by Logan Ames Have you found it yet? Is it everything you thought it would be? I’m talking about that one thing that you have been searching for to make you happy, that one thing that would make you feel like there is nothing else you really need in this life. Back in 2007, Kenny Chesney released a song called “Never Wanted Nothing More." You can check out its lyrics here. Whether you like country music or not, the words of the song are something to which many young people can relate. It tells the story of a young man who became of legal driving age and couldn’t wait to drive his friends around. At that point, he thought he never wanted anything more than that. Later, he decides he wants to sleep with his girlfriend for the first time, then eventually marries her. Certainly, God’s Word says those things should be done in reverse order, but this young man doesn’t care because he “never wanted nothing more” each time. Finally, he finds himself in church one Sunday and responds to the opportunity presented to receive salvation, and he again determines there is nothing he has ever wanted more than that. Rightfully, that’s where his quest ends because, whether Kenny Chesney believes it or not, we find what we need AND want in and through a relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus met a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, as recorded in John 4. This woman was thirsty for water and came to get some, but little did she know that she was thirsting for a whole heck of a lot more than that. I encourage you to read the exchange throughout the chapter yourself. To summarize, Jesus asks her for a drink knowing that Jews weren’t even allowed to associate with Samaritans. The woman is stunned but engages in the conversation anyway. Eventually, Jesus mentions that he can offer “living water” (v. 10). When the woman is confused, Jesus explains, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (vv. 13-14). Who wouldn’t want that? Clearly, the woman is interested, saying, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water” (v. 15). It turns out the woman is living with a man who is not her husband and that she has had five previous husbands! While some may come up with judgmental and insensitive words for such a person, the truth is that apart from a relationship with Jesus, we are all doomed to continue to try new partners, new experiences, and even new substances until we find what we are desperately seeking. The Apostle Paul teaches that this is the condition of anyone who is trapped in sin or continues to offer themselves to disobedience even after they have come to know Jesus. In Romans 6:19-22, he describes how the life of a believer who offers himself to God is much more rewarding than the life of someone who still offers himself to sin. The believers of Paul’s day were just like many believers today who question whether God’s way is really the best or most fulfilling. Do you wonder this from time to time? Do you find yourself wishing you could just have whatever it was you gave up or changed when you started following Jesus? Pay no attention to these longings because they are lies from the devil designed to keep you trapped. Look specifically at what Paul says in verses 20-21: “When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!” In other words, Paul is challenging these believers to think about whether the things they still long for really did benefit them at all. He challenges them to see the bigger picture rather than be held captive by the fleeting desires of the flesh. Their minds and flesh are telling them to return to old ways, but their pasts should remind them that the end result wasn’t joy. In fact, it would have led them to death if not for the fact that God rescued them through Jesus Christ (Romans 7:24-25). The same is true for you and me. Christ is the living water that we need. Sure, we will be physically thirsty again as long as we are in this world. But spiritually, he is all we need. The long search for ultimate fulfillment ends with Jesus. He was here since the beginning, carries us through our time on the earth, and will be there for all of eternity. Everything else that you desire and everything else you chase will fade away at some point. If marriage and a family are what you long for, they could be gone in an instant even after you get them. Think about the earthquake that just killed thousands in Nepal and the other major disasters that have happened over the past few years. They serve as reminders that NOTHING is guaranteed apart from Jesus. If you remain in him (John 15:4-7), the guarantee is eternal life. If you don’t, the guarantee is eternal suffering. Jesus is the Savior for those who accept him, and the Judge for those who don’t. I encourage you today to let go of anything from your past that is still clamoring for your attention and to find everything you need in the LORD. The Samaritan woman at the well didn’t even know what she was missing. She had no clue how hopeless and fruitless her pursuits for a husband were in her life. Is that you? Honestly evaluate your life and the things that you spend your time chasing. Look at the things you have chased in the past. Did they provide everything you dreamed they would? When you realize the answer is “no,” consider it a blessing that God is reminding you not to travel that road again. He’s not trying to take away what you need, he’s rescuing you from a death trap. Trust him and know that you can turn to him for ALL of your needs. We each get to choose. For me, I’ll take the living water that ALWAYS satisfies. This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Bill Seng “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” ~Romans 6:22 You and I are slaves. You might not know it, you might not like it, but whether or not you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are a slave. Those who have accepted Jesus as the Lord of their lives are his slaves. Those who have not yet accepted Jesus as their Lord are, by default, slaves to sin. The message of life is that we who were once sinners, by accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, have become unbound to sin, have bound sin away, and have become bound to our Savior, Jesus Christ. One of the best examples for displaying the difference between slavery to sin and slavery to righteousness are none other than Cain and Abel. Most of us know the story from Genesis 4 of how Abel made an offering to God that was acceptable, Cain made an offering to God that was unacceptable, and the results were that Abel was commended by God while Cain’s sacrifice was not looked upon with favor. The story ends in tragedy as Cain murders Abel and is once again confronted by God. Cain had become a slave to sin. We do not know a lot about his life but apparently his first sin led to worse sins which led to his offspring becoming even more sinful. After his first transgression, God warned him, “sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it” (Genesis 4:7). Sin is a cruel master. Because Cain failed to master his sin, he was marked and exiled from the land of his family. The slavery of sin is burdensome. It exalts the cruel and miserable, and it punishes the righteous and faithful. Slave owner Arthur William Hodge was well known for his brutality. One day an unfortunate slave named Prosper had failed to catch a mango that had fallen off of one of his master’s trees and was charged by Hodge for the full price of that mango. As a slave Prosper had no money for which to pay back the lost mango. Hodge then had Prosper restrained and whipped him for an hour straight. Because Prosper could not pay back the price of the mango on the spot, Hodge then had him tied to a tree upon which he was beaten again until his body became fully exhausted and he died. Not to incriminate the Law of Moses, but I would feel as Prosper living under this law. It’s over six hundred laws that dictate the activity of everyday life. Whenever you fail to live up to the law, there are consequences. Under the rule of the Pharisees, one would feel as though they are being beaten to death for the sake that it would be impossible to satisfy the demands of these self-righteous “slave masters.” But where the carnal law exposed our total inability to satisfy God’s standards, where the law that exposed condemnation was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17). It is apparent that Abel knew the requirements for an appropriate sacrifice to God. I have little doubt that Cain was aware as well. Instead of short-changing God as his brother did, Abel chose to honor him with the finest of his cattle. He knew that he served a good and generous God and he should therefore not be reluctant in giving back to God what was already his. Give the finest back to the king, as he allows us to partake in all that he owns. Abel was a wise man. And yet the slave master of sin was displeased with his righteousness and compelled its slave to murder the righteous slave. The righteous slave master, God, is not a burden upon those who are his. He makes living under him joyful and preferable to any other alternative. It would have been less of a burden if Cain had simply acknowledged God’s warning to him and went on to honor God with holy sacrifices instead of weeds and thistles (I have no idea what he actually offered, but probably not weeds and thistles in a literal sense). Many people think that defiance to God is liberating and frees them from the yoke of slavery. But Cain’s words should haunt anyone who accepts this notion: “My punishment is more than I can bear” (Genesis 4:13). Those who defy God fear the prospect of death. Those who have enslaved themselves to him do not even fear death, for they know that their destination is nothing less than the King’s royal palace. This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Katie Erickson
“I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” (Romans 6:19-22) In order for this section of Romans to make any sense, you really need to read the previous section, which you can do here. The example Paul is referring to is about being a slave; everyone is a slave to something, whether to sin or to righteousness. Slavery is a concept that the people of his era would have been very familiar with, so this would help them understand the concepts he’s trying to explain. However, slavery then was not necessarily like what we think of slavery today. Today, many of us think of slavery in the context of African slaves being bought, sold, and treated harshly by white people in the southern states of the U.S. back in the 1800s. Often times, slavery in Bible times was due to an unpaid debt. If you owed money and did not have the ability to pay it, you could work off your debt for a set period of time by being a slave. There were situations in which slaves were bought and sold as property, but often slavery was a voluntary thing because of a debt. As Paul has been talking about, we are all slaves to something, and there are two choices: you can be a slave to sin, or you can be a slave to righteousness. If you’re a slave to sin, that leads to death. But, if you’re a slave to righteousness (and to God), that leads to holiness and eternal life! If you could have the choice between death and life, which would you choose? Well, you do have the choice! We all can choose whether to obey the sinful desires of the flesh, or to obey the ways of God and follow Him. Each one of us makes that choice daily, in and through the everyday choices we make. Paul emphasizes here that there needs to be a transition. When you begin your journey of faith in Jesus Christ, you have to realize that you serve a new master now. Before, you were a slave to sin because you didn’t know there was any other choice. Now, however, you have the choice to transition to serving your new master in Jesus, or to continue serving the old master of sin. Paul makes the consequences clear; if you choose to serve sin you receive death, but if you choose to serve Jesus you receive life. The 16th century theologian Martin Luther had a saying: “simul iustus et peccator.” That’s Latin for “simultaneously righteous and sinner.” Those of us who have faith in Jesus Christ are considered righteous in God’s sight, because of what Jesus has done for us. But, as long as we are in this world, we will still commit sinful acts. We are righteous and sinners at the same time. There is a cool T-shirt available here that has a neat way of illustrating this (be sure to look at it right side up and upside down). Because we are both righteous and sinners at the same time, every choice we make brings us closer to one of those aspects. We are either enslaved to sin, or we are enslaved to righteousness. Which path are you on? What are you enslaved to in your life? This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Nathan Buck It is a deep illusion in us as human beings that we own our own destiny and that we are autonomous beings. While God has certainly given us the capacity to be independent at times, we like to ignore the truth that we are interdependent beings – which means we rely on and are affected by others. This is a basic truth of our existence, that we NEED other people. It is the core of the expression, “no man is an island.” Most of us come to terms with this truth as we grow into our 30’s - it is a mark of maturity to realize that our existence affects others as much as we are affected by others. Alongside of this truth is another one. The more access or permission we give to other people in our life, the more influence they have over us. The more heavily we allow their opinions to impact our thoughts, the more potential they have to control or manipulate our direction/choices. In healthy relationships, we learn to evaluate the thoughts and opinions of those we trust, and we get perspective through study, reflection, and other people or resources to help us decide how much influence that person should have in our life. When we are blind to that influence, when we ignore the fact that permission = access/control, and when we are not selective about who gets access to us, we can wind up in some pretty dangerous and destructive relationships. The same is true when it comes to our moral decisions – sinful influences vs. righteous ones. Read Romans 6:15-23. If we boil Paul’s explanation down here, it sounds very similar to the chorus of Bob Dylan’s song, “Gotta Serve Somebody”:
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody. Before we knew anything about God, we gave ourselves to whatever seemed right, seemed like it might feel good, or seemed like it might medicate some pain or situation we were dealing with. We gave access to all kinds of things, and in doing so we gave them control over our lives. It may have been people, physical sensations, emotional stimulation, philosophies, technology, etc – we gave it access to ourselves for what we thought we might gain from it. And we were sorely disappointed at the results, if not in the short-term certainly in the long-term, as we realized those people or things or ways of thinking could not satisfy what we needed. Paul underscores here our choice to live in sin or grace, for ourselves or for God. He reminds us that this is a life and death choice, because there is only one person who desires to give us life – and that is God. Anything else we choose to give access to will take life from us and empty us, which leads us to two dilemmas. The first is making sure we settle who we are living for. Are we living for God? Ourselves? Someone else? Paul asks us to reflect on what results we are going to see, from giving our life over to whatever we have chosen to serve. We must settle who has FIRST access to us, who OWNS us when it comes to our purpose and direction in life. If we try to own ourselves, we buy into the lie that we are autonomous, and we go blind to all the other things and people that we let steer the course of our life. In doing so, we let those things have our life for their own purposes, and we empty our life of the meaning and purpose God intended. If we give ourselves to God – HIS promise is that we will have life, and life to the fullest – even eternal life. The second dilemma we face is that if God gives us His life, and then calls us to serve Him in serving the hurting and broken, aren’t we going to be giving access to those people and situations that empty us of life? I mean, if I am with Jesus, I can’t just wall myself up in a fortress of religious protection, because that would be about protecting myself and owning myself. The important part of the promise here is what Paul says in the final verse of this passage: “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” If we are in Christ, and He fully has our life, our focus – if He is granted complete access to us – then He brings an inexhaustible presence of life in us that can be shared and taken into any circumstance without being diminished. And we can fearlessly engage in the lives of people and cultures that are distant from God, without fearing being corrupted, because HE owns US. Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:
- Are you giving yourself fully to God? Or are there still places you dance around with giving access to sin, or self-indulgence, or philosophies that thrill for a moment and empty your soul of life?
- If you are doing your best to give your life to God, but are hiding in church building, religious language, or religious activities – are you really giving your life to HIM? He wants His people engaged in what He cares about, not hiding from the world in a bubble. If you do not have significant relationships with non-believers, can you really say that God has full access to your life and how you live it?
- What is the payoff you are after from this life? Are you settling for a lesser prize or reward that you can get in your own strength? Or will that payoff reflect that you lived in the fullness of God’s inexhaustible life-giving presence? This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Charlie Wolcott
In the last two weeks, I addressed two competing answers to one of the questions many of us ask: What is the purpose of life? The two major competing answers are “for the glory of God” and “for the happiness of man.” These are two diabolically opposing positions because both have two competing objects/persons of worship. Yet, there are many people out there that ask: “Why not both?” Why can’t we serve both God and our desires? From an intellectual standpoint, this does not make sense because God clearly states in the first three of the Ten Commandments that he will not share the stage with anyone or anything. Yet, in practice, if you really think about it, we’ve all tried to serve both God and man simultaneously. This is a compromise I am calling “Religious Humanism.” “Religious Humanism” really is an oxymoron because logically, it really does not make any sense. How can you give glory to God while serving your desires at the same time? In reality you cannot, but countless people try. Jesus said plainly, “You cannot serve two masters.” He did not say that because he was trying to be legalistic. He said that because he knew what actually happens when one tries. No person has been able to serve both God and money. No person has been able to serve both God and family. No person has been able to serve both God and their job. No person has been able to serve both God and science. And no person has been able to serve both God and self. What do I mean by “serve”? I am not talking about each of these things as being bad. Jesus never called money bad. But he did call the “love of money” a root of all kind of evil. It is the worship of money, the worship of all these things I listed, via putting them in the place of highest authority; a place that only God should have. Religious Humanism splits a person’s worship between God and self, and Jesus makes it very clear that you are going to serve one or the other. Two weeks ago, I asked if God is the end of the means or if he is a means to an end. Is God the purpose and the reason for doing what you do, or are you using him as a means to achieve a personal goal? Paul gives us a lot of warnings about those who are false teachers and whose God is their belly. Here are two of them: Romans 16:17-18 and Philippians 3:17-19. What is he talking about? He is addressing people who claim to be Christians, who are claiming to be preachers of the truth, but their whole purpose for doing so is feeding themselves. When I hear of this or think of this, the Prosperity Gospel comes to mind. The whole idea of it is “Give your money to God, follow God, and worship him, so he will bless you financially and give you the desires of the heart.” Now there are some Scriptures that do promise success for obedience, but nowhere does Scripture identify these blessings as the reason we should do anything. Deuteronomy has three chapters of the blessings and curses for obeying or disobeying God’s laws. Sowing and reaping are Godly principles, but what I am trying to address is why we do stuff. What is our motive? Sowing and reaping is a good business practice. Jesus did not condemn that. He did warn about those who have large barns, and then decide to build bigger barns to show off their wealth. We have to recognize we are stewards of the resources given us, not the owners. The Prosperity Gospel is just one of the fruits of this Religious Humanism. These people only believe the Bible or the Gospel for what they can get out of it. And these people are not willing to count the cost for doing so. Yes, we talk about a “free” gift and we’ll be addressing that in more detail in two weeks when we discuss Romans 6:23. But this is only free in that we cannot earn it. There is NOTHING free in this world. It always costs someone something. Our salvation cost the perfect, sinless, only begotten Son of God his life. And in today’s American Christianity, we’ve watered down that fact to where the “Gospel” is nothing more than agreeing to a few doctrinal statements, saying a prayer, and that is what we call “being saved.” Have we counted the cost? Jesus said to be his disciple, we must deny ourselves. That means laying down everything about us and nail that to the cross. We talk about Resurrection life in Christ, but we aren’t willing to the most important step required for resurrection power to take place: dying. One of the big movements going on today is the Emergent Church movement. That name is not so popular anymore but the concept is very alive and active. It’s the idea of ‘make the church compatible to the culture so people might believe it.’ Let me translate that for you: “We want numbers in the church because we need money through the offering, so to keep people in the church, we are going to present a message that will tickle ears but not require life-changing decisions.” And Paul warns about such teachers in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. There would be people who serve themselves proclaiming a form of godliness, but denying the power. Do we believe the Gospel? What makes it all work? The Resurrection. What makes the Resurrection able to take place? Death. Death to sin. Death to self. Death to selfish desires. Death to the love and worship of serving myself and serving my desires. But in that death, if we believe in Jesus Christ and what he did, we too will be resurrected as he was. And because this death is the death of self, that eliminates Religious Humanism from the equation. Is God the center of our focus? Do we follow him and worship him because of what he did and who he is? Or are we believing him just so we can get the benefits that come from following him? Let me remind you of my post about “Christians in Name Only.” Those who only believe the Gospel so they could get out of hell with no charge to themselves. Such people truly believe they are Christians, but are going to be shocked when Jesus tells them “I never knew you.” God does want us to be happy. He does want us to be with him in heaven. But that is a by-product of his work on the Cross. The prime reason we should follow him is because the Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive the reward of his suffering. Yes, we should sow seed and expect returns. Should not God have the same expectations? He sowed the seed with his death and resurrection. Should he not expect us to be the fruit of the harvest? And if we are to be the fruit, should we not strive to be fruit of the same tree? Let us not deny him what he deserves. Let us not put ourselves in the spot he rightfully owns. Let us serve and worship him because he is God and he is worthy of all praise and glory. This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Steve Risner “Just the facts, ma’am.”—Joe Friday Facts. These can be funny things. Very frequently, we may accidentally call our interpretation of the facts the facts. This happens when discussing scientific issues all the time. But “science” wouldn’t be dogmatic about its explanation of the facts, would it? You wouldn’t be called a liar or an idiot because you don’t think someone’s explanation of the facts is right, would you? Would a “scientist” claim his opinion of the facts is as sure as the facts themselves? Do we confuse what a fact is, a dot so to speak, and the interpretation of those facts, the lines in between the dots? The answer is a confident yes. Discussions with evolutionists or Big Bang cosmologists are filled with these types of errors—errors in classification. What’s a fact? A fact is something that has really occurred or is actually the case. The usual test for a statement of fact is verifiability, that is, whether it can be demonstrated to correspond to experience. Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by experiments or other means. The obvious question concerning the origin of life or the transition of an ape-like ancestor to a human is, “Who saw it?” Notice this definition, provided by Wikipedia, says verifiability is linked to experience. Has anyone ever, in the history of the world, seen life brought out of inorganic chemistry, or an ape-like creature become more like a human? Not once. Yes, man has tried, with all its brains and intent, to create life out of inorganic chemistry and failed, but nature blindly and ignorantly managed by accident. This is what some call “science.” Who has ever experienced the formation of a universe? Have you? I certainly have not. No one has, in fact. In terms of scientific facts, they must be observable, repeatable, and testable. There are claims that Darwinism accomplishes this, but is that true? How can you test if the famed “Lucy” was a transition from anything to anything else? What experiment would confirm or deny this? We call this empirical evidence. In terms of “Lucy,” here are the facts: fossil remains were found in Ethiopia in 1974ish, we can assume it was from the area but that is not a fact—it’s an assumption, the organism lived and died, and that’s the end of it. Any other information, aside from a few small details I’m sure one could come up with, is all interpretation of the facts. The age, its gender, how it died, if the pieces actually go together (there were many, many other fossils found in the area… and some found 1.5 miles away that were selected from to give us this “transition” to man from ape), what it ate, how it lived, or just about anything else is interpreting the facts. It is not the facts themselves. Again, from Wikipedia, we find a scientific fact is an objective and verifiable observation, in contrast with a hypothesis or theory, which is intended to explain or interpret facts. Here we see the crux of the issue: discovery of facts vs their explanation or interpretation. It is so vitally critical for us to see the distinction. Wikipedia goes on to say that scientific facts are generally believed to be independent of the observer: no matter who performs a scientific experiment, all observers will agree on the outcome. Hence, the above explanation of the facts is correct—we know this animal lived and died and was found in Ethiopia. No one can dispute these things. But when you give me your opinion beyond that, I can agree or disagree. Hence, we are no longer discussing facts. We are discussing our opinion of those facts. Evolutionists will cry that Darwinism is testable and repeatable and observable. They’ll say it fits within the model of the scientific method, described by Francis Bacon, a creationist. However, the religion of Darwinism is historical science. It is not observational science. Observational science is science we can observe. We can see it in front of us. Wikipedia tells us that “historical science" is a term used to describe sciences in which data is provided primarily from past events and for which there is usually no direct experimental data, such as cosmology, astronomy, astrophysics, geology, paleontology, and archaeology. Note that evolution isn’t in this list but you can easily see how it should be. Cosmology, where the Big Bang falls, is in the list, which is actually a bit surprising to me, as is geology. But we see that evolution cannot be observable or testable because it’s a past event. I guess we should make sure there is a distinction here between “evolution” meaning a molecules to man progression over billions of years rather than “evolution” meaning a small change in an organism usually due to a degenerative error in replication or adaptive powers of an organism. There is a huge difference, yet many evolutionists will equivocate the two. Research in the realm of origins requires educated guessing—which is a fancy way to say storytelling. That’s true for either side. We have the same facts—the exact same facts—and we tell a story based on those facts. The story should not be confused with the actual facts. It’s like a “connect the dots” puzzle only there are no numbers, or very few, to give you direction. One scientist can connect the dots to create a picture of a chicken while another can use the same dots and draw a station wagon. This is an excellent analogy of the problem. While a creationist will draw the station wagon, the evolutionist is screaming, “You’re not a scientist because you didn’t draw a chicken!” when there is no reason to say that based on the facts. How about an example from within the faith? Do all evolutionists tell the same story with the facts? No. They don’t. If you read my blog post on Lucy, you’ll find this--- It's said she walked upright like modern humans but had a pretty tiny brain. This is one of the stories evolutionists will tell about the evolution of man—apelike creatures began walking upright and then slowly developed a bigger, more complex brain. Is there any support for such a notion? Not at all. In fact, some will say the exact opposite—that we began developing bigger brains and moved to the ground looking for food and using tools. If the evolutionist is consistent and treats similar situations similarly, each in this case would have to accuse the other of not being scientific. They have the same facts and have different ideas. They both can’t be right. “But you’re saying that forensics, which puts away criminals all the time, isn’t science,” is something I have heard many times. Forensics is essentially historical science. We get some facts around and use them to try to piece together what occurred most often in reference to a crime. The unfortunate thing with forensics is that television shows like CSI, NCIS, 24, and so many others have made it seem like this is hard core science at its best. Sadly, reality is exceptionally different than these shows portray. Next week I plan to discuss forensics also known as historical science and relate it to this debate. Stay tuned! I greatly appreciate your time and interest in this topic, regardless of the stance you take in the debate. This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Logan Ames Addiction is a serious problem in our world today. I work in a field where many of my clients are drug addicts and have been since they were teenagers. I’ve seen it wreck their entire lives and cause them to lose everything they care about, from their homes and money all the way to their spouses and children. Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there. Eventually, it takes their very lives. While many on the outside may think that these people just don’t care about anything else except feeding their addictions, I have gotten to know some of them very well and have learned that they are very loving and absolutely desire to keep and care for their children. They don’t want to lose everything and they don’t want to die. The problem, however, is that they are slaves to the addiction. There is a quote I have heard and used in sermons, and everywhere I have looked the author of it is listed as “unknown." But it’s appropriate nonetheless: “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay." Those who are lost in their addictions know this to be true. Even if you don’t have a substance that has physically taken control of your body, you likely have some habit or even addiction that you find very difficult to break in your life. Maybe it’s coffee, cigarettes, or alcohol. They may not have the same type of control that heroin would have over you, but you know how you would feel if you didn’t have those things. Maybe there are other things in your life that you know aren’t good or aren’t right in God’s eyes but you can’t seem to get away from them. These might include pornography, excessive gambling, or wasting large amounts of time with TV, movies, sports, or video games. For some of you, it might even be the overwhelming need for constant attention from others. For all of these things, and for the substance addictions mentioned above, the answer is not, I repeat NOT, simply trying to stop doing them. Some sort of replacement is needed. In Romans 6:15-18, the Apostle Paul writes to believers about intentionally becoming “slaves to righteousness." He first declares that we should not just keep sinning because we know that we are forgiven by grace, a message echoed several other places in his letter. Paul then gives his reason, explaining that all of us are slaves to whatever we have offered ourselves, whether sin or obedience (v. 16). If you have come to know the power of the grace and love of Jesus, there is no reason to continue offering yourself to sin as you once did. We may think we can just “sin a little bit” and still live the Christian life since we know we aren’t going to be perfect anyway. That is the logical fallacy that many believers adopt and is sometimes even preached in churches. Jesus commands us, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Do you think he would have commanded that if it isn’t possible with HIS power and Spirit in us? I’m not saying you have to be perfect to get into heaven, but you should try. In other words, simply accepting sin in your own life or encouraging it in others is not an option. Paul is saying that if you offer yourself to sin (because you think it’s okay to sin a little bit since you are covered by grace), you are then a slave to it and the only result is death. However, if you offer yourself to obedience, meaning each time you have to make a choice you pick the right one instead of sin, you will be a slave to obedience and the result will be a life characterized by righteousness. This may seem like an impossible task when temptations are overwhelming, but the grace of God through Jesus gives us the strength to make right choices. If you’ve ever tried to just give up something that was either an addiction or a bad habit by simply choosing not to do it, you’ve learned that doesn’t work too well. The more you think about not doing something, the more you want to do it. I believe that’s one thing we can learn from Paul’s point about “offering ourselves” to obedience. If you want to kill a bad habit or addiction, replace it with something good. Paul talks in verse 17 about the “pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance." He praises God because the old habits are gone and the believers are no longer slaves to sin because they have been given NEW habits. This, more than anything, is what prevents them from returning to old ways. When you are transformed from the inside out and don’t just focus on the outward symptoms of the inward problems, you have a new pattern that guides EVERY area of your life. When you are addicted to Jesus, you don’t have much time for things that have nothing to do with him! I fully understand that there are many out there that view addiction as a disease. I respect that view and am not here to say that it’s wrong. However, I want to say that even if that’s true, it still involves choices. Unlike cancer or other diseases that can take over a person’s body no matter what they do, addiction requires a person to DO something to keep feeding it. Even if you can’t control how the “disease” affects your mind, you’re still responsible for your actions. It has no power over you if you don’t use the drug, take the drink, look at the website, spend the money, or play the video game. If you want to begin to take back your life and gain back power over your inner desires, give Jesus a try. Become addicted to him and the things that he cares about, which can be found all throughout the Bible, and your desires will change. If you don’t know Jesus or have a relationship with him, it starts with accepting him and his sacrifice for your sins by faith. If you have already done that, it’s about choosing to live in his power and strength. Don’t worry about overcoming the mountain of addiction before you. Take the first step. Choose an act of obedience today when you could’ve, and maybe previously would’ve, chosen sin. Offer yourself to obedient choices, one at a time, and eventually you will have the righteous life you desire and that God desires for you. This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
