01/22/2015
New Article for Feb. based on a FB debate on the "virtues" of Ho***rs.
The Danger of Presumptuous Sin
By Rev. Robert Liichow
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me: Then shall I be upright, And I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, And the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalm 19:13–14 (KJV 1900)
Facebook is a wild and wooly land where many things are shared and often without much forethought. One disturbing thread I engaged in dealt with this question posed by a sister “Should Christians go to breastaurants?” For those, like myself who may be unfamiliar with the term breastaurant refers to an establishment like “Ho***rs” or any place where they servers a sc****ly clad females.
It was disheartening to read so many Christian men’s comments ranging from they go for the “wings” (and not the “breasts”) and to that I replay I suppose there are some men who buy Pl***oy for the “articles” (yeah right). I stated that our flesh always rationalizes its actions and immediately got piled on by several people calling me a “legalist” and “pietist.” Another commenter was so bold and honest to say that if his friends invited him he would go with them to be “with his friends” and he knew the Lord would forgive his sins committed while ogling the chicks. . . . thus to the topic!
We all sin enough without willfully placing ourselves in situations where sin is virtually unavoidable. My exegetical guide says “Presumptuous” in the Hebrew is translated as meaning “arrogant behavior, insolent, and audaciousness.” I know of people who committed adultery on the basis that “the Lord will forgive them” afterwards when they repent, as they surely plan on doing (after they fulfill their flesh).
The brother who spoke honestly about going to be with his friends and repenting later is in grave spiritual danger with such an attitude. First of all as Christians our love for Jesus Christ MUST COME BEFORE all other loves:
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26–27 (KJV 1900)
Friends invite you out to a place of sc****ly clad women, a mixed crowd of Christians and pagan people where many people will be overindulging in alcohol ------ as their friend I would have suggested we all go somewhere “nicer” or invite them to come over to your house, eat and drink there (reminds me of this partial thought “What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? 1 Corinthians 11:22).
Paul by the Spirit is not simply taking up space when he wrote “abstain from all appearance of evil” in 1 Thess. 5:22. He said what he meant and it means what it says “ABSTAIN” means voluntarily “to be away from, to be off from” (thanks Louw & Nida 85.16). So what we are addressing is not the “liberty” to engage in sinful activities, but now being set free in Christ Jesus we are now empowered to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive unto God (see Romans 6:11). Jesus Christ has set us free not to live as much like the world as we can and “still be saved.” NO! He has called us to live as lights among a crooked and perverse generation (see Phil 2:15). Furthermore Paul speaking to young Timothy in the context of loving money but it applies to presumptuous sin as well:
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 1Timothy 6:11
We are called to flee sinful activities, to turn our back on them and pursue (follow after) the fruit of the spirit, the very character of Jesus Christ ---- righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, patience and meekness. Who does this describe? Some half-drunk sot at a boobie bar? No, this describes Jesus and yes it can describe us as Christians, little Christ’s in spite of our old man (who we Lutherans declare to be dead even before we get out of bed!)
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 1 John 2:15-18
Read again the Apostle of “love” words (I marvel at this man, he laid his head on the breast of Jesus at the supper and he felt and heard the heartbeat of the eternal God). John is writing to Christians and he is warning them of the reality of loving this fading fallen perverse world and all that goes in to making it up. “They have good wings” ---- you love them more than God? “Of course not,” they would reply. I think your actions speak otherwise.
While it is true we cannot measure our progress in sanctification what we can do is turn our backs on the things that we KNOW are ungodly such as going to places where near naked women are forced to work (if the food is so great why do they need to use [and they are USING these women] to DRAW in predominantly male customers?). Attending movies that you know contain nudity (tons of carnal Christians have bought and read the pornographic novel “50 Shades of Grey.”), reading books that are filthy. As soon as the first homosexual is introduced to a television series my wife and I watch the television goes off. We simply do not want to vegetate and allow the world to program us into accepting perversity as normal. Frankly, these days one cannot even go to the beach without being visually inundated by virtually n**e men and women. I believe our brother Jude sums up my editorial better than I ever could:
But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Jude 17-25
We all sin daily in many ways by virtue of living in a desperately wicked world and apart from the sustaining grace of our Lord Jesus Christ none of us by our own work would ever attain heaven. Note the words of Jude “Now unto HIM that is able to keep you from falling, and present you faultless before the presence of HIS glory with EXCEEDING JOY.” It is all about what Jesus has done for us. HE is the One who keeps us from falling eternally and it is HE who will present US FAULTLESS before His Father’s presence with EXCEEDING JOY (sorry I feel compelled to highlight some terms, they are mind blowing!).
With this fantastic promise given to us, let us endeavor to eschew the very appearance of evil and pursue those things which redound to the glory of Him who saved us from the world, the flesh and the devil. May our love for Jesus grow to such a degree that it outshines our desires for the things of that are fleeting. Selah.
