The apostle Paul admonished, “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22 KJV). The admonition does not just deal with not committing sin. It deals with staying out of potentially sinful situations, situations wherein we might find ourselves unduly tempted to sin. The idea is to stay away from not just the sin, but also the temptation that could lead to sin.
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“Hold the line!” It’s a statement that calls for immediate strength and action. It even carries the idea of a command, a strong command. One might think of a football team being exhorted by its coach or captain to “Hold the line!” on a given play. If the opposing team breaks through the line, it could mean the ballgame.
Many passages of scripture speak of God’s love for mankind. Jesus stated, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16). Paul wrote, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). John also wrote, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 Jn. 4:10). What God did, in sacrificing “His only begotten Son,” was certainly a supreme act of love.
The debate as to whether gay marriage ought to be legalized has been raging across our land for a number of years. It is my understanding that the president of our great nation has recently made a public statement of support for legalizing gay marriage- marriage between two men or two women. Never before has a president of this country issued such a statement. As citizens of this nation what should be our position and attitude regarding this prospect?
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November 2018
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