House.

Last night, a couple of friends and I rented the movie House by Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti.  At first it seemed slightly cheesy, but I am a horror-film connoisseur, and seemed to develop much like every other thriller I have seen.  However, as it progressed I began to get chills.. the story is completely relevant and refers to the struggle that every human being encounters: the destructive nature of sin and the pull of guilt and shame on our lives.

We've all been through it.. the thought in our mind that "I'm not good enough, I've done too many horrible things and God could never love me."  But the truth is, God is not circumstantial.  He is never surprised by what we do and always has an outstretched hand to offer love and encouragement.  Whether we smoked pot a few times in our life, lied to our parents, stole a candy bar, or killed a man, God looks at us with the same compassion and showers grace upon us.   We will, also, never be able to understand this aspect of God.  Human nature hinges on justice and fairness.. we rely completely on "an eye for eye, tooth for a tooth" mentality.  But that is the BEAUTY of our relationship with the Father!  If there were no separation between the internal workings of God and man, there would be no salvation, no grace, no need for God.

"And I pray that you and all God's holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ's love-- how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is.  Christ's love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love.  Then you can be filled with the fullness of God.  With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine."

--Ephesians 3:18-20