Of Man and Animals. Thomas R. Hauff

      Abbey sat and listened as Karen talked about the Bible verse. She re-read silently to herself at the same time: “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance.” It seemed pretty clear to her. But Karen was missing it—as usual. She was saying: “. . . and each person has different former things which they have to deal with. You know what I mean?” Abbey wondered if Karen herself knew what she meant. Sure, everyone had different former lusts, but they all came out of the same pool. We all know what the lusts are. Karen was probably making excuses somehow for not wanting to conform herself. Everyone in the group knew she still smoked! And sometimes she swore! Abbey tuned back in to Karen: “. . . so just because one thing is considered a former lust to you doesn’t mean it is for someone else. I mean, it may not be a sin, right? It could just be a cause of failure for that one person. Something they put before God. You know?”

      “You know?” “You know?” “YOU KNOW?”!! Abbey was sick of that catch phrase at the end of Karen’s sentences. No, she didn’t know! She had no idea of what Karen knows! She looked over at Sharon and rolled her eyes, silently saying, “Poor thing still hasn’t given herself over to Jesus fully.” Sharon smiled at her and resumed listening attentively to Karen. “Hmmmm,” thought Abbey, “I wonder if Sharon has a few snakes to kill. She acts like she might actually be considering what Karen is saying.”

      Karen finished her oratory, and the group fell silent for a moment. Sally cleared her throat, but did not say anything. Abbey took the opportunity to jump in. “I don’t know exactly what you mean Karen, but I think I agree that we all have our own lusts that we must abandon in order to conform to God’s life. For example, my friend Amy doesn’t live a Christian life even though she says she’s a believer.”

      Karen nodded and asked, “And what lusts is she conformed to that makes you think she’s not living the Christian life?”

      Abbey glanced at Sharon thinking, “Leave it to Karen to need it spelled out for her. Sometimes she can be so dense!” She said, “You know, all the things that a Christian does.”

      Karen was unsatisfied. She asked, “Like what?”

      Abbey again looked around the room for support. Clearly Karen was missing the point. The point was that Amy was still conformed to her former lusts even though she was supposedly a believer. Karen just could not get that. Abbey said again, “Well, just the usual things Christians do. She doesn’t exhibit the fruits of the Spirit.” “How could Karen still not get this?! She was always talking in Bible study, and doesn’t even get the simplest point!”

      Karen nodded again and said, “What are the fruits of the Spirit that you don’t see?”

      Abbey shifted in her chair growing indignant with Karen’s ignorance. She couldn’t dress her down for it, but it galled her just the same. “Surely she knows Galatians five, verses twenty-two and three!” With her lips slightly tight with frustration she spat, “The fruits spelled out in the Scriptures: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I’ve seen her drinking, and the deeds of the flesh include drunkenness and carousing.” She clearly had shut down this argument. “Why are you even asking this? It was funny how Karen just missed so much of the point SO often.”

      Still feeling confident with her clarity of thought, Abbey was broadsided when Sharon said to her, “How do you know Amy doesn’t have love and joy and those other things?” Abbey swung her head slowly to Sharon as a look of incredulity passed over her features for a split second. “You’ve got to be kidding! Our Sunday school teacher’s wife asking that!?”

      Abbey was almost dumbfounded! “How can you explain love?” She responded with just a tinge of indignation, “Well, I don’t see her in church. How does that show faithfulness?” “That would shut her up!”

      Sharon responded blandly, “Hmmmm, I wonder if that’s the only way to show faithfulness.”

      Abbey was getting angry now. She blurted out, “How can you be faithful at all if you are not among the people to show it?” “She was going to show these two. They almost seem like they aren’t Christians!”

      Sally said softly, “Are we supposed to be faithful to show that we are to other believers?”

      Abbey shook her head minutely. That was so convoluted that it didn’t even make any sense!

      Sally pressed on, “I mean, if we’re faithful—we’re faithful. It doesn’t matter if we are at church showing it off or not, right? My husband works on Sunday and doesn’t go to church, but he’s still faithful. I mean, he still seems to love, and have joy and stuff.”

      Abbey pursed her lips. “That is true, but he’s special. If you took that argument, you wouldn’t have a church. You’d just have a bunch of believers who got together just among themselves whenever they wanted to! What kind of church would that be?” Aloud she said, “Well, Craig shows faithfulness other ways. Like being at Bible study the other night and playing on the church basketball team.”

      As everyone thought about Abbey’s response, Karen took the lull in conversation and said to Abbey, “Are you saying that faithfulness is only apparent if a person goes to