Most humans think that our greatest source of suffering and our number one enemy is named Death. We fear its process if not its outcome. We avoid discussion of it, as if to disallow it in conversation is to relegate it into nonexistence. We fight it at any cost.
But I assert that Death is merely a portal, and our number one enemy is named Sin. Whether or not Suffering travels with Death, Suffering never leaves the company of Sin. Suffering and Sin both, like cancer, grow wherever they find a foothold. Sin assaults soul, hurts neighbor, weakens every community in which we have a part, and affronts God. The Suffering which enters with Sin can be neither measured or called back.
You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask bad, that you may expend it on your desires.
~ James 4:2-3
… lust … covet … desire … Here is where sin originates.
"Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."
~ Luke 12:15 (NKJV)
Here too is the difference between the hungry third-world child, happy to play in the dirt with his companions, sticks, and rocks, and the round first-world child who cannot content himself in a house filled with luxuries.
"And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
~ Matthew 19:24 (NKJV)
And here is the difference between two men of equal means—one who looks upon what he has, and one upon what he has not, whether material wealth, health, or relationship.
"Wealth consists not in the abundance of our possessions, but in the fewness of our wants."
~ Unknown
In the practice of thankfulness, gratefully focused upon all we have, we become increasingly oblivious to the desires which invite sin and lead to suffering.
For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.… O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
~ Romans 7:19, 24-25 (NKJV)
If Sin is greatest enemy, giving thanks to God is perhaps the most effective protection we can employ against the tyrant.
Next time: Third Thanksgiving Payback – Purpose
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Showing posts with label Sin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sin. Show all posts
Monday, November 19, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Enough War
This post is for the current series on the theme "Enough!"
People of every era long for peace. Pure reason seems to demand that all sides simply lay down arms and declare, "Enough war!"
The Israelites of 3,400 years ago surely reached that point. Once they crossed into the Promised Land and defeated the enemies who harassed and opposed them, they had surely wearied of war and saw no reason to keep fighting against the people willing to make peace with them.
"I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, '…you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land ….' But you have not obeyed My voice. Therefore I also said, 'I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be bait on a hook to you.' "
~ Judges 2:1-3
Judges is one of the most difficult portions of Scripture to understand. Why did God command such annihilation? If it was reasonable then, why is it unreasonable now?
To chronicle the atrocities and evil of an ancient pagan people who God called wicked could just as easily describe the world's current state of affairs. Too little distinction would be made in an effort to understand their destruction and our continued existence.
But if one looks at Old Testament events as physical pictures which depict spiritual realities of the New Testament, then the nations to be destroyed in the era of Judges may be seen as a picture of the sins a Christian is told to attack without mercy; the conflicts from which the Israelites obtained no rest may be seen as the conflict we are to expect in a world hostile to Jesus Christ.
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword."
~ Matthew 10:34 (NKJV)
Yes, we grow weary of spiritual warfare. Yes, we long to live in peace.
But.
The Israelites paid a high price for laying down arms before the Lord Himself declared "Enough War!" Willingness to make peace with evil people became peace with evil itself. However weary of warfare they may have become, it was not their place to decide when enough was enough.
Shall we choose to make peace with evil because we grow weary of fighting sin?
Lord God Almighty, You alone own the right to say when enough is enough. Please give us the encouragement and perseverance to remain faithful as spiritual warriors until that Day in the near future when You bring us true peace.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
People of every era long for peace. Pure reason seems to demand that all sides simply lay down arms and declare, "Enough war!"
The Israelites of 3,400 years ago surely reached that point. Once they crossed into the Promised Land and defeated the enemies who harassed and opposed them, they had surely wearied of war and saw no reason to keep fighting against the people willing to make peace with them.
"I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, '…you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land ….' But you have not obeyed My voice. Therefore I also said, 'I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be bait on a hook to you.' "
~ Judges 2:1-3
Judges is one of the most difficult portions of Scripture to understand. Why did God command such annihilation? If it was reasonable then, why is it unreasonable now?
To chronicle the atrocities and evil of an ancient pagan people who God called wicked could just as easily describe the world's current state of affairs. Too little distinction would be made in an effort to understand their destruction and our continued existence.
But if one looks at Old Testament events as physical pictures which depict spiritual realities of the New Testament, then the nations to be destroyed in the era of Judges may be seen as a picture of the sins a Christian is told to attack without mercy; the conflicts from which the Israelites obtained no rest may be seen as the conflict we are to expect in a world hostile to Jesus Christ.
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword."
~ Matthew 10:34 (NKJV)
Yes, we grow weary of spiritual warfare. Yes, we long to live in peace.
But.
The Israelites paid a high price for laying down arms before the Lord Himself declared "Enough War!" Willingness to make peace with evil people became peace with evil itself. However weary of warfare they may have become, it was not their place to decide when enough was enough.
Shall we choose to make peace with evil because we grow weary of fighting sin?
Lord God Almighty, You alone own the right to say when enough is enough. Please give us the encouragement and perseverance to remain faithful as spiritual warriors until that Day in the near future when You bring us true peace.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Feckless
My youngest is now six. This rerun from two years ago is one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy.
feck·less \ˈfek-ləs\ adj 1: WEAK, INEFFECTIVE
My four-year old drools in his sleep.
Some mornings, there's no damp pillow or cheek. Yet moms know. I'll cuddle him to wake up and catch a whiff of the telltale smell on his sweet face—and I hardly intend to quit cuddling to wash him. Later, an older sister may hold him and say, "Daniel smells funny." At some point, he'll get a bath to take care of all the funny smells which cling to four-year olds.
He's learned self-control where nighttime bladder issues are concerned. Yet when it comes to keeping his mouth closed during sleep, I can't help but like the word feckless.
I recently read a compelling line from The Sacred Romance by John Eldredge: "Unsettled, we turn and walk quickly away, like a woman who feels more than she wants to when her eyes meet those of a man not her husband."
Yikes.
I'd only noticed men who give women a slightly too appreciative glance before looking away. Are the secrets hidden in a woman's heart just as easily laid bare?
Men have the reputation for lust. I don't see their lust for sex much different from women's lust for romance, whether in frequency of thought or in the danger for compromise.
I've heard, "Feelings aren't right or wrong—they're just feelings." This lie from the pit of hell is the devil's tool to convince us that lust, wrath, pride, and an entire host of other emotions are justified. We think them our own secrets, which hurt no one. We see our hearts somewhat like our cars. We pass through the midst of hundreds of other cars but think of our space as private—while it's surrounded by glass.
Like the invisible dried spittle on my son's cheek, we unwittingly reveal our hearts and the evil emotions in them. We may dwell on such emotions and feed them, and eventually act upon them. If forced to confront those emotions, we justify them as no more than human.
The Creator indeed allows us anger, which can motivate us to defeat unrighteousness as it did David against Goliath. The Lord allows us enough pride to care about how we're perceived, so we'll work toward displaying the love, joy and peace He puts inside of us. God gives us sexual desire to unite ourselves with our spouses—body and soul—and to reveal more clearly divine union with us which is His desire.
Satan and flesh would use these good emotions for evil.
It's said sinful emotions are like birds: you can't prevent them from flying overhead, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.
We must indeed battle sinful emotions every day that we live on this side of heaven. We must remain aware of the dire consequences which follow if we fail to fight.
And we must remember to draw near to our loving Father, whose will is to continually wash us of sin's odor—even as He looks affectionately upon our humanity, which renders us feckless.
Your comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are most appreciated. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~
feck·less \ˈfek-ləs\ adj 1: WEAK, INEFFECTIVE
My four-year old drools in his sleep.
Some mornings, there's no damp pillow or cheek. Yet moms know. I'll cuddle him to wake up and catch a whiff of the telltale smell on his sweet face—and I hardly intend to quit cuddling to wash him. Later, an older sister may hold him and say, "Daniel smells funny." At some point, he'll get a bath to take care of all the funny smells which cling to four-year olds.
He's learned self-control where nighttime bladder issues are concerned. Yet when it comes to keeping his mouth closed during sleep, I can't help but like the word feckless.
"There is nothing covered that will not be revealed,
nor hidden that will not be known."
(Luke 12:2 NKJV)
nor hidden that will not be known."
(Luke 12:2 NKJV)
I recently read a compelling line from The Sacred Romance by John Eldredge: "Unsettled, we turn and walk quickly away, like a woman who feels more than she wants to when her eyes meet those of a man not her husband."
Yikes.
I'd only noticed men who give women a slightly too appreciative glance before looking away. Are the secrets hidden in a woman's heart just as easily laid bare?
Men have the reputation for lust. I don't see their lust for sex much different from women's lust for romance, whether in frequency of thought or in the danger for compromise.
I've heard, "Feelings aren't right or wrong—they're just feelings." This lie from the pit of hell is the devil's tool to convince us that lust, wrath, pride, and an entire host of other emotions are justified. We think them our own secrets, which hurt no one. We see our hearts somewhat like our cars. We pass through the midst of hundreds of other cars but think of our space as private—while it's surrounded by glass.
Like the invisible dried spittle on my son's cheek, we unwittingly reveal our hearts and the evil emotions in them. We may dwell on such emotions and feed them, and eventually act upon them. If forced to confront those emotions, we justify them as no more than human.
The Creator indeed allows us anger, which can motivate us to defeat unrighteousness as it did David against Goliath. The Lord allows us enough pride to care about how we're perceived, so we'll work toward displaying the love, joy and peace He puts inside of us. God gives us sexual desire to unite ourselves with our spouses—body and soul—and to reveal more clearly divine union with us which is His desire.
Satan and flesh would use these good emotions for evil.
For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do,
that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who
do it, but sin that dwells in me... O wretched man that I am!
Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—
through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:19-20,24-25 NKJV)
that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who
do it, but sin that dwells in me... O wretched man that I am!
Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—
through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:19-20,24-25 NKJV)
It's said sinful emotions are like birds: you can't prevent them from flying overhead, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.
We must indeed battle sinful emotions every day that we live on this side of heaven. We must remain aware of the dire consequences which follow if we fail to fight.
And we must remember to draw near to our loving Father, whose will is to continually wash us of sin's odor—even as He looks affectionately upon our humanity, which renders us feckless.
Your comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are most appreciated. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Soul Intoxication
image source: pattinsonintoxication
This week's posts are based on Jesus' words of Luke 21:34-35, taken from the Literal Translation, with the original Greek amplified:
"But take heed [pay attention; as a nautical term, to hold a ship in a direction, to sail towards] to yourselves that your hearts not be loaded down [heavily burdened, oppressed, dull, stupid] with headaches [hangover; disgust following intemperance], and drinking [intoxication—see below], and anxieties [distraction; a mind divided by worry and cares] of life, and that day [Isaiah 24:17] come suddenly upon you as a snare [spring on you like a trap], for it will come in on all those sitting on the face of all the earth."
: : :
At some point in our Christian walk, we come to understand that idolatry is far more than the ancient practice of kneeling before a statue or offering sacrifice to it. Idolatry is exalting even the best things in our life—spouse, family, liberty—as more sacred than God. Idolatry is being willing to sacrifice for these things what we will not sacrifice for the one true Lord of Heaven and Earth.
If I'm stretching the following metaphor too far, I don't mind someone pointing out my error. But I'm also inclined to see intoxication as immersing ourselves in pleasure to the extent that our senses are dulled to the things of God. I have the perspective that we (put my name at the top of the list) are far too inclined to excess where things such as these are concerned:
Food
Work / Hobbies
Sleep
Sex
Exercise / Athletics
Study
Novels
Television / Movies
Video Games
Puzzles (crossword, Sudoku, etc.)
Media / Social Networking
__________ (fill in the blank)
These things have a good and useful place in our lives (albeit some items on that list minimally so). To use them to the point of excess, or to dull our senses to the Holy Spirit with them, is soul intoxication.
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.
~ Ephesians 5:18-19 (NKJV)
Yesterday: Soul Hangover
Tomorrow: Soul Cares
Your comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are most appreciated. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Soul Hangover
image source: goingout.urbanbacon.com
Last Thursday's post about "The End" (prognosticated for Saturday) received this comment:
"Everyone wants to know 'when' [Jesus will] come. But I just want to be ready ..."
It's easy for Christians to think that readiness came with a decision to "accept Jesus." But the Bible describes being "in Christ" as an ongoing relationship of abiding in Jesus and His words. Jesus also teaches that if we don't pay attention, our hearts can be loaded down and distracted to the point that we are unprepared for His return.
Here are Jesus' words of Luke 21:34-35, taken from the Literal Translation, with the original Greek amplified:
"But take heed [pay attention; as a nautical term, to hold a ship in a direction, to sail towards] to yourselves that your hearts not be loaded down [heavily burdened, oppressed, dull, stupid] with headaches [see below], and drinking [intoxication], and anxieties [distraction; a mind divided by worry and cares] of life, and that day [Isaiah 24:17] come suddenly upon you as a snare [spring on you like a trap], for it will come in on all those sitting on the face of all the earth."
The Greek word translated here as "headaches" (and in the King James as "surfeiting") is kraipalē. It is a headache, a hangover, a shooting pain or a confusion in the head from an overindulgence in alcohol, as well as in gluttony and carousing. It can be applied to the disgust and loathing experienced after excess in general.
The Christian who has sinned may experience a spiritual hangover in the pain which follows our lack of self-control. While such discomfort is helpful when it breeds disgust and loathing for our sin, Jesus admonishes us to pay attention lest our hearts be loaded down with it after its purpose has been served.
Tomorrow: Soul Intoxication
Wednesday: Soul Cares
Your comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are most appreciated. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Road to Entitlement
Image source: sanitationupdates
"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
~ Declaration of Independence of the United States of America
If there is a line to be drawn between justly affirming unalienable rights and selfishly demanding perceived rights, it might be summed up in the phrase entitlement mentality.
Entitlement mentality goes beyond, "I have a right to a comfortable wage, full coverage health care, and paid time off." It might also say:
I am entitled to live free of suffering / inconvenience / annoyance.
I am entitled to the honor of my children / love of my husband / respect of my wife.
I have accepted Jesus and am entitled to God's mercy.
I have obeyed God and have a right to His blessing.
I am entitled to what I want at another's expense.
Saints are not immune to the entitlement mentality which tends to assert itself as sin.
David—the man after God's own heart—saw himself as entitled to both intimacy with another man's wife and a reputation free of adultery. Moses—more humble "than all men"—resisted God's calling more than once, and argued that he shouldn't be burdened with responsibility for the Israelites. Job—"blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil"—nonetheless insisted that God owed him an explanation for his suffering.
These men and others of the Bible had happy endings once they shed their entitlement mentality. Jonah's story ends less happily because he clung to it. What bitter irony that in asserting what more we should have, we're never satisfied with what we've got.
"Amazing grace
(how sweet the sound!)
that saved a wretch like me ..."
~ John Newton
Is there a happier place than to be repulsed by one's sin, comprehend the condemnation sin has earned, and then receive the gift of God Himself and eternal life?
How do we detour from this path of joy and find ourselves on the broad road which both takes salvation for granted and believes we are entitled to something more?
Now godliness with contentment is great gain... And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
~ 1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NKJV)
Powerful testimonies come from Christians who experience extreme suffering, who lack even adequate food and clothing, or who endure horrific persecution—and maintain the joy of their salvation.
Does being utterly destitute of everything except God make Him enough?
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation ...
~ Psalms 51:12 (NKJV)
If compelled to explain why I am entitled to anything more than the lowest caste Indian, who lives in a squatters' village built on a garbage dump, would asserting my U.S. nativity suffice?
If I wish to be restored to the joy of my salvation, perhaps the place to start is by exiting the road to entitlement and getting back on the path of believing I am a wretch who deserves nothing. Walking that road keeps me happily grateful for Him who is my All in All.
"I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant."
~ Genesis 32:10 (NKJV)
: : :
This post is part of a blog carnival hosted by Peter Pollock. You're invited to visit his site and see what others are saying about today's theme: ROAD.
Your comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are most appreciated. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Question of the Week:
How Long Does Temptation Knock?
Photo credit: Preston Bezant
How long were Adam and Eve in the garden before she took that fatal bite? Was the serpent whispering in her ear a long time?
~ Lori
The key question here, which applies to all of us, is how long might temptation knock?
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
~ James 4:7 (NKJV)
The remainder of my answer appears at Bullets & Butterflies.
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What questions do you have about Christianity or the Bible? You're invited to leave them in the comments below (anonymous questions welcome), or email buildingHisbody [plus] @ gmail.com.
© 2011 Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Question of the Week:
What Kind of Sin is It?
What are the different kinds of sin? How are they overcome?Last week's question addressed generational sin and the sources of temptation to sin: the devil, the world, our own desire.
The study of sin is as unpleasant as sin itself. After hours of studying dozens of words related to sin, I'm plenty sick of it. The types of sin might be narrowed down to the following categories:
Iniquity – general worthlessness and moral corruption within us
Ignorance – carelessly sinning or backsliding
Perversion – distorting God's ways
Betrayal / Transgression – knowingly crossing over to evil
Wickedness – deliberate, premeditated evil in rebellion against God
Miss the Mark – doing wrong simply because we fail to do right
One last word summed up everything: GUILTY.
For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
~ James 2:10 (NKJV)
How many crimes must a person commit to become a criminal? Only one.
How many sins makes us guilty of being a sinner unfit for Heaven? Only one.
Sin needn't be exhaustively analyzed to understand that we're sinners without hope of overcoming apart from the power of God. We don't defeat sin by studying sin, but by fixing our eyes on God and understanding His righteousness.
To overcome the eternal death penalty of sin:
• acknowledge that God is allowed to make the rules for His creation, and it is wrong to violate His rules regardless of any explanation we'd offer;
• admit to being a sinner and ask God for His forgiveness through Jesus Christ;
• resolve to turn away from sin (repent of sin).
Among the many ways to overcome the power of sin are these:
• acknowledge that God is wise and knows what's good, that He loves us and wants us to have true joy, that goodness and joy cannot be obtained apart from Him—and resolve to do God's will;
• faithfully read the Bible without ever believing that you know God well enough;
• cultivate dependence on God by continually praying to Him;
• when you sense God's Holy Spirit prompting you to action, yield immediately to increase His power;
• develop spiritual discipline by saying "no" to self-indulgence (fasting helps!);
• spend time with people who follow Jesus to strengthen a bond with Him;
• use caution to avoid being conformed to worldly influences.
I plan to address this last point next week in response to a question about the difference between being in the world and of the world.
© 2010 Anne Lang Bundy
Image source: nolanyogilaw.com
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This post originally appeared on Bullets & Butterflies. To see comments click here.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Poopy Pants
Today's post is for the blog carnival hosted by Bridget Trumbley. Click the link to visit her for more posts on Self-Control.
Poopy Pants
“I gotta go potty.”
The words came from my then four-year-old child, some years back at church camp. We were traversing the complex for tent meeting. The beginning strains of music could already be heard. With me towing a baby in stroller, family Bibles, and coloring books for young ones, I was determined to reach our destination and leave the entire entourage with Daddy before turning back for the errand. I sighed.
“We’ll go in a minute.”
“I gotta go now. I can go by myself.”
Children love church camp and permission to roam among trusted companions over several acres rather than several rooms. Potty was about the only reason the four-year-old was permitted out of my sight. Another sigh escaped me.
“Okay. Go straight to the bathroom and come right back.”
My youngster dashed off. I completed my trek to the tent, explained a child’s absence to my husband, and settled in for the evening. About the time I began to wonder about the four-year-old’s whereabouts, a friend advised that my little one was by the pavilion.
Annoyance at such loitering fueled my hasty steps back. I soon caught a glimpse of my child, sitting with chin in hand. I drew close and noticed the look of abject misery.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Young eyes staring at dirt did not move. But my nose detected the explanation my child could not manage to articulate. A glance toward the bathrooms was met with the “CLOSED FOR CLEANING” sign which explained everything.
I felt horrible. I’d not been there to explain to someone that we needed admission. Or to give my little one encouragement with “you can hold on for a few minutes.” Or to locate alternate facilities.
My fingertips pulled a small face upward until shame-filled eyes looked at me. “You couldn’t get in the bathroom and pooped your pants?”
Chin quivered. Tears began. Disgrace forced the face back toward dirt.
I pulled that face into my bosom—way better than a tissue for drying tears—and spoke softly with my lips against fine hair. “It’s okay, honey. These things happen sometimes. We’ll clean you up.”
I didn’t really want to clean up both of us. But some things are more important than staying clean. So I picked up a smelly body against myself, pulled a head onto my shoulder, and offered gentle words as we returned to our camper, visited the shower, then finally slipped into our seats.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
~ 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV)
Like an infant with no cognizance of poopy pants, we do not realize our sin at first.
Once little ones understand that poop doesn’t belong on people, they want to be shed of poopy pants. Our sin also becomes a stench when we gain God’s perspective of it. Whether we are slow or quick to gain self-control, we gain desire to be free of sin altogether rather than have to clean it up afterwards.
Pride does several things. It sees Self as smelling good and quite accomplished. It points one finger at the baby in poopy pants and uses the other to plug the nose. It uses words like “now” and “by myself.”
And sometimes, a situation overwhelms us when we lose self-control. We are ashamed to wear the stench of sin. We don’t want to face our Father and may isolate ourselves. Yet we have no ability to deal with sin apart from Him.
He’ll find us. He’ll not fail to love us and hold us close, though holy God abhors the stench of sin. If we accept it, He’ll cleanse us.
And if we stick close to the Lord, He knows an alternative or gives the strength to have self-control in unexpected situations.
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
~ 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Poopy Pants
“I gotta go potty.”
The words came from my then four-year-old child, some years back at church camp. We were traversing the complex for tent meeting. The beginning strains of music could already be heard. With me towing a baby in stroller, family Bibles, and coloring books for young ones, I was determined to reach our destination and leave the entire entourage with Daddy before turning back for the errand. I sighed.
“We’ll go in a minute.”
“I gotta go now. I can go by myself.”
Children love church camp and permission to roam among trusted companions over several acres rather than several rooms. Potty was about the only reason the four-year-old was permitted out of my sight. Another sigh escaped me.
“Okay. Go straight to the bathroom and come right back.”
My youngster dashed off. I completed my trek to the tent, explained a child’s absence to my husband, and settled in for the evening. About the time I began to wonder about the four-year-old’s whereabouts, a friend advised that my little one was by the pavilion.
Annoyance at such loitering fueled my hasty steps back. I soon caught a glimpse of my child, sitting with chin in hand. I drew close and noticed the look of abject misery.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Young eyes staring at dirt did not move. But my nose detected the explanation my child could not manage to articulate. A glance toward the bathrooms was met with the “CLOSED FOR CLEANING” sign which explained everything.
I felt horrible. I’d not been there to explain to someone that we needed admission. Or to give my little one encouragement with “you can hold on for a few minutes.” Or to locate alternate facilities.
My fingertips pulled a small face upward until shame-filled eyes looked at me. “You couldn’t get in the bathroom and pooped your pants?”
Chin quivered. Tears began. Disgrace forced the face back toward dirt.
I pulled that face into my bosom—way better than a tissue for drying tears—and spoke softly with my lips against fine hair. “It’s okay, honey. These things happen sometimes. We’ll clean you up.”
I didn’t really want to clean up both of us. But some things are more important than staying clean. So I picked up a smelly body against myself, pulled a head onto my shoulder, and offered gentle words as we returned to our camper, visited the shower, then finally slipped into our seats.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
~ 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV)
Like an infant with no cognizance of poopy pants, we do not realize our sin at first.
Once little ones understand that poop doesn’t belong on people, they want to be shed of poopy pants. Our sin also becomes a stench when we gain God’s perspective of it. Whether we are slow or quick to gain self-control, we gain desire to be free of sin altogether rather than have to clean it up afterwards.
Pride does several things. It sees Self as smelling good and quite accomplished. It points one finger at the baby in poopy pants and uses the other to plug the nose. It uses words like “now” and “by myself.”
And sometimes, a situation overwhelms us when we lose self-control. We are ashamed to wear the stench of sin. We don’t want to face our Father and may isolate ourselves. Yet we have no ability to deal with sin apart from Him.
He’ll find us. He’ll not fail to love us and hold us close, though holy God abhors the stench of sin. If we accept it, He’ll cleanse us.
And if we stick close to the Lord, He knows an alternative or gives the strength to have self-control in unexpected situations.
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
~ 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Wages of Sin
"Sin would have fewer takers if the consequences were immediate."~ Unknown
Wages of Sin
"If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity. And he shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering."
~ Leviticus 5:17-18 (NKJV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
~ Romans 12:1 (NIV)
The first five books of Leviticus detail the sacrifices to be made for a multitude of reasons, sin being primary. The section concludes with the offering required when a person sinned and didn't know it.
Despite good intentions, sin is still sin, and sin must be dealt with.
Sin was very, very expensive under the old covenant. Using the best animals of the flock or herd in sacrifice for sin would be like us sacrificing something important to making a living—computer, tools, work clothing. If committing a sin meant forfeiting your cell phone, how long would it take to get your attention?
Yet more was lost than the monetary value of an animal. To demonstrate clearly that the wages of sin is death, an animal's life was snuffed out. "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." (Hebrews 9:22 ESV) In the course of 1500 years of sacrifice, millions of animals were slaughtered to point to the ultimate blood sacrifice Jesus paid at Calvary.
Because sin's eternal cost has been paid, we can sometimes forget sin's ongoing cost here in temporal realms of this life. Not only does each sin bring its related consequences, it robs us of spiritual life and closeness to God.
The wages of sin is still death.
Ironically, the way to avoid sin is also death—death of self. It is when we daily offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice, laying down our own will, that we truly live.
Father in Heaven, we belong to You. You have purchased us with the precious blood of Your Son, the Lamb of God. Please help us to freely give to You whatever we hold dear. Please help us believe that You always offer us something greater.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Image source: punchstock.com
Monday, March 22, 2010
Question of the Week:
How Much is Too Much?
"God in His goodness sent the grape
To cheer both great and small;
Little fools will drink too much
And great fools none at all."
~ Unknown
To cheer both great and small;
Little fools will drink too much
And great fools none at all."
~ Unknown
Is gluttony a less serious sin than others? From @nicolewick
At what point does patriotism become an idol? From Russell Holloway
How much of a good thing is bad?
The same could be asked of alcohol, sex, weapons—things not commonly called “good.” Yet the Bible speaks favorably of wine as God’s blessing, of physical intimacy between a man and his wife as cause for rejoicing, of the sword as God’s instrument. Problems arise when such things are used apart from God’s intent for them.
The righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God...
Go, eat your bread with joy,
And drink your wine with a merry heart;
For God has already accepted your works.
~ Ecclesiastes 9:1,7 (NKJV)
When we are “wise and righteous”—when God is first in our lives, when we learn the Bible’s truths, when we operate in love of God, neighbor and self—food strengthens bodies used in God’s service, and even for feasting to celebrate His blessings. But gluttony destroys our bodies, and therefore violates the commandment “You shall not murder.”
Is that a “serious” enough sin?
In latter times some will depart from the faith ... speaking lies in hypocrisy ... forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For ... nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
~ 1 Timothy 4:1-5 (NKJV)
There are reasons to abstain from sex (being unmarried, being called by God to a life of celibacy). There are reasons to abstain from alcohol (history of alcohol abuse, or to respect those who might have difficulty around alcohol). Even abstinence from food is good in times of fasting. In situations where love comes first, a Christian might refuse otherwise good things.
But when religious legalists disregard love and Christian liberty, commanding what God does not or forbidding what God does not, they depart from the faith and speak lies. When patriotism or pacifism or any other -ism becomes our guiding principle rather than God’s Word, it is an idol.
Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
~ Matthew 22:37-40 (NKJV)
Love God. Love neighbor and self without indulging neighbor and self.
Avoid extremes of either legalism or license to sin.
And remember to give thanks before meals. It’s hard to thank God for junk food with a straight face.
© 2010 Anne Lang Bundy
Image Source: ehow.com
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This post originally appeared at Bullets & Butterflies on March 20. To see additional comments, click here.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Question of the Week: Is It Wrong ...?
"Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking."
~ J.C. Watts
Q: "Is it wrong for a male and female to live together as roommates if there are no romantic intentions?" From Kim Botdorf, South Carolina
The answer applies to anything we might call "wrong" as violation of God's law or commandment.
Let's first establish if we're bound by the letter of the law, or if we have the freedom to live by the spirit of the law.
The Bible gives God's Ten Commandments for humanity. If closely examined, people quickly discover inability to live by the those ten basic laws: we appropriate what belongs to others (stealing); we deceive (however overtly or covertly); we covet.
We don't begin to satisfy commandment number one: "I am the LORD your God ... you shall have no other gods before Me." Our first god is Self. How many times is what we want placed ahead of what God wants?
For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. (James 2:10 NKJV)
We are hopeless lawbreakers. Inherently self-centered, we are unable to give God His rightful place in our lives. Snubbing God on earth is a decision to forego living with Him in Heaven. Though we want to see ourselves as mostly "good," even a little bit of "bad" poisons our souls.
God imposed a spiritual death penalty for sinful people who break His commandments and don't put Him first. Such people don't live in His kingdom.
Under the law, whether the question is about roommates or anything else, the liberalist finds a way to judge it okay, the legalist finds a way to condemn. But a person is a lawbreaker subject to an eternal death penalty anyway, so the question has little more significance than an embezzler of millions worrying about pilfering paper clips.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2 NKJV)
God loves us and makes available a payment of the death penalty, a covering for our sin, and a cleansing which makes us fit for God's presence. That is all accomplished by the blood which Jesus shed when He died on the cross.
Those who admit to God they're sinners, then ask Him to forgive their sin and cleanse them from it through Jesus are now "in Christ." Among other things, we now have His Holy Spirit to guide how we live. We are set free from the letter of the law to live by the spirit of the law.
"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12 ESV)
For those in Christ, who are to live by the spirit of the law, the roommates question is not a matter of right or wrong, but does it honor God? Is it beneficial to all involved? Does the situation enslave anyone? (An example of the latter would be to live in continual battle against emotions and hormones which have a tendency to get the better of the best intentions.)
Finally, has God provided a reason to do in faith what might be questioned? (An example for roommates would be as caretaker for someone.)
If we ask questions to either justify or condemn a situation, there are no satisfactory answers.
If we ask questions with a pure desire to live rightly in Christ—without personal motive—God's Spirit can guide us to do what honors Him and is most beneficial to all involved.
© 2010 Anne Lang Bundy
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This post originally appeared at Bullets & Butterflies on March 5. To see additional comments, click here.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
What Is Sin?
"Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great."
~ Mark Twain
Why do you show contempt for your brother? ... resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way... let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another... whatever is not from faith is sin.
~ Romans 14:10,13,19,23 (NKJV)
~ Romans 14:10,13,19,23 (NKJV)
"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."
~ Mark 9:42 (NKJV)
~ Mark 9:42 (NKJV)
And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins."
~ Peter 4:8 (NKJV)
~ Peter 4:8 (NKJV)
Whoever has been born of God does not sin ... In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
~ 1 John 3:9-10 (NKJV)
~ 1 John 3:9-10 (NKJV)
Romans is the greatest study of theology ever written. As Paul nears its conclusion, sin is brought down to simplest terms: If you cause someone to stumble—if you do whatever is not from faith—it is sin.
The opposite of causing another to stumble is to edify (literally "build up") another. It is motivated by love. When we walk in Real Love, our desire is to bring restoration and edification and strength to those around us. Even when they sin, love does not seek opportunity to condemn, but desires to do whatever will cover that sin.
Regardless of what the world says, not everyone is a child of God, but only those of blood—Christ's blood. This is how God's children are known: when we practice righteousness, and when we love our blood brothers and sisters.
Father, You've poured out upon us the greatest love. You are love personified. In You is all goodness. Please make us Your goodness and love to one another. Please keep us from sin.
Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Sin is Death
"Sin would have fewer takers if its consequences were immediate."
~ Unknown
~ Unknown
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
~ Romans 6:23 (NKJV)
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh [human nature] will of the flesh reap corruption [destruction, death], but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
~ Galatians 6:7-8 (NKJV)
"I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life."
~ Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV)
Certain principles are as valid as the law of gravity. The wages of sin is death. If a person sows seeds of sin, one reaps death, whether in only this temporal life or for eternity.
Turning from sin to Jesus in faith gives the gift of eternal life. But to receive greater fullness of eternal life during this temporal life, one must continue to turn away from sin. Each decision to do what pleases Self is a choice to reap death. To reap life, one must choose what pleases the Holy Spirit.
Every time. Each small decision for sin is a decision for death—an opening the door to the Grim Reaper.
Each yielding to the Holy Spirit is a decision for life—an opening the door to Jesus, Who stands knocking, bringing light.
Lord Jesus, You said that You came so we might have life, and have it in abundance. We desperately need Your Spirit's strength to consistently make decisions for life. Please open our eyes to see all we are choosing at every point of sin. Please lead us in paths of life and peace.
Feedback appreciated! Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Super Grace
... death reigned from Adam until Moses ... Law entered alongside so that the offense should abound, but where sin abounded, grace super-abounded ...
~ Romans 5:14,20 (ALT)
Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
~ Galatians 3:24 (NKJV)
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life... For he who has died has been freed from sin.
~ Romans 6:4,7 (NKJV)
We often think of grace as a New Testament principle which began with Jesus. Paul says death reigned from Adam to Moses. Through Moses the law is given, and grace came with it. With law comes revelation of Jesus Christ, for the law is a tutor to bring us to Christ and His grace.
Throughout the Old Covenant law is death of sacrificial animals for sin, so that grace might result. The cost must have seemed high to those who offered them. The cost of the New Covenant blood is likewise high. It not only cost Jesus His life, it is to cost us our lives—the right to live for ourselves. In return, we receive the abundant life of Jesus Christ.
Do you have sin which abounded? Is it buried with Christ? Guess how Paul describes the result? Here's the literal translation: "grace super-abounded." In Greek that's huperperisseuo. Huper means super, superior, over, exceeding. Perisseuo means superabound, be in excess, superfluous, to have more than enough.
"Where sin abounded, grace super-abounded." Remember it!
Lord Jesus, how can we begin to comprehend this super grace? Please show us each day how to live less of the life of Self, live more of the life of Jesus, and lay hold of the life of super grace.
Feedback appreciated! Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Exhibit B: Conscience
Exhibit B: Conscience
For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these ... show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them ...
~ Romans 2:14-15 (NKJV)
When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer.
~ Psalms 32:3-4 (NKJV)
"And when He [the Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me ..."
~ John 16:8-9 (NKJV)
Paul lays out in the book of Romans a methodical case for Christianity. In chapter one, he establishes the existence of the Creator, and the Creator's denial of true atheism (see Without Excuse, Tuesday's post).
In chapter two of Romans, Paul establishes the existence of moral law, and therefore a Lawgiver. In a preemptive strike, he declares "inexcusable" any attempt for one person to use the law for condemnation of another (Grace, yesterday's post).
At the same time, Paul uses the existence of law to condemn us all in the sight of God. The proof of moral law's existence lies in conscience. Even a child understands the suffering of a soul which has chosen to do what it knows to be wrong. The psalmist's lament to God, "Your hand was heavy upon me" testifies to the voice of conscience, which some call the voice of God in the soul. One can indeed argue that the voice of conscience is the voice of the Holy Spirit, speaking conviction for sin. To blaspheme the Holy Spirit's testimony is to commit the unpardonable sin.
There are numerous and far more educated scholars who have elaborated upon this point at great length, C.S. Lewis foremost among them. Here I simply present to you Paul's exhibit B in His case for Christianity, an item familiar to us all. He names it conscience.
Our Father God and Creator, You are our Lawgiver. You show us clearly, "This is the way—walk in it." Please make our hearts tender to hear You, and our souls strong to heed You. Please lead us to repent quickly when we've been wrong.
Feedback appreciated! Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
YHWH Rophe-ka / YHWH Your Healer
For July, each post examines an Old Testament name of God.
YHWH Rophe-ka / YHWH Your Healer
YHWH Rophe-ka / YHWH Your Healer
"If you diligently heed the voice of YHWH your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am YHWH Your Healer."
~ Exodus 15:26 (author)
Zodhiates Hebrew Dictionary defines the Hebrew verb rapha "to heal, to make fresh ... describes the process ... of physical and spiritual healing ... being [made] wholesome ... it describes the restoring of a person's soul, life."
Like the word shalom, meaning "peace," rapha addresses wholeness of body, mind, heart and soul. The components of a person are not separated. If one part of the person is not well, the person is not well.
In The Word on Health*, Dr. Michael D. Jacobson identifies six reasons given in Scripture for physical illness related to the whole person:
• Sickness unto death
• Sickness to glorify God through healing
• Sickness to test or develop character
• Sickness due to a broken spirit (depression)
• Sickness due to purely physical causes
• Sickness due to chastisement [/consequences] for sin
Among reasons for sickness due to chastisement, Dr. Jacobson mentions specific sins for which the Bible describes that one might suffer illness, including immorality, lying, rebellion, bitterness (unforgiveness), a violated conscience (guilt), and taking communion unworthily. It is noteworthy that consequences may be chastisement from God as Father, from the devil (by sin giving him an opening in our lives), or the physical affects on the body from sin itself (e.g., alcoholism).
There is a time and place for physicians and counselors of various kinds. But the Lord is our foremost Healer, of body, mind, heart, and soul. When we turn to Him for healing, He does not isolate a physical problem from the whole person, and His process of healing is likely to involve more than the body. He may choose to heal upon repentance or through medicine. He may release from sickness upon death, or He may choose to perform a miraculous healing at once (to which numerous credible testimonies attest, and which I have personally witnessed).
When we seek His healing, we do well to ask Him how we might cooperate with it. When we see another suffering affliction, we must use utmost caution to not evaluate the why of sickness unless God is providing direction to enable us to assist the healing process. We should remain ready to offer comfort to the afflicted.
The greatest and most important healing God desires to do is the eternal healing of our spirits from sin. It is a healing available only through the blood of His Son. The most important healing God might use one of His servants to perform is speaking words of freedom from sin and guilt.
God promises to heal His children. The why, how and when are subject to His will—as it is bent by our prayers.
* Above excerpts taken from The Word on Health by Dr. Michael D. Jacobson, Moody Press, © 2000. Used with written permission of the publisher, 2001.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Belong to Christ
"The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the LORD, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings."
~ Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NKJV)
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
~ Galatians 5:24 (ESV)
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
~ Galatians 6:7-8 (NKJV)
To belong to Christ includes blessings unknown to those who do not confess Him as Lord: salvation from sin’s penalty of eternal death; relationship with God as Father; becoming a place where the Holy Spirit (and therefore the presence of God) resides.
But we share the curses of those who are not His. To belong to Christ does not immediately remove us from this world, nor exclude us from its suffering. To belong to Christ does not immediately set us free from mortal flesh and its sinful nature.
The more closely we identify with this world, the more we will experience the despair of suffering. The more we give in to the sinful and self-seeking desires of flesh, the more we will experience the temporal penalties of sin.
The more closely we identify with the Kingdom of God, the more we will know love, joy and peace in the face of suffering. The more we yield to the Spirit of God within us and crucify the desires of flesh, the more we will reap the fruit of everlasting life rather than the fruit of corruption from the seeds of our doings.
Father, how good You are to give us the armor we need to face the enemy when he attacks. How good You are to supply all we need to face a world of suffering and the temptations of flesh. Please teach us to depend on You and follow You—to sow seeds of life.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com.
Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the LORD, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings."
~ Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NKJV)
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
~ Galatians 5:24 (ESV)
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
~ Galatians 6:7-8 (NKJV)
To belong to Christ includes blessings unknown to those who do not confess Him as Lord: salvation from sin’s penalty of eternal death; relationship with God as Father; becoming a place where the Holy Spirit (and therefore the presence of God) resides.
But we share the curses of those who are not His. To belong to Christ does not immediately remove us from this world, nor exclude us from its suffering. To belong to Christ does not immediately set us free from mortal flesh and its sinful nature.
The more closely we identify with this world, the more we will experience the despair of suffering. The more we give in to the sinful and self-seeking desires of flesh, the more we will experience the temporal penalties of sin.
The more closely we identify with the Kingdom of God, the more we will know love, joy and peace in the face of suffering. The more we yield to the Spirit of God within us and crucify the desires of flesh, the more we will reap the fruit of everlasting life rather than the fruit of corruption from the seeds of our doings.
Father, how good You are to give us the armor we need to face the enemy when he attacks. How good You are to supply all we need to face a world of suffering and the temptations of flesh. Please teach us to depend on You and follow You—to sow seeds of life.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com.
Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Covetousness: Deceit and Idolatry
"For I will stretch out My hand
Against the inhabitants of the land," says the LORD.
"Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them,
Everyone is given to covetousness;
And from the prophet even to the priest,
Everyone deals falsely."
~ Jeremiah 6:12-13
I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire.
~ Romans 7:7-8
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief ... hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
~ Hebrews 3:12-13
Lest any among Jeremiah's audience thought themselves innocent of sin, he brings covetousness into the picture, to convict everyone, from least to greatest.
Covetousness led King Ahab to murder. Righteous David succumbed to adultery and murder because he first coveted. Even the Pharisee Saul—who scrupulously obeyed the commandments—would one day be forced to see himself as a sinner when confronted with the commandment, "You shall not covet."
Covetousness may be of another's goods or spouse, of another's attributes or advantage. It requires us to deal falsely with our neighbor, either to conceal our covetousness, or to perhaps gain what we covet. We also deceive ourselves as well if we believe sin does not occur before thought becomes action.
Worst of all, covetousness deceives us to believe that God has not granted to us all we need or deserve—that He isn't as good as He should be. And thus our hearts become hardened and idolatrous.
The Bible's comforting words are pleasant. The Bible's harsh words are necessary, showing us how to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He makes us ever more Christlike.
Oh YHWH our Righteousness, apart from You we are utterly evil, no matter how good we look on the outside. Please wash us with the water of the Word. If necessary, scorch us with the Spirit's fire. Make us good and holy and pleasing in Your sight.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Against the inhabitants of the land," says the LORD.
"Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them,
Everyone is given to covetousness;
And from the prophet even to the priest,
Everyone deals falsely."
~ Jeremiah 6:12-13
I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire.
~ Romans 7:7-8
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief ... hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
~ Hebrews 3:12-13
Lest any among Jeremiah's audience thought themselves innocent of sin, he brings covetousness into the picture, to convict everyone, from least to greatest.
Covetousness led King Ahab to murder. Righteous David succumbed to adultery and murder because he first coveted. Even the Pharisee Saul—who scrupulously obeyed the commandments—would one day be forced to see himself as a sinner when confronted with the commandment, "You shall not covet."
Covetousness may be of another's goods or spouse, of another's attributes or advantage. It requires us to deal falsely with our neighbor, either to conceal our covetousness, or to perhaps gain what we covet. We also deceive ourselves as well if we believe sin does not occur before thought becomes action.
Worst of all, covetousness deceives us to believe that God has not granted to us all we need or deserve—that He isn't as good as He should be. And thus our hearts become hardened and idolatrous.
The Bible's comforting words are pleasant. The Bible's harsh words are necessary, showing us how to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He makes us ever more Christlike.
Oh YHWH our Righteousness, apart from You we are utterly evil, no matter how good we look on the outside. Please wash us with the water of the Word. If necessary, scorch us with the Spirit's fire. Make us good and holy and pleasing in Your sight.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Who is Forgiven Little?
"There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more? ... Do you see this woman? Her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But the one who is forgiven little loves little." ... Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; be going on in peace."
~ Luke 7:41-50 (author)
"Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof."
~ Luke 7:6 (ESV)
These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.
~ Proverbs 6:16-19 (NKJV)
Chapter 7 of Luke begins with the story of a wealthy Roman—a Gentile—who loved Israel and called her Messiah "Lord." He saw himself as utterly unworthy to even approach Jesus, let alone let Jesus enter his abode. Jesus identified his faith as greater than any He'd found in Israel.
The chapter concludes with the story of a woman called only "a sinful woman." Whatever her sin, it was obvious enough to be her identifying trait. Humbled by her many sins, her tears were sufficient to wash Jesus' feet, her love sufficient to kiss His feet before those who despised her.
Who is forgiven little? Only that person able to say, "I've never had a proud look or a lying tongue. My hands never caused the bloodshed of an innocent Man. I run from evil when I view it, and I sow only peace in my family."
Everyone is forgiven much. It's simply a matter of how little we perceive our sins to be that limits our capacity to love our Lord and Savior.
Jesus Christ, Yeshua Ha-Mashiach, You are my Lord and my God. You are Adonai and YHWH. My hands are stained with Your blood, and I gratefully accept You fully covering me with Your blood, under the shadow of Your wings, set under Your authority. I love You with as much strength as You provide.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ Luke 7:41-50 (author)
"Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof."
~ Luke 7:6 (ESV)
These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.
~ Proverbs 6:16-19 (NKJV)
Chapter 7 of Luke begins with the story of a wealthy Roman—a Gentile—who loved Israel and called her Messiah "Lord." He saw himself as utterly unworthy to even approach Jesus, let alone let Jesus enter his abode. Jesus identified his faith as greater than any He'd found in Israel.
The chapter concludes with the story of a woman called only "a sinful woman." Whatever her sin, it was obvious enough to be her identifying trait. Humbled by her many sins, her tears were sufficient to wash Jesus' feet, her love sufficient to kiss His feet before those who despised her.
Who is forgiven little? Only that person able to say, "I've never had a proud look or a lying tongue. My hands never caused the bloodshed of an innocent Man. I run from evil when I view it, and I sow only peace in my family."
Everyone is forgiven much. It's simply a matter of how little we perceive our sins to be that limits our capacity to love our Lord and Savior.
Jesus Christ, Yeshua Ha-Mashiach, You are my Lord and my God. You are Adonai and YHWH. My hands are stained with Your blood, and I gratefully accept You fully covering me with Your blood, under the shadow of Your wings, set under Your authority. I love You with as much strength as You provide.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
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