June 13

We went to dinner last night with some of our friends, to a restaurant just off the beach. I noticed a sign posted, “No shirt, no shoes, no pants, no service.” It was the first time I’d seen the “no pants” part. You wouldn’t think you would have to say it, but you do because you are so close to the beach. We were sitting there waiting to go in, and right before my eyes was a girl with a shirt on that barely covered her rear; she didn’t have pants on! One slip, and I would have seen all her goods! No, there wasn’t a hidden swimsuit underneath. If only I had a picture to show you; she was standing under the sign! What compels a person to be so open with their intimate body parts? It’s the prince of the power of the air, there to stir to the desires of man to disobedience. As Paul says, we were once just like them.

“among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Ephesians 2:3

Thankfully, Jesus yanked us out of the fire and seated us with him in heavenly places, and now we no longer follow worldly passions or open ourselves up to indecency. We didn’t do anything to deserve it; we were once naked, just like that girl, but he chose to be merciful and save us through our faith in him.

Public service announcement: Cover your body parts!

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9