Scott Free
The story you are about to read is true. The names have NOT been changed for reasons that will become clear.
Scott and Sara (their real names) had radically different religious backgrounds, but that did not affect their relationship, because they did not attend church, any church of any kind. Scott came from a Mormon family, but was not a practicing Mormon. One side of Sara’s family was Unitarian and the other side was Catholic. When she was a teenager she had attended a youth group a couple of times at a Bible Church, but she never attended their church services.
As a result of a brief encounter I had with them, they agreed to meet with me to discuss “religion.” Yesterday, we met at a restaurant. As we began, Scott said very little. Sara said, “I’m confused. Religion does not make sense to me.”
I no sooner got started on my presentation than Sara brought up the Trinity. Admitting that no human fully understood the Trinity, I explained the doctrine using the illustrations of the egg (One egg has three parts, but the problem is the three parts are made of different substances) and water (water, steam, and ice are all H2O, but they do not exist in one place at the same time). No doubt as a result of her Unitarian influence, Sara said, “I’m confused. That does not make sense to me.”
As the conversation continued, it became apparent that Scott believed the “stuff” about Jesus and that salvation was obtained by living a good life. When I showed him that the Bible says salvation is a gift received by faith and not by works (Eph. 2:8-9), he said, “Yea, that’s what a Baptist at work keeps telling me, but I believe you have to live right. How can just believing without living right get you to heaven?” Sara said, “I’m confused. That does not make sense to me.”
At that point I said, “let me explain this as simple as I can. 1) The Bible says that we are all sinners (both readily admitted that they had sinned). 2) The penalty of sin is death. 3) Jesus died in our place to pay for our sin. I used illustrations on each of these points.
Then I said, “Since the penalty of sin is death and Jesus died to pay that penalty, there is nothing we can do to earn salvation; all we can do is trust Christ (and His payment) for the gift of eternal life.” As if I had slapped them awake, Scott said, “You mean, its Scott free!” and Sara said, “Oh my God! That makes sense. Nobody has ever explained that to me before like that. That makes sense.”
Yes Scott, its Scott free!
Yes Sara, its makes sense!
Yes Mike, Its not your brilliant explanations of theology; it’s the work of the Holy Spirit that open the eyes of the blind so that they cry, “Now I see; its free!”
© G. Michael Cocoris, 7/9/2003
Scott and Sara (their real names) had radically different religious backgrounds, but that did not affect their relationship, because they did not attend church, any church of any kind. Scott came from a Mormon family, but was not a practicing Mormon. One side of Sara’s family was Unitarian and the other side was Catholic. When she was a teenager she had attended a youth group a couple of times at a Bible Church, but she never attended their church services.
As a result of a brief encounter I had with them, they agreed to meet with me to discuss “religion.” Yesterday, we met at a restaurant. As we began, Scott said very little. Sara said, “I’m confused. Religion does not make sense to me.”
I no sooner got started on my presentation than Sara brought up the Trinity. Admitting that no human fully understood the Trinity, I explained the doctrine using the illustrations of the egg (One egg has three parts, but the problem is the three parts are made of different substances) and water (water, steam, and ice are all H2O, but they do not exist in one place at the same time). No doubt as a result of her Unitarian influence, Sara said, “I’m confused. That does not make sense to me.”
As the conversation continued, it became apparent that Scott believed the “stuff” about Jesus and that salvation was obtained by living a good life. When I showed him that the Bible says salvation is a gift received by faith and not by works (Eph. 2:8-9), he said, “Yea, that’s what a Baptist at work keeps telling me, but I believe you have to live right. How can just believing without living right get you to heaven?” Sara said, “I’m confused. That does not make sense to me.”
At that point I said, “let me explain this as simple as I can. 1) The Bible says that we are all sinners (both readily admitted that they had sinned). 2) The penalty of sin is death. 3) Jesus died in our place to pay for our sin. I used illustrations on each of these points.
Then I said, “Since the penalty of sin is death and Jesus died to pay that penalty, there is nothing we can do to earn salvation; all we can do is trust Christ (and His payment) for the gift of eternal life.” As if I had slapped them awake, Scott said, “You mean, its Scott free!” and Sara said, “Oh my God! That makes sense. Nobody has ever explained that to me before like that. That makes sense.”
Yes Scott, its Scott free!
Yes Sara, its makes sense!
Yes Mike, Its not your brilliant explanations of theology; it’s the work of the Holy Spirit that open the eyes of the blind so that they cry, “Now I see; its free!”
© G. Michael Cocoris, 7/9/2003