September 17, 2014

Using Our Bodies as Instruments of Righteousness

Romans 6:13

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:12-14).

Our bodies can be used one of two ways – either for God or for sin. As Christians, we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1). Our bodies are “for the Lord” (1 Corinthians 6:13); therefore, Paul said, “Glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

How do we use the members of our bodies as instruments of righteousness? Let us consider what the Scriptures teach about this.
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July 23, 2014

“Chaste and Respectful Behavior” in Our Modern Age

Kendell_Jones

Kendall Jones, a teenage girl from Texas, has recently received some attention over pictures that have appeared online from her hunting trips to Africa, showing her with various animals that she has killed. Understandably, people will have different opinions about whether someone should be hunting such animals. However, some of the reactions to these pictures are disturbing to say the least.

One of the disturbing reactions has come from Mike Dickinson – a Democrat politician running for Congress in Virginia. He has offered $100,000 for nude photos or videos of this teenage girl.
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April 10, 2014

Make No Provision for the Flesh

Romans 13:13-14

“Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Romans 13:13-14).

When Paul told the saints in Rome to “make no provision for the flesh,” his admonition had a specific context. He was not warning them about food and shelter for the body. These are necessities (1 Timothy 6:8) and Christians must make provisions in regard to these things (Acts 20:34; 2 Thessalonians 3:8-10). Neglecting such things does not make one more spiritual and righteous. Instead, when Paul addressed this sort of “severe treatment of the body,” he called it “self-made religion” that was “of no value against fleshly indulgence” (Colossians 2:23).

Rather than warning against the necessities of this life, Paul warned the Romans about the lusts of the flesh. James explained why lust is so dangerous:

“But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death” (James 1:14-15).

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November 13, 2013

Six Things Pornography Users Do Not Want

XXX key

Pornography is a huge problem in our society. Many Christians have even fallen prey to it despite Jesus’ plain warning:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell” (Matthew 5:27-29).

Many believe pornography is harmless (or they simply refuse to admit to understanding how destructive it is). But Jesus said that lusting after someone is so destructive that one ought to be willing to go to extreme measures to remove the opportunity to lust. This is the primary problem with pornography – lust.

However, one can be guilty of lust without ever viewing pornography. While it is true that sin is committed anytime one lusts after someone, pornography is particularly dangerous. There are reasons why people choose to feed their lust in this way. It is because there are certain things that pornography users do not want. We will notice six of these in this article.
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June 4, 2012

One Who Commits Adultery Lacks Sense (6/4)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Proverbs 4-6.

“Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Or can a man walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? So is the one who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; whoever touches her will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 6:27-29).

This is one of several passages in the book of Proverbs that warns against adultery. The number of times it is addressed should make us realize how dangerous this sin is. Besides that, we all know of cases of a person, often one we would not expect, who has gotten caught up in this sin.

The world will tell us it is alright to look and lust as long as we do not commit adultery. The Scriptures teach us not even to look and lust because this leads to adultery (cf. Matthew 5:28; James 1:14-16).
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January 11, 2012

A Man of Integrity (1/11)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Job 29-31.

“I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin? (Job 31:1).”

As Job defended his integrity, he stated that his purity in heart was such that he would not even look at  a woman. While many in our culture argue that there is nothing wrong with just looking, Job made a covenant — a conscious decision and commitment — that he would not look with lust at one of the opposite sex.
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November 18, 2011

Roadblocks on the Way to Adultery

Roadblock

The sin of adultery is explicitly condemned in Scripture. It was prohibited in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:14) which God gave as a foundation for the rest of the laws given to the nation of Israel. In the New Testament, Paul listed adulterers as those who “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9). The Hebrew writer said that adulterers will be judged by God (Hebrews 13:4). In fact, Jesus gave fornication (which is adultery when committed by a married person) as the only cause that gave one divine permission to put away his spouse (Matthew 19:9).

Not only does God specifically condemn adultery, but society generally looks down upon it as well. The wise man said, “Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry; but when he is found, he must repay sevenfold; he must give all the substance of his house. The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; he who would destroy himself does it. Wounds and disgrace he will find, and his reproach will not be blotted out. For jealousy enrages a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance” (Proverbs 6:30-34). This passage does not justify stealing while condemning adultery – both were condemned (Exodus 20:14-15). But the wise man’s point was that man tends to be sympathetic toward one who steals solely out of hunger. For the adulterer, there is no excuse in the eyes of man – particularly with the husband of the wife who participated in the affair. Instead, the adulterer becomes a target for wounds, disgrace, and vengeance.

Despite the fact that there are many deterrents to adultery, this sin remains prevalent. Why is that? I believe we can begin to see why as we examine the warnings about the adulteress (Proverbs 7). As she was described in that chapter, we read of her doing everything she could to remove the roadblocks that stood between a man and the sin of adultery. She wanted to portray the sin as not only pleasurable, but also convenient and without consequence. Let us notice some of the roadblocks – those things which help deter us from committing adultery – and see how the adulteress strives to take those roadblocks out of the way.
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