For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were brought to light by the Law, were at work in the parts of our body to bear fruit for death. (Romans 7:5)
What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Far from it! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” (Romans 7:7).
Whattttt…? Romans is hard. Let’s look at an example that might make it easier.
I watch the TV program Border Security: Australia’s Front Line. In that reality TV show (a genre which is now called ‘factual television’ lol) different border control agents stationed in various locations of the Australian border detect illegal items being smuggled into the country. Banned are certain organic products that could introduce disease to Australia’s crops. So are weapons, and of course drugs.
The agents who are shown on the program work on the high seas, at shipping ports of entry, mailrooms, and in airports.
When the agents spot a piece of luggage, a nervous immigrant, or a package they suspect contains some contraband, based on certain indicators, they take the person, package, or luggage aside and give it a closer inspection.
The liquid shows the powder was indeed a rug. It changed color.
When they open the item they suspect contains drugs, and it could be anything from a small statue to an engine piston to a picture frame, sometimes they discover a white powder. Is it drugs? Likely, but they have to test it to be sure. And it has to be an on-the-spot test so they know instantly whether to proceed to the next level.
They produce something called a NIK test. This is a Narcotics Identification Kit (NIK). It’s a field presumptive test kit, part of a drug identification system that is designed to rapidly identify substances of being illegal, or controlled substances.
They take some of the white powder, put it into a pouch that also contains some liquid in a separate chamber, and they break the chambers inside so the suspicious powder and the liquid will mix. If the liquid turns colors, it means the powder is presumptively a drug. Whatever color it turns is whatever drug it likely is. The agents then send the actual powder off to a scientific lab to determine its exact composition, but the NIK test was enough to arrest and hold the smuggler. Guilty!
The Law is a NIK test. It’s a mirror held up to the person’s thought, word, or deed, to determine what flavor of sin is lurking. It’s like a mirror.
The first purpose of the law is to be a mirror. On the one hand, the law of God reflects and mirrors the perfect righteousness of God. The law tells us much about who God is. Perhaps more important, the law illumines human sinfulness. Augustine wrote, “The law orders, that we, after attempting to do what is ordered, and so feeling our weakness under the law, may learn to implore the help of grace.”
Like a mirror revealing wrinkles, blemishes, age spots, the Law-mirror reveals our sin, our defects, our spiritual condition. Based on the fact that humans all have a sin-nature, the NIK test simply reveals what is already presumed to be there: sin.
Are Christians still under the Law like the Jews of Israel were? Yes, and no. No in that we New Testament believers are under a new covenant. We are released from the Jewish ceremonial laws such as the dietary restrictions, feasts, and ceremonies. The Law doesn’t justify. It never justified us.
nevertheless, knowing that a person is not justified by works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law; since by works of the Law no flesh will be justified. (Galatians 2:16).
A mirror doesn’t make you prettier, it only reveals what is there. The law doesn’t justify, but only reveals what is already there, which is a totally depraved sin-nature. It reveals our helpless state.
The Galatians verse states that the Law can’t justify a person nor make anyone righteous. This is why God sent Jesus, for Him to completely fulfill the requirements of the Law for all those who would ever believe in Him.
Praise God for Jesus! Jesus is God’s mirror. When God looks at Jesus He sees His exact imprint (Hebrews 1:3). If we are saved, we are in Christ. So when God looks at us, He sees His Son.
He came to save us from the burden of our sin, to make us clean, to possess an imputed righteousness of Christ. We will be able to stand before God on the Day when we meet Him. If you have been saved by His grace then pray in thanks. If you have not yet been born again into new life, then pray to Him in repentance for your sins, sins which the Law reveals – to your condemnation. Then turn from them and trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an active doer, this person will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25).
In 1970, a pregnant single woman pseudonymously named Jane Roe, brought a class action suit challenging the constitutionality of the Texas criminal abortion laws, which forbid procuring an abortion except on medical advice for the purpose of saving the mother’s life. The case, now known as Roe v. Wade, (Henry Wade was the district attorney) took three years of meandering up the ladder through various courts to reach the Supreme Court. Jane Roe is a pseudonym for the real woman named Norma Nelson McCorvey. The case is summarized at Cornell Law School:
Jane Roe, a single woman who was residing in Dallas County, Texas, instituted this federal action in March 1970 against the District Attorney of the county. She sought a declaratory judgment that the Texas criminal abortion statutes were unconstitutional on their face, and an injunction restraining the defendant from enforcing the statutes.
Roe alleged that she was unmarried and pregnant; that she wished to terminate her pregnancy by an abortion ‘performed by a competent, licensed physician, under safe, clinical conditions’; that she was unable to get a ‘legal’ abortion in Texas because her life did not appear to be threatened by the continuation of her pregnancy; and that she could not afford to travel to another jurisdiction in order to secure a legal abortion under safe conditions. She claimed that the Texas statutes were unconstitutionally vague and that they abridged her right of personal privacy, protected by the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendments. By an amendment to her complaint Roe purported to sue ‘on behalf of herself and all other women’ similarly situated.
The case made its way up the courts and was adjudicated by the Supreme Court in 1972-1973. The decision was handed down in January 1973. The Justices refused to rehear it in February 1973. The decision was that a woman’s right to an abortion was constitutionally protected.
Since that time, “The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the nation’s oldest pro-life organization, estimates that 63,459,781 abortions have taken place since 1973. That estimate was gathered by tracking data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute, which previously served as a research arm of the nation’s preeminent abortion provider, Planned Parenthood.” (Source).
They say ‘estimated’ because “An exact answer is hard to come by. Two organizations – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute – try to measure this, but they use different methods and publish different figures.” (Source)
Nevertheless, since that time abortions have been performed on women seeking them thinking they are just a simple procedure giving her and the father an opportunity to escape the consequence of their often immoral activity, which is sexual intercourse outside of marriage.
But it is not one alternative among many. It is not just a simple procedure. It is murder. God says Thou Shall Not Kill. (Exodus 20:13).
Pro-life activists have been working hard ever since to combat the ruling, in various ways. Some stand outside abortion clinics and plead for the baby with the mother. Others try in the legislature. Little traction seemed to be making way until finally, a conservative president was elected who had the opportunity to appoint three Justices to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). That was President Donald J. Trump, who appointed Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.
The decision yesterday ran along conservative lines. It was 6-3 with Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan dissenting. Justice Alito wrote the majority opinion, saying,
“We end this opinion where we began. Abortion presents a profound moral question. The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion. Roe and Casey arrogated that authority. We now overrule those decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected representatives,” source
Elections matter:
Chief Justice John Roberts. Bush appointee Clarence Thomas. Bush appointee Samuel Alito. Bush Appointee Neil Gorsuch. Trump Appointee Brett Kavanaugh. Trump Appointee Amy Coney Barrett Trump Appointee Stephen Breyer. Clinton Appointee Sonia Sotomayor. Clinton Appointee Elena Kagan. Obama Appointee BREYER, SOTOMAYOR, and KAGAN, JJ., dissenting
Al Mohler has a 30 minute rush segment on The Briefing. He noted not only the wonderful news of the decision itself, but he also put the decision in a larger legal context. He explained that based on statements in the Opinion, the justices seem to be intent on stripping away the unconstitutional precedent bloat. The justices maintained in the Opinion they are not to legislate from the bench, as many past decisions have done, and then used as precedents for further unconstitutional decisions, effectively making a house of cards. It was stated that they are merely to interpret the law, specifically the Constitution. It was hinted that other decisions could be overturned whose legal arguments the Justices deem unconstitutionally based, including Obergefell v. Hodges. This was a 2015 decision which ruled that the fundamental right to marry is Constitutionally guaranteed to same-sex couples.
Back to yesterday’s Roe decision. Many Christians and others rejoiced at this decision. Almost immediately many states closed their abortion clinics. Others swiftly passed prepared legislation outlawing abortion. Many praised the Lord, prayed in thanks, and shared encouragements online.
Wouldn’t it be interesting to see behind the veil as the spiritual battle rages. The Lord gave Elisha’s servant a peek. What he saw were God’s holy angels in formation in chariots waiting for the battle signal. (2 Kings 6:15-17). If we could see the second heaven now, we’d see such a pitched battle that would horrify us with its evilness and drive us to our knees in thanks for our own holy regeneration. For remember, once we were as evil as the abortionists and the hordes of women who clamor to kill their babies.
But…Satan doesn’t take his apparent defeats well. He always comes back with opposition, 7X worse than before. (Luke 11:24-26; Revelation 12:13). He waits for opportune time. (Luke 4:13).
So while we rightly rejoice, praise, and sing hallelujahs this is not a time to relax our vigilance. It is a time to be extra wary.
Though onlookers suspected Roe would be struck down given the conservative majority on the Court, people became almost sure of it when, in a terrible breach, a draft of the upcoming decision was leaked to the public. The liberals went bananas. The humans that satan energizes for his evil plots reared into violent anger.
James White, ever the master wordsmith, said the day before the Decision was to be handed down: “I assume tomorrow we will see the servants of death in an orgy of anger at the disrespect of their central sacrament. Stand back and consider how far the hand of restraint has been lifted.”
Now that the decision has been finally ruled upon, the liberals are, as expected, going bananas. Here are some examples of why we must maintain vigilance-
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “While Republicans seek to punish and control women, Democrats will keep fighting ferociously to enshrine Roe v. Wade into the law of the land. This cruel ruling is outrageous and heart-wrenching…”
“Enshrine”. Dr. White used the word sacrament and isn’t it interesting Speaker Pelosi said “enshrine.” Don’t you find her use of the word ‘enshrined’ interesting? The false god Molech would enjoy that.
Moloch; (also Molech or Molek) is a name or a term which appears in the Hebrew Bible several times, primarily in the book of Leviticus. The Bible strongly condemns practices which are associated with Moloch, practices which appear to have included child sacrifice. Wikipedia
In another example, Sen. Manchin (D-WV) who voted for two of the Justices’ appointments, said: “I trusted Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh when they testified under oath that they also believed Roe v. Wade was settled legal precedent and I am alarmed they chose to reject the stability the ruling has provided.”
“Alarmed”.
The Department of Justice had some reactions too:
“Every tool”.
The heathen will redouble their efforts. Many have already said so.
My own opinion is, whether this decision is a temporary reprieve or a spark for a final showdown, only God knows… Personally I do not believe this is a reprieve but a catalyst. I believe it will spark an upcoming pitched battle that will lead to violence, and perhaps even the rapture. (? One can hope!)
Why do I think this? Too much evidence that America is under judgment. The Lord allowed tyrannical measures to oppress the people of this nation when COVID-19 appeared. He is allowing our economy to crash. Food is getting harder to come by, as well as many hard goods. I mean, baby formula??
The delusions of the liberal left were allowed to deepen. Rational thought departed. Men can be women and women can be men? We don’t know what a woman is? “I’m not a biologist“? Gay ‘pride’ everywhere? Even the discipline of medicine cratered. Organizations Americans thought were helping us turned out to be the enemy (US House of Representatives, Senate, CDC, Department of Justice, World Health Organization, the Media…)
Further, the Lord raised up a Pelosi, a Clinton, and especially a Biden. Our current leader is a mentally deficient cognitively impaired man with a finger on the nuclear trigger. When a nation is under judgment, he gives them wicked leaders.
Did the Church pray and seek to return to God in repentance? Not so much. Denominations, which are representatives of Christ in the global church, have allowed the world to infiltrate. Though there is a faithful remnant hidden in its folds, the visible church in America is largely weak, corrupt, and pitiful. Female preachers, plagiarism, prosperity Gospel, failure to call for repentance, divorce, adultery, … The church is one of the measures God uses to restrain sin, along with government and the family. And where are these three restraining mechanisms now? Corrupt, capitulating, and faltering.
How does one know that a nation is under judgment? And if it’s under judgment is it too late for them? John MacArthur preached on these questions in March 2021. He outlined the examples of Israel in Isaiah’s time and Israel in the Apostles’ time to show that God does have a final point of no return for nations. In Acts 14 we see that He allows nations to go their own way. In Romans 1 we see that God gives them over. In “Too Late for Grace: When a Nation Rejects God“, MacArthur said,
“So when you see a nation deep in sexual sin, pervasively affirming of homosexuality, and the insanity of a reprobate mind, where they make laws to criminalize righteousness and to legalize gross evil, you know that nation’s under judgment.”
As mentioned, the devil does not take his setbacks well. There will be severe pushback. I am celebrating, of course, but while I have my hands lifted in thanks and praise, I also have my eyes on the horizon, for what I think is coming.
If I had a motto for these days it would be, “Rejoice, but Remain Ready”. The battle will continue. The Department of Homeland Security has already warned about likely violence.
The Department of Homeland Security’s intelligence arm said in a memo on Friday that domestic violent extremism is “likely” in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Why it matters: Violence could take place in multiple locations for weeks as states make changes to their abortion laws, according to the memo, which was obtained by Axios. (Source)
What it means is, don’t let down your guard. Sometimes Christians are short sighted, taking one victory and relaxing their guard in thinking that it’s over. The devil never relaxes, ever. He is always prowling (1 Peter 5:8), walking up and down upon the earth. (Job 1:7). Of course I’m no prophet and I have no insight into God’s mind except for what I see in His word. Perhaps He will put His hand upon America again and turn us from the brink. I’ll celebrate that if it happens.
If I were to have another motto, it would be “Hope for the best and prepare for the worst”. But as Christians, what is ‘the worst”? The worst is already the best, because we have the best: Jesus. We have knowledge that no matter what happens, it is for our good of those who love Him and for His glory.
Before I was saved, the blood of Christ was the worst part of Christianity to me. I thought of the sticky blood on a rough cross and I’d go, “Ick! Who wants a religion like that? Not me!”
I could not understand why the blood was so important to those weird Christians.
I need a bath- of verses. I need to immerse myself in His holy word, for cleansing and for comfort.
There are some verses that when I read them no matter how many times I read them in my Bible reading life, they move me. Other verses, no matter how many times I read them, they strike fear into me. I don’t know why some verses over others move me, unless it’s proof that the verse is speaking to my soul in a way my mind can’t comprehend.
I love the Puritans. These are the men of the faith who followed Martin Luther into a reformation of the church. Encyclopedia Britannica defines it as-
Puritanism, a religious reform movement in the late 16th and 17th centuries that sought to “purify” the Church of England of remnants of the Roman Catholic “popery” that the Puritans claimed had been retained after the religious settlement reached early in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Puritans became noted in the century for a spirit of moral and religious earnestness that informed their whole way of life. (Source).
Far from being an esoteric area of study, I grew up in Rhode Island where Puritanism was all around. The puritans were real life to me. You couldn’t miss the giant statue of Roger Williams looming over Providence, which he founded, as well as the state. School field trips included visits to the Mayflower replica and Plymouth Village, a replica of the original settlement. Exiled Puritan rebel Anne Hutchinson founded Portsmouth the town next to Newport. As I read the plaques and saw the statues and visited the historical sites, I always wondered what on earth would make people leave their homeland for the sake of religion. Religion?! It floored me.
Now I know, of course, but these questions ignited my imagination and nestled a seed of religious interest that would later blossom in the timing of God.
I’d sort of been picking up bits and pieces about the Puritans as my elders would mention one, or when I came across a piece at Monergism (lots of free, edifying material there), or GraceGems (more great stuff), or Chapel Library (incredible ministry).
I read a few Puritan Paperbacks, a series of Puritan writings from Banner of Truth that present slightly modernized, lightly edited Puritan works. There’s also the Pocket Puritan series, even shorter, and a great introduction to these lions of the faith.
I enjoyed Tony Reinke’s Puritan Series, here is his blurb:
The Puritan Study was born out of two convictions. First, the faithful Puritan preachers offer much biblical wisdom to the 21st century. Secondly, the church aims to remain faithful to the expositional ministry of the Word. Without advocating an exposition that overlooks the insights of previous generations, nor placing an improper emphasis on Puritan literature over Scripture, the church needs to think about how we can complement our expositions of Scripture with the great Puritan literature. This conviction pushed me to rethink my own use of the Puritans and to re-build a Puritan library specifically suited for expositional preaching.
I also enjoyed Derek Thomas’ lecture series Part 1 and Part 2 of Puritan John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. I took it at Ligonier for pay but recently it came up again for free. These links are to the (currently) free series of part 1. Thomas’ soothing voice, cool accent, and calm demeanor really helped me open up the sometimes mystifying allegories and symbols Bunyan used in his tremendous work.
But my bits and bobs approach, as the British say, was good, but I wanted something more organized in my learning about the Puritans. This is where Media Gratiae came in.
I always buy myself something for Christmas (practical) and I get something for my summer break (since I don’t go on a vacation anywhere). I splurged on the Puritan streaming package from Media Gratiae. It was on sale for $50. It included the 2-hour Puritan documentary and all 35 short bios of various Puritans. I’d already bought the workbook (which is really a book) that accompanies the bios.
Each bio in the workbook has a timeline of the Puritan’s life, a famous quote, a Did You Know?, and the highlights of his legacy. Each entry ends with questions to ponder and a bibliography. It’s a great resource and easy to digest.
I am enjoying watching one of the bios each day, purposely going through slowly so as to make sure I absorb all the nuggets. Yesterday was about Matthew Henry, he of the famous Whole Commentary on the Bible. This list was presented as the principles by which he grounded his work:
That religion is the one thing useful.
That divine revelation is necessary to true religion.
That divine revelation is not now to be found nor expected any where but in the scriptures of the Old and New Testament.
That the scriptures of the Old and New Testament were purposely designed for our learning.
That the holy scriptures were not only designed for our learning, but are the settled standing rule of our faith and practice.
That therefore it is the duty of all Christians diligently to search the scriptures, and it is the office of ministers to guide and assist them therein.
Good stuff, eh? It’s why I like studying these men. As Reinke said we don’t study them to the exclusion of the Bible itself, but their work was important. The Lord raised them up for a reason. In fact, when The Great Ejection occurred, the time when Puritan reformers were banished, jailed, or martyred, it ended up actually being a good thing. Since these men weren’t pastoring or preaching…they wrote. It’s why we have such a body of work from them today that remained preserved.
This essay has been an attempt to spark your own curiosity for the Puritans, and to offer some solid resources in which to browse. I hope you enjoy! Do you have a favorite Puritan? Or do you enjoy another era from Church History? Let me know in the comments. 🙂
I was raised by an unbelieving feminist who taught that a woman’s calling is to be out in the world, making a name for herself. “You can do anything” it was said.
Except houswifery. THAT was definitely not part of the ‘anything’ a woman could become. No, never that.
I often wondered about this hypocritical stance, especially since housewifery seemed good. (I still wasn’t saved, but the notion of keeping a house for my husband was cozy to me). No, a woman should be in the world, marching, yelling, claiming, staking, pushing.
Just the title of this new reality show is enough to tell you all the Christian needs to know: “Temptation Island”.
The TV show blurb states: “Temptation Island is an American reality dating show, in which several couples agree to live with a group of singles of the opposite sex, in order to test the strength of their relationships.”
Four unmarried but long term dating couples are separated and the 4 women live on one side of a tropical island with 12 men, and the 4 men live on the other side of the island with 12 women. The odds are stacked against them from the start.
The UK Guardian described it like this, lol: “Temptation Island, which launched on Fox TV last night, centres on four couples who test their fidelity on a steamy tropical island overrun with scantily clad singles. It is the latest example of what observers are dubbing ‘reality TV’.“
The producers say the show isn’t about sex, it’s about ‘exploring the dynamics of relationships’. Apparently relationship dynamics comes with speedos and bikinis.
The show itself engendered controversy from conservatives and religious groups when it initially aired in 2001. It lasted 2 seasons and was canceled. But then it was brought back a few years later. Apparently all a TV producer needs to do is wait a few years for the society’s moral deterioration to deepen, and then re-start your morally corrupt program, and it will fit right in.
The product it is selling is lust, pride, and voyeurism. Lust for obvious reasons, pride for anyone who thinks they can withstand temptation in their own strength, and voyeurism of those watching and by extension, participating in the same sins.
The Bible tells us to FLEE sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18). It also warns not to test the Lord. Yet what does the world do? Creates circumstances purposely for men and women to run *toward* sexual immorality. Then voyeuristically entices more people to participate in it by watching.
Better title for it would be ‘Dances with devils’.
but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28).
“Don’t tempt me!”
Temptation is common to man because every person born on this planet except Jesus has a sin-nature. Sin is part of us. We have no free will to escape it. We only have a choice on which sin we will perform and to what degree. Sure, you might not be a murderer, but are you a thief? A liar? A coveter? Do you engage in what Jerry Bridges calls ‘respectable sins? Gossip at lunch? Jealousy over a friend’s vacation trip? Anger? They’re all sins. Pick your flavor.
We all have a nature that is drenched in sin, saturated through and through (the Doctrine of Depravity). Our natural moral condition is one of total inability to do anything righteous for God, and instead, we only sin. We only ever think about sinning. We only ever sin, continuously. (Genesis 6:5).
Paul explains this in Romans. Romans is relentless in showing us humans how awful we really are. Oh, we try to convince our selves that “I’m not really that bad.” Or we rationalize, “I’m not as bad as THAT guy over there.” But those rationalizations fail because we compare ourselves to other sinners. Sure, not everyone sins as bad as they could, and some sin more than others, but that’s not the point. To make the comparison we have to compare ourselves to God, who is Holy. He is the one who is sinless. He is the one who sets the standard.
In Romans 3:12 we learn that no one is good, and that no one seeks after God.
Worse, any thought not in accordance with God’s standards is sin. That is why even looking at a woman or man in lust is adultery, because sinful thoughts are still an affront to Holy God, even if you never went through with the physical act.
One Sin Feels Lonely
The Bible says to flee from sexual immorality. (1 Corinthians 6:18). Joseph fled, He turned his back on Mrs. Potiphar and ran out of the room. His reaction should have startled her conscience into repentance. But see, temptation just means one sin feels lonely. Without the object of her desire to satisfy her sin, she turned to another sin, lying.
We must not engage in anything impure, not greed or debauchery or anything unrighteous. (Ephesians 5:3). Sin is an almost alive thing, crouching at the door waiting to have you. Unsaved people are at the mercy of the tsunami of sin engulfing them, but as Christians we have a door to shut it out: the Holy Spirit indwelling us.
Here’s where it gets good
We can evacuate Temptation Island. We do not have to succumb to the charcuterie board of sins satan is serving up!
Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones preached, “The fourth thing we go on to is something that we should consider with adoration, praise and worship, and it is this: the three Persons of the blessed Trinity took part in this plan and purpose of redemption. There can be no question at all but that the Scriptures teach that before the foundation of the world a council with respect to man took place between the three Persons of the Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And there in that eternal council they seem very clearly to have divided up the work of redemption, so that we can describe the Father as the originator, the Son as the executor and the Holy Spirit as the One who applies what the Son has achieved.“
The lifeboat has arrived to take God’s children off the island of temptations and to give us armor to battle it with! Praise God and bless Him! He rescues us from our swim in the putrid waters of sin!
God’s rescue is a perfect example of how Christianity is countercultural: it’s the opposite of the world. What a gift. He gave us to not only know what evil IS, but to give us the Spirit to help us kill the sin that remains in us and to help us resist the temptations that we DO NOT seek but do come our way.
Think about the monumental gift He has given us. He regenerates sinful hearts, gave us His word to follow, gave us His Spirit to help us in killing sin. He gave us everything! We don’t HAVE TO sin. We don’t have to participate in the increasing moral deterioration of society! We can come to our Father, repentance in hand, and lay it at His feet. We are dressed in righteous robes, and given powerful aids to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Someday we will be freed totally from even the presence of sin. What a day that will be!
I watch the History Channel’s program “Alone”. It’s a wilderness survival competition where 10 contestants are dropped in a remote area of the world (Patagonia, Labrador), with ten allowed items of their selection, plus a ton of provided camera gear so they can film their endeavors. Whoever lasts the longest wins money. Contestants have a satellite phone to ‘tap out’ if they so desire. In addition, the producers send doctors every week to perform medical and mental health checks on the contestants. They are involuntarily pulled out of the competition if doctors feel the contestant is in irreversible health danger.
the-end-time.org 