Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Upsplash
Our deepest freedom rests not in our freedom to do what we want to do but rather in our freedom to become who God wills us to be. —James Finley
The Old Testament Josiah stands out as one of the few kings of Israel credited for his goodness in the eyes of the Lord. In the wake of his father’s abuses of the faith and desecration of the Temple, Josiah focused his reign on…..
As Americans, we still live in the shadow of a “fire and brimstone” preaching legacy. Too many people associate God with a wagging finger, scolding us for being “naughty” and threatening us with Hell if we fail to behave.
It’s not as if I don’t believe in sin. The problem lies in the way…..
Years ago I rented the movie, “The Sixth Sense,” famous for its surprise ending. Unfortunately, while I was in the video store, I had heard people talking about the movie and, about halfway through watching it myself, I realized their comments had clued me in to the twist at the end……
Christianity faces a tall order in explaining God’s forgiveness. On the surface, it just seems too simple. A person can do any evil, and God guarantees a full pardon? Paul anticipates the problem in Romans 6:15 – “So should we sin more that grace may abound? Of course not!”
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While it’s easy to cast blame on others, dealing with our own misdeeds can really trip us up. Instinctively, we know guilt is toxic to us.
We have so many ways to evade feeling guilty – excuses and rationales to make us believe “there’s nothing to feel guilty about.”…..
Guilt is a peculiar thing. Like fire, it fascinates us at a distance, but we quickly draw our hand away when it gets too close.
Our biblical introduction to guilt speaks clearly to our human instincts. When God confronts the Man and the Woman in the Garden, they rush to exonerate themselves. Instead of asking…..