sin

Former polemics blogger and pastor Jordan "JD" Hall has been removed from membership at his church, Fellowship Baptist Church in Sidney, Montana, for "failure to demonstrate repentance for sins."

The idea that we can only accomplish our goals by sinful means is a lie, and in the rare instances where it’s not, that should be a flashing neon sign that those are not goals worth pursuing. After all, Satan has zero interest in blessing you unless doing so will drive you further from the Lord. He is and always will be “a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour,” and the fastest way to end up as one of his meals is by believing the lie that any sin is worth what it will cost in the end (1 Peter 5:8).

Pastor Jordan Daniel "JD" Hall has been removed from Fellowship Baptist Church in Sidney, Montana due to an allegation of "serious sin."

An Alabama church’s Scripture-inspired sign about the sin of pride has sparked a backlash by some who believed it was targeting LGBT Pride Month.

I plan to focus tomorrow on practical ways to “concentrate” on God so fully that we find victory over “besetting” sins and thus become catalysts for spiritual renewal in our broken culture. For today, let’s close by choosing to take these sins to Jesus in the knowledge that only he can give us the victory we need.

Here is what we can know without question: “An evil person will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 11:21) because “vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). Whether in this world or in the next (cf. Luke 16:19-31), God’s judgment on sin is sure (Hebrews 9:27).

It’s not surprising when skeptics ask, “Why trust God when trusting God doesn’t seem to help?” It’s only human for Christians to ask the same question. Let’s consider two biblical responses:

As fallen human beings, if we are not submitted to the Spirit, we are by default submitted to the “flesh.” If we are not empowered by the Spirit, we are empowered by the “flesh.” How can we tell the difference?

This week we’ve been discussing redemptive ways Christians can relate to a culture that is, in New York Times columnist David Brooks’ assessment, “falling apart at the seams.” As we have explored ways we can share with our fellow sinners the good news of God’s grace, we have focused on the urgency of compassion. Today let’s discuss the compassion of urgency.

Yesterday I cited extensively from New York Times columnist David Brooks’ dire description of our culture as “falling apart at the seams.” I noted my belief that our country is experiencing God’s permissive judgment whereby he allows us the consequences of our freewill choices to reject his word and will. But then I stated that today we would “focus on ways to respond with compassionate courage and truthful grace.” The key is recognizing and embracing our solidarity with our fallen society. You and I should do this for three reasons.