Romans 1:17 Substance
As a Christian since 2001, I have witnessed how other Christians practice their faith, especially those who believe in being once saved and always saved. In 2016, I moved into a couple’s house and was renting a room from them. They were not married, bisexual, and liked to drink and do drugs. I was okay with that; I did not live with them to judge them; I just needed a place to live. I rejected the drugs and alcohol when they were offered; my only discomfort was when another roommate overdosed on whatever drug he was consuming. They knew I was Christian and were also okay with that. The young man called himself Squid, a nickname he gained in high school. He and I like to play rummy with each other. There is nothing like a card game to have a conversation. He told me his girlfriend, Christy, was raised by her grandparents. They were Christians, and they took Christy to church. Nevertheless, her grandfather sexually molested her and would say, this is okay, sweetie; I will ask God to forgive me afterward. Her grandmother knew this. The abuse was going on, but she never said or done anything. I informed him that behavior was not true repentance, not Christ-like, and I am sorry his girlfriend was treated that way. Turned off by her grandparent’s behavior, both he and her had rejected Christianity. In 1510, the reformer Martin Luther traveled to Rome because he was a Catholic monk, and Rome was the capital seat of the church. To the Catholics, Rome, or what is now the Vatican, is viewed like the pearly gates of heaven. The Scala Sancta is a flight of stairs regarded as Holy Stairs. Constantine the Great, the first official Christian emperor of Rome, had the stairs moved. From Jerusalem to Rome. The Scala Sancta is supposed to be where Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate and received His death sentence. As Luther is climbing the stairs on his hands and knees, praying on each step to God or the Virgin Mary, he hears God’s voice: “The righteous shall live by faith‘. Luther then stood up and said this entire ordeal is ridiculous. The Catholic church faith is not about evidence unseen, and things hoped for. That is why they have visible statutes of Christ and Mary. They ask for forgiveness from a visible priest and depend highly on physical faith. The Catholic Religion practices very little faith, and most of what they believe and teach is faith is evidence is seen, not invisible. So, when Catholic priests molest the young children of their congregation, the priests nor the church sees anything wrong with it. But when the children have nightmares and tell their parents or the authorities about the abuse, it not only makes the faith of the Catholic church look evil, but it also gives all of Christianity a vain name. The righteousness of God is good, loving deeds. And when a Christian faith looks like that, they are excellent witnesses. When Christians have evil, corrupt behavior, their faith is dead. Something complicated is witnessing the word of God and His loving salvation when abuse happens, especially by someone doing it in Christ Jesus’ name. God bless you all. The faithful Jesus and I love you: His bondservant, Samuel Jerry Head.