Pucky-Forgiven [sorta]-Rinse-Repeat”?

If it’s true that Jesus forgave sins all the time, without needing anyone to repent or wallow or beg for it, then why don’t we start with that?

Why do we need to make sure everyone feels “useless and worthless as horse pucky”?

Why do we need to feel “guilty, shamed, and worthless” before “the gospel can come to the rescue“?

Why not follow the pattern established by Jesus? Why not start off with “Your sins are forgiven“?

Why not follow the pattern established by the Apostle Paul when he tells idol-worshipping pagans that they are “the children of God,” and “loved of God,” and already immersed in this Christ “in whom we all live, and move and have our being”?

Want to know why? Because if you start off every service affirming that everyone is already loved, already forgiven, already accepted, already affirmed and already in Christ, it makes it REALLY hard to support a religious system.

And that’s the whole point, isn’t it?

Religious systems need guilt, shame and fear to thrive. Religious institutions require these to manipulate and control the people in the pews. Without those things, they’ve got nothing. Zilch.

See, those systems exist to perpetuate themselves. Nothing more and nothing less.

But, the Good News is this: You don’t need those religious systems to connect with God. You don’t need to sit in any church, or listen to any sermons, or sing any worship songs, or tithe to any denomination to hear the voice of God, experience the love of God, know the heart of God, or flourish in the presence of God.

You already have everything you need – right here and right now – to know God perfectly.

No gurus. No pastors. No sin. No shame. No guilt. No worthless horse-puckey nonsense required.

You are loved.

And before you ask if you deserve to be loved, let me remind you that asking if you deserve to be loved is like asking if the sky deserves to be blue. It’s blue because it’s the sky, and you are loved and forgiven because you are God’s child, made in the image of a God who is love.

Accept no substitutes.

Join me for AWAKEN 2022 in Nashville from March 18-19 at Spero Dei Church. I’ll be there along with Jim Palmer, Derek Webb, Desimber Rose, Michelle Collins, Todd Vick and Brandon Dragan.

Register today for the Early-Bird Rate of $99 HERE>

Keith Giles is the author of the 7-part best-selling “Jesus Un” book series from Quoir Publishing. His latest -and final book – in this series, Jesus Unarmed: How The Prince Of Peace Disarms Our Violence is available now. Keith is also the host of Second Cup with Keith [a new solo podcast available now on the Ethos Radio App, for Apple and Android and on Spotify; and the Heretic Happy Hour Podcast [along with co-hosts Matthew Distefano, Dr. Katy Valentine, and Derek Day], and the new Imaginary Lines YouTube Channel with poet Darrell Epp. He and his wife, Wendy, currently live in El Paso, TX and work with Peace Catalyst International.

Previous Post

November 29, 2021

The Gospel According To Black Elk

Next Post

December 13, 2021 The Beauty Of Uncertainty

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Biblicism Christian Politics Cosmic Christ Deconstruction Discipleship Dispensationalism Divine Unity Ekklesia End Time Stuff Eschatology Evergreen Following Jesus Gender General Christian Topics Gnostics God's Love Gospel of Judas Gospel of Mary Gospel of Philip Gospel of the Kingdom Gospel of Thomas Gospel of Truth Hell Historical Jesus Inner Circle Investigative Reporting Islam LGBTQ Issues Marriage Mental/Emotional Health Mystery Non-Duality Philosophy Podcast Poetry Politics Poverty Preemptive Love Prophecy Psychology Quantum Theology Racism Reconstruction Satire Sex Technology Theology Uncategorized Universalism

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Where was Paul's hometown?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Damascus Tarsus Antioch Jerusalem

Books by This Author Books by Keith Giles

See All Titles »