A Different Opinion

I shared my view on Grace this am on a site I frequent and it was not recieved well. I do respect these other opinions, I just feel in the context of a non-Christian show, it may not be the intention of the writers. Anyway, like I said, here are some respected and very good Other opinions (get it? Other? HA!)

1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Yeah, I agree with you on this one. I don't know the writer's intentions of the show, but I couldn't help but to compare my own religious beliefs. Eko said he didn't sin because he did what he thought was right to survive. He doesn't consider himself a sinner because he is trying to justify himself. He told his brother, "Everything I did, I did to save you." His brother said "You talk to me like I'm your brother."

This reminds me of Matthew 7:22-23Mat 7:22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?Mat 7:23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Eko never confessed his sins, instead he said, "Didn't I do this and this for you? I did it all in your name, to save you" His brother basically said, "You talk like I'm your brother, like you know me. But I'm not your brother, I never knew you."

I replied with this:
but don't you think the changes he made in his life were evident that he was sorry for his choices?
as a child he was forced to confess to stealing the feed his hungry brother. then he was forced to take a life as a child to save his brother. Those were not choises he should have to repent for in my opinion.

Remember when he killed the Other in self defense? Again, not a choice, but he repented and fasted for it. He took the grace and second chance when his brother lost his life and Eko got a chance to live right for a change. He killed those men in the church AGAIN in self defense. Well, maybe he did not have to kill them but this is secular tv. I do not expect it to line up with the Word. Not on any level.

Remember Eko talking about how to get to heaven in season 2? It was NOT Truth. The show never claimed to be bringing us the gospel.

Then another post in responce to mine, and this one I truely loved. I think the writers spoke more Truth than they intended:
Oh I agree with you, I don't think secular tv is spreading THE TRUTH. But sometimes it does draw out our own religious beliefs.

When Eko first said "no I didn't sin" that verse that Josiah posted (1 John 1:8-10) came to mind, that if we say we haven't sinned, then we make Him a liar. But then he started explaining why he didn't sin.

At first I thought about grace as well, but then I thought that he was trying to justify himself. He said he was PROUD of what he did to save his brother. He said he didn't ask for the life he was given, but he did his best. He would not confess or ask for forgiveness, he justified his own actions. When his brother said "you talk to me as if I'm your brother" and walked away, it was as if he was denying him.

Then the black smoke attacked him. I thought the black smoke was like sin. He died in his sins/his sins killed him because he justified his own works and did not confess. Killing someone, even to save another's life, is still killing. And according to the law, it is a sin. Eko could have said, "I killed a man to save you, and I am glad that you were saved, but please forgive me for having to take another life to do so." Instead, he said he was proud.

Now if the LOST storyline had ended with Eko's speech, I might have continued to believe that he was justified for what he did. But their storyline of his brother walking away and the black smoke killing him only made me think of the scriptures about Jesus not knowing those who claim to know Him. And the black smoke killing him made me also think that he was not right in what he said.