The Plumbline

I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 7:22-25 NLT) We've likely all been there - wanting to do good, promising to change, then we revert back into some old pattern of sin that we knew better than to pursue. It is as though there is a power within that seems to draw us back time and time again. There is - it is called our sin nature! Our mind has what is called 'muscle memory'. A very helpful tool when it comes to things like tying our shoes without really thinking about it or driving to work the same way each day without much thought as to how to drive that automobile. When it comes to the sins we indulge in repeatedly, that 'muscle memory' thing is a real challenge! I doubt Paul h...

From 1980 until 2001, the U.S. Army slogan was "Be All You Can Be" and the rest of it was "in the Army". It has morphed from "Army of One", "Army Strong", into the present "What's Your Warrior?", with each lasting a few or more years in various recruiting campaigns. I kind of like the present one, but the "Be All You Can Be" one really speaks of what God desires of his 'army' of believers - he wants us to be mature and complete, becoming all he intends for us to be - not as an Army of One, but as Warriors in his army of billions upon billions. My brothers and sisters, you will have many kinds of trouble. But this gives you a reason to be very happy. You know that when your faith is tested, you learn to be patient in suffering. If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be. (James 1:2-4 ERV) Warriors become strong ...