Sigi and I go way back. I first read some of Freud's writings in junior college. I was inspired to go on and get my degree in psychology. When asked what I remember most about Freud most, I say, "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." That's the most profound saying I can come up with?! Yes, it is the most profound saying I can come up with. He got it from Jesus. Well, he doesn't say so directly but Jesus called things as they were without any excuse or diversion of thought. He said, "Go and sin no more." "Your faith has made you well." "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." "Ask and you shall receive." and many other simple things. Being on good terms with Jesus is way more important than being on good terms with mankind. Shortly after being introduced to Freud, I was introduced to Carl Menninger who wrote a book titled: "Whatever became of sin?" In his book Menninger outlines the ways mankind has deferred sin to everything BUT personal responsibility throughout time. Sigi and Carl would have been good friends. It's simple. We don't like simple. We like complicated so that personal responsibility can be lost in the smoke and mirrors.
Rationalization and justification are probably the greatest invention of Satan and unleashed on the planet. "Surely you won't die if you eat the fruit?" We bought it and still are purchasing shares in this thinking on a daily basis. In order to feel okay about our choices which are not what God wants us to choose, we must find a way to either blame someone else or to make our choices seem okay. So, we invented tolerance. Tolerance is not found in the Bible. Just thought I would be clear here. In fact, intolerance is found everywhere in the Bible. We are to be intolerant in that we make a stand on something simple and right. James was the half brother of Jesus and became the leader of the church in Jerusalem. He didn't believe until Jesus' death and resurrection and yet went on to see that Jesus was and is God. James wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit and in his book wrote: "If you know what is right to do and do not do it, you sin." James 4:17 Pretty simple. However, we have, as a people, taken the first part and demoted it's importance by rationalizing and justifying the "know what is right" to where we are convinced that everything is alright. That's just in the Christian community. The world has gone even further and everything imaginable presently and in the future is okay. Not!
But, the cigar is still a cigar and sin is still sin. There is not a single place in the Bible where we are told that the Ten Commandments are not true or applicable anymore. We are told to love God and love our neighbor. It's not an option for mankind. Everyone will acknowledge that God is who he said he was. Everyone will bow before Jesus and call him Lord. Everyone will either spend eternity in heaven or hell. It's just a choice based on a simple belief. You either believe that Jesus is God and is the means for your salvation or you don't. You either believe that God created the world and all that is in it or you don't. You either believe that you are a sinner or you don't. You either believe there is no excuse for your choice or you don't. You either believe that heave and hell are real or you don't. You either believe that a cigar is a cigar or you don't. You either believe that sin is not explained away by human logic or you don't. In the end, you and I choose what our Christian world looks like. We choose whether we want to live our life or have Christ live his life through us. Not that complicated. It never was, never is and never will be. That is unless you need the excuse to do what you want and feel it's okay. It's your choice.
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