Why did the Israelites repeatedly worship other gods, even after experiencing God’s dramatic deliverance from Egypt through plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and food falling from heaven in the desert? Perhaps they wanted more control. The appeal of an idol is its simplicity. If you follow the rules, you can expect to get …
Author Archives: Jonathan Kobayashi
32583 Obeying to Fulfill Duty
When signing up for a new account online, have you ever read the small print statement before clicking the “I accept” button? The authors of those documents try to cover every possible contingency. Imagine, then, if the Christian life was similar and had a rule for every scenario a person could ever face. How thick …
32584 Obeying to Avoid Punishment
Jesus said that He “came that [those who follow him] may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10, NASB). Living to just not get in trouble, however, is pretty far from abundant life. Imagine a teacher whose ideal student is simply one who doesn’t get sent to the principal’s office. We would question whether that teacher …
32585 Obeying to Demonstrate Love
“Just accept me for who I am.” “Don’t judge.” “I just want to be loved and accepted, not preached at.” We are often quick to take offense at the perceived arrogance of someone who tries to tell us how to live our lives. We easily presume that authentic love requires others to fully accept how …
32581 The Heart of True Obedience
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” —John 14:15 Obedience stands as visible evidence of love for God. Holiness consists not in rigid rule-keeping, but in living in ways that honor and reflect His holy character. Through grace, one learns to say “no” to sin and “yes” to righteousness, allowing this pursuit to …
65509 9. Pride: It’s All About Me
It is no accident that we start our tour of the sin families with the sin of pride. In some sense, pride is the foundational sin. As Bible commentator William Barclay declared, “Pride is the ground in which all the other sins grow, and the parent from which all rebellion against God’s commands. Pride may …
65510 10. Fear: From Doubt to Dread
Fuss and feverishness, anxiety, intensity, intolerance, instability, pessimism and wobble, and every kind of hurry and worry—these, even on the highest levels,” declared spiritual writer Evelyn Underhill, “are signs of the self-made and self-acting soul; the spiritual parvenu.”1 A parvenu is someone who has been raised to a new position but has not yet acquired …
65511 11. Anger: When Mad Is Bad
Some years ago, I (Henry) traveled to Zimbabwe for a conference and spoke about forgiveness. Afterward, a couple asked to speak with me in private. They were from Uganda, and they told me their story. During the brutal reign of Uganda’s Idi Amin, the couple received a note telling them that their twenty-six-year-old son had …
65512 12. Overindulgence: Enough Is Not Enough
In my (Henry’s) early years, one of my biggest problems was with drinking. Though I grew up in a Christian home where drinking was frowned upon, I rebelled in my teenage years and started drinking in bars, at parties, and in the homes of my friends. Early signs of the danger in this lifestyle did …
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65513 13. Dissatisfaction: The Restless Heart
In his autobiography, Just As I Am, Billy Graham told the story of meeting two men on a Caribbean island he was visiting with his wife, Ruth. One of the wealthiest men in the world asked us to come to his lavish home for lunch. He was seventy-five years old, and throughout the entire meal …
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