Ingratitude ~ Idolatry ~ Immorality ~ ~Imprisonment~ ____________________ We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. ~Romans 6:6-7~ Imprisonment: captivity through habitual immorality. When God gives a person over to their sin, they are in a most desperate, dangerous place. In that place of ‘being given over’, there is opportunity for a hardening of the heart so that the senses are progressively dulled to the possibility of a different existence. None of us is exempt from empathizing with one imprisoned by…

Ingratitude ~ Idolatry ~ ~Immorality~ ~ Imprisonment ____________________ Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? ~Proverbs 6:27-28~ Immorality: non-conformity to Gods moral code. Once I have embraced ingratitude and placed myself and my desires on the throne of my heart, it’s only a matter of time before immoral behavior surfaces. Romans 1 tells the tale of descent when three different times God gave the people over to their desires. The description of their hearts screamed of idolatry. They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images. They exchanged…

Ingratitude ~ ~Idolatry~ ~ Immorality ~ Imprisonment Idolatry: excessive or blind adoration, reverence, or devotion I’m not sure the transition from ingratitude to idolatry needs too much fleshing out. What happens to me when I become consumed by what I don’t have, to the degree that I’m no longer grateful for what God has placed in my life? It’s really not complicated. I find that before long, determined to look after myself, I begin clearing a path to the thing I mean to have. My happiness, defined by me, driven by my desires, laid out according to my timetable.  That is self-worship and that is idolatry. I can be an…

~Ingratitude~ ~ Idolatry ~ Immorality ~ Imprisonment Recently I heard a pastor talking about the way the words listed above relate to each other. He posed what for me was a very compelling progression of thought that I want to try to dig into for myself. The premise is this: a person who embraces ingratitude can potentially move through the above sequence until they find themselves imprisoned; shackled because of their own unchecked behavior. Each step deserves a bit of time, so I think this will be 4 entries. Ingratitude: the state of being ungrateful. I don’t like thinking about my own ungratefulness. For a follower of Jesus, there is simply never a good reason to…