I have to admit that I have a knee jerk reaction to the goat/ram-as-devil presentation, as I understand that such imagery was a way for the early Established church to villianize pagans via propaganda… so when I see it used today as continued propaganda, I tend to be offended. I understand that’s not what you’re doing here… so it’s interesting to me that my first impulse isn’t to notice the truth behind the easy and direct path of the enemy, but instead to notice my own reaction to the presentation.
dorsey – ha! I didn’t even make that connection. HILARIOUS.
fishon – I don’t think David is making a reference to either paganism or pastors. I think he’s simply linking the “easy way” with the devil’s way. And it’s more about the devil on our shoulder than it is about an external person who represents the devil. We don’t need somebody behind a pulpit to tempt us into the easy and direct road… our own sinful nature is enough to tempt us enough.
However, I do know this: Romans 8:5, “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please God.” Verse 9, But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you” {NLT}.
fishon
David Hayward is a pastor artistically stripping to the essential.
Interesting.
I have to admit that I have a knee jerk reaction to the goat/ram-as-devil presentation, as I understand that such imagery was a way for the early Established church to villianize pagans via propaganda… so when I see it used today as continued propaganda, I tend to be offended. I understand that’s not what you’re doing here… so it’s interesting to me that my first impulse isn’t to notice the truth behind the easy and direct path of the enemy, but instead to notice my own reaction to the presentation.
Perhaps I am too distracted by my own analysis.
jovial_cynic,
“Perhaps I am too distracted by my own analysis.”
Join the club! Just one of the reasons we are easy prey for that bastard.
But Christ has already kicked his butt…so we have that going for us…which is nice.
Sorry in advance, but the first thought that came to my mind was that of the Knights Who Say “Ni.”
“You will bring us… a shrubbery!”
: )
I am guessing that the image isn’t about paganism, is it David?
I’m guessing this guy stands behind a pulpit?
fishon
Yeah well faster is always slower in the end.
Sas
dorsey – ha! I didn’t even make that connection. HILARIOUS.
fishon – I don’t think David is making a reference to either paganism or pastors. I think he’s simply linking the “easy way” with the devil’s way. And it’s more about the devil on our shoulder than it is about an external person who represents the devil. We don’t need somebody behind a pulpit to tempt us into the easy and direct road… our own sinful nature is enough to tempt us enough.
jovial_cynic,
Maybe so, maybe not. Just guessing.
However, I do know this: Romans 8:5, “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please God.” Verse 9, But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you” {NLT}.
fishon
fishon – sure, but we still sin, and we still make war with the old man of the flesh within us. Romans 7:14-21.
… and sometimes, we don’t.