Tag: Sin
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The Problem of Pretentious Piety
Brennan Manning, in his thoughtful book, Ruthless Trust, identifies a problem with the superficial spirituality of pretentious piety: In a world where the only plea is “Not Guilty”, what possibility is there of an honest encounter with Jesus, who “died for our sins”? We can only pretend that we are sinners, and thus only pretend…
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A Guide for Personal Prayers of Confession
Perhaps the most common expression of a prayer of confession is the following: Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our…
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What’s Wrong With Our World?
According to legend, The London Times once sent out an inquiry to famous authors, asking the question: “What’s wrong with the world today?” Among those asked to write up short essays in reply was the noted G.K. Chesterton. Chesterton’s reported reply: Dear Sir, I am. Yours, G.K. Chesterton [Whether or not this story is factual…
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Race in America: Some Thoughts About the Existence of Systemic Racism
Though it should not be, the issue of Racial Reconciliation is complex. It should not be simply because all people are created in the image of God, and therefore are worthy of dignity. This fundamental reality puts all of us, regardless of race, on the same common ground. However, we live in a world broken…
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Christmas Gospel: Glory Triumphs Over Tragedy
What happens when the glory of God’s grace collides with the tragedy of man’s sin and consequential brokenness? Paul Tripp’s answer: “Christmas!” God’s glory triumphs over the tragedy of our brokenness.
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Evidences of a Backslidden Condition
Through the prophet Jeremiah the Lord dispenses a treasury of wisdom and insight. Perhaps among the most valuable of those insights, at least to my thinking, is found in Jeremiah 17.9: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? The Lord also reminds us, through Jeremiah and scores of…
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Killing Me Softly: Putting Sin to Death
In Colossians 3.5, the Apostle Paul commands: Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Based on the language Paul uses it is clear that sin is in our hearts, and it will not just go away on its own. We need…
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Fighting the Sin in Our Hearts
In Colossians 3, the Apostle Paul commands us: Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (v. 5) His list should not be seen as exhaustive, but rather suggestive. There are many other things that could be included in this list – things which…
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Disinfecting Ourselves of Spiritual Malware
In his masterful work, Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin observed: “Man’s nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols.” That may seem to be a peculiar notion. Some will, no doubt, simply chalk it up to “O, that Calvin guy had a lot of strange ideas”. Some, being a bit more…
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The Virgin Shall Conceive and Bear a Son
Here’s a poignant insight from Martyn Lloyd-Jones regarding Christmas: What is taught in Scripture is not that Mary had been either born or made sinless, but that portion of Mary, that cell out of Mary that was to be developed into the body of the Son of God was cleansed from sin; and that only.…
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The Old Man and the Flesh
by Robin Boisvert What actually changes when one becomes a Christian? Confusion about this is common, especially when we realize that we continue to struggle with sin and temptation even after conversion. Paul tells us in Galatians that we have a war that goes on within us after conversion: “For the desires of the flesh…
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Malignancy of Sin
Sin is a spiritual and moral malignancy. Left unchecked it can spread throughout our entire being and contaminate every area of our lives. Even worse, it will often metasticize from us into the lives of others around us. ~ Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins
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Ordinary Saints
Jerry Bridges opens his book, Respectable Sins, with a reaffirmation and reminder that all who are in Christ are declared Saints. While some may find this status difficult to believe, Bridges explains: “We don’t become saints by our actions. We are made saints by the immediate supernatural action of the Holy Spirit alone who works this change…
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Offensive Grace
Why does not the faith of the average Christian seem to bring about the change we would hope? Could it be that many have a faulty understanding of the Gospel? Dan Allender, in his book Bold Love, offers the following: “If our sin is mere failure to conform – simply a mistake to do what…
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Some Aspects of Sin
Something I have long found intriguing: In the opening chapter of his book, Holiness, J.C. Ryle dedicates his entire attention to the subject of Sin. At first I wondered why that was. Eventually I realized that we cannot grow in holiness unless we understand our very real condition and the effects it has on us. Just what is sin, though? The…
