God’s Providence

Greetings All,

     This morning at the men’s group I attend (where we were discussing the life of Fanny Crosby from last week’s thought) the conversation strayed into a discussion of the providence of God, or the sovereignty of God over all the affairs of our lives. Even the smallest details. Even the hurtful details. Things we can now (though not at the time we were going through it) thank God for, and even the things we may have wished had been different. God's providence is His divine oversight of the all that happens in this universe.
     In light of that conversation I wanted to send out a “thought” on that topic. A topic which I do not hear spoken of as much as I used to. Yet,  I would ask you to read, consider what is said, and see if what follows fits with what you believe and have been taught. I myself find the topic fascinating and very comforting. I trust you might also. This selection is by Ray Pritchard. Enjoy.

     “Providence is God’s gracious oversight of the universe.  Every one of those words is important. God’s providence is one aspect of his grace. Oversight means that he directs the course of affairs. The word universe tells us that God not only knows the big picture, he also concerns himself with the tiniest details. Here are five statements that unfold the meaning of God’s providence in more detail.

He upholds all things.

He governs all events.

He directs everything to its appointed end.

He does this all the time and in every circumstance.

He does it always for his own glory.

     The doctrine of God’s providence teaches us several important truths:  FIRST, God cares about the tiniest details of life. Nothing escapes His notice for He is concerned about the small as well as the big. In fact, with God there is no big or small. He knows when a sparrow falls and he numbers the hairs on your head (Luke 12:6-7). He keeps track of the stars in the skies and the rivers that flow to the oceans (Job 38-41). He sets the day of your birth, the day of your death, and he ordains everything that comes to pass in between (Psalm 139). SECOND, he uses everything and wastes nothing There are no accidents with God, only incidents. This includes events that seem to us to be senseless tragedies (Romans 8:28). THIRD, God’s ultimate purpose is to shape His children into the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). He often uses difficult moments and human tragedies to accomplish that purpose.

     Many verses in the Bible teach these truths, including Acts 17:28, Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 1:3, Proverbs 16:9 (“in his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps”), and especially Psalm 115:3 (“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him”). The doctrine of God’s providence is really a combination of four other attributes:

Sovereignty—He is in control.

Predestination—He is in charge of how everything turns out.

Wisdom—He makes no mistakes.

Goodness—He has our best interests at heart.

     In the words of R. C. Sproul, “God doesn’t roll dice.” Nothing happens by chance. Ever."

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     Here is a story that is said to be behind the incredibly insightful and beautiful words of William Cowper's hymn that follows.  A story that exemplifies God's providence. Reportedly this is the last hymn William Cowper (1731-1800) ever wrote, and here is the story said to be behind it. Cowper often struggled with deep depression and doubt. One night he decided to commit suicide by drowning himself. He called a driver (horse and carriage, obviously) to take him to the Thames River. However, thick fog came down and prevented them from finding the river (another version of the story says the driver got lost deliberately). After driving around lost for a while, the gentleman finally stopped and let Cowper out. To Cowper’s surprise, he found himself on his own doorstep. God had sent the fog to keep him from killing himself. He realized that even in our blackest moments, God watches over us.

     He wrote the following hymn in light of that and other incidents (difficult and pleasant in nature) which evidenced the hand of God guiding the circumstances of his life -- can we say in a "Proverbs 16:9" manner?   “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”

GOD MOVES  IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain."

     Can you trace the hand of God's providence in your life?  Do the circumstances of your life suggest an invisible hand of power and grace was guiding you to a destination you did not intend to go to?  Was your story written by you, or do the details of your life-story suggest another author scripted it?  Just some thoughts to ponder….

     Grateful for a God who cares enough to guide, direct and sometimes over-rule our choices, Pastor Jeff

A Selection of Short Thoughts

Greetings All!

     Sometimes you can say a lot in very few words!  Therefore,  today, instead of one longer thought, I offer you many short thoughts -- all which struck me as worthy of sharing.  I trust one or more may hit home for you as well!   Enjoy!

     “Prosperity cannot be a proof of God’s favor, since it is what the devil promises to those who worship him.”

John Piper

     “When we deal seriously with our sins, God will deal gently with us.”

Charles Spurgeon

     “Evangelism must start with the holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, the demands of the law, and the eternal consequences of evil.”

Martin Lloyd-Jones

     “I frequently hear persons exhorted to give their hearts to Christ, which is a very proper exhortation. But that is not the Gospel. Salvation comes from something that Christ gives you, not something you give to Christ.  The giving of your heart to Christ follows after receiving from Christ the gift of eternal life by faith.”

Charles Spurgeon

“I’m just a nobody telling everybody about somebody who can save anybody.”

Anonymous

“Your personal testimony, however meaningful to you, is not the Gospel.”

R. C. Sproul

     “In our day it is considered worse to judge evil than to do evil.”

Os Guiness

     “Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible.  Faith begins where man’s power ends.” 

George Muller

     “Worry is believing God will not get it right, and bitterness is believing God got it wrong.”

 Tim Keller

     “You will derive far more benefit from a single verse of Scripture read slowly and prayerfully and duly meditated on than you will from ten chapters read through quickly.”

A. W. Pink

     “I must listen to the gospel. It tells me not what I must do, but what Christ the Son of God has done for me.”

Martin Luther

     “If you are really saved, brethren, not a hair of your heads belongs to yourselves. Christ’s blood has either bought you or it has not. And if it has, then you are altogether Christ’s – every bit of you – and you are neither to eat nor drink, nor sleep, but for Christ.”

Charles Spurgeon

     “The doctrine of grace and redemption keeps us from seeing any person or situation as hopeless.”

Tim Keller

     “God has given me everything, forgiven me everything, promised me everything, and I lack nothing except the faith to believe it.” 

Martin Luther

     “The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances.”

Elisabeth Elliot

     “You have become blind when you see nothing wrong with something God has called sin.”

Anonymous

Many blessings in Christ, Pastor Jeff

Sanctification

Greetings All!

     Not too long ago I was speaking with a group of college-age Christians when I brought up the topic of sanctification. There was dead silence.  “What’s sanctification?” one boy asked.  “It’s being set apart for God, or as belonging to God,” I said. “It means growing in holiness.”   Since they still looked a bit confused and didn’t totally understand the term holiness, I said: “You know, like growing to be more godly or coming to reject sin more and more. Seeking to do what Christ wants and resisting the things of the world.” 

     Yet, try as I might to explain it, it was a topic they found hard to grasp.  And these weren’t unbelievers or non-churched people, they were churched people, one young man being a pastor’s kid.  So, I figured that if they struggled with the concept of sanctification, maybe others do as well.  And if so, to help remedy that lack of understanding, I offer these quotes on sanctification from well-known Christians.  I trust they will help!  Enjoy!

     "There are three things which the true Christian desires in respect to sin: Justification, that it may not condemn; Sanctification, that it may not rein; and Glorification, that it may cease to be."       Richard Cecil

     "I asked her what was so scary about unmerited free grace? She replied something like this: If I was saved by my good works – then there would be a limit to what God could ask of me or put me through.  I would be like a taxpayer with rights. I would have done my duty and now I would deserve a certain quality of life. But if it is really true that I am a sinner saved by sheer grace – at God's infinite cost – then there's nothing he cannot ask of me."    Tim Keller

     "Associate with sanctified persons. They may by their counsel, prayers, and holy example, be a means to make you holy."    Thomas Watson

     "The Christian life requires hard work. Our sanctification is a process wherein we are co-workers with God. We have the promise of God's assistance in our labor, but His divine help does not annul our responsibility to work (Phil. 2:12-13).”    R. C. Sproul

     "Some Christians overlook the blessing of sanctification, and yet to a thoroughly renewed heart, this is one of the sweetest gifts of the covenant. If we could be saved from wrath, and yet remain unregenerate, impenitent sinners, we should not be saved as we desire, for we mainly and chiefly pant to be saved from sin and led in the way of holiness.”     Charles Spurgeon

     “Is my wife more like Christ because she is married to me? Or is she like Christ in spite of me? Has she shrunk from His likeness because of me? Do I sanctify her or hold her back? Is she a better woman because she is married to me?"    R. Kent Hughes

     "The one marvelous secret of a holy life lies not in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfections of Jesus manifest themselves in my mortal flesh. Sanctification is "Christ in you."... Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus the power to be holy; it is drawing from Jesus the holiness that was manifested in Him, and He manifests it in me."  Oswald Chambers

     "The sanctified body is one whose hands are clean. The stain of dishonesty is not on them, the withering blight of ill-gotten gain has not blistered them, the mark of violence is not found upon them. They have been separated from every occupation that could displease God or injure a fellow-man."    A. B. Simpson

     "Those who have been justified are now being sanctified; those who have no experience of present sanctification have no reason to suppose they have been justified."   F.F. Bruce

     One of God’s primary purposes in the life of everyone He saves is to restore His sin-damaged and sin-fractured image within us.

     This is one of the three primary aspects of “salvation” which includes: 1^st) JUSTIFICATION or being “saved” from the wrath of God against our sin, and brought into a pardoned, reconciled, or right standing with God, by grace, through atonement and faith in Christ or His blood (Rom. 3:21-26).  2^nd) SANCTIFICATION or being “saved” from the power and personality-distorting effects of sin in two ways: In an immediate way at the time of our conversion (definitive sanctification), and then in a gradual way for the remainder of our lives (progressive life-long sanctification) where God conforms us more and more into the likeness of Jesus, who is “the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His being" (Heb. 1:3).  And 3^rd) GLORIFICATION or being “saved” from the indwelling presence of sin within us all together at the time of our death and/or resurrection.

     So, "salvation" is to be saved from sin’s penalty (justification) and power (sanctification) and presence (glorification). It's one of the reasons you can't really speak about salvation from a biblical perspective without speaking of sin!  It also explains what Richard Cecil means in the first quote, and why F.F. Bruce can say what he says in the last quote. "God chose us before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in Him"  (Eph. 1:4) and "predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29).  That was His eternal purpose for us, and it always involves sanctification!

In the Bonds of the Gospel, Pastor Jeff 

Thanksgiving

Greetings All,

     I could not send out this week's 'thought' without offering you a few insights on the need, beauty, duty, pleasure, healthiness, and attitude-altering effects of thanksgiving. 
     It's an attitude encouraged repeatedly throughout the Bible, and is so necessary in every aspect of the believers life -- including worship. For as the writer of Hebrews tells us (12:28): "Let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably..."

     Therefore I offer you these words of wisdom from various sources and authors -- the Bible, secular philosophers, inspirational speakers, Christian and non-Christian authors, therapists, and every day people. Nearly everyone who has any degree of wisdom at all knows how imperative a truly grateful heart is to a more healthy outlook and the nurturing of inner joy -- especially when that gratitude is offered to the One who gives us all good things to enjoy.

     "If you need help, ask God. If you don't, thank Him."

Anonymous

     "The more we understand God's sovereignty, the more our prayers will be filled with thanksgiving."

R. C. Sproul

     "There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy."

Ralph H. Blum 

     "If anyone would tell you the shortest, surest way to happiness and all perfection, he must tell you to make it a rule to yourself to thank and praise God for everything that happens to you." 

William Law 

     "None is more impoverished than the one who has no gratitude. Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy."

Fred De Witt Van Amburgh

     "If there is one thing that will make all the difference to how you feel when you go to sleep and how you feel when you get up, is how grateful you are for everything that you have." 

Josh Brendan

     "Practicing gratitude is a very powerful tool to shift your attention on the things you don't have to the things you do have and this alone will make you feel better."

Noelia Aanulds

     "We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning."

Albert Barnes

     "Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action."

W. J. Cameron 

     "Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life. Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have."

Catherine Pulsifer

     "When someone gives you a gift that he's already sacrificed and paid for, you don't try to pay him back; you just receive the gift with thanksgiving and spontaneously lavish love on the giver."

Ron Larson, Seeing Jesus: Restoring His Brilliance

     "Often I'll speak my thanksgiving aloud. Hearing the long list of good gifts God has given me is usually just what I need to restore my joy."

Lori Hatcher, Hungry for God ... Starving for Time

     "It is literally true, as the thankless say, that they have nothing to be thankful for. He who sits by the fire, thankless for the fire, is just as if he had no fire. Nothing is possessed save in appreciation, of which thankfulness is the indispensable ingredient. But a thankful heart hath a continual feast."

W.J. Cameron 

     "If there is one thing that will make all the difference to how you feel when you go to sleep and how you feel when you get up, is how grateful you are for everything that you have."

Josh Brendan

     "What would happen in my own life if thanksgiving became the main thing for me?"

John Juneman

     "A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues." 

Cicero

     "For flowers that bloom about our feet; 

       For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet; 

       For song of bird, and hum of bee; 

       For all things fair we hear or see, 

       Father in heaven, we thank Thee!" 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

     With prayers that you will truly pause, take time away from the food and football, count your many blessings, and offer to God the gratitude He above all others is worthy of and deserves.

     In His Service, Pastor Jeff

The Glory of God's Sovereignty

Greetings All!

I trust you are well and encouraged through your time spent in communion with the Lord.  Today I would like to help facilitate deeper communion by offering a "thought" from Matt Papa, found in his book on worship entitled, "Look and Live."
It is helpful because it reminds us of truths about God that we can sometimes forget. It comes from a section entitled, "The Glory of God's Sovereignty."  A significant part of worship is allowing the soul to see, relish, and adore God for who He is and all He is. And when it comes to attributes or characteristics of God, one of the attributes mentioned most frequently in the Bible (especially in the Old Testament) is His Sovereignty.  I pray the truth of what Matt Papa shares will not only lead you into deeper communion, but greater adoration of our awesome God. Enjoy.

The Glory of God's Sovereignty

     "God's rule presides over every mega-star and every human cell. As R.C. Sproul says, there is not one maverick molecule in the universe. Since all things are "from Him" and are sustained "through Him," all things owe a debt of allegiance "to Him" (Romans 11:36). That which God makes God owns. As Abraham Kuyper famously said, "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!"   Amen.  God reigns.  Most would give a hearty "Amen" to that. The problem comes (for me included) when we see that God's reigning, according to the Bible, is not merely an overarching general control. Rather, God plans and determines every single thing that happens in His universe. I should repeat that. God plans and determines every single thing that happens in His universe -- just as a composer (putting together a symphony) strategically places every single note for every single measure for every single instrument for its designated duration.

     Not a meteor, molecule, or mouth moves without God's command. He is sovereign. Amen.  God reigns. Amen? The sovereignty of God is the happy, unchallenged, free exercise of His will. It is: God does what God wants. Period.  This doctrine is difficult. Its glory makes us squint, but I hope you'll look with me. Charles Spurgeon put it this way, "I believe that every particle of dust that dances in the sunbeam does not move an atom more or less than God wishes." Every particle of dust?

     Have you considered this before? Well consider it again. God's sovereignty is a matchless sovereignty...  Consider the following verses. Sit with them. Read them. Pray them. Write about them if you like, and worship the great God they describe.

Job 42:2: "I know (LORD) that you can do all things, no plan of yours can be thwarted."

Psalm 135:6: "I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths."

Proverbs 16:9: "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." 

Isaiah 46:9-10: "Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please." 

Jeremiah 32:27: "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?"

Daniel 4:34-35: "Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified Him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back His hand, or say to Him: "What have you done." 

Matthew 10:29: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father." 

John 10:28: "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

Ephesians 1:11: "In Him we also were chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will..."

Ephesians 2:1 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." 

Colossians 2:9: "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority." 

Revelation 19:6: "Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns!" 

May the knowledge of His sovereignty lead you into deeper communion and greater adoration, Pastor Jeff

Quotes that give Food for Your Soul

Greetings All!

     This week's "thoughts" come from various authors.  They are timeless truths having to do with salvation or growth in godliness. They are self-explanatory and obviously written from a grounding in Scriptural truth mixed with the "yes" of personal experience. Take a moment to meditate on each one and you will surely find food for your soul as well as guidance for walking with Christ.  Enjoy.

     "Always respond to every impulse to pray. The impulse to pray may come when you are reading or when you are struggling to understand a text. I would make an absolute law of this -- always obey such an impulse.  Where does it come from?  It is the work of the Holy Spirit (Phil. 2:12-13). This often leads to some of the most remarkable experiences in the life of the minister. So never resist. Never postpone it. Never push it aside because you are busy. Give yourself to it; yield to it... Such a call to prayer must never be regarded as a distraction. Always respond to it immediately and thank God if it happens to you frequently."

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981)  "Preaching and Preachers."

     "Tell the young, tell the poor, tell the aged, tell the ignorant, tell the sick, tell the dying -- tell them about Christ. Tell them of His love; tell them of His doings; tell them what He has done for the chief of sinners; tell them what He is willing to do until the last day of time; tell it to them over and over again.  Never be tired of speaking of Christ. Say to them broadly and fully, freely and unconditionally, unreservedly and undoubtingly -- 'Come unto Christ, as the penitent thief did; come unto Christ and you shall be saved."

J. C,. Ryle (1816-1900) Sermon - "Christ's Greatest Trophy."

     "Grace stands in direct opposition to any supposed worthiness on our part. To say it another way: Grace and works are mutually exclusive. As Paul said in Romans 11:6, "And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; for if it were, then grace would no longer be grace."  Our relationship with God is based on either works or grace. There is never a works-plus-grace relationship with Him."

Jerry Bridges (1929-2016) "Transforming Grace."

     "Loving a holy God is beyond our moral power. The only kind of God we can love by our sinful nature is an unholy god, an idol made by our own hands. Unless we are born of the Spirit of God, unless God sheds His holy love in our hearts, unless He stoops in His grace to change our hearts, we will not love Him... To love a holy God requires grace, grace strong enough to pierce hardened hearts and awaken moribund souls." 

R. C. Sproul  (1939- ____)     "The Holiness of God."

     "Grace does away with the distance between the sinner and God, which sin had created. Grace meets the sinner on the spot where he stands; grace approaches him just as he is. Grace does not wait till there is something to attract it, nor until good reason is found in the sinner for its flowing to him...  It was free, sovereign grace when it thought of the sinner; it was free grace when it found him and laid hold of him, and it is free grace when it hands him up into glory." 

Horatius Bonar  (1808-1889)  Sermon -  "God's Purpose in Grace."

     "I know of no other way to triumph over sin long-term, than to gain a distaste for it because of a superior satisfaction in God."

John Piper  (1946- _____)    "Desiring God."

     "If heaven were by merit, it would never be heaven to me, for if I were in it I should say, "I am sure I am here by mistake... I have no claim to it."  But if it be by grace and not by works, then we may walk into heaven with boldness."

Charles H. Spurgeon   (1834-1892)

"When I stand before the throne, 

  Dressed in beauty not my own, 

  When I see Thee as Thou art,

  Love Thee with unsinning heart,

  Then Lord shall I fully know -- not till then, 

  How much I owe." 

Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843)

That about sums it up for today!  

Blessings on your tomorrow, Pastor Jeff

The Problem of Evil

Greetings All,

     This week's 'thought' comes to you from Franklin Graham and is entitled, "The Problem of Evil."  It is found in "Decision" magazine, June 2013 issue.
     I found his thoughts interesting (though I doubt they will ever be popular) because he points out that so many today look for the cause of evil behaviors in a person's past experience.  They look at that person's upbringing, or for some type of abuse, or to some present situation of being bullied -- anything they can point to -- except the possibility that human nature is just plain flawed from the start. Unpopular as this thought is to the contemporary mind, Mr. Graham handles it well. Enjoy.

The Problem of Evil

     "After the tragedies of the Newtown school shooting and the Boston Marathon terrorist bombing, cultural observers and commentators were at a loss to explain what could have possibly caused such horrific violence.  Could these murderous and wanton acts spring from the misguided influence of friends or family? Was there any behavioral evidence or traits that might have predicted the kind of deeds that shocked a nation?

     Not surprisingly, in a society that increasingly rejects moral absolutes and personal accountability, the search turned to conjecture about genetics. Is it possible that "evil" genes are to blame? 

     After the rampage in Newtown, scientists at the University of Connecticut were asked to analyze the DNA of Adam Lanza to look for a genetic explanation for his coldblooded brutality.

     A May 2011 article in the Wall Street Journal speculated about the chromosomal connection with violent behavior: "It's presumably neither ethical nor practical, but supposing that somebody could sequence Osama bin Laden's genome, which genes would you want to examine to try to understand his violent desires?"

     Well, the Bible is clear on the cause of evil, and it doesn't have anything to do with gene sequencing. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked."   When sin entered the world with Adam and Eve's rebellion against God, it brought death, destruction and evil.

     The Psalmist David, who himself was responsible for plotting the egregious murder of his loyal soldier Uriah, said "surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me" (Psalm 51:5).  David clearly understood that he was directly responsible for his heinous deed, and because of that he confessed his sin and sought God's forgiveness. "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me" (Psalm 51:5).

     Evil lurks and resides in the heart and soul of man, and its link to behavior is directly connected to rebellion and disobedience to the Lord and His commands. Jesus said: "What comes out of man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit … All these evils come from inside" (Mark 7:20-23).

     Gene therapy can't save anyone from sin. The only cure is to come to Christ and His cross, where God's wrath and punishment for sin was meted out by the Father on His Son, who bore our foul iniquities in our stead. It is only in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ that man can find forgiveness and deliverance from sin and its evil work in our hearts.

     When we come to Christ in repentance and faith, we are given new hearts that are no longer fully controlled by sin. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees" (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

     Yet even the believer, fully forgiven of his sin, still struggles with evil and its effects in the world. We have an evil adversary, the devil, who maliciously works his woe, but as we trust in the triumph of Christ, we can increasingly and daily experience ongoing victory.

     One day--soon I believe--evil will be eradicated once and for all when Christ returns for His own. Sin, death and Satan will be done away with, and God's justice will prevail for all eternity. Sinners will be judged and punished in an eternal hell, and the righteous-those who have trusted in Christ for forgiveness of sin-will live in eternal fellowship with the Savior.  How I look forward to that day."

     People today (and this unfortunately includes many Christians) want to believe (contrary to Scripture) that people are born innocent, with a totally clean slate and no innate stain of sin or inbred proclivity toward evil.  In this way any issues that a "deviant" person might struggle with can be attributed entirely to dysfunctional parenting, some type of abuse, getting in with the wrong people, etc., etc., etc.  Anything that can help behavioral scientists say that as opposed to the rest of humanity, this was why so-and-so did what he/she did.

     The Bible tells us otherwise. As Mr. Graham rightly points out quoting Psalm 51:5, the bent toward sin is in us from conception.  When two full-grown sinners come together sexually the product of their joint union is a new baby sinner!  The sin may not be as apparent in the little one, but it is there.

     As Jonathan Edwards once stated speaking of John the Baptist's rebuke of the Pharisees as a "brood of vipers" -- children are "little vipers." That is, the gland that will one day produce the venom which adult snakes use to injure or immobilize their victims is in the little snake (in a smaller quantity) from birth. The baby snake doesn't become a viper by some fluke of nature, or hurtful experience, it is born a viper and thus simply grows to be what it is.  "We are not sinners because we sin," as R. C. Sproul says, "we sin because we are sinners."

     In fact, in relation to any sin (even the ones I think myself incapable of) a friend once told me to say to myself: "There, but by the grace of God, go I."  I frequently do, lest I inadvertently succumb to the sin of self-righteousness more than I'm already inclined to do so!

In Christ my Savior, Pastor Jeff