Breaking Bad

So, I know that watching this show is not the most praiseworthy way to spend my time.  But Zach and I found it on netflix and I think it's a very well done, interesting show.  Zach says I am hooked.  Probably, since I have been watching it for the past 2 weeks.

This scene that I posted struck me, as it reminds me of why we need God's Gospel of Jesus Christ.  To give some context to this scene, Jesse is a meth dealer and an addict to both meth and to heroin.  **Spoiler alert.  He kills an innocent man (he says he killed a dog to the support group) because the man posed a threat in cooking and selling the meth.  He has killed other people as well in the past episodes.  While in rehab, the counselor speaks of 'accepting yourself' and 'loving yourself' not being judgmental of yourself and others.  Which are good things.  It reminds me of how God's love never fails, His forgiveness.  But Jesse presses into the truth of the matter at hand, what about the sin, the evil things I have done??  He says what I think needs to be said, the question that needs to be presented.

"So, no matter what I do, hooray for me because I'm a great guy?? It's all good??"

The counselor finally gives a quiet, "no." At the end.

Something I desperately need to hear, and that I think we don't talk about enough in our churches today.  No.  You're not "all good."  According to God's standards 'all have sinned and fallen short'  and that because of that sin we deserve death.  Reading Amos and parts of Isaiah, the Old Testament prophets, we see God's anger toward sinfulness and rebellion against His laws.  He disciplines His children.  No, what you do has consequences.  Here and now, but also eternal.

In my experience, I had a difficult time appreciating the whole 'Jesus died for your sins' thing, growing up.  I heard that God loves me, Jesus loves me and Jesus died on a cross and rose from the dead.  But, I didn't really put it all together.  It wasn't until the full Gospel of Jesus was presented to me, and reading Ephesians in prayer for the Holy Spirit's guidance that I realized that I deserve death.  My sin deserves punishment, and without Jesus there would be nothing keeping me from that due punishment.

Eph 2:1 "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins"

  A theme of this show is that for Jesse, things get worse and worse.  Killing one guy necessitates killing another, and then another to cover up the previous and so on.  For the other main character, Walt, he has to tell his family lies which lead to more and more lies.

Death begets death begets more death.  Unless God intervenes, nothing really gets healed. All life comes from Him.  Otherwise, we have to do what Jesse says.  "Just take inventory, and like, accept."

When I did that in my own life, I did not have the power within myself to change anything.

There is no healing in that.  The sin is left unpaid for, and so then, you will be the one to pay for it if not put on the cross.

Now, I have never been a drug dealer or murderer.  But.  If my life had been in different circumstances, I can't say that would never do that.  I also know what Jesus taught.
 Jesus said if you hate someone, it's the same as committing murder in the eyes of God.  If you lust after someone who is not your spouse it's the same as committing adultery.  

I am a sinner, but Praise be to my God, 'the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.'  Confessing to God that I needed Him, there was nothing in myself that I could do or offer. That I believed in Jesus as my Savior, that He as the Son of God died and rose from the dead.  That I desperately needed Him to live in me and work in me, then came the change that even others around me took notice.

I like this clip because you see that Jesse feels the weight of his sin.  What a perfect place to be to see the beauty and power of Christ's redemption.  The pain and blood that was spilled for us.

Thank you, God. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

He saved a wretch like me!  He made me beautiful!

One thing our pastor has been talking about on Sundays, is for us to look upon the holiness of God and ask for His help.  That He change us, that we do not just take 'inventory' of the evil sin we have done and just 'accept' and move on.  But, we take a hard look at what Christ has done for us and live as He wants us to live.  I like how the clip ends, when Jesse says "About time."  How much death and darkness inside me did I have to experience before finally someone said, "no."  Too much was wasted, and it is about time that I, as a follower of Jesus, deny myself, take up my cross and follow Him with a renewed joy with God's kingdom on my heart.