Sin
God Hates Sinners? Really??
Last week we looked at the imprecatory psalms. This week, we are taking one step to the side and looking at a couple of specific statements from the psalms that are a bit difficult to understand or swallow. Several times over the past week, I have seen this concept floated, “Love the sinner but hate…
Read MoreThe Blinding, Binding & Grinding of Sin
The varied events in the life of Samson make for a fascinating read. At times I pore over them in astonishment that Samson could be so obtuse and reckless, yet God used him repeatedly for his purposes and his glory. Set apart as a Nazarite from birth,1 Samson did little to live up to and honor…
Read MoreTriplets of Sin & Triplets from God
More than once I have been involved in discussions with those who mistakenly assert that “sin is sin and all sin is the same; all sin is equal in the eyes of God.” While I agree that all sin is egregious and separates us from God,1 it is demonstrably untrue that all sin is the same.…
Read MoreThe Victory is Yours
In the twenty-sixth chapter of the book of Acts we find Saul/Paul standing before Agrippa, recounting his journey to Damascus to rage fury against the believers there. It is on this infamous journey that Jesus fell upon Saul as a bright light, knocking Saul to the ground and blinding him for three days. Toward the…
Read MoreOverrating the Tree
The bait and switch is a sales and marketing technique that is both widely employed and highly effective. You want X? Here, I’ll give you X for just $9.95 per month for the first twelve months – the bait. We take the bait and at month thirteen we find that the “small print” kicks in…
Read MoreWhat Jesus Really Meant Was . . .
Last week I found myself engaged in a rather contentious debate with a Twitter user who seemed incapable of understanding that Jesus taught us that sin is a matter of the heart, comes from the heart, and is overcome by gaining a new heart. What He Really Meant Was . . . Sometimes Jesus said…
Read MoreFoolish Vows & Seductive Dances
Last week, we saw Peter sleeping in prison while chained between two guards, and with two more standing watch at the prison gate. In relating the events of that story, I made mention of the Herod family but didn’t go into much depth. This week, I want to give you a history lesson on this…
Read MoreSin is a Smooth Operator
Hyper-Grace Teacher? I speak and write a great deal about the freedom we have in Christ. Indeed, one of the most beautiful redundancies in the entire Bible is found in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” In Romans 5, the apostle Paul is expounding on the grace of God,…
Read MoreSix Reasons Sin Really is a Big Deal
This past weekend, I was honored to be able to speak at Victory Christian Fellowship in Lynden, Washington. The topic was assigned, as I was filling in for a pastor who was called out of town for an emergency. He asked me to continue his exegetical teaching through Romans, and the section for that week…
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