December has five Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays this year. That’s unusual, as you might expect. Pointless and uninteresting, sure, but unusual. In fact, it was suggested on Facebook (yes, I’m railing on Facebook again today) that it only occurs once every 823 years. OK, that might push it past the border into Interestingland.
Except it’s not true. And when you think about it, it can’t be true.
“Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.’ ” — John 8:34-36
Sinners do not properly understand the principle of being enslaved to sin. They know nothing other than slavery. They have found contentment and even joy in slavery. They have convinced themselves that sin is the inevitable and preferred state of mankind. By committing themselves to slavery, though, they are prohibiting themselves from living the life that they were, in the most literal of senses, born to live.
A Facebook “preachers” group that I somehow became attached to (you social media types know how easily that can happen) brought a preacher in Tuscumbia, Alabama, named Jesse Winn to my attention. After e-mailing Bro. Winn and exchanging a few thoughts and pleasantries, I decided (with his permission) to include his name and a link to the article in question. You can find the article here. I encourage you to read his article with the same prayer, spirit and consideration I ask when you read mine. The gist of his article was this (his emphasis):
I have no particular ax to grind against either Harvey Weinstein or Roy Moore. I’m sure they both have their positive aspects. And I despise the degradation of anyone — young and female or otherwise — being perpetrated by people in power, regardless of where that power is wielded. But I don’t want to write about that today. I want to write about hypocrisy.
