The Gospel, as yet unheard

Modern evangelical theology is a form of Calvinism.  It claims that we were all born sinners-- drawing on the often false guilt of every child-- and that Jesus paid the punishment for our sin.  We believe (not follow, just have faith in) in Jesus, which allows us to access this payment.

Yep, I know that theology and it isn't biblical. There is no where in Scripture that says that every person who sins deserves hell. Even the scriptures that seem to say that everyone is a sinner has caveats, saying that they aren't for everyone.

What Scripture DOES say is that every person will be judged according to what thy have done, every deed, good or bad. It says that the world we live in, and those we are enslaved to make it difficult for us to live in the way we should, and easier to live lives of evil. Ether we live to get ahead, or we live desperate lives of poverty, which make us want to steal or do other desperate acts. Jesus' death creates a kingdom to escape this system of "bite or be bitten".

When scripture says to "believe" it is to believe in the Christ, the king. When we "believe" or a better translation is "to have faith in" a king, it means we place our allegiance in him, surrendering other allegiances. To "believe" in a king means to be a part of his kingdom, giving up on all other kingdoms, to follow his law, giving up on all other laws.

We are now in a kingdom that if we simply repent, we are forgiven. We are now in a kingdom in which the only law is to love. So there is no excuse for us to live otherwise, to live according to karma, we can... no must... live by grace.

And Jesus tells us that graceful, generous living is how we live eternity with him. It isn't a life lived according to a law, but a life of mercy, forgiveness and giving. That's how we escape the hell of karma, the hell of having to do evil. We give up on the system of this world, give up on the oppressions of this world, and surrender to acting out the grace that God had given us.

And the ones that God wants us to have the most mercy on is the poor, the needy, the innocent. Just like Jesus did.

And this is why, on the final day, the sheep are those who did acts of generosity to the poor, and the goats are those who refused to be generous. We show our fealty to God's kingdom by surrendering all we have to the needy.