Skip to main content

Double Entendre


Double entendre:  a word or expression used so that it can be understood in two ways. 

For example:

Seriously struggle with sin:

1.  Some people seriously struggle with sin.  That is, they see how easily sin entangles and they take their struggle with sin seriously and overcome it.

2.  Some people seriously struggle with sin.  That is, sin easily entangles them and they have serious struggles with sin and they never seem to overcome it.

The example is not just theoretical, it is real.  And it is likely that many of us have experienced both over the course of our lives.  But whatever you have experienced, I have some more double entendres that follow a bad news/good news format:

1.  Sin is costly.  The cost is spiritual death.  But we have a Savior who paid the cost with His own life so that we can live spiritually.

2.  Sin has consequences. The consequence of sin is eternal separation from God.  But we have an eternal Savior who suffered the consequences by dying and rising again to restore us to God. 

3.  Sin conquers.  Sin conquerors all.  But we have a Savior who conquered all sin.

4.  Sin wounds.  Sin causes grievous wounds that lead to death.  But we have a Savior who was grievously wounded for our sins that we might live.

5.  Sin defies.  Sin is defiance to God.  But we have a Savior who defied sin and death and brought us back to God.

6.  Sin masters.  Sin masters us.  But we have a Savior who is Master of all and was not and is not ever mastered by sin.

The bad news is so very overwhelming but the good news is that Jesus totally overwhelms all of it!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Excel Still More!

To excel, according to some of the meanings from a few dictionaries, is to surpass others, do extremely well, outdo, do something better than anyone else. In 1 Thessalonians 4:1, we find the phrase “excel still more”.   It prompts the question:  if we are already doing something better than anyone else, why would we be encouraged to do even more? Perhaps it would be helpful to see the wording that other translations use for “excel still more” to see why we would be encouraged to do so.  Here is a sampling: • abound more and more • to keep doing so more and more • but try even harder • live that way more and more. • that you progress even more. • that you increase more and more in how you ought to walk Maybe it would also be helpful to see some other verses where the word “excel” is used: “Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which when translated means Dorcas); this woman was excelling in acts of kindness and charity which she did habitually.”...
Post a Comment
Read more

Value Proposition

Value proposition:  it’s a marketing statement that summarizes why a consumer should buy a product or use a service.  It should clearly and concisely communicate what customers can gain from selecting a particular brand over that of its competitors. In a value proposition, you don’t want your product to be viewed as being worth less than what your competitors offer.   But even worse, in a bit of a quirk of how letters and spaces can fall, if you take out the space between “worth” and “less”, you get “worthless”, which means something of no value.   If that word is used in conjunction with how your product is viewed by customers, it’s a word that will likely kill your brand. In the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul, in a sense, communicated some value propositions. In chapter three, he starts off with describing the value of some things that many considered as extremely valuable in that day and age.   They had to do with status and achievement in the reli...
Post a Comment
Read more

Open Immediately

The envelope had a specific command prominently printed on the outside.  It said “Open Immediately”. Immediately normally means now or without waiting; without interval of time. The envelope also had a company name prominently printed on the outside.  It was “Endurance”. Endurance normally is t he ability to sustain a prolonged effort or activity; the ability to keep doing something difficult, unpleasant, or painful for a long time. There are times when we want God to respond immediately, as without interval of time: “ But you, O Lord , do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!”  (Ps 22:19). And there are other times when we are glad that God responds slowly, as in sustained over a long time:  “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord , the Lord , the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger , abounding in love and faithfulness,” (Ex 34:6) Intentional or not, the printing on that envelope was a contradiction in te...
Post a Comment
Read more