I read THIS the other day (Saturday, August 3, 2019 to be precise)
"Consider two other realities of the Christian life—the blessings that come from obedience and the obedience itself. These are joined together in Christ and only in Christ. The temptation to separate them (by various means) is always the attempt to obtain the blessings of obedience without the obedience itself. The name of this sin is—at the foundation—sorcery." - Douglas Wilson
1 Samuel 15:23
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king
One of the differences between "good magic" and "bad magic" is what one is attempting to do with it. Trying to get the blessings of obedience by disobedience is for all intents and purposes, "bad magic." It is desiring an end which only something else can achieve, but doing your level best to discover a work around. It is acknowledging the "goodness" of the end of obedience without trusting the goodness of the means to obtain it. It agrees with God at one point, but refuses to agree with Him on another. It is appreciating an orgasm, but not covenant love; it is enjoying a warm, fresh-baked cookie, but despising the hard work of sowing seeds, tending gardens, pulling weeds, harvesting wheat, mixing ingredients, baking them, and doing the dishes when it's over; it is appreciating a kind word and neglecting the charity and attentiveness required of the other person to deliver it. "Good magic" if there is such a thing is not interested in shortcuts to accomplishing long gains. It is not an attempt to turn the blessing machine of God on its head in order to dump out the goods without needing to go about it in a good manner.
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