[true believer forever]

I believe adultery is a sin. I believe Newt is a sinner, some would say a bigtime sinner. I also believe he has confessed his sins to God, made restitution in his family, and carried out reconciliation, made no excuses for his wrongdoings, and is a changed man, and a practicing Catholic. In other words, he is a sinner being saved by grace, like a great many of us. He is forgiven. He is a new man in Christ Jesus, and yet, people like you, refuse to let him take one step out of his past, into the new life and personhood promised him by Christ. Why exactly is that?

During a recent debate, an ABC News commentator passed a bag of stones to Republicans on stage (in the form of questions about marital infidelity and personal character). Every candidate, except for one,  grabbed a handful of rocks, to throw at the man they considered the sinner amongst them.  In a scene right out of, well, the Bible, Republican candidates - again and again - pelted the sinner, a great sinner, to be sure, with stones; all the while, reassuring the audience: they, the upstanding candidates, were nothing like the sinner.  Each of them, they made it clear, were more fit to the hold the office. Their sins were small, not the large sort the sinner was guilty of;  humans of quality, they.

In another scene, right out of, well, the Bible, Jesus once spoke to those with great confidence in their own goodness: "Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a dishonest tax collector. The proud Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: `I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like that tax collector over there! For I never cheat, I don't sin, I don't commit adultery, I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.'

But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, `O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.' I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God."

This sinner.  Old as the Message is, it is so new and wonderful, if rightly presented, as to awaken astonishment in the weary, imperfect hearts who hear.  When babes in Christ give themselves to the Lord - justified through the Redeemer's sacrifice, brought into the family of God, begotten of the Holy Spirit - it means a great change for these. It means a Miracle.  Old things pass away; all things become new.

Only Now, just like Then – whited walls, the outside-of-the-cup crowd,  invested in the appearance of good conduct and their "core" principles,  make the Precious Savior, Bringer of Peace,  Lifter of Burdens, unapproachable, uninviting, intimidating, to sinners seeking forgiveness, desperate for a second chance.  The Rick Perrys, the Michelle Bachmanns, the Ron Pauls, the Rick Santorums and Mitt Romneys of today's world, their banners of spiritual pride waving high, keep multitudes of  sinners standing afar off, sure they are unworthy to approach the only One who can make them new.

On that stage, that night, there was not one word - not one word - from the political Christians about the miraculous saving work of Christ Jesus, sufficient to change, to make all things new, to transform the worst sinner, even Newt, into a new creature. 

America is full of sinners, who love their country, many of whom would die for it, and according to the purity test of  the republicans on stage that night, they probably couldn’t run for dog catcher.  Steve Deace sees things a little differently: sometimes the greatest sinners, "the most broken people are the ones God does the most tremendous work through." 

No one has walked a mile in Newt's shoes, except for Newt.  No one on that stage knows the crowded corners of Newt's heart.  There is only one thing every believer truly knows about Newt... he is forgiven. 

forgiven

[Marguerite]

I believe Newt is a sinner, some would say a bigtime sinner. I also believe he has confessed his sins to God, made restitution in his family, and carried out reconciliation, made no excuses for his wrongdoings, and is a changed man, and a practicing Catholic. In other words, he is a sinner being saved by grace, like a great many of us. He is forgiven.

Thomas Purcell: "South Carolina turned out to be quite a shock for the Republican Party as Newt Gingrich sailed to an easy victory over Mitt Romney. Gingrich, an historian, knows full well the significance of this victory: no Republican has ever won the nomination without the South Carolina primary under their belt.

However, even more shocked and disturbed was the third estate and ABC News.

The media was sure that the airing of Gingrich’s former wife complaining about his desire of an ‘open marriage’ would destroy Newt at the SC primary. In fact, not only did Newt win, one of his widest margins was in the 18-44 women’s vote, much to the chagrin of ABC.

During this election, the media has consistently played the family and wife card on Republican candidates in order to besmirch and monkey with the election process of the Republican primaries (on a side note, a good argument could be made against ABC for an election tampering case). The played the religion and faux pas mistakes cards on Bachmann, Pawlenty and Perry and went after Cain the most vociferously with unsubstantiated claims of infidelity and basically boorish character flaws.

Unfortunately, up until Gingrich they all fell into the trap of denials and explanations. By doing so, previous candidates validated the media’s claims whether they were true or not, or made the candidates look bad. They put people on the defense and thus gave credibility to the stories, and power to the attacks.

Instead, Newt responded not as a politician would, with denials and explanations’, but as an ordinary American would—he called the media out on their ruthless and despicable acts of yellow journalism. Instead of saying “Yes, that was a mistake in my life, and I’m sorry”, he simply said “Yah I did it, so what? You are a jerk for bringing that up now”.

By responding in this way, he struck not only a major blow against the networks, but against political correctness itself and struck a chord with almost every American who detested the rampant spread of silly and worthless adjustments to popular culture that do nothing but weaken a society. He made neither apologies nor disavowals, he simply defined himself as who is today and burned the media at the stake for their accusations.

Political correctness is the elephant in the room, the subjects we dare not brooch. We have made free speech and acts of normal human nature taboo. We have avoided subjects and hidden our flaws in order to be more accepted in society"

http://www.thomas-purcell.com/2012/01/newt-not-political-correctness.html

[bonfire]

Well said, true.

Made my day!

[nickcarraway]

Did you read my posts? I didn’t criticize him for his sin, I criticized him for being a leftist. But, since you brought it, nothing in the Bible says I can’t use my reason to determine who would be a good leader. So, if I determine a person’s character is not a good risk to be president, I am not judging his soul, just his potential as a good leader. You are really perverting the Bible if you say that is inappropriate.

[nickcarraway]

He is a new man in Christ Jesus, and yet, people like you, refuse to let him take one step out of his past, into the new life and personhood promised him by Christ. Why exactly is that?

Okay, so do you say the same thing about Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Mitt Romney? How can you judge them, if it is so wrong for a Christian to judge?

[nickcarraway]

He is a new man in Christ Jesus, and yet, people like you, refuse to let him take one step out of his past, into the new life and personhood promised him by Christ. Why exactly is that?

I thought it was wrong for a Christian to judge? You have judged Gingrich's soul and absolved him of sin. Please tell me how God gave you the power of judgement of Gingrich's soul and revelation of this to other human's. Please tell me where in Scripture it says you have the ability to judge his soul? I( know of no Scripture to back up your claims. You must have some kind of extra-Scriptural revelation from God?

Plus, how come Gingrich is not to be judged, but you can condemn me? Don't the same rules apply to me as him? (Even though I didn't say what you claimed I said)

[presently no screen name]

Bearing false witness is a sin and against the commandments. Mitt and Rick are sinners.

Psalm 101:5 “Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.”

Mark 8:36 “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?”

Rick is a big time sinner - he better start zipping the lip and ask Newt for forgiveness and the voters he has deceived.

[Gene Eric]

>> He is a new man in Christ

He was never without Christ.

Pay no attention to the sanctimony stating otherwise.

You want your damn liberty back, vote Newt.

Forget the delusional moral elites. Their hearts are tainted with contempt.