NowTHINK!AboutIt

Avoiding Hackneyed...Making Sense

12 Proofs Your Sin Nature Won’t Be Eradicated

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Acting like you're better than is proof you're really not.

Christians May Not Always Agree
But Scripture Doesn’t Contradict Scripture

In my last post, I stressed the fact that we are all sinners and sinners sin. It’s what we do.

I’m not saying it’s beneficial to sin or suggesting we should enjoy it. I’m not saying you should want to sin or prefer to sin.

I’m saying we all have a sinful nature and that makes us sinners. Even before you commit your first act of sin you are a sinner.

According to James, who made the point rather bluntly, even temptation is an indication we are sinners.

Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire. (James 1:14)

And I can hear you asking “What about Eve?” She was tempted. Was she also a sinner before she ate the forbidden fruit?

It’s a good question. Eve didn’t start with a sinful nature. She was innocent, untainted but she was still tempted. Why is temptation proof we have a sinful nature but not for her? Another good question.

Don’t get too confuzzled by that. Jesus was also tempted but He didn’t have a sinful nature. There’s a way to understand the difference.

Faith Over Fear Tees

Her temptation came from outside influence. The same is true for Jesus. Fortunately, Jesus not only didn’t give in, He couldn’t. He’s eternally perfect.

Sin Can Be Formative

Eve wasn’t perfect. Her character, like all humans, was in the developing process. We all start at zero character – neither good nor bad.

It’s a fact, though, that mistakes and sin are a part of the shaping process. Aside from the fact that Eve was corrupted the moment she caved, and we’ve all inherited the corruption, a more important reality is she gained a great deal of wisdom and insight from the experience.

Once bitten, twice shy. Sins don’t define you. Failure and mistakes don’t define you. How you respond to these things does.

Honesty about your sin nature is also important. Now, temptation starts on the inside and works its way out. We are therefore tainted before we commit the first sinful deed which is kind of what James was saying.

Jesus made the same point: the mouth speaks what the heart is full of (Luke 6:45).

What that means is there will never be a time this side of heaven when Christians, though saved from the penalty of sin, will be entirely free of sin. Your sin nature will dog you all your days.

We shouldn’t take delight in that but we shouldn’t hide from it either. [Read more…] about 12 Proofs Your Sin Nature Won’t Be Eradicated

16 Life Lessons From The Yes-No Dichotomy

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Don't hide or show your anger. Admit it and explain it.

The Beauty
Of Yes

In this post I want to focus on decision making or what we might call the dichotomy of yes and no. Like 1’s and 0’s in computer language, life is a combination of these two words.

When tested for diseases, we long to hear, “No, found nothing! All is clear!” But a No in that situation is really a Yes to life. It’s a new lease and we love to hear it.

In spite of No being the best response in some situations, we still like hearing Yes more.

When asking for help or a personal day or permission from parents, “Yes!” sounds like a million dollars. It’s like winning a mini lottery.

But we aren’t always subject to the judgments of others or unpredictable circumstances. Sometimes, in fact very often, we sit in the Yes/No driver’s seat. Every decision we make involves a yes or a no answer. Sometimes it’s a little of both.

Even Indecision eventually becomes No.

The point is, Yes and No are unavoidable. There’s no bench warming in life. Yes and No make us a part of the game and Jesus had something to say about this dichotomy.

You have heard that it was said by them of old time, you shall not forswear yourself, but shall perform unto the Lord your oaths. But I say unto you, swear not at all. Neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne, nor by the earth, for it is his footstool. Neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, yea yea or nay nay, for whatsoever is more than these comes of evil. Matthew 5:33-37

First let me address the problematic words. There are two: forswear and swear. They are opposites. A dichotomy of sorts.

Swearing is the strongest kind of promise you can make. If you swear to something, you have, in a sense, guaranteed it.

Forswearing, on the other hand, is what we call it when a person fails to follow through. They swear to do something and then fail to keep the promise. Or they swear something is true only to be found lying later. [Read more…] about 16 Life Lessons From The Yes-No Dichotomy

Two Responses To The Gospel – Love And Hate

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Everyone needs forgiveness, no one deserves it.

The Gospel
Is The Same
For Everyone

The Bible says some things that are hard to accept, even for Christians.

Not so much hard to understand, but hard to live with. Believing the Bible isn’t the problem. Putting it into practise is. Let me explain.

The core message of the Bible is positive, not negative. We call it The Gospel, which translated means Good News.

But this Good News is difficult to accept because it is consistent. It doesn’t change, and it’s universal. The Gospel is good news for me and everyone else, the people I like and the people I don’t like.

“Universal” is what makes the Gospel unique. Not all news is equally good for everyone.

The person who wins the lottery is ecstatic. Everyone else can only wish.

The good news in the Bible, however, is unqualified. It’s good for everyone. It can’t get any better, but it can be viewed differently by different people depending on the situation.

Most people are very happy that the Gospel offers upliftment to the hopelessly downtrodden or liberation to the impossibly enslaved or enlightenment to the bewildered.

When that part of the penny drops, people are elated.

But it gets even better than that. [Read more…] about Two Responses To The Gospel – Love And Hate

10 Nonconventional Ideas About Faith

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Belief involves a thinking process but faith never happens in your head.

You Can’t
Stereotype Faith

In Luke 18 Jesus shared an interesting story about a widow.

The widow had been cheated and was attempting to get justice through the legal system, but things weren’t working out so well. Her appeals were being ignored by a judge whom Jesus referred to as unjust.

We aren’t given any more details. We don’t know who cheated her or how severe the offense was, but as it turns out that information isn’t important.

The point was, as a widow, she had about as much clout as a dead tree. Widows were on society’s bottom wrung, and the judge, who didn’t care about God or people, wasn’t interested in her problem. She was an inconvenience, a gnat to be swatted away.

But she never gave up. She knew the law and she knew her cause was just, so she did the only thing she could. She hounded the judge repeatedly.

And it worked.

He finally realized that processing her legal matter, though inconvenient, was far less bothersome than repeatedly listening to her complaint.

In spite of being marginalized by the system, she found a way to assert her cause.

And Jesus used her as an example. He shared her experience to teach the disciples persistence in prayer. But that explanation leaves us a bit curious. The parable never mentions this woman praying.

In the end of the parable Jesus referred to her as an example of faith and He wondered aloud if that kind of faith would still exist when He returns.

Since prayer and persistence and actions can all be expressions of faith, and that was at least a strong sub point of the parable, we can make several observations about faith. Several of these of these points don’t square with convention.

For example: [Read more…] about 10 Nonconventional Ideas About Faith

What Kind Of Savior Is Jesus? Ready!

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Everlasting Life: guaranteed now, enjoyed later.

Jesus Saves At Any Time
In Any Place

Jesus isn’t a tardy Savior. He doesn’t wait. He is never late. He works immediately. His response is without hesitation.

We always talk about Jesus being a willing Savior, and He is, but that isn’t the entire message. He’s more than just willing. He is constantly ready.

He described Himself as seeking the lost, which means He doesn’t sit in one place and wait for people to come to Him.

Jesus wants to save. His desire never wanes.

Even in His human state, dragging around a physical body, His need for rest never got in the way of ministry (Mark 6:31-44).

And now in His glorified state, He never tires. Jesus is ready to save 24/7/365.

There’s no afternoon slump. He’s never bored with the humdrum of life or put off by the unexpected. According to Him, He is always ready.

Truly, truly, I say unto you. He that hears my word and believes on Him that sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life.

In other words, [Read more…] about What Kind Of Savior Is Jesus? Ready!