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How often have we passed over a word in our scripture readings and never realized the significance of, or history of that particular person, place or thing. This week let’s take a look at the word sheep as used in scripture. Sheep are  used symbolically to represent God’s people Matthew 25:32… 

25 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

This is a very powerful metaphor that somehow does morph with the power of God’s word and biblical credence into a lovely fact of reassuring hope and faith. The first mention of sheep in the Bible can be found in Genesis 4:4, and although there is no direct reference that Abel’s sacrifice was fat portions from a sheep, the scripture translates from his flock to mean that. Sheep were among the first animals to be domesticated. Throughout the Bible references to sheep are to be found. Sheep were a major source of income for people but shepherding was a lowly occupation. A wealthy landowner would hire that job out to boys or men who really couldn’t do anything else and in many families the task of shepherding fell to the youngest boy. David’s father never saw him as a king of anything but the prophet Samuel sought him out to anoint him the next king of Israel. 1Samuel 16:11-13

11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

 Consider this… John 10:14

14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me…

It has been written that this humble status of the Shepard was one reason why Jesus ascribed that title to himself…

Psalm 79:13

13  But we your people, the sheep of your pasture,

will give thanks to you forever;

from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

Psalm 100:3

3  Know that the Lord, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Sheep are known to follow a leader and like sheep we have been foolish keepers of the faith. We have been known to esteem those of exceptional charismatic personality and to grasp at their promises and shiny new ideas. We have heard of herd immunity during this covid crisis but scripture gives us examples of this trait that sheep are known for, from a human perspective. This is but one example that had a bad conclusion. Acts 13:50

50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.

Acting as sheep produced another but better known example at an even greater cost. Mark 15:11

11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead.

Another thing about sheep is that they are prone to wander away. Isaiah 53:6…

6  All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

We like sheep tend to be distracted by worldly things and wander

from the safety of the flock…we leave the fellowship of believers 

leaving ourselves open to the evils of this world…forgetting the 

precepts of our faith…1 Peter5:8

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

The Silence of the Sheep what does that mean? We have established through scripture that we are the sheep and our shepherd is Jesus Christ… Isaiah 40:11  

11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;

he will gather the lambs in his arms;

he will carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead those that are with young.

As a nation and a people we should be lifting our voices to God and praising our Good Shepherd…

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them… I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:11-15)

Forgive us our sins, we lift up to you our nation, our people and our leaders…All I hear is a deafening silence from the sheep.

Life is Good

jk

Romans 1:18-32

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I knew when I began this blog where I wanted to go but I was a bit unsure of how I would get there. In researching this subject I was not prepared for what I found and my sense of direction is totally askew. We are a nation under attack but I am not so sure “nation under God” now or in the past is a proper tag line for the United States of America. I read an article written by Kenneth C. Davis, “America’s True History of Religious Tolerance” which was published in the Smithsonian Magazine. I am one of many who have had my Christian tolerance challenged and have become indignant at the actions of certain people, groups and agenda driven social justice warriors whom I believe are destroying my country. I read the article through more than once even cross checked his dates and descriptions of the events written about…  The article was written in October 2010. Mr Davis believes that America has not been anything near a bastion of religious freedom and uses historical events of record to prove his point. I have always been God and country…now more than ever I am sadden by what is happening to my country and like many have been quick to point a finger at others. One of my favorite comic strips is Pogo, and the quote I remember most is “we have found the enemy and they is us”.

We learned in school that the Pilgrims came to America aboard the good ship Mayflower in search of religious freedom in 1620. Soon after the Puritans followed. It is a fact that millions followed to experience the freedom that allowed them to be free to practice their own faith. Some of you may remember a radio personality Paul Harvey, an early Rush Limbaugh, who had as a segment of his broadcast…The Rest of The Story. Well, as it turns out it seems possible that the account of America’s tolerance of religious freedom, has a Rest of The Story of its own. Mr Davis referred to that narrative as an American myth. I recommend you read his article with an open mind…It changed the direction of my thinking about where to go with this blog. Here is that Url.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/americas-true-history-of-religious-tolerance-61312684/

Let’s turn to scripture, Romans 1:18-32…In a previous passage Paul was addressing the truth about a relationship with God. A relationship entered into through faith, trust and living out God’s will in our lives. Paul now sets before us the wrath of God which men and women and their nation will face if they turn away from God. When we as a people refuse to worship God, adhere to his precepts and go off in other directions seeking to satisfy our own desires and allowing them to become our idols, we shall face the wrath of God. This thought or phrase one nation under God, implies we as a people and  a nation have a special relationship with God. I would say that the state of the nation and its people say just the opposite. What is our conception of that alarming and terrifying phrase? In early Old Testament writings God’s wrath is directed toward those we would call the covenant people. Those who had a special relationship with God. They were to be his chosen people and it would be so as long as they kept his Law.(Exodus 24:3-8) To put it simply, if anywhere in the nation the law was broken the relationship was severed and brought down God’s wrath. Also this relationship allowed for if another nation were to treat Israel with cruelty or injustice they would incur God’s wrath. As Paul speaks of the wrath of God, we must acknowledge that Jesus saves men and women from that very wrath. It is written many times in scripture that disobedience to God will ensure his wrath. Ezekiel was blunt and to the point… 18:4 Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die.   Are we missing something? Consider this for just a moment. Suppose you live from the perspective there is really no God…but you choose to live as if there were, at the end of life you would have fared much better than if you simply accepted life as it were. If it is not God’s will what should we call it? One commentary states ‘There is a moral order in this world, and anyone who transgresses it sooner or later is bound to suffer.’ J. A. Froude, the great nineteenth-century historian, said: ‘One lesson, and one lesson only, history may be said to repeat with distinctness, that the world is built somehow on moral foundations, that, in the long run, it is well with the good, and, in the long run, it will be ill with the wicked.’

Could we conclude that this moral order is the wrath of God at work? We know that God made this world, his world, so that should we break his laws we do so at our own peril. If we can be put in a situation of peril due to this moral order, which is unbending and unrelenting, if we are left solely at its mercy, is it not reasonable to believe that the only thing left is death and destruction? How important might this be? The Prophets did not delay the wrath of God to the Judgement Day, they believed it was a continuous thing. Using Israel as an example whenever they strayed as a nation the wrath of God came against them. It often involved ruin, which often resulted in defeat and captivity. There is a concept here that we today find hard to understand…we read more about the wrath of God in the Old Testament writings rather than the New. We today are very much aware of this God of love, mercy and grace and we seldom think of him as a God of wrath. When was the last time most of us heard a  wrath of God sermon? These verses when read in context leave no doubt that we cannot plead ignorance of God. Paul makes a very valid point that suffering always follows sin. Look at the world and see the simple facts of God’s intended order. There are laws that apply to most any of our endeavors… one simple example…break the laws of  health and your body suffers. Break God’s law and you will suffer. You cannot deny that existence itself requires a far greater power than ourselves…that power is God. Those who sin are left without excuse. As sinners we look to ourselves and not to God. Christians are put in a very difficult position. God’s law has become secondary to our own laws, whims, opinions  and we have taken to setting our own standards to live by. We are a self centered people instead of God centered. In biblical times this resulted in idolatry. Idolatry is ruled by the selfish needs and wants of people. We enter our churches not to worship and serve God but to be served. Many times our prayers are self-centered that our dreams may be furthered and the result is we fail and then fall. We worship for self, not for God. 

Romans 1:28-32 provides us with a grocery list of offenses against God’s Law…I do not like to use scripture to beat someone with a righteous stick  so to speak and I am not an hysterical moralist, these verses describe accurately the decline of morals and degenerate behavior in Paul’s day. Even Greek and Roman writers of that day said the same thing about the state of the nations of that day. So now we arrive at the end of this blog that went another direction. We can point fingers all day long in every direction but like a boomerang they point right back to us. It is not the political parties, BLM, GLBT groups, social justice warriors or just a sign of the times, you know, the new norm. No… Pogo said it best the enemy is us.

Please read Romans 1:28-32 

We have banished God from our life as a nation and a people. Harsh statement to make even harsher when we who sin know it to be true. Examples…no longer are the bible and prayers welcomed in our schools in schools, prayers are not allowed before or on field during an athletic event…churches and religious institutions under attack…just a few. We have reached the point in this nation that those who openly attack people of the faith are encouraging others to do so. A quote to help wrap this up:

The dramatist and critic George Bernard Shaw once said: ‘No nation has ever survived the loss of its gods.’ 

Paul has given us a picture of what happens when people banish God from their lives. They eventually perish. Theirs is a legacy that in time produces disaster. We have failed to obey God, to continue the work his Son, Jesus Christ commanded us to do.

We must pray and live our lives so that this Nation is truly “One Nation Under God”

Life is Good

jk

Hope and the Hero’s of The Faith

In July, 2016, I wrote a blog about Cowboys and Hero’s, below an excerpt from that blog…

Back in the day many young boys dreamed of riding the plains doing good and rescuing the young girls from evil. Mounting the trusty broom and riding the backyard range in search of stray cattle or damsels in distress and even hoping to come across a bad guy or two. Sporting a set of Gene Autry pistols and a new hat and cowboy boots from Sears or the local Western Auto store, we were the picture of young justice and any number of Saturday cowboy shows on the old black and white TV. Sneaking a bit of small rope from dad’s work bench for a lasso, even the dog and cat feared our pass through the backyard range. They were examples of what we admired or wanted to be in our adolescent dreams and wishes. Today we look at a different time and a different type of hero, the ones back in the day that set an example of faith and are called to mind in the 11th chapter of Hebrews through the writings of Paul. (fromthepewblog.com)

I Always like to check in with Webster just to be sure…What is a hero? The simple answer is:

a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities…

Biblically speaking the eleventh chapter of Hebrews contains the major heroes of the Bible. A hero is a person of great courage, conquer, a victor and a winner to use just a few descriptive nouns. But in these definitions we find the most compelling attribute of a hero is missing, Faith the fuel of  Christian Hope. 

Faith is the certainty that what you believe is true and seen or unseen it will come. The hope we are looking at is not a make a wish thing but one of unshakeable conviction. I remember the young girl at Columbine High School who when confronted by the shooter, he asked her, “Do you believe in God?” while holding a pistol to her head…she never hesitated… “yes” he shot her. This unique Christian Faith, is a hope turned to certainty. It dictates the way Christians conduct themselves. They live it, they die for it and it is what’s makes them live as they do. James Mofatt writes three ways this Christian Hope works.

1. Belief in God against the world
2. Belief in the spirit against the senses
3. Christian Hope in belief in the future against the present   

The writer to Hebrews makes the point that what God has promised will be. They put everything on God, and the history of the scriptures proves them right. There were those who argued that God created the world out of existing matter, the writer to this letter insists that the creation of this world was all of God’s will and preference. The fact is that it is God’s world.  Acceptance of this leads us to these principals. We will respect and use wisely what God has created and believe that even when it looks bad, God is in control. Chapter 11 describes the nature and power of Christian faith. It does so by providing examples of such set forth by instances from Abel to Noah, Abraham and his descendants. They are joined by Jacob, Joseph, Moses, the Israelites, and Rahab. We can also add many Old Testament believers. Faith has always been the mark of a servant of God. Through faith we keep the truth of Christ’s sufferings through which he is justified, the promises made, the covenant secured and that which fuels our own hope and faith. A faith that proves to our mind those things we can’t see. Faith contains all things of worth while granting full approval of all God has revealed as holy, just and good. Here in chapter 11 we find examples of persons from Old Testament times who were honorable in character and the word of God. In faith they were examples of holy obedience, Godly service and patient sufferings. The bible is the one source of a true and accurate account of all things of God. There is power in the creation story and it is to be believed by all Christians. It is one of the cornerstones of our faith, one we cannot allow the disbelief of some to take it from us, just because they don’t believe.

We read here that all the works of the creation were brought about by the command of God. There is the account of Abel’s sacrifice, his atonement, acknowledging himself to be a sinner and seeking mercy and forgiveness from God. Contrast that to Cain’s rage and hostility against Abel and his sacrifice. Who would have known at that time this rage and hostility, even murder of believers would travel across time to this very day. Enoch, a man who walked with God always keeping the distance between him and God as little as possible. He did not see death, God took him to heaven just as Christ will do for the saints who are living at the time of his second coming. Enoch believed God and those things that the scripture of that time revealed him to be. If we are to find God in our life we must seek him with all our heart. Noah guided by God’s words and driven by his faith set about to build the ark. His faith overshadowed their unbelief and his obedience was greater than their contempt and rebellion. There is a point to be made here. The example of believers like that of Noahs after being warned of the wrath to come, moved by fear but filled with faith took action at God’s warning and became an heir of the righteousness of faith. We too can expect to be called, leave our interests and comforts behind. Strike out as Abraham, obeying and going forth not knowing what we might encounter, seeking only to do God’s will, to do that which He has called us to. Abraham’s trial was brought about simply because he fully obeyed the call of God. Abraham offered up Isaac putting aside his doubts and fears and looking to the power of God. We will be better off enjoying our comforts if we allow God to give us that which we need and He knows are best for us. Jacob lived by faith, and he died by faith, and in faith. This grace of faith is available to us in our life cycle but is especially needful when we face death. Here at last we have come to our destination, facing it with a life of patience, hope and joy, a life of faith in which we have striven to honor God in all things. Joseph was tried by temptations to sin, by persecution for keeping his integrity; and he was tried by the honors and power in the court of Pharaoh, yet his faith carried him through. Moses was a special baby, raised in royalty, tempted by power and sin, was of his own violation a murderer but God used him and Moses by faith led his people from captivity. Moses became a true believer of God and was willing to subject himself to their fate, being desirous to be in a covenant with God and in communion with his people. Rahab’s inclusion in this list is a bit tricky. It is written that Rahab operated an inn in the city and aided the Israelite spies to escape capture when scouting the city. There were some inns that were also brothels but the story does not indicate that. Rahab’s life was not perfect but she was declared just by her actions. 

There is a little more here in the chapter but I think the point has been made. Hope, Faith, Courage and Strength are some of the attributes of a hero by earthly definitions. These people were saints of the faith…It is because they believed that they had hope and were able to serve God. What is that old refrain…faith of our fathers… May we pray and endeavor to increase our faith and like them be made perfect in Him… Believe.

Life is Good

jk

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This is a short chapter only 13 verses but they challenge the church today just as strongly as they did the Corinthian Church of Paul’s day. We have as a community of faith become more and more complacent accepting among us those things that weaken the faith and over time we have allowed ourselves to view them as the acceptable in today’s society. We accepted the premise that to judge others is wrong, in this chapter Paul adds some much needed clarity to this idea. In the NRSV version the word unchastity is used to describe a series of bad behaviors. First Paul speaks to a specific problem that has occurred there in the church at Corinth. In todays world we have gone to great length to tone down and in some instances accept that which society deems appropriate or the new norm. We have allowed the perversion of God’s word and law to mirror the demand of social and cultural change.

First we must acknowledge that the Gentile world did not know the meaning of the word chastity. To make this plain they took pleasure where they found it with whom and whenever it pleased them. A Christian mind could not grasp this and certainly found it difficult to escape this sea of idolatry that surrounded them and was overwhelmed by such behavior. There were those who had come into the church from this very environment and they would have to unlearn these practices of such loose living. If the church was to grow and be kept pure they would have to say goodby to the old ways. As we join Paul at this point we find him dealing with what is a constantly recurring problem. The sin he confronts is to found in Leviticus 18:8. A couple of things here…Paul does not attempt to deal with her at all which indicates that she must have been outside the jurisdiction of the church…it being possible she was a divorcee…perhaps a Gentile. Now the other point to be made…The indication is that as shocked as he was of the nature of the sin he was even more shocked by the attitude of the Corinthian church to both the sinner and the sin itself. They had retained a complacent attitude toward both sin and sinner. They had accepted the situation, because they were surrounded by such behavior, they let this become the new norm. It was Paul’s opinion that they should have been deeply upset about this happening among the body of the believers within the church itself. Such an easy-going attitude toward sin is always dangerous, their silence and lack of response was in a way condoning such. There are scholars that have said sin puts believers in a perilous position. This is not about condemnation of another person it is about the fact that sin, when it comes among us is something that no Christian man or women should ever take an easy-going attitude toward. Sin…crucified Jesus Christ. Christ died that we might be free of sin.

It is at this point in the chapter that Paul introduces a new thought. We have always been taught to love the sinner, hate the sin. Paul puts a twist on that… 1 Corinthians 5: 5-7

 5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. 6 You, boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are.

Paul leaves no doubt to his intentions in this matter. The man must be dealt with. In Paul’s day the world was looked upon as the domain of Satan, the church was the domain of God. They were to  put this man out of the church. Send him back to Satan’s world, that’s where he belongs. It was not the wish of the church to break this man…it was meant to get his attention and was done with a great deal of sadness. It was always the intention that in getting his attention they might have the time to change his sinful nature, restore him to the fellowship and save his soul. The example given here has at its core a practical truth. Discipline is sometimes needed in the church. To keep ignoring situations, and there are many others, we weaken the strength and ground of the faith our Lord has called us too. We , Christians, people of the faith cannot allow the weeds of sin to grow on our ground. The weeds of sin must be removed before it renders the ground unfit for planting and growing the seeds of faith. Discipline must always be used to prevent and to cure…Remember we are not in the practice of condemnation but one of restoration. 

Paul has already written a letter to the Corinthians. In this letter he had urged them to avoid the evils of society and the men and women involved in such behavior. Now here is the catch…some I am sure misunderstood what Paul was saying. Paul had meant that to apply only to the members of the church. Some of the members of the church had taken this to be an absolute, which would mean withdrawal from the world entirely. In Corinth it would be impossible to function in such a way in every day life. The society Paul is speaking of would be those within the church itself. Paul’s thought was that wicked people would have to be put out of the church, until they mended their ways. Paul believed that discipline was a necessary thing to maintain the faith and message of the church. In reality Paul would never have advocated   withdrawal from the world. I do not wish to put words in Paul’s mouth but I am sure he believed that our Christianity and faith must be lived out in the world…this he believed would make it a better place. There is no such thing as a solitary religion and I believe there is no group salvation. We find our strength in the community of faith but our salvation is something that we alone will stand before God to be judged on that day. 

Paul has a specific list, three sins to be exact that have or are occurring in the world and he places them in three classes of people. They are fornicators, the greedy, and idolaters. 

–It is reasonable to believe that fornication is a sin against ourselves, self inflicted.

-Greediness is a sin against others, our neighbors and of course the men and women we encounter every day.

-Idolatry is a sin against God. Worshiping things that takes our time from God. Not keeping God first in our lives.

I do not believe that scripture contradicts itself, it does at times clarify itself as to meaning. There was a Jewish phrase those outside which was applied to those who were not the chosen people. Paul believed that we must leave the judgement of those outside the faith to God, because He alone knows what is in their hearts. There is no doubt in Paul’s reasoning about this. Those within the church had special privileges, so it was only right that they should have special responsibilities. We of the faith have taken an oath to Christ and will and should be called to answer for our fidelity to it.

Chapter 5 has a rather harsh ending…I will let you be the judge as to its place in the church today.

1 Corinthians 5:13

13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”

Life is Good

jk

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Those of us who at one time worked for a large company will at once grasp the words standards and procedures. Chapter 1 in the book of Titus is just that, it gives Titus the standards and the procedures to follow needed to strengthen the church and to grow the faith.

We know very little about Titus to whom this letter is written until we step back a moment and allow ourselves to let scripture reveal him to us. It is rather strange that Titus who had garnered enough standing in the early Church that one of the great Apostles to the Gentiles took the time to write a letter to him with instructions and responsibilities he is to share and undertake in Crete. There is evidence in scripture that Titus was a frequent companion of Paul in his journeys, Yet Titus is not mentioned once in the book of Acts of the Apostles. It is safe to say that Titus was very dear to Paul and Paul put much trust and confidence in his “son in the faith” (Titus 1:4 ). In 1 Timothy Paul had set out in detail the qualifications of an Elder in the church. Crete was an island of many cities and there would be many more little cities and Paul had always insisted that small churches should be encouraged to stand on their own feet as soon as possible. This chapter is special to me and made my list because we get an insight into the organization of the early church. The Council of Carthage had set down the standard for Bishops, elders and deacons that all members of their families should be believers of the faith. It was the council’s opinion that Christianity begins at home. No matter the path we follow in life it should not result in neglect of family. There is also the reference that families or individuals should not be involved in licentious or disruptive behavior. There is much to be said in our world today that the best avenue for training one to be a leader and productive member of society starts at home and is reinforced by christian standards taught in the church. Back to Chapter 1, Book of Titus…. all are the servants of God…There is truth in the gospel that there is value in teaching not so much fear of God as just plain awe of His Divinity and Power. The intent of the gospel is to raise the people’s faith and hope. To remove the burdens of the everyday world and point to the Heavens and the things above the everyday, that being, the gospel, the divine promise and the privilege of salvation! Our faith is strengthen by hearing the word of God and those who are called to preach the word, must do so with vigor and discipline. The fruits of God’s grace and favor are freely given to those who believe. The fruits of this favor are many…There is mercy in the pardoning of our sins, blessed relief from our miseries now and later on. Another fruit would be peace…peace through Jesus Christ with all others and ourselves. Consider please, that this blessing is the fountain of all blessings from which mercy, peace and all good things come forth. In verse 7b we are told what elders must not be. We start right off with the admonishment that we must not live our life to please just ourselves. Not easy because within this standard lies the fact that we cannot be intolerant of others or arrogant . We are standard bearers of the church, even more important that those who hold office should put aside such behavior. Elders should not be quick tempered. It is a common trait that those of quick temper are more likely than not to nourish their anger against others. 

Paul writes to Timothy that the leaders, here in referred to as bishops and elders must meet certain qualifications. They are to be overseers of the flock, set an example as how to live and to manage the affairs of the household of God. It is made clear what they are not to be and is shown that they are to be, servants of Christ, minister to the practice and letter of the Gospel. We are also shown that they are to be examples of good works. Paul addresses the issue of false teachers in the church. He stresses that the faithful oppose them, they must not be allowed to continue with their false messages and immoral actions against the word of God. They serve a worldly interest, pretending to be of Godly mind and spirit. They do so to gain the riches of worldly sin. Shame them by presenting to the people the sound doctrine of the Scriptures. Actions such as theirs is far from that you have been taught. 

“falsehood and lying, envious craft and cruelty, brutal and sensual practices, and idleness and sloth, are sins condemned even by the light of nature.” (Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible)

 It is true that there are many evil doers among you and it was one of their very own who said “Cretans are always liars, vicious brutes, lazy gluttons” and for these reasons you should rebuke them sharply. Verses 13 – 16 are a good example of what Titus is having to contend with….

Titus 1:13-16

13 This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith 14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

It might be said Paul wastes no words here, he is direct and to the point. There is an underlying thought in this rebuke thing that is worth noting. You will find it in verse 13… This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith . (NRSV) As is in all things of God’s, mercy and grace are always offered. “So that they will be sound in the faith”… I will close this blog by writing what I believe to be a Gospel based truth…Our God is a God of restoration, not condemnation. There is always salvation for those who believe and repent.

Life is Good

jk