Have you considered that Easter does not begin with an empty tomb, but with a finished cross? In John 19:30, we are brought onto holy ground: “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”  The phrase, "It is finished," is one word in the Greek - tetelestai.  It is not the sigh of a victim. It is the shout of a Victor! Jesus is declaring that everything the Father gave Him to accomplish has been completed. The debt of sin—every failure, every rebellion, every hidden guilt—has been paid completely. Nothing remains. Nothing can be added. Nothing can be taken away. Divine justice has been completely satisfied without being lowered one bit. The law is fulfilled. The curse of the Fall is exhausted. The veil in the Temple that separated the people from God's abiding presence is torn. The way to God is open.

A Sovereign Savior, Not a Helpless Victim
John records a striking detail: “He bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”
While subtle, notice that the order in this verse is different from how a normal person would die. We die, and then our head falls.  However, Jesus bowed His head first - and then gave up His spirit. This is not a sign of weakness; it is an expression of authority.  Jesus Himself predicted this when He said in John 10:18: “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” Even in death, He is the active Redeemer. He is not overtaken—He is offering.
He gives Himself willingly. Fully. Perfectly. For any sinner who would come to Him in faith through repentance.

What Does the Finished Work Secure?
From this completed work flows every blessing of salvation:

• Full pardon for the guilty
• Perfect righteousness for the ungodly
• Peace with God for the estranged
• Adoption for the orphaned
• Sanctification for the broken
• Eternal glory for all who are trusting in Christ

While there is no saving blessing outside of Christ, so also in Him, there is no lack whatsoever.  It is a better way than even Adam and Eve, for we are secure on the basis of Christ and in Christ.  Therefore, we can never be disassociated from Christ nor disconnected from the blessings of Christ.

Why Easter Changes Everything
If Good Friday declares, “It is finished,” Easter Sunday declares, “It is accepted.”
The resurrection is God’s public affirmation that the work of Christ is complete and sufficient. As Romans 4:25 teaches: “Who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” The empty tomb is not merely a miracle. It is a verdict. It is a statement of spiritual debt satisfied - "Paid in full."  Because Jesus lives forever, our security on the basis of Christ's work is secure forever.

Two Responses That Should Define Our Lives
First, Rest in the Finished Work

• Stop trying to contribute to what Christ has already completed.
• To add to His work is to diminish it.
• To rest in His work is to worship.
• Christ is a full Savior for empty sinners.

Second, Live in Grateful Surrender
If Christ has given Himself fully for you, how can you hold anything back from Him?

• Trust Him - believe that His ways and teaching are to be followed.  
• Value Him - reject the advice and passions of the world, for they are opposed to Christ.
• Live your life centered on Him - this will be a result of the previous two dynamics. 

We see these dynamics fill the sails of the life of the Apostle Paul when he wrote Philippians 1:21: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

May this Easter not be about trying harder, but trusting more completely in life. Why? Because the cross is finished, the tomb is empty, the Savior is risen.  He is risen. He is risen indeed.

On Friday, February 14, we’re gathering for our monthly Men’s Breakfast to take an honest, practical look at what it means to follow Christ and lead with integrity. We’re not aiming at hype. We’re aiming to help. The kind of help that shows up where men actually live—at home, at work, in conflict, in fatigue, and in the quiet decisions no one else sees.

Why is it necessary for men to meet together? Because the Gospel we confess is not meant to stay stuck in our heads. It’s meant to reshape our lives.  We’re committed to delivering straightforward, practical, Bible-shaped wisdom. No fog. No fluff. No “inspirational” talk that disappears by lunch.

Instead, we’ll work through concrete, real-life situations that immediately affect how you see and navigate everyday life—especially the relational pressure points that men face constantly:

• How to relate wisely to your wife (if you’re married)
• How to cultivate healthier relationships in every area of life
• How to respond rather than react
• How to lead with clarity instead of drifting into passivity

February’s Men’s Breakfast lands on Valentine’s Day, and we’re leaning straight into the opportunity to give your wife a better YOU.
Not through cheesy promises. Not through performative romance, and a fist full of flowers. But through being a Gospel-shaped man who is learning to think, engage, respond, and lead like a man of God.

Key: The Gospel is not merely propositional—true statements we agree with. It is designed to be transformational when you see it and understand it rightly. The Gospel not only forms your identity. It actively reshapes the choices you make and how you relate—especially to those closest to you. This is not about becoming “nicer.”  It’s about becoming truer—more anchored, more present, more courageous, and more Christlike.

Our Promise to You - You’ll Walk Away With

• A deeper understanding of how everyday decisions are shaped by Gospel truth
• A “game-day” framework for anticipating your responses in the grind of daily life—moving from passivity to intentional engagement
• Simple, sustainable practices that strengthen your faith and bless your family
• More clarity in conflict
• Surprising insight into how God relates to you as a member of His family

Details
Saturday, February 14
8:00–9:30 AM
Grace Fellowship – Student Room

Chick-fil-A Sandwiches + The Well hashbrowns + coffee provided

Bring a friend. Bring a Bible. Most importantly, bring a heart ready to change under the glorious weight of the Gospel of Jesus.

Register today.

See you there.
Pastor Marty & Pastor Dan

Every January, Sanctity of Life Sunday (the 3rd Sunday) calls the Church to pause. Not to argue. Not to posture. But to remember and recommit.

From the opening pages of Scripture, God makes His position unmistakably clear: human life is sacred because it is created by Him and for Him.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” — Genesis 1:27 (ESV)

This truth grounds everything we know about the value of human life.  It also distinguishes the dignity of people being separate from ability, age, independence, or productivity.
Humans contain the image of God in their very being.

Why Sanctity of Life Still Matters

Sanctity of Life Sunday is not merely about unborn children—though it certainly includes them.
It is about the value of every human life, at every stage, in every circumstance.

Scripture affirms that God’s care begins before birth:  “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” — Psalm 139:13

The Bible does not treat life as accidental or expendable. It treats life as intentional and valuable.

In a culture that often measures worth by convenience or contribution, we must bear witness to a better story—God’s story.

A Gospel-Shaped Response

At Grace Fellowship, Sanctity of Life Sunday is about compassion shaped by truth.

The gospel meets us all in our brokenness. Every one of us stands in need of grace.
And grace changes how we speak, how we act, and how we care for others.  While we have a responsibility to condemn and actively oppose abortion providers and those who promote it, we also recognize that these people have been deceived: “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will" (2 Timothy 2:24–26).

Jesus did not avoid hard truths, yet had compassion for the lost to move toward them, not away from them.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

The Church’s call is not only to affirm the value of life but to support life—practically, sacrificially, and consistently.

That necessarily means

• Walking alongside families in crisis.
• Supporting women facing unplanned pregnancies.
• Caring for children, the elderly, and disabled.
• Offering forgiveness and healing to those carrying regret or grief from having either had an abortion or promoted abortion in their past.

Life Worth Protecting. People Worth Rescuing.

Sanctity of Life is not so much a political slogan, but a theological conviction born out of necessity. Since God is the Creator of life, life has value, and because Christ redeems sinners, no one is beyond hope. Since the Spirit restores the broken, healing is possible. If you know of someone who is struggling in this area, God can use you to bring freedom from guilt and shame precisely because the Gospel is true. Jesus bore our sin and our shame so that our joy can be real and abiding.

Take time to consider and commit to not only what we believe to be true, but also how we live this truth out in our daily lives.  May we be known as followers of Christ who speak truth fueled by love and extend grace with compassion.

Christmas time is one of my favorite times of the year as I suspect it it for so many of you too. It’s a time when families gather and are able to spend time together. This becomes even more special as your family ages and children move out and start lives and families of their own.  And it’s also a time, for those who know and love Jesus Christ, to reflect on and think deeply about some of the mysteries of Jesus Christ — the God-man.

Consider these words of Thomas Watson:  

Jesus was poor that He might make us rich. He was born of a virgin that we might be born of God. He took our flesh that He might give us His Spirit. He lay in the manger that we might lie in paradise. He came down from heaven that He might bring us to heaven….that the Ancient of Days should be born, — that He who thunders in the heavens should cry in the cradle, — that He who rules the stars should nurse at His mother’s breast, —that a virgin should conceive, — that Christ should be made of a woman, and of that woman which He Himself made, — that the branch should bear the vine, — that the mother should be younger than the child she bore, and the child in the womb bigger than the mother, — that the human nature should not be God, yet one with God: this was not only amazing but miraculous.1

What Watson is drawing our attention to are the glorious paradoxes of Jesus — He who is truly man and truly God. Jesus is:

• God and man?!?
• Creator and created?!?
• The Ancient of Days who was born?!?
• Omnipotent and dependent?!?
• Older than His mother?!? 

Yes and yes! A paradox is a statement or situation that appears to contradict itself or defy logic. Within Christendom they invite reflection and help sharpen our thinking about Jesus. And, most importantly, they should lead us to having our affections stirred towards our Savior.
 
Speaking of Jesus Athanasius has said, “The successes of the Savior, brought about by His incarnation, are of such kind and magnitude that, if one wished to go through them all, it would be like those who gaze at the expanse of the sea and try to count the waves.”2 We aren’t going to count the waves so we will focus on just one: the fact that in Jesus God is with us.

God With Man

In order to properly understand the affection-stirring reality of this statement we need to go back to the Old Testament. In the beginning, humanity lived in the fullness of joy in the presence of the God who made them (Ps 16:11). Adam and Eve were feasting on the abundance of the house of God and regularly drank from the river of God’s delights (Ps 36:7-8).

Intimacy, joy, pleasure and closeness abounded between God and man!

God and Man Separated

But that was all destroyed at the Fall. Among the litany of punishments God meted out perhaps the most soul-crushing was to be removed and barred from returning to God’s life-giving joy-producing presence (Gen 3:23-24). The warmth of summer was replaced by the frigid coldness of winter. The satisfaction of mission and purpose was replaced by self-absorption and aimlessness. The comfort of having a friend was replaced with the fear of now having an enemy.

God and man were now separated and only God could provide the needed rescue from this horrible condition.

The long process of God’s return and the costly price of restoration, hinted at in the middle of the curse God pronounced to Adam and Eve (Gen 3:15; 21), began with God’s covenant to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen 12:1-3; 26:23-25; 28:10-17). It continued as His chosen people grew into a nation and it culminated, at least in the OT, with the giving of the Law to Moses and the building of the Tabernacle.

It was here that God began His return to the people as His glory and the cloud of His presence filled the Tabernacle (Ex 40:34-35). To an extent what had been lost at the Fall was now restored as God had returned! Sadly, though, this was a conditional arrangement dependent upon the people and their obedience to God and His commands (Ex 19:5-9).3 And this was not something they could do.

Consequently, nine hundred years later and at the nadir of their existence due to their continued and relentless disobedience, God (again) fully removed His presence from the nation of Judah. Ezekiel writes of this poignant moment as God’s glory, already having departed the Temple and now standing at the city gate, left even that and fully departed the city and God’s people (Ezek 11:22-23). Once again, the soul-crushing separation between God and His people had occurred. God was no longer with His faithless people.

And that is how it remained for the next five hundred and eighty or so years until an angel appeared to a young girl named Mary. She was told that God had found favor with her and that she would conceive and bear a son who would rule forever (Lk 1:30-32). At the same time an angel appeared to Joseph, her fiancé, telling him what to name this son of theirs — Immanuel which means God with us (Matt 1:23; Is 7:14).

God With Man Again (and Forevermore!)

And this, the return of God, is the wave I want to briefly focus on. No longer is God’s continued presence with us conditional based upon our obedience. No longer is it mediated by unworthy lambs, bulls, goats, men or sacrifices.

Instead, Jesus added humanity to His divinity bringing the two natures together in the one person of Himself. And in so doing He fully and perfectly represented us and vanquished sin and its consequences. At the same time, as God, He fully procured and is forever securing our salvation having sufficiently paid its price.

In the person of Jesus God has returned to His people! It is He who does the work. It is He who forever remains faithful. And it is He who brings us freely and safely into the presence of the Father.

No longer do we need fear God and risk death by approaching Him in an inappropriate way (2 Sam 6:6-7; Lev 10:1-3; Lev 16:1-2). Instead, we can ‘with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and grace to help in a time of need’ (Heb 4:16).

Because Jesus is God with us we can behold the face of God and be fully satisfied (Ps 17:15).  

Because Jesus is God with us we can have all our desires fulfilled (Ps 145:19).

Because Jesus is God with us our souls can be as satisfied as we are with fat and rich food (Ps 63:5).

Because Jesus is God with us we can be radiant over the goodness of the Lord (Jer 31:12).

And because Jesus is God with us the great Uncreated and His creation are no longer separated. His dwelling place will forevermore be with man (Rev 21:3)!

May our contemplation of this single wave of the successes of Jesus produce joy and contentment in us this Christmas season. We do this because “Contemplating the splendor of God and so stoking our fearful wonder at Him is at the heart of Christian health. The grandeur of God pulls our focus up and away from ourselves. We wonder at a Being greater than us. We therefore diminish. His magnificence distracts and woos us from our daily self-obsession. We develop a taste for something other than ourselves. At the same time, our thoughts are lifted and cleansed as we consider One who is greater and purer than us.”4

Jesus is Immanuel — God with us!

1. Jonathan Gibson, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Crossway, 2023, page 97.
2. Ibid, page 193.
3. The people made this same bold claim repeatedly throughout the giving of the Law in Exodus. See also Exodus 24:3 and Exodus 24:7.
4. Michael Reeves, Rejoice and Tremble: The Surprising Good News of the Fear of the Lord, Crossway, 2021, page 80.

Nestled in the heart of the Matanuska Valley, Palmer, Alaska, is becoming the backdrop for a story of God's grace, community, and disciplemaking. Thanks to your generous support, Grace Fellowship, Agape Fellowship has taken root and is growing — and your partnership is making all the difference.

A Church Plant with a God-Exalting Purpose
Agape Fellowship was started by Pastor Nathaniel Buck and his wife, Worship Coordinator Dominika Buck, when they relocated to Palmer in 2015. They had a vision to plant a church devoted to making disciples of Jesus, resulting in community transformation, and we were excited to partner with them in the journey.

From the outset, the mission has been clear: “Agape Fellowship exists for the glory of God. We pursue the glory of God by pursuing Christ-likeness in all of life, seeking to make disciples of all nations, and working to transform our community.”

Growing in Numbers
Over the past few years, Agape Fellowship has seen consistent growth: more people choosing to gather, more families joining, and a steady increase in Sunday-morning attendance, followed by a potluck lunch in which relationships are deepened and community broadened among the attendees. The communal meal after worship isn’t just social—it’s formative. It fosters relationships, encourages newcomers, and allows deeper interaction. People are not only coming, they’re staying, connecting, and growing.

Growing in Depth of Disciplemaking
While growth in attendance is encouraging, the real story at Agape lies in the depth of spiritual formation.
The worship environment combines heartfelt praise (both older hymns and newer songs) and expository preaching from Scripture.

Weekly gatherings, meaningful fellowship, and small-group connection have allowed individuals to move from mere attendance into genuine belonging.
The church is intentional about forming disciples—not just believers—equipping people to love God, love others, engage the Word, and live missionally in their everyday lives.

A Three-Day Parenting Seminar That Made a Difference
Vicki and I, along with Mike and Tonya Lundy, led a three-day parenting seminar - "Foundations For Life, Family, and Parenting"- which brought together parents to explore Godward parenting. The seminars covered key issues such as:

- Gospel Identity Before Parental Activity
- Heathy Marriage As The Basis for Healthy Parenting
- The Four Stages of Parenting
- How People Change
- Communication Through Conflict

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive: many parents shared that they left with greater hope, actionable tools, a deeper connection with other families in the church, and renewed commitment to leading their homes well. This event wasn’t just a church event but a community impact moment - the families can now serve other families struggling to know how to parent with purpose and meaning as God intended, furthering the kingdom work of Agape Fellowship in Palmer

The Fame of God Being Spread
The gospel is being proclaimed—not just in words, but in service, relationship, and visible love.
In short: the fame of God is increasing—not in a boasting sense, but in the sense that people are talking about Him, drawing near to Him, and seeing Him at work.

What’s Ahead
The journey is just beginning for Agape Fellowship. Some of the next steps include:
- Deeper discipleship pathways (D-groups, Community Groups-groups)
- Continued community events that meet real needs (like the parenting seminar)
- Strengthening outreach so that Agape becomes a hub of hope for Palmer and beyond
- Maintaining the heart of belonging, authenticity, and Christ-centred worship that made Agape a compelling place to know Jesus and others.

Why This Matters
In a region like Alaska—where distances are great, community resources are fewer, and the spiritual climate can be challenging—a church like Agape Fellowship matters greatly. Agape Church shows that the grace in the gospel is personal and relational. Growth in number is good. But growth in grace is transformational, so that others might see, and the result is a church that doesn’t just add attendees but sees lives transformed and extends the reign of Christ on this earth.

Some stories in the Bible are so powerful that they echo across centuries. One of those stories is the account of the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4. Living in the fertile Jezreel Valley, she showed hospitality to the prophet Elisha by building a room for him to stay in whenever he passed by. In response, God gave her a son—something she had long desired but never expected.

Years later, tragedy struck. The boy suddenly collapsed in the field and died in his mother’s arms. In grief, the Shunammite woman rushed to Elisha, clinging to faith even in her confusion. Elisha prayed, stretched himself over the boy, and at last the child sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. Scripture says Elisha “gave him back to his mother” (2 Kings 4:36). It was a miracle that revealed God’s compassion and power over death, though mediated through a prophet.

Now, nearly nine centuries later and just a short walk down the same slope of Mount Moreh, another mother walked in grief. This time it was in the village of Nain. She, too, had lost her only son. But unlike the Shunammite woman, she had no husband to lean on, no prophet to summon, and no future—her security, her family name, her very hope for tomorrow lay on the stretcher before her. As the funeral procession wound its way through the streets and out the city gate, mourners wailed around her, and she followed close behind the stretcher, her son wrapped in a burial cloth, her devastation visible to all.

But that day, another crowd approached from the north. Jesus had set out early that morning to make the 20-mile trek to Nain.  The crowd joined him as he left Capernaum, which sat on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee.  To go south toward Nain, Jesus would travel through Galilee, then into the Jezreel Valley near Mount Moreh.  Jesus' destination - the town of Nain- was on the northern side of the same hill, with Shunam just two miles away.  It would take Jesus the entire day to walk the distance, and He arrived at the exact moment in the evening (since it would take all day to walk this distance) to meet the grief-stricken funeral procession leaving Nain, on which the lifeless body of a young man lay on a stretcher. Jesus, moved with compassion, touched the stretcher and commanded: “Young man, I say to you, arise!” Immediately, the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Luke tells us, “Jesus gave him back to his mother” (Luke 7:15). The wording was deliberate. Luke wants us to see the connection.

In Shunem, a prophet prayed, wrestled, and interceded, and God restored life. In Nain, the Son of God spoke, and life returned. In Shunem, the power of God was displayed through His servant. In Nain, the power of God stood embodied in His Son - the exact radiance of the glory of God (Hebrews 1:3).

The geography drives the point home. Nain and Shunem sit only two miles apart, perched on Mount Moreh's slopes. Anyone familiar with Elisha's stories would know the significance of the moment. What Elisha did in private for one family, Jesus now did in public before crowds of witnesses. And while Elisha acted as a channel of God’s power—as a prophet—Jesus worked as the very source of life itself—God among us.

The lesson is clear: Jesus is greater than the prophets. He is not simply a messenger of life—He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). For the widow of Nain, that meant her tears of grief were turned into shouts of joy. For us, it means that even death itself must bow to Jesus' authority.

From Shunem to Nain, the story resounds: In Christ, death is never the final word. And when Jesus meets death, life wins.

Often in the English language the word sufficient carries the connotation of a job that just barely got done or of a person who just squeaked by to make the next grade at school. In the world of theology, through, it is completely different.  
When theologians speak of the sufficiency of Christ they mean every little thing that was or is needed, required, and necessary has been met and provided such that there is no lack, no shortfall, and nothing more ever needed. Jesus more than meets the need and this is focus of the crescendo of the book of Hebrews in chapter ten.  

Jesus Offers the Sacrifice  
The writer of this book gives four reasons in chapter ten as to why Jesus is sufficient as he contrasts and compares Jesus to the shortcomings and insufficiencies of the Old Covenant. This can first be seen as Jesus, and not a sinful priest as found in the Old Covenant, is the one who makes the offering in the New Covenant.  
Yes, Jesus was a man, but He was not merely a man. He also was deity and He had no need to make any offering for His sins because, even though He was tempted as we are in every way (Heb 4:15), He never gave in - He was perfect!

Jesus IS the Sacrifice  
The second way the writer shows the sufficiency of Jesus is that He is the sacrifice. What had been prophesied in Isa 53:10 is made clear in Hebrews as the writer says that Christians ‘have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ’ (Heb 10:10). Even more explicit he wrote that Jesus appeared at the end of the ages in order to ‘put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself’ (Heb 9:27). Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29)!  

Jesus’ Sacrifice is Once-for-all
The third way His sufficiency is demonstrated is in the singularity of His sacrifice. The Old Covenant had daily, weekly, monthly and annual sacrifices that were repeated every year. Not so in the New Covenant. The offering of Jesus’ body was ‘once for all’ (Heb 10:10), it was an ‘all time single sacrifice’ (Heb 10:12) and it was a ‘single offering’ (Heb 10:14). His work was sufficient which is why His sacrifice was sufficient!  

Jesus’ Sacrifice Actually Cleanses
The final way the writer shows the sufficiency of Jesus is in what it accomplished. The Old Covenant was a shadow of the New and it never made perfect anyone who drew near (Heb 10:1) because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin (Heb 10:4).  
But after Christ offered Himself up He sat down at the right hand of the Father re-taking the position of power and authority He had laid aside some 30 years earlier. He sat down because the work was done and His people were ‘perfected’ (Heb 10:14). Speaking of Jesus’ work in regard to Christians the writer tells us that God ‘will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more’ (Heb 10:18).  
Because all this is true, Christians are a people who should be filled with hope. Since God sees us as perfect why wouldn’t we be stuffed to the gills with hope and joy? Certainly things can and will be tough for us at times, but in the end, because of the sufficiency of Jesus we know what and who awaits us! 
The other by-product of the sufficient work of Jesus is that Christians are actually new creations (Heb 10:16; 2 Cor 5:17; 2 Cor 3:18) who have the power of God coursing through them in the person of the Holy Spirit. We can live lives that honor God and we can resist sin - even if imperfectly.  
All of this is true because, unlike the deficient Old Covenant that never actually cleansed anyone, the work of Christ is fully sufficient for all those who trust in Him. He paid the price owed, He applies the benefits to us, and He gives us the power to joyfully follow after Him. May this short meditation on His sufficiency make us all more like Jesus in every way. 

Christianity and Islam both claim to be revelations of the one true God, but at their core, they proclaim conflicting truths that cannot be reconciled. John of Damascus, an early Christian theologian, was among the first to recognize and articulate these doctrinal contradictions. He called Islam “the heresy of the Ishmaelites,” not out of hatred, but because it deviated sharply from historic Christian truth.

The following are from On Heresies, in which John of Damascus (675–749 AD) identifies how Mohamed (c. 570–632 AD) invented Islam.
You can read more about this in Daniel J. Janosik’s book, John of Damascus, First Apologist to the Muslims

“There is also the superstition of the Ishmaelites (John’s term for Muslims, emphasis mine) which to this day prevails and keeps people in error…”  — On Heresies, §101 
“From that time to the present, a false prophet named Mohammed has appeared in their midst.” 
“He says that Christ is the Word of God and His Spirit, but a creature and a servant, and that He was born without seed of Mary the sister of Moses and Aaron.” 
“They say that He [Jesus] was a prophet and a servant of God, and that He ascended into heaven without having been crucified…”  (This references Surah 4:157, denying the crucifixion.) 
“This Mohammed, as it has been said, wrote many ridiculous books, to each one of which he set a title…” (Referring to the Qur’an’s surahs) 
“He says that the Jews wanted to crucify Him, but they were unable and crucified their own son instead.” 
“This is what he says, and this is what he wrote in his book, which he calls the Qur’an.”

The following are key doctrinal distinctives between Christianity and Islam

The Trinity is at the heart of Christianity: one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Islam rejects this as blasphemy. The Qur’an declares, “Say not ‘Three’: desist—it is better for you. Allah is only one God. Glory be to Him—that He should have a son!”  — Surah 4:171 God, in Islamic theology, is one in essence and person, a concept that directly opposes the Christian confession. 
Another sharp divergence lies in the person of Jesus Christ. Christians worship Jesus as the eternal Son of God, fully divine and fully human, crucified for our sins and risen for our salvation (John 1:1, Romans 4:25). Islam honors Jesus (“Isa”) as a prophet, but denies his divinity: “The Messiah, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger; many were the messengers that passed away before him…”  — Surah 5:75. 
Islam also denies the crucifixion and, therefore, rejects his role as Savior: “And [for] their saying, ‘We killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.’ But they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; it was only made to appear so to them…”  — Surah 4:157 
Finally, the doctrine of grace in Christianity is foreign to Islamic theology. In Christianity, salvation is a gift received by faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9). In Islam, salvation depends on balancing good and bad deeds (Surah 23:102–103) and operating within the Five Pillars of Islam. 
These differences are not minor. They go to the root of who God is, who Jesus is, and how salvation is received. Respectful dialogue is possible, but honest dialogue requires clarity: both religions cannot be true at the same time.

Bringing the Sacred into the Secular: A Call to All Vocations
"Law is power." That phrase came from John Inazu, a Christian and professor of law and religion. While John intended to help Christian lawyers understand their responsibility to the Lord stemming from their faith in Christ, his point reaches far beyond the legal profession. Wherever people carry responsibility—whether in a courtroom, a classroom, a kitchen, or a construction site—they carry power. And all power, he reminds us, is “playing with fire.”
In other words, your work matters—and it’s not neutral. Whether you're a nurse or an analyst, a student or a stay-at-home parent, you’re stewarding influence. You are doing work that shapes others. You’re navigating systems, serving people, solving problems, and making decisions. That’s power to influence—and Scripture teaches us that all power must be stewarded under God’s authority and grace.
The question then becomes: how do we bring the sacred into the secular?

Work as Worship
God never intended Sunday worship to be divorced from Monday work. Your job, your calling, your daily responsibilities—these are all places of discipleship and disciplemaking. Colossians 3:17 reminds us: “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Every spreadsheet. Every email. Every meeting. Every repair. Every delivery. Every meal prepared. Done in His name. Done with His joy. Done by His grace and in His Name
We often think sacred work happens in churches or ministries. But sacred work happens in every vocation when it’s done for God’s glory and the good of others.

The Pressures We Carry
Let’s be honest—many of us live under intense pressure. Long hours. Unreasonable expectations. Work cultures that define your worth by output. Some are working jobs where the stakes are high and the margin is thin. You feel underwater, barely coming up for air.
You’re not alone. God sees that burden. God is with you in the burden, and He not only cares, but the burden you carry matters.
As our Heavenly Father, He calls us to resist the lie that we are only as valuable as our productivity. We are not machines. We are image-bearers. He also reminds us that we must pay attention and build into our lives the rhythms of rest, margin, and worship because they aren’t luxuries—they’re lifelines.
That’s why things like scheduled times of rest, Bible meditation, prayer, and silence matter. One Christian professional described how he prayed regularly with a coworker in a quiet space at work, marking that place as sacred. It is not as though the space itself was holy, but setting aside the common for a particular purpose of worship was holy, bringing the sacred into the secular.
Others have built in regular times to unplug from devices and step away from the noise. These are modern-day spiritual disciplines—fireproof habits that help protect our hearts as we step into demanding environments.

You Are Not Your Job
One of the most powerful things a believer can remember in any field is this: You are not your title. You are not your paycheck. You are not your performance.  You are a child of God, justified by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It is this truth that provides you freedom from this world system... the world system in which you invade every day with sacred influence.
The sacred flexes when you serve others with your God-endowed skills outside the workplace—volunteering to serve on a ministry team at church, to share a skill through mentoring, offering a service to someone in need, helping people who can’t afford it. Not to earn anything, but to remember: My worth is not found in my profession or my resume. My calling is to serve.  I serve people for no other reason than it is a form of expressing my thanks to God.
James speaks to this value when he says: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction..." (James 1:27).  Notice how serving people who can never pay you back is the most significant expression of pure religion.  Why?  There is nothing in it for you... "except" worship.

The Common Good and Spreading the Fame of God
Your work is not accidental. It is not “secular.” It is deeply sacred when surrendered to God. The world needs people like you—deeply rooted in Christ, living faithfully and joyfully wherever God has placed you.  When you serve others for the sheer joy of being used of God to do good on behalf of someone else, you are part of a global choir singing of the goodness of God in your actions.
Let your workplace become your mission field. Let your daily tasks become acts of worship. Let your industry be a space where God’s goodness shines through your integrity, humility, and hope.
Because when you do, we see it happen: the sacred invades the secular. And that’s where the kingdom of God quietly enters the world—one task, one conversation, one life at a time.

Video - Operation Auca: 60 Years Later

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” —Luke 6:35
We live in a world shaped by self-centered, power-seeking influences (i.e. "Empire Thinking"). Worse still, our own hearts often lean toward retaliation, especially when wounded by a friend's betrayal or a family member's failure.  Jesus, however, calls us to a radical, cross-shaped love that reaches even to our enemies—“Love your enemies… do good to those who hate you.” His words are not poetry. They are marching orders for those who belong to Christ's Kingdom values.

But what does it look like when someone lives with the values of Christ's Kingdom in real life?  The story of Nate and Steve Saint gives us a rare and powerful answer.

When Love Is Stronger Than Spears
In early January 1956, missionary pilot Nate Saint—along with Jim Elliot and three others—landed on a remote sandbar deep in the Ecuadorian jungle. Their mission was clear, but it came with great risk: to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Waodani, an isolated and violent tribe known for revenge killings. On January 8th, all five missionaries were speared to death.

Their martyrdom stunned the missionary world and devastated their families. But it was not the end of the story. In an act of stunning grace, Nate’s sister, Rachel Saint, and Jim’s widow, Elisabeth Elliot, chose to return—this time to live among the very people who had killed their loved ones. Through their faithful presence and witness, many Waodani came to faith in Christ.

One of them was Mincaye—the man who had murdered Nate Saint.  But the story goes even deeper.

Nate’s son, Steve Saint, was just five years old when his father was killed. Several years later, in a moment that only the gospel could make possible, he was baptized by none other than Mincaye—the very man who had taken his father’s life… and who had since become his brother in Christ.  Mincaye and Steve are pictured in the picture below.



The family of Nate Saint—and the families of the other missionaries—did not seek vengeance. They brought grace. Instead of bitterness, they chose forgiveness. Though the loss of Nate Saint was profound, they lived out the values of the Kingdom—loving enemies, extending mercy, and offering peace. That kind of gospel courage transformed many in the Waodani tribe and led to deep reconciliation.

Years later, Nate’s son, Steve, returned to the United States to complete his education. But the jungle never left his heart. As an adult, he returned—with his wife and children—to live among the Waodani and make disciples of Christ.

And in a breathtaking display of Luke 6 love, Steve Saint welcomed Mincaye—the man who killed his father—as family. He called him "grandfather" to his children. In public, Steve often introduced him by saying, “This is the man who killed my dad… and is now like a father to me.”

What Could Possibly Explain This?
Only one answer makes sense: Steve Saint had received that same kind of love from Jesus. God did not wait for us to become lovable before He loved us. Romans 5:8 reminds us, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And Jesus Himself tells us that to reflect the heart of God, we must "be merciful, even as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:36).

In other words, the grace we’ve been given becomes the grace we extend. Steve Saint had every human reason to avoid the tribe, to stay angry, or to keep his children far from those who had taken his father’s life. But because he had tasted the mercy of God, he could walk in the mercy of God—even toward a former enemy.



Loving Like That Changes the World
This kind of love changes stories, legacies, and even nations. When Steve and Mincaye traveled together and spoke around the world, people wept—not only because it was a beautiful story, but because it was the gospel in motion. It was Luke 6, fleshed out in real life:

"Love your enemies"... "Do good to those who hurt you"... "Be merciful as your Father is merciful"

Jesus wasn’t offering a suggestion; these were His commands because He was describing what it looks like to belong to Him, to live according the values of His Kingdom. This is not soft love; it’s costly love. It's love that remembers the cross, love that absorbs pain, love that lays down its life for the sake of redemption.

What About You?
Who has wronged you? Who has wounded your heart or taken something from you?  The gospel calls us to do the impossible—until we remember that it’s exactly what God has already done for us. He loved us at our worst. And now He invites us to join Him in this kind of love.  The Saints didn’t just share the gospel—they lived it. They didn’t just tell the story of reconciliation—they became part of it, and now we know better what Jesus' teaching looks like when lived out in the real world.

May we do the same.

SEE Steve's Saints' missions work through ITEC

SEE Steve and families homecoming to Ecuador

SEE Last Trip Home

SEE an Overview of Operation Auca featuring Steven Curtis Chapman

January is Sanctity of Life Month, a time to reflect on the immeasurable value of every human being. In a culture often divided on the issue of life, we stand on the side of God's unwavering declaration that every person is created in His image (Genesis 1:27). From the unborn child to the elderly, from the disabled to the forgotten, every life matters.  Why? Because when it comes to the value of human life, the truth of God's Word is crystal clear.1.

1. Life Begins with Purpose
Scripture reveals that God knew us before we were born (Jeremiah 1:5). He intricately wove us together in the womb (Psalm 139:13-14). This truth reminds us that life is not an accident but a divine masterpiece. Each heartbeat reflects God’s intentional design, calling us to cherish and protect it. Consider Elizabeth’s baby, John the Baptist, who leaped in her womb when Mary arrived carrying Jesus (Luke 1:41-44). Even in the womb, John recognized the presence of the Savior, demonstrating the sacredness of life before birth.

2. Defending the Defenseless
Proverbs 31:8 urges us to "speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves." The unborn, the weak, and the voiceless rely on us to advocate for their lives. The sanctity of life extends beyond opposing abortion—it compels us to support adoption, foster care, and ministries that uplift struggling mothers.

3. Compassion Over Condemnation
Many women facing unplanned pregnancies feel fear, shame, or desperation. As followers of Christ, we are called to walk alongside them, offering grace, practical support, and the love of Christ. As part of our mission to spread the fame of God, we support Whispering Hope Women Center, which serves as a beacon of hope for women facing challenging and often confusing times.

4. The Gospel and Redemption
The sanctity of life points us to the Gospel. Christ died so that we might have life (John 10:10). No sin is beyond forgiveness, and no life is beyond redemption. The cross reminds us that we all need mercy—and God freely gives it.

The eternal weight of one choice to support life can change the world. Consider Moses, who was hidden in a basket and ultimately rescued to deliver Israel. Think of Mary, a young woman who carried the Savior of the world. Imagine the potential wrapped in every heartbeat that we defend today. Will we remain silent or rise as voices for the voiceless?

Every life has value—because God authors every life.

Rightly understood, Thanksgiving is more than a holiday; it is an act of worship, a turning of our hearts to the One who is the Giver of all good things. As we gather around tables and with loved ones, let us lift our thanks beyond the blessings we see to the One who gives grace daily, sustains us in every season, and redeems our lives.

A Thanksgiving Psalm O Lord, our Creator, we lift our eyes to You, The Maker of heaven and earth, whose hands formed all things. From the rising of the sun to its setting, Your steadfast love never ceases, and Your mercies are new every morning.

You have crowned our lives with your grace, Filling our hearts with joy and our homes with hope in you. Even in the valleys, You are with us, Guiding us with Your presence and holding us with Your right hand.

We thank You for the grace that saves, A gift we could never earn, yet freely given in Christ. Through His life, death, and resurrection, We are made new, and our souls find rest.

Teach us, O Lord, to count our blessings, Not merely in the abundance of the table.

Our hearts overflow with thanksgiving, Not only today but every day, You grant us breath. For You are good, and Your love endures forever.

May we remember that our ultimate gratitude belongs to our Creator and Savior this Thanksgiving.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever." (Psalm 136:1)

As Election Day arrives, it’s easy to feel the pull of hope—or fear—around what the results may bring. Who will be elected? What policies will shape our future? Will things get better or worse? These are expected questions in our society that often looks to politics to bring hope, justice, and change. But as followers of Christ, we're called to look deeper, to set our hope not on elected officials or governmental systems but on God's eternal, unchanging character.

Psalm 33:4–9 offers a profound reminder of where true hope and confidence belong: in the Lord, who is faithful and mighty beyond any human ruler. In a world where political promises are often fragile and fleeting, this passage calls us to anchor our hearts and hopes in something far more reliable.

1. The Foundation of Our Faith: God’s Faithfulness (v. 4–5) "For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD."

The psalmist begins by declaring that God's every word and action is right and faithful. Unlike politicians, whose words can be fickle or driven by agendas, God’s word is unwavering and pure. He is not swayed by public opinion, and His love for righteousness and justice never fades. The earth is filled with His steadfast love, a love that remains even when the world feels divided or chaotic.

In election seasons, we’re often tempted to believe that if “our” candidate wins, justice and righteousness will finally be realized. Yet this passage reminds us that God alone embodies perfect righteousness and justice. He doesn’t need a platform or position to carry out His will. Our peace, then, isn’t dependent on the success of any candidate or party; it’s rooted in the character of a God who is always faithful.

2. The Power of His Word: Creator and Sustainer (v. 6–7) "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses."

God created the heavens and the earth with a word, and by His breath, He filled the skies. His power over creation is absolute—He gathers the vast oceans as easily as we might collect a cup of water. If He commands the forces of nature, how much more is He sovereign over the events of human history?

When we consider God's creative and sustaining power, we are humbled. No president, governor, or political figure has authority over creation itself. We saw this in last week's service when we waded into the text and saw how Jesus commanded the fish into Simon's net (see Luke 5:1-11).  While elections shape laws and policies, they don’t control the tides or direct the stars. God’s sovereignty stretches far beyond the reach of any government. Our hope, then, rests not in earthly rulers but in the One who made and sustains all things.

3. A Call to Awe: The Lord Is Worthy of Our Reverence (v. 8–9) "Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm."

Psalm 33 calls all people to fear the Lord and be in awe of Him. The psalmist points to a truth that should recalibrate our minds on Election Day: God is worthy of our reverence and awe. Political leaders, no matter how powerful, are still human. They may inspire us, but they will also fall short. Only God’s word can bring something from nothing and establish a reality that will endure forever.

As we approach the polling booth or watch the results come in, let’s remember that our primary posture should be one of reverence toward God. He is the true ruler of our nation, the one who commands and sustains, and His purposes will stand firm, no matter who is in office.

Placing Our Hope Beyond the Ballot It’s not wrong to care about elections. In fact, we are stewards with a civic responsibility, and we should thoughtfully and prayerfully, but always remembering that our underlying identity and citizenship is in heaven. Those who place their hope in an election, run the risk of making an idol out of an individual.  Not only does this smack of idolatry - a great sin against God, we also tether our peace to the ebb and flow of human institutions rather than to the unchanging reality of God’s reign.

As we cast our vote or reflect on the future this Election Day, consider the deeper hope Psalm 33 offers. Remember that God’s faithfulness, His power, and His worthiness transcend politics. Let your soul find rest in Him, and may His peace guide you, knowing that He holds all things in His hands—today, tomorrow, and forever.

In a world desperate for security, let us shine as people of unwavering hope rooted in the eternal character of our faithful God.

Bill Nye Video

In the vast universe, where countless stars and galaxies exist, Bill Nye emphasizes humanity's minute presence - as a "speck." This cosmic perspective contrasts sharply with the Biblical view that holds to the same awe in the expanse of creation... as a creation of God, which brings value and purpose. At best, Bill finds meaning in reasoning and hoping to find some other life, not the very author of life.  How do these differing perspectives and their meaning logically affect our understanding of living?

Bill Nye's Cosmic Perspective
Nye believes that humans, like all life forms, are products of natural processes. Evolution by natural selection fueled by cosmic luck implies that our presence is a consequence of the chance and random events, not purpose.  In other words, our value is speck-like.  Respectfully, Nye's view is rooted in a process that lacks understanding in the very scientific method he employs.  The scientific method, the use of sensory testing through the progressive movements of hypothesis, theory, and physical law, was never intended nor able to speak on these issues since science is constrained, it is limited by time, evidence(s), and spiritual capacity of the individual.  All in all, science can never meant to speak to an objective standard for human meaning or ethical standards.

While Bill addresses the grandeur of the universe in his educational efforts, he fails to realize that his ideology is rooted in his own faith - what he believes, feeding on ideas that can never be proven by the scientific method and yet represented as being "science" - Bill Nye, "the science guy."  The implications of Nye's brand of religion creates a downstream effect on the way people live.  How?  Nye's "speck" perspective rightly understands our planet's minuscule size compared to the enormity of the universe and an incalculable arraignment of stars and galaxies; this is true. However, Bill then takes this humbling realization and challenges our sense of importance by comparing the significance of the vast universe with our significance through our implied value.  The consequences of teaching evolution over the last sixty years is startling has left an enormous crater in the moral landscape of our country. Since a person is no more than a series of random chemicals springing from a primordial soup, why should life be cherished, valued, honored, and protected?  To be sure, Bill is being consistent - if God didn't create us, then there is no objective reason to believe we have inalienable rights, meaning, and purpose given to us by the Creator.

The Biblical View of Human Significance
In contrast, the Biblical worldview presents a markedly different understanding of human existence and purpose. According to the Bible, humans are created by God in His image (Genesis 1:27). This belief confers intrinsic value and significance to every individual. Unlike the faith-based view of evolution, with its emphasis on randomness and chance, the Biblical view asserts intentionality and purpose in the creation of  humanity. The Bible teaches that humans have a unique role in creation. Psalm 8:4-5 states, "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor." This suggests a special status and responsibility, elevating human life beyond mere physical existence.

The Bible also provides an objective moral framework.  This ethical dimension underscores the importance of living in accordance with God's standard for humanity as represented int he ethical code of the teachings of Christ. The Biblical perspective offers a sense of purpose and identity grounded in the divine order. The Bible teaches that despite our physical smallness in the universe, our existence is meaningful because God ordains it to be. This belief provides comfort, direction, and a deep sense of belonging within the universe and responsibility to treat others with value and respect.

Bridging the Perspectives
While Bill Nye's cosmic perspective is contrary to the Biblical view of creation and the very existence of God, Nye’s emphasis on discovery and the awe of the universe can enrich the sense of wonder we feel toward God's creation.  Should we shun all of Bill's content?  I would suggest using Bill's experiments and content to educate our kids while also pointing out the fallacies of his methodology and conclusions related to Biblical truth.  Don't run from Bill's programming, but show it in light of the evidence for creationism.   Talk about where Bill diverges from a legitimate scientific method to a religion that masquerades as science.

All in all, engage with your family and friends to show the near-endless evidence for the existence of God screaming at us in all of creation.  While doing this, value people in front of your kids.  Value those who agree AND disagree with you. Treat them with dignity and respect, providing a powerful witness that you follow the God of all creation.  After all, there are no "specks" in God's creation.  Pray for Bill.  Pray for Bill. Pray that Bill is convicted of his error. Pray that the Holy Spirit convicts him and that he surrenders to Jesus – the only Savior who can deliver him from the penalty of sin. I pray that Bill won’t find his passion and meaning in finding life on other planets but in knowing His maker, the God of all creation, Jesus Christ.

Dig In:

Institute for Creation Research

ICR YouTube Channel

Creation Studies Institute

Creation Ministries International

Jesus had a way of showing up amid a crisis and making what seemed to be the end just the beginning. At Easter, we celebrate the hope that Jesus rose from the dead. The subject of resurrection was not new to Jesus. Remember Lazarus? (John 11:1-44). Jesus had been told Lazarus - a good friend was sick, but Jesus waited.  Jesus is hopeful: “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (v.4).  Great.  All good, then.  The story becomes heavy and confusing when Jesus tells the disciples that Lazarus has died.  What?  Didn't you tell us that his sickness would "not lead to death?" Didn't you promise that?  Jesus, did you get it wrong..?  It gets worse when Jesus tells the disciples that He is glad that Lazarus is dead: Then Jesus tells them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake, I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe” (vv.14–15)

By the time Jesus and the disciples arrive at Bethany, Lazarus has been dead for four days (v.17). Why does John mention "four days?"  Citing the days adds depth and tension to the moment.  For a Jew, four days would be significant since Jewish teaching expressed that the soul of the deceased would hover over and around the body for three days. Therefore, in waiting four days, no one would consider any possibility of healing.  Lazarus had already been entombed. It must have seemed like all hope was gone... except Jesus intended to "be glorified through it." Upon arriving on the scene, Jesus tells Martha, Lazarus's sister, that her brother will live again. Knowing the Old Testament, Martha relays that she knows he will on the last day (v. 24), but Jesus says something shocking: "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die" (v.25).

Jesus then tells the people to "take away the stone" (v.38). Martha protests because of the odor; the dead body must be strong after four days (notice the mention of the days again?). Jesus asks her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” (v.40). Stop and imagine that. What would you have thought if it were your brother? Your friend? At this moment?  What happens next brings all of Jesus’ identity into focus. If Lazarus doesn’t come out, then Jesus is a fake, a fraud, a phony! However, if Lazarus does come out, they are standing in the presence of the person who has power over death!

So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go" (John 11:41–43).

When Lazarus walks out of the tomb, the end becomes a beginning for him and legions of others who realize what Jesus' resurrection means. I have found this principle to be true in my own life. When I reached the end of myself and trusted in Jesus alone to pay for my sins, I found a new beginning. When I repented of self-goodness and trusted in His payment alone for my sins, it changed everything about who I am today. Simply put, I am a follower of Christ. This does not mean I am perfect, but it says I want to honor my Savior by living a holy life. When I fall short of this ideal, the grace of God views my imperfections through Jesus' obedience and covers them. In those times of regret, of wanting to be perfect yet realizing my weakness, I find that what should be an end is just another beginning.

Upon a hill backdropped by a cresting sun, stands a majestic creature in mystical splendor. Its gleaming white coat, free of blemish, wraps a regal structure of lean muscle and sinew that emanates an otherworldly sense of power and grace. Though its silhouette resembles a familiar form, a proud and prestigious horn protruding from its forehead pronounces this beauty’s unique position of preeminence amongst all other beings.

Surely this would be a wondrous and glorious sight for any eye to behold … if it was real.

One’s imagination is a powerful tool. It can be used to develop ideas, theories and visions that initiate, influence and inspire new and meaningful human experience, not only for the individual, but, in some instances, for the world. However, this power and the experiences it can produce are not bound to a particular moral predisposition. In other words, imagination and its fruit will not necessarily be bad or good, profitable or detrimental. That outcome depends largely on the individual applying the tool and how closely that application aligns to the reality established by the One who has defined and declared what is both bad and good.

Fanciful creations such as unicorns and the fictitious tales which accompany them seem rather innocuous when contemplating the moral implications of applied imagination, but they actually provide an effective example for consideration.

My children love unicorns. Our house is filled with drawings, paintings, books, toys and, presently, my most recent birthday balloon bearing the image of these mythological wonders. Day after day, unicorns impact our family’s experience in a fun and appropriate manner because they are imagined and applied in proper relation and subordination to God’s created order and his revealed word. We know they only exist in the imagination the Lord has given us; therefore, they do not impact the reality in which he has placed us.

God’s word is the governor by which our imagination and thinking must be ruled. While our family generally honors the Lord in our contemplation of unicorns, on occasion, a child has proposed that perhaps the creatures could exist. After all, there isn’t chapter and verse definitively declaring that magical one-horned horses aren’t real. It is at this point that the governing of scripture is applied to remind the child of how God’s sovereignty eliminates the possibility of a magical anything and how the unexplained wonders of the world are reflective of a glorious creator who is vastly superior to us yet generously condescends to graciously interact with us.

The imagination extends the bounds of what scripture declares as true and it is then brought back into proper usage by being aligned with what the Lord has revealed. Simple. Effective. Obvious … or is it?

Aligning one’s imagination and contemplation to the truth of God’s word should be the modus operandi of any Christ-follower. It is, after all, a necessary implication of the often under emphasized “observe” portion in the Great Commission. If we are to follow Christ, we must strive to think about ourselves and the world around us in the same manner he did, according to God’s truth. Operating according to any other paradigm will result in following someone or something else.

And all God’s people said … “Amen.”

Yet, could it be that our hardy agreement in word and principle finds less vigor in our function?

While we may be proudly proficient in using God’s truth to efficiently execute an opponent’s  way of thinking, how zealous are we to use this skill in examining the thinking of our allies or even our own? Do we enjoy pulling out the sword of truth to rightly undercut the pontification and propositions of those who promote a different perspective than our own and then allow it to sit silently sheathed when those who share our predisposition and priorities propose that unicorns are real?

If God’s truth is to govern our mind and living, it must be the objective standard by which we assess our thinking and those who influence it. The fact that someone generally thinks like me, shares similar values with me, wants the same outcomes as me and even purports to believe the same things as me does not mean I should open the door of my mind to let him or her influence me. If we are to honor the Lord in our thinking, the gates of our minds and hearts need to be diligently guarded by the objective word of God, not our pivoting proclivities.

Again, I can hear the choir sing, “Amen!” However, let’s entertain an example and see if the refrain will sustain.

Anyone with eyes, ears and a web browser is aware that American culture is not exactly eager to embrace, implement and adhere to biblical values. Christians of different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives would likely agree with this observation but may differ on how much attention or significance it has in relation to the concern and practice of the church.  Some may think it is not that big of a deal; the culture of the world has always been in opposition to the church and today is no different than yesterday just as tomorrow will be no different than the present. Others may think today’s cultural opposition is of a unique fashion and, accordingly, the church needs to make a unique, direct and bold response to the matters of the day in order to impact the future moral landscape of the country.

Though some may be discomforted with this reality, both of these positions (and some in between) can maintain footing when being held in alignment with God’s word. This doesn’t mean God’s word supports opposing truth claims; it simply means these truth claims are within the bounds of God’s revelation. And, while not yet fully aligned with the totality of God’s word in such a way that the claim must be considered certain and correct, they are not necessarily or directly opposed to a part of God’s word that is clear and definitive. Thus, when governed by God’s word, these positions can maintain a place of conviction, but not dogma.

However, both positions can and do get pushed into the category of unicorn lore. When convictions get influenced by inputs that breed enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, rivalry, dissension, division and envy instead of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, otherwise well-intended Christians can slip into imagining, thinking and even promoting things that are outside the bounds of God’s truth.

For instance, a Christian who wants to protect the church from the genuinely corrupt and godless influences that are being endorsed and seemingly championed by the world may start his or her campaign by promoting a renewed emphasis of equipping saints to know scripture and prioritize prayer. However, as his or her efforts stir little interest and even less passion, the Christian notices that more “effective” brothers and sisters are creating much more fervor and engagement by fighting fire with fire. Since the truth of scripture and the power of prayer seem inadequate to gain victory in the battle the Christian has determined necessary to win, he or she must employ more effective weapons of warfare such as sarcasm, hyperbole, vitriol and accusation. It may not be the way he or she would have preferred to handle the situation, but “desperate times call for desperate measures” and surely the end justifies the means in this case. After all, this is an eminent and dangerous threat to church of Jesus Christ.

Alert! Alert! We have a unicorn on the loose, people.

Simply compare the methodology and truth claims to the revealed word of God. Does scripture support arguing about foolish controversies that lead to quarrels or does it support correcting opponents with gentleness and confidence in God’s sovereignty (2 Timothy 2:22-26)? Does scripture promote trafficking in quarrels that produce envy, dissension, slander and suspicions or does it promote being content in godliness born from sound teaching and doctrine (1 Timothy 6:2b-8)? Does scripture teach us that engaging worldly means to accomplish what we have determined to be needed for Christ’s sake is in line with the things of God or the things of man (Matthew 16:21-26)? And does scripture warn us that Christ’s church is at risk of being upended by the world or does it declare that the almighty King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Head of the Church, the one by whom all things have come into existence and are held together, the victorious Lion of Judah who has conquered the grave, made his enemies his footstool and has prepared an everlasting, unfading, forever thriving glorious inheritance that he has eternally secured for every single one of his chosen people will reign victoriously without rival to his throne or a single deviation to his plan (The New Testament)?

Simple. Effective. Obvious.

You can want something to be true, you can believe it should be true, you can even use partial truths to support the plausibility of what you have soothsaid to be true, but, if what you want to be true does not start, fill and finish with the word of God, it’s just a figment of your imagination prancing across the horizon of a fictitious illusion.

How’s that “Amen” now?

I hope it still resounds. I hope it has not been silenced by some protective pejorative decorated with a misapplied scripture verse to convince yourself your beloved unicorn is real. I hope you agree that, though one may want something to be true, there is only One who has determined what is true and knowing, embracing and enjoying what he has authored is better than living in any self-serving fantasy we could ever imagine.

May we diligently seek his truth and his truth alone that we may be firmly planted in the reality of his word and let all that is not made of it be shattered against its never eroding shore.

The concept of "one-anothering" in the Bible is a powerful and transformative principle that helps spread the fame of God by emphasizing the importance of mutual care, support, and love within the Christian church and community. This biblical mandate encourages believers to engage in meaningful relationships characterized by selflessness, compassion, and encouragement.  The term "one-another” is mentioned over forty times in the New Testament and instructs believers how they are to relate to each other in a manner reflective of Christ's teachings. Thirty of these references are positive, “Pray for one another”, (James 5:16) and twelve are negative, “Do not complain (grumble) against one another”,  (James 5:9). These imperatives explore the significance of biblical "one-anothering" and its implications for fostering a vibrant and authentic church and community.

Foundation in Scripture

The foundation of "one-anothering" is deeply rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ and the writings of the apostles. In John 13:34-35, Jesus instructs his disciples, saying, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” This command forms the bedrock of the biblical principle of "one-anothering," calling believers to love each other in a way that mirrors the sacrificial and selfless love of Christ.

The apostle Paul further expounds on this idea in his letters to various early Christian communities. In Romans 12:10, he urges believers to "be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves." This exhortation emphasizes the importance of placing the needs and interests of fellow believers above one's own, creating a community marked by genuine care and mutual respect.

Practical Applications

Biblical "one-anothering" encompasses a wide range of practical applications, each contributing to the nurturing of a supportive and flourishing church and community. One key aspect is mutual encouragement, as highlighted in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 - “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact, you are doing." Believers are called to uplift and inspire one another, providing spiritual and emotional support in times of difficulty.

Additionally, the Bible emphasizes forgiveness in "one-anothering." Colossians 3:13 states, "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” This directive underscores the importance of cultivating an environment of grace and reconciliation within the church and community, fostering unity and healing.

Furthermore, the concept of “one-anothering" extends to acts of service and kindness. Galatians 5:13 encourages believers to "serve one another humbly in love." This call to selfless service reflects the servant-hearted attitude of Christ and reinforces the idea that genuine love is expressed through practical actions that benefit others.

Impact on the Christian Community

The practice of biblical "one-anothering" has a profound impact on the Christian community, creating a space characterized by love, unity, and mutual support. When believers actively engage in "one-anothering," they contribute to the formation of a community that reflects the transformative power of the Gospel and spreads the fame of God. This transformation can be seen in two primary ways.

First, "one-anothering" fosters a sense of belonging. In a world marked by isolation and individualism, the Christian church and community become a refuge where individuals find acceptance, understanding, and a genuine sense of connection. This sense of belonging is vital for spiritual growth and resilience in the face of life's challenges.

Second, "one-anothering" strengthens the witness of the Church. Jesus' statement in John 13:35 highlights that the world will recognize disciples of Christ by their love for one another. A church practicing "one-anothering" becomes a compelling testimony to the transformative power of God's love, attracting others to the message of the Gospel.

Conclusion

In conclusion, biblical "one-anothering" is a foundational principle here at Grace Fellowship that calls us to live out our faith in church and the community with servants’ hearts through acts of love, service, forgiveness, and encouragement. Rooted in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, this concept forms the basis for fostering authentic Christian community. As believers embrace the call to "love one another as Christ loved us," they contribute to the creation of a vibrant and transformative church and community that reflects the beauty of God's redemptive work in the world.

In the GraceTALK segment on 12.31.23, a question was asked:
"If we are forgiven for our sins, and the blood of Christ has covered the transgression, should we ask for forgiveness today? Could it be offensive to God, a slight against the work of Christ in forgiving us all our sins?"

The answer to this question turns on the understanding of what Christ accomplished in our position with God at salvation - our justification.  If a person, who has trusted in Christ as their Savior, believes that asking for forgiveness is required to secure more forgiveness, it would be offensive to God. Why? Jesus has secured all the forgiveness possible, for all our sins - past, present, and future.  Jesus took the wrath of God on Himself for our violation of His Holiness when he died on the cross. God confirmed this payment when Jesus rose from the grave. The very ministry of Jesus centered around the offer of complete forgiveness secured by Christ (Mark 1:1–8; 2:1–12; 3:22–30; 4:1–20; 11:25–26; Luke 1:67–80; 3:1–20; 5:16–26; 6:27–38; 7:40–50; 11:1–4; 12:1–12; 15:11–32; 17:1–10; 23:26–49; 24:44–48; John 1:29–34; 7:53–8:11; 20:19–25) and expressed throughout the establishment of Christ’s Church (Acts 2:14–39; 3:11–26; 5:22–32; 7:54–60; 8:14–25; 10:34–43; 13:13–41; 26:12–18).

Paul echoes the comprehensive nature of our forgiveness as the basis for our relationship with Him.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace… (Ephesians 1:7)

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross (Col 2:13–14)

Paul uses our complete forgiveness by Christ as a motivating factor to extend unlimited forgiveness to others.…
bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive (Colossians 3:13)

Therefore, asking God to forgive us repeatedly is effectively endorsing the idea that Christ’s work on our behalf was insufficient. Additionally, it gives us the task of remembering and confessing every sin we would commit after our conversion. This arrangement also minimizes our sin by addressing only the wrongs of our actions. It fails to realize that sin is also the absence of loving the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37).  Individuals who believe they must confess each of their sins to be forgiven throughout their lives must become the active agent in their own salvation. In this scenario, justification is based on the work of Christ AND their action of continual confession. In this scenario, Christ becomes the passive agent - merely the resource for our work.

For the person who understands that their sins are forgiven past, present, and future already (that Christ’s work cannot be established nor enhanced based on our request) then that person can express a need for forgiveness in a mournful, penitent manner. The forgiveness being asked for is not to expiate sin but a genuine and sincere response to a known violation of God’s will for his or her life. As a matter of fact, a follower of Christ will confess their continual need for forgiveness until he or she is in the presence of Christ.  However, the forgiveness for sins was secured by Christ and completed when a person places their faith in the work of Christ on their behalf.   Confessing our genuine and abiding need for continual forgiveness and recognizing and responding to our wayward posture with repentance and contrition is more of a confirmation that we have been forgiven than a requirement to receive forgiveness. Let's look at the classic passage in Scripture that will shed more light on this subject.

Textual Basis
The most prominent verse used to advance the notion our fellowship with God is determined by continually confessing and receiving forgiveness for our sins is 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Let's explore what John intended for us to understand when he wrote this.

1 John 1:1–2:2 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

I. John’s Salvific Standard.
v.5  This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

II. John’s distinguishing between the lost and the found.
In vv. 6-2:2, John uses the conditional clause - "If/we" to provide a self-assessment tool for the reader to discover their spiritual identity. John envisioned two groups - the first group is in fellowship with one another and God, while the second group is not. The force of John's argument is: If you (believe or say or do) "X," then you are … in fellowship with God and one another (v.7, 9, 2:1-2).  If you (believe or say or do) "X" then you are out of fellowship with God and one another (v.6, 8, 10).
John's use of the term "fellowship" would be akin to our understanding that a person is "saved."  To be "in fellowship with God" is to be a Christian in the mind of John.  Again, John is NOT using this term regarding the vitality of a person's relationship with God - being "in" or "out" of fellowship based on one's obedience.  While this idea is prominent in many churches, it is not an idea born from any text but from an attempt to make sense of the strain a person will have when "living in sin."  I have written previously on this in another blog - "The Carnal Christian?"

v.6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. The first category of those not "in fellowship" (not "saved") consists of those who ignored their sin as if it did not really matter. They claimed to have fellowship with God, to share common aspects of life with Him (i.e. "eternal life," John 17:3). However, the claim is meaningless if one continues to walk in the darkness. Why? Because "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." In other words, there is no way the Spirit of life lives in them, for they disregard the very God who lived and died for them so they can live a Godward life. Therefore, a Christian cannot ignore the existence of personal iniquity and walk in darkness (cf. Col. 1:12–14). No matter the claim for oneself, the genuineness of faith can always be seen in the life that loves righteousness (Matt. 7:15–20), for that is what God loves.

v.7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. No doubt, a person said to John, "Well, what happens when I sin? What happens to the transgression? If I don't do anything (images of Jewish sacrifices or (for Gentiles) an offering to the gods would have filled their culture), then where does it go?"  Contrary to v. 6, a Christian manifests a life ("walk" - pattern or habit of life) that is consistent with the ways of God - who has been pictured as being analogous to light - "he is light" (see v.5). Given that this is the case, the individual can have confidence that anytime sin enters the picture, "the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin." The imagery is that the moment darkness (a.k.a. "sin") comes into the life of a Christian, the blood of Christ overwhelms and cleanses it like darkness being overcome and dissolved by light. Since the blood of Jesus Christ continually cleanses away every impurity, sin can never change a believer's standing before God. There is nothing a disciple of Christ can add to regarding their standing before God because the value and worth of Christ do not need to be enhanced nor strengthened by any act or petition on our part. It could be said that this view is God's view, the way that God sees the situation - our justification based on the merit of Christ secured by faith alone.

v.8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. A second group of people professing to "have fellowship" with God and the Church also claim(s) to have no sin. This position differs from the first in that the stance is prouder, more arrogant, an expression of transcendence: "I used to sin, but I don't sin anymore." These people would claim to have reached a higher spiritual plane where sin no longer exists. The idea of overcoming their fallen condition completely misunderstands that we are "simultaneously just and sinner" (Lat. simul ustis et peccator). The Reformation teaching - that we are just (or righteous) before God through the imputation of the merits of Christ received by faith in Christ alone and that we are still sinners, in which the principle of our self-dependency (our "flesh" - Gk. "sarx"), continues to bend our allegiance, is completely lost on this group or individual. The critical component in this group is the distinction between justification before God - based on faith in the work of Christ and our sanctification in God based on our growing trust in Christ more and more.

v.9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It is vital to remember that this verse is a specific reaction and answer to the previous view held in v.8 - "I used to sin, but I don't sin anymore." If v. 7 can be said to be God's view when sin enters our life, then v. 9 could be said to be our view when sin enters our life. The person who confesses their sins - the reality and affirm that it is a transgression of God's holy law and a violation of His will, is the person to whom He is "faithful and just to forgive" [their] "sins and to cleanse from all unrighteousness." John is making the point that sincere and legitimate believers don't come to the point of not sinning (see v.8) but are continually confessing their experience as sinners, in need of God's faithfulness to his promise to be cleansing us (see v. 7) constantly. John is not saying that forgiveness is based on their ongoing confession. Still, their ongoing pattern of confession is a sign that they have been forgiven (see 1 Timothy 1:15). The confession will grow and expand because the Holy Spirit is sanctifying the disciple of Christ to understand the depth and breadth of self-dependency in his or her heart as they mature. The believer will experience a greater hatred of their sin and a depth of penitence before their Savior for the work He has done in rescuing them from their sin.

v.10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. The third group claims to have never sinned. The assertion of this group makes God a liar when He has clearly said that all people have sinned, and, second, they deny the need for a Savior. In this way, Jesus is made utterly irrelevant in their life for the purpose for which He came - to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).

Chap. 2 v.1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. John's desire, as is the desire of every Christian, is to honor Christ as Lord and never to disobey His will. John also knows that this will not be his nor our reality until we are home with the Lord (see Romans 7:14- 25, 2 Corinthians 5:1- 5). Therefore, until then, John envisions a courtroom in which our sinful actions demand a reckoning, and Christ stands as our advocate. We nor Christ denies our guilt; both express it willfully, but Christ acts as "the righteous" who satisfies the Holy standard of the Law of God. The strength of Christ's propitiating work is sufficient for anyone who trusts Him as Savior - even the whole world.  The good news of our justification on the merits of Christ provides both the security for our hope before a holy God and THE motivating factor - the "want" to obey God in light of His incredible mercy and grace.

Up until the 1800s, revival meetings in American churches aimed at rejuvenating spiritual fervor in light of the Gospel and encouraging personal transformation among attendees. The Gospel message, enflamed by the work of the Holy Spirit, was the driving force of religious affection and promoted unity among churchgoers. However, by the beginning of 1825, the revival meeting(s) were changing in a (often) sincere effort to realize more conversions. These ideas were broadly called "new measures" and would come to change the entire orientation of the revival meeting... along with evangelicalism in America.

In 1825, Charles Finney was the catalyst behind these "new measures" intent on producing conversions. As a lawyer by trade, Finney believed:
"A revival is not a miracle, or dependent on a miracle, in any sense. It is a purely philosophical result of the right use of the constituted means."
In Western New York, where these techniques were introduced — extended singing during the invitation, anxious seats in the front for those feeling the weight of conviction, inquiry rooms, the crying plea of the pastor to escape the flames of hell nipping at one's heals, the public censure of individuals by name in sermons and prayers, the instant profession and recording of decisions, etc., the results were noticeable - more conversions, larger crowds, and increased giving. However, while proponents claimed a new "work of God" had arrived, there was growing skepticism that the new techniques were simply a form of manipulation, not the work of the Holy Spirit.

A Growing Concern

In May 1827, pastors of Congregational churches in Oneida, New York, published a letter entitled:  Pastoral Letter of the Ministers of Oneida Association to the Churches under their Care, on the Subject of Revivals of Religion. The letter was a gentle warning to avoid counterfeit methods in revival meetings:
"... making too much of any favorable appearance; not guarding against false conversions; ostentation and noise; the hasty acknowledgment of persons as converted; (the strength of the church does not consist in its numbers, but in its graces… We fear that the desire of counting numbers is too much indulged, even by good people)."
The emphasis on emotional responses based on felt needs, coupled with the "fire and brimstone" preaching - emphasizing the horrors of eternal hell, was becoming more and more pronounced. There was a growing concern that the gospel being presented was not producing changed lives but merely the outward form(s) of a temporary change in behavior. The desire to escape the horrors of hell and be assured of entering heaven after one's death was the core thrust of the revivalist's message.

Ultimately, the number of conversions recorded in many churches vastly overwhelmed the need to take the warning seriously.  The new measures would continue and expand.  For example, Jedidiah Burchard conducted revival gatherings in central and northern parts of Vermont in 1834-35. Burchard claimed to be God's instrument in igniting a "great fire of religious fervor." A reporter recorded the scene of Burchard's revival meeting.
"After repeated prayers and appeals, through which he almost compelled crowds to occupy the anxious seats, he repeatedly inquired if they loved God. They remained silent. 'Will you not express your love for God? Just say that you love or desire to love God.' Some confessed, and their identities or numbers were noted down to be reported as converts. Merely affirming the question sufficed, yet many were not readily induced to admission without persistent urging and management. He persisted, 'Do you not love God? Will you not admit that you love God?' Then, taking out his watch, he exclaimed, 'I grant you a quarter of an hour. If you are not brought to love God within fifteen minutes, there will be no hope for you—you will be lost, damned.' A moment of silence followed with no response. 'Ten minutes have passed; only five minutes left for salvation! If you do not love God in five minutes, you are lost forever!' The terrified candidates confessed records were made, and a hundred converts were reported."

Taking the Show on the Road
By the end of 1827, the controversy of the "new measures" style of revival seemed to have come to an end… in western New York, that is. By the end of 1827, the influence of Charles Finney had grown to capture the ear of the churches in Philadelphia (America's second-largest city during this time). Charles Finney began holding revivals throughout the city of brotherly love. Soon, the same concerns that had dogged Finny in Western New York were nipping at his heels again.

Silence is Unity
To counter these concerns, in May of 1828, the pastors and leaders who supported the new measures designed and circulated a "Treaty of Mutual Silence." The document held signatories in agreement to:
"Cease from all publications, correspondence, conversations, and conduct designed and calculated to keep those subjects before the public mind" and "to induce our friends on either side to do the same."
At first glance, the document heralded a Christian virtue - the unity of the faith among the churches. To the uninformed minister and church-goers in Philadelphia, far away from the rumblings in Western New York, this compact was one more indication of the pious and passionate heart of a new wave of young evangelists led by Finney. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Silence... a Form of Betrayal
Just before the circulation of the "Treaty of Mutual Silence," Asahel Nettleton and William Weeks had made known that they were "collecting facts and making preparations to publish them" regarding the growing reliance on man-centered means that were void of Spirit-induced conviction. The impending report would also question the "refusal of certain young evangelists to examine the lasting fruit of those being converted under the new measures" and for church leaders to "avoid fanning the flames of counterfeit faith," that seemed to be burning out of control in many churches under the guise of "revival.

The motive for circulating the petition was to keep Nettleton and Weeks from damaging Finney's work.  It was not unusual for Finney to warn people who questioned his methods, to "not to quench the Spirit by questioning the Spirit" was a common cry of Finney. It seemed that Finney, along with his associates, would use this petition to hold pastors and church leaders hostage in a vow of silence.  In Philadelphia and surrounding areas, Pastors were urged to sign the petition that would bind them not to challenge the "new measures" of Finney nor those who were aligned with Finney.  The cry for unity expressed in silence was too great for many pastors to stand against. The desire to evaluate the areas in which "revival" had come through proved so small that by the time the report by Nettleton and Weeks would be published in 1848, both men were dead.

"New Measures" in Our Day?

While fiery sermons and extended alter-calls are absent in most churches today, the underlying mentality - the belief that the environment dictates acceptance and conversion, saturates the evangelical church in America.  The evangelism we often see today is epitomized in the "seeker church" philosophy.  The effort to create environments in which the felt needs of the "seeker" shape the message and occupy the attention of the church leadership. Tragically, the notion that man-made environments are a guarantee to produce Godward results confuses both the order of salvation and misunderstands the nature of saving faith.  The focus and emphasis for many churches today devolves God-centered, Christ-exalting evangelism into mere slogans such as "Live your Best Life Now" or  "Christianity will make your life better and make you better at life."  Underneath this brand of church is the notion that Christianity can be made irresistible to people held captive in their sin by some technique, engaging church environment ("win the right to be heard"), or a message that aims at the felt needs of people. While the techniques in the seeker-church model look very different from those used in the 1800s, they are just as rotten because, at its core, the governing mentality is rooted in life enhancement.

The lack of discernment among some pastors and the lack of courage to stand against the "new measures" in evangelism during the 1800s changed the Evangelical Church in America forever.

The question is: "How much doubt can a Christian have until they begin to doubt whether or not they are true believers?"

To answer this question, we need first to reorient it.  Why? The current framing of the question compares doubt within a Christian to being like water filling a cup – “how much doubt”… implies a critical threshold where doubt reaches a level that cancels an individual's claim to being a "true believer." Consequently, answering the question as is would give the impression of perpetual uncertainty, plagued by the elusive and burdensome task of determining the precise level of faith they possess and whether it is enough to qualify as a "true" believer. A more suitable analogy for this topic would be a “walk.” A walk aligns more with the ongoing development of our trust in Christ. Unlike the imagery of a cup, which implies a fixed state of being full, the concept of a "walk" speaks to more of a direction in life. Said another way, the better approach to this question would be to consider it not through the amount of faith one has at any given moment but on clear markers of saving faith in the trajectory of one's life.

Therefore, let me reframe the question: "What are the clear markers that identify an individual who possesses saving faith.”

For the purpose of our consideration, let's assign a name to the individual grappling with this problem. We'll refer to this person as “Frank." First, Frank needs to know that the Apostle Paul believed that the authenticity of a person's faith in Christ can be seen in subjective and objective measurements. When brought together, these gauges can provide a powerful basis for the hope he seeks.For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance (subjective) and through the encouragement of the Scriptures (objective), we might have hope (Romans 15:4).
Now, let's examine Frank's life from these two distinct perspectives: the subjective and the objective.

Subjective - the desire for Christ.
Engaging in a conversation with Frank, my approach would involve exploring his innermost desires. By posing questions that delve into his intentions and aspirations, I would aim to uncover what truly resonates with him at the level of his motivation. Does Frank value Christ deep within his heart, and why?  Does he yearn for greater intimacy with Christ and mourn his inability to follow Jesus more closely? Is Frank capable of perceiving Jesus' intrinsic value, viewing Him not merely as a means to an end but appreciating Him for His value and worth?

I ask these questions because the significance of the person of Jesus will emerge from a truly redeemed heart. When God extended His call to Frank, the nature of Frank's faith would inherently embody qualities congruent with the value and worth that the Holy Spirit attributes to Jesus. Thus, if the Holy Spirit indeed dwells within Frank, the value and worth he ascribes to Christ should harmonize with the revelation of the Holy Spirit in Frank's heart. In simpler terms, the proof of Frank's possession of saving faith would manifest in his esteem for Christ. Though Frank might not consistently exhibit an unwavering reliance on Christ as he ideally should, his estimation of Christ's value should be evident. At this level, we are not addressing an action by Frank or his lifestyle. I would want to know if Frank treasures Jesus wholly separate from his failings to follow Jesus.

The Apostle Paul expressed this exact dynamic in his own life when he wrote to the Church in Rome (see Romans 7:7–25). Paul was vexed at the abiding reality of his flesh (GK, sarx) - the human orientation to depend on oneself. At a more profound level of desire, Paul also saw the value of Jesus expressed in a craving for obedience: ”I delight in the law of God, in my inner being” (Romans 7:22). Yet, Paul did not fully realize this desire in his walk. The tension Paul was experiencing is well-known by all of us who trust in Christ.
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the Law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the Law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the Law of my mind and making me captive to the Law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the Law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the Law of sin (Romans 7:15-25).
From within the torment of his inability to obey as he would like, Paul finds solace in the realization that Jesus has rescued him from the rightful consequences of his sin. The depth of Paul's struggle to obey erupts in the text: "Wretched man that I am!" In this moment of despair, Paul wonders: "Who shall deliver me from this body of death?" This enigmatic phrase "body of death" could allude to a form of capital punishment among the people who lived near Tarsus, Paul's birthplace (see Acts 22:3). In this gruesome practice, individuals convicted of murder faced a particularly horrific execution. The cadaver of the victim would be bound tightly to the perpetrator's body and then sent into a desolate area. As the victim's body decayed, it gradually merged with the murderer's, subjecting them to a protracted, agonizing demise. Both the phrase "body of death" and the context of Paul’s suffering due to his inability to be free strongly imply that Paul had this gruesome fate in mind. Yet, despite being haunted by the image of a lawbreaker burdened with the "body of death," Paul's hope arrives as he turns to the liberation he found in Jesus: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (7:25a). Paul’s yearning for freedom finds its resolution in the redemptive work of Christ. Jesus, in bearing the weight of Paul's indebtedness to the penalty of the Law, metaphorically severs the bonds that once held him captive. Because of Christ, Paul is now free!

However, Paul lives within an ongoing tension, the lingering fragrance of his former self – succumbing to faithlessness at times in his attitude and actions. The intricacy of this internal conflict in Paul's life finds its essence distilled in the interplay of two compelling perspectives: "So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh, I serve the law of sin" (Romans 7:25). Within the tension of this idea, we discern that Paul wholeheartedly upholds the sacred and rightful standing of the Law as God's divine standard. Yet, simultaneously, he acknowledges a profound reality: the principle that his inherent inclination to prioritize things other than Christ can never be completely eradicated from his life until he transcends his physical body and finds his new home in the presence of the Lord. Yet, the fuel that powers Paul forward is the value He has for who Christ is and what Christ has done on his behalf. The Gospel provides the drive in Paul wanting to be obedient.

I know what some of you might be thinking: “Couldn’t this serve as an excuse for the disobedience of some people by focusing on saving faith as merely an internal desire to the exclusion of good works? Not for one moment. I am simply outlining the first line of investigation into the issue of doubt expressed by “Frank.” Undoubtedly, we must engage in the unrelenting battle against our internal inclination towards disobedience. But we must never forget that we enter this battle fueled by our unwavering remembrance of the splendor and hope bestowed upon us by the person and work of Christ. For this reason, I would first delve into Frank’s convictions and perceptions regarding his value for Jesus. Does Frank display this value for Christ, or does he merely see Jesus as a way to a better life? If Frank became a Christian merely as a means to make his life better, then the Gospel that Frank has put his hope in is no gospel at all.

Objective - obedience to Christ.
The Bible doesn't shy away from acknowledging that believers can, at times, engage in severe and prolonged sinful behaviors. One such illustration comes from the life of David (2 Sam. 11–12; Ps. 51), and another is found in the account of Lot (2 Peter 2:7–9). David's own experience is poignantly depicted in Psalm 51:12, where he openly conveys the loss of his inner joy due to his disobedience. Yet, amidst this, he does not lose his salvation, as he fervently implores: "Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit" (Psalm 51:12).

That being said, it remains undeniable that the walk of a legitimate believer will be made evident in their obedience to Christ. 1 John 2:3-4 says, "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." John simply reinforces what Jesus told His Apostles on the night of His betrayal: "You are my friends if you do what I command you" (John 15:14).

The authenticity of the Apostles' faith didn't only reside in their internal trust in Jesus; rather, their lives turned on the two-prong hinge of saving faith - authentic trust in Jesus made evident through obedience to His commands. The truth of faith and works being two expressions of a Christian's identity is analogous to the imagery of a flower. The hidden root of the flower is like the disciples' faith, operating beneath the surface. Just as the flower stands as evidence of the concealed root, good works are observable evidence of a believer's faith; being born again necessitates the coexistence of faith and works.

In my conversation with Frank, I would want to know if He obeys Christ? Frank's confidence as a bona fide follower of Christ will find its footing through living in alignment with obedience to Christ. Frank’s conviction will be nourished by the practice of faithfully embracing the Lordship of Christ, wholeheartedly adopting His worldview, and embodying a lifestyle that reflects the character and priorities of Jesus.

The assurance of the Apostles didn't solely rely on a passive belief devoid of obedience; instead, their confidence stemmed from their active trust in Jesus, demonstrated through their obedience to His commands, which bore fruit in their lives. Frank's assurance in possessing saving faith will be solidified through the crucible of living in accordance with Christ's directives and thereby having the image of Christ formed in him (see Galatians 4:19).

Christians who persist in sin for a time will forfeit their assurance for as long as they are grieving the Holy Spirit. It is not that we seek certainty in our works but that we gain confidence from sensing the Spirit's work in us. Once again, the Holy Spirit shapes and reforms our inner being (see Romans 7:22), attesting to our status as children of God as we maintain sync with His ongoing operation within our lives. Frank needs to know that while saving faith does not rest solely on his good works, saving faith will never exist apart from good works.

Thomas Manton, in his commentary on James, first published in 1693, summarizes this truth beautifully when he said: "Works are an evidence of true faith. Graces are not dead, useless habits; they will have some effects and operations when they are weakest and in their infancy.… This is the evidence by which we must judge, and this is the evidence by which Christ will judge.… Works are not a ground of confidence, but an evidence; not the foundations of faith, but the encouragements of assurance. Comfort may be increased by the sight of good works, but it is not built upon them; they are seeds of hope, not props of confidence; sweet evidences of election, not causes; happy presages and beginnings of glory; in short, they can manifest an interest, but not merit it" (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, pg. 293).
The words of Manton echo the sentiment articulated by Luther in his commentary on Romans, where he asserts that "… It is impossible, indeed, to separate works from faith, just as it is impossible to separate heat and light from fire."

A Final Caution
Another Scripture sheds light on Frank’s pursuit to gain confidence that he is a true believer. In Paul's second letter to the Corinthians (13:1-5), he establishes a connection between authentic faith and an individual's response to correction within the church community. In verse 5, Paul says: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! What test? What examination? The context reveals that how a person responds when caught in explicit sinful behavior (see 1 Corinthians 5:1-13), will confirm or deny the presence of saving faith.

Paul's choice of words mirrors Christ's teachings in Matthew 18:15-17, where he mentions "the evidence of two or three witnesses” (2 Cor. 13:1). The point is that if an individual persists in rebellious conduct against the teachings of God’s Word and their response to the church is one of defiance, it casts doubt as to the presence of the Holy Spirit and, therefore, a legitimate claim on being in a relationship with Jesus. If a person refuses to follow Jesus, they are effectively denying a relationship with Jesus, irrespective of what they may claim. Conversely, if the individual repents and chooses to submit to Christ, their confidence in having saving faith rises. In other words, he or she has passed the test!

Let’s apply this principle to the life of “Frank.” If Frank were to stray from his commitment to Christ and a fellow member(s) of his church confronts him regarding the importance of obeying Christ in a specific matter (lying, adultery, theft, gossip, etc.), and if Frank genuinely heeds their counsel and repents, this stands as compelling evidence that Frank indeed possesses saving faith. However, if Frank were to reject the concern and counsel of fellow Christians, setting himself adrift in his relationship with Christ and withdrawing from the Church community, Frank’s confidence in his claim to be a Christian must be subject to reevaluation by the Church. As the Apostle John said: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19).

Church discipline serves a twofold purpose: first, to unveil the genuineness of one's faith in Christ, and second, to differentiate true believers from those who merely profess faith within the visible body of Christ. No wonder Jesus commanded the Church in this matter to separate the authentic believer from the make-believer:"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them" (Matthew 18:15-20).

Conclusion
The certainty of one's faith isn't contingent on overcoming some measurable threshold of doubt. Instead, it's founded on the desire to value and follow Christ. While doubts are normal, they don't negate true, saving faith. The authenticity of faith is unveiled through both inward yearnings and outward deeds. This perspective empowers individuals like "Frank" to navigate their spiritual journey with assurance, acknowledging their continual need for Christ's redemption while embracing the Gospel's transformative power. Frank exists in what can be described as a dual state: he is both a sinner, reliant on the grace of God through the merits of Christ's life, death, and resurrection, and a saint, firmly established in his relationship with God due to the completed work of Christ. Frank's walk with Christ will invariably encompass these two dynamics until he enters his eternal rest in the presence of Christ.

There are times in life when God’s goodness doesn't feel so good. These almost always go hand in hand with the times when it seems as if God’s sovereignty and providential control are on holiday. Such a situation manifest itself in the life of our church this very week, but I want to testify that through it all God was good and God was in control and He remains good and in control.

As the Lord would see fit, both of the pumps that service our septic tanks ceased to work at some point in the past.  Additionally, the septic alarm that is designed to make a horribly loud sound to draw our attention to the inoperable pumps was also not working. With this triple mechanical failure, it was only a matter of time until the tank contents backed up and entered our building.

Certainly, this is a bad situation that will not be inexpensive to deal with. It will take a lot time from many people to work through and it will cramp our style and impact how we normally do business throughout the week at church and how we worship our always good and sovereign God on Sunday mornings. I am not minimizing the inconvenience, cost, and impact of this situation.

But, as I sit back and consider it all, I truly do praise God.  This could have happened on a Friday where it would have continued unabated for one to two days and we would have walked in to the situation on a Sunday morning.  This could have happened last week when I was out of town making the situation much more difficult for the church to handle.
The more things are removed from the life of a Christian the more we find out that Christ is there and that He is enough.

Neither of those things happened!  Additionally, we have insurance that will help pay for this. We live in a society that has professionals who can and did respond almost immediately to deal with the clean up as well as repair the pumps and alarm so this situation doesn’t repeat itself.  

And, most importantly, I praise God for the opportunity to extoll His greatness in such a situation.  Paul says that he counted the loss of all things as mere rubbish (Phil 3:8).  He said this because as he lost stuff like his freedom, his status, his physical health, he grew to know and experience Christ more.

In a small way, that is where we are as a church. In our present difficulties we are able to testify to the sufficiency and all-satisfying nature of Christ even while we clean up the mess and prepare to spend money. As we do this we are reveling in Christ and we show the world and one another that He is more valuable and more precious than our convenience, than our ease, than anything else and in so doing He is glorified.  

The more things are removed from the life of a Christian the more we find out that Christ is there and that He is enough. We do lose things on earth, but as that happens we gain Christ and in so doing find contentment with and in Him.

Navigating relationships often take on the feeling of being in a carnival "fun house" filled with maze-like passageways and wavy mirrors that contort reality, creating frustration and confusion.  The emergence of a new category of "gay-Christian" and the resultant effect of "gay marriage" fits this metaphor to a tee.

Over the last few decades, a new designation has emerged within the visible church, the "gay Christian." This new title trades on the notion that some people are born homosexual, just like some people are born heterosexual. Therefore, when an individual with a homosexual identity becomes a Christian, he or she is a "gay Christian" and, therefore, justified to enter into a "gay marriage."  The chain of reasoning is as follows:

• Born as a homosexual
• Homosexual becomes a "Gay Christian"
• "Gay Christian" enters into "Gay Marriage"

The new rallying cry is that gay marriage for a Christian is not just acceptable and appropriate; the evangelical church, as well as heterosexual Christians, MUST affirm it.

Let's walk through seven reasons why the premise is false and the category of "gay Christian" as well as "gay marriage" is invalid.

First, the Bible indicates there are only two categories by which to identify an individual: physical identity - male or female (Gen. 1-2) and spiritual identity - being "in Adam" or "in Christ" (Romans 5:12-21). All other characteristics of a person are based on these two.  Therefore, the idea that a person is born homosexual - as their identity from birth - is simply an assertion -a declaration with no evidence.  Unlike being heterosexual, which corresponds to the physiological characteristics of the male (XX) or female (XY) chromosome, the claim of being homosexual has no physiological or scientific basis. It is a desire induced by a feeling.  Indeed, some advocates would say it is a strong feeling rising in some people from a young age or even a natural proclivity - stemming from the Fall.  Regardless, homosexuality is not an identity.  Therefore, classifying homosexuality as being "born this way" is wrong, much like a man claiming to be a woman is wrong. A man is a man and can never be a woman, given the fixed biological reality of the male/female chromosome.  To think or encourage otherwise is abusive and immoral.

Second, when a person enters into a trusting relationship with God, their identity changes - they become a "new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17), from being "In Adam" to being "In Christ." God "made us alive with Christ" (Ephesians 2:5), and this transformation necessarily changes a person's desires and behavior through the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit. To this point, Paul specifically cites homosexuality - "men who practice homosexuality" (1 Corinthians 6:9), as a behavior that is changed when those who indulged in the homosexual lifestyle trusted in the Gospel of Jesus: "And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:1). The work of the Holy Spirit in salvation inspires a new way of living, born out of love for the grace and mercy that has been received.  Although unable to achieve perfection in this life and the struggle to trust in the promises of Christ is real, there can be no doubt that the direction of the individual's life is fundamentally altered. However, within the framework of the "gay Christian," neither is true. The individual cannot claim redemption by Christ nor a change by the working of Christ.  The argument is that the individual must commit to only expressing their identity within marriage. In this way, it is similar to the sexual ethic of a heterosexual -  sexual expression within the bonds of marriage.  Therefore, the person born as a homosexual doesn't need to be redeemed from homosexuality, but merely to constrain their sexual activity within marriage. In this way, we are told to believe that a gay Christian is a person suspended between a new identity in Christ and their identity as a homosexual - violating the teaching(s) of Christ and the Bible.  Be warned: a concession on this level is a fabrication and a lie.

Third, the term "gay-Christian" brands the individual as having their identity rooted in their sexual activity. While all Christians struggle to follow Christ (due to our yet-to-be-fully-redeemed humanness, Rom. 7:14-25), we are to encourage one another as we seek to honor Christ. It was this fight that Paul envisioned for the Christians in Galatia, as Christ was being formed in them - "my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!" (Gal. 4:19). The formation of "Christ in us" involves learning to live by faith - taking on the character and priorities of Christ more and more. The idea of a "gay Christian" views the image of Christ formed alongside and including a homosexual lifestyle. God is simultaneously the author of salvation and an advocate for sin. What blasphemy! The very notion of a "gay Christian" is a contradiction in terms. The Bible has no category for a "gay Christian" any more than a "lying Christian" or an "adulterating Christian." Why? The term Christian stands alone and cannot be modified by a sinful activity, such as "gay."

Fourth, the idea of a "gay Christian" disregards the plain teaching of the Bible. The Apostle Paul was crystal clear when he wrote to the Church at Corinth that those who practice homosexuality "will not inherit the Kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:10). Are we to believe that there is a new standard, a new revelation that supersedes Scripture?  Pastors who affirm "gay marriage" stand in the legacy of the "new-fangled-prophets" who turned the hearts of the people away from the living God (see Jeremiah 29:15).

Fifth, the "gay Christian" teaching portrays the claims of the Bible as ineffectual, elevating people's feelings as the final arbiter of what is true. How many people, and even pastors, believed heterosexuality to be God's design for sexuality and then changed their view due to a family member or close friend declaring to be "gay"? Does something become true when I believe it?  No. A thing is true or false regardless of how I feel at any given moment. For example, the child that believes Santa Clause exists does not create Santa by those feelings. Truth must regulate our emotions. When a person experiences overwhelming feelings of sadness at the death of a family member, those feelings are shaped and somewhat mitigated through the truth of Christ's words: "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live" (John 11:25–25). The truth of Jesus' promise becomes the conduit through which our emotions are directed.  Those who promote the category of "gay Christian" will always and ultimately base truth on how they feel and not the standard of Scripture.  In the end, those who promote this ideology refuse to submit to Jesus and the clear message of the Bible.

Sixth, the notion of a "gay Christian" re-forms the nature of God, crafting a confused and cruel deity subjecting people to desires they would have never chosen.  Are we to believe that God made some people to be homosexual so that they are enslaved, opposed by God in His Law for expressing their sexual identity? Are we being asked to believe that only within the last decade or so have some people and pastors reached enlightenment that God's character on this issue has evolved? Do these self-styled sages really want us to believe that God has undergone a rebirth? Is God revealing a new expression of sexuality, forged in the fires of our modern sensibilities and, as its crowing achievement, creating a new category for marriage - the category of "gay marriage"? Are we to believe that the same God who designed heterosexuality and pronounced it as being "very good" (Genesis 1:31) is sanctioning the new and improved sexuality between same-sex couples? The hubris of those who affirm this reformation of God is breathtaking. The implication is that all Christians MUST affirm the liberation of God by supporting "gay marriage." The God of these advocates is unrecognizable from the God of the Bible.

Seventh, it violates Jesus' teaching: "…from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' 7 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh (Mark 10:6–8).  Jesus believed and taught that His Father's design for expressing sexuality was and will always involve a man and a woman.  Whether in our anatomical design or in our ability to procreate, heterosexuality makes sense because that is the way we have been designed to function - to enjoy our sexuality within a union that can bring a new life into existence. To sanction something that cannot and will not perform as intended is to embrace a delusion.

Christians are to live under the joyful requirement to keep the commandments of Jesus (John 14:15). We do this because He is our sin-bearer and the giver of our new life!  There is no "gay Christian" or "gay marriage" for a follower of Christ.  The struggle for purity is real for all Christians.  I don't live in a pollyannaish world filled with slogans of overcoming, nor do I bury my head in the sand of denial. The Enemy of our souls wants to ensnare us to believe that God now sanctions homosexuality as long as it is wrapped in sincerity and the language of spirituality. Warn your family and friends of this growing deception.  Don't be taken captive by clever arguments by people or eloquent pastors who have "an appearance of godliness... avoid such people." (2 Timothy 3:5).  Stand opposed for the good of your soul and the souls of others.

For those who have been taken captive or willfully chosen to go along with the false ideology, I urge you to change your mind.  You will only find the freedom you crave through submitting to the One who created you!  Joy and meaning can be yours if you willingly submit to His rule over and in your life.  If we can help you on your journey, please contact us at hello@forGodsfame.org. 

God’s love is without a doubt His most popular and talked about trait. People the world over know that God is love (even if they can’t tell you that this truth is found in 1 Jn 4:8) and they often rely upon that reality as a means to assuage their conscience and guilt.  More narrowly within the Christian community people often debate as to wether God loves everybody.  

It is true that God is love and it is also true that God loves everybody.  But, a thoughtful Christian who wants to be faithful to the Word of God can’t allow the statement “God loves everybody” to stand without further nuancing what it means.

This question was recently asked of me and it reminded me of a book I had read nearly fifteen years ago by DA Carson called The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God. While this book says way more than I intend to cover here, it does helpfully nuance the way the word “love” is used in God’s Word in order to help us better understand the answer to this question. Most importantly, the answer also leads us to worship God as His love displays His glory and holiness so wonderfully.

Much like we mean different things when we say “I love pizza” and “I love my spouse,” God’s Word uses the word “love” differently.  The context in which it is found helps us understand if, to keep the metaphor going, it’s love for pizza or love for a spouse. Carson contends there are five ways we see God’s love used in Scripture.

“Yes,” God does love everyone.  But, He doesn’t love everyone in the same way.

The first and most important way we see the word love used in the Bible is in regards to God’s peculiar intra-trinitarian love. This is the love the Father, Son, and Spirit have for one another (Jn 3:35; 5:20; 17:5, 26; Prov 8:22-31). This is a love that has no deficiencies or defects. This is a love that lacks nothing and it is a love that is eternal. This is a perfect, blessed, eternal, and fully-content love. This love is unique to the Trinity and its overflow is what leads to the four other loves below.

The next way we see God’s love displayed is in His providential love. God’s common grace infuses all parts of life from science, to sports, to nature, etc. The Bible tells us that God makes the rain fall and the sun shine on both the Christian and the non-Christian (Matt 5:45; Ps 145:9). All people for all time experience God’s love in this way.

A third way we see love used in the Bible is in regards to God’s yearning love. This is God’s salvific position towards all mankind which can be seen in 1 Tim 2:4 where God is described as desiring ‘all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth’ (cf. 2 Pet 3:9; Ezek 33:11). The death of Jesus is sufficient to pay for the sins of all people for all time, but we all know that not everyone repents and puts their faith in Jesus Christ. All people for all time experience God’s yearning love, but this love is quite different than the next way we see God’s love in the Bible.

The fourth way we see love used in the Bible is in regards to God’s elective love. This is God’s selective, particular and effective love towards those whom He chose to put it on since before time began (Eph 1:4-5; Jn 6:37, 39; 10:28-29; Rom 9:16, 18). All those loved in this way will eventually repent, put their faith and trust in Jesus, and treasure Him forever. Only the elect of God are loved in this way.

The final way we see love used in the Bible is in regards to God’s conditional love. This love pertains only to those who are already followers of Christ. It depends, in measure, on certain things we do (Jude 21) and it involves the discipline of the Lord towards those who are His (Heb 12:7-11) kindly drawing them back into His revealed will.

Whenever we talk about anything in regards to God and theology, it is important that we define terms and know what we mean when we use those terms. God’s love, like God Himself, is a beautiful reality! But, it’s important to remember that it is only one of His glorious attributes and His love works in concert with His righteousness, His mercy, His justice, and His wrath.  

So, “Yes,” God does love everyone.  But, He doesn’t love everyone in the same way. Have you experienced His elective love? If not, today is the day to turn and put your faith and trust in Him. If you have experienced His love in this way, praise Him for His kindness, His sacrifice, and, of course, for His love.

Ps 106:1 - Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!

The book of Psalms is probably the most well known and certainly the most well read book in all the Bible.  Written by over eight different men and over a one thousand year period of time, the book spans the entire history of the nation of Israel and then some. Many people view the book as merely a collection of 150 different psalms or poems – and it is that.  But, it is also so much more!

Psalms means praise and while the book is full of them, the entire book taken as a whole is also a praise to the faithful goodness of God! It is broken down into five different “books,” or sections, and it has a two chapter introduction at the beginning and a five chapter conclusion, or doxology of praise, at the end.

Woven throughout are three different genres of Psalms. The hymn psalm is a full blown praise of God for the fact that all is well and then almost always moves on to praise God for who He is.  The psalms of lament express distress and despair and come from a place of pain and hurting. They often ask God “why” and call on Him to intervene and rescue. Interestingly, 56 of the 58 lament psalms also end with a note of confidence and hope in God for who He is and with a promise to praise God when the trouble is over. Finally, the psalms of thanksgiving expressly thank God for His deliverance, healing, or rescue.

The truly amazing thing about these Psalms is that they give voice to nearly every human emotion and feeling known to man ranging from despair and utter anguish, to worry and fear, to rejoicing and exhilaration.  If you need words to pray to God, look no further than the Psalms!

Have you ever been so down you have said, ‘My tears have been my food day and night?’ Well, a  Psalmist has (Ps 42:3). Have you ever felt like  the water was coming up to your neck and that the flood was going to sweep over you?  Again, a Psalmist has (Ps 69:1-2).

If you want to know how to express your grief, your frustration, or your hurt to God in a way that still honors God, look no further than to the laments. Not only will they give you a voice and a vocabulary, just as importantly they will also help shape and guide your emotions as they provide a framework bounded by God’s goodness, His sovereignty, and His commitment to those who are His. Praying the Psalms will help walk you through your difficulty.

The next time the Lord ordains that hardship comes your way, I would encourage you to pray one of the lament Psalms to God as if it were the cry of your heart. Let Him know your pain, your frustration and your hurt.  Also let Him know your commitment to make much of Him even during the pain and that you stand ready to praise Him as He sustains you through it and as He delivers you from it at the end. God is there for you and He has graciously provided the psalms of lament to comfort you.

Here is a list of many of the Psalms of Lament: Psalms 3, 5, 6, 7, 13, 17, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 38, 39, 42, 43, 44, 51, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 63, 64, 69, 70, 71, 74, 79, 80, 83, 86, 88, 89, 102, 109, 120, 130

GraceTALK Question
“Psalm 37:16-17 is similar to Romans 12:19. The concept is not to take our own vengeance, but to leave space for God to have His vengeance. This is His instruction! This is His promise! However, I know many many many Christians who do not have the patience, or faith, that God will have His vengeance. Or have it in the time or way that they want Him to have it. So they take vengeance themselves. I know these impatient Christians exist because sometimes, I’m one of them. Can you give a sense of what it might look like, what the impatient Christian might TANGIBLY miss out on by taking their own vengeance?  Of course, you’ll be guessing because you can’t know for sure. But I often think about this aspect when I personally want to take vengeance myself. It doesn’t always stop me. But I know what I miss out on is greater than any satisfaction I’ll get in the moment.”

Answer
It is vital to look deeper than merely the outward expression of vengeance to the more sinister tyranny that it brings into the soul of a person. Vengeance is an expression of idolatry that seeks to rule the life of the individual. How? A person who seeks vengeance has to first believe that God is not capable of or He is not interested in bringing justice to their situation. In other words, for a person to seek vengeance over another person, they must first believe the lie that God is not able and/or interested in justice and, therefore, it is up to the individual to make things right.

Generally speaking, vengeance is “a punishment inflicted or retribution exacted for an injury or wrong.” While the desire for justice is noble and good, the motivation for exacting vengeance is sinful because only God has the ability to satisfy the requirements that committing vengeance requires.

To “take vengeance” an individual would need to possess abilities that only and uniquely belong to God. Abilities such as:

• knowing the truth of the situation (i.e. what exactly happened),
• the underlying motivation for action(s) of all those involved (i.e. why it happened),
• the exact and proportional response for an injustice (i.e. how to satisfy the cause of justice for all involved).

In other words, a person would have to be God to successfully achieve vengeance for only God possesses the necessary qualities of character as well as the attributes necessary to fulfill the requirements that acting in vengeance would demand.

What should I do?
Paul helps us in Romans 12 to understand our responsibility when those feelings of vengeance at injustice well up inside of us. We must remember four things.

I am responsible for my actions.
Paul tells the Christians living under the bitterness of the boot of Rome: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18).

When I desire vengeance it places the focus of my responsibility on how others treat me. I can then become a slave to what others think about me and how others treat me. When this occurs, I begin to allow the fear of others to dominate my decisions and lifestyle. However, Paul puts our responsibility on how we act toward others alone. In other words, Paul rejects becoming a victim and embraces personal responsibility. I refuse to be a victim when I focus on my responsibility and not the actions of another.

I am called to trust in God’s acting on my behalf in His time.
Romans 12:19 reads: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

I reject being a victim when I believe God will execute vengeance on my behalf in His timing to suit His glory. The role we play is seen in v. 18, while the role God plays is in v. 19. When I trust in God’s acting, I grow in my understanding of His Lordship over my life, emotions, as well as a conscience understanding that He is my Father and He is God of all justice. I am forced to trust in Him and this cultivates an outlook that affects all areas of my life.

I am called to act toward an offender as Christ has acted toward me (THE offender) in the hope that they might repent.
Paul continued: “To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head” (Romans 12:20).

Until the time God chooses to exact vengeance, I am called to be part of crafting the story of redemption in the life of the person who is treating me badly. I do this by giving them no reason for how they are treating me. In expressing kindness and generosity, we create a path by which God’s grace can arrest the individual(s) and convict them of wrongdoing. In acting in this way, we play an active role in the possibility of them being delivered from His pending vengeance. Our actions of kindness and generosity create an obvious disconnect and even frustration in the mind of the “enemy” through how we are treating them. The imagery of “burning coals” seems to be one of self-judgment, a conviction of conscience as to how they can continue to treat the Christian(s) so badly when they are working for their good. In this way, we also draw close to the sufferings of Christ, a deeper and intimate communion with Jesus (c.f. 1 Peter 3:8-22).

I am called to put my ultimate hope in God and not in my circumstances.
Paul concludes his train of thought with: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

Paul is merely echoing the type of life Jesus called us to. The teaching of Jesus forces us to realize that facing evil will not merely be something we do, but is the instrument through which our very identity is shaped. He said: “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11–12). The confidence we have as being true followers of Jesus can only be confirmed under the crucible of facing evil and overcoming it with good, as modeled by Jesus. Peter did this and found confidence and rich communion with Christ:
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you

I Peter 4:12-14
Our very identity as being followers of Jesus is directly connected to how we respond to persecution. Our confidence as followers of Jesus will hinge on the tangible fruit of our response of loving in “deed and in truth” as John the Apostle wrote:

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
1 John 3:18-22