The Trinity of Sin Is Overcome
In Psalms 32:1-2 and 51:2-3, David used three different words to describe the fullness of our sin: transgression (pesha‘), iniquity (‘avon), and sin (chatta’ah). As transgressors, we willfully disobey the One to whom we owe our allegiance. In our iniquity, our hearts have been twisted. And as sinners, we woefully miss the mark of God’s […]
Manage God’s Grace
In the Jewish culture, the master would entrust specific responsibilities to his servant. The servant may be responsible for managing some aspect of the master’s business or administering a portion of the family land. The servant would be honored to manage the resources or possessions of the master. Serving is management of God’s grace. The […]
True Repentance
After Nathan, the prophet, confronted King David on his sin, David prayed an incredible prayer of repentance and begged God to create a new heart in him (Psalm 51). We are mistaken if we believe that David’s prayer is for us only if/when we commit the “big sins.” In David’s prayer, he does not mention […]
Safe, Not Soft
“Abhor what is evil.” A gospel-centered community acknowledges the presence of sin and welcomes the confession of sin. But a truly gospel-centered community never reduces the severity of sin. To “abhor” describes the way a believer should react to sin. The word means to “shiver in horror,” the way your body reacts to an […]
Consistent Confession
Don’t be misled into thinking that the more you confess the further away from God you must be. The opposite is true. As your relationship with God becomes more intimate, confession is more prevalent. When Jesus gave us an example of prayer, He encouraged us to seek forgiveness: Therefore, you should pray like this: Our […]
Confessing Sin: Repairing our Connection with God
While we should seek to remove sin from our lives, we will still sin. While Christ has declared us perfect, practically we still live in our old and fallen bodies. While God’s righteousness has been credited to us, we will not be without sin until heaven. But what we do when we blow it is […]
The Gates of Hell Will Not Prevail
So that my in-laws would be somewhat comfortable with their daughter living in Miami, we bought a house in a gated community. After all, Miami is not known as the safest place to live. Miami Vice and CSI Miami do not help the perception. So I was excited to tell my in-laws that I was […]
View Sin as Spiritual Adultery
Sin is cheating on God. When I served as a pastor, I counseled several couples struggling with the pain of infidelity. I have seen the hurt and despair in husbands and wives who are crushed because their spouses pursued excitement or intimacy with another. I have also seen the pain and regret in those who […]
Clarifying the Gospel
Gospel is derived from the Greek word evangelion, and it means “good news.” Thus, the gospel is fundamentally news and not advice. Advice is typically counsel about something that has not yet happened and requires the listener to do something. Dress like this for the date. Ask these questions in the interview. Use this type […]
Three Signals We Are Filled with Pride
According to C. S. Lewis, our pride is our greatest sin because we hate it in others while simultaneously being unconscious of it in ourselves. Others smell the odor of our pride and are repulsed by it, but often we are oblivious to our own stench. The story of King Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26) is […]