Self-deception about Sin is a Narcotic

In his brief theology of sin, Not The Way It's Supposed To Be, Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. states that his goal is to renew our knowledge of the persistent reality of sin "that used to evoke in us fear, hatred, and grief."
Fear.
Hatred.
Grief.
Do these words describe your reaction to sin?
They should.

Plantinga goes on to lament and warn us:

Many of us have lost this knowledge, and we ought to regret the loss. For slippage in our consciousness of sin, like most fashionable follies, may be pleasant, but it is also devastating. Self-deception about our sin is a narcotic, a tranquilizing and disorienting suppression of our spiritual central nervous system. What's devastating about it is that when we lack an ear for wrong notes in our lives, we cannot play right ones or even recognize them in the performances of others. Eventually we make ourselves religiously so unmusical that we miss both the exposition and recapitulation of the main themes God plays in human life. The music of creation and the still greater music of grace whistle right through our skulls, causing no catch of breath and leaving no residue. Moral beauty begins to bore us. The idea that the human race needs a Saviour sounds quaint.
(Page xiii, emphasis added)

I often remind myself of the two theological pillars that hold up my worldview:
1) The holiness of God, and
2) The sinfulness of man.

In our Bibles we see both. And they feed off of one another.
The more holy I see my God, the more sinful I see myself.
The more sinful I see myself, the more gracious I see my God.
As the chasm grows wider between my sinful self and my holy God, the need for grace grows greater.
And grace is greater, because Christ is greater. Grace is great, because it comes through Christ.

Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Romans 5:20-21 ESV, emphasis added)

So, do we need to heed Plantinga's warning and overcome the self-deception about sin? Must we really train our ears to hear the wrong notes (sin) in our lives? Absolutely. Perhaps the puritan Thomas Watson could sum it up best, "'Til sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet."

Genesis Three: The Seed-Plot of the Bible

There is a trend today - even among otherwise solid evangelicals - to deny the literal interpretation of the Genesis account of creation, even to deny a historical Adam and Eve. Kevin DeYoung has some good thoughts on this slippery slope here. If we begin to question (though we may not outright deny) the very first chapters of our Bible, we immediately have some very big problems on our hands. Pastor John MacArthur rightly warns us, "If Genesis 1-3 doesn't tell us the truth, why should we believe anything else in the Bible?.. how can we be certain about anything else the Bible says?" (The Battle for the Beginning, Page 29.)
So, are there any important theological truths in these first pages of Holy Scripture? I'd say so; particularly in Genesis chapter three.

The third chapter in Genesis is one of the most important in all the Word of God. What has often been said of Genesis as a whole is peculiarly true of this chapter: it is the "seed-plot of the Bible." Here are the foundations upon which rest many of the cardinal doctrines of our faith. Here we trace back to their source many of the rivers of divine truth. Here commences the great drama which is being enacted on the stage of human history, and which well-nigh six thousand years has not yet completed.

• Here we find the Divine explanation of the present fallen and ruined condition of our race. 
• Here we learn of the subtle devices of our enemy, the Devil. 
• Here we behold the utter powerlessness of man to walk in the path of righteousness when divine grace is withheld from him. 
• Here we discover the spiritual effects of sin- man seeking to flee from God. 
• Here we discern the attitude of God toward the guilty sinner. 
• Here we mark the universal tendency of human nature to cover its own moral shame by a device of man's own handiwork. 
• Here we are taught of the gracious provision which God has made to meet our great need. 
• Here begins that marvelous stream of prophecy which runs all through the Holy Scriptures. 
• Here we learn that man cannot approach God except through a mediator.

A.W. Pink, Gleanings in Genesis (Emphasis added)
Purchase at Amazon here.

Whence Comes This Wickedness to Man?

Excerpt from The Battle for the Beginning, by John MacArthur:

Philosophers struggle to explain the origin of evil. One thing is certain: God is not its author, creator, or efficient cause. Everything He created was good. Evil was no part of His creation.

Who then created evil? No one. Evil is neither substance, being, spirit, nor matter. It is not a created thing. It is simply a want of moral perfection in moral agents who were originally created sinless. Evil has no existence apart from fallen creatures.

How could creatures made sinless fall into sin? John Calvin dealt with that very question:

Symptoms of a Backslidden Heart

Any of these describe you?

1. Coldness in prayer.
2. Indifference under the Word.
3. Growing inner corruptions.
4. The love of the world.
5. Declining love for believers.
6. Man-centered hopes.

If so, you might be a backslider. 

In his convicting little book, Getting Back in the Race, The Cure for Backsliding, author and pastor Joel Beeke helps identify and cure the dangerous disease that many Christians know as backsliding.  Beeke elaborates on each of the symptoms listed above, but the third symptom, "growing inner corruptions," is what has particularly been weighing on my own heart.  Consider the following descriptions - make your own check-list if you must - and ask the Lord to reveal any sin and return your heart to Himself.

Are You Astonished at the Difference?

I'm half-way through Stephen Altrogge's book, The Greener Grass Conspiracy: Finding contentment on Your Side of the Fence.  All's I can say is... My.  Oh.  My.  It's inwardly revealing, personally convicting, and so Gospel exalting.

At the end of a chapter that discussed contentment within the context of the sin of complaining, Altrogge walks the reader through the glorious Gospel truths to remind of all we have been given in Christ.  He begins concluding the chapter with these words about contentment:

The gospel of Christ is the fountainhead of contentment. In the gospel we have access to infinite blessings.  But if we don't drink often we will always be thirsty.  The moment I feel the saltwater-like thirst of discontentment, I need to plunge again in the gospel.

 He continues with a summary of complaining:

Complaining is almost always rooted in a faulty sense of rights and privileges.  Each of us has a lengthy list of things that we think we deserve....But the gospel makes it very clear that the only thing we truly deserve is  hell.... God owes us nothing except justice.  The fires of hell would be the right destination for ungrateful, arrogant rebels like us....On our worst days we're always doing infinitely better than we deserve.

Finally, he ends with this jaw dropping quote from The Valley of Vision (a book of Puritan prayers):

O Lord, I am astonished at the difference
between my receivings and my deservings,
between the state I am now in and my past gracelessness,
between the heaven I am bound for and the hell I merit.

O that such a crown should fit the head of such a sinner!
such high advancement be for an unfruitful person!
such joys for so vile a rebel!

Taken from The Valley of Vision, "The Mover"

Finding it difficult to be content?  Finding it easy to complain about such petty things?  Even significant things?  Christian, remember what we deserve.   And consider what we've received.

The Other Cup

Two years ago I found this article by way of a link at Justin Taylor's blog.  It's one of those articles and examples of biblical insight that stays with you forever.  I want to strongly encourage you - yea, even beg you - to download and read this entire article.  It's about 5 pages long, but it's very easy to read.  And you must read to the end -it's just incredible!
For those of you who will be taking the Lord's Supper tonight during a Good Friday service, this will be a wonderful way to help prepare.  I plan on reading this to my own family as we prepare. 

Can we go back to Gethsemane for a few minutes? What kind of a cup was it that Jesus was praying about? What kind of a cup could cause the Son of God to have such fear? Psalm 75, the first passage that we read, said that the Lord has a cup in His hand which is reserved for the wicked. You and I recognize in our heart of hearts that we deserve our portion of that cup because we have transgressed the law of God. Not a day goes by in which each one of us does not offend God’s holiness in some way. You and I recognize that it’s entirely just for a cup which is reserved for the wicked to be our cup. But do you understand that Jesus was the one human being who has ever lived on God’s earth on whom that cup had absolutely no claim whatsoever? He had kept God’s law in its entirety, perfectly. There was no sin in Him. Perhaps we can feel something of the revulsion that Jesus felt, something of His fear. Three times: “Father, please take this away. God in heaven—anything but this!”

Download & read the rest of this sermon by the late Ray Dillard.

Rage Against the Icon of the Crucified

I've been looking forward to reading this book, and though I've not even finished the first chapter, I know I won't be disappointed.  There's already so much valuable insight from Russel Moore in his latest book, Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ.

Temptation is so strong in our lives precisely because it’s not about us. Temptation is an assault by the demonic powers on the rival empire of the Messiah. That’s why conversion to Christ doesn’t diminish the power of temptation—as we often assume—but actually, counterintuitively, ratchets it up. If you bear the Spirit of the One the powers rage against, they will seek to tear down the icon of the Crucified they see embedded in you (1 Pet. 4:14; Rev. 12:17). Ultimately, the agony of temptation is not about you or me. We’re targeted because we resemble Jesus, our firstborn brother. We all, whether believers or not, bear some resemblance to Jesus because we share with him a human nature in the image of God. As we come to find peace with God through Jesus, though, we begin a journey of being conformed more and more into the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). The demons shriek in the increasing glory of that light, and they’ll seek even more frenetically to put it out of their sight. (Pg 21, Emphasis added)

Dowload the first chapter (pdf) free here. Buy the book here.

Blinded By Satan

I'm reading Martin Luther's "Bondage of the Will" as an assignment for Dr. Zemek's theology class.  Every now and then I come across a section that I actually understand! :)  In this passage Luther reminds us not only of the unbeliever's wretchedness, but also Satan's work of blinding them to this wretchedness. 

But the Scripture sets before us a man who is not only bound, wretched, captive, sick and dead, but who, through the operation of Satan his lord, adds to his other miseries that of blindness so that he believes himself to be free, happy, possessed of liberty and ability, whole and alive. Satan knows that if men knew their own misery he could keep no man in his kingdom; God could not fail at once to pit and succour wretchedness that knew itself and cried to Him, for God is proclaimed with mighty praise throughout the Scripture as being near to the brokenhearted. Thus Isaiah 61 bears witness that Christ was sent ‘to preach the gospel to the poor, and to heal the broken-hearted’. Hence, the work of Satan is to hold men so that they do not recognize their wretchedness, but presume that they can do everything that is stated. But the work of Moses the lawgiver is the opposite of this—namely, through the law to lay open to man his own wretchedness, so that, by thus breaking him down, and confounding him in his self-knowledge, he may make him ready for grace, and send him to Christ to be saved. Therefore, the function performed by the law is nothing to laugh at, but is most emphatically serious and necessary.
(Bondage of the Will, Martin Luther.  Baker Book House, 162)

To make things worse, Satan not only blinds men to their ultimate problem he also blinds them to their only solution - the Gospel!

2 Corinthians 4:3-4
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing.  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  

Thanks be to God the verse doesn't end there...

2 Corinthians 4:5-6
For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

And this eye-opening work of God is not just a New Testament idea either...

Psalm 146:7b-8
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

Have your eyes been opened? Then rejoice in bewildered amazement as the healed man did in John 9, "...though I was blind, now I see."

This post swiped from www.bclrblog.org.

Forgiveness

When we forgive a debt or an offense or an injury, we don’t require a payment for settlement. That would be the opposite of forgiveness. If repayment is made to us for what we lost, there is no need for forgiveness. We have our due. 
Forgiveness assumes grace. If I am injured by you, grace lets
it go. I don’t sue you. I forgive you. Grace gives what someone
doesn’t deserve. That’s why forgiveness has the word give in it.
Forgiveness is not “getting” even. It is giving away the right to
get even.

That is what God does to us when we trust Christ: “Everyone
who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name”
(Acts 10:43). If we believe in Christ, God no longer holds our sins
against us. This is God’s own testimony in the Bible: “I, I am he
who wipes out your transgressions for my own sake” (Isaiah
43:25). “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove
our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).

But this raises a problem. We all know that forgiveness is not
enough. We may only see it clearly when the injury is great—like
murder or rape. Neither society nor the universe can hold together
if judges (or God) simply say to every murderer and rapist, “Are
you sorry? Okay. The state forgives you. You may go.” In cases
like these we see that while a victim may have a forgiving spirit,
the state cannot forsake justice.

So it is with God’s justice. All sin is serious, because it is against
God (see chapter 1). He is the one whose glory is injured when we
ignore or disobey or blaspheme him. His justice will no more
allow him simply to set us free than a human judge can cancel all
the debts that criminals owe to society. The injury done to God’s
glory by our sin must be repaired so that in justice his glory shines
more brightly. And if we criminals are to go free and be forgiven,
there must be some dramatic demonstration that the honor of God
is upheld even though former blasphemers are being set free.
That is why Christ suffered and died. “In him we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses”

(Ephesians 1:7). Forgiveness costs us nothing. All our costly obedience
is the fruit, not the root, of being forgiven. That’s why we
call it grace. But it cost Jesus his life. That is why we call it just.
Oh, how precious is the news that God does not hold our sins
against us! And how beautiful is Christ, whose blood made it right
for God to do this.

From John Piper's book, Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die

Free online book here.

Loser of Comfort... Gainer of Glory

Here are some great thoughts from blogger Tim Challies on the providence of God in human affliction, considering the following passage in John:

“As [Jesus] passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him’ (John 9:1-3).

Tim considers this passage in a modern day context, as he reminds us of the rising numbers of abortions based on pre-natal testing for fetal abnormalities. In a world where you can easily abort and start over if everything isn't perfect, these words are much needed. I can't help but think of several people I know who have recently chosen to carry babies full-term, knowing that, apart from God's miraculous intervention, their child would have a short and/or difficult physical life here on earth. May this meditation on John 9 serve as an encouragement to such parents. (Consider Mighty Molly Mutz)

Tim quotes several Bible commentators on this passage and applies them again to this modern & murderous trend of abortion. Matthew Henry's thoughts were my favorite, including this quote:

“Those who regard [God] not in the ordinary course of things are sometimes alarmed by things extraordinary. How contentedly then may a good man be a loser in his comforts, while he is sure that thereby God will be one way or other a gainer in his glory!”

Or, as Tim applied & paraphrased, "Those who choose abortion are unwilling to lose their comforts that God may gain His glory."

Read the entire article here.

Q: How Evil is Sin?

A: So evil that it's worse than the greatest of afflictions - namely, hell. Yes, sin is worse than hell.

Consider this quote by Jeremiah Burroughs (1599-1646) from his book The Evil of Evils:

My principle business is to charge men's consciences with the evil of their sin and show to them how much evil there is in sin. All men are afraid of afflictions and troubled at affliction, but where's the man or woman that fears sin and flies from it as from a serpent, and is troubled at sin more than any affliction?...There is more evil in sin than in outward trouble in the world; more evil in sin than in all the miseries and torments of hell itself.
Suppose that God should bring any of you to the brink of that bottomless gulf and open it to you, and there you should see those damned creatures sweltering under the wrath of the infinite God, and there you should hear the dreadful and hideous cries and shrieks of those who are under such soul-amazing and soul-sinking torments through the wrath of the Almighty. Yet, I say, there is more evil in one sinful thought than there is in all these everlasting burnings...if our spirits were as they should be, we would rather be willing to endure all these torments than commit the least sin.

That's tough stuff, huh? Here's a few thoughts as I try to sum this up. Some are my own, some I gleaned from a pastor I once heard endorsing this book.

• The smallest sin is worse than the greatest affliction.
• The greatest affliction is found in the torments of hell.
• Therefore, the smallest sin is worse than the torments of hell.
• There is at least some good in hell - that is, God is glorified in hell in His just & right wrath against sinners.
• There is no good in sin. God cannot be glorified in sin.
• We would go to all extremes to avoid the torments of hell, yet we do very little to avoid the committal of sin.
• We're more concerned with dying in hell than we are with living in sin.
• If we truly understood the evil of sin and the holiness of God, we would choose the greatest affliction over the smallest sin everytime.
  

Lastly, once I finished this post, I looked at my archives and realized that I've already posted these very same thoughts quite some time ago. There's a few more thoughts in the previous post, but it deals with the same topic. Oh well, it was good for me to revisit this subject. I also recently found a blog devoted exclusively to Burroughs.

God Kills People

In preparation for a message I preached to our college ministry on Annanias & Sapphira (Acts 4:23-5:11), I listened to a sermon by C.J. Mahaney on the holiness of God. It was actually a sermon taking a look at the events surrounding the death of Uzzah, whom God smote immediately after he reached out to steady the Ark of the Covenant. You can find the sermon here.

You would do well to listen to this message. Really. Mahaney addresses the question we all have asked about Uzzah & others who were suddenly struck down by God. That is, "Why did God kill him?". I think you'll find the answer rather astonishing. It's a lengthy 60 minute message, but you won't notice. Just listen.

On a related note, I found the Mahaney message via this new mp3 sermon collection featuring preachers such as Mahaney, MacArthur, Piper, Carson and many more.

Good Monster

A friend of mind pointed me to this August 2006 interview with Jars of Clay frontman Dan Haseltine. It gave me a new appreciation for their album, Good Monsters, and reminded me of how much I already loved it.

In the article, Dan speaks candidly of his former struggle with secret sins and self deception. I found this quote by him to sum it up perfectly.

"I am my own worst pop music station, constantly telling myself what I want to hear-and coming up with creative ways to do it."

Pronounced: tsid-kay'-noo

“Jehovah Tsidkenu”

( Jeremiah 33:16 )

which means
“The Lord Our Righteousness”

by Robert Murray McCheyne

November 18, 1884

I once was a stranger to grace and to God,
I knew not my danger; and felt not my load;
Though friends spoke in rapture of Christ on the tree,
Jehovah Tsidkenu was nothing to me.

I oft read with pleasure, to soothe or engage,
Isaiah’s wild measure and John’s simple page;
But even when they pictured the blood-sprinkled tree,
Jehovah Tsidkenu seemed nothing to me.

Like tears from the daughters of Zion that roll,
I wept when the waters went over His soul,
Yet thought not that my sins had nailed to the tree
Jehovah Tsidkenu — ’twas nothing to me.

When free grace awoke me by light from on high,
Then legal fears shook me, I trembled to die;
No refuge, no safety in self could I see —
Jehovah Tsidkenu my Saviour must be.

My terrors all vanished before the sweet name;
My guilty fear banished, with boldness I came
To drink at the fountain, life-giving and free—
Jehovah Tsidkenu is all things to me.

Jehovah Tsidkenu! My treasure and boast,
Jehovah Tsidkenu! I ne’er can be lost;
In Thee shall I conquer by flood and by field—
My cable, my anchor, my breastplate and shield!

Even treading the valley; the shadow of death,
This “watchword” shall rally my faltering breath;
For while from life’s fever my God sets me free,
Jehovah Tsidkenu my death-song shall be.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

Jeremiah 23:5-6

Pronounced: tsid-kay'-noo

Church Discipline—"Do we have to?"

Several months ago, I received the following email from Jim Eliff and CCW ministries , I've copied and pasted it exactly as is below, providing some helpful (and much needed) resources on the subject of Biblical Church Discipline.

UPDATE: I've fixed the hyperlinks. Thanks, Gary, for the heads-up!

Church Discipline—"Do we have to?"

Recently, Mark Dever from Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., and Art Wilder, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, Marietta, Ga., spoke to a packed audience for a breakout session at the Southern Baptist Pastor's Conference on this very subject. We have given you a link to purchase this CD from the SBC, as well as some other resources from CCW that will help you think through the Church Discipline issue.

Click on the following:

~Dr. Mark Dever's presentation on church discipline at the SBC. Go to the first page of the site and click on the .pdf link for the Pastor's Conference (www.sbctapes.com).

~Hear or download (mp3) Jim Elliff's audio message on 1 Corinthians 5 called "What Do You Do with Immorality?"

~Click here for the article, "The Integrity of the Local Church".

~Bulletin insert, "What Do You Do with Immorality?"

~"Restoring Those Who Fall," a church discipline statement for use in the local church.

~Our Church on Solid Ground, our book that contains the above discipline document along with other documents for the preservation and unity of the local church. (It is useful to also have a "Membership Agreement" along with a church discipline statement, for instance.)

~"A Church Membership Recovery Model" by Doug Richey. This deals with the disciplinable issue of AWOL church members.

~"Southern Baptists, An Unregenerate Denomination," a hard-hitting but loving evaluation with practical helps for moving churches to either recover or discipline those will not attend or have become rebellious.

~"Removal of an Elder," guidelines for one of the most difficult church discipline situations.

Quinn on Indwelling Sin

As a short "Part 2" of the previous post, I just wanted to offer some practical points of consideration as we are on the subject of temptation & sin (we've specifically been discussing sexual sin, but this certainly applies to all sin).

Last Lord's Day, our Pastor continued in Romans 12 with the first two verses:

1I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

He spoke about no longer being "conformed to this world", or to quote the J.B. Phillips translation "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould...".

In today's world, where everything is "SENSATED" (appealing to the senses), and due to the overwhelming rise (seemingly) of sexual sin (i.e., Ted Haggard), Lance listed some dangerous categories under which we may find ourselves as we battle indwelling sin & fight against the world's mold.

I've listed them below, along with Scripture references, and you can listen to ther sermon here (you might have to search by date - 11/05/2006).

1. "No One Will Know" - Numbers 32:23·

2. "Casual Glance" - 2 Samuel 11 & King David - cf. Genesis 39 & Joseph....cf. Also Job 31:1
3. "It's No Big Deal" - Matthew 5:27; 6:22ff; Colossians 3
4. "I Can Handle It" - 1 Cor 10:12; James 4

And perhaps a safer category to be in:

5. "I Know Myself Only Too Well" - 2 Corinthians 5:10

Voddie on Sexual Temptation

By now most have heard or read about the horrible Ted Haggard story (read Haggard's official statement to his church, also check out Gary's compilation of blog reports on this story).

My thoughts? Only this - Before any of us get up on our self-righteous high horse, I want to share some sobering words from Voddie Baucham. I heard this while listening to his series on love and marriage.

(BTW, that's Baucham in the photo, not Haggard)

This is my slight paraphrase, but you'll get the idea:

The wisest man in the Bible fell into sexual sin, the strongest man in the Bible fell to sexual sin, and the godliest man in the Bible fell to sexual sin.

For me to think I'm above falling into this sin is to think that I'm wiser than Solomon, stronger than Samson, and godlier than King David.

Now, I'm not using this quote to say that we should expect this kind of behavior from people, I'm just trying to say this.

Dear Soul

One of our problems as sinners is that we too often listen to ourselves rather than speaking Truth to ourselves. Yeah, that's right, I'm encouraging you to talk to yourself.

The psalmist practiced this "soul talk" often - Psalm 42:5, Psalm 103, Psalm 104, Psalm 116:6-8 and Psalm 146:1.

Recently, I was cleaning out my desk drawer and came across the letter below. It's a letter my friend wrote to himself - to his soul. I had asked him for a copy (and his permission to post it). The context is pretty obvious - he was battling the temptations of sexual sin. I found it very helpful to read to myself - to MY own soul, reminding myself of the dreadful consequences of sin.

I trust you'll be encouraged by this.

Dear Soul,

I’m writing to warn you as strongly as I can not to sin. I know you well enough to know the areas where you’re most likely being tempted. Be careful not to think only about externals; your primary temptation is to think wrong thoughts about God, to stop worshiping Him and start worshiping yourself instead.

Why would you do this? First of all, it will hurt you. To continue on in sin this way is to invite God’s discipline. It will rip apart your family and lead you to sin more and more. Do you really want a divorce? Do you really want steps two and three of church discipline? Do you really want to stay enslaved to a false god which can only make empty promises? Is it your desire to remain perpetually disqualified from ministry? If your answer is “No,” then why would you do it?

Not only will your sin hurt you, but it also will hurt your wife and children. Think of your sweet wife. She’s flesh of your flesh and bone of your bones. She’s the only woman in the world who took it upon herself to love you and work to become one with you. To give in to your temptation is to spit in her face, to trample on her trust, to harm her heart. You would never say the words, “I hate you,” to her, but your sin in effect says it for you. You promised to be faithful to her, and you’ve broken that promise before. It made her cry. Do you really want to tear open the wounds that have started to heal? Worse yet, do you want to so callous her heart that she becomes cynical, bitter, and angry? Why drive her away for your own self-interest? Why nurture an atmosphere of mistrust and hostility? Why make her obedience and growth in Christ more difficult for her than you already have?

And don’t forget your children. They need a dad they can look up to. They need to know what a man who follows God looks like. Be the type of husband and father that you want your daughters to marry someday. Be the man you want your son to be. How can you fulfill your responsibility to teach and lead the family in worship if you are not right with God? How can you expect them to submit to your discipline if you are undisciplined yourself? You know others whose families have been torn apart by divorce. Do you want to end up seeing your children only on two weekends per month? When you drive home, your children run to the car to greet you; you wouldn’t trade that for some passing pleasure, would you? Wrestling with them on the floor, tickling, kissing them goodnight, reading stories to them, memorizing Scripture with them, waving goodbye when you leave for work…all of these would be gone if you continue down Selfishness Lane.

But the most serious reason not to sin is because it’s an offense to the holy God of the universe, the One you claim is your Lord and Master. He who made you can just as easily unmake you. Do you not fear the King’s displeasure at your disobedience? Your Provider could withhold His blessing and make your life miserable! He promises that if you cover your sin you will not prosper. You don’t think He doesn’t see you, do you? He does. He is the righteous Judge. He not only sets the standard, He has kept it perfectly in Jesus. It’s because of sins like you’re being tempted to commit that Christ died. Will you continue in your sin that grace may abound? May it never be! Fear Him; that is, bow before Him with holy reverence and healthy dread.

And love Him. Love Him more than your pleasure, more than your very life. Don’t be pleased so easily. Pursue the One who has pursued you. Cherish the One who cherishes you. Glorify the One to whom all the glory belongs. Treasure Him who is more valuable than all the fleeting pleasures of sin combined. Be God-centered, as He is God-centered. Worship the true God, not your deceptive heart’s self-erected idols that can do nothing for you. Be so enthralled with your Savior and His Word that the mere thought of sinning is repulsive to you.

That’s all for now. Don’t do it, Soul. Don’t sin.

But DO love your wife, love your children, and, above all, love your God.

Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out

I still don't agree with the entire methodology discussed in the previous "Post from the Past" regarding the 3X Ministry, but after watching this local news story tonight, I sat stunned... saddened... and almost in tears. The need for this sin to be stopped is ever increasing.

Seven men were arrested in the small community of Benton, Arkansas recently when the sheriff's department conducted an "internet sex sting". The men were coming to meet someone they thought was a 13 year old girl they met in an online chat room. The "13 year old girl" was an undercover cop.

If you're a parent, you need to watch this and re-evaluate your child's internet usage. (You might also be interested in these resources, ESPECIALLY this story of murdered Greenbrier teen Kacie Woody)

If you're a child, you need to watch this and re-evaluate your internet usage (and see the above resources).

If you're a man (or woman) who is practicing this sin of online pornography - stop. Really - I'm not trying to be funny or insensitive - you must stop. Get help. Call your pastor now. Email me for crying out loud - I'll help you.

And know this: those seven men in that news story...could've be anybody who's ever "dabbled" in the area of online pornography. It's the inevitable result if the sin isn't mortified early on. Don't believe me? I'd encourage you to read Proverbs 5, 6 & 7 and take close notice of the many, MANY different results of sexual sin (see also the end of Romans 1). Sure, it's talking about physical adultery, I understand that. But just replace "adultery" with whatever sexual sin you're struggling with - the principles & consequences still hold true.

Please, don't just sit there. Do something.

X-Rated Ministry?

I received an email recently from a dear brother telling me about an accountability program offered for free that keeps track of your internet history. It's offered over at Integrity Online.com. I copied this from their site: "Called X3Watch*, this service tracks websites visited from a specific computer. It then regularly sends a report of potentially inappropriate websites accessed by that computer to an accountability email address which you designate."

A helpful program, no doubt. Seems like I heard once that it might slow down your connection speed a bit - but that might be a small price to pay for some extra accountability (by "extra accountability", I'm assuming that we are all ULTIMATELY accountable to God, and perhaps have others in our lives with whom we openly discuss our progress in sanctification and fight against sin...without accountability to God, no filter or website tracker will do any good).

Now to the other purpose of this post...

The ones offering this free "X3 Watch" program also have a ministry aimed at helping those who are sinning in the area of pornography (note: I didn't say "struggling" I said "sinning"...let's not candy coat anything here :o). Their ministry and website is called XXXChurch.com. And the tagline is "#1 Christian Porn Site". Now, I'm sure you're like me & were a bit leary of having those three letters ANYWHERE on your computer! So, if you want to let your spouse know what you're doing or inform an "accountability partner", that might put you more at ease, then please do so before visiting the site. They also have a "nicer" address at www.x3church.com that takes you to the same page).

I can assure you that there are absolutley no provacative images on this site, nothing sensual, nothing tantalizing. (I did see at least two thumbnail images that were a bit questionable - pictures of some people from this ministry (dressed modestly) having their photo made with someone who wasn't dressed modestly, but these pictures weren't featured or highlighted in any way to draw attention to them)

There are, however, lots of play-on-words & "punny" phrases used to promote their products and ministry, just like the web address. Again, the site is safe, but do be aware that you'll see graphics such as their podcast title designed like a pink neon sign which reads "Dirty Little Secrets", or their "Porn Sunday" church campaign, or their t-shirts that say "Jesus loves Porn Stars". So, offended by images, probably not...put off by puns, perhaps.

After spending some time (admittedly, not a lot), I found several helpful things on this site. The filter and accountability software (as mentioned earlier), some frightening statistics about the damaging affects of pornography on men, women and children, and some links taking you to other ministries designed to help people stop sinning in this area (They seemed to be biblically based, but I couldn't tell from the sites just how biblical they were and if they integrated psychology in their counseling methods or not).

I'm also aware (and I'm not necessarily putting this in the "helpful" category), that the two men who run this ministry set up their "XXXChurch" booth at adult film conventions and pass out Bibles & the "Jesus Loves Porn Stars" t-shirts and share the gospel with the attendees.

Now, before I say anything else about this online ministry, so as not to influence anyone, I want to ask you a question. Take a look at the site, click on some of the links & resources and then answer this question in my comment section:

Is the XXXChurch site/ministry a legitmate way of reaching the lost?
Is there biblical support for such methodology?
Is God being honored and glorified in such a ministry?
What is right about this ministry?
What is wrong about this ministry?

I look forward to your comments!

"For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor..."

1 Thessalonians 4:2-4

(ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version

Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.