Monday, December 22, 2014

Loop Holes

People scour legal contracts which they have naively made the mistake of signing, looking for ways to break what they'd pledged to do. They are looking for legal "loop holes" to negate the legalese and to circumvent the agreement to which they have ascribed, thus obligating oneself. Loop holes are legal, but unethical. The parties have both agreed to conditions under good faith, but one person or the other looks for technicalities to abridge the contract.

Christians who contemplate divorce are looking for that loop hole. None exists. However, one spouse can drive the other to do deeds which cause a breech in the contract. As a result both marriage partners are morally wrong, although technically, the person who violates the agreement is at cause as well. The spouse who causes the breech is guilty as the person in violation from a moral standpoint. That person has used the system to mollify their moral conscience. They were lucky enough to find a loop hole, but that still fails to make a wrong right.

In the War Between the States the south was the first to fire a shot in battle, but they were manipulated through devious channels. The north found a loop hole around responsibility, but because a loop hole was found doesn't diminish their guilt!

Oftentimes, people buy things and sign a contract when money is exchanged for the item. Buyer's remorse may set in and the buyer look for technicalities so that the contract can be nullified. It's often easy to find some condition neglected to be mentioned by the seller (because we're not perfect), thus providing a loop hole to void the agreement. Legally, the buyer is in the clear, but ethically that person is a cheat and a liar!

W. C. Fields, while on his deathbed, was found reading his Bible. When a visitor came upon him the visitor commented "I thought you were an atheist!" to which Fields replied "I am, but in case I'm wrong I'm looking for a loop hole!" (paraphrased). God has one well-defined law to escape hell, the penalty for evil. That one law of "love" and is characterized by "faith". Fields was seeking a route to escape the hell he didn't believe in and the judgment of one he thought did not exist! It's impossible to find a loop hole around love. God's contract is air tight so skeptics need to quit looking!

Loop holes remind me of the Pharisees. They were a religious group, philosophers, a political group and keepers of Mosaic Law. They charged themselves to insure that others kept the whole content of  Mosaic Law, but looked for ways to escape the intent of The Law itself.
Matthew 23:1 (ESV) "Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger."
These "vipers", as Jesus called them, avoid doing themselves what they burdened others with. One method used by people like this are "loop holes". One group of Jews in Palm Beach, Florida sought permission to string a wire around the perimeter of the city so that from a religious view point, this wire became the walls of their home. Their intent, from what I understand, was to allow themselves more levity on Sabbaths because more work can be done within the home than without. They sought a loop hole to circumvent what they believed in! (It would have been much better if they just believed in Jesus and get Christian liberty, but they chose the sneaky way!).

What's your loop hole which you seek? For most people it is to remain in sin and reap the rewards of heaven! Although we're to become new persons with salvation, it's the desire of most to keep a clone of oneself in the closet to do the pleasurable deeds, then put the clone back in the closet for Sunday's and the preacher's benefit. I call this "Sweet Girl" and her "Evil Twin Sister". They believe that they are smarter than W.C. Fields. Whereas, Fields admitted what he sought, "Evil Twin Sister" fails to find the loop hole so makes a secret pact with the devil to "have the cake and eat it too!" That's a method the devil uses to deceive people into violating their contract with Jesus!
Romans 2:16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
What we thought is a loop hole appears not to be! One cannot void a contract by violating the terms in secret. That's not a legitimate loop hole, but many believe it to be. I'm referring to secret sins. It's those things, even in the mind, we think and do which we conceal from others because we know it's wrong! We all do that to some degree, but if our intent is to be faithful to the contract, then God forgives the breeches if we have sorrow and repent of our seeking the loop hole. God understands our weaknesses because God incarnate felt the same temptations which we feel. He is a graceful and forgiving God, but he still feels loved if we make all efforts to keep the contract. So keep on loving!

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