Tag Archives: Sin

Ceaseless Strength of Condemnation

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If the full pressure of all my sins were to bear down upon my worthless soul, I would never be able to rise again.  The strength of my bones would turn to vaporous dust.  The muscles that could move them, would become like gelatin mud.

My eyes would see nothing but blackness and horror.  And peace?  Peace would stand eternally far from me.  My mouth would lay open, gasping for life, but no life can enter in.  The weight bears down with endless pressure , the weight of all my sins.

If this is the case of one who is sure the Holy Lord will save him, what is the case of those who do not believe?

The hope of Christ lifts that incredible burden from me; as if a fallen slab of stone is stopped from crushing me flat.  It is held in place and poised above me by the magnificent strength of he who lives forever.  And the promise of he who cannot lie, will never let it fall.

Oh, come to Jesus!  Seek his beautiful face while the Day is upon you to choose!  For the day will soon come when all your sins will fall upon you with great intent.  You will be crushed!  There will be no one to help you!  And you will never rise again.

By His Grace

Finally, I Speak of Divorce

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Often at the completion of some writing, I have thought to myself, “This one is the best”.  But I have added these beginning words after I have written all that follows. 

This writing may not be the best for all men, but it is the most sincere gathering of words I have ever gathered together in one place.  With the greatest sincerity that any man can write, I have written.
_________________

All the evil and boastful words I hear others speak in regard to their ex husband or ex wife.  You will not find those here!  Instead I will expose self-loathing. 

“Here I will expose,

For all the world to see,

The end result

Of our stupidity.”

What follows is the picture of a Christian who knows he has done wrong, and knows he has no means to make it right.  This is not the picture of hatred that I hear so many paint; of a righteous choice to inflict pain, or gain release, called “divorce”.

This is my testimony of joining with the mindset of God.  I testify that now I agree with him in all his Holy judgments concerning divorce.  For he spoke his final word in regard to this murderous actions of men, “I hate divorce”.  Now I testify, I know why.

My sins are paid for by the inexpressible strength of my Lord Jesus.  And for that, there is peace within me.  Then what are these tears this morning?

They are tears for the sake of others.  They are not tears for the sake of the lost.  They are not tears for the sake of what men do to one another.  They are tears of realization for what I have done to so many.

As the dawn breaks and the Sun comes up, old age has slipped upon me.  The righteous man smiles with his family all about him.  But my family is called regret.

I will lay in my bed and die, perhaps with the company of one or two.  But I am given to take note of one who will die without her husband.  The joy of marriage ripped from her by the selfish sins of this man.

The tender hands of care will be absent, at the excruciating moment of her completion.  The sight rips my heart in two! 

Still I urge this enemy of mine, come and shove the dagger deep.  Let the remembrance of my sins penetrate to the very marrow of my bones!  Let my selfish heart, that was once like granite, feel the pain of my senseless stupid choices.

When my heart was cold and dead I did as I pleased.  But now I have sobriety of soul, and a heart of flesh.  With this, awareness dawns like the blazing heat of a Summer Sun on a man who has not slept well.  In a vast arid desert, he wakes alone!  And but for my Holy Lord of compassion, I could not bear this eternal pain.

I write this as a testimony.  For one, that understanding has come, and with it inexpressible surprise of horror, sadness, and pain.  And another, that those who live their lives with selfish abandon, can expect a visitation from regret; that relentless monster of remembrance.

I testify that divorce is a hideous and unholy choice.  It is Murder of the vilest kind!  While it may have appeared palatable at the time, the time will come when bitterness will cleave your tongue to the roof of your mouth.  You will despise yourself like you have never despised a man before.

Expectations of joy were dashed to pieces.  Hopes and dreams of childhood find no place of welcome.  Shame and despair will take their place.  And without the mercy of God, hopelessness will be the banner of all your future days.

Does this sound like the foolish and simplistic picture the world paints of divorce?  Does this have any resemblance to the hope of satisfaction that the court of Man does promise? 

This is not an exposé of some macabre selfish ambition; that I will display my horror as if for the sake of entertainment.  No, this is to show the end of what God plainly says he abhors.

It is an apology with tears and sincerity.  It is an expression of the hope that is in Christ, even for a man such as I!  But it is a sincere warning for those who think divorce is some pleasant place to live.  The fruit at first is sweet, but it is poison indelible for your soul.

To the sweet mother of my children, who did no wrong, I am deeply sorry.  I wrote this here so that I would not dig up old pain by bringing this to your door. 

Let this be a place where a gift is given.  Let some poor wayward soul come and understand what I have written.  Let his selfish longing for divorce be stymied by this confession of pain.  Then the turmoil and trouble, between her and I, has found some fruit of hope.  As if a man stands and warns the travelers, “A lion waits at the edge of the woods ahead”.  Indeed, let someone take heed lest his children live as orphans and his wife shed tears that did not need to fall.

Amen, amen, amen!

By His Grace

Broad vs Narrow

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It is easier to set a man against the entire world than to set him in opposition against himself.  (Paraphrase from Matthew Henry’s commentary regarding the narrow way)

The social, religious, and political activist finds it easy to point his finger at the nature of things around him.  All the while the truth of Christ points its finger at the nature of things within the man.

This is the difference between living our life in the broad way which leads to hell and destruction, and the narrow way which leads to life. 

The only one who has a right to speak against the nature of wickedness, is the one who is enduring a holy chastening of his own.  As the Lord makes the man accomplish, he also endows the man with rights and expectations.

How few are willing to endure the Holy Judgment of God’s expectations daily?  How many simply ignore God’s direction without examination?

Endure the Holy Fire of God now, or endure it forever then.  That’s our choice isn’t it?  Join the vast crowd and die unchanged.  Or submit yourself to the Eternal Holiness of the Eternal Living God.  Remain free to make your own choices, or submit all your choices to the One who lives forever.

Matthew 7: 13, 14

By His Grace

A Word of Sobriety

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To those who think they can do as they please while they bear the name of Christ.

The Living God will enter your sinful place.  His messengers will come among your putrid house of defiance.  The Lord will know what the people do, and he will surely reward with justice.

Have you listened to the lie?  Have you preferred disobedience over righteous humility?  Then do not be surprised when your house becomes desolate.  For the Lord will surely make an end of rebellion.

But to the diligent who resolve to love him and obey His Holy commands.

Do not fear.  The Lord has seen your heart.  It is for joy that He has given salvation.  Nothing that belongs to the Living God’s Holy Christ can taste destruction.  As the grave itself was not able to hold him, so destruction will not touch those who belong to him.

But the Lord will make a distinction.  He will surely divide the people one from another.  Be wise.  Honor His Holy Name and live.  Remain foolish, and you will surely taste his wrath.

Yes Christ Jesus is the Love of God!  But the love of God is directed to what is righteous and true, faultless and clean.  To this he draws us out of sin, and will accept no other engine.

Be wise and live, remain in sin and die.

1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”  (Luke 13)

By His Grace

It Shouldn’t Be that Hard

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Wishes are empty and useless.  Imagination is only imagination.  Desire is only desire; if retained as if “Life” desire is useless.

The dishes don’t clean themselves.  The bed does not remake itself.  The broken down car will not repair itself.

Things that are broken, things that are in deterioration, things that are not complete, will not fix or complete themselves.

We may stand still for a moment, wishing things would become useful again.  But they only deteriorate all the more.  It takes action.  It takes determination.  It takes a moment of diligence to repair what is lacking.

If we clean three dishes, the remainder is still dirty.  If we straighten one side of the bed, the other side remains unkempt.  If we wipe a tire clean, the rest of the car remains broken down.  Don’t we all know these things?

How is it then that we don’t apply this to the things of the Living God?  How is it then, that the desire of Jesus, God’s Holy Christ, lacks bounty among His people?

We wish God would intervene.  We wish and imagine that God has caused us to perceive holiness.  And don’t the masses fool themselves because they think that wishing and imagination has done the trick?  Isn’t this why religion is so very empty of the power of God?  Isn’t this why Christians, and the entire world, lacks the vibrant witness of holiness?

We apply diligent behavior to the things we need.  It is because we need them, that is why we work so hard.  Do we think we don’t need the full power of God?

I have witnessed the power of God in the holy Apostles.  I read what they wrote concerning all this.  I have even witnessed the sin that is working so constantly within me.  And I am compelled to believe their testimony.  But what if I leave “becoming” to the whims of wishes and imagination?  I will never “become” the desire of my God.

A man says a quick prayer at the start and end of his day.  Is that enough?  Where is the diligence we witness in those who have overcome?  Do we really think our garden grows so healthily because we offered it a single cup of water?  Can we rightfully expect an abundant harvest?

27 Why do you complain, Jacob?

Why do you say, Israel,

“My way is hidden from the Lord;

my cause is disregarded by my God”?

28 Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.”  (Isaiah 40)

Diligence!  Continuance!  Determined and purposeful application.  Continual prayer.  Continual remembering of the Holy Word, as we have heard it.  These things will produce what is holy within us.

But wishing, imagination, slothfulness and spiritual sleep, these produce the weeds of sin that lay waiting for a chance to sprout.  Sin is diligent, isn’t it?  Look how it patiently waits just outside our door, desiring to have us.  What good will we own when we appear before Him if that is all we allow ourselves to desire here?

Let the sleepy one (the one who allows his soul to sleep) turn on the TV.  Let the lazy desire pleasure.  Let the desire of Christ burn within, and the things of Christ begin to appear.  Let prayer take the place of pleasure.  Let the reading of His Holy Word replace television.  Let the thoughts of remembrance fill us; let us remember His Holy teachings.  The diligent prosper in the things of God.  The others struggle about.  So it is.  So, it can’t be any different.

He who does what is righteous, this one becomes righteous.  Death leads to death.  Why would we believe anything other?  Life from God’s Holy Christ leads to Life.  Either remain in death, or get with the program.

Construct of World Change

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The world will use the Gospel of Christ as a rule of righteousness and social change.  The people of the Lord Jesus know better.

God does not save his people to be instruments of world change.  God saves his people that they may become instruments of Heaven.  The changes that are made, because of the Christian’s presence in this world, are simply a byproduct.  As we are transformed to serve the Living God in Christ, our thoughts, words, and actions necessarily influence those around us.

If you want to be a change agent in the world, for the sake of the world, then obey the constructs the world has already established.  If you want to be an ambassador of Christ to the world, you need to submit your life completely to him.

There is a distinct difference.  The world cannot see it.  But God’s people know it, very clearly.

By His Grace