In my sermon regarding the 8th commandment, “You shall not steal,” I emphasized the link between the commandments of God and the creation of God. God didn’t create something new with the commandments, rather He provided boundary markers to point His people toward the kind of life He established in His creative work as recorded in Genesis 1-2. When I read the creation account in Genesis, three words emerge regarding the kind of life God created us for: Trust. Work. Give. Trust God to provide for our needs, work as co-stewards of the rest of creation (what an honor!), and give ourselves freely, generously to the world around us.

But the story changes in Genesis 3, when the serpent perverts God’s way, replacing Trust, Work, and Give, with Doubt, Scheme, and Take. The serpent’s message: God cannot be trusted, so you need to scheme to make life work for YOU, and take all that you can to hoard and spend for your pleasure and glory.

When God commands us, “You shall not steal,” he is pointing us down his original path leading to the best life possible. The apostle Paul picked up on this in Ephesians 4:28, commanding those who steal to stop stealing and get to work, so that they will have something to give to those in need.

I believe what God is holding sacred before us through this command is generosity. He created us for giving, and he wants us to enjoy it abundantly. It’s in this area I recommend a couple resources for you to explore. First, you’ll find some solid teaching segments, many with video teaching from world-renowned communicators, at the Generous Giving website. In addition, Randy Alcorn has an excellent little book - and I do mean little - on the secret of joyful giving called the Treasure Principle. It may be little, but it carries a powerful punch. I highly recommend it.

May God grant you strength and favor as you seek to overcome the urge to doubt, scheme and take, and discover the joy and freedom of living the life God designed for us involving trust, work, and generosity!

Best,
Shane

In the seventh sermon of the Etched series, we are confronted with God’s seventh commandment to His people.  In a society where sex sells God clearly steps in and says, “Sex is Sacred.”

God’s boundaries are clear for His people (Exodus 20:14 and Matthew 5:27-28).  Enjoy physical intimacy with your spouse, or abstain.  Take a long look at your spouse, or abstain.  Flirt with your spouse, or abstain.  Look at pictures of your spouse on the Internet, or abstain.

God’s boundaries are clear, not because God is a killjoy, but because God’s way is best.  God portrays Himself in Scripture as a loving father who delights in giving good gifts to his children.  Keeping sex sacred within marriage is the absolute best.  Scripture and scientific studies point toward the overwhelming benefits of a monagomous marital relationship.  God’s way is best and God’s strength is sufficient to live out his best.  He is able to forgive us, restore us and keep us from falling (Romans 10:11(ESV); 1 Corinthians 10:13; Jude 24).

Several resources are available to help us keep sex sacred in our life and in the lives of the next generation.  Parents will benefit from this excellent PDF compiled by Focus on Family to assist parents in communicating God’s best in age-appropriate ways.

The book, Intimate Issues, has been highly recommended as one of the best resources for women.  One reviewer wrote, “The best-no-holds barred book on the basic questions that Christian women ask about sex. This book will play a large part in healing lives that have been prisoners regarding God’s plan for healthy sexuality.”

For men I recommend the book: Crazy Good Sex.  Mark Driscoll states, “There are two kinds of men.  Men who struggle with sex.  And men who are dead.  The former will find this book incredibly helpful.”

I highly recommend reading C.S. Lewis’ two chapters in Mere Christianity regarding sexuality (Sexual Morality and Christian Marriage).  This link will take you to the sexual morality chapter on Google Books.

May we all make sex more sacred in our lives.  May this seventh commandment shake us to the core and may God use it to make us cling to Him and be changed to look more like Christ.

believing the power of the Gospel,
Tim