Sound Words (Page 30)

Tempted by Acceptance “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:13–15 ESV) As we continue to look at our desires and the ways in…

Sin Beneath the Surface Sin is like a weed. If you do not get it at the root, you have not really gotten it at all. If you are trying to overcome sin without dealing with it at its roots, then be prepared to fail. And even if you manage to overcome one sin, some other sin will take its place if you do not figure out how to cut it off at its source and replace it with what…

Resisting Sin Begins with Prayer At some point during each day, you feel a familiar tension: immaterial objects of your fancy tug on your worn heart strings while you vacillate between what you want to do and what you ought to do. We all have been in that battle. And we all have lost. Perhaps the struggle concerned clicking an internet link that led to a pornographic webpage. Maybe the struggle regarded releasing a verbalized rage that destroyed the spirit…

An Appetite for Abomination If you have lived with someone who has a severe allergy or some havoc-wreaking malabsorption condition, then you know what it means to be concerned about most everything you touch. Hopefully you do, at least, or you probably have paid many visits to the hospital. Having a Celiac spouse is one of those things that demands such increased conscientiousness. Most days, I am concerned about everything I touch. Is it safe for her, or is it…

A Seat at the Table The dining scene in Ruth 2:14 illustrates how feasting relates to fellowship. There is a tender feeling of belonging that follows an invitation to the table. Ruth understood this well. Ruth knew she did not belong at that table. It would be a mistake for us to expect a female servant in ancient Israel to be so honored by the host of a dinner. Moreover, she was a Moabite—something the text never lets us forget…

Distinctions that Dishonor We live in world in which people will divide over nearly anything. People make distinctions based on skin color, political affiliation, economic status, and, in some cities, even the side of the train tracks on which someone was raised. This is the way the world works. But this is not the way God works. Because God does not work this way, a Christian cannot honor God while making distinctions about others that God does not make. James…

Kind Like Our Creator “Though the wicked is shown favor, he does not learn righteousness; he deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, and does not perceive the majesty of the LORD.” (Isaiah 26:10 NASB)  The truth upon which Isaiah’s observation is founded says something significant about the purpose of God’s favor: it is meant to teach me righteousness and show me the majesty of the Lord. The kindness of God is not merely something I receive and for which I am grateful. His kindness is, in fact, the…

A Resurrecting God There are few things more integral to the teaching of the New Testament than Christ’s resurrection. It’s a part of the core gospel message, as Paul reports to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). But this belief was more to the first disciples of Christ than a mere credal statement of faith, and it should mean much more to us as well. Jesus, being God, is uniquely capable of bestowing life. John argues as much at the beginning…