Isolation Transforms Sin from Activity to Slavery

This post is not about avoiding temptation, as important as that is. This post is about the transition of sin from activity to slavery; the aftermath of sin that keeps us ensnared even after the promises of sin have proven themselves empty. For some reason, even after sin has proven itself to be a “bad idea” we resist taking the steps that would lead to freedom.

The first thing that sin does is that it breaks relationship. Towards God sin is idolatry. God is demoted as we trust something or someone else to give us what we really want. This is why sin is called spiritual adultery (James 4:4); we are breaking our covenant with God.

Towards people sin is a form of dishonor. We violate the terms of decency, honesty, fairness, or respect in order to gain comfort or avoid discomfort. We choose to harm or disadvantage others in order to protect, entertain, or benefit our self.  Continue at Brad Hambrick

You Sold Me But God Sent Me

If you please, one more blog about Joseph and his bouts with adversity and eventual triumph. Surely, Joseph as an Old Testament type of Christ knew the feeling of a world against him. He knew what it was like to have nothing go his way. The more Joseph tried, circumstances worsened. The more someone liked him, the worse it became. Jacob, his father loved him more than any of his children, and so his brethren sold him into slavery. Potiphar took a liking to Joseph and so did Potiphar's wife, and he was thrust innocently into prison. And while in prison, the warden began to favor the young Hebrew slave; surely Joseph questioned within what tragedy was next. However, Joseph prevailed over his adversity, and in so doing he left us a principle on how to overcome adversity—the firm conviction that God sovereignly uses evil to work good.

Joseph’s life is the proverbial, “one step forward and two steps backward.” But through it all he maintained his faith in God. His synopsis of all that had happened to him is stated in Genesis 45:5, “But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.” In short, Joseph said, “You sold me; God sent me.”

How does adversity work? How can it cripple your resolve? By making you feel this is more than you can bear. Almost every crisis has the delusion of being the worse problem ever confronted. Have you noticed when you undergo adversity that at the time it seems to be more than you can bear? Once the trial ends and you look back, you think it wasn't as bad as you once thought. But when adversity comes again it becomes the worst difficulty you ever experienced.  A little girl was struggling to uproot a large weed.  When she finally succeeded, her father patted her on the head and said, "My, that was hard, wasn't it?"  "Yes," she replied, "and the trouble was, the whole world was hanging onto the other end!"  Almost always the present problem feels like it’s you against the world. Present distress seems to be the worst pain possible. "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful" (Hebrews 12:11).   Continue at Michael Durham

Yes, How Dare You Compare Abortion to Slavery?!

I love the way the internet helps you get around the world in minutes.  For example, my man Zach links to a news and views round-up by Trevin Wax which links to an opinion piece by Bryan Kemper over at LifeNews.com called “Responding to: How Dare You Compare Abortion to the Holocaust or Slavery.”  That’s around the world in about 8 seconds!  Or at least around the evangelical blogger world in 8 seconds.
Information and opinions travel quickly on the internet.  And that means we’re prone to gathering and absorbing views and opinions with far too much speed to carefully consider alternatives.  I’d like to offer one to Mr. Kemper’s piece.
You see, I’m firmly pro-life and anti-abortion.  And I’m also one of those persons who responds, “How dare you compare abortion to slavery?!”  You can read an earlier post on this issue here.  But here’s what I’d like to add as friendly fire to a soldier in a war I care about, who does not appear to understand how his rhetorical gunfire affects the one in the trench next to him.  In other words, this is why I’d say “how dare you…” to my ally Mr. Kemper. Continue Reading>>>