Category: sin

Zealously Affected #30

Sunday, March 22, 2026

“They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you” (Galatians 4:17,18 KJV).

Let us see if we can identify and comprehend the dangers of relying on emotions….

An emotional person announces, “We can best support poor people by taxing the rich and diverting that money to social programs!” However, a thinking individual proposes, “Find ways to reduce wasteful government spending first—and start by decreasing the salaries of the politicians who are mismanaging funds and more likely embezzling monies meant for social programs.” If wealthy business owners are taxed, they simply increase the prices their customers pay. When taxes become oppressive enough, the wealthy move elsewhere, so the region’s tax base shrinks. Who will pay for the poor now? It will definitely not be the politicians! Emotions aside, and critical thinking operating, this economics lesson is most profitable.

The death penalty has always been controversial. Supposedly, capital punishment is “cruel and unusual,” and therefore inappropriate; this too is emotionalism. Observe the renewed mind now. The Bible is absolutely clear that, any individual who takes a human life forfeits his or her own: “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man” (Genesis 9:6). Furthermore, this is not restricted to the Old Testament. If worthy of death, the Apostle Paul was willing to be executed (Acts 25:11). He even wrote about government retaining the right to “bear the sword” (behead offenders) in Romans 13:4. Does not the possibility of sentencing innocent people to death argue against capital punishment? This also is emotionalism. If potential mistakes are grounds for ruling out the death penalty, we would be forced to eliminate life imprisonment as well because many innocent individuals have sat in a jail for decades only to be proven not guilty and released! Moreover, how cruel and unusual for the guilty person spared the death penalty to be enabled to harass the victim’s family with years of appeals. Above all, you can be sure that, once the murderer is killed, there will be no chance of recidivism or financial burden to taxpayers.

Indeed, it helps to use the brain than the emotions….

Zealously Affected #29

Saturday, March 21, 2026

“They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you” (Galatians 4:17,18 KJV).

Let us see if we can identify and comprehend the dangers of relying on emotions….

Science-worshippers and so-called “intellectuals” regard us as nothing more than highly-evolved animals whose very existence is attributable to the mysterious forces of “Mother Earth” or “Mother Nature” (really the ancient heathen goddess of fertility and hunting, also known as Diana or Artemis!—Acts 19:24,27,28,34,35). It is along these lines that evolutionary theory via natural selection, animal rights, vegetarianism, veganism, conservationism, and environmentalism are promoted. Tainted by sin, emotions have cheapened human existence to be “just another clump of cells.” We exhibit boundless pity toward endangered and extinct plants and animals, seeing no problem with placing them equal to or above ourselves, but we have been desensitized to the barbaric butchering of the helpless members of our own species. Sexual activity is unrestrained and recreational, and pregnancy is simply an “inconvenience” to more fun. Abortion is thus offered as the solution, for the selfish mantra of “MY body, MY choice” has been mindlessly parroted.

Unwanted pregnancies are an obstacle to emotionally-immature and mentally-immature parties, and those in the medical community who do not wish to maintain and preserve life are just as childish when they eagerly prey on these vulnerable to their detriment. If termination of life shortly after conception is tolerable (abortion), then it is just as easy for us to be open to ending life in its waning years (euthanasia, or assisted suicide). How laughable it is that, while struggling to define just what a “man” is and what a “woman” is, our society boasts about seeking and defending “women’s rights.” Since it cannot seem to distinguish between human DNA and animal, our “civilization” is most ridiculous to brag how it campaigns for “human rights.”

Beloved, this is all irrational, contradictory, and outrageous behavior, but it is nothing more than sin taking advantage of us through our corrupted emotions. “I am not going to be told what I will think and do! I will do what I feel is right!” Frankly, emotions are just one of sinful man’s innumerable gods. We would do well to detect and flee such idolatry as soon as possible….

Zealously Affected #15

Thursday, March 5, 2026

“They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you” (Galatians 4:17,18 KJV).

Let us see if we can identify and comprehend the dangers of relying on emotions….

Once, I watched a video of a police officer confronting a woman wielding a knife. Despite the fact he issued repeated warnings, the suspect refused to put it down. She had stabbed another person just prior to his arrival! Advancing toward the deputy, she left him no choice. He fired his revolver, and she fell to the ground at the front door of helpless residents whom she could have also easily wounded. Several neighbors immediately assembled on the scene and began yelling, “Why did you shoot her?! Why did you shoot her?!” Emotions were in charge (“zealously affected, but not well”), so, of course, blame was assigned to the wrong party. It makes no sense that a defiant, armed suspect would be allowed unrestricted access to the general public, especially when law enforcement commands the individual to cease the criminal activity. Obviously, there can be no good outcome. This is the logical conclusion, but mindless emotions do not facilitate a reasonable assessment of the situation.

Another documentary I viewed featured a correspondent conversing with passersby. He would read to them an incendiary quote of a famous politician and then falsely attribute it to someone else. They strongly voiced how they were quite opposed to the opinion expressed in the quotation… until he revealed those words were from another politician (one they adored, to whom they were emotionally attached—“zealously affected, but not well”). Their amended response was, “Oh, ah, uh” (speechlessness). It was a far calmer reaction when they learned these “offensive” words were from an official they blindly followed! Additionally, one woman stated how she was unaware of the positions of the candidate whom she had helped elect. Here are the types of people entering the voting booth, emotionally-manipulated victims of state-run media propaganda!

Whether criminal justice, religion, politics, finances, science, or anything else, Satan’s evil world system preys on us via emotionalism. It would do us well to know our enemy to the point of anticipating his moves….

Zealously Affected #14

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

“They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you” (Galatians 4:17,18 KJV).

Let us see if we can identify and comprehend the dangers of relying on emotions….

“Buyer’s remorse” happens when the consumer regrets the purchase of a good or service. Perhaps it was cheaply made or poorly rendered, too expensive, or unnecessary. Emotions obscured the truth; to wit, that which is obvious to a thinking person is less clear to an emotional one. The salesperson made the customer feel happy, sad, or whatever, and, impulsively, the deal was closed. In hindsight, once emotions have subsided and rationality prevails, it is evident the transaction should have never taken place. What initially “felt good” is now a major disappointment, for expectations were not met! Again, emotions and feelings are fickle, and they are a primary reason for financial debt.

Something similar to “buyer’s remorse” is in the realm of religion. Deep down inside, everyone knows they have a sin problem, and each person copes differently with this realization. Some outright ignore it, pretending it is not there and deceiving themselves to the point of asserting they are “without sin.” Others hide behind “intellectualism” and “science,” natural-world phenomena and natural-man thinking—having no regard for anything supernatural and focusing exclusively on what can be seen, touched, heard, tasted, smelled, and reasoned via human intelligence.

The vast majority, however, will join this denomination, or that religion, or this cult, or that sect. Recognizing there is someone or something beyond themselves, they will experiment with a ceremony, ritual, or rite in an attempt to get in touch with the “spiritual realm.” All will learn, sooner or later, that religion is nothing more than man using his own feeble efforts to try to re-connect with God. They had hoped “church” would help them, make them joyful, give them peace, and bring them to Heaven. However, how many hundreds upon hundreds of millions have been sorely dissatisfied because Satan has “slipped them a counterfeit?!” They have religion, but they have no life in Christ. Yes, they are smug in their “goodness,” yet they are dead in their trespasses and sins. They sing about Heaven, but they are on their way to Hell….

Zealously Affected #13

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

“They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you” (Galatians 4:17,18 KJV).

Let us see if we can identify and comprehend the dangers of relying on emotions….

Emotions are mindless, mere responders to situations and circumstances: as conditions fluctuate, so emotions react. A simple experiment demonstrates this. Watch a comedy video, and notice your amusement and laughter. Switch to a drama or thriller/action film, and you will find yourself feeling tense or excited. Romance and tragedy motion-pictures evoke crying and sniffling from you. Having viewed clips of these assorted genres in one sitting, you rode an emotional roller coaster (up, down, up, down—elation, depression, euphoria, misery). The events depicted in those videos were not real, but your emotions (e-motions) generated your physical motions/responses as though what you saw was genuine!

Consider this now. An everyday misfortune transpires when kind (albeit emotional) citizens pity those appearing sick or destitute and such “disadvantaged” individuals are ultimately revealed to be pretenders. Executing elaborate scams, those who need no help at all are emotionally manipulating and exploiting their victims. The “feeble” homeless man you “felt sorry for” and invited to spend the night in your house, turns out to be your family’s strong-arm robber in disguise. Or, the attractive “stranded” woman with her disabled vehicle on the side of the road that you assist, serves as bait so concealed thugs can assault or murder you. Maybe it is best to call the police to aid them. Of course, we should assist people as much as we are able, but we cannot afford to give to everyone or help everyone. See, we should use our brains before we use our hearts.

Sin has corrupted our spiritual makeup, including our heart (emotional seat). “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:21-23). We simply cannot trust our heart or its emotions, though our emotions seek to—and, often do—dominate us….

Zealously Affected #3

Saturday, February 21, 2026

“They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you” (Galatians 4:17,18 KJV).

Let us see if we can identify and comprehend the dangers of relying on emotions….

Go back to today’s Scripture. Before the legalists or denominationalists showed up in Galatia to “zealously affect” (generate warm or hot feelings in) the Galatian believers, the Holy Spirit through Paul’s ministry had stirred up these saints as they moved from Adam to Christ, from Satan to God. Paul commends them concerning this, for they had the “blessedness” of forgiveness of sins (Galatians 4:15; cf. Romans 4:6-9)… which joy was subsequently lost due to the fear, shame, and guilt that attended their acceptance of the Law. Originally, these Christians were “zealously affected in a good thing,” as Paul’s physical presence and preaching grace produced great enthusiasm in them. However, following Paul’s departure and the false teachers’ arrival, the Galatians went the opposite way! Their fervor for the truth died down while their fanaticism for the lie surged.

Sin causes our emotions to deceive us—and they unquestionably conned the Galatian believers while they adopted legalistic or denominational doctrine. Feelings respond to modifications in our environment; our emotions fluctuate as our surroundings change. Therefore, it is not ideal to base our Christian lives on feelings or emotions: “I do not feel saved,” “I do not feel like God cares or loves me,” and so on. Instead of the subjective (which varies from person to person), we need objective truth (as found in the rightly divided King James Bible). Sin can and does feel good, as in Hebrews 11:25 (“pleasures of sin”), so adrenaline rushes and emotional highs alone are not confirmation that something is appropriate or from God. The Corinthian believers were notorious for their spiritual immaturity and abuse of spiritual gifts (especially the gift of tongues), boasting about what they “saw” and “heard” and “felt” and how they were superior to others because of these “special” experiences (see 1 Corinthians chapters 12–14).

Today’s professing church has failed most miserably in being “zealously affected” in error….

Something in Which to Glory!

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

“As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:12-14 KJV).

In what shall we glory? About what shall we boast? In what shall we find value?

Religion produces people who enjoy bragging all about their “dedication to God.” “Look what I did—the ceremonies in which I have participated, the many prayers I faithfully recited daily, how much I put in the collection plate, see how many pleasures I gave up to please God! Come, see how much I love Him!” Dear friends, the Apostle Paul found great value in something—but that something was not what he did. All that human flesh can accomplish pales in comparison to the work in today’s Scripture.

As Lent begins, the time when religionists temporarily (a mere 40 days) relinquish some pleasant food or activity, let us remember that our performance is often non-performance. Once we place ourselves on that treadmill of “do, do, do,” we are guaranteed to fail at some point. Human flesh is simply too weak to maintain 100 percent—that is sin! Even concerning one rule, we cannot keep it perfectly. We mess up eventually.

If ever we believe that our puny works are worth bragging about, let us remember the words of the Apostle Paul in today’s Scripture. While some boast in their religiosity (in the passage, the Judaizers applauding their rite of physical circumcision), and such denominationalists today urge us to obey their church’s instructions so they too may boast in our ability, let us eschew such foolishness. Being imperfect, all their works do not measure up to Christ’s finished crosswork. At Calvary, we find the only sacrifice that will ever please the God of the Bible. If we must boast, let us brag that He did what we could never, ever do!

See our archived Bible Q&A: “Should Christians observe Lent?”

God’s Grace on Parade

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

“…But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20 KJV).

Today, especially here in southern Louisiana, the Catholic festival of Mardi Gras takes advantage of God’s grace. God’s grace abounds even when drunkenness, lasciviousness, and gluttony are committed overtly on our streets for religion. Because we live in the Dispensation of the Grace of God, they can flaunt their sin without being consumed by fire from heaven!

“Mardi Gras,” French for “Fat Tuesday,” is a day when religious people—professing “Christians”—lose self-control (excess alcohol, food, and partying). The following day, Ash Wednesday, they promise to live “holy” for the next 40 days (Lent). A priest will then place ashes on their foreheads proving that God forgave them for that riotous living. Blasphemy!

Regardless of all its biblical allusions (illusions!), Mardi Gras is still evil and anti-God. It was never Christian, originating from pagan Roman festivals, Saturnalia and Lupercalia (interestingly known for riots, drunkenness, gluttony, and fornication, and subsequent repentance).

The Holy Spirit, speaking through the Apostles Peter and Paul, was clearly against Mardi Gras reveling and drunkenness (Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Peter 4:3). So why do professing Christians engage in the very activities that God the Holy Spirit condemned?! As Christians, we should “deny” the activities of Mardi Gras (Romans 6:11-15; Titus 2:11-15).

If I appear offended, I am. Mardi Gras, despite its godly façade, is offensive to the great God and my Saviour Jesus Christ! God’s grace continues to tolerate such foolishness from mankind. Man parades his sin, and God parades His grace, holding back wrath.

Are you a Mardi Gras reveler? I declare unto you the wonderful Gospel of the Grace of God. God did for you at Calvary what you could never do: “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was raised again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Jesus Christ shed His sinless blood and died to put away all of your sins, Mardi Gras revelry included.

If you rest in Christ Jesus alone as your Saviour, God will save you forever, make a trophy of His grace, and then YOUR life will be God’s grace on parade!

*Adapted from a larger Bible study with the same name. The Bible study can be read here or watched here.

You may also see our archived Bible study Q&A, “Should Christians celebrate Mardi Gras?”

A New World

Monday, February 16, 2026

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea…. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:1,4 KJV).

Indeed, there is nothing like witnessing the natural world destroy itself and give way to a new world!

As a firsthand scientific observer of a tornado that passed directly over my house, I stood in disbelief looking at debris fly across the yard. Seeing large trees uprooted, hearing gigantic branches snap like twigs, noticing shingles and tin roofs disintegrate, and hearing violent winds and heavy rains sweep across the land… I still have difficulty comprehending. The speed is equally stunning. What seemed like an eternity lasted less than a minute. Hurricanes (some disastrous) have come and gone here during my nearly 40 years of life; however, this tornado excelled them all in terms of destruction. No homes or lives were lost, but it was close!

Struggling to make sense of our tornado, I cannot even begin to fathom the Great Flood of Noah’s lifetime. Those rainstorms above and those floodwaters from beneath (groundwater) continued for 40 days until the ark was lifted and Earth’s mountains were covered (Genesis 7:10-12,17-20). Another 110 days passed as these waters peaked on Earth’s surface (Genesis 7:24). Mountains were eroded away. Forests were flattened. Almost all life outside of the ark, with the exception of some marine life, perished and were buried to rapidly produce the fossil record. The catastrophe that transpired beyond the safety of that ark will never be comprehended: God was definitely faithful in bringing its occupants through such horrors as He hid them from view. Water eventually drained off the land for some 220 days, forming deep canyons and new highlands. Ocean basins increased. The atmosphere was drastically altered. By the time Noah and his family exited the ark a year later, they entered a world that was truly unrecognizable.

Weather systems have been quite destructive ever since Adam plunged mankind into sin, further exacerbated by the changes that the Great Deluge brought. Thankfully, such devastation will all pass away in the grand scheme of things. Yes, the curse of sin will be lifted for creation to return to its original, pristine form.

Eternal Insurance

Sunday, February 15, 2026

“…Christ died for our sins… he was buried, and… he rose again the third day…” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4 KJV).

Earthly life is fraught with difficulties, evils, and tragedies, so it should never be taken for granted; it can be easily lost. Above all, eternal life is what matters most… for that is certain.

Many years ago, when I was ministering in nursing homes, I happened upon an elderly man who was wheelchair-bound and sitting by himself in a hallway. Once I asked him if he had “eternal assurance of going to Heaven,” he replied, “Yes, I have insurance.” The poor soul was either hard-of-hearing or deaf, so he misunderstood. I had to explain to him I was referring to the Gospel of Grace. In a sense, however, eternal assurance of going to Heaven is insurance—eternal insurance, means of guaranteeing against loss or harm to the soul in Hell and the Lake of Fire. We have a sin problem, which is why the Lord Jesus Christ had to die and shed His sinless blood. There simply was no other way… not rites, not rituals, not ceremonies, not rules, and not regulations. We were—and still are—totally helpless.

Frankly, just a few hours ago before midnight, a tornado ripped through my neighborhood and over my house. I heard sounds and saw sights I will never, ever forget; no hurricane I have experienced even compares. Extremely strong winds and heavy rain tore across my backyard as I was on my back porch trying to hurry inside. Floodlights were shining while I watched trees and tree limbs be violently tossed back and forth. I heard the distinct noise of wood splitting and breaking. The majority of two tall pine trees in my yard came crashing down literally just steps away from my house! No one was injured or killed, but both front and back yards resemble a warzone. There is some structural damage to the house and major damage to surrounding sheds. All can be replaced, as we have insurance. Our souls cannot be replaced, of course, which is why they are eternally insured by faith alone in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as sufficient payment for our sins (cf. today’s Scripture).

Dear friend, I strongly encourage you to have this eternal insurance—this eternal life—by placing your faith in Christ alone today while there is still time to apply for coverage.