Is There More Than One Way to Skin a Cat?

The saying “there’s more than one way to skin a cat” definitely holds true in hunting. If there is one thing I have learned through my interactions with fellow hunters it's that everyone has their own way of doing things. Hunters are notorious for bickering back and forth on what's the “right” way of doing things. Some people say to hang a stand 15 foot up a tree. Others say if you hang it anything less than 30 feet then that old doe will be sure to see you sitting there. Some say you don’t even need a deer stand! We hunters argue over proper shot placement and caliber preference. We disagree on things like hunting over fields or hunting in the woods. We quarrel over habitat management practices and food plot planting. Don’t even get me started on the long feud between the two ideologies of “if its brown its down” and “he needs another year”.

The great thing about hunting is that there is no exact right way to do it. I learned how to hunt from my dad and he learned from his dad. My dad taught me to value the importance of patience and being quiet while hunting over seeking new technologies to help locate deer through more efficient means. Many others prefer to know exactly where the deer are located and become keenly aware of their daily patterns, thus they can maximize their time in the woods by targeting certain areas of property throughout the season. Both approaches are legitimate. You can harvest deer using both methods. There is more than one way to hunt. My way isn’t the only way.

The thing that I tell people who are just being introduced to hunting is to find multiple sources to learn from, find what works best for them, and hone that craft until it becomes consistently effective. Changes will be made along the way, but that’s what makes hunters grow and evolve. I have become a better hunter and expanded my range of skills as a result of listening and learning from more experienced hunters. There is not much room for arrogance and pride in the heart of a growing sportsman. Being receptive to new knowledge and new tactics will have positive impacts down the road. A humble hunter is an honorable hunter. I believe you will find that humble hunters make for better mentors as well. They understood the importance of learning and now they understand the importance of teaching.

If you have read any of my previous blog posts you will know that I structured this platform to create a space where I could share how my hunting journey has played into my spiritual growth. Drawing parallels between my hunting and my faith is easy and oftentimes it helps me illustrate a scene that leads to deeper spiritual understanding for myself and for whoever might read, I hope. However, metaphors and imagery only go so far. While I usually use my outdoor experiences to make comparisons with faith, today my goal is the opposite. Yes, there might be more than one way to skin a cat, as it relates to hunting, but that is not always the case in terms of faith and salvation.

It is very concerning to me that so many people today seem to struggle with the concept of God’s sovereignty and goodness. When I say “people” I mean both believers and nonbelievers. In my experience and conversations with others it seems to me that the biggest issue with Christiantity that most people wrestle with is that they see a world full of people, billions of people, and can’t fathom the idea that not all will be saved in the end. How can God abandon that many people, whom He created? I think the lack of clarity in this question is what prevents many from conversion and many converts from deeper growth and intimacy with the Lord. Let me preface my next statement by saying that I am not a pastor. I am not a theologian. I do not hold a degree in biblical studies, world religions, or any other related field. I am simply a man who loves God and wants to make Him known. I am just a Chrisitian longing for the hearts and minds of those around me to see and savor the glories of the God who saved me. I want to make an honest attempt to explain why I am a Chrisitian and why my hope is in Jesus. My goal is not to attack any other religion or people group. My goal is to help anyone struggling to see God better understand Him and the grace He has extended to all. My prayer is that everything I write will be rooted in biblical text, the source of all wisdom and truth.

We can’t understand salvation unless we first understand sin. If we don’t understand our sin then how could we ever see the need for a God who saves us from it. Ever since the fall of man in Genesis 3, humanity has been in a cycle of sin and death. This was not the design. This was not God’s plan. He created man in His own image to be a caretaker of His creation (Genesis 1:26). God set natural systems and processes in place to shine light on His good works. Man was the steward of these good works and his role gave great glory to God. Man was closely connected with God in the garden. He had a front row seat to see His greatness, but it was sin that changed that. Sin caused man to feel shame. Sin caused man to hide from God (Genesis 1:8-10). The result of that one sin was that man would die and no longer have the privilege of being in the Lord’s presence. Sin separated us from God and it still does today. The apostle Paul wrote that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Sin is anything against God or His original plan and purpose for creation. Sin is aggression towards God and it blinds us of His supreme worth. If you see sin as anything less, then nothing about God or His plan for salvation will ever make sense in the context of biblical Christianity.

I believe that God desires for us to know Him. We cannot know Him unless our sin is removed. We cannot enter His presence unless we are perfect and spotless. There is only one way to be clean of sin. There is only one way to be with God, experience God, and have a relationship with God. His name is Jesus. Worldly culture doesn’t approve of this line of thinking. Why should anyone believe that in order to be saved you must believe in this Jesus guy? Isn’t living a good life, being a good person, and doing good deeds enough to right any wrongs God might see in me? The answer is no. Society doesn’t like that answer because society doesn’t believe it's all that bad. When we water down the seriousness of our sin condition we water down the seriousness of the consequences of sin and dilute the goodness of our creator.

Christianity is not a works based faith. That is what makes it different from every other world religion. Islam teaches the Five Pillars, Judaism teaches the law of Moses and inclusion into the nation of Israel, Hindus teach self-improvement through reincarnation, Buddhism teaches of a zen like state accomplished through spiritual discipline and meditation. Christians teach Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2)! Unlike any other religion, Christianity hinges on substitutionary atonement. Meaning, we recognize the results of our sin and our inadequacy to heal ourselves of those sins. Christ was our substitute. He took our sin and now we have access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18). Jesus, Himself, said that He was the only way to the Father (John 14:6). He is the only way to eternal life. The great news is that all you have to do is believe in Him (John 3:16). That is why I am a Chrisitian. It's because I know there is nothing I can do apart from Him to right the wrongs made by my sin. Why would I work harder in a dead faith when I can live freely though gifted grace?

Not all believe this truth and that is extremely saddening, but now would be a good time to address the question, “How can God abandon that many people, whom He created?” The simple answer to this question is that God has not abandoned or forsaken any of His children, but not all are His true children. Those who do not recognize the authority of His son have forsaken Him and that is sin in the eyes of God whether or not we believe it to be so. The most religious people of Jesus’ time on earth, the Pharisees, did not accept Jesus or His authority and they killed him thinking they did a good service towards God (John 16:2). Though they thought God to be their father, but Jesus says otherwise in John 8:44.

God does not desire for anyone to perish. He wants us all to reach repentance and turn back to Him (2 Peter 3:9). He does not delight in the death of the wicked, but he wants them to turn from their ways and live (Ezekiel 33:11). In this context that would mean acknowledging Christ as the only true way to God, being Himself God who was here from the beginning (John 1:1-5). God is patient and loving, but He is also just and wrathful. There is no mercy and grace without justice. If there were no sin in the world then there would be no need for wrath, but sin is pervasive and has been for millenia. God’s wrath is removed from those who are washed in Christs’ atoning blood, but it remains on those who do not accept His gift of grace and forgiveness. Of the forgiven He says, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12). Again He says, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12). Of the unbeliever He says that His wrath remains on them (John 3:36). Praise be to God that my sins are forgiven and I am set free.

Is that too boastfull? A contradiction to the humble hunter I mentioned earlier? Is it prideful and arrogant of me to sing of my freedom in Christ? Absolutely not, because if I boast I boast not in myself, but in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31). He is the one who makes me holy. He is the one who bought my freedom. When God sees me He sees righteousness, because I have been made right in His eyes by faith in His son. I did nothing to earn it, nothing to deserve it, and the best part is that I can never lose it. So yes, I am a Chrisitian. On Christ this solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.

There might be more than one way to skin a cat in the deer woods, but there is only one way to have life and have it eternally abundant.

His name is Jesus. Do you believe this?