Feb
15
Does Love Set Boundaries?
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Based on my experiences of pastoral counseling during my 28 year pastoral career, the most common issue faced by people revolves around giving and receiving forgiveness. But running a close second is confusion over boundaries.
According to 
, co-authors of a book entitled “Boundaries,” published in 1992, by Zondervan, “having clear boundaries is essential to a healthy, balanced lifestyle.” A boundary is a personal property line that marks those things for which we are responsible and not responsible. In other words, boundaries define who we are and who we are not. As Christians, we want to be loving and unselfish in our relationships with others, but how do we keep from being overrun by the unhealthy demands and expectations of people who are unable or unwilling to assume responsibility for their own lives? What about our own limits and limitations as human beings? Christians struggle with questions like: Can I set limits and still be a loving person? What are legitimate boundaries? What if someone is upset or hurt by my boundaries? How do I answer someone who wants my time, love, energy, or money? Aren’t boundaries selfish? Why do I feel guilty or afraid when I consider setting boundaries? Read more
Nov
8
The Unpardonable Sin
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As a pastor I’ve been asked the question with some regularity, usually by a young person, “Is there a sin that can’t be forgiven?” In fact, the question was posed to me recently by one of our youth at CoJ. The question is most often provoked by a study of either Mark 3:28-29, where Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin;” or Matthew 12:31-32, which similarly says - “And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”
In my experience, youth seem particularly vulnerable to the thought that there likely is a particular sin that is so heinous that God just can’t or won’t forgive it, and moreover, that it’s quite possible he or she (or a close friend) has already committed it.
First of all, to this I say that the Scripture passages cited above have a particular context in mind - Jesus’ exchange with the Pharisees, 
a sect of the Jews of His day, who strictly adhered to the Law of Moses and were proud of their ability to do so. The Pharisees had made the assertion that Jesus’ popularity and miraculous works were the result of Satan’s influence in His life. Jesus called this, “the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit,” or attributing the work of God to the devil, a serious offense with the gravest possible consequences, according to Jesus. Yet, as we search the Scripture, there are numerous forms of serious sins committed by a wide assortment of people that God seems willing and able to forgive. Why does Jesus single out this sin? What is meant by “the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit,” which Jesus asserts is “unforgivable?” Read more
