Comments on: Amid a Flood of Mortal Ills

By: James

James — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:10:09 +0000

Joe:
I think this is the best post you’ve ever put on your blog. I’ve witnessed the same sort of heart-wrenching shipwrecks of faith and wondered the very same things. Thanks for the humbling and encouraging words.

By: Rodney McCarty

Rodney McCarty — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 03:39:31 +0000

I have a friend in the same situation your friend was in for awhile. I hope he is truly converted, but at this point, God only knows, and like you said, his only hope (and ours) is in Jesus Christ.

One of my mentors advised me to follow a process much like you have outlined here – it’s good to see it from another perspective. I’m kinda stuck in step #1 – Mourning, though. The others I’ve worked through, and am continuing. The thought of his wife and 3 sons being put into a position of a life w/o him is sad.

Guess I should pray that my friend is miserable…. ;}

By: Mark Kelly

Mark Kelly — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 00:30:37 +0000

So glad to hear that! The churches I grew up in would have quickly judged him as “never really saved.” (The theology of that is pathetic.) I’m glad God has the long view of our salvation — and that he is faithful even when we are not. I wonder what your friend would say about what would have happened if he had continued to resist and refused to return.

By: Joe Thorn

Joe Thorn — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 14:07:26 +0000

Mark,

I am glad someone asked. When he walked away to pursue sin, ‘I love sin more than I love Jesus,” was one of the things he said, he was miserable. He remained under constant conviction from God for a few years and found no lasting pleasure in sin. God eventually broke him and he repented, returned and has been restored. He now has a Christian wife and is doing very well.

The options are, as I see it, 1) that he was converted but running from God, or 2) he was not converted until after he had pursued a life of open wickedness. I tend to think he was converted but running. Ultimately it does not matter. As I explained to him at the time: converted or not, your only hope is Jesus Christ – we must all cast ourselves on him for mercy via faith and repentance.

By: Mark Kelly

Mark Kelly — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 03:08:56 +0000

A superb post, Joe. I wonder, do you believe your friend when he said he was never a believer to begin with?

By: Catch of the Day... « Unbound

Catch of the Day... « Unbound — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 15:36:46 +0000

[...] Blogs: An excellent post by Joe Thorn about what to do when Christians we admire fall into sin. [...]

By: Joe Thorn

Joe Thorn — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 14:51:46 +0000

Thanks for the comments guys.

Jason, you have missed my point and are making one different from (not entirely contradictory to) mine. Perhaps I will re-visit your comments on a later post.

Morris – exactly.

By: Mark Johnston

Mark Johnston — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 14:28:34 +0000

Joe,

I appreciate your challenge. We need to continually examine our hearts and be ready to repent and fall on the mercy of the Lord. I think Jason missed the point of your comments.

By: Morris Brooks

Morris Brooks — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 03:59:42 +0000

I Corinthians 10:12 Let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. Matthew 26:41 Keep watching and praying that you mat not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

None of us are above being tempted, and therefore always susceptible to sinning. That is why Christ gave the admontion to his disciples to keep watching and praying that they may not be tempted as they could not even resist the flesh’s pull to sleep. We should never overestimate ourselves, but should humbly admit that we are in a body of flesh and are prone to the same desires that have caused others to fall. Our daily prayer should be; “Lord, let me not be tempted today as you know the weakness of my flesh. Guard my heart and my mind this day, O Lord.”

By: Timmy Brister

Timmy Brister — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 02:53:25 +0000

Joe,

Thanks brother for posting this. We need a sure and certain word in a day where the foundations appear to be removed.