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Thoughts of...Vicious Circles
A vicious circle, according to Webster’s New World Dictionary, is “a situation in which the solution of one problem gives rise to another, the solution of which brings back the first problem.” And so it goes, without end.
For example, poverty is a vicious circle. The financial stress of poverty wears down the emotional fortitude of people to the point where they just give up, which only quenches the desire and the hope required to break the circle. Thus, the poverty continues. To help break the vicious circle of poverty in this country, the government has for decades relied on the Welfare system. The tragic result of the Welfare system in many cases, however, is a quelling of the desire and the hope to “break out” by the very ones trapped in poverty. The inner cities and Appalachia are rife with such cases, many of which span generations. It’s a vicious circle.
Vicious circles are found in the spiritual realm as well. Covetousness, an enflamed condition of the heart, can lead to a financial vicious circle, too. The lustful desire to have that which you don’t can easily lead to spending more money than you make. In our society, the wheel of desire is greased by using a readily-available credit card, whereby the consumer can have it NOW and justify the purchase with the allure of “paying for this later, when I get my next paycheck” or “paying for this a little bit at a time.” However, the bills always come due. And as covetousness feeds covetousness, the bills grow and grow. It’s a vicious circle.
Other forms of sin are also vicious circles. Alcoholics (The Word of God calls them drunkards), adulterers (fornicators), drug addicts (sorcerers), gossips (backbiters), liars, gluttons, and all other sinners engage in behavior that “starts small” but quickly grows out of control. The appetite of sin is insatiable and the result is self-destructive. In addition, the vicious circle of these behaviors cross generational boundaries when children observe their parents and mimic the model. The children of drunks are often drunks. The children of child abusers are often child abusers. The children of drug addicts are often drug addicts. It’s a vicious circle.
Driven by the lust of his flesh, Samson lived a vicious circle that culminated with him blind and bound. (Judges 13-16). King Saul’s reign was a vicious circle of disobedience that ended in witchcraft and suicide. King David walked into a vicious circle with quiet disobedience to God, that led to covetousness, that led to adultery, that led to lying, that led to murder (2 Sam 11-12). The kings of the northern kingdom of Israel reigned in a vicious circle of idolatry and wickedness and the kings of the southern kingdom of Judah were only marginally better.
According to Webster’s, a vicious circle is also flawed logic, “an argument which is invalid because its conclusion rests on a premise that is dependent upon the conclusion.”
Contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture, every cult is built on the denial of the deity of Jesus Christ. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Jesus Christ is Michael the Archangel. Mormons believe Jesus Christ is the spiritual brother of Lucifer. Cultists argue that Jesus is not God because, within the finite confines of their human mind, they cannot understand how He could be God. Therefore, He must be Michael the Archangel /Lucifer’s spiritual brother, which is used as proof that Jesus Christ is not God. It is a doctrinal position based on the understanding of finite man, not on the revealed Word of the Infinite God. It’s a vicious circle.
Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a cultist can be a “conversation in the round” because the Bible and the cults use the same words. Words like salvation, justification, faith, grace, works, heaven, hell, and many others are common but the meanings of those words are radically different in Biblical Christianity than they are in the cults. Without the clear definition of terms, a conversation with a cultist will simply go around in confusing circles.
Cults protect their turf by controlling the social and financial aspects of the lives of those deceived by the spiritual belief. Breaking away from a cult requires that the “rebel”, under the duress of extreme guilt, condemnation, and even persecution, leave his/her family and friends and the socio-financial protection of the cult. Pressure to enter a cult is intense, but pressure to stay in the cult is even more intense. It’s a vicious circle.
I was raised in the Roman church and was taught that I was not to read the Bible because I could not understand it. However, I never understood the Bible because I never read it! It was a vicious circle. (Since breaking away and reading the Bible, I can see clearly that the dogmas and traditions of that church contradict the Bible, which is really why I was taught not to read it.)
All vicious circles spin out of control and, in the absence of a greater external force, are never-ending.
Jesus Christ, the First and the Last (, , , , , ), breaks vicious circles, whether circumstantial, behavioral, logical, physical, emotional, or spiritual in nature. He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life () that sets free the captives of vicious circles. He is the Light of the World () that breaks the vicious circle of pride in the darkened hearts of men (, , ). He is the Resurrection and the Life () that He broke the vicious circle of sin and death (, ).
Are you trapped in a vicious circle? Are you living a life like Samson or King Saul? Have you walked into a vicious circle like King David? Does covetousness have you “spinning”? Is your life controlled by drugs or alcohol? Are you ensnared in the vicious circle of a religion that denies the deity of Jesus Christ?
Cry out to Jesus Christ. Only He can break the bondage of a vicious circle. With the power of the Creator of the universe Who is outside that circle, Jesus will empower you to break out. He is your only hope.
Pastor Doug
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