September 1, 2014

The Root of the Problem (Part 5): Deception

The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin & How We Can Overcome

An effective tactic used by the devil is deception. Jesus calls him the “father of lies” (John 8:44). Satan used deception to first introduce sin in the beginning. This threat continues even today.

“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Christians are not immune from the devil’s deceptive tactics. Paul feared the possibility of the brethren in Corinth falling away, being deceived as Eve was. We should not underestimate Satan’s deceit. After all, he is the one who “deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9).
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August 25, 2014

The Root of the Problem (Part 4): Ignorance

The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin & How We Can Overcome

Laws are often violated by those who do not know that they are breaking a law. In these cases, a transgression is made, regardless of the offender’s knowledge of the statute. It is not uncommon for one to claim that he was unaware of the law he was breaking. Even if this is true, he still stands to be punished for his violation.

This concept is not hard to understand in our society’s legal system. Yet when it comes to God’s law, people often choose to look at it very differently. As long as they do not know that what they are doing is wrong, they are perfectly content to assume that they are doing right. They refuse to consider the fact that our sins will still condemn us. Ignorance is no more of an excuse to be used before God than it is for human authorities.
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August 21, 2014

How One’s Heart Becomes Hardened

Pharaoh - Plague of Flies

“Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13).

The Hebrew writer warned about brethren developing an unbelieving heart that had been hardened by sin. This came in the middle of two warnings against following the poor example of the Israelites: “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me” (Hebrews 3:7-8, 15).

The example of the Israelites hardening their hearts is a warning for us. However, the Israelites also had an example from whom they should have learned – Pharaoh. In this article, we will focus on the example of Pharaoh and how his heart became hardened. In considering this, we will hopefully recognize what we can do to prevent our hearts from hardening as well.
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August 18, 2014

The Root of the Problem (Part 3): We Fail to See Sin for What It Is

The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin & How We Can Overcome

The world in which we live has a distorted perception of sin. In our society, sin is mocked, disregarded, ignored, and even glorified. But the word of God presents a very different perspective. Sin is likened to darkness (John 3:19-20) and cancer (2 Timothy 2:17). Sin enslaves us (Romans 6:17,20). We are told very plainly that God hates sin (Proverbs 6:16-19).

If we do not appreciate what the Scriptures teach about sin, then it is not likely that we will want to give it up. One of the first steps to overcoming sin is realizing just how bad sin really is. To begin, we need to know what the Bible means when it talks about sin.
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August 11, 2014

The Root of the Problem (Part 2): “We Are Only Human” – Not a Reason. Just an Excuse

The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin & How We Can Overcome

Sin is a universal problem. Right before telling the Romans that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), Paul uses several Old Testament passages to remind his readers of the universal nature of sin.

“What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greek are all under sin; as it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.

“Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:9-18).

The Jews could not say that sin was only a Gentile problem. Neither could the Gentiles say that only the Jews were lost in sin. All people of every race, time, and location, had sinned.
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August 4, 2014

The Root of the Problem (Part 1): The Problem of Sin

The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin & How We Can Overcome

There are many problems facing the world today, such as poverty, injustice, famine, and disease. Great amounts of time, effort, and resources are used to try to find solutions to these problems. Even if we have not felt the effects of these ourselves, it is natural as human beings to feel empathy toward those who are suffering. This is particularly true if we heed Jesus’ command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

As difficult as these problems are to face, there is something that is much more destructive and prevalent. That problem is sin.
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July 31, 2014

The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin and How We Can Overcome

The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin & How We Can Overcome

Back in 2010, I published my first book – The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin & How We Can Overcome. It is about how we as Christians can find the way of escape that God has promised will be present with every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13) and take hold of the freedom from sin that Christ offers (John 8:34, 36).
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