1 Peter 4:1-6 – Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that … Read more
In this sermon from Real Men, Pastor Mark shares that men should not be rebellious or religious but that God sent His son Jesus to redeem both the rebellious and religious.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20 God is sovereign, powerful, and good. Evil exists and creatures bear moral responsibility for it. In trying to make sense of the undeniable presence of sin, … Read more
…one sinner destroys much good. Ecclesiastes 9:18 As we study sin, it is incredibly important that we see things, as much as possible, from the vantage point of God so as to identify with him over and above sinners, including ourselves. Human beings are sinners who commit cosmic treason in rebellion against their Creator and King. … Read more
Some sinners seek to minimize their sin by comparing their sins to others’ so that theirs appear minor and therefore somehow less sinful. Regarding degrees of sin, on one hand, God sees people in the categories of perfection and imperfection1 and considers any sin a violation of the entirety of his law.2 Therefore, all sin … Read more
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick;who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9 Human depravity is an undeniable reality. Even atheists know humans are not as they should be. Psychological pioneer Sigmund Freud views our innermost self as a “hell.” In Civilization and Its Discontents, Freud writes: Men are not gentle, friendly creatures wishing … Read more
God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5 Regarding evil and sin, Christian doctrine professes four essential truths. First, God is fully and continually all-powerful. Second, God is altogether good and there is no evil in him whatsoever.1Third, evil and sin really do exist. Fourth, sinners are fully responsible for their sin. Various … Read more
All wrongdoing is sin…1 John 5:17 Sin is so nefarious, complex, and far-reaching that it is difficult to succinctly define. Cornelius Plantinga says: The Bible presents sin by way of major concepts, principally lawlessness and faithlessness, expressed in an array of images: sin is the missing of a target, a wandering from the path, a straying from … Read more
God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes. ECCLESIASTES 7:29 Something has gone terribly wrong. And everyone knows it. The Bible reveals that God created this world in a good state and upon the creation of the man and woman, God declared his entire creation “very good.”1 This intended state of beauty … Read more
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 Whatever his tactics, the Serpent’s ultimate goal for believers is typically a compromised and fruitless life beset by heresy and sin1 and ultimately death.2 This demonic opposition is increasingly pronounced for those who serve … Read more
Pride goes before destruction… Proverbs 16:18 The motivation for all of the Serpent’s work is pride and self-glory instead of humility and God-glory.1 Subsequently, one of his most powerful allies in opposing God’s people is their own pride. Some have speculated as to why the Serpent continues in his war against God even though Scripture is … Read more
Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 Not only did Satan tempt the first Adam in a garden, but he also tempted the Last Adam in a desert. In each of the Synoptic Gospels, Satan appears as the tempter … Read more