“But envy only opposes that which is good, and all good; therefore there is nothing in it but evil and an universal evil . . . all the poison in the old serpent is in this sin, as if it had emptied itself of its poison and vomited it in this sin; so much venom …
More Than One Use for Pretty Much Anything
Well, it turns out that Ron Paul has more shekels in the bank than John McCain, one of the front runners. And so just what is a front runner anyway? Might it be anyone who is deemed to be such by the media? Is this a great country or what? HT: Tom Brainerd And as …
Those Chapters
I have to say honestly that the book of Romans has caused me a great deal of trouble over the years. At the same time, I also have to say that it is trouble for which I am profoundly grateful. Although these were difficulties which I did not request, a retrospective look is cause for …
Ordinary as Brown Dirt
Just a quick Fourth of July note. Hope you set off lots of fireworks, and eat lots of hamburgers. But here’s also hoping that you do it with a clear head. This civil holiday celebrates resistance to tyranny. And of course, some of the most ardent participants at such events are those who want to …
The Central Gift
In the ongoing discussion among Christians over the validity of the “sign gifts,” those (like myself) who believe these gifts have now ceased are sometimes tempted to dismiss the question with a platitude and a wave of the hand. “We should seek the Giver and not the gifts” provides a representative sample. But this is …
Away from the Judgment — and Back to the Sin
We too often have a simplistic understanding of sin and judgment. This understanding is true as far as it goes, and is consistent with the teaching of Scripture that a man reaps what he sows. This is obviously true, but Scripture also encourages us to think past this point. It is also true that a …
Sanctified Apathy
The word apathy has all kinds of negative connotations, and rightly so. But I would like to commend the word for at least one positive application if for no other reason than to make us think about how we interact with the culture around us. The word means to “not care,” but it also carries …
Wise Turks and Foolish Christians
Charles Colson has done a lot of good stuff, and God bless him as he continues. But among his many good works, he has recently contributed to one the central muddles of our times. He did that here. In this Breakpoint commentary, he was responding to secular critics who are hyperventilating over the rising American …
Peter’s Boast
Once a correspondent asked C.S. Lewis why he was not a Roman Catholic. Because he did not want to sin against charity, he declined to answer in any detail, but there was an aspect of his response that would be surprising to many of us. “By the time I had really explained my objection to …
Perfectly Legal
Scripture teaches us that unbelievers suppress the truth in unrighteousness. But this language suggests that the operation is not effortless. In order to sin, and in order to persist in it, we have to fight against something that is true about ourselves. We are created in the image of God, and despite the fall into …