Gold Tried in the Fire - Robert J. Wieland
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For surely you know that when we were baptized<br />
<strong>in</strong>to union with Christ Jesus, we were baptized <strong>in</strong>to<br />
union with his death." Romans 6:1-3, TEV.<br />
Magara has gotten this far <strong>in</strong> his Bible and he is<br />
concerned. He is still human—that he knows only<br />
too well. Maybe even pa<strong>in</strong>fully well. It didn't take<br />
long after his baptism for this to s<strong>in</strong>k <strong>in</strong>. He still<br />
has his old s<strong>in</strong>ful nature to contend with. He even<br />
discovers someth<strong>in</strong>g else: evil desire seems<br />
enhanced now, and temptations are more allur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
than <strong>the</strong>y used to be. And he has heard of <strong>the</strong><br />
African <strong>the</strong>ologian who has come back from <strong>the</strong><br />
overseas sem<strong>in</strong>ary who openly says that<br />
"occasional lapses" <strong>in</strong>to s<strong>in</strong> are biblical and are<br />
"par for <strong>the</strong> course," that you simply cannot expect<br />
to overcome all temptations, and that <strong>the</strong> best you<br />
can hope for is to be a bit more discreet now.<br />
"Occasional lapses"—that's ra<strong>the</strong>r elastic,<br />
Magara realizes. The <strong>in</strong>terpretation can be<br />
accord<strong>in</strong>g to your <strong>in</strong>dividual desires—once a week,<br />
maybe even once a day?<br />
8
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