Apicontent

Just as there are physical laws that govern the physical universe, so there are spiritual laws that govern your relationship with God. 

Law 1: God loves you and created you to know Him personally. 

God’s Love 

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  —John 3:16 

God’s Plan 

This is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.  —John 17:3 

What prevents us from knowing God personally?

Law 2: People are sinful and separated from God, so we cannot know Him personally or experience His love.

Human Beings Are Sinful

All have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard. —Romans 3:23

The human race was created to have fellowship with God. But because of our own stubborn self-will, we chose to go our own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin.

Human Beings Are Separated

The wages of sin is death [spiritual separation from God].  —Romans 6:23

This diagram illustrates that God is holy and humanity is sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows illustrate that people are continually trying to reach God and establish a personal relationship with Him through their own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion—but they inevitably fail.

The third principle explains the only way to bridge this gulf.

Law 3: Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for human sin. Through Him alone we can know God personally and experience God’s love.

He Died in Our Place

God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. —Romans 5:8

He Rose from the Dead

Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles. After that, he was seen by more than five hundred of his followers at one time.

—1 Corinthians 15:3–6

He Is the Only Way to God

Jesus told [Thomas], “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” —John 14:6

This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf that separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place and pay the penalty for our sins.

It is not enough just to know these truths.

Law 4: We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Then we can know God personally and experience His love.

We Must Receive Christ

To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. —John 1:12

We Receive Christ through Faith

God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
—Ephesians 2:8–9

When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth

After dark one evening, a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus, a Pharisee came to speak with Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are proof enough that God is with you.”

Jesus replied, “I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God.”

“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

Jesus replied, “The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. So don’t be surprised at my statement that you must be born again. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” 
—John 3:1–8

We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation

[Christ said,] “Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends.”  —Revelation 3:20

Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive us of our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of our will.

These two circles represent two kinds of lives.

Which circle best represents your life?

Which circle would you like to have represent your life?

You Can Receive Christ Right Now by Faith through Prayer

Prayer is talking with God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If it does, pray this prayer right now, and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.

How to Know That Christ Is in Your Life

Did you receive Christ into your life? According to His promise in Revelation 3:20, where is Christ right now in relation to you? Christ said He would come into your life and be your friend so you can know Him personally. Would He mislead you? On what authority do you know that God has answered your prayer? (The trustworthiness of God Himself and His Word.)

The Bible Promises Eternal Life to All Who Receive Christ

“This is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. So whoever has God’s Son has life; whoever does not have his Son does not have life. I write this to you who believe in the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.”  —1 John 5:11–13

Thank God often that Christ is in your life and that He will never leave you (Hebrews 13:5). You can know on the basis of His promise that Christ lives in you and that you have eternal life from the very moment you invite Him in. He will not deceive you.

An important reminder…

Do Not Depend on Feelings

The promise of God’s Word, the Bible—not our feelings—is our authority. The Christian lives by faith (trust) in the trustworthiness of God Himself and His Word. This train diagram illustrates the relationship among fact (God and His Word), faith (our trust in God and His Word), and feeling (the result of our faith and obedience). (Read John 14:21.)

The train will run with or without the caboose. However, it would be useless to attempt to pull the train by the caboose. In the same way, we as Christians do not depend on feelings or emotions, but we place our faith (trust) in the trustworthiness of God and the promises of His Word.

Now That You Have Received Christ

The moment you received Christ by faith, as an act of your will, many things happened, including the following:

• Christ came into your life (Revelation 3:20; Colossians 1:27).
• Your sins were forgiven (Colossians 1:14).
• You became a child of God (John 1:12).
• You received eternal life (John 5:24).
• You began the great adventure for which God created you (John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Can you think of anything more wonderful that could happen to you than entering into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Would you like to thank God in prayer right now for what He has done for you? By thanking God, you demonstrate your faith.

Suggestions for Christian Growth

Spiritual growth results from trusting Jesus Christ. “The righteous man shall live by faith” (Galatians 3:11). A life of faith will enable you to trust God increasingly with every detail of your life and to practice the following:

G Go to God in prayer daily (John 15:7).

R Read God’s Word daily, beginning with the gospel of John (Acts 17:11).

O Obey God moment by moment (John 14:21).

W Witness for Christ by your life and words (Matthew 4:19; John 15:8).

T Trust God for every detail of your life (1 Peter 5:7).

H Holy Spirit—allow Him to control and empower your daily life and witness (Acts 1:8; Galatians 5:16–17).

Fellowship in a Good Church

God’s Word admonishes us to “not neglect our meeting together” (Hebrews 10:25). Several logs burn brightly together but put one aside on the cold hearth and the fire goes out. So it is with your relationship with other Christians. If you do not belong to a church, do not wait to be invited. Take the initiative; call the pastor of a nearby church where Christ is honored and His Word is preached. Start this week, and make plans to attend regularly.

Every day can be an exciting adventure for the Christian who knows the reality of being filled with the Holy Spirit and who lives constantly, moment by moment, under His gracious direction. 

The Bible tells us there are three kinds of people: 

1. The Natural Person: One who has not received Christ 

People who aren’t Christians can’t understand these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means. 
—1 Corinthians 2:14

2. The Spiritual Person: One who is directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit

We who have the Spirit understand these things.… We have the mind of Christ. —1 Corinthians 2:15–16

3. The Worldly (Carnal) Person: One who has received Christ but who lives in defeat because the person is trying to live the Christian life in his or her own strength

Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to mature Christians. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. I had to feed you with milk and not with solid food, because you couldn’t handle anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your own sinful desires. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your own desires? You are acting like people who don’t belong to the Lord. —1 Corinthians 3:1–3

The following are four principles for living the Spirit-filled life:

1. God has provided for us an abundant and fruitful Christian life.

[Jesus said,] “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.”  —John 10:10

[Jesus said,] “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” —John 15:5

When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. —Galatians 5:22–23

When the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. —Acts 1:8

The following are some personal traits of the spiritual person that result from trusting God:

The degree to which these traits are manifested in the life depends on (1) the extent to which the Christian trusts the Lord with every detail of life and (2) his or her maturity in Christ. One who is only beginning to understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit should not be discouraged if he or she is not as fruitful as more mature Christians who have known and experienced this truth for a longer period.

Why is it that most Christians are not experiencing the abundant life?

2. Worldly Christians cannot experience the abundant and fruitful Christian life.

Worldly (carnal) people trust in their own efforts to live the Christian life:

• They are either uninformed about, or have forgotten, God’s love, forgiveness, and power (Acts 1:8; Romans 5:8–10; Hebrews 10:1–25; 2 Peter 1:9; 1 John 1; 2:1–3).
• They have an up-and-down spiritual experience.
• They cannot understand themselves—they want to do what is right but cannot.
• They fail to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life (Romans 7:15–24; 8:7; 1 Corinthians 3:1–3; Galatians 5:16–18).

Some or all of the following traits may characterize the worldly person—the Christian who does not fully trust God:

 

(Those who profess to be Christians but who continue to practice sin should realize that they may not be Christians at all, according to Ephesians 5:5 and 1 John 2:3; 3:6–9.)

The third truth gives us the only solution to this problem.

3. Jesus promised the abundant and fruitful life as the result of being filled (directed and empowered) by the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit-filled life is the Christ-directed life by which Christ lives His life in and through us in the power of the Holy Spirit (John 15).

• One becomes a Christian through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, according to John 3:1–8. From the moment of spiritual birth, the Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit at all times (John 1:12; 14:16–17; Colossians 2:9–10). (Though all Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, not all Christians are filled—that is, directed and empowered—by the Holy Spirit on an ongoing basis.)
• The Holy Spirit is the source of the overflowing life (John 7:37–39).
• The Holy Spirit came to glorify Christ (John 16:1–15). When one is filled with the Holy Spirit, he or she is a true disciple of Christ.
• In His last command before His ascension, Christ promised the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to be witnesses for Him (Acts 1:1–9).

How, then, can one be filled with the Holy Spirit?

4. We are filled (directed and empowered) by the Holy Spirit by faith. Then we can experience the abundant and fruitful life that Christ promised.

You can appropriate the filling of the Holy Spirit right now if you

• Sincerely desire to be directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 5:6; John 7:37–39).
• Confess your sins. By faith, thank God that He has forgiven all of your sins—past, present, and future—because Christ died for you (Colossians 2:13–15; Hebrews 10:1–17; 1 John 1; 2:1–3).
• Present every area of your life to God (Romans 12:1–2).
• By faith claim the fullness of the Holy Spirit, according to

His command: Be filled with the Spirit. 

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. —Ephesians 5:18

His promise: He will always answer when we pray according to His will.

We can be confident that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. And if we know he is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that he will give us what we ask for. —1 John 5:14–15

Faith can be expressed through prayer.

How to Pray in Faith to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit

We are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith alone. However, true prayer is one way of expressing our faith. The following is a suggested prayer:

Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have sinned against You by directing my own life. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I now thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If so, bow in prayer and trust God to fill you with the Holy Spirit right now.

How to Walk in the Spirit

Faith (trust in God and His promises) is the only way a Christian can live the Spirit-directed life. As you continue to trust Christ moment by moment,

• Your life will demonstrate more and more of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) and will be more and more conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18).
• Your prayer life and study of God’s Word will become more meaningful.
• You will experience His power in witnessing (Acts 1:8).
• You will be prepared for spiritual conflict against the world (1 John 2:15–17), against the flesh (Galatians 5:16–17), and against Satan (1 Peter 5:7–9; Ephesians 6:10–13).
• You will experience His power to resist temptation and sin (Romans 6:1–16; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Ephesians 1:19–23; Philippians 4:13; 2 Timothy 1:7).

If you become aware of an area of your life (an attitude or an action) that is displeasing to the Lord, even though you are walking with Him and sincerely desiring to serve Him, simply thank God that He has forgiven your sins—past, present, and future—on the basis of Christ’s death on the cross. Claim His love and forgiveness by faith and continue to have fellowship with Him. 

If you retake the throne of your life through sin—a definite act of disobedience— breathe spiritually. Spiritual breathing (exhaling the impure and inhaling the pure) is an exercise in faith that enables you to experience God’s love and forgiveness. 

1. Exhale: Confess your sin—agree with God concerning your sin and thank Him for His forgiveness of it, according to 1 John 1:9 and Hebrews 10:1–25. Confession involves repentance—a change in attitude and action. 

2. Inhale: Surrender the control of your life to Christ, and receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit by faith. Trust that He now directs and empowers you, according to the command of Ephesians 5:18 and the promise of 1 John 5:14–15.

Chapter 1 

1. See Genesis 3:12–13. 

2. In this book we use “cure” and “healing” interchangeably. Using either word, we are referring to a process that does not lead to sinless perfection (we all struggle with temptation) but most definitely can put an end to a sin habit. 

3. The list went through some modification over time, but it ended up with these seven elements. The list was not meant to identify the worst sins but rather the basic sins from which others arise—similar to our concept of sin families. 

Chapter 2 

1. In this book, when we refer to “cooperating” with God, we mean acknowledging that He provides the answers in His Word, the Bible, and then submitting to those commands. 

2. John Ortberg, “True (and False) Transformation,” Leadership (summer 2002): 104. 

3. The biblical words for the Spirit, ruach and pneuma, both mean “wind” or “breath.” 

4. We recognize that God’s kindness does not mean that He never allows suffering to enter the lives of His children. See Bill Bright, Why Do Christians Suffer? (Orlando, FL: New Life, 2000). 

5. Kay Arthur, As Silver Refined: Learning to Embrace Life’s Disappointments (Colorado Springs: WaterBrook, 1997), 3.

6. For more on the five prayers of repentance, see Henry R. Brandt and Kerry L. Skinner, The Heart of the Problem (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1997), 73–83; Henry R. Brandt and Kerry L. Skinner, The Word for the Wise: Making Scripture the Heart of Your Counseling Ministry (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999), 102–106; Kerry L. Skinner, The Joy of Repentance (Mobile, AL: KLS LifeChange Ministries, 2006).

Chapter 3

1. A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy: The Attributes of God: Their Meaning in the Christian Life (Lincoln, NE: Back to the Bible, 1961), 6–7.

2. Barna Research Group, press release, “American Faith Is Diverse, as Shown among Five Faith-Based Segments,” January 29, 2002, http://www.barna.org/, accessed September 2003. An atheist is one who believes there is no God. An agnostic is one who is undecided about the existence of God.

3. Bill Bright, God: Discover His Character (Orlando, FL: New Life, 1999). See also the related website at http://www.discovergod.org.

Chapter 4

1. See also John 14:16 and John 15:26.

2. See the King James Version, Acts 17:11.

Chapter 5

1. For more on the five prayers of repentance, see Henry R. Brandt and Kerry L. Skinner, The Heart of the Problem (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1997), 73–83; Henry R. Brandt and Kerry L. Skinner, The Word for the Wise: Making Scripture the Heart of Your Counseling Ministry (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999), 102–106; Kerry L. Skinner, The Joy of Repentance (Mobile, AL: KLS LifeChange Ministries, 2006).

2. As you are reading about the five prayers, notice how the first three correspond to exhaling guilt, while the remaining two correspond to inhaling grace. (See appendix C: “Spiritual Breathing.”)

3. We are not sure what the “thorn” was, though it may have been a persistent temptation.

Chapter 6

1. Martin Luther, Works of Martin Luther, 6 vols. (Philadelphia: Holman, 1915−1932), 3:279.

2. That misunderstanding has led to the unfortunate belief by many that the body is bad in itself.

3. In Romans 8, Paul was circling back to the same point he had made in Romans 6. We have died to sin.

Chapter 7

1. See chapters in part 2 for verses related to specific sins.

2. Quoted in Famous Sports Quotes, http://ktornado.tripod.com/khs/id13.html, accessed September 2003.

3. For more about supernatural thinking, see Bill Bright, The Joy of Supernatural Thinking (Colorado Springs: Victor, 2005).

Chapter 9

1. The pride of the king of Babylon (Isaiah 14:3–23) and the king of Tyre (Ezek. 28:1–19) may reflect Satan’s overweening pride and desire to supplant God.

2. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan, 1952), 112–13.

3. Frederica Mathewes-Green, “Pride: The Anti-Self-Esteem,” Beliefnet (http://www.beliefnet.com/story/110/story_11056_1.html), accessed November 2003.

4. See also 1 Timothy 2:9.

5. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 95.

6. Esther de Waal, Living with Contradiction: Reflections on the Rule of St. Benedict (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1989), 96.

7. Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and Selections from His Other Writings, Modern Library (New York: Random House, 2001), 101.

Chapter 10

1. Evelyn Underhill, The Spiritual Life (New York: Harper & Row, n.d.), 103–104.

2. If you want to look at a few more Bible verses on courage, try Psalms 27:14; 46:1–2; 118:6; Proverbs 29:25; Isaiah 35:3–4; 51:12–13; John 14:27; 16:33; and 1 Corinthians 16:13.

3. Neil T. Anderson and Rich Miller, Freedom from Fear: Overcoming Worry and Anxiety (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1999), 203.

4. Joyce Meyer, Be Anxious for Nothing: The Art of Casting Your Cares and Resting in God (Tulsa, OK: Harrison House, 1998), 27.

5. Anderson and Miller, Freedom from Fear, 100.

6. John Edmund Haggai, How to Win over Worry: Positive Steps to Anxiety-Free Living (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2001), 46–47.

Chapter 11

1. Adapted from Henry R. Brandt and Kerry L. Skinner, The Heart of the Problem (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1997), 123–125.

2. Paul was quoting Psalm 4:4.

3. Adapted from Henry R. Brandt and Kerry L. Skinner, The Heart of the Problem (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1997), 140–145.

4. See also Proverbs 12:16 and 14:29.

5. Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), 2.

6. Adapted from Henry R. Brandt and Kerry L. Skinner, The Heart of the Problem (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1997), 149.

7. Paul was quoting Deuteronomy 32:35.

8. Stephen Leon Alligood, “American Profile,” June 14, 2003, CBS News, www.cbsnews.com, accessed November 2003.

9. Even when someone is angry at an impersonal event, such as a hurricane that swept away his house, he is really angry at a person—namely, God.

10. Tim LaHaye and Bob Phillips, Anger Is a Choice (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), 122.

Chapter 12

1. Adapted from David Slagle, “Doctor Calls Man’s Overeating Sin,” Preaching Today, http://www.preachingtoday.com, accessed October 2003.

2. American Obesity Association, http://www.obesity.org/, accessed September 2003.

3. Cornelius Plantinga Jr., in The Reformed Journal (November 1988), as quoted in Christianity Today 33, no. 2.

4. Quoted in Chuck Green, “Sound Salvation,” The Reader’s Guide to Arts and Entertainment, February 28, 2003, 6.

5. Other proverbs underscore the way drunkenness can lead to poverty and prevent the acquisition of wisdom. (See Prov. 20:1; 21:17; 23:20–21.)

6. See also Romans 13:13 and Galatians 5:21.

7. Quoted in Steve Beard, “Johnny Cash Approaches Judgment Day with Faith,” Relevant, http://www.relevantmagazine.com, accessed August 2003.

8. William Law, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, chapter 7, Christian Classics Ethereal Library, http://www.ccel.org/l/law/serious_call/cache/serious_call.html3, accessed December 2003.

Chapter 13

1. Billy Graham, Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1997), 697.

2. For more on the tenth commandment, see Bill Bright, Written by the Hand of God: Experience God’s Love and Blessing through the Liberating Power of His Ten Commandments (Orlando, FL: New Life, 2001), chap. 15.

3. For more on the eighth commandment, see Bright, Written by the Hand of God, chap. 13.

4. Thomas Watson, The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11 (1653; reprint, Glasgow: Free Presbyterian Publications, 1885), chap. 6. For Hannah’s story, see 1 Samuel 1—2.

Chapter 14

1. Frederick Buechner, Godric (New York: Harper & Row, 1980), 153.

2. The language used here has been popularized in Harry W. Schaumburg, False Intimacy: Understanding the Struggle of Sexual Addiction, rev. ed. (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1997).

3. Quoted in Karen S. Peterson, “Cohabiting Can Make Marriage an Iffy Proposition,” USA Today, July 8, 2002, D1.

4. Larry L. Bumpass, James A. Sweet, and A. Cherlin, “The Role of Cohabitation in Declining Rates of Marriage,” Journal of Marriage and the Family 53 (1991): 913–927.

5. Quoted in Will Greer, “A. C. Green: Man Enough to Wait,” Breakaway, http://www.family.org/teenguys/breakmag/features/a0009929.html, accessed November 2003.

6. For more on the seventh commandment, see Bill Bright, Written by the Hand of God: Experience God’s Love and Blessing through the Liberating Power of His Ten Commandments (Orlando, FL: New Life, 2001), chap. 12.

7. Joseph Nicolosi and Linda Ames Nicolosi, A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Homosexuality (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2002), 141.

8. Kim Alexis, “Supermodel Kim Alexis: Kim Shares Her Thoughts on Self-Respect, Sex, Life, Abortion & Marriage,” Love Matters, http://www.lovematters.com/kimalexis.htm, accessed November 2003.

9. Wendy Shalit, “Modesty Revisited,” Imprimis, http://www.hillsdale.edu/imprimis/2001/march/article_1.asp, accessed November 2003. Shalit is the author of A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue (New York: Free Press, 1999).

10. See also 1 Peter 3:3–5.

11. John Piper, “A Passion for Purity vs. Passive Prayers,” November 10, 1999, Desiring God Ministries, http://www.desiringgod.org/library/fresh_words/1999/111099.html, accessed November 2003.

12. Sandra, “Child Pornography: What Happens When They Grow Up,” National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families, http://www.nationalcoalition.org/sandra.phtml, accessed November 2003. Used by permission.

13. See Psalm 101:3 niv.

14. William Mattox, in a magazine article, summarized how “a 1940s Stanford University study, a 1970s Redbook magazine survey of 100,000 women and at least one other study from the early 1990s all found higher levels of sexual satisfaction among women who attend religious services.” Mattox speculated on the reasons as including (1) a lack of “sexual baggage” from promiscuity before marriage; (2) the confidence that comes from a mutual commitment to marriage; (3) an absence of sexual anxiety because the couples do not fear sexually transmitted diseases and other ill effects of out-of-wedlock intercourse; and (4) an ability to enjoy the spiritual dimension of sexuality. William R. Mattox Jr., “Revenge of the Church Ladies,” Plain Truth, July–August 2001, http://www.ptm.org/01PT/JulAug/revenge.htm, accessed November 2003.

15. “Coming out of Pedophilia: Jeff’s Story,” Harvest USA, http://www.harvestusa.org/articles/jeffstory.htm, accessed November 2003. Used by permission.

Chapter 15

1. Selena Roberts, “Olympics: The Pivotal Meeting. French Judge’s Early Tears Indicated Controversy to Come,” New York Times, February 17, 2002, sect. 8, p. 1.

2. For more on the ninth commandment and lying in general, see Bill Bright, Written by the Hand of God: Experience God’s Love and Blessing through the Liberating Power of His Ten Commandments (Orlando, FL: New Life, 2001), chap. 14.

3. Paul was quoting Zechariah 8:16.

4. Adapted from Henry R. Brandt and Kerry L. Skinner, The Word for the Wise (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999), 192–193.

5. For God’s commandments against fraud, see Leviticus 19:35–36 and Deuteronomy 25:13–16. Proverbs 20:23 says, “The Lord despises double standards; he is not pleased by dishonest scales.”

6. Quoted in Victor Lee, “Wrenching the Rules,” Men of Integrity, May–June 2002, May 20 devotional.

Chapter 16

1. Ramona Cramer Tucker, “Loose Lips,” Christian Reader, March–April 2002, 38–39. Michelle tried to get in touch with Beth to apologize but was never able to.

Chapter 17

1. For a similar statement by Paul, see Colossians 3:20.

2. For more on the fifth commandment, see Bill Bright, Written by the Hand of God: Experience God’s Love and Blessing through the Liberating Power of His Ten Commandments (Orlando, FL: New Life, 2001), chap. 10.

3. For more about a wife’s submission to her husband, see 1 Corinthians 11:3; Colossians 3:18; and 1 Peter 3:1–6.

4. The word for “submit” is hupotassō, meaning to make oneself subject to another. The word for “obey” is hupakouō, meaning to listen and to obey.

5. See online at http://www.despair.com. The products are called “Demotivators.”

6. For more about slaves’ duty to their masters, see Colossians 3:22–25; 1 Timothy 6:1–2; Titus 2:9–10; and 1 Peter 2:18–20.

7. For a description of the death that came to the “murmuring” Hebrews, see Numbers 14.

8. For more on obedience to civil authorities, see Titus 3:1 and 2 Peter 2:13–14, 17.

Chapter 18

1. See the book of Philemon.

2. For the whole context, see Ephesians 6:5–8. For similar discussions in Paul’s letters, see also Colossians 3:22–25; 1 Timothy 6:1–2; and Titus 2:9–10. The importance of slaves doing their work well was a consistent teaching of the apostle.

3. J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1993), 34, 106.