Fight Against Sin

William Wilberforce was a British politician and Christian abolitionist who dedicated his life to the eradication of the slave trade in the British Empire. He believed that slavery was a sin and that it was the duty of Christians to fight against it. In his book, Real Christianity, Wilberforce wrote, “"In the same way, God has called us to be the sworn enemies of sin. We are to wage war against it and strive to give it no opportunity in our lives." (p. 65)

In the same way that Wilberforce fought against the sin of slavery, he believed that Christians should wage war against all sin. He understood that sin was a destructive force that had the power to harm individuals, families, church families, local communities, and entire societies.

 

Wilberforce believed that Christians had a responsibility to fight against sin and strive to give it no opportunity in their lives. When we deal with our own individual sin it lessens the impact that sin has on those around us.

The Bible also teaches that sin is a powerful force that can lead to death and destruction. Romans 6:23 (CSB) says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Sin separates us from God and leads us down a path of destruction.

Followers of King Jesus are called to be sworn enemies of sin, because we know the destructive nature sin has in our lives. 

To be an enemy of sin means that we should not tolerate sin in our lives and that help others to overcome the sin in their lives. We are to strive to live a life that demonstrates God’s character and avoid the paths of temptation that lead us to sin. 

We live in a sin corrupted world which is constantly trying to pull us away from following Jesus. This means being an enemy of sin, even when we know it is evil, will not be easy. Temptation will still come our way and sin will still be present in our lives. However, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can make progress in overcoming sin and live a life that honors Jesus’ sacrifice and reflects the image of God into the world.

Waging war against sin also means that we should be actively involved in fighting against the sin in our world. This includes standing up against injustice, as we fighting against poverty and oppression, and working to bring hope and healing to those who are hurting. We should use our resources, talents, and influence to make a positive impact in the world and to fight against the forces of sin and evil. 

Remember, we can’t win this fight on our own, so we join forces with others working in these areas, offering our prayers and money to extend our love into areas we wouldn’t otherwise be able to go.

This quote from William Wilberforce reminds us that as Christians, we are called to be sworn enemies of sin. It is crucial that we wage war against it and strive to give it no opportunity in our lives. 

For us to do that we need to live a life that bears God’s image of love and holiness by loving our neighbor, working to make a positive impact in the world, and doing what we can to fight against the injustice that is in the world. 

My prayer is that we will be inspired by Wilberforce's example and live a life that is dedicated to fighting against sin and promoting righteousness.

The Good of Inconvenience

In June of 2004 I met a young girl named Kylee while being a family leader and teacher at First Chance Camp. At first, Kylee was very quiet but by the mid-day of the first full day of camp, she had attached herself to me, literally. 

It was irritating that she called me Baldy (I had shaved my head due to a hair cutting accident), stole my hat, and hung on me constantly. I was very annoyed when she grabbed my hand on the last night of camp and pulled me to the campfire to sit by her. I did not want to sit by her, I wanted to do whatever I could to get away from her.

On the way back to the cabins after the campfire, God used Kylee, a nine-year-old girl, to remind me what is important. She told me that her dad was killed in an accident in April and that I was now her dad. 

This caused my eyes to tear up as my perspective shifted. Now, I understood why she harassed me, or as she put it, terrorized me. While I was focused on my comfort, I had missed the pain in Kylee's life.

Dealing with difficult people is something we all have to face. Some people are so needy that they drain our strength. Others seem to get on our nerves just by existing.  Still others tell such outlandish stories that you wonder if you can believe a word that they say. 

Everyone has "unlovable" people in their lives.

The reason we believe they are "unlovable" is because we only see one side of them, and we miss the part of their lives that few people know about. Tragedy, abuse, accidents, and family life all have a significant impact on shaping who we are. 

I bet there is a reason why the annoying people in your life are annoying.

As we seek to tell people about God's love and serve those in need, we won't always deal with people whose personality is compatible with ours. Sooner or later we will encounter people who make life uncomfortable for us. These people provide us with the ultimate test of love. 

It is easy to love the people we enjoy, but it is different to love those who inconvenience our lives.

In Mark 6:31-34, we see that Jesus was being inconvenienced. People came from all over to take from Jesus. They were sick, crippled, and poor, which meant they had nothing to offer. They just wanted Jesus to help them. There were so many people that Jesus didn’t even have time to eat. His desire was to retreat, to go to a solitary place and rest. But  people discovered where he was heading and were waiting for him when he arrived. Jesus offered no rebuke or excuse. Instead, he had compassion on these inconvenient people and took time to help them.

Jesus is our example of how we are to act towards those difficult people in our lives. We may be tired, uncomfortable, and inconvenienced, but we still need  to do our best to help those who cross our paths. We should have compassion on them, not because they have something to offer us, but because they are people created in God’s image.

On the last day of camp, Kylee's mom came to pick her up. She explained to me how Kylee's father died and apologized if Kylee had been a nuisance. I shook my head and said, "She was no problem." My perspective had changed. I no longer saw Kylee as an annoyance but as a little girl who needed to be loved. 

To demonstrate God’s character in this world means we need to show compassion to those inconvenient people in our lives.

Sunday Prayer: Thank You For Transforming My Life

Dear God,

Today I thank You for the Holy Spirit and the transforming work he is doing in our lives. I am grateful for the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that comes from his presence in my heart.

I affirm my commitment to You. I belong to King Jesus and I  have crucified my flesh with all of its passions and desires. I ask for your guidance and strength to continue, that comes from the Spirit, so I am able to keep in step with your will.

Lord, I  pray that you help me to avoid becoming conceited, being divisive, or being envious of others. May I always remember to show love and kindness to those around me, and to extend grace and forgiveness to people just as you have shown me.

I ask that you continue to work in my heart, transforming me from the inside out, and empowering me to live a life that honors you. 

I pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and King. Amen.

The Illusion of Equality

Consider what Ludwig von Mises wrote:

“What is imperishable in man—his spirit—is undoubtedly the same in rich and poor, noble and commoner, white and colored.

“Nothing, however, is as ill-founded as the assertion of the alleged equality of all members of the human race. Men are altogether unequal. Even between brothers there exist the most marked differences in physical and mental attributes” (Liberalism: The Classical Tradition, p. 9).

The idea of equality has been a cornerstone of the United States, but the reality is that true equality is a myth. As Ludwig von Mises pointed out, human beings are altogether unequal, and even among siblings, there exist marked differences in physical and mental attributes.

It is important to note, that this reality does not mean that some people are superior and others inferior. Followers of Jesus believe that everyone is created in the image of God, and therefore, everyone not only has great value, but is also an essential part of our community. We need to embrace our uniqueness and recognize that we all have something to contribute to society and to the Church.

One way we can do this is by understanding that certain rights are universal, such as the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This is also true when it comes to salvation. Everyone is in the same boat and in need of rescue from Satan, sin, and death by Jesus. We are all equal in our need for salvation, regardless of our race, gender, or social status.

Another way we can embrace our uniqueness is by recognizing that we are all part of the same body of Christ. Each one of us has different talents and gifts that can contribute to the growth and health of the Church. Just as in a society, the division of labor enables productivity and prosperity, our differences enable us to work together and depend on one another for what we need.

What matters most is not a person's talents or achievements but their character. People of good moral character are the ones who can do the most good in this world, not the most gifted. We need to strive to be people of character who embrace our uniqueness and recognize our interdependence on one another.