Pastor Steve shares these links to stimulate some Thursday Thoughts…
This week we follow an important matter through various mediums. All of them speak to the matter of sin in the life of a professing Christian.
First: Every Dark Shadow … Melissa at Your Mom Has a Blog writes of the reality of sin and its ‘greater than we realize darkness’. She writes: “But, when we do take a head-spinning moment to recognize how deep and pitch black the pit of sin really is, not in other people, but in ourselves, we don’t have to despair. We don’t have to live in fear of being abandoned by our all-knowing God. He sees every dark shadow inside of us. Every single one. And, He is never going anywhere. Others may walk out on you. Others may give up on you. Jesus stays.” You can read the rest HERE.
Second: A Church Discipline Primer … Jesus stays; what a powerful and comforting truth. Yet, there is more to be said. Jesus stays, but the sin has to go. Jonathan Leeman at 9 Marks does an excellent job in defining and applying God’s plan to purge the sinful habits and stubborn patterns of disobedience from a believer’s life. He writes: “I understand the reluctance to practice church discipline. It’s a difficult matter for any number of reasons. Still, this reluctance to practice church discipline, a reluctance that many of us probably feel, may suggest that we believe ourselves to be wiser and more loving than God. God, after all, “disciplines those he loves”; and “he punishes everyone he accepts as a son” (Heb. 12:6). Do we know better than God?” You can read the rest HERE.
Third: Biblical Restoration – The Grace of Restoring Those Who Fall … We are facing the challenge this weekend of the reality of Every Dark Shadow and the urgent need for Biblical Discipline. At Grace we have a carefully expressed guideline regarding these matters. Take the time to read Biblical Restoration with an attitude of prayer regarding your part in God’s plan to restore those who fall. You can read it HERE.
