Reflections on God … Man … Life
James 1:20—For the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. That Scripture came to mind this morning as I reflect on the state of our nation and the political developments in recent years. Anger over sin is not a sin in itself, but whenever anger becomes the driving force for what one does, we go off the rails spiritually. There are legitimate reasons for anger: Over 57 million babies aborted since the Roe v. Wade decision in… Read more »
I toyed with the idea this morning of writing nothing but Scripture passages. I will get to those, but I have to say a few words as well. The Republican voters (and for the sake of brevity, I’ll just assume most were Republicans) have decided that a man who rejects nearly every line in past Republican platforms will be their nominee for president. Republican voters have concluded that morality, integrity, the rule of law, and the Constitution must be discarded… Read more »
Is it really merciful not to carry out justice? Is the concept of justice too harsh? Should a Christian believe in punishment for crimes? C. S. Lewis thought through this issue in an essay he published in 1949 called “The Humanitarian Theory of Punishment.” If we go by feelings, we may think we are being humane in forgiving without real punishment. Lewis disagrees. The essential act of mercy was to pardon; and pardon in its very essence involves the recognition… Read more »
What has occurred in the aftermath of the unconscionable murders in Charleston is a testament to the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The attitude of forgiveness in the hearts of family members who lost loved ones is a remarkable witness to how God’s love can erase bitterness. That’s on a personal level, of course. Justice still needs to be meted out to the murderer. One can forgive while simultaneously seeking a just punishment for what he has done…. Read more »
C. S. Lewis’s “God in the Dock” essay exposes one of the biggest obstacles we face in transmitting the Gospel message: the unwillingness of people to acknowledge they are guilty of anything and are in need of a savior. What Lewis says in this essay has become even more conspicuous in our day. He writes of what he learned when he spoke to Royal Air Force (R.A.F.) audiences during WWII. One of the first things he learned was that they… Read more »
Nothing fancy today . . . or long. I just want to make a few statements to help provide some understanding for why I am so dedicated to speaking out about righteousness in government and culture. I don’t do so from some position of presumed authority or because I think I’m the fount of all wisdom. In fact, it’s precisely due to the failures in my own life over my 61+ years that I feel called to write and teach…. Read more »