“Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline…Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer We live in a day and age not unlike the day and age … Continue reading “No “Cheap Grace” Promoted Here”
A line in the sand
“Drawing lines in the sand is not something you do in a relationship. Who am I to draw the line?” Ever heard that before? Reality check: You need to draw a line in the sand. It’s called a boundary and you need to have healthy boundaries in healthy relationships. Cheaters hate boundaries. They want to … Continue reading “A line in the sand”
Is Adultery Ever Justifiable?
Is adultery ever justifiable in the eyes of God? Put another way: How bad a husband/wife does one have to be to justify adultery? Faithful Spouse Bad: Fail to do the laundry. Consequence: Wife cheats on husband. Faithful Spouse Bad: Fail to make a six figure salary. Consequence: Wife cheats on husband. Faithful Spouse Bad: … Continue reading “Is Adultery Ever Justifiable?”
Swarming Locusts Do Not Win
“The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name … Continue reading “Swarming Locusts Do Not Win”
But he only cheated on you once…
Adulterers/adulteresses and their apologists say the cruelest of things: “I still love you. It only happened once. We all make mistakes. Can’t we just pretend it didn’t happen?” “It was only just one slip up. Why can’t you get past it?” “He just had one bad night. Why are you so hung up on one … Continue reading “But he only cheated on you once…”
“But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted”
Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, “He won’t call me to account”? But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the … Continue reading ““But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted””
Gratitude As Fortitude
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” – Genesis 3:1, ESV As a hospice chaplain, I see many different sorts of people on a daily basis. … Continue reading “Gratitude As Fortitude”
Dear Faithful Spouses, It’s NOT About You!
Dear faithful spouses, It’s not about you. The adultery does not reveal your flaws or failures. Not at all. It does not even tell a story about the status of your marriage prior to this treacherous sin. It’s not about you, faithful spouse. But it does speak volumes about the adulterous spouse’s heart. I have tackled this issue … Continue reading “Dear Faithful Spouses, It’s NOT About You!”
House of Cards
I know there are some wondering “what about the adulterous spouse? Where’s the grace for them?” I want to make it clear that there is grace and redemption for them too. There is grace and redemption available to all. From all the personal stories I’ve heard/read, and from my own experience with infidelity, here’s a … Continue reading “House of Cards”
Your Suffering Matters To God
For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom … Continue reading “Your Suffering Matters To God”