Made a Scapegoat
August 24, 2011 at 9:43 am | Posted in Common Expressions | 7 CommentsTags: 1 John 2, common expressions, common expressions in the Bible, Isaiah 53, John 1, John 19, Leviticus 16, scapegoat, Sin Bearer, thrown under the bus
The term “scapegoat” has come to mean a person who takes the blame as a sacrifice for someone else who is actually at fault. For example, imagine that a government entity is collecting taxes for the improvement of roads, but the funds are actually being spent on thousands of dollars’ worth of Community Coffee. When the matter comes to light, the government officer responsible will often fire someone in accounting who was only following orders and was not truly responsible for the misuse of the funds. The reason for this injustice would be to appease the public and create the impression that the “higher-ups” were not really at fault for the corruption. In that example, the fired person is said to be the “scapegoat.”
Another example is when a football team is predicted to go 12-4 in the preseason polls, but actually finishes 5-11. The owner and the general manager and the head coach will get together and decide to fire the special teams coach. This is supposed to satisfy the ticket-buying fans that real changes are being made for next year. In that scenario the special teams coach is the “scapegoat.”
“Scapegoat” is a term that is slowly being replaced these days by the ubiquitous phrase, “thrown under the bus.” To “throw someone under the bus” has a similar connotation in that the person being “thrown under the bus” is someone who is being betrayed by a lack of loyalty on the part of his former colleagues or employer. A “scapegoat,” in popular usage, is usually someone who doesn’t deserve the blame he is getting. Whereas, the person “thrown under the bus” may actually have done something worthy of blame.
I prefer the term “scapegoat” because it is found in the Bible.
And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
Leviticus 16:7-10
The laws of the “holy place” were given to Moses by the Lord after the death of Aaron’s sons. God told Moses to tell Aaron that this is how God wants the sacrifices done. The occasion described in these Verses is known as the Day of Atonement.
There is much disagreement among Bible scholars as to what the two goats represent. The lot for the Lord fell upon the goat which became the sin offering. The other goat was let go to escape in the wilderness after Aaron had laid his hands on it and confessed all the sins of the children of Israel on its head. Some Bible teachers think that the sin-offering goat represents Christ. Some think that the scapegoat represents Christ. Others say that the scapegoat represents Satan. Some say that the word for “escaped goat” or “goat removed” is “Azazel” who was a pagan god or symbol. Still others think that both goats represent Christ.
And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Levitcus 16:21, emphasis added
Notice that the scapegoat bore the iniquities of the people.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Isaiah 53:11, emphasis added
The scapegoat was not allowed to wander about until he found his way into the wilderness. He was “sent” away by the hand of a fit man.
Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.
John 19:16, emphasis added
And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
Leviticus 16:22
The scapegoat symbolically took away the sins of the people.
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 1:29, emphasis added
There is a popular praise chorus which says about Jesus:
Living, He loved me;
Dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sin far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
Some day He’s coming back – oh glorious day!
Leviticus 16:21 says that the priest was to confess over the goat’s head all their iniquities and all their transgressions and all their sins.
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
I John 2:2
I believe that the scapegoat was a symbol or a foreshadowing of the Lord Jesus Christ. I could be wrong, but what I do know for sure is that my sin has been carried away by Jesus. He has paid for it in full.
If someone tells you they’re tired of being the scapegoat, or if you ever find yourself in the position of being a scapegoat, remember the original scapegoat. The only way to be a true “escaped” goat – to escape the price that has to be paid for sin – is to put our faith and trust in the only One Who could pay – and has paid – the price for sin – the only One Who was sinless and perfect enough to carry our sin away.
The Marriage Curse
August 22, 2011 at 9:20 am | Posted in Biblical Marriage | 15 CommentsTags: 1 Timothy 2, Biblical marriage, Christian marriage, curse on marriage, Genesis 3, marriage, marriage counseling, sin curse, Titus 2
Going by what is taught in the Bible, we have to admit that both men and women are affected by the fact that we inherited a fallen sin nature. There is something in the fallen nature of women that wants to rebel. There is something in the fallen nature of men that wants to shirk the responsibility to lead. The world, which for the most part rejects that the Bible is really true, gets this wrong. The world’s portrayal of the stereotypical male who is a bad husband is the “alpha-male” who is overly aggressive and bossy and domineering. The stereotypical picture of these men is that they love to be “leaders,” but they lead with too much force and ego. However, that is a worldly lie, because it is not really the deeper problem. The real problem with men in marriage is that they are not really “leading” because they are not modeling forgiveness or selfless giving.
The Bible gives a pass to neither men nor women when it comes to both of them abdicating their God-ordained roles in marriage.
And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
I Timothy 2:14
Transgression against God in marriage will break the covenant boundaries of God’s protection. That’s why headship and submission are so important. I did not say that headship and submission are “natural” – but they are vital, and the roles of men and women – according to God – cannot be swapped.
Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
Genesis 3:16
Child birth and home-keeping are two areas where women find much joy. Married women’s lives tend to revolve around their children and their husband – “the home.” Even when they are at work outside the home, for most women, their hearts and minds are still occupied throughout the day with the welfare of their children and husbands. Even after Adam and Eve sinned, they were still commanded to be fruitful and multiply – and to be married. The curse that God placed on them because of their sin was that the child-bearing and the marriage relationship would now be marred by pain and sorrow. Pain and sorrow are in this world we live in because sin exists in this world.
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Titus 2:3-5
Suppose Adam and Eve had never sinned. Women would still have been subordinate, but that would have been the best thing – because their desire would have been to be subordinate to their husbands. (The other part of the curse had to do with pain in child birth. Men don’t experience pain in child birth. This, too, is part of the curse, because the exact thing that women need at that time is empathy, and men have no way of giving it, having never experienced anything like it.) The desire that Eve had – to be subordinate to Adam – still exists in women today, but, because of the sin curse, this desire exists alongside a competing desire to rebel against authority. Women are, in a sense, doubly cursed, because the man you are commanded to be subject to is a fallen sinner like you, and on top of that he will be an abuser (at least mentally and emotionally at times, if not physically), a terrible leader, insensitive, uncommunicative, and prideful. Eve, in her sin, wanted to take the lead in her marriage relationship, and because that was a disobedient and sinful thing to do, God pronounced a curse such that all future wives would have a desire to take that lead, and that desire now competes with their role of subordination, which causes much heartache and many complications in marriage.
Of course, the Gospel has an answer to these problems, which we will look at next time.
Light Produces Life
August 19, 2011 at 9:15 am | Posted in Biblical Light, John | 8 CommentsTags: 2 Corinthians 5, Biblical light, Genesis 1, John 1, John 11, John 8, John 9, light, Light of the World
Living things need light. A plant will die if it is left in the dark. Human life as we know it on Earth requires sunlight.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Genesis 1:3
For Christians, Jesus is the Light which gives us life.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
John 1:4
Jesus was present and active in the creation of man. The “divine spark” which God placed in Adam, giving life to the human race, came from His Divinity. Since the beginning He has associated light with life.
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 8:12
Jesus’s deliberate use of “I AM,” God’s Self-revealed Old Testament name, showed that He was in fact God incarnate, possessing not only the power to create original life, but the power to create the new life we receive when we trust Him as Savior.
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
John 9:5
How bright is the world around you? Has your life grown dark? Only Jesus Christ has the power to illuminate spiritual darkness.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 11:25
Our lost friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors are spiritually dead. But the Light of Jesus Christ is so bright and so powerful that it can bring them to life. Jesus’s Light produces life because He Himself is “the Life.”
Christian Lifeguards
August 17, 2011 at 12:17 pm | Posted in Bible Studies, II Timothy | 10 CommentsTags: 2 Timothy 2, 2 Timothy 3, Christian duties, lifeguards, Titus, Titus 1, Titus 2, Titus 3
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Titus 1:2
If God cannot lie, and the Holy Scriptures are inspired by God, then how much of the Scriptures are true?
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
II Timothy 3:16 (emphasis added)
But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
Titus 1:3
God chose to manifest His Word through preaching.
Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
Titus 1:9-14
If God places so much importance on the preaching of His Word, He certainly expects us to deal with false teachers and vain babblers. The first step in doing this is to hold fast to sound doctrine and to try to convince them of the truth. A lifeguard at a swimming pool has three duties: He must warn of danger. He must enforce rules. And he must try to rescue those who are in trouble. Those appointed by God to the ministry of the Word of Life must also warn, enforce, and try to rescue. They must be sound in their doctrine and sound in their behavior.
The duties of the older men:
But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
Titus 2:1-2
The duties of the older women:
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Titus 2:3-5
The duties of the younger men:
Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
Titus 2:6-8
The duties of servants or employees:
Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
Titus 2:9-10
How we behave as Christians matters – it’s important.
And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
II Timothy 2:5
God wants us to excel at what He has called us to do, but we must do it “lawfully.”
That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
Titus 3:7-8
Those whom God has saved are called to be separate, set apart, holy, maintaining good works.
Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them. And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.
Titus 3:13-14
The Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Ghost, knew that maintaining good works was even more important than talking to his lawyer!
Eye to Eye
August 12, 2011 at 10:06 am | Posted in Biblical Eyesight, Common Expressions, Isaiah | 9 CommentsTags: common expressions, common expressions in the Bible, eye to eye, eyes, Isaiah 52, messengers, Romans 8, watchmen
Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.
Isaiah 52:8, emphasis added
The expression “eye to eye” or “seeing eye to eye” has come to mean “a meeting of the minds.” When we say that we see eye to eye with someone, it usually means we have found something on which we agree. I have to go to the eye doctor quite frequently, and the examination always involves him looking through this gadget that he jams into my eye socket. At that point, he and I don’t always agree on how “relaxed” I should be, but because our faces are so close together, and because he is using his eye to look into my eye, we are literally, if not figuratively, “eye to eye.”
The image of seeing “eye to eye” in Isaiah 52:8, however, is not really a picture of two people who are face to face. It is more of a description of people who are standing side by side, looking at something from the same viewpoint.
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
Isaiah 52:7
God’s messenger is exuberant because he is bringing news of God’s deliverance. This is exceedingly good news, so the watchmen on the towers can actually tell from the way the messenger runs, even from a great distance, that he is bringing glad tidings of victory, not the discouraging news of defeat.
Therefore, the watchmen lift up their voices. They are excited to be seeing “eye to eye.” They are of “one mind with God:” they are seeing God’s people the way God sees His people.
Sometimes, as Christians, we are quick to get together and bemoan bad news: “Oh no, the stock market is crashing.” “Oh no, it hasn’t rained enough.” “Oh no, it’s raining too much.” “Oh no, the corrupt politicians are ruining our country.” We sometimes sound like a bunch of whining children, and someone who didn’t know better would get the impression that we have no idea that there is a God in Heaven Who is in control, Who hasn’t forgotten how to rule and reign, Who hasn’t fallen off His throne, and Who loves His people and is perfectly capable of making ALL things work together for an ultimate objective GOOD. Maybe we should stop fearfully and desperately searching each other’s eyes for some temporal, earthly sign of “hope,” and, instead, stand shoulder to shoulder, side by side, and train our eyes upon the King of Glory, Who is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-seeing.
The Unselfish Prayer
August 10, 2011 at 8:36 am | Posted in Biblical prayer, Luke, Uncategorized | 3 CommentsTags: Jesus Christ, Luke 23, prayer, prayers of Jesus, unselfish
Prayer is a great gift from God. Through prayer we can communicate directly with the Sovereign Lord and Creator of this universe. The Bible is replete with examples of good and effective prayers. But our ultimate example for how we should pray is Jesus Christ Himself. Throughout His earthly life, prayer was such a key component of His relationship with His Father, that, even at His most painfully distracted moments, He never forsook the practice of prayer.
From the moment of Jesus’s arrest outside the garden of Gethsemane, and all through the rest of that night, and all through the vile mocking travesty of a “trial” to which He was subjected by His tormentors, He had very little to say in His Own defense. His silence in the face of men did not equate to silence before the face of His Father, though. And when the cruel cold iron spikes were driven into His hands and feet, He cried out in prayer, not for Himself, but for others:
…Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do…
Luke 23:34
During your prayer time, are most of your prayers about you or about others? When is the last time you prayed that others would be blessed, even if the Lord were to allow your suffering as a part of that blessing?
The Anatomically Correct Church
August 8, 2011 at 11:41 am | Posted in Romans | 20 CommentsTags: 1 Corinthians 10, 1 Corinthians 14, anatomy, church, gifted, Romans, Romans 12, Sunday School lessons on Romans
In a local church assembly, each Christian is a “member” of the body of Christ. Members of the body of Christ must be surrendered to the mind of Christ. Think of your physical body as an analogy. Can you imagine if certain “members” of your body had the ability to rebel against your mind? What if my arms decided they wanted to do the walking and my legs decided they would be in charge of handshakes and hugs? What if your stomach decided it wanted to pump blood and your heart decided it wanted to digest food? Those body parts don’t have the ability to function properly in those capacities. In a local church assembly all things should be done “in order.” The body of Christ is a living organism, but it must also be an organized organism. A disorganized organism will either die or malfunction severely.
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:3-8
While it is wrong for us to think of ourselves too highly, it is also wrong not to use the gifts God has given us. A rebellious body part could throw a body into chaos, but dead limbs weigh the body down, slow things down, and cause the body not to work as efficiently as it should.
Children who are tested for school are sometimes designated as “gifted,” but being gifted is not really something that should make anyone proud. In fact, it would be better not to be gifted than to waste the gift. Some Christians are failing to use their gifts, and some are failing to share their gifts. Do you have a knack for managing your household budget? That gift needs to be shared with others. Do you have a special talent for dealing with difficult people? That gift needs to be put to work in your local church.
A body is made up of different members, and love is the overriding connector to these various body parts. Love is to a spiritual body what blood is to a physical body. The nerves warn the body of danger, but the blood nourishes the body, strengthens the body, and brings growth and life to the body.
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Romans 12:11
Christians should not be slothful in doing the business the Lord has called us to do. In fact, we should do it as unto the Lord. To be “fervent” means to have a feeling of excitement about something you love. Fervent love is a participatory love – it is love in action.
Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
Romans 12:14
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Romans 12:17
You will always find it easier to love those who love you, but you are commanded to love those who do not love you.
Genesis
August 5, 2011 at 10:32 am | Posted in Genesis | 1 CommentTags: Book of Genesis, commentary on Genesis, Genesis, Overview of Genesis, Sunday School lessons on Genesis
When a new Christian asks his pastor where he should begin reading in his Bible, the answer will often be the Gospel of John (4th Book in the New Testament), and I agree: that is a good place to start. However, I think all new Christians should also try to read the Book of Genesis very early on in their Christian walk. It contains the blueprint for all that is to come later in the Bible, it gives us invaluable information about exactly Who God is, and it tells us how we human beings originated. At times it reads like a terse historical narrative and at other times like a torrid novel, but it is completely reliable, factual, and inspired by God Himself.
I have enjoyed posting a series of brief lessons on the Book of Genesis, for which I have provided links below:
1. Universe or Multiverse?
2. Catechism Question 1
3. Catechism Question 4
4. The World’s First History Book
5. Augustine Wanted People to S.W.I.M. with the Monsters of the Deep (Genesis 1)
6. The Biblical View of Marriage (Genesis 1:27-28, 2:21-24)
7. Equipped to Eat Meat? (Genesis 1:29-30, 2:9, 9:1-3)
8. Where to Find Yourself
9. Marriage Should Not be Spurious (Genesis 1-2)
10. The Devil’s Math (Genesis 2-3)
11. Mercy and Charlie (Genesis 2:7-8,18)
12. I’m Just Sayin’ 8 (Genesis 2:18)
13. A Glorious Marriage (Genesis 2:18)
14. The Founding Father
15. A Fake in the Grass
16. You Can’t Get Blood from a Turnip *
17. What Is Lying at Your Door?
18. How the Fallen Are Mighty
19. Beware the Foretaste of Fatality
20. A Hopeful Hike (Genesis 5:16-24)
21. Falling, Flooding, and Facing Facts
22. Their Ark Was Bigger than Their Bite
23. Men Rise and Fall, but the Lord Reigns Forever
24. Children Need to Know that Death Is Real (Genesis 6-9)
25. The Big Cover-Up
26. We’ve Come a Wrong Way
27. The Great “I AM” Announces the Great “I WILL”
28. Getting a Lot Out of the World
29. Being At-TENT-ive to God
30. Home Is Where Your Lord Is
31. “Aman” of Faith
32. The Internal War
33. The Top Story in Sodom (Genesis 17-19)
34. Did God Have to Go Down and See? (Genesis 18)
35. As Good as Dead (Genesis 20-21)
36. Tested Faith Is Strong Faith (Genesis 22)
37. Abraham and Isaac Receiving Christ in a Figure (Genesis 22)
38. Spiritual Lessons Found in Historical Accounts
39. A Match Made in Heaven Part 1
40. A Match Made in Heaven Part 2
41. Anybody Can Be Profane
42. The Scientific Method
43. Lord, Leader, and Ladder
44. Shove at First Sight
45. The Name Game
46. Choosing the Right Watering Hole
47. The God-Mastered Man
48. The Men Who Worked on Skyscrapers
49. The Dangers of Fatherhood
50. The Son of Suffering and Glory
51. The Best Representative of a Generation
52. The Down Side of being the Favorite Son
53. Beware of Fabrics, Frolicking, and Friends
54. Don’t Get Too Attached to Your Coat
55. The First Interpreter
56. That’s Good. No, that’s Bad.
57. Jesus and Joseph and Their Brethren
58. The Recognition Admonition
59. Check Your Sack Before Jesus Comes Back
60. Nominative Repetition: Warning and Comfort
61. The Real “First Thanksgiving:” The Pilgrims Meet the Egyptians
62. Why the Thigh? (Genesis 47:29; 32:25; 24:2-3; 46:26; Exodus 1:5)
63. The Redeemer Is Prophesied
64. The End of the Beginning
*most read post in series
The Deep End 
Love Demonstrated by Obedience
August 30, 2011 at 10:57 am | Posted in Romans | 9 CommentsTags: Daniel 4, government, lessons in Romans, provision, putting on Christ, Romans, Romans 12, Romans 13, Romans commentary, Sunday School lessons on Romans
As Christians we need to “get into” the Word of God – and make sure the Word of God is “getting into us.” We are to surrender our bodies and be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We are not to be conformed to the world. When we are applying these principles, we will exercise our spiritual gifts in our everyday lives, in our relationships with our brothers and sisters, and even with our enemies. That’s the pattern for “proving” the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
Chapters 1-12 in Romans give us great doctrine about the truths of salvation. This doctrine benefits us in very practical ways in day to day living. Romans Chapter 13 continues to deal with our relationships – not just with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and not just with our specific enemies – but our relationship to “higher powers.”
Romans 13:1
Our government is one of these “higher powers.” We may not like the way our government is being run, and we may not care for the particular leaders who are in charge of it, but, ultimately, Father God is responsible for “Uncle Sam,” and our Father wants us to be subservient to our uncle.
Romans 13:3-4
Nebuchadnezzar is a Biblical example of someone who learned this lesson the hard way. Although he was a powerful and feared ruler, he was only allowed to rule his nation and conquer other nations by God’s consent. In Daniel Chapter 4 we find it repeated three times (vv. 17, 25, 32) that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men.
Most, if not all, governments today are influenced by Satan or the world, but God’s command to submit to our rulers is clear, as long as we’re not required to break a clear command from God’s Word.
Some people obey because of conscience:
Romans 13:5
But some people only obey out of fear of being locked up:
Romans 13:4
These are both good reasons to obey the laws of earthly governments, but the best reason of all is to show our love for God. God’s commandments can be summarized in New Testament language by two commandments: Love God with all your heart, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Can you say you love your neighbor if you commit adultery with his spouse? If you steal from him? If you covet and want better for yourself than what he has, or plot to get what he has for yourself?
Romans 13:9
As Christians, one of our favorite pastimes is complaining about how ungodly our government has become, and how one day soon there will be laws that try to force us into sin. But we have an obligation to demonstrate love.
Romans 13:13
Notice how the sins listed in that verse are paired up: Rioting (wild partying) is often brought on by drunkenness. Chambering (adultery) is often brought on by wantonness (acting like you are available for fornication). Strife (fussing and fighting) is often brought about by envying. The gifts that God has given us are for building – not for fighting with or fighting over.
Romans 13:14
When we “make provision” – when we make plans to get into the path of temptation – it will lead to sin. I see this often in marriage counseling. When one spouse considers the marriage to be over, the other spouse will pay lip service to the idea of wanting to save the marriage, but put himself or herself in places where he or she is likely to run into a sympathetic partner. That person then proves to be a temptation to move on to a new relationship. This type of behavior is an example of “making provision for the flesh,” not “putting on the Lord Jesus Christ.”