Tag: Paul

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How Do We Experience Peace?

Colossians 3

15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:15-17, NIV)

The Daily DAVEotional

If you haven’t noticed, we are experiencing an epidemic of anxiety in our country. The American Psychiatric Association’s annual mental health poll indicated a sharp rise in anxiety levels among American adults.

Young adults are even more likely to report high levels of anxiety these days according to a Pew survey cited in this article.

There’s even been a popular book written about “The Anxious Generation.” In this book, author Jonathan Haidt argues that smartphones, social media, and helicopter parenting has contributed to an increased level of anxiety and depression among today’s youth.

Experiencing peace seems as elusive as sighting a unicorn.

So how exactly can we experience peace?

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul gives some insight into experiencing peace.

The first thing he says is that we should let peace “rule” in our hearts. The Greek word for “rule” means “arbitration”. The idea is that peace should govern our hearts.

Ok. But how do we do that? It’s not like most people can turn peace on and off like a light switch.

Fortunately, there are some key words in this passage that help us to understand a potential pathway to peace.

Three times in this passage, Paul uses the similar words “thankful” (verse 15), “gratitude” (verse 16), and “thanks” (verse 17).

Philippians 4:6-7 is perhaps the most oft-quoted passage regarding peace. Paul says,

6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

It’s interesting to note that in this passage, Paul also talks about thanksgiving. When we share our anxieties with God, and we do it with an attitude of thanksgiving, Paul says that we will experience the peace of God in a way that transcends our understanding.

I might not be able to manufacture peace on demand. But I can choose my attitude and what I will allow my mind to dwell on.

Paul tells us to be thankful  and to offer up our anxieties to the Lord in prayer with an attitude of thanksgiving and gratitude.

Something happens when we choose to be grateful. You see, we can’t be grateful unless we stop and think about the things we should be grateful for. Doing this refocuses our attention on God’s goodness and it gets our minds off of the negative thoughts that are the root of our anxieties.

My wife and I recently saw the movie “Soul on Fire”, which is the real-life story of John O’Leary, who, as a child, suffered burns over his entire body when he accidentally set his family’s house on fire. It’s a powerful story of identity, redemption and forgiveness.

As an adult, John decides he can use his story to make a difference in the lives of others as a motivational speaker.

In one of his first speaking engagements he finds himself talking to a group of hardened criminals in a state prison. His main message is about the importance of gratitude. He then invites the prisoners to share something they’re grateful for.

At first, nobody speaks. They’re mostly skeptical and wondering what they’re even doing there. Finally, one prisoner stands up and says:

“I’m grateful for prison, because if I wasn’t here, I’d be dead. And here’s what else I’m grateful for:

    • Heat in the winter.
    • Air-conditioning in the summer.
    • Three square meals a day—no cooking, no dishes.
    • A clean bed every night.
    • Laundry service—I never had that on the outside.
    • Medical care, even if it’s basic.
    • A library full of books I never read before.
    • Time to think, really think about my life.
    • Brothers here who get it, who share my struggles.
    • Letters from my kids—I miss ’em, but they keep comin’.
    • The chaplain who prays with us.
    • Fresh coffee in the morning.
    • Outdoor rec time—blue sky, even behind fences.
    • A job, Payin’ a little, but it’s honest work.
    • No bills pilin’ up.
    • Safety from the streets I ran on
    • Programs to learn skills, like anger management.
    • Holidays with visits from family.
    • Music on the radio—reminds me of better days.
    • Clean water, hot showers.
    • Counselors who listen without judgin’.
    • The chance to apologize to folks I hurt.
    • Faith groups—Bible study saved my soul.
    • Exercise yard—keeps me strong.
    • Mail call—somethin’ to look forward to.
    • No more chasin’ highs that wrecked me.
    • Rules that keep me from hurtn’ others.
    • Dreams at night—hope for what’s next.
    • Laughter with the guys—ain’t nothin’ like it.
    • This talk today—remindin’ me gratitude changes everything.
    • And God… for second chances.”

Later in the movie, John is struggling, feeling sorry for himself and the situation he’s in. He can motivate others through his speaking but, like us, he often struggles to apply the principles of his own TED talk.

There’s a scene where he visits his family. His dad is in a wheel chair, suffering from the effects of advanced Parkinson’s disease. And yet, his father is joyful, positive and at peace.

John asks his father, “How can you be so positive?”

His dad responds “John, how can I complain when my life is so good, when I’m just so blessed?”

John is confused. He’s thinking, “how can you see yourself as blessed when you’re in this horrible condition?” It’s really a victim mentality. And we all can tend towards this, can’t we?

His dad then elaborates on his gratitude, listing reasons like the extra time he has for reflection, the deeper family bonds he’s developed, his appreciation for caregivers and the empathy he’s developed for the struggles of others. Gratitude has enabled him to transform his limitations and potential sources of anxiety into sources of joy and peace.

There is no doubt that we live in a complex and chaotic world that’s filled with challenges that can produce anxieties of all kinds – health, job, finances and family issues, just to name a few.

However, even though we can’t produce peace in our hearts on demand, we can choose to be thankful and grateful for the good things that God has provided for us. If we make this our regular pattern, our lives will be less anxious and we’ll begin to experience more peace in our hearts.

 

By the way, you can read my review of the movie Sarah’s Oil here.

 

Did you enjoy this post? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to like, leave a comment below, and share it with your friends or on social media if you found it helpful or interesting. Your support keeps the conversation going!

 

Reflection

What are the things creating anxiety in your life right now? What keeps you from sharing those things with the Lord?

What have you found helpful in your own life to get your mind off of your problems and anxieties and onto the positive things in your life?

If you were to create a list of things you’re grateful for, like the prisoner did, what would be on your list? What are the things in your life that you can express gratitude for?

 

Photo by Tom Shakir on Unsplash

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What Does it Mean to be Unequally Yoked?

2 Corinthians 6

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, (2 Corinthians 6:14-16, ESV)

The Daily DAVEotional

Not long ago, I was conversing with a Young adult who was interested in pursuing a relationship. He was under the impression though that this person he was interested in was “off limits” because of Paul’s command in this passage that believers should “not be unequally yoked.”

As we talked further, it was clear to me that his understanding of what Paul was teaching in this passage was not quite accurate. It made me wonder how many Christians misunderstand what this passage is saying.

To properly understand this passage, one has to know something about the function and purpose of a yoke.

A yoke is a tool used by farmers and in the New Testament, which was primarily an agrarian society, the meaning of Paul’s command would have been less confusing than it is to the modern reader who may have never even seen a farm, much less understood a farming term.

A yoke is a wooden bar or collar that fits around a pair of animals (such as oxen) for the purpose of pairing them together to pull a load. Often the yoke had a plow attached to the center of the bar and was used for tilling a plow line.

When pairing two animals to a yoke, it is important that the animals be of equal size and strength. This allows for the plow line to be straight. If the size and strength of the animals yoked together is unequal, you will have the unfortunate situation of one animal overpowering the other, which will cause your plow line to veer or even move in a circular pattern instead of a straight line.

Paul is using this everyday farming illustration that his audience was quite familiar with in order to explain a spiritual reality.

When he says that a believer should not be unequally yoked with an unbeliever, he’s saying that believers should not be united with those who don’t have the same views and values. If you have different beliefs and values, it will be more difficult to move in the same direction and with the same purpose.

This passage is often referenced in the context of dating and marital relationships to show a believer that God doesn’t want them to pursue relationships with non-believers. However, this command is not exclusive to marriage. It applies to other types of relationships as well, such as business partnerships, etc.

The idea is really simple actually. You are trying to plow in a straight line. But if you have two animals that are unequally yoked, that is, not of the same size and strength, you end up with a non-straight plow line. Two animals of equal size and strength will work together more easily. Two animals that are “unequal” are more likely to work against each other. The objective of plowing that straight line becomes increasingly more difficult, if not impossible.

Now let’s relate this to relationships. What is Paul saying?

A Christian has a set of beliefs about God and a core set of values about how to live life. A non-Christian has a completely different set of beliefs and values. When you’re in a marriage relationship, or even a business partnership, it is difficult to move forward and in the same direction if the two partners have different and competing beliefs and values.

In a marriage relationship, this gets even more complicated when kids are involved. Questions like, “how will we raise the kids?”, “what faith tradition will we practice?”, “how will we administer discipline?”, and other important questions must be addressed. These issues often become the source of great conflict as each partner seeks to exert their beliefs, values and preferences.

It’s quite common in marriage for partners to compromise and change their views over time in order to achieve marital harmony and minimize conflict. In a situation with one believing spouse and one unbelieving spouse, the danger is that the believing spouse will compromise their beliefs and values in order to accommodate the unbelieving spouse.

This tendency to be influenced over time by the beliefs and values of non-believers is exactly why God, in the Old Testament, warned and even commanded the Israelites against marrying foreigners. The danger was that the pagan foreigners would negatively influence their spouse to drift away from worship of the true God. In the most extreme case, the believer might forsake God altogether and begin worshiping foreign gods and pagan deities.

This is exactly what happened with Solomon later in life. Countless other biblical examples could be cited that demonstrate the dangers of which Paul is warning.

So what does it mean when Paul commands believers not to be unequally yoked?

It means don’t align yourself or permanently partner yourself with someone who does not have the same biblical beliefs and spiritual values. If you do, you will likely find yourself with plenty of conflict and disharmony as each person seeks to control the direction of the relationship or partnership according to their beliefs and values. The pursuit of God is likely to become minimized or eliminated altogether.

One final note on this passage. In explaining his reasons for not being unequally yoked, Paul says, “what accord does Christ have with Belial?”

The term “Belial” was understood as a euphemism for “Satan”. This is a strong statement. Paul is saying that the unbeliever’s beliefs and values are following Satan. He does NOT mean that unbelievers are Satan worshipers. But just as Jesus, in John 8, told the Pharisees that they were unwittingly, and unknowingly following the devil, the father of lies, because they were rejecting him, so Paul is saying that those who are unbelievers, as wholesome, nice and moral as they may appear, are unwittingly and unknowingly following Satan, who will use any tool or method at his disposal to create chaos, disorder and conflict in order to render a believer in Christ ineffective and useless.

So if you’re a follower of Christ and you’re thinking about entering into a relationship with someone who is NOT a follower of Christ, THINK AGAIN!

(For more on Jesus’ exchange with the Pharisees in John 8, which included his proclamation that they were following their father, Satan, see my blog post, “Who’s Your Daddy?”)

Reflection

What examples have you seen that show the dangers of being unequally yoked, either in marriage or a business partnership? 

What advice would you give a person who is thinking of pursuing a dating relationship with someone who does not share their Christian faith? How would you counsel this person?

If being equally yoked means sharing the same beliefs and values, how would you go about determining whether the other person’s beliefs and values are “equal” to yours?

As a Christian, what beliefs and values do you think are essential to include in your list to evaluate whether the other person is “equally yoked”.

 

Photo by Paul Jai on Unsplash

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Theological Lessons from the Movie “Trading Places”

Psalm 51

1Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;

According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity

And cleanse me from my sin.

3For I know my transgressions,

And my sin is ever before me.

4Against You, You only, I have sinned

And done what is evil in Your sight,

So that You *[Or may be in the right]are justified when You speak

And blameless when You judge.

5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

And in sin my mother conceived me.

6Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,

And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

7Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8Make me to hear joy and gladness,

Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

9Hide Your face from my sins

And blot out all my iniquities.

10Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11Do not cast me away from Your presence

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation

And sustain me with a willing spirit.

13Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

And sinners will be converted to You. (Psalm 51:1-13, NASB)

The Daily DAVEotional

In the 1980’s movie Trading Places, two wealthy, elderly brothers (the Duke brothers) engage in the age old debate concerning the nature of man. One brother argues that man is corrupted by nature, while the other brother believes that the corruption of man is the result of environmental factors (nurture).

With each brother equally convinced that his position is correct, they agree to an experiment to decide the matter once and for all. With a $1 bet as incentive, they embark on a plan to completely ruin the life and reputation of their sophisticated Wall Street executive assistant played by Dan Akroyd. At the same time, they exalt a crooked street bum, played by Eddie Murphy, to Akroyd’s former position. Only after seeing how each person responds can they settle the bet and the debate.

Not long after being promoted to a position well beyond his education, Murphy begins to become the sophisticated, educated person that his position requires. At the same time, Akroyd, having lost it all, begins to turn into the common criminal that Murphy once was.

The movie ends up portraying a view of man that is commonly believed in society today—that man is basically a product of the negative forces in his environment. Yet this view is in stark opposition to what the Bible teaches about the nature of man.

The Bible says that man was originally created in the image of God (see Genesis 1:26, 27). The phrase “image of God” refers to man’s ability to reveal and represent what God is like. Exactly how man reveals the image of God has been debated over the years. However, many believe that two categories that reflect God’s image in man are man’s ability to make moral decisions, and the dominion that was given to man by God.

Before Adam and Eve sinned, the “image of God” in man was perfect. Man walked with God, had dominion over the earth and every decision man made was morally representative of God’s nature. This is because man was completely dependent on God for moral direction and guidance.

However, when Adam & Eve sinned, this image became corrupted. Specifically, man was corrupted in several ways:

1. Intellectually, man’s mind became depraved.

21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,…28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, (Romans 1:21,22,28, NASB)

2. Emotionally, man became perverted.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them…26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural (Romans 1:24, 26, NASB)

3. Volitionally, man’s will became enslaved to sin.

17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. (Galatians 5:17, NASB)

Though none of these verses demonstrate man’s condition when he’s born, the Bible clearly communicates that man is morally depraved from birth.

In Psalm 51, David is confessing and repenting of his egregious sin of adultery with Bathsheba followed by the cover-up murder of her husband, Uriah the Hittite.

In his confession, David reveals an important truth about the nature of man when he says in verse 5:

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Similarly, in Psalm 58:3, David said,

“the wicked go astray from the womb, they err from their birth, speaking lies.”

The apostle Paul agrees when he says in Ephesians 2:3,

“we are by nature children of wrath”

These verses all clearly teach that man is born with a sin nature, which produces in him a propensity toward sin.

Conversely, if one holds to the position that corruption, or sin is simply the product of one’s negative environment, how does one explain David’s reprehensible actions? He had everything he could want and certainly wasn’t in a position of need or desperation. It’s hard to argue that his environment “forced” him to do what he did. It’s more reasonable to explain his behavior as selfishness resulting from an inner compulsion towards evil.

It is obvious then, that the progressive’s idealistic Star Trek world where man’s goodness evolves over time is but a myth. The Bible clearly teaches that man was originally created in God’s image. However, that image was corrupted when Adam and Eve sinned.

Every person since Adam and Eve, with the exception of Jesus, has inherited a corrupted sin nature that exists within the person from birth. To argue otherwise is simply to deny the clear teaching of the Word of God.

 

Did you enjoy this post? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to like, leave a comment below, and share it with your friends or on social media if you found it helpful or interesting. Your support keeps the conversation going!

 

Reflection

Do you think man is basically good, and only does bad things because of the negative impact of his environment, or do you think man is innately bad, having been corrupted by his sin nature? What are the reasons for the position you hold?

For those who argue that man is only bad because of the negative effects of his environment, how do you explain the negative environment? In other words, how do you think the environment became negative in the first place?

What do you think it means that man was created in the “image of God”?

If man’s nature was perfect before sin, how exactly did their nature become corrupted? (See my blog post, “Why Did God Forbid This One Fruit?”

Why do you think this issue of nature vs. nurture is important? What are the implications of each position over the other? 

 

Photo: Screenshot from the movie “Trading Places”

 

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Fact-Checking and Misinformation in the New Testament

Acts 17

10That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the synagogue. 11And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth. 12As a result, many Jews believed, as did some of the prominent Greek women and many men. (Acts 17:10-12, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

The advent of social media has completely changed the landscape of how information is disseminated to the masses. Prior to social media, people relied primarily on what is now known as “legacy media” – national broadcast news networks and major metropolitan newspapers.

But now with social media, anyone and everyone can be a journalist, investigative reporter, podcaster or blogger. Competing ideas and opinions abound, making it increasingly more difficult to separate fact from fiction.

With such an affluence of free-flowing information, two terms have been introduced into the mainstream cultural vernacular in recent years – misinformation and disinformation. These terms have primarily been used by politicians and pundits on both sides of the aisle to label the speech and narratives of their opponents as false. Alarmingly, our own government has cited “misinformation” as a basis for seeking to censor the speech and thus limit the reach of those whose ideas and beliefs are not aligned with the official position of the party in power.

This effort to limit speech has been evident in the last few political cycles, through an increased effort to put pressure on social media platforms to limit and even censor speech that is deemed as “misinformation”.

But who exactly determines what is misinformation?

Social media outlets have employed “fact-checkers” to determine what information is accurate and what should be labeled as “misinformation”.

A fact-checker is someone who evaluates the truthfulness of a statement and then renders a judgment. These fact-checkers are expected to be neutral but the problem, as we’ve seen, is that they’re rarely unbiased. Who then fact-checks the fact-checkers?

In this segment of Acts 17, the Bereans are commended for their ability to fact-check the information that was being promoted.

Paul was a missionary who traveled throughout Asia Minor proclaiming the message of Christ and planting churches among those who believed his message.

But just like today, there was no shortage of ideological grifters and religious charlatans traveling from village to village looking for a market to sell their ideological snake oil.

With so many traveling religious preachers, how does one determine who, if anyone, is telling the truth?

The Bereans were commended because they “fact-checked” Paul’s message by “searching the Scriptures” to determine it’s veracity.

“The Scriptures” in this case refers to the Old Testament. The Bereans listened intently at Paul’s message and “day after day” they checked the message and compared it to what they already knew was true – the Old Testament Scriptures.

Fact-checking is a good thing, as long as the facts are being checked honestly against an objective, truthful standard. As we’ve seen recently, people are often biased, meaning they are rarely objective and often will stretch the truth, or in some cases, even deny the truth in order to fit their own biases.

But God’s word is both objective and true because it is the very word of God, who is by definition, truth.

So if you really want to check your facts, be sure they are not misaligned with what the Scriptures say. If they are, you can be certain that your facts are indeed “misinformation”.

 

Did you enjoy this post? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to like, leave a comment below, and share it with your friends or on social media if you found it helpful or interesting. Your support keeps the conversation going!

 

Reflection

What are some beliefs and ideas that you may tend to hold more because of your own personal  bias than the fact that it is true?

What is the standard that you use to determine if a religious statement is true or not?

What examples have you seen in your own experience of fact-checkers who were too biased to be trusted?

How do you think it’s possible that two different people can evaluate the same “facts” and arrive at completely different conclusions?

How can you ensure that you are not being misled and falling for misinformation when it comes to some of the ideological narratives that are being promoted in our culture?

 

Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash

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Wrestling Against Evil

Ephesians 6

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. (Ephesians 6:10-18, ESV)

The Daily DAVEotional

Last week, on Wednesday, I took my car to my mechanic for service. When I picked it up later that day, my mechanic told me that Charlie Kirk had been shot and killed while speaking on a campus in Utah.

Honestly, I was shocked. What in the world is going on?

I think it’s been obvious for quite some time that our culture is divided. It might be tempting for one to explain these divisions as mere differences in political views and policy preferences.

But to me, the assassination of Charlie Kirk underscores the fact that what divides us aren’t trivial differences of opinion. No. The issues that divide us aren’t political, or even religious. What we’re experiencing is a spiritual battle.

There’s a spiritual component at play in our culture and it’s more intense than at any time I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime.

Paul talks about the nature of this battle here in this Ephesians 6:10-18 passage. I chose the ESV translation for a reason.

Most versions of this passage say that our “struggle” is not against flesh and blood. Some versions say our “battle” is not against flesh and blood. But the ESV, along with the King James version, uses the word “wrestle” . I like that rendering because when I was in high school, I was a wrestler. If you’re familiar with “wrestling” I think it will help you understand more fully the nature of the spiritual battle that Paul’s describing.

A lot of people are unfamiliar with real competitive wrestling. Their only concept of wrestling is what they see on TV with the WWE. But that’s not real wrestling. Mostly, that’s staged entertainment with a heavy dose of masculine bravado.

High school, collegiate and Olympic style wrestling is different from the staged spectacle that is marketed as entertainment.

Competitive wrestling is a grueling combat sport that combines strength, skill, stamina and strategy. The goal: each wrestler seeks to subjugate his opponent.

The word subjugate means to dominate or control.

Hence, the goal of wrestling is to control or dominate your opponent.

So when Paul says that we “wrestle” against the spiritual forces of EVIL, that means there are spiritual forces that are seeking to subjugate or control you….seeking to control how you think, how you act, even how you perceive ultimate reality.

These forces are evil, so these forces are intent on controlling you for EVIL.

Think about that for a moment. Spiritual forces are seeking to control you FOR EVIL.

We live in a culture that is obviously very divided. But unlike any other time in my lifetime, we are living in a moment where both sides of the political divide think the other side is evil. The Charlie Kirk assassination clearly illustrates this.

Charlie Kirk was murdered in cold blood while speaking to a crowd on a university campus. There can be no doubt and no debate that what happened to Charlie Kirk was a heinous act of EVIL.

And yet, in the days following this tragic event, many either cheered, excused or even rationalized this evil act by saying that Charlie Kirk was himself promoting evil.

My point here is not to get into the details of what Charlie thought, taught or believed. Nor am I going to discuss the killer’s personal views and motivations. There are plenty of people who have already done that.

My point is simply that you have an evil act on one side and on the other side,  you have people portraying the victim of that evil act as a person of evil.

Since each side is calling the other side “evil”, this tells me that what is happening is spiritual in nature. For how can both sides be evil? That makes no sense as Jesus himself said that “a house divided against itself cannot stand” (see Matthew 12:25).

It seems abundantly clear that a large number of people are completely deceived regarding their understanding of what is fundamentally good and what is inherently evil.

That’s the nature of the battle. It’s spiritual in nature and it’s a battle for control. Ultimately, it’s a battle regarding the nature of good and evil.

 

Did you enjoy this post? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to like, leave a comment below, and share it with your friends or on social media if you found it helpful or interesting. Your support keeps the conversation going!

 

Reflection

What are some examples you can cite that illustrate that we’re in a spiritual battle?

In what ways do you see spiritual forces seeking to control you or the culture?

What do you think are some of the schemes the devil employs in order to control people?

What practical steps can you take to “wrestle” against the spiritual forces of evil?

 

Photo by Chris Chow on Unsplash

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What Does it Mean that Jesus is the Firstborn?

Colossians 1

15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:15-20, NIV)

The Daily DAVEotional

In the first chapter of Colossians, Paul pens one of the greatest treatises on the divine nature of Christ in all of Scripture. And yet, some have used this very section to promote a false understanding of Jesus.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses are a religious group that was birthed in the late 1870’s when Charles Taze Russell, who had been highly influenced by Adventist teachings, determined that certain Christian doctrines, such as the Trinity and divinity of Christ, were not supported by Scripture.

I’ve written a number of posts regarding the Jehovah’s Witnesses and their view that Jesus is not God, including the following posts:

The bottom line with Jehovah’s Witnesses is that they don’t believe in the trinity. Therefore, they don’t believe that Jesus is God. They teach a doctrine that is known as Arianism (see post here), which teaches that Jesus is a created being who does not possess a divine nature.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses are highly committed to their understanding of Jesus as a created being, and they believe that this passage, in Colossians 1, serves as strong evidence in support of their view.

Specifically, this passage twice describes Jesus as being “firstborn”. The thinking goes that if Jesus was born, then he must be created. If he was created then he clearly isn’t God. If he isn’t God, then he’s just a man. Hence, the view that Jesus is a created being without a divine nature must be the correct view.

That logic might sound correct on the surface, but there is one small problem, as our good friend Inigo Montoya will explain:

The problem is that we interpret the word “firstborn” based on our modern understanding. Naturally, we see the word “born” and assume that it refers to a birth. We assume therefore that the passage is saying that Jesus was “born”, just as all people are naturally born.

But that’s not at all what the passage is saying.

To understand this passage, we need to understand a little bit about the culture of the Ancient Near East, particularly how the family heirs were treated.

In the Ancient Near East culture, it was customary for the oldest son to receive a double portion of any inheritance. The oldest son enjoyed this benefit because of his status as the highest in rank of all the sons. So, if you had two sons, your assets would be divided into 3 parts. The oldest son would get 2 shares and the youngest son would get one share.

The oldest son was therefore the pre-eminent, or favored son. The oldest son was the highest in rank – usually.

However, there are a number of Biblical examples where this was not the case.

Take Jacob and Esau for example. Esau was the oldest son but God favored Jacob, who received Isaac’s blessing over Esau.

Jacob’s sons are another example. Jacob had 12 sons. Reuben was the oldest and therefore, was considered the pre-eminent son, eligible for the double portion.

However, Reuben forfeited his rank and the blessing associated with the oldest son when he slept with one of his father’s wives. As a result, Jacob made Joseph the pre-eminent son, even though he was NOT born first. In fact, he was the eleventh born! (see 1 Chronicles 5:1)

When you see a list of the tribes of Israel (Jacob’s new name), you never see Joseph listed. Why is that? It’s because Joseph was given two shares. Joseph’s shares are represented by his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.

The Greek word that is translated “firstborn” is the word “prototokos”. While the word is translated as “firstborn”, it doesn’t mean that Jesus was created. If Paul wanted to communicate that Jesus was the first-created, he would have used a different word, “protoktisos”, which literally means “first-created.”

How do we know that Paul is not trying to communicate that Jesus was “born” if he indeed uses this word which translates to “firstborn”?

It’s clear from the context that Paul is not using the word in the way the Jehovahs Witnesses assert.

In the first instance of the word, Paul says that Jesus is “the firstborn over all creation.” If Paul were communicating that Jesus was “born” then he’s also saying that “creation” is the parent. That doesn’t make sense. If Paul was communicating that Jesus was literally born, shouldn’t the passage say that Jesus was the “firstborn of God”?

In the second instance of the word “firstborn”, Paul states that Jesus is firstborn from among the dead. Again, this language doesn’t make sense if Jesus is actually born. How can Jesus be parented by creation and also by “the dead”?

This passage makes complete sense if we understand that the word “firstborn” carries the meaning of pre-eminence or rank, just as the firstborn child of any ancient near eastern family held pre-eminent status over his siblings due to his higher rank.

In this case, Paul says in verse 15 that Jesus is pre-eminent over creation. Why? Paul gives the answer in the very next verse. It’s because Jesus is the CREATOR. Jesus is pre-eminent (firstborn) over creation because he is the author of ALL of creation.

In the same way, Jesus is pre-eminent over death precisely because he has demonstrated supremacy over death by rising from the dead.

So in the end, this passage doesn’t teach that Jesus is a created being as the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach. Instead, this passage teaches the exact opposite. Jesus is the uncreated creator of all things in whom the fullness of deity dwells and through whom all things are reconciled by His shed blood on the cross.

Jesus is indeed firstborn. He has demonstrated supremacy over creation and death precisely because He is GOD!

 

Did you enjoy this post? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to like, leave a comment below, and share it with your friends or on social media if you found it helpful or interesting. Your support keeps the conversation going!

 

Reflection

Genesis 41:51-52 says, “Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh…. 52The second son he named Ephraim”. Yet in Jeremiah 31:9 it says, “Ephraim is my firstborn son”. How can Ephraim be the second son in the Genesis passage but the firstborn in Jeremiah? How do you explain this apparent contradiction?

If Jesus is a created being, as the Jehovahs Witnesses contend, what do you think are the implications in terms of Jesus’ ability to save humanity? In other words, how can a savior who is not divine atone for the sins of the world?

What are some personal examples you can think of where the first born son (or daughter) did not enjoy the favored status you might expect?

What are some other qualities of Jesus that you learn from this short passage in Colossians? What else can we say about Jesus from these verses?

 

Photo is a screenshot from the movie “The Princess Bride”

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Grace Anatomy

Ephesians 2

1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:1-10, NIV)

The Daily DAVEotional

Ephesians 2 is one of my favorite passages. If I was creating a Mount Rushmore of favorite New Testament passages (an all-time top 4 list), this passage would definitely be in contention. It is rich with theological truths that are fundamental to understanding the depth of God’s love for us as well as the means and lengths He would go to save us.

A key word in these 10 verses is “grace”, which appears 3 times.

What do you think grace is? How would you define it?

I’ve asked that question to hundreds of people over the years as I’ve engaged in spiritual conversations.

The interesting thing about grace is that it’s a word that most people have heard hundreds of times but almost always have difficulty defining.

Some people, when they hear the word “grace”, think of a dinner time prayer, like Aunt Bethany in Christmas Vacation.

Others equate grace with beauty, like a graceful dancer, or an elegantly dressed celebrity.

To be sure, those are connotations that we may think of when we hear the word, but from a biblical standpoint, “grace” means none of those things.

The theological definition of grace is “unmerited favor” or “undeserved gift”.

I would often give this example of grace when talking to students, as it was a hypothetical, yet realistic situation they could imagine experiencing.

Imagine that you’re taking a class and it’s nearing the end of the semester. You have a big research paper due and it’s worth a hefty portion of your grade. You need to do well on this paper to pass the class.

The problem is that you are nowhere near being done. As the deadline nears, you approach the professor and ask for an extension.

Now would it be unfair if the professor were to decline your request? Would that be unjust?

No. The guidelines and deadlines were clearly communicated. You had ample opportunity to work on the paper and get it done. The professor would not be mean or unjust if he or she were to simply deny your request and tell you that any late papers would be severely penalized.

That is what the Bible calls justice – getting what you deserve. In this passage, what we deserve is God’s wrath. Paul says that we “followed the ways of the world”… “gratifying the craving of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.” As a result, we were objects of God’s wrath, which simply means we were destined to be punished.

God would be perfectly just to give us what we deserve. That’s what justice is – getting what we deserve.

Your professor would also be just to say no to your request and give you exactly what you deserve.

But suppose your professor honors your request and decides to give you a one week extension with no late penalties – a “grace” period.

Your professor is not obligated to give you an extension but if he or she did, it would be an example of extending grace. Your professor is giving you something you don’t deserve – the gift of extra time. You didn’t earn an extension. You don’t deserve an extension. You receive the extension simply because your professor chooses to give it to you.

This is the situation with us and God. We don’t deserve to be saved. We did nothing to earn God’s favor. God is not obligated to save us, and yet, He chooses to extend grace to us. What that means is that we don’t get what we deserve, which is punishment. Instead, we get what we DON’T deserve – the gift of salvation.

Why would God choose to extend grace? Why would he not just punish us since that is what we deserve?

Verse 4 gives us the answer:

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 

God chooses to save us because of His great love for us and the depth of His mercy.

What is mercy?

Mercy is NOT getting something you deserve.

Doctrinal Dictionary

Justice – getting what you deserve (punishment)

Mercy – Not getting something we deserve (as in avoiding punishment)

Grace – Getting something we don’t deserve (as in favor or blessing)

We deserve punishment but because of God’s love for us, he takes pity on us and desires to make a way so that we don’t have to experience the punishment we deserve.

As a result, God extends grace by sending His son to die in our place so that God’s justice would be satisfied and we could avoid experiencing His wrath.

Verses 8 and 9 are often quoted, as they summarize the essence of the gospel message:

8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.

God gives us a gift we don’t deserve – He saves us. This is grace: getting something we don’t deserve. We didn’t earn this gift. It is freely given by God. Hence, we cannot boast in our salvation because we did nothing to get it. Yet God did everything to give it.

Verse 10 is often neglected but is important to understanding God’s motive and the ultimate outcome He desires of our lives:

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Some Bible versions, like the NLT, translate this verse to say that “we are God’s masterpiece.”

Think about that for a minute. God saves us because we are a masterpiece in His eyes. His desire is that we would be transformed into a physical work of art and that our lives would be a living testament to the depth of His love, the richness of His mercy and the boundlessness of His grace!

 

Did you enjoy this post? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to like, leave a comment below, and share it with your friends or on social media if you found it helpful or interesting. Your support keeps the conversation going!

 

Reflection

What has been your definition of grace before reading this post? How did you tend to think of it and define it?

What are some examples of when you experienced grace from another person – a gift that you didn’t deserve?

How would you explain to someone else the difference between justice, mercy and grace?

God says that you are his masterpiece, created for good works in Christ Jesus. What do you think it would look like if you really understood and believed that God sees you as his masterpiece? How would it change your life and your view of yourself?

What are the barriers or roadblocks that make it difficult for you to see yourself as God’s masterpiece?

 

Photo above is an edited image of a photo by Zhifei Zhou on Unsplash

and another Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash

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Sons of Abraham: Slavery vs. Freedom

Galatians 4

21Listen to me, you who want to live under the law. Do you know what the law really says? 22The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave-wife and one from his freeborn wife. 23The son of the slave-wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.

24Now these two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. Hagar, the slave-wife, represents Mount Sinai where people first became enslaved to the law. 25And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery. 26But Sarah, the free woman, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. And she is our mother. 27That is what Isaiah meant when he prophesied,

“Rejoice, O childless woman!

Break forth into loud and joyful song,

even though you never gave birth to a child.

For the woman who could bear no children

now has more than all the other women!”

28And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. 29And we who are born of the Holy Spirit are persecuted by those who want us to keep the law, just as Isaac, the child of promise, was persecuted by Ishmael, the son of the slave-wife.

30But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the family inheritance with the free woman’s son.” 31So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, obligated to the law. We are children of the free woman, acceptable to God because of our faith.

(Galatians 4:21-31, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

What do you think is required to get into heaven? How does God decide?

I’ve asked this question thousands of times as I’ve shared the message of Christ with people over the years.

What I’ve found is that people overwhelmingly think that getting into heaven when you die is a matter of being a “good” person. The prevailing view is that God will evaluate us based on what we’ve done and how we’ve lived our life. In other words, our HUMAN EFFORT.

I think that one aspect of our sinful nature is that we intrinsically want to make our eternal destiny about us. We become the central figures in our own story instead of God being the central figure as He should be.

This was the issue in the Galatian church. They started off strong, believing the message of the gospel that Paul preached and trusting in Jesus to pay for their sins, provide forgiveness and ultimately, eternal life.

But something happened along the way. Very quickly after placing their faith in Christ, these Galatian believers reverted back to their old way of life which emphasized adherence and obedience to the Law.

Paul is so surprised by their sudden spiritual shift that he asks them “who bewitched you?” I wrote about this previously in my post entitled, “I Put a Spell on You” and also, my post entitled, “Have you been Scammed?”

Paul tells the Galatians that if you want to live under the law, you’re voluntarily making yourself a slave again, which makes no sense.

He then gives an illustration from the Old Testament regarding Abraham and his two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, whose births are recorded in Genesis 16 and 21 respectively.

You may recall that Abraham was given a promise by God that he would be made into a great nation, through whom all the nations would be blessed.

This promise to Abraham was given in Genesis 12, was reaffirmed in Genesis 15 and is commonly referred to as the Abrahamic Covenant.

There was only one problem. Abraham didn’t have any children and he and Sarah were both getting very advanced in age. From a human perspective, it was difficult to see how this promise could come to be as Abraham had no heir.

So in their haste to bring about God’s promise, Sarah concocted a plan that would give Abraham an heir. She allowed Abraham to sleep with her servant Hagar, who conceived and bore him his first son, Ishmael.

Though this seemed like a reasonable course that would ensure the preservation of Abraham’s family line, it actually bypassed God’s promise, which was not only to Abraham but to Sarah as well.

So Ishmael was indeed Abraham’s son but he was not the son through whom God would deliver His promise to make Abraham into a great nation. This is because Ishmael was not Sarah’s son, he was the son born of a slave woman.

Paul’s point in this passage is that Abraham’s two sons represent two different approaches to receiving God’s promise. Ishmael was born out of Abraham and Sarah’s human effort to bring about God’s promise by creating a scenario where Abraham would have an heir.

Isaac, on the other hand, was born out of God’s sovereign and divine intervention which provided an heir to Abraham AND Sarah.

So Ishmael represents human effort to bring about God’s promise, whereas Isaac represents God’s promise being delivered solely by His divine power.

Paul says that Ishmael represents Mount Sinai while Isaac represents the New Jerusalem.

What exactly does that mean?

Remember that Mount Sinai was where Moses met God and received the Law. It was this divine encounter that instituted the Mosaic Law by which every Jew from Moses onward lived their life.

The Law represented a covenant that emphasized human effort to live righteously, according to God’s explicit standards. There were lots of rules and regulations and various processes for receiving forgiveness and atonement. The law demonstrated that man was sinful and wholly incapable of living up to God’s perfect standard.

Isaac, on the other hand, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. This is not an earthly city but a heavenly reality. Isaac, who was born from Abraham and Sarah well beyond their child-bearing years, was conceived and born completely because God Himself brought it about. His birth was not brought about through human effort but via God’s divine intervention.

In the same way, coming to Christ, receiving forgiveness and eternal life, is completely a work of God. There is no human effort involved. Those who accept Jesus become a part of God’s heavenly family with the promise of living forever with him in a heavenly Jerusalem. Isaac represents this group because just as he was born as a result of God’s divine provision, those of us who belong to God’s family were born into that family only because of what God has done, not because of anything we have done.

Ishmael was born of a slave-woman and he represents those who want to live under the law, which is a system of slavery.

Isaac was born of a free-woman and he represents those who want to live in freedom from slavery.

Given these two choices, Paul wonders why anyone would consciously and purposefully decide to go back to a system that enslaves them. It is better to remain free.

The reality is that many Christians do exactly what the Galatians were doing. After accepting Christ, receiving forgiveness and entering into a new relationship with God as His adopted child. we resort to living our lives under some impossible religious standard that essentially enslaves us.

We have a choice when it comes to how we approach God’s promise of eternal life. We can do what Sarah and Abraham did and seek to make our own path by our human efforts. This is the Ishmael approach which leads to being enslaved to a religious system.

The alternative is the Isaac approach, which is simply placing our trust in God to provide His promise providentially. This approach leads to freedom because it’s not based on our performance but on God’s power to deliver on His promise.

Which choice are you currently making?

 

Did you enjoy this post? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to like, leave a comment below, and share it with your friends or on social media if you found it helpful or interesting. Your support keeps the conversation going!

 

Reflection

Paul says that those who have “faith” are acceptable to God. Have you placed your faith in Jesus to pay for your sin and give you eternal life? If so, what were the circumstances that led to that decision?

Any Christian who has placed their faith in Jesus can revert to a rules-based religious lifestyle, just as the Galatians did. In what ways do you tend to live by rules and religion instead of faith?

Why do you think so many people choose to live in slavery instead of freedom? What are some of the reasons in your opinion?

What are some common ways you see Christians living in legalism and rules-based Christianity?

What are some things you can do to keep you from straying or drifting into a rules-based religious system?

 

Photo by JOHN TOWNER on Unsplash

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Will Christians Face or Avoid Judgment?

2 Corinthians 5

1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

6Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7We live by faith, not by sight. 8We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:1-10, NIV)

The Daily DAVEotional

In this section of Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth, he gives some theological perspective on what comes after this life.

Some people have the idea that when we die, we will just be spirits floating about from cloud to cloud, with our harps no doubt.

But this is not the picture Paul gives of the afterlife.

Paul compares our earthly bodies to a tent.

Why would he do that?

There is some imagery here that would have been obvious to Paul’s audience but may be more confusing to the modern reader.

People in ancient times often lived in tents – temporary structures that suited a nomadic lifestyle. In addition, the tabernacle, which is another word for “tent”, was the temporary structure in the Old Testament that signified the dwelling place of the Lord up until the more permanent temple was built.

When Paul says that our earthly bodies are like a tent, he means that our earthly bodies are temporary because our lives are temporary. While we are living in this life, we have mortal bodies that enable us to do things, like walk, talk, eat, work, play, think, etc. But our mortal bodies are temporary. They don’t last forever.

Paul says that while we are living in this life we are “away” from the Lord’s presence. He doesn’t mean that we have no access to the Lord in this life. He simply means that even if we are Christians, walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, engaged and active in pursuing God, we are never fully present with the Lord because we are not yet in heaven.

But something amazing will happen to us when we die. We will be given NEW bodies! That is great news for a lot of us whose bodies are beginning to fail us in numerous ways.

Given these facts, Paul says that his preference would be to be “away” from this body because that means he would be with the Lord.

But the reality for Paul was that he was still in his mortal body. He was living on this earth, which means he was not present with the Lord in heaven yet. That being the case, the goal is always to please the Lord in whatever we do.

The reason why Paul says we should make this our goal is because we all are going to appear before the judgement seat of Christ to give an account of our lives.

The idea that Christians will be judged may be confusing to some, especially since Scripture teaches that those who place their faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross are completely forgiven (Colossians 1:13-14) and there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1).

So what is this judgment that Paul is talking about?

The judgment that Paul is talking about here is a different kind of judgment. The Bible is clear that those who have placed their faith in Christ are saved. They will experience eternity with God in heaven.

But Christians will also give an account of how they’ve served Christ and how they have managed the resources God has entrusted to them.

The word for “judgment” in verse 10 is the greek word “Bema” (pronounced “bay-muh”). It represented a platform or an elevated seat from which an official would render an important decision.

In this context, Paul is saying that there is going to be a day when everyone, Christians included, will appear before the Lord and our lives will be evaluated. This “judgment” doesn’t determine whether we will make it into heaven or not; that has already been decided at the cross. This judgment will evaluate how we’ve lived our lives as Christians and how we have stewarded the resources (time, talent, treasure) that God has entrusted to us.

In this evaluation, those things that we have done that have glorified Jesus and advanced His kingdom purposes will be rewarded. We will receive no rewards for the things that have not been worthwhile to the cause of Christ.

It’s important to emphasize that this judgment does not include punishment. Christians will either be rewarded or they will not be rewarded.

One might ask, “if there’s no punishment, why should I care?”

Scripture is clear that on that day, those whose lives have not been stewarded well for God’s purposes – those who have not lived their lives in such a way that God was glorified – will experience extreme regret.

Jesus spoke of this accounting in Matthew 25:14 with the parable of the talents. The point of this parable is that God has given us talents, abilities and resources (money and material possessions) to manage on His behalf. The judgment Paul speaks about in 2 Corinthians 5:10 is a judgment where our lives will be evaluated based on how we have stewarded those resources. How well have we served Christ? Did we make our life count for His kingdom and His purposes?

Though we don’t know exactly what that day will look like, we know it’s coming and therefore, we should prepare ourselves.

Pastor Pete Briscoe has developed a dramatic presentation that depicts what that day could look like for someone. It’s a powerful monologue that is designed to move the believer to reflect on how they’ve lived their life and perhaps think about making changes in light of that day!

 

Did you enjoy this post? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to like, leave a comment below, and share it with your friends or on social media if you found it helpful or interesting. Your support keeps the conversation going!

Reflection

Were you aware that Christians will be judged and give an account of how they’ve lived their life for Christ?

What thoughts and emotions do you have when you think about appearing before Christ and having your actions evaluated in light of His commands and His purposes?

What changes do you think you need to make in your life to better ensure that God will say to you “well done good and faithful servant”?

What challenges do you face when you think about living your life completely for the Lord?

 

Photo by William Krause on Unsplash

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What Does it Mean That All Scripture is God-Breathed?

2 Timothy 3

14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

(2 Timothy 3:14-17, NIV)

The Daily DAVEotional

A few months ago, I published a post entitled, “Can You Make the Bible an Idol?” which referenced Psalm 119.

The “inspiration” (you will see why this pun is intended) for that post was a series of online interactions I saw on X.com (formerly Twitter) in which a certain online influencer who identifies as a former evangelical was making the case that Christians should not make the Bible an idol.

The idea that one could make the Bible an idol seemed odd and confusing to me. I’d never heard anyone make such an admonition. I soon learned why as I fell further down an online rabbit hole exploring the theological views of Progressive Christianity.

Progressive Christians have a view and understanding of God that is in stark contrast to the traditional orthodox understanding. Whereas the traditional Christian view of God is that He’s immutable, which is to say He is unchanging, the progressive view of God is that He is evolving.

I explain the ramifications of this differing foundational belief in my previous post, but the summary is that if God is evolving then His standards are also evolving. And if God’s standards have evolved, then perhaps some of those behaviors that you were once told were “sinful” aren’t really sinful any longer.

The end result is that the Progressive ends up creating a God whose moral standards amazingly mimic their own lifestyle choices and preferences.

But how does the Progressive get around the clear teachings of Scripture that might restrict some of their life choices? To put it another way, how does the Progressive Christian deal with Biblical passages that seem to indicate that certain behaviors are wrong?

The simple answer is that the Progressive Christian doesn’t view the Bible as “God’s Word”. Hence, passages that seem to indicate certain actions as “sin” aren’t authoritative to them.

What? How can that be? Doesn’t the Bible clearly identify itself as “God’s Word”?

The argument made by Progressives is the same argument which is promoted by non-Christians, which is that the Bible wasn’t actually written by God but by fallible men.

And that leads us to our passage for today.

In this passage of 2 Timothy, Paul is exhorting Timothy to continue in what he has learned before. Timothy had grown up with an understanding of the Scriptures, which at that time was what we know as the Old Testament.

According to Paul, following these “Scriptures” would make Timothy wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul then follows with this oft-quoted verse:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16)

This verse is often cited by Christians to demonstrate that the Bible is God’s Word and therefore authoritative for our lives.

According to this verse, the Bible (Scripture) has four main functions in our lives. I wrote about and explained these four functions in a previous post entitled “Training in Righteousness (Part 2).”

The question I want to focus on here is what does it mean when it says that “all Scripture is God-breathed?”

The greek word used here by Paul is theopneustos, which is a compilation of two separate words, theo = God and pneustos = breath.

This verse is the only place in Scripture where this particular word (theopneustos) is used. So what does it mean?

Most bible translations translate this verse as “all scripture is inspired by God…”

The idea is that God Himself has breathed His life into these words, making them inspired and useful for the purposes listed. Hence, the words are God’s words.

The response I have often seen online from Progressives is that the Bible was written by men, not by God. It is “inspired” only in the sense that it inspires people by bringing life to things that were lifeless.

This line of reasoning does not seem faithful to the text. Paul does not say that Scripture is inspiring, though that is almost certainly true as a by-product. What he says is that Scripture is inspired BY GOD. The difference in this wording may seem subtle and inconsequential but the difference in the resultant meanings is enormous.

In one view, the Progressive view, Scripture is the subject and it does the inspiring on the object, people who read it. This makes the Bible a book that is sort of like an ancient “Chicken Soup for Soul” to the reader. It’s a guidebook that one may utilize for navigating life’s journey, but it is certainly not the only tool one might consult.

In the other view, the traditional view, God is the subject who does the inspiring on the object, the Scriptures. Because God Himself has inspired the words, using various authors to communicate the message He desired and intended, it is indeed a guidebook for life and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

The bottom line is that, according to Paul, the Scriptures are divinely inspired by God. This means that the words are God’s words; they are the words He intended the authors to write. For this reason, we refer to the Bible as “the Word of God”. Because the Bible is “the Word of God”, it’s not just an inspiring read, it’s authoritative. It alone contains the final word on the rule of life, including morality and our understanding of what is right and what is wrong.

The implications of this are massive. If the Bible is a book that is not written or authored by God, but is simply “inspiring” in some way, then I can pick and choose the parts that actually inspire me to feel good, and I can ignore the parts that I disagree with or that make me feel uncomfortable or “uninspired.”

But if the Bible is God’s Word and therefore authoritative, then I must relent to its position on all matters pertaining to faith and morality. According to Paul, as he made his charge to Timothy, when we acquiesce to God’s standards as outlined in the Scriptures, we’ll not only experience salvation through Jesus, but our lives will be transformed as we allow God’s Word to train us in righteous living, the fruit of which will be good works that glorify God.

 

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Reflection

What has been your position on the Bible? Do you believe it is God’s Word and therefore authoritative or is it something else? What are the reasons that support your position?

What are some of the things in the Bible that you struggle to agree with in terms of their moral implications? 

In what ways do you need to give the Scriptures authority in your life?

Paul’s charge to Timothy was to “continue what you have learned and become convinced of.” What can you do this week to “continue” your learning and conviction of the Scriptures?

 

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