From "Basic Instinct" to God

Here is the story of author Joe Eszterhas, author of dark thrillers such as "Basic Instinct", who upon seeing a "light" upon his own Damascus Road has turned from the darkness to the light.

He had a change of mind ("repent"), and now he is producing fruits consistent with that change of mind (Luke 3:8). Granted, he has not Biblically finished his conversion as far as the article reveals, and he seems to be trapped in a corruption of the true church rather than leaving that corruption behind, but there's no doubt that he has undergone a significant conversion and a turning toward God.

Is his change and incomplete journey "good enough" for God to accept him? Most in my church culture would answer "No", because he hasn't yet been immersed (presumably) and doesn't "know the truth".

Perhaps those people should be asked the same question: Is your change and incomplete journey "good enough" for God to accept you? Remember, if you get 99.9% of the details correct, but miss on that one tiny detail, you've broken the whole law.

I'm not trying to say that immersion is not essential, or that God doesn't care if you are part of some church that is not the church belonging to Christ; I am saying that we need to trust in God for our salvation, not in how well we understand and apply the Truth. The former is a righteousness that comes as a gift from God by our faith; the latter is a righteousness that comes from Self.

I recommend you go read the story; it's rather interesting. One of my favorite parts of the story is this:

...Joe carries the cross down the aisle. He asserts his nonconformity, however, by wearing jeans and Rolling Stones T-shirts when he does it. Despite the rebel attire, he says he carries the cross with more reverence than most.

I understand the idea that how you're dressed does not necessarily reflect who you are on the inside; I sometimes think my church culture doesn't get that.

Another favorite part is this:

And he complains about priests' homilies being boring and pointless.

Amen! We have elevated the 20-30 minutes of lecture to the position of being the core of our assembly time, such that the preacher drones on for 20 minutes even if his message could be delivered much more succinctly and memorably in 3. I suspect that's not what God prefers. But that's another topic for another day.