The Business of Forgiving

God’s love for his creation and  his plan for redemption is radical. So radical, in fact, that the thought of Christ and Christians forgiving one man has sparked outrage across our nation. It’s extremely difficult for us to imagine extending forgiveness for the perverse sexual assault of children, and yet Christ was willing to give his life for Josh Duggar (and for Bruce Jenner, me, you, the Food Lion clerk, Hitler, Gandhi, etc.). I do not know all the details surrounding Josh’s heinous acts, nor do I know his heart. However, I would like to try and explain why many Christians are responding the way they are. This is what we believe, and it affects our response.

 

1) What makes a person guilty before God?

Any amount of sin. [See Romans 3:9-24]

 

2) What qualifies as sin?

Anything that is contrary to God’s commands/standards is sin. Any willful thought, word or action that falls short of the purity of our Creator is sin. Jesus said not only murder and adultery, but anger and lust are sins that will be judged and are worthy of punishment in hell. [Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28; Leviticus 20:26; Matthew 5:48, James 2:8-13]

 

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.

James 2:10

3) What are the consequences of sin?

Sin separates us from a personal relationship with God while we live on earth. It drives a wedge between us and God that no human efforts can mend. Our sin also affects the world around us – even our words can be “full of deadly poison” (James 3:5-10). The greatest punishment, however, is death. This is not only physical death, but a spiritual death that involves eternal separation from God, and therefore separation from all goodness. The fires of hell and eternal torment are the consequence for sins against an eternal God. [James 1:14-15; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Matthew 25:31-32, 41, 46]

4) Is there any way to be forgiven?

Remarkably, yes.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 3:23

5) How are people forgiven?

Forgiveness comes through repentance and faith in Christ. I’m not sure how to express the depth of this in so few words. First of all, biblical teaching is that repentance is “more than just remorse” – it is a “wholehearted turning to God…a complete turn from self to God" (1376). Salvation from the previously mentioned consequences of sin comes through a rejection of our old self and a receiving of a new life, united with Christ in faith and completely surrendered to him. Fully human and fully God (and fully sinless), Jesus alone was able to atone for the sins of humans. He absorbed our punishment for sin when he died on the cross, and defeated that death when he rose from the grave. This plan runs from Genesis to Revelation, the beginning of time until the end of time. It is not haphazard, but an intricate and intentional plan of a loving God. [Luke 5:32; Romans 8:1-14; Isaiah 43:25]

6) Are some people beyond hope?

No. God does not show favoritism. Prostitutes and murderers alike were loved by Jesus – they were forgiven, and their lives changed forever. All who genuinely come to Christ will be forgiven, and eternal salvation cannot be stripped from a person. It is not earned, so our efforts (good or bad) do not have the power to maintain or eliminate salvation. Every sinner forgiven by Christ has a secure hope for the unimaginably beautiful eternity he has planned. [Hebrews 8:12; Romans 2:11; James 3:2; Luke 15:7; Romans 10:10-13; Ephesians 2:8-10]

7) How are we to respond to all this?

I hope you might seek to understand the Christian viewpoint, but if you have no relationship with Christ then I can’t really speak to your actions apart from the law. Responsibilities for the Christian, however, are as follows: Confess sin directly to God and others in the church, praise God for his forgiveness, extend forgiveness to all (how can we withhold forgiveness in a human to human situation when the God of the universe has forgiven our lifetime of sins against him?), and provide accountability for fellow Christians, participating in church discipline if needed. Amidst temptations and sins, Christians are to continue living a life of repentance and faith as God’s children – and we are not to take advantage of God’s grace, using it as an excuse for sin to abound. [Romans 6:1-2, 9-11]

To conclude…Josh’s story is not a new one. Those who follow Christ and read his word, the Bible, recognize this controversy as all too familiar with only a few details being different than their own life with God. The sins that have been made public were disgusting and the implications devastating. No one is debating that. His sin renders him worthy of hell and God’s eternal judgment. However, if he confessed his guilt, genuinely repented before God, and turned to follow Christ, he is a new man. He will still fall to sin, as do all Christians, but by God’s grace and mercy he is forgiven and living under the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Do not expect followers of Christ to hold a grudge in situations where our God extends mercy and grace.

If the acts of sexual abuse were committed recently, or if Josh was defending his actions, a great deal of discipline would be needed. However, the matter was addressed over a decade ago by his family, church and police. If their response was inadequate, that’s very unfortunate and we can reflect on any potential changes needed in the law – but it was dealt with seriously as they saw fit, and those of us currently learning about the tragedy do not constitute a jury. My hope now is continued healing for the girls, and continued accountability with brothers in Christ or counseling for Josh if he still struggles with impure sexual desires.

* Chad Brand, Charles Draper and Archie England, ed., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003.

The Gift of a Mom

           This Mother’s Day weekend, I just have to declare in writing what we’re all thinking: moms are sweet drops of sunshine in a broken world! I am surrounded by moms in all areas of life, and I’m honored to be in a position to glean wisdom from your motherhood adventures. Thank you for sharing these lessons learned.

Mothers get messy!

Thirty seconds into feeding Eoin, I get a nice grunt and a warm feeling on my leg. Yeah, he pooped out of the diaper and through a sleeper and a onesie onto the leg of my pants. - Cara Cahill, mom of Eoin 

Once poo habits get a bit more structured, the responsibilities and privileges only grow. ;)

 

Mothers Educate

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.

Proverbs 1:8-9

Help them grow spiritually. Just like brushing your teeth before bedtime was not an option, neither was going to church! - Susan Walsh, mom of Jason

READ! Read to your kids often, and not just baby books. Read classics that are appropriate, read recipes out loud, buy good quality books! - Melony Gray, mom of Frasher, Cason, Naomi & Evan

From the time they are infants, take them to church. We told our boys that their ministry was to be at church so that there would at least be 2 other youth present if a visiting youth came. - Debbie Clem, mom of Ben & Tyler

Help kids realize how their actions, positive and negative, affect others. Since they lack real world experience, kids often don't realize how much they can do. - Amy Misenheimer, mom of Ada & Cole

 

Mothers Discipline

Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.

Proverbs 29:17

Being a mom takes a balancing act between love and discipline.  You have to love your kids to the point that they know without a doubt you are on their team, behind them and accept them for who they are.  At the same time you have to be their guide and teacher.  God has entrusted you with their lives, their hearts and helping them to navigate life.  You have to be firm, fair and consistent in discipline.  You cannot always be their friend because you have to be their parent first and foremost. - Amy Harvey, mom of Camden & MacKenna

Teach your children manners and respect for others from day 1! Do not wait. It is pure joy to see and hear the respect they have for people when they interact with them. But this MUST start when they are very young.  – Debbie Clem

Be the parent, not a best buddy. I always told Jason - "I'll be your friend and your pal, but first and foremost, I'm your Mother." – Susan Walsh

 

Mothers Love

Tell them you love them often—with words and actions. - Debbie Clem

Have fun!!! Sometimes you have to crash the routine, throw caution to the wind, and get crazy! Eat dinner with no utensils, make a random park trip on a school night, let the kids shop for and cook dinner. I have a hard time with this one because I know it's usually easier to stick with our routine but life is too short to do the same thing every day and I want to make sure the kids realize that life shouldn't be lived on repeat. The laundry can wait. The TV show will be on again. The work will be there when you get back to it. Right now only happens right now. Make it count! - Amy Misenheimer

BE INVOLVED in your child's life. They grow up so fast and each milestone is so special. – Susan Walsh

Take the time to truly get to know your children, the good, bad and the ugly, it will be SO worth your time.  But the most most most important thing you can share with them is the love of God and to make time to have a relationship with him.  It will be the best gift or lesson you will ever give your children. - Diana Knipp, mom of Brittany, Alex, Courtney

An excellent wife who can find?

She is far more precious than jewels…

She opens her mouth with wisdom,

and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

She looks well to the ways of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children rise up and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

“Many women have done excellently,

but you surpass them all.”

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,

but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Proverbs 31:10, 27-30

 

 

 

My 7 Recommendations for the Christian's Library

In addition to the Bible of course, as our only direct, perfect and authoritative word from God, these are books that have helped me grow as a believer. There are so many more I hope to read (I'm talking about you, C. S. Lewis!), but in my small library these are at the top of the stack!

What books have been meaningful to you as a follower of Christ?

1) The Explicit Gospel, Matt Chandler

 

The gospel is the foundation for every Christian’s faith and life. But do we really understand the depth of our claims?

“The gospel of Jesus is epic. When Jesus says he saw Satan fall like lightening from the sky, he is saying that the gospel is about the overthrow of evil itself, not just about our sinful behavior. When Jesus casts out demons, he is saying that the gospel is about his authority and God’s sovereignty. When Jesus heals the sick and the lame, he is saying that the gospel is about the eradication of physical brokenness. When Jesus feeds the five thousand, he is saying that the gospel is about God’s abundant provision through Christ to a world of hunger. When Jesus walks on water or calms the storm, he is saying that the gospel is about his lordship over the chaos of fallen creation. When Jesus confounds the religious leaders, overturns tables, tells rich people it will be hard for them, renders unto Caesar, enters the city on a jackass, predicts the temple’s destruction, and stands silent before the political rulers, he is saying the gospel has profound effects on our systems. When Jesus forgives sin and raises the dead, he is saying the gospel is about individuals being born again, but he’s also saying that the gospel is about his conquest of sin and death.”

 

2) And the Bride Wore White, Dannah Gresh 

 

Pursuing purity is a great challenge. If I could make this mandatory reading for every woman hoping to marry one day, I would!

“In all of your love for God, you could be blind-sided by worldly passions. When I realized how difficult the path of purity can be, I stood before God and I said, 'OK, teach me to say no. I know these worldly passions exist, but I know the only way I will be able to say NO is if you teach me!' And from that moment on, God worked in me and gave me a resolve that I did not even know that I had within me...The difference was that now I had placed myself in God’s presence to be taught how to say no.”

 

3) Radical, David Platt

 

The “American dream” is contrary to God’s mission. Platt challenges believers to follow Christ with all that we are and all that we have.

“Even if we have a desire to learn God’s Word, we still listen from a default self-centered mind-set that is always asking, What can I get out of this? But as we have seen, this is unbiblical Christianity…What if we began to think, How can I listen to his Word so that I am equipped to teach this Word to others? This changes everything…When we realize we have the responsibility to teach the Word, it changes everything about how we hear the Word.”

 

4) Questioning Evangelism, Randy Newman

 

Jesus often answered questions with questions, and we would be wise to do the same.

“To be sure, if our motivation for expressing anger is pure, unadulterated, righteous indignation, as it surely was for Jesus and Jeremiah, then we’ve got every right to yell. The problem is, what stands behind our rantings is often something else. Too many of our evangelistic efforts bear little fruit because our motivation, rather than being based on righteous anger, is tainted by sinful anger. Our words, then, have more sinful anger than truth in them.”

 

5) Life Everlasting, Dan C. Barber & Robert A. Peterson

 

The eternity that God has planned for his children is magnificent and complex.

“Christians often talk about living with God ‘in heaven’ forever. But in fact the biblical teaching is richer than that: it tells us that there will be new heavens and a new earth – an entirely renewed creation – and we will live with God there.”

- Wayne Grudem

 

6) God on Sex, Dr. Daniel Akin

 

What does God think about marriage and intimacy? He’s a much bigger fan than any of us! Dr. Akin walks through Song of Solomon to explore God’s thoughts as the creator of sex.

“I looked up into heaven and told God there was no hope…I would never be able to understand romance from the female perspective. At that point God was gracious to me, and He gave me insight as to how this romance thing works from the female perspective. I now share it with all my fellow males throughout the world.” (I will stop there, but I hope your interest is peaked! hehe)

 

7) Evangelism Handbook, Dr. Alvin Reid

 

Dr. Reid shares anecdotes & advice on how to live out the Great Commission.

“So evangelism means we have a specific, victorious message to tell. We need to make evangelism GOOD NEWS again. We seem to think it is bad news; otherwise we might talk about the gospel more.”

 

 

 

* Bonus Recommendation *

I have only just begun reading, but I want to go ahead and give a shout-out to Kevin Harvey's new book! With a great sense of humor and unique perspective, All You Want to Know About the Bible in Pop Culture finds glimpses of the gospel in unexpected places.

 

 

 

5 Wedding Planning Tips from the Bride



Valerie Lynn Photography

Friendly acquaintance: Ooo wedding planning, aren’t you having just so much fun?!

 

Me, outwardly: Yeah…it’s going ok I think.

Me, inwardly: Um, I’m so stressed out about this guest list that I spent two hours last night crying and binge-eating Pringles!



                Although I am an amateur in the wedding world, I hope being a bride gives my list a bit of credibility! In our wedding, my husband and I made choices that I am very thankful for, but there are also things I would consider doing differently. As we were reminded in the days of preparation: If at the end of the day you are married, the wedding was a success! I could actually leave my encouragement at that, but I do want to share a few extra thoughts for any brides-to-be.

 

1) Set your priorities early.

 

Weddings are expensive. Somehow that has become the lay of the land. However, whether you are in a financial crunch or not, I highly recommend frugality. Talk with your fiancé to determine what areas hold the greatest value for you, and in which areas you’re willing to be more flexible. Don’t drain the bank for photography, videography, catering, decorations, clothing, venues, and wedding party gifts; invest in a few, and get creative with the rest. You don’t have to buy diamond jewelry for your bridesmaids, and you don’t even have to buy Save the Date cards at all. A couple weeks into marriage when your pipes burst and your roof starts leaking…you may wish you hadn’t spent thousands of dollars on floral decorations and monogramed napkins!


Valerie Lynn Photography

2) Strive to be selfless.

 

At every turn, someone is telling you: “This is your day.” Oh, how this mindset makes it very hard to not be greedy and controlling! The truth is, your friends and family have preferences and hopes for your special day as well. I was not expecting this, but requests and recommendations will be made that go against your original plans.  Resist bitterness and every now and then take one for the team, so to speak. In no way do I suggest becoming a doormat, but I do advise taking the opinions of others into true consideration. For example, if your mother has been dreaming of an elaborate dinner, but you and your fiancé have already determined the meal to be one of your lower priorities and want to do light hors d’oeuvres, gently but firmly tell her you want to take a different route. If possible, find a way to compromise, such as hiring a caterer she likes. But in areas that you choose to be more flexible, be prepared to let a few preferences go. This is your wedding day, but it’s a day shared with many loved ones and is not intended for your enjoyment only. Look for ways to ensure that your guests will feel loved and have fun.

3) Ask for help from a variety of sources.

 

You’re surrounded by friends and family (also coworkers, acquaintances, neighbors, and more!) who have a wealth of talents and connections. Turn to these people for assistance; do not try to accomplish everything alone! Planning a wedding can be a monumental task, but I encourage you to not let it become a burden. My parents spent countless hours helping me with wedding favors and decorations, and our church family was involved in officiating, leading worship music, coordinating, catering, and more. I was astonished with how many little details arose each week that I had never thought about, and many days I felt overwhelmed. It was not until I received help from others, professional or not, that I was able to relax and truly move forward.

4) Let your personalities shine!

 

God has made you and your fiancé unique. Although weddings involve a great deal of tradition, your day does not have to be like everyone else’s. You are not required to have a cake, bouquet, music selection, and hair-do like those found in magazines or found at your best friend’s wedding. Take hold of this freedom and have fun! Personal touches will mean much more than any pricy ideas the wedding industry may push your way. So if you love Taylor Swift, give the DJ a list of her songs to play. If you collect cute soaps, find some in bulk and share as the wedding favor. If the smell of pine brings back sweet memories, raid your grandparents' neighborhood trees for centerpieces. If you or your fiancé are known for being intellectual, goofy, athletic or artistic – let this be reflected in the rehearsal, ceremony and reception.


Valerie Lynn Photography

5) Seek to glorify God.

If you are a follower of Christ, I cannot urge this enough. Marriage is God’s design, his institution. He desires that marriage reflect the gospel, the relationship of Jesus and the church. As the public celebration of this gift and responsibility, our weddings should point not just to ourselves, but to God. This is a challenge, and I had to remind my heart with these words: “This is God’s day. This is not MY day. This is our wedding, but we are God’s.” This desire to glorify God can be manifested in the wedding setting in countless ways. Please take the time to prayerfully consider how to praise God and draw near to him in each aspect of the day.


Valerie Lynn Photography

 

I wish you good luck in your planning! Remember that the wedding day, like your marriage, will not be perfect. But it will be an exciting, beautiful time with your future-hubby, and the importance of this day is found in the commitment you're making to each other (not the commitment you make with a band or bakery!). Happy planning!

 For further exploration:
Wedding vow samples - Even if you don't want to write your own vows, there are many options to choose from!
Genesis 2:15-24, Proverbs 31:10-31, Ephesians 5:22-33, Philippians 2:1-18, 1 Corinthians 13 - A few verses from the Bible that may serve as good reminders/encouragement.

Happily Ever After?

            There is a diamond ring on my left hand and a pretty white dress in the closet.  A man has professed his love for me, and I reciprocated.  A photographer has taken our pictures and we’re neck deep in wedding planning.  God-willing, we will soon live together, become “one flesh” and start a family.  Is this my happily ever after?  Has it finally arrived?? 

            Fortunately, no!  Although my fiancé is a great man, we would be headed for disaster if I were to place my hope in his love, efforts, and presence.  I am not “demanding soul-level satisfaction from him” because he is not made for such a thing.¹  His role as a husband, as outlined in Ephesians 5, is to love me sacrificially and lead me towards purity (purity not being an absence of sexual intimacy, but a turning from sin toward a more Christ-like life).  I am thankful that he will say vows with me in January, and strive to be faithful in God’s design for marriage…but he will be far from perfect in his execution, as will I.  Although I am still not married, I know that romance, companionship, sex, laughter and love from my husband will not cure my ailments.  Rather, our sin will be magnified.  Selfishness will be uncovered and laziness challenged.  Loneliness and lust will not be distant memories from the days we were single.  Why?  Because although a desirable blessing and sacred bond, marriage does not bring salvation from the muck of this life.  However, it is a picture of the gospel.  The union of a man and woman in marriage is intended to provide a glimpse of Christ’s love for the church.  Christ shows forgiveness when wrath is deserved, extending compassion and help to those who are weak, and gave his life that the chasm between us and God would be bridged.  I pray that my marriage might be characterized by such radical love, grace and mercy.

            My point in all this is to crumble the idolatry of marriage, which I am all too familiar with, and point to the unfailing rock of the only true and lasting happy ending: eternal life with Jesus Christ.  Marriage does not continue after death (Matthew 22:23-33) because it is not the goal of our existence.  God created man and woman to have a close relationship with him, worshipping him with no shame.  For those who surrender their lives to Christ as the only means of salvation, this beautiful and sinless union with God is fully restored.  I am thankful for my fiancé’s love, and I hope we can live together many years in marriage.  However, I am even more grateful for Jesus’ perfect love, which extends from before the world began and will continue forever…literally.  What an amazing, albeit mysterious, view we get of this life in the book of Revelation. Jesus makes all things new – a new heaven and new earth, as the old have passed away.  There will be no tears or pain as God dwells with people from all nations.  Together we will praise God with the angels, seeing Jesus before our very eyes. [Revelation 7:9-12; 21:1-8, 22-27]

            In all times and circumstances, this is where my hope lies.  Where, or in whom, is yours found?

“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed.  But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”

Hebrews 1:10-12

"Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.  Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long."

Psalm 25:4-5

 

1 – Alvin L. Reid & Ashley Marivittori Gorman, The Book of Matches, page 16.

 

 For further exploration:
Song - "In Christ Alone"


 

My Personal Testimony

              As a child, I believed Jesus was real and good.  I had no reason to doubt my loving church family.  However, my beliefs and understanding were disjointed and shallow.  My childhood faith could be summed up as this: God is real, and I need to be a good person.  I need to make Jesus proud and not be like the people who killed him.

You believe that God is one; you do well.  Even the demons believe – and shudder! James 2:19

            Not until I was 15 did I enter into a true, saving relationship with Jesus.  At a very small Christian camp on the beach, I sat on a log by the campfire.  It was nighttime and we had heard the last speaker for the day.  Everyone dispersed, and I sat gazing into the fire.  That night I was struck like never before with the weight of my sin.  I had always seen myself as “good” – I did well in school, tried to be nice to others, and did not have what some might consider major rebellious tendencies.  But I was slapped across the face with the reality that these little attempts at goodness, often motivated by pride, would never be enough to make me right with God.  I could never live up to his perfect standards, and in fact, my lifetime of seemingly innocent obedience was marked by selfishness and hidden wickedness rather than sincere surrender to God.  At the same time, I was equally struck with the goodness and magnitude of God.  He was not a distant deity who created me and checked up on me every now and then.  He was personal and passionate, fully aware of every sin I had ever committed.  And yet, he sent his Son to die for me.  This sacrifice was not made lightly, but in radical love and with purpose.  I did not have the vocabulary to tell anyone, “hey last night I turned my life over to Jesus as my Savior,” but I knew that weekend marked the beginning of a faith unlike anything I had ever known before.

I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” Psalm 16:2

            My life was marked by a greater hunger to know God, but I was very intimidated by the Bible.  By the time I got to college, my faith became overshadowed with frustration.  I began to resort back to my childhood faith, angry that God was not responding to my obedience by giving me the desires of my heart.  I began to intentionally pursue sin and refused to go to church or a campus ministry (even though a sweet girl in my hall invited me multiple times).  After a year of rebelling, it’s like a light switch was flipped.  God pulled me back into his loving arms so quickly that I’m not sure how to explain it.  My eyes were opened again to my sin and his grace and mercy.  My hunger was revived and I began pursuing God’s word and community with other believers.  I started reading and studying the Bible for the first time and was sharpened by other Christians in a local church and on campus.  God re-aligned my desires with his and brought me such joy and comfort in knowing and following Jesus.  My prayer life became more personal and my faith became more public as all areas of my life began to come under God’s lordship.

 

A year later, he plopped me down in the Philippines for two months to share the gospel.  I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I knew that Jesus’ instructions to his disciples were for us as well: “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few…Go your way, behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves” (Luke 10:2-3).  It was not until this trip that the meaning behind Jesus’ sacrificial death clicked for me, and when I returned home I was baptized.  In evangelism training, I read Romans 3:23 and 6:23.  Like a child being told 1+1=2, I had unknowingly accepted Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as being connected to my forgiveness without knowing why.  I find it a bit humorous that not until I was halfway around the world as a missionary did I finally understand: Jesus is God, perfect and undeserving of death.  He died because that is our punishment.  From the beginning of time, the choice of separating ourselves from God through sin brings eternal separation in the form of death and hell.  All people sin, and rightfully earn this consequence.  However, Jesus died in our place, absorbing this punishment and making us right with God.  He did not remain dead, but rose so that we might rise too.  We have died with Christ, and will live forever with him in the perfect goodness God originally created.  God has responded to our rebellion with compassion, providing salvation to all who have faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord of their life.

            God does not save us so that we can live cushy lives, but has prepared good works for us to walk in.  We are to love God and love others, sharing the good news of Jesus to every nation.  As I continue to learn and know God better, I stumble and sin and turn inward – but his mercies are new every morning and he continues to draw me back and strengthen my faith!  I will never understand or know everything, but I am confident that God is my Creator, Father, Savior, Lord, Refuge and Guide.  His goodness is unwavering and his word is true, lighting my path as I go through life as his child.

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 3:23, 6:23

 

 

For further exploration

* Leviticus 20:26, Isaiah 53, John 3:16-18, Acts 10:34-43, Ephesians 2:1-10, Hebrews 1:1-12 & 7:23-27, Revelation 1:17-18 & 5:11-14 & 7:9-12 & 21:1-8     

* Video testimonies of celebrities ("I am Second")

* That's my King! (amazing audio clip)

* Newsboys music video, Passion music video

 

 

 



Death by Sin, Life by Christ

“God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.  Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.”

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.  Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.  Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Galatians 6:1-2

            Every person to walk the earth has rebelled against God, except Jesus.  We all sin, in many ways, continuously through life.  Past and present (and surely future) struggles for me are laziness, selfishness, lust, anger, jealousy, impatience…and really I could go on for days.  As Paul said in his letter 1 Timothy, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

            As our Creator and embodiment of all things good and perfect, God is the only one able to accurately define what is right and wrong.  He provides an outline in the Bible, and those who love him are to follow in humble submission, being made more like Christ through repentance and faith in his Word.  However, attempts to turn from sin are not the means of salvation.  God does not extend forgiveness based on human effort and goodness.  By his grace and mercy, Jesus absorbs the punishment of death for all the wicked sinners (ex: ME!) who place their faith in him.  What follows such faith is a desire to deny oneself and follow Christ, living out the good works he has placed before us.  It is not easy, but a lifelong journey. [John 14:15; Romans 3:23-24; Luke 5:27-32, 9:23, 19:10; Ephesians 2:1-10]

            It's difficult because we are born with sinful desires, but our personal pleasures never trump the authority and wisdom of the God of the Universe.  Although sin will be present in the lives of Christ-followers until he returns, we are not to accept it, but rather wage war against sin.  For this reason, I must currently address the sin of homosexuality.  I would dare say all of us, at some point at least, will deal with sexual sins, and homosexuality is just one among the list.  As I see this sin being not only accepted, but celebrated, even among Christians – I just have to take a moment to say that this is not right.  I do not say this out of superiority or hate, but out of anguish that God’s word and will is being twisted or disregarded altogether.  For those who accept Christ as Savior and Lord of their life, and are attracted to the same sex, my hope is not that you be sneered at or banished.  My hope is that you find encouragement and accountability in the church, as I have found for the struggles of my own sinful nature.  If our church members begin congratulating us for our sin, it’s time to leave and seek biblical discipleship elsewhere. [Romans 6:1-14; 2 Peter 2:1-3, Hebrews 12:1-6]

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

1 Corinthians 6:9-11
 

            May we all recognize the filth within, and turn to God for forgiveness and the strength to resist temptation.  May we never be ashamed of the gospel, and the counter-cultural implications of Scripture.  Love God for who he is and what he’s done, not judging him or editing his commands.  Love others as Christ loves us, sacrificially and boldly extending truth and help.  The hope we have in Jesus triumphs over every sin and trial!  God does not call for self-loathing or indulgence, but repentance and faith.  He knows and loves us more intimately than any person on earth.  I encourage nonbelievers to consider Christ, and believers, including myself, to follow him whole-heartedly!

 

For further exploration:
40 questions for Christians to sift through in relation to homosexuality