Part 8. We like the idea of freedom for prisoners and the oppressed, but we forget the power of Freedom in the life of the Believer. When we give up our Freedom, when we choose to walk another way, we let go of the most basic building blocks of life in Christ. A life without Freedom is a life stuck in a dangerous place.
Every life has to make a crucial decision. It is the most important decision you will ever make. No, it isn’t your major in university or the person you are going to marry. It isn’t even the church you will attend. The biggest decision you will make in life is whether you will follow God’s Word or choose any one of the countless other paths in life.
This decision doesn’t stop to weigh all of the ins and outs of each path. There are no reconnaissance missions to scope them out for a distance and bring back a report on each one. No graph exists to organize the bumpiest roads from the smoother ones. You won’t find a color-coded report highlighting roads with more or less traffic on them. It’s a simple choice. You can choose God’s road or any other road. The only road with a unique destination is the one God calls us to. All of the others, regardless of promised joys, successes, accomplishments, or gratifications, all end up together.
My purpose here, though, isn’t to draw lines between the roads. God’s Word does a very clear job of that. Instead, I think we need to be reminded about the reality of the decision itself. We may find it uncomfortable to talk about, and we might even try to imagine that it doesn’t exist. But this choice is real, and we have to keep making it everyday.
Continue reading “God or Sin? A Choice that Cannot be Avoided”
Part 7. To call oneself a Christian is to assume a life dedicated to following the model Jesus set out for us. We all know Jesus came to die for us, but the Cross was not the entirety of His mission. As Jesus began His ministry, He was very specific about announcing that mission. We need to be reminded of it, and take our place in doing the same.
Part 6. What happens when you look at the sun for too long? It blinds you. The pursuit of Purity can have the same effect. We need to let go of to-do lists and learn to live in the promise that we are children of God.
(Note: Our apologies for the quality of this recording. A sound line was unplugged.)
Part 5. Those who live in the lane of Purity have a hard road ahead of them. Maintaining that life is a lot of work. We volunteer for it, accept it, but miss so much more of what Christ promises and gives to us. If we don’t learn how to change lanes, our lives will weaken and suffer.
Late last week the Supreme Court of Canada made a monumental ruling. It will put Canada and its people under a microscope. Though it does not take effect for the next twelve months, those months will be filled with debate, concern, and the drafting of interpretations and regulations on national and provincial levels.
If you didn’t hear about it, the Court’s decision lifts the ban on doctor-assisted suicide. (CBC News article; CTV News article; Global News article). The ruling brought cheers and concerns. Though the ruling was very specific, it isn’t freely accepted and triumphed.
As Christians we can be loud when issues like this hit the spotlight. We consider ourselves champions of life. I found it interesting that the Court used the Charter of Canada to explain how their decision puts them on the same side, defending life. Before we start banging on doors and shouting through megaphones, we should stop and consider what drives a people to desire such a law. You might be surprised at how your response will change.
Continue reading “The Right to Die?: How to respond to the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling”
Chris MacKinnon 