Monday, January 24, 2022

Reflection - Number Our Days - Sour Grapes

Source (book): "Teach Us to Number Our Days", Chapter 54, "Sour Grapes", Page 246.
By David Roper, Pastor, and regular and popular writer for Our Daily Bread.


Your vanity and greed and lust
PHOTO: Your vanity and greed and lust
Are each your portion from the dust
Of those that died, and from the tomb
Made you what you must needs become.
- William Dean Howells, "Heredity"

Some of us may reach old age saddled with sinful dispositions (arrangement) we've carried with us through the years. No matter what we do, we can't seem to shake them. Studies in the behavioral sciences do suggest that there may be negative psychological traits that are genetically influenced. Some individuals appear to be born with dispositions toward alcoholism, sexual aggression, erratic work habits, and other personality disorders, and may carry those dispositions with them.

The apostle Paul would agree: "Through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners." (Romans 5:19) Whether we go back to Adam or some other relative, whether we talk about major perversions or sins we think of as peccadilloes (a relatively minor fault), every one of us has been cursed by an ancestor, handicapped by his wrongdoing, saddled with insecurities and sinful behaviors. Wrongdoing resides in our DNA, without our consent, demanding compliance.

It's common these days to assume that wrongdoing includes only those behaviors that are voluntary and unforced. If it can be shown that some orientation is caused rather than chosen, we render human choice irrelevant and remove that behavior from the realm of moral argument. Our ancestors made us what we have become. Our fathers have eaten sour grapes and our teeth have been set on edge.

"No," the prophet Jeremiah would say. "Whoever eats sour grapes, his own teeth will be set on edge (Irritate)." Regardless of the roots of my behavior I am morally responsible for the wrong that I do. (Jeremiah 31:29-30)

But here's the good news. We're not stuck. The laws of heredity are not the highest laws. There is one higher - the law of God.

It does no good to excuse our sin, or even our inherited predispositions. The only way to rid ourselves of an evil trait is to call what God calls it - sin - and bring it to Him for His forgiveness. He can then begin to bring about a cure.

No matter what the origin of our sin may be, it is fully forgiven. Our sin may be awful - so shameful we cannot bear to think about it. But I ask you, can any sin be so terrible that it's not included in the atonement Jesus made? John tells us that Jesus' sacrifice was not for our sins alone, but for the sins of the entire world! (1 John 2:2) Think of the sins committed in the world this past year and add to them the sins of everyone who ever lived in every generation. All those sins have been forgiven. Is yours excluded? No because the atonement was an infinite sacrifice for sin, even sins we inherited from some corrupt, depraved ancestor.

And so we must bring our failed and flawed temperaments to Jesus, even though our choice to do so is nothing more than the end product of a lifetime of failure and our last resort. We may have struggled so long with our compulsions that we've given up, or given in to them. But God does not despair of us, even when we despair of ourselves. He assures us: "I will forgive [your] iniquity, and [your] sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:34 NASB)

Some of us are difficult cases. Flawed by environment and indulgence, as well as heredity, our personalities resist change. We have "a hard machine to drive," C. S. Lewis would say. Yet God can take the most difficult and damaged life and gradually turn it into good. He does not leave us in ruins. He is watching over us "to build and to plant." (Jeremiah 31:28)

For me that progress has been neither swift nor painless, but chaotic and subject to agonizing delay. I've made no quantum leaps, only tentative steps mingled with many hard falls. It's been a gradual thing, better seen in retrospect (hindsight) than in prospect. Yet for reasons only God knows, some of us may glorify Him for a time through flawed temperaments. We're so damaged that total healing awaits heaven.

If you're one of His children so afflicted, you can be assured of His promise: there will be progress. The God who started His great work in you will "keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." (Philippians 1:6)

I'm often drawn to John Donne's sonnets, for he too struggled mightily with heredity sin. He writes,

Thou hast made me, and shall thy work decay?
Repair me now, for now mine end doth haste,
I run to death, and death meets me as fast,
And all my pleasures are like yesterday;
I dare not move my dim eyes any way,
Despair behind, and death before doth cast
Such terror, and my feeble flesh doth waste
By sin in it, which it t'wards hell doth weigh.
Only thou art above, and when towards thee
By thy leave I can look, I rise again;
But our old subtle foe so tempteth me,
That not one hour myself I can sustain;
Thy grace may wing me to prevent his art,
And thou like adamant draw mine iron heart.


Your vanity and greed and lust
Are each your portion from the dust
Of those that died, and from the tomb
Made you what you must needs become.
- William Dean Howells, "Heredity"


Your vanity and greed and lust
PHOTO: Your vanity and greed and lust
Are each your portion from the dust
Of those that died, and from the tomb
Made you what you must needs become.
- William Dean Howells, "Heredity"
Picture posted by imgur - JISOO Blackpink - How You Like That
https://imgur.com/dNZGTVQ


Some of us may reach old age saddled with sinful dispositions (arrangement) we've carried with us through the years. No matter what we do, we can't seem to shake them. Studies in the behavioral sciences do suggest that there may be negative psychological traits that are genetically influenced. Some individuals appear to be born with dispositions toward alcoholism, sexual aggression, erratic work habits, and other personality disorders, and may carry those dispositions with them.

The apostle Paul would agree: "Through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners." (Romans 5:19) [272] Whether we go back to Adam or some other relative, whether we talk about major perversions or sins we think of as peccadilloes (a relatively minor fault), every one of us has been cursed by an ancestor, handicapped by his wrongdoing, saddled with insecurities and sinful behaviors. Wrongdoing resides in our DNA, without our consent, demanding compliance.


Some of us may reach old age saddled with sinful dispositions (arrangement) we've carried with us through the years.
PHOTO: Some of us may reach old age saddled with sinful dispositions (arrangement) we've carried with us through the years. No matter what we do, we can't seem to shake them.
The apostle Paul would agree: "Through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners." (Romans 5:19)
Picture posted by iStock - Vintage engraving showing a scene from the works of John Milton. Eve is tempted by the serpent in the garden of eden.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMy23zLzuUvA3jEPgaeemtpqzFsUnsIfvqa75uDubY3ra9CvLPltwTFq4jwIcyOCgDwvkL3CQtLJxt8UjzZKALSFJqjAhEQUhP1k00rF5QFGXgyXxMNPIAKbQmESyCHlguwf2qgnrYgc1SElFMOF1RCx_9SXNnRv8jZh_wjEBOIIuvtjToNBwXlNO0=s4096
https://media.istockphoto.com/illustrations/eve-and-the-serpent-illustration-id182672797?s=2048x2048
https://www.istockphoto.com/tr/vekt%C3%B6r/eve-and-the-serpent-gm182672797-12353445


It's common these days to assume that wrongdoing includes only those behaviors that are voluntary and unforced. If it can be shown that some orientation is caused rather than chosen, we render human choice irrelevant and remove that behavior from the realm of moral argument. Our ancestors made us what we have become. Our fathers have eaten sour grapes and our teeth have been set on edge.

"No," the prophet Jeremiah would say. "Whoever eats sour grapes, his own teeth will be set on edge (Irritate)." Regardless of the roots of my behavior I am morally responsible for the wrong that I do. (Jeremiah 31:29-30) [273]


PHOTO: It's common these days to assume that wrongdoing includes only those behaviors that are voluntary and unforced. If it can be shown that some orientation is caused rather than chosen, we render human choice irrelevant and remove that behavior from the realm of moral argument. Our ancestors made us what we have become. Our fathers have eaten sour grapes and our teeth have been set on edge.
"No," the prophet Jeremiah would say. "Whoever eats sour grapes, his own teeth will be set on edge (Irritate)." Regardless of the roots of my behavior I am morally responsible for the wrong that I do. (Jeremiah 31:29-30).
Picture posted by sciencephotolibrary - 'Paradise Lost' by Milton, 19th-century illustration. Adam and Eve facing temptation in the Garden of Eden, with angels overhead and allegorical representations of Sin (left) and Death (right). Satan (in the form of a snake) is coiled around the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. At bottom is a vision of the future, showing their firstborn son Cain murdering his brother Abel.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9Ed461FZJo6Nr9eA2M5mC6AAd_lTFVfsR5_BXvpPNjvHY5i-IaXJ6Ev_6aVdeI4NM3SzJ5iD4IgqvI-rraNRAwqE0IcyOs7MqfAp6uZAuTjzvfwaMrFZ3IQYCdzsY32ZVbaoq8pdyVPHJW-fY5Oj49o96HVA04Hk8rKV2WaxkGx-U2H7KgjPKM6iD=s3200
https://media.sciencephoto.com/image/c0465267/800wm/C0465267-_Paradise_Lost_by_Milton,_19th-century_illustration.jpg
https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/1036261/view


But here's the good news. We're not stuck. The laws of heredity are not the highest laws. There is one higher - the law of God.

It does no good to excuse our sin, or even our inherited predispositions. The only way to rid ourselves of an evil trait is to call what God calls it - sin - and bring it to Him for His forgiveness. He can then begin to bring about a cure.

No matter what the origin of our sin may be, it is fully forgiven. Our sin may be awful - so shameful we cannot bear to think about it. But I ask you, can any sin be so terrible that it's not included in the atonement Jesus made? John tells us that Jesus' sacrifice was not for our sins alone, but for the sins of the entire world! (1 John 2:2) [274] Think of the sins committed in the world this past year and add to them the sins of everyone who ever lived in every generation. All those sins have been forgiven. Is yours excluded? No because the atonement was an infinite sacrifice for sin, even sins we inherited from some corrupt, depraved ancestor.


No matter what the origin of our sin may be, it is fully forgiven.
PHOTO: No matter what the origin of our sin may be, it is fully forgiven. Our sin may be awful - so shameful we cannot bear to think about it. No sin can be so terrible that it's not included in the atonement Jesus made. John tells us that Jesus' sacrifice was not for our sins alone, but for the sins of the entire world! (1 John 2:2)  the atonement was an infinite sacrifice for sin, even sins we inherited from some corrupt, depraved ancestor.
Artwork by Noel Coypel - The Resurrection of Christ
Picture posted by The Corona Retreat on 12 April 2020 - Meditations for Life in the Time of Corona
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjOQqXU9lmKf3yBis6l2a2CsbVHUDQEpCU1Pa6HpF1b81TnGAr3P_07MtWZE8Nnjm9OSFVhpFPaw7cl8ZuQxSwqtPM1O6sp-j7G0BMxrugoHTj-2nQ8YCmd1G3_avbsJjRIg1EAcd9wWyaQ4IWFv9VHgur9qUmyyJxFtfCbPBue1CJ6zR6bux1pjD_=s1800
https://coronaretreat.files.wordpress.com/2020/04/1-the-resurrection-of-christ-noel-coypel.jpg
https://coronaretreat.wordpress.com/2020/04/12/day-29-easter-sunday-the-joy-of-the-resurrection/


And so we must bring our failed and flawed temperaments to Jesus, even though our choice to do so is nothing more than the end product of a lifetime of failure and our last resort. We may have struggled so long with our compulsions that we've given up, or given in to them. But God does not despair of us, even when we despair of ourselves. He assures us: "I will forgive [your] iniquity, and [your] sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:34 NASB) [275]


And so we must bring our failed and flawed temperaments to Jesus, even though our choice to do so is nothing more than the end product of a lifetime of failure and our last resort.
PHOTO: And so we must bring our failed and flawed temperaments to Jesus, even though our choice to do so is nothing more than the end product of a lifetime of failure and our last resort. We may have struggled so long with our compulsions that we've given up, or given in to them. But God does not despair of us, even when we despair of ourselves. He assures us: "I will forgive [your] iniquity, and [your] sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:34 NASB)
Picture posted by Etsy
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhj9L7kzJN0bwuFc550USrNV0X1Rhi3U_OUTaSh7-0ZiquE5qjEDMmTviUsNbniH7xZfIPw9gCz4aMzmarVmFsqXoyaxIn9tGoqBRmBiOvJ19W8evSbd1Chd8LyQozj7aZoQ8m1dJ1WdW8cAlnQu3nBSxEodaqd9RPdC-dYF6nv5lJRnndplbJG3wHv=s3000
https://i.etsystatic.com/7027574/r/il/9d4e60/2056619693/il_fullxfull.2056619693_czmf.jpg
https://www.etsy.com/in-en/listing/722847722/religious-art-catholic-art-christian-art


Some of us are difficult cases. Flawed by environment and indulgence, as well as heredity, our personalities resist change. We have "a hard machine to drive," C. S. Lewis would say. Yet God can take the most difficult and damaged life and gradually turn it into good. He does not leave us in ruins. He is watching over us "to build and to plant." (Jeremiah 31:28) [276]

For me that progress has been neither swift nor painless, but chaotic and subject to agonizing delay. I've made no quantum leaps, only tentative steps mingled with many hard falls. It's been a gradual thing, better seen in retrospect (hindsight) than in prospect. Yet for reasons only God knows, some of us may glorify Him for a time through flawed temperaments. We're so damaged that total healing awaits heaven.


Some of us are difficult cases.
PHOTO: Some of us are difficult cases. Flawed by environment and indulgence, as well as heredity, our personalities resist change. God can take the most difficult and damaged life and gradually turn it into good. He does not leave us in ruins. He is watching over us "to build and to plant." (Jeremiah 31:28)
For reasons only God knows, some of us may glorify Him for a time through flawed temperaments. We're so damaged that total healing awaits heaven.
Picture posted by ArtStation
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheuNIhfTalaoRxDCiWMYOdKDLMtBeuInooCGQuJw3MqCaXcIU42fWeCruwFvaevAAqLBRNPh6aAB65y9KblmEdoCE6z7sJ8usb6B_ttVSa895iGcvqT1igDEjMUXPFg-LQvULmMmcVKtSzbyJ9V_EPcHAx5uvyPRBPr-wwFho34F1AuFqFAlmK7Npr=s2464
https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/003/453/480/large/tatyana-chernova-3.jpg?1473840865
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/xv0vX


If you're one of His children so afflicted, you can be assured of His promise: there will be progress. The God who started His great work in you will "keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." (Philippians 1:6) [277]

I'm often drawn to John Donne's sonnets, for he too struggled mightily with heredity sin. He writes,

Thou hast made me, and shall thy work decay?
Repair me now, for now mine end doth haste,
I run to death, and death meets me as fast,
And all my pleasures are like yesterday;
I dare not move my dim eyes any way,
Despair behind, and death before doth cast
Such terror, and my feeble flesh doth waste
By sin in it, which it t'wards hell doth weigh.
Only thou art above, and when towards thee
By thy leave I can look, I rise again;
But our old subtle foe so tempteth me,
That not one hour myself I can sustain;
Thy grace may wing me to prevent his art,
And thou like adamant draw mine iron heart. [278]


If you're one of His children so afflicted, you can be assured of His promise: there will be progress.
PHOTO: If you're one of His children so afflicted, you can be assured of His promise: there will be progress. The God who started His great work in you will "keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." (Philippians 1:6)
Picture posted by ArtStation
Dear Lord
PHOTO: "Dear Lord, we learn that some of us may reach old age saddled with sinful dispositions we've carried with us through the years. No matter what we do, we can't seem to shake them. Studies in the behavioural sciences do suggest that there may be negative psychological traits that are genetically influenced. Some individuals appear to be born with dispositions toward alcoholism, sexual aggression, erratic work habits, and other personality disorders, and may carry those dispositions with them.

The apostle Paul said: ‘Through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners.’ Since the time of Adam and Eve, every one of us has been cursed by an ancestor, handicapped by his wrongdoing, saddled with insecurities and sinful behaviours. Wrongdoing resides in our DNA, without our consent, demanding compliance. Our ancestors made us what we have become. Our fathers have eaten sour grapes and our teeth have been set on edge.

However, the prophet Jeremiah said: ‘No, whoever eats sour grapes, his own teeth will be set on edge.’

Lord, thank You that there’s good news. We're not stuck. The laws of heredity are not the highest laws. There is one higher - the law of God. Although it does no good to excuse our sin, or even our inherited predispositions. We can rid ourselves of an evil trait is to call what God calls it - sin - and bring it to Him for His forgiveness. He can then begin to bring about a cure.

Lord, thank You, for no matter what the origin of our sin may be, it is fully forgiven. Our sin may be awful - so shameful we cannot bear to think about it. No sin can be so terrible that it's not included in the atonement Jesus made. John tells us that Jesus' sacrifice was not for our sins alone, but for the sins of the entire world. All sins committed in the world this past year and add to them the sins of everyone who ever lived in every generation have been forgiven. The atonement was an infinite sacrifice for sin, even sins we inherited from some corrupt, depraved ancestor.

Lord, we pray for Your forgiveness when we bring our failed and flawed temperaments to Jesus, even though our choice to do so is nothing more than the end product of a lifetime of failure and our last resort. We may have struggled so long with our compulsions that we've given up, or given in to them. Thank You for not despair of us, even when we despair of ourselves. We pray for forgiveness for our iniquity, and not to remember them anymore.

Lord, we need help especially when we are the difficult cases. Flawed by environment and indulgence, as well as heredity, our personalities resist change. We learn that You can take the most difficult and damaged life and gradually turn it into good. May You continue watching over us ‘to build and to plant’ and not to leave us in ruins.

Our progress has been neither swift nor painless, but chaotic and subject to agonizing delay. We've made no quantum leaps, only tentative steps mingled with many hard falls. It's been a gradual thing. You know some of us may glorify You for a time through flawed temperaments. We're so damaged that total healing awaits heaven.

Lord, thank You that as Your children so afflicted, we can be assured of Your promise: there will be progress. We learn that what You have started in us, You will ‘keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.

Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!"
Picture posted by ArtStation
Reverse Gif file is generated from the link - (http://freegifmaker.me/reverse-gif/)
 
Reflection - Number Our Days - Sour Grapes
Source (book): "Teach Us to Number Our Days", Chapter 54, "Sour Grapes", Page 246.
By David Roper, Pastor, and regular and popular writer for Our Daily Bread.


Other Books

"Faithful to the end", A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, @ 2014 by Robert M. Solomon

'Faithful to the end', A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, @ 2014 by Robert M. Solomon<br>
Reflection - Faithful to the end (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/06/reflection-faithful-to-end-links.html


"Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-finding-rest-for-soul-links.html


"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

'Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-i.html


"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

'Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-iv.html 


"Songs of Christmas", The Stories and Significance of 20 Well-Loved Carols, © 2018 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-songs-of-christmas-links.html
 

"Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, © 2019 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part I - III (Links), posted on Wednesday, 09 December 2020
Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part I - III (Links), posted on Wednesday, 09 December 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part.html
 

Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part IV - V (Links), posted on Thursday, 22 April 2021
Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part IV - V (Links), posted on Thursday, 22 April 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part_9.html
 

"Teach Us to Number Our Days", © 2008 by David Roper

Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 1 - 40 (Links), posted on Tuesday, 16 November 2021
Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 1 - 40 (Links), posted on Tuesday, 16 November 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2021/11/reflection-number-our-days-chapter-1-40.html
 


Reference
[1] From "Teach Us to Number Our Days", Copyright © 2008 by David Roper, ISBN 978-981-11-7184-0, Chapter 53, "Sour Grapes", Page 246-250.

[272] Romans 5:19

[273] See Jeremiah 31:29-30, emphasis added.

[274] See 1 John 2:2.

[275] See Jeremiah 31:34 NASB.

[276] Jeremiah 31:28

[277] Philippians 1:6 The Message

[278] "Adamant" as used here implies a pre-seventeenth-century meaning of a magnet or magnetic rock.


Links


New International Version (NIV), Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


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