Word of Encouragement - #3

Originally written 12/10/2008
Today is hump day, and I'm listening to a sermon on Philippians 3. The first eleven verses are quoted below.

"Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh - though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith - that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." - Philippians 3:1-11, ESV

Paul is talking about Christian Judaizers, people who said that Gentile Christians must, in addition to faith in Christ, obey the Mosaic Law in order to be saved. In other words, faith-plus-good works. If anybody could boast about good works, it was Paul, and he listed several reasons for being able to boast in the flesh. But all of those good works he counted as trash (in the Greek, the word is strong enough to even translate as "shit" - that is, manure). Anything about which he could boast in the flesh - anything apart from Christ - is lost, in his sight. The only thing he wishes to gain is Christ, through a righteousness that depends on faith so he might participate in Christ's sufferings, but more in his death and resurrection from the dead.

These verses remind me of something that I have struggled with for years: self-esteem. There are many ideas of what precisely self-esteem is. I see it as the idea that in order to be fulfilled in life - to have a good life - people must have a positive view of themselves, such as evaluating personality traits as inherently good, among other things.

I have attempted to reconcile my position in Christ with my sense of worthlessness. However, I have come to realize in recent times that in some sense, I am worthless and - to boot - my self-esteem should be low. I'm a sinner and without Christ, I stand condemned before God. I *should* feel bad about that, and I *should* have a rather low opinion of myself because of that fact. Granted, humanity is created in the image of God, which makes us unique, separating us from the rest of creation. However, our godly image is corrupted by sin, and our corruption is bad enough to where God will (and does) condemn us to hell because of our innate corruption and hatred toward him. In Christian circles, the lie of self-esteem is tells us that our reason for God's blessing is found in us. In other words, there is something about us that God values and that is why he has provided Christ as a savior for us. The lie continues that once in Christ, we must continue to be satisfied with who we are as a person in order to be right with God.

According to the Bible, whatever goodness we have in us is there only if Christ is also in us. In other words, all of the things that we would use to say "I'm somebody, I'm worth something" that isn't founded in Christ is, in reality, rubbish - garbage. Some may say that John 3:16 tells us that we're valuable because "God so loved the world." No - John 3:16 tells us *how* God showed his love toward the world, not *why*. The *why* is answered in Ephesians 1:4-6: "...he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved." God predestined us in love, but it was for his purposes, found only in him, to the praise of his glorious grace. Ephesians 1:11, 12: "In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory." It is all about Christ, and not about us. Our role is to be for the praise of his glory. I might be so bold to say that inherent human value is not found anywhere in the Scriptures, and is for sure never given as a reason to why God decreed salvation for his people.

It is very easy to become wrapped up in evaluating our worth based on external circumstances and the opinions of people. Unfortunately, I have a strong propensity to do just that, and I struggle daily with these things. For those of us who evaluate our self-worth based on modern, godless psychology, our only hope is Christ and his love for us.

Let's make this personal: Christ's love is unconditional - that is, it is not conditioned on you in any way, shape or form. Not the good, the bad, or anything in between in you. If you are his, Christ's love for you originates totally and completely in him. Christ cannot deny himself, so if he loves you, he loves you no matter what happens. Wrap your self-worth in the only One who cannot fail: Christ. Don't wallow in your sin, don't see it as glorifying to beat yourself up. Instead, dwell on Christ's love for you, his child, in that while you were still a sinner, Christ died for you. Glory in Christ, my brothers, and glory in nothing else - especially yourself. You are a wicked sinner, but God loves you anyway!

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Word of Encouragement - #2

Originally written 12/01/2008
Hello Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

May the God of peace pour out his blessings upon you as he did his only Son, into whom we are being conformed.

It is an interesting experience being sick. Not that I enjoy the stuffy nose, the cough, the sore throat, and all the rest of the ills that come with being sick; not at all. What I do find interesting is how despite all of the best medicine money can buy, the best remedy for recovering from a cold (or flu) is still rest. If a person ceases from their work and physical activity for a period of time and simply rests, they will recover quicker than somebody who keeps active. Another thing that I find interesting is that the over-the-counter medicines available today don't actually make a person better, or defeat the viral infection making the person sick. Those medicines simply mask over the cold/flu symptoms, making it appear as if they weren't sick, while in reality the cold/flu virus is still infecting their body.

The Scriptures speak of a virus that not only infections humanity, but actually deadens both the soul and the body. This infection is called sin, and it ravages the body and soul of every person alive, even since the very beginning.

The Scriptures also speak about a rest from this virus. It is a rest that overcomes our vain attempts to mask over the symptoms of our sin. It was a rest offered to the nation of Israel, exemplified in God giving them the Promised Land. Consider the following passage from Hebrews chapter 4:

"Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them [Israel], but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, "As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest,'" although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works." And again in this passage he said, "They shall not enter my rest."

"Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, "Today," saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account." - Hebrews 4:1-13, emphasis mine

The Israelites heard the "good news" - the gospel - the same as us today. Then, just like today, some listened and believed while the rest listened but did not believe. Those who have believed - you and me, Lord willing - are those who have a promised rest. Although we are weary in these bodies which are constantly sick and hurt, they will be healed and then we can rest. Although we still feel pain, both emotional and physical, our hearts will be healed, and then we can rest. Just as God rested on the seventh day of creation, which did not end the same as the previous days, so will our rest never end. This never-ending rest is provided for by the final sacrifice: our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.

My brothers, stop striving in your good works to earn God's love, to earn people's love, and to make yourself feel better. I pray you will continue in your good works as a testimony to the God who saved you and enabled you to love him in return. In every spiritual way, rest in Christ. Check your motivations; examine yourself. Contemplate why you do what you do, and see if you are resting in the Lord, the sovereign one in whom everything moves, breathes, and has its being. Are you resting in him, or are you resting in yourself, in what you think is best for yourself apart from the clear revelation of God?

I urge you, and I seek for myself, to rest in Christ. Resting in anything else only masks the problem and does nothing to heal the virus. From my personal experience, I can tell you that trusting and resting in anything else besides Christ will only leave you worse than when you first began.

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Word of Encouragement - #1

I send out these weekly emails to those in my Sunday School class called "Word of Encouragement." These aren't typical "let's learn these five things from this text" devotionals. I (attempt to) discuss a passage of Scripture and how it relates to us and the world around us. Comments and thoughts on these are appreciated.

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Originally written 11/24/2008
While contemplating the election of Barak Obama as president, the Spirit brought to mind these passages from the holy Scripture. Consider the following:

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law." - Romans 13:1-8, emphasis mine


"Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor." - 1 Peter 2:13-17, emphasis mine

Both Paul and Peter encouraged their readers to be subject to the rule of Rome - that cruel and evil empire, especially to the Jews. They noted, however, that the only reason those governing bodies have any authority over us is because it is by God's will they are in power, so resisting them is tantamount to resisting the will of God.


How then do we deal with our beliefs and the laws of this land that are contrary to them? I believe the Scriptures suggest at least three concepts to follow:

1. Do not fear the government. Both Paul and Peter follow Christ's example of not fearing the government, even when the government promotes (and commits) heinous acts. Our fear of doing wrong should be directed toward God because in doing wrong, we have sinned against him first and foremost. Although we "honor the emperor," we are to "fear God" alone.
2. The government is not above the law of God. A government's authority comes from God, and is therefore not above God's perfect law. In other words, the government cannot pass a law that contradicts God's law and get away with it guilt free. For example, stealing is stealing, whether an individual goes it or a government does it. Either way, it's still wrong no matter the justifications. We ultimately obey the God's word, not the government's word.
3. Obey the law. However, all else being equal, we are to obey whatever laws are placed upon us by our government if they are not in contradiction to the law of God. Resisting such laws - no matter the reason - is resisting the will of God, because it was God who placed them there to begin with. Generally speaking, governments reward good and punish evil. Therefore, for God's sake and as his child, do good and resist evil.

These are simple in principle, but difficult in practice. For those with a lead weight on the accelerator of their (like me!), try driving the speed limit on the freeway for a week. It's difficult, even in that simple example. However, issues like abortion, stem cell research, homosexual marriage, prayer in the public square, tax increases and decreases, etc are issues that this nation has all ready or will soon have official positions on. It is likely that recognizing homosexual marriage will be official state law in many states during the next four years; possibly even national law. As believers in Christ, we need to remember that even when our government passes laws that are evil, we remain under obligation by God to remain under that government's authority. Sometimes this becomes complicated with extremely evil governments, and these are issues we need to wrestle with.


For us today, though, I urge you: stand firm on what you believe is true, but nevertheless obey the law of these United States, because in doing so you will be obeying the will of God, you will be honoring God, and you will be serving him as your true Master.


Remember, Christ willingly submitted himself to not only two illegal trials, but also an illegal execution. Paul himself - with his illegal arrest - submitted himself and played the Roman legal system so he might even preach the gospel to the emperor himself in Rome. For Christ, he was an obedient servant even to the cross - and so we should be as well.

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Degrees of Righteousness?

There is an interesting, ongoing discussion at my friend Mark Adams' blog. Mark, myself, and someone named "Mike" are going back and forth on whether or not the Scriptures teach "practical" righteousness, which Mike believes determines our entrance into the Kingdom of God, and "positional" righteousness, which determines our eternal standing before God.

Check it out in the comments section.

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Universal Atonement in Hebrews 2:9?

Dr. James White discussing the idea that Hebrews 2:9 justifies the belief that Christ died for everybody (source):



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Finally!

Finally: scientific evidence shows that romantic-comedies are destructive for relationships. (Source)

The university's Dr Bjarne Holmes said: "Marriage counsellors often see couples who believe that sex should always be perfect, and if someone is meant to be with you then they will know what you want without you needing to communicate it.

"We now have some emerging evidence that suggests popular media play a role in perpetuating these ideas in people's minds.

"The problem is that while most of us know that the idea of a perfect relationship is unrealistic, some of us are still more influenced by media portrayals than we realise."

I've been saying this very thing for years, and now, I feel vindicated.

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Antoine Dufour - Mother

I love this song by Antoine Dufour. It's so mellow and unassuming, especially with that bass note in the latter half of the song. Listen and enjoy!

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Suffering For Christ

You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:10-17

One thing I admire about Paul is his realistic outlook on life. He knew the eternal truths of the gospel, how those who believe are even now sitting in the heavenly realms (cf. Ephesians 2:6), yet those high ideas of our relationship with Christ does nothing to change our physical circumstances on earth. In fact, he says if anything, our circumstances could get worse, not better: "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted...."

In my experience thus far in Christ Jesus, I have suffered no physical persecution for, or because of, my faith. There is social persecution, though, such as losing friends and making enemies. Yet, there is also a persecution that extends beyond the physical and social realm, and into the realm of spirits, powers, and principalities. Satan and his demons - though on God's leash - still tempt us to forsake Christ. The persecution from these evil monsters is so great that Paul devoted the last portion of his letter to the Ephesians on our spiritual armor (cf. Ephesians 6:10-20). I can proclaim as truth the spiritual persecution I have endured since Christ saved me. I can also proclaim as truth that from every single act of spiritual persecution, my Lord has rescued me. He has, and is, drawing me through the fire of spiritual persecution, burning way the unholy parts of my life and forging even stronger those parts made holy by the sprinkling of Christ's blood.

This fact remains: the persecution will continue as long as we're in the flesh. Yet, I rejoice and glory in this persecution, because by it I know I am a child of God, and I know my reward awaits me in heaven. Christ said,

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:10-12

My endurance is from Christ, who saved me from first to last. Jude proclaimed that God is able to keep those who are his "from stumbling and to present [us] blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy..." (Jude 24). Therefore, I praise my Father in heaven, even though I stumble and fail more often than I'd like (as though failing is ever enjoyable!). If Christ saved me even while I hated him, then he is able to keep me even while I struggle and learn to love and obey him.

My brothers, stand fast in the faith which Christ has given you! Though evil may rise, and deceivers in the faith multiply, remember the one who called you and rescued you from the mire. Remember from whom your faith is received, from whom you are learning of Christ. Christ is the cornerstone of our faith, yet it is from the Scriptures where we derive our faith and practice. Remember the Scriptures, breathed out by God himself, so you might learn from the examples of old and therefore know (and experience) how God changes people through both his living Word - Christ - and his written word - the Scriptures.

All praise, glory, and honor be to our Father in heaven, and to his Son who reigns at his right hand. Amen.

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Online Suicide

From ABC News: [Source]

A Florida teenager who used a webcam to live-stream his suicide Wednesday was reportedly encouraged by other people on the Web site, authorities told ABCNews.com. "People were egging him on and saying things like 'go ahead and do it, faggot,' said Wendy Crane, an investigator at the Broward County Medical Examiner's office.

Abraham Biggs, 19, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., had been blogging on an online body-building message board and had linked to his page on Justin.tv, a live video streaming Web site, where the camera rolled as he overdosed on prescription pills, according to Crane.

Biggs, who had reportedly been discussing his suicide on the forums, also posted a suicide note on a body-building forum, which has since been taken down, in which he wrote, "I hate myself and I hate living."

The depravity of mankind is made evident in stories like these. First, it is evident in those who pushed this young man to kill himself. "Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them" (Romans 1:32). The problem with anonymity is it seemingly absolves people of responsibility. Without responsibility to an outside authority, evil will always be justified - always. Without the Spirit of God, true goodness (for the glory of God) will not occur; the doctrine of Total Depravity teaches us this fact.

The depravity of mankind is also seen - unfortunately - in the actual suicide of this young man. Granted, there are a variety of reasons why people kill themselves. From this article, it appears that Abraham had a number of mental problems that required medication and/or counseling. He was a man with no hope, seeking solace in death rather than in God. As tragic as this is, I am convinced that suicide is a selfish and self-righteous act. They are rejecting the only one who can truly save them - Christ - and instead seek their own way to salvation, peace, comfort, et al. They seek to end the pain of life, all the while spitting in the face of Christ, the one who can truly save them.

This story is sad for many reasons. I find it sad not only because this kid killed himself and others encouraged it, but also that those without God will try to develop other means by which those who are contemplating suicide can suppress their evil desires. Those other ways are bound for failure because they are not found in Christ. The answer to suicide is Christ, because only Christ gives purpose to life; only Christ gives true hope to the lost; only Christ can take away the pain; only Christ can save, for there is no other name under heaven by which man can be saved.

Lord, have mercy on Abraham's family and friends. May your Son and the salvation found only in him be made evident in their lose. Father, may your Spirit work in their hearts through this tragedy so Christ may be glorified.

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But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men." - 2 Timothy 3:1-9, emphasis mine

In the last couple weeks, I've had my personal devotions in 2 Timothy. This was Paul's last canonical letter written to his protégé in Ephesus: Timothy. Throughout this letter, Paul warns Timothy of those who will try to subvert the faith with their ramblings and "new" teachings, attempting - as if possible - to steal even the elect of God to follow their own godless ways. In (re)reading chapter 3, this phrase caught my attention: "having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power."

It's interesting Paul would say this. Jesus talked about false prophets as "wolves in sheep's clothing" (cf Matthew 7:15). The question arises: how does one discern the "appearance of godliness" from true godliness? Jesus said in the very next verse that you will know them by their fruits. By their fruit we'll know if they're a child of God or a child of Satan. But...people can be really good liars.

In a previous post, my sometimes - well, mostly - mentor (whether he realizes it or not ;-) and I are discussing - in part - the fruits of confessing Christians. Turning the tide from newly professing Christians to confessing Christian teachers, the same issue comes up: you will know false teachers by their fruits. How do we judge such things? Jesus says they will be like ravenous wolves, devouring the innocent. Paul picks up on Jesus' imagery, saying they prey on weak women leading them into even heavier burdens in sin. There are some obvious examples of this behavior in modern evangelicalism, in the cults, and else where. What about the subtle wolves, those people who don't make their presence so blatantly obvious?

Not surprisingly, to those who know me and my dark secrets well, there was a time in my life where I could legitimately call myself a wolf in sheep's clothing, leading one particular female sheep - Lord have mercy on me! - astray. Given that experience, I think I have a better idea of these false teachers who prey on the weak. Their evil fruits are there to see if one looks in the right place.

Primarily, they are liars. They not only tell lies, but they live a life of lies. To cover the seam in their garment, they cover themselves with fig leaves. I'm not necessarily talking about the so-called "secret sin" (as if a sin is secret), but I'm talking about a concerted effort to hide their identity as a false teacher from the world. As Paul says, they are putting on an appearance of godliness. In my opinion, the largest piece of fruit in the tree of a false teacher is lying. In this way, they are denying the power of God. In their actions, they deny God changes people. What a person says is important, but their actions are just as - and maybe more - important (cf James 2:15-17). It doesn't matter what they say, if they are self-righteous (attempting to become righteous by their own means), then they are liars, denying the power of the gospel they confess changed their life.

My dear friends, take heed of the warning: examine yourselves. See if you are in the faith. Confess your sin to God and one another. If you discover that your garment of righteousness is torn, then repent of your self-righteousness and return to the Lord. You were once "not his people," but when Christ changes you through his gospel, you will once again become "you are my people" (cf Hosea 2:21-23). Do not follow the conceits of those subtle false teachers - liars in their core - who devour the weak. Be watchful of their words and actions. Instead, following Christ and imitate him; you will not go wrong.

Blessings from a fellow slave in Christ....

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A Conversation with Paul Washer

In the first seven minutes of the video, Paul Washer reveals some of his background. I find it interesting that he himself was one who had a false profession of faith as a result of thinking a prayer saved him.

(I think this also explains a bit on his bad attitude toward the Four Spiritual Laws, et al.)

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Dr. James White and the 2008 Election

Some timely words from Dr. James White.

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Not *that* Related to Theology....

OK, so this story has nothing to do with theology, my personal spiritual crisis', or anything like that. I merely become giddy when I see Star Trek-like technology being investigated in the real world.

(Ever wonder why my internet handle is "Enterprise"? Now you know.)

In this case: shields. From the BBC: [Source]

Future astronauts could benefit from a magnetic "umbrella" that deflects harmful space radiation around their crew capsule, scientists say.

The super-fast charged particles that stream away from the Sun pose a significant threat to any long-duration mission, such as to the Moon or Mars.

But the research team says a spaceship equipped with a magnetic field generator could protect its occupants.

Lab tests are reported in the journal Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion.
The approach mimics the protective field that envelops the Earth, known as the magnetosphere.

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Sex on TV Linked to Teen Pregnancies

From MSNBC:

In the world of television programming, sex sells — perhaps a little too well with young viewers, a new study suggests.

The RAND Corp. study is the first of its kind to identify a link between teenagers’ exposure to sexual content on TV and teen pregnancies. The study, released Monday and published in the November edition of the journal Pediatrics, found that teens exposed to high levels of sexual content on television were twice as likely to be involved in a pregnancy in the following three years as teens with limited exposure.

The study’s authors are quick to point out that the factors leading to teen pregnancies are varied and complex — but they say it’s important for parents, teachers and pediatricians to understand that TV can be one of them.

“We were surprised to find this link,” said Anita Chandra, the study’s lead author and a behavioral scientist at RAND, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization. “But teens spend a good amount of their time watching television — an average of three hours a day — and we don’t know a lot about its impact on their health decisions …

“We don’t think that [TV] is necessarily more significant than some of the family and neighborhood factors that can lead to teen pregnancies. But even when we removed all the other factors, we still saw a compelling link between a high exposure to sexual content on television and teen pregnancies.”

- Source

I have a one-word response to this article: DUH! This is common knowledge: bad company corrupts good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33). When an already spiritually corrupt teenager is inundated with sex-filled television, is it any wonder that they are more likely to engage in sexual activity? Add that fact to homes where parents aren't raising their children in a godly or righteous way, and it adds up to both high teen pregnancy and abortion rates. More to the point, it is a fulfillment of Romans 1:32: "Although they fully know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them."

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Ten Indictments {A Historical 21st Century Message by Paul Washer

As I listened to this message, I realized that many of the things he talked about regarding young men were true - in some sense or another - about me. This is a wake up call to me, let me tell you. However, let the evidence of my conviction stand on whether or not my life actually changes. If my life becomes more disciplined for Christ, then praise the Lord. If after awhile, my conviction wears off and I return to my old ways, then my sorrow was a worldly sorrow and I was damned from the start.

I know that my Christian walk hasn't always been for the Lord. How evil of me! If I be saved, then I am saved to the slavery of master Christ. Perhaps I have been losing a fear of God. May the Lord have mercy on my soul as I work out my salvation in fear and trembling.

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