And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.” Peter began to say to him, “Lo, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first.”

Mark 10:23-31

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What does Jesus have against wealth and riches? Why does He say it will be hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven?

Should we not strive for excellence? Should we not always reach for success?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us that we should not hide our light under a bushel. Rather, He teaches that we should be out there, putting all our works, all the fruits of our labor, on full display, that they may glorify God.

Are we supposed to do that and not be compensated? Is not the workman worth his wages?

Yet Jesus is quite explicit on the topic of wealth.

In Mark, just before Jesus gave this teaching on the perils of wealth to His disciples, He admonished the rich man who asked Him how to win eternal life, telling the rich man to sell all that he had, and give the money to the poor. We should note that, rather than embracing the directive Jesus had given him, the rich man went away dejected; he did not want to give up his wealth.

This story is repeated in Luke 18, with the rich man becoming a rich ruler of sorts.

In Matthew 6 Jesus teaches we should not acquire wealth here on earth, “where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal.” Rather our focus must be on building up “treasures in Heaven”.

In that same passage, however, Jesus gives important nuance when He sagaciously observes that “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

What is most important to us? Does it matter more that we do excellent work, or that we receive excellent pay in exchange for our work?

Jesus absolutely calls us to do the best we can, and the most we can, with whatever resources we have been given. That is the indisputable teaching of the Parable of the Talents, where the servants who put their resources to work were rewarded, while the servant who did not share his resources was punished.

If we work hard and make good use of our resources, we should expect—and Jesus teaches—that we will prosper. To some degree, we will grow rich. It is only when we make riches the priority that we encounter a spiritual dilemma.

It is helpful to a coherent understanding of these passages to recall that Jesus also teaches a few times that we should not worry, not even about what we will eat, and where we will sleep.

Worrying about how one will obtain the basic necessities of life is, of course, part and parcel of human nature. Despite His teachings, concerns about mundane world matters such as paying bills and holding down a job tend to dominate our thinking. We even valorize it, calling it “being responsible.”

Is it really responsible? Is that really how we should focus our efforts each day? Maybe it is, but Jesus invites us to share a different perspective.

Consider:

If we are focused on excellence as a service to God, will we not be reliably on time and productive at work, simply because that's what excellence entails? If we concentrate on doing all that we can do while at work, will we not do all that is expected and required of us, simply because the devotion to excellence automatically extends to cover those demands?

If, however, we are fretful and worried most about the paycheck, and someone seeks to pressure us into doing something unethical or even illegal, will our fearfulness make us more or less likely to do the wrong thing? Alternatively, if the money is all that matters to us, how likely are we to cut corners, perhaps even dangerous ones?

How certain could any of us be of the rightness of our choices if we are vulnerable to such pressures and temptations?

In similar fashion, what temptations come our way when our work leads us to build an audience and cultivate a following? Will we be swayed by other people's opinions of us and steered away from doing and saying the right thing in whatever circumstance? Will we compromise our actions for the sake of our audience?

What is most important to us? Do we want to be right or do we want to be popular?

I naturally desire my words to be seen and shared. I write both All Facts Matter and Peter's Proverbs because I want an audience among people. I want to be noticed in this world. For better or worse, that is my ambition.

Will I therefore alter my words specifically to appeal to more people?

Shall I deviate from the truths I see because popular opinion demands it?

Shall I instead speak my mind, popularity be damned? Shall I say what facts and evidence on the one hand, or Scripture on the other, reveal to me, no matter how people respond?

I like to believe I choose the latter course. I want to believe I bear true witness in all things.

I hope I do.

Yet I would be lying if I said I do not worry about how my words will be received. I want my audience to increase, not decrease. My dream is always to be able to support myself by my writings, a dream I have to realistically admit is not likely to happen anytime soon. I would be lying if I said that dream played no part in how I write or what I write.

Is the rich man in Jesus’ teaching more concerned with winning a following than bearing true witness? Is he more concerned with outward appearance than with inner light?

We cannot, of course, know all that is in any man's soul. We should not presume that merely because one is wealthy they are more concerned with worldly things than with Godly things.

However, we know from what is said about the rich man in Mark 10, and what is said about the rich king in Luke 18, that these men were very attached to their wealth. They wanted to be good men, but not at the price of their wealth.

Faced with the demands of righteousness, they cared more about their wealth than about God. Faced with choosing this world or the next, they chose this world.

Jesus warns of this very choice in Matthew 6:24, teaching us that “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

What is most important to us? Do we value our riches above our service to God?

Is it a given that rich people will value their riches above their service to God? A good argument can be made that those who flaunt their wealth certainly value that wealth above their service to God.

We cannot see into anyone’s soul. We can see the fruits of people who choose to live ostentatiously rather than modestly. We can see the works of people who put their own luxury and comfort first.

People can see our fruit as well, regardless of how we choose to live. People can see our works, regardless of what we think of luxury and comfort.

What is most important to us?

My prayer this day is that each of us will make service to God most important. My prayer this day is that each of us, when faced with the demands of righteousness, will choose service to God above worldly wealth. My prayer this day is that each of us will choose to bear Godly fruit rather than worldly fruit.

We can see the fruits of people who choose to live ostentatiously rather than modestly. We can see the works of people who put their own luxury and comfort first.

People can see our fruit as well, regardless of how we choose to live. People can see our works, regardless of what we think of luxury and comfort.

What is most important to us?

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Authority.

It has been my experience that few words are as inflammatory and divisive among Christians as the word “authority.” I am convinced there is no more certain way to attract the ire of believers from all denominations than to advance the simple assertion that God has all authority, while men have none.

Christians from all denominations will point to numerous passages from Paul’s letters especially, showing Scriptural basis for human claims of authority. They will quote them quite accurately, and insist these texts are conclusive proof that Jesus ordained the leaders of His church have authority over the church.

Is this really so? When we consider these same passages in the context of the whole of Scripture, do claims of human authority survive scrutiny?

I say they do not. As I have argued previously, ecclesiastical office alone is inadequate to establish anyone’s authority to declare what is and is not sound doctrine. The title never makes the man. Rather, it is the man who, by his conduct and his character, gives whatever office he holds its gravitas and influence.

Let us be clear what we mean when we say “authority”. As the term is defined in Merriam-Webster, “authority” is “power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior.” Authority is the legally or organizationally recognized power to command, the power to say “do” with no further explication or rationale.

Do pastors, priests, and popes possess such authority? Do they possess the power to “command thought”?

The Roman Catholic Church certainly teaches that the Pope is infallible when he proclaims official church doctrine. There can be few claims of authority more categorical and definitive than that.

We should also note that a number of Protestants will defend similar claims of authority when citing various notable Protestant ministers and theologians in defense of a particular doctrine.

However, before we blindly accept claims of human authority, we do well to note the Greek word that is translated as “authority” throughout the New Testament: ἐξουσία (”exousia”).

As is generally the case with translated words, ἐξουσία is not the literal equivalent to “authority”. The challenge in all translation is to find the word in one language that best fits a word in another language in a given context.

A nuance to ἐξουσία that can easily get overlooked is that it can mean “delegated influence”.

As a noun, a “delegate” is one who acts on behalf of another. As a verb it means to assign responsibility to act on behalf of another. “Delegated authority” is an assigned responsibility to exercise the authority of another, acting in their stead. When authority is delegated, the person to whom it is delegated is authorized. The authority they wield is not their own, but the authority of the one doing the delegating.

While this nuance is frequently overlooked, it is essential for a proper understanding of how authority actually works. In law, “actual authority” describes the scope of what one person has been authorized to do on behalf of another. When actual authority is exceeded, contractual relationships break down (and litigation frequently ensues). As a matter of both law and common sense, there is no authority to act beyond the scope of what has been authorized.

We see this same depiction of how authority actually operates in John 19, when Pontius Pilate confronts Jesus, claiming the power (ἐξουσίαν) to release or to crucify Jesus. Jesus rebukes Pilate, replying “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin.”

Jesus explicitly told Pilate his authority as Roman governor of Judea existed only to the extent it came from God, and that whatever authority God had not delegated to him was not Pilate’s to wield.

Jesus rejected to Pilate’s face the idea that Pilate possessed any authority of his own.

We see delegation being expressed again in Romans 13, when the Apostle Paul teaches that we should be subject to “the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” That is a literal description of what delegation is.

We should note also that Paul qualifies this in Romans 13:7, saying that we should “Pay all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.”

Respect for and compliance with any person wielding authority is necessarily delimited by that person adhering to God’s Law and following God’s Will. A person outwardly charged with a delegation of authority acting in defiance of God’s Law and against God’s Will has gone beyond the scope within which they have any claim to respect or compliance.

The prophet Hosea warned the Levitical priests explicitly that their neglect of God’s Law was a condemnation upon them, because they had not instructed and guided the people of Israel as they should have. They ventured outside the scope of what they had been tasked with doing by God, and had led the people astray by their misconduct.

If the priests had authority of their own, they would not be under condemnation for straying from what God required of them. Because the Levitical priests were called to act only in accordance with how they had been authorized in Leviticus, their failure to keep to those boundaries became their particular sin and their particular downfall. In particular, the priests were explicitly charged with teaching the people of Israel all the laws God gave to Moses, and in Leviticus 4 they were charged with particular atonement when they sinned and went against God’s Law.

Leviticus 4 also makes it clear that the people of Israel were obligated to follow God’s Law no matter what the priests did or did not do. Unwitting sins by the people were still sins, and they were still called to atone for them. Priestly misuse of delegated authority did not inoculate the people from the consequences of their sins. The priests were charged with teaching all the laws God gave to Moses, but the people themselves were still responsible for knowing that law.

Pastors, priests, and popes are charged with teaching God’s Law and God’s Word, but we are responsible for knowing God’s Law and God’s Word for ourselves.

As we are reminded twice in Judges, each person is responsible for judging right and wrong and choosing accordingly, and in Deuteronomy 24:16 we can see that each of us is to be held to account for our sins, not someone else. We cannot point to a pastor, priest, or pope and say “he said it was okay.” If what we do goes against God’s Law, that sin is on our head alone, and the consequences are ours to bear alone.

In Jeremiah 6:13, we see a warning to the Israelites that they will bear consequence for not following God’s Law, that following the leadership of corrupted and sinful kings and priests is not an excuse and will not save them from God’s wrath.

This warning we see again in Malachi 2, where the prophet rebukes the kingdom of Judah for having gone against God’s wishes. That the Levitical priests had failed the people did not save the people from consequence for their own sins.

Thus when in Hebrews 13:17 Paul teaches that we should obey our leaders, we must step back and note what Paul says earlier in that same chapter about those who lead, that how they live their lives should show themselves an example to others. The leadership Paul describes is not an arbitrary wielding of authority, but of setting the good example. One who claims leadership but is not setting the good example is not someone anyone should be following.

We see this same framing surrounding Paul’s charge to Titus regarding the deputing of elders and church leaders in Crete. Those who would lead must set the good example and follow the teachings found in Scripture. Those who would lead must have the strength of character to defend those teachings, and to call out those who attempt to confuse and confound with poor doctrine, but before they can lead they must show they are truly following God’s Law and are truly teaching God’s Word.

In Titus 2, Paul makes it again quite clear that leadership ultimately is always by example, and that example is fidelity to God’s Word.

The Apostle Peter also champions the idea of leading by example. In 1 Peter 5 he exhorts those who would be elders of the church to specifically lead by example. Domination and command are rejected by Peter as leadership attributes, who lifts up instead commitment and faithfulness.

We should note that in 1 Timothy 3, Paul’s description of who is qualified to stand as bishop or deacon in the church is again a question of setting the good example. Such ἐξουσία as the bishop or deacon is given to exercise is earned, and is therefore delimited.

Time and time again, when the Apostles teach of respecting those in positions of leadership, that respect is predicated on the leaders having earned it through the example of their own lives, and it is always conditioned upon the leader staying faithful to God’s Word.

Biblical leadership is described as ἐξουσία, and is translated as “authority”, but it is never a rule by decree, nor is it ever a power to lord over others. Biblical leadership draws heavily on the nuance in ἐξουσία of delegation, and is predicated on leaders being faithful to God’s Word, God’s Will, and God’s Law.

We can see in Jesus’ own teachings that this must be so. In Matthew 20 He specifically teaches that those who would lead are to serve rather than be served. That model of leadership Jesus references again in Matthew 23, when after calling out the Pharisees for their arrogance and hubris, He teaches His disciples to humble rather than exalt themselves, not claiming title of either “rabbi” or “master.” That teaching is found again in Mark 10: “whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.”

Biblical leadership is a duty. Biblical leadership is an obligation, and a sacred one. Biblical leadership is never a right.

Biblical leadership is a privilege, by which good and faithful men and women serve the church, serve the community, and serve God. That is the model of ἐξουσία described throughout the New Testament.

As described throughout the New Testament, ἐξουσία is a delegation from God, a calling by God, and an obligation to God.

Is the man who stands on his “authority” following that model of ἐξουσία? Is the man who is prideful of his “authority” measuring up to Biblical standards for wielding ἐξουσία?

That is a question each of us must answer for ourselves, and that is a question each of us is charged to answer for ourselves. What was true at the close of Judges is true today: each of us must choose right and wrong for ourselves, and we must act accordingly. There is no delegation of moral accountability. If we choose to follow a man, we will be held to account for that choice, and if we choose not to follow, we will be held to account for that choice also.

If we accord a measure of leadership to another, common sense and Scripture say we should listen to what they say. Common sense and Scripture also say we should think critically about everything they say, and put it aside if we conclude that what they say is wrong. That discernment is always ours, and cannot be overridden by any other person.

My prayer this day is that all people everywhere will give thought to what authority truly is, and what it truly is not. My prayer this day is that all people everywhere will recognize that ἐξουσία—authority—is a delegation from God, and an obligation to God. My prayer this day is that all people everywhere will recognize that ἐξουσία exists among men only so long as those claiming to wield ἐξουσία are in truth adhering to God’s Law and following God’s Will—and that is always upon each of us to determine that for ourselves.

Biblical leadership is a privilege, by which good and faithful men and women serve the church, serve the community, and serve God. That is the model of ἐξουσία described throughout the New Testament.

Biblical leadership is a duty. Biblical leadership is an obligation, and a sacred one. Biblical leadership is never a right.

ἐξουσία is a delegation from God, a calling by God, and an obligation to God.

Because all authority belongs to God. No authority belongs to men.

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Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On the principle of works? No, but on the principle of faith. For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of their faith and the uncircumcised through their faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Romans 3:27-31

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Scripture is clear that we are saved by faith in God.

We are saved by our faith. We are redeemed by our faith. We are justified by our faith.

Scripture is equally clear that we are never justified by our actions and deeds. We cannot work our way to redemption. We cannot earn our salvation.

If what we do does not influence our salvation, what becomes of God's Law? How does God's Law still matter if the primary focus of all law—what we choose and what we do—plays no role in our ultimate outcome?

Does God's Law still exist? Yes, it does.

Has God's Law changed? No, it has not.

We know God’s Law has not changed because Jesus Himself assured us that “not one jot” would fall away from the Law “until all is accomplished.” As God’s Law was then, God’s Law is now.

What has changed? Hopefully, we have—and we are called to always change. As Jesus teaches us in John 3, we are called to be born again, born of water and of the Spirit. We are called to be born into a new life of continuous change, growth, and transformation.

Change and growth have always been part and parcel of God’s forgiveness. In Jeremiah 31, when God promises a new Covenant with the House of Israel, He pledges to put His Law within each Israelite, writing the Law upon their hearts.

In Ezekiel 11, God pledges to take the “stony heart” out of our flesh, giving us each a new heart, one not hardened by sin and wickedness.

That pledge is repeated in Ezekiel 36:26.

We do well also to note what follows the transformation God promises: those so transformed willingly follow God’s Law, walking in His statutes and keeping His ordinances. In Jeremiah and again in Ezekiel, this is the assured outcome of God’s promised transformation.

Thus transformed, thus born again, we choose to follow God’s Law. Thus transformed, thus born again, we choose to do the right thing, and we choose not to do the wrong thing.

How shall we know right from wrong? How shall we know what we should choose to do and what we should choose not to do? We know these things because we know God’s Law. If we should be unsure of what the right thing to do is, we need only inquire of His Law, and be guided by His Law.

Faith saves us, faith redeems us, faith justifies us, but faith does not vacate God’s Law. Faith does not remove from us the calling to follow God’s Law.

Faith changes how we approach God’s Law.

Without faith our obedience to His Law is perfunctory and joyless. Without faith there can be no celebration alongside our obedience.

With faith, our obedience to His Law necessarily becomes passionate and joyful. With faith, celebration arises from our obedience.

We need only reflect on ourselves for a moment to see that this must be so. How much enthusiasm do we have for any task given us which, left to our own choosing, we would not do? How much passion do we have for any task given us which, left to our own choosing, we absolutely would do?

When faith is awakened within us, when through faith we are genuinely born again, obedience to God’s Law is what we choose to do. Jesus Himself teaches this in John 14, pointing out that when we love God we choose to keep His Law.

We choose to do good deeds. We choose to bear good fruit. We choose to walk the path God has set before us.

When faith is awakened within us, when through faith we are genuinely born again, we do not need to be told to keep God’s Law. Rather, we need only be told of opportunities to uphold God’s Law. We do not need to be told to feed the hungry or minister to the sick, but only of the ways by which we can do these things, or perhaps the opportunities to do these things.

Still, we must be mindful that, even with faith, we are still imperfect. We are still going to make mistakes. We are still going to sin.

Our imperfection is why we must remember that being born again is a continuous and ongoing process. Even the Apostle Paul acknowledged that, long after Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus, he continued to struggle with a “thorn in the flesh.” We may be certain that all people struggle with their own “thorns in the flesh,” no matter how much faith they may seem to have.

Yet, if we are mindful, we can see in our struggles, imperfections, and sins a teaching on the need for Grace, on the need for forgiveness. After acknowledging his own struggles with sin, Paul reminds us of this as well. Because all of us sin, none of us can doubt the need for God’s Grace, nor for redemption through Christ’s Crucifixion.

Even though we do not always walk in God’s statutes, or keep His ordinances, God always desires we be reconciled back to Him. We can see this in Isaiah 55:7, where God promises abundant pardons to those who repent and seek to return to Him. We see this also in Joel 2, where God calls everyone to repentance, reminding that He “abounds in steadfast love”. As God warned the people of Israel in Ezekiel 18, while He will judge everyone for what they have done, He does not desire to condemn anyone.

We are going to stumble. We are going to make mistakes. We are going to sin. That has always been and always will be the reality of our existence. We are not going to be perfect in keeping God’s Law.

We cannot unmake our mistakes. We cannot undo our misdeeds. We cannot take back our sins. All any of us can do is repent, acknowledge what we have done, and seek forgiveness—and we are assured that there will be forgiveness. Not only does Jesus teach us to be forgiving towards each other, reminding us in Luke 17 to forgive those who repent of having wronged us, God reminds us in Micah 7 that He “delights in steadfast love.” When we seek God’s forgiveness, we are promised that it will be there, waiting for us.

Yet forgiveness can only relieve us of the burden of our past mistakes. Once forgiven, we still have to continue to live our lives. Once forgiven, we still must walk the path God has put before us. Once forgiven, we still must daily choose right from wrong, choosing hopefully to do the right thing rather than the wrong thing.

That ongoing need to daily make new choices brings us inevitably back to God’s Law. Faith will bring us to forgiveness. Faith will bring us back to the path God has set before us. Because we must walk that path faith will also of necessity bring us back to God’s Law.

Faith in God is how we are shown the path we must walk. God’s Law is how we are guided along that path.

Faith in God is what keeps us on the path God has set before us. God’s Law is how we may discern when we should turn to the right or to the left.

If we are mindful, we may also see that we are not exempted from the call within God’s Law for sacrifices in atonement for our sins. Rather, Jesus has answered that call on our behalf, redeeming all of us with his perfect sacrifice on the Cross at Calvary.

A sacrificial debt is still incurred by our sins, but through Jesus’ Crucifixion, our sacrificial debt is forever stamped “Paid In Full.” The Apostle Peter teaches this in 1 Peter 2, reminding us that Jesus’ sacrifice frees us to be born again into a new life of righteousness and joyful following of God’s Law.

Through Christ’s redemption, we are brought back to God’s Law.

God’s Law has not changed. As His Law was in the beginning, His Law is now, and will remain so for all time.

God’s Law has not changed. Our calling to follow God’s Law has not changed. Faith does not remove from us the calling to follow God’s Law.

Faith changes how we approach God’s Law.

My prayer this day is that through faith I will always be moved to follow God’s Law, to walk in His statutes and to keep His ordinances. My prayer this day is that through faith I will joyfully and passionately follow God’s Law, letting obedience to His Law be both celebration and testament of faith. My prayer this day is that, as faith has brought me back to the path God wills me to walk, mindfulness of God’s Law will always guide me along that path, allowing me to discern when I should turn the right and to the left.

My prayer for you this day is that through faith you also will always be moved to follow God’s Law, to walk in His statutes and to keep His ordinances. My prayer for you this day is that through faith you also will joyfully and passionately follow God’s Law, letting obedience to His Law be both celebration and testament of faith. My prayer for you this day is that, as faith brings you back to the path God wills you to walk, mindfulness of God’s Law will always guide you along that path, allowing you to discern when you should turn the right and to the left.

When faith is awakened within us, when through faith we are genuinely born again, we do not need to be told to keep God’s Law.

When faith is awakened within us, when through faith we are genuinely born again, obedience to God’s Law is what we choose to do.

Faith saves us, faith redeems us, faith justifies us, but faith does not vacate God’s Law. Faith does not remove from us the calling to follow God’s Law.

Faith changes how we approach God’s Law.

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People love to argue. Who among us does not enjoy having opinions? Who among us does not enjoy sounding forth about their opinions?

I certainly enjoy a meaty and thoughtful discussion where I get to show off the things that I know. I take great pleasure—perhaps too much pleasure—in my ability to express myself and to weave together logical theses on just about any subject imaginable. I delight in the theorizing, the analytical thought patterns, building up my arguments while systematically taking apart someone else’.

When it comes to debate, I am arrogant, I am cocky, and more than just a little bit proud!

Still, the greatest joy I get from all discussion and debate is the learning that I personally glean from it. Not only am I presented with all that others bring to bear, to respond and rebut I am frequently obliged to do a bit of research—review a passage in Scripture, track down a ruling in law, find this or that historical text, and much more besides. I rarely come away from a discussion without learning something.

Debate and discussion are good things to me. Debate and discussion lift people up. Debate and discussion are a celebration of God’s greatest gift to all of us—our thinking, reasoning, brains.

We owe it to ourselves for this reason to take care how we speak to each other during any interaction. We cannot lift people up if our words are tearing them down. We cannot bear true witness if our words are false.

Sadly, what we see all too often, both in social media and elsewhere, are people spewing angry, hateful, even vile words. What we see all too often are people spreading lies and slanders about each other. What we see all too often are people whose witness is the epitome of false witness, the polar opposite of true witness.

I am not going to pretend that I am not guilty of this from time to time. I can get as angry as the next person, probably angrier, and I can get just as personal, just as mean-spirited, as the next person. I do this sometimes, and I am wrong when I do.

I am wrong when I do this because it is wrong to do this. It is wrong to hurl insults. It is wrong to tear down. It is wrong to slander and defame.

It is particularly distressing when I see Christians doing this to other Christians. When we who are the Body in Christ attack others who are of the Body in Christ, are we not guilty of a double sin—one sin against our Christian brothers and one sin against God who calls us back to Himself through Jesus Christ?

I would say that we are.

We do not need to wonder if angry words are hurtful words. Scripture has always taught that they are.

Proverbs 12:18 reminds us that “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Proverbs 15:1 reminds us that we can avoid quite a few problems for ourselves through judicious and temperate speech, for “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

The Apostle Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 3:9 that we are not called to curse, but to bless others, that we may ourselves be blessed. We are called to choose that which is righteous, to speak that which is righteous, to do that which is righteous—and when we do, we open ourselves to receiving righteousness from God.

Jesus Himself teaches in Luke 6:28 to “bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus further taught that insult and invective leave us open to judgement and damnation.

There can be no dispute that we are not called to hurl insults at each other.

Nor are we called to be divided. Christians especially are called to unity, as the Apostle Paul teaches in Galatians 3:28, reminding us that we are all one in Jesus Christ.

Paul makes it clear throughout his letters that divisions within the church are not healthy. Paul admonishes the church in Corinth against creating divisions time and again.

Paul teaches in Romans that we are wise to steer clear of those who deliberately stir up division and dissent, reminding us that those who do are serving their own ego and not God.

Jesus, when He prayed for His disciples in John 17, prayed for them all to be one, just as He is one with God the Father.

We are called to unity. We are never called to division.

We are one Body in Christ. We sin grievously when we seek to denominate and divide that Body.

We can see in the media and throughout popular culture that Christian faith and Christian living has more than enough opponents. Christians have no shortage of adversaries who delight in attacking Christian faith, disparaging Christian living. Christians certainly do not need to be adversaries of other Christians!

If Christian faith has any meaning at all in the world of men, surely it is that we are called to spread true witness throughout the world. We are called by God to make believers of all nations—can Christians plausibly carry out the Great Commission by indulging in social media slanders?

I do not see how they can. I do not see how we can.

From the very beginning, God has called us to speak the truth in all things. We cannot do that when we slander and defame anyone. We cannot shine God’s light into the world especially when we tear down other Christians, each of whom is called no less than I to share the Good News that is Jesus Christ.

Christians surely cannot fulfill the Great Commission by heaping insults upon each other.

We are one Body in Christ. We sin grievously when we seek to denominate and divide that Body.

My prayer on this day, and every day, is that Christians everywhere, regardless of denomination, will seek unity and not division among all Christians. My prayer on this day, and every day, is that Christians everywhere, regardless of doctrinal differences, will remember that we are all God’s people, and the sheep of His pasture. My prayer on this day, and every day, is that Christians everywhere, regardless of tradition or particular theology, will remember we walk the same path, that being the path back to God.

If Christian faith has any meaning at all in the world of men, surely it is that we are called to spread true witness throughout the world. We are called by God to make believers of all nations. We are called to unity. We are never called to division.

We are one Body in Christ. We sin grievously when we seek to denominate and divide that Body.

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Salvation. Redemption.

These are important words to Christians. They are important words to me. They are at the very center of what it is for me to be “Christian”.

Being Christian means I believe that Jesus Christ was Crucified on the Cross at Calvary, that He suffered death and was Resurrected on the third day. Being Christian means I believe that through His sacrifice, as the ransom for many, we are all redeemed. Being Christian means I accept that He forgives us our sins, that we have only to embrace that forgiveness, accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and be born again into a new life of continual transformation and growth.

Being Christian means I believe these things are all I need do to be assured of salvation.

Or is it?

Is faith in God, faith in Jesus, really all that is needed?

The Apostle Paul certainly teaches that faith alone matters. He teaches this repeatedly, in addition to the passage in Galatians quoted above.

In Romans 3:28 Paul teaches “For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law.”

In Galatians 2:16 he teaches “that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.”

We should pause here to take note of the term Paul uses in all of these passages: “justification”. In the original Greek, the term (δικαιόω) translates as “to declare righteous”. When Paul says we are “justified”, he is saying that God has declared us righteous. More precisely, Paul teaches God declares us to be righteous solely on the basis of our faith.

We are justified by our faith. We are saved by our faith. We are redeemed by our faith.

That it is our faith which occasions God to declare us righteous is a point Paul makes even when discussing the faith of ancients such as Abraham and Noah, pointing out in Hebrews 11:2 that it is through faith “the men of old received divine approval,” recalling how in Genesis 15:6 Abraham “believed the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.”

Paul says straight away in Romans 5:1 that “therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul reiterates in Ephesians 2:8-9 the importance of faith in receiving the Grace of God, which is how He justifies us, stating “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God—not because of works, lest any man should boast.”

In passage after passage, Paul teaches plainly that it is only by our faith that God declares us to be righteous. It is only by faith that we are justified.

We are justified by our faith. We are saved by our faith. We are redeemed by our faith.

If you tell that to any devout Catholic, you will likely get an argument, for the Roman Catholic Church adds additional ingredients besides faith as essential to justification.

The Roman Catholic Church teaches explicitly that “the grace-assisted works of the justified person have genuine value before God and contribute to their growth in holiness and their progress toward eternal life.” In the Roman Catholic view of justification, we must not only have faith, we must also have deeds—what Scripture calls “works”.

The Roman Catholic Church’s teaching on justification is one of the many things Martin Luther found objectionable in Catholic doctrine, and this disagreement on justification played a signature role in Luther’s excommunication and eventual establishment of the Lutheran tradition, setting off the Protestant Reformation.

The Roman Catholic Church has always been quite serious about this teaching. In 1547, after Luther broke with the Catholic Church, the Council of Trent was called specifically to rebut several Lutheran propositions, including Martin Luther’s principle of Sola Fide (Faith Alone). In Canon XI from the Sixth Session, the Council declared Sole Fide to be “anathema”—rejected, denounced, and within Catholicism, expelled from the Church and excommunicated.

If any one saith, that men are justified, either by the sole imputation of the justice of Christ, or by the sole remission of sins, to the exclusion of the grace and the charity which is poured forth in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, and is inherent in them; or even that the grace, whereby we are justified, is only the favour of God; let him be anathema.

Quite simply, the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church is that “faith plus works” is the basis for justification, and thence for salvation and redemption.

The Roman Catholic teaching is immediately problematic because it flies in the face of every teaching of Paul mentioned earlier. Paul’s letters are Scripture. For me, as a Christian, it is a matter of faith those letters are the Word of God. Every teaching of every Pope and priest must conform to Scripture or be itself anathema. If Roman Catholic teaching contradicts Paul, then Roman Catholic teaching is by definition in error.

Yet we must also remember to read all Scripture holistically. The proper understanding of Paul’s teachings mandates we reconcile those teachings with the teaching of Jesus in the four Gospels.

Certainly in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector from Luke 18, Jesus teaches that the humble tax collector, whose prayer is only for forgiveness, is the one justified before God, not the boastful and arrogant Pharisee, whose prayer was filled with recitation of all his wonderful works.

In Matthew 9, when Jesus called the tax collector Matthew to follow Him, He reminded the crowd what the Prophet Hosea preached centuries earlier: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” We need no great study of theology to apprehend that reads more as calling for faith alone, without regard to any man’s works and deeds.

We are justified by our faith. We are saved by our faith. We are redeemed by our faith.

A common Catholic rebuttal is to point out what the Apostle James teaches, that “faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”

Yet James must also reconcile to Jesus if we are to have proper understanding of his teachings. There can be no conflict between James’ teaching and the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. There can be no disagreement between James and Jesus reminding the crowd of Hosea’s call for mercy rather than sacrifice.

Both James and Paul must likewise reconcile to Jesus’ teachings regarding “works”—what we actually do when we put faith into practice.

Neither James nor Paul can contradict Jesus’ teaching during the Sermon on the Mount to “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” On that teaching alone we do see that “works” have significance.

The importance of what we do—of works—is again highlighted in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, also known as the Judgment of the Nations, where Jesus gives special importance to feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, ministering to the sick, and giving grace to those who are imprisoned. The failure to do these things Jesus teaches is sufficient to warrant eternal damnation.

Jesus clearly teaches that our works are important—teachings which would seem to have been reiterated by James. At first glance that would seem to support Catholic teaching moreso than Lutheran Sola Fide.

However, we must also remember that God does not argue with Himself. Given that both Paul and James find good support within the Gospels, we cannot stop simply at separately reconciling Paul and James to Jesus. Before we conclude that Paul and James take different stances on justification, we must reconcile Jesus’ teachings to each other.

We must take note of what Jesus said in Matthew 6:1, “beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” Rather, Jesus teaches to practice charity “in secret” and without fanfare. Our works do matter, but even within our works intention counts.

It is not enough to simply do good works. If we do good works so that people will think we are ourselves good, then our works are not good before God. This is a point the Apostle John reiterates when he teaches that “he who does not love does not know God; for God is love.” If what we do does not proceed from a spirit of love and compassion—does not proceed from faith—then neither our works nor ourselves are at all righteous.

How can we discern when our works are good before God? Mainly by recognizing our own mindset about such works. This is a subtle point that Paul makes in Romans 3:31 when he points out that actions instigated by faith invariably uphold God’s Law.

What Paul points out is that if we do what the Law commands because the Law commands—which is the essence of being under the Law—then our actions are not instigated by faith. However, if our faith impels us to do the right thing in all things, then we invariably will end up doing what the Law commands.

When we act under the Law we do the right thing because we have to. When we act through faith we do the right thing because we want to.

Jesus calls us to faith, and calls us to act through faith. That is made clear in Matthew 8, when the centurion declares his profound faith in Jesus, that Jesus need only say the centurion’s servant would be healed and it would be so.

When we consider the call to act through faith, we see that James is making an easily understood point: how much faith can any of us really have if our actions do not show it? How much faith can any of us have if we hide that faith—our “light”—and do not let it shine into a darkened world, to the greater glory of God?

In the Judgement of the Nations, both the sheep on the right and the goats on the left had faith in Jesus, but only the sheep were moved to act by that faith, and it is only the sheep which are saved.

We are justified by our faith. We are saved by our faith. We are redeemed by our faith.

We are also revealed by our faith, for we also act by our faith. Our greatest testimony of faith is always that which we do. When faith is sincere, we are impelled to act in accordance with God’s Law. When faith is insincere, we are impelled to hypocrisy, and invariably act in defiance of God’s Law.

My prayer on every day is that God will strengthen and enlarge my faith, that it will daily grow stronger, and daily lead me closer to God. My prayer on every day is that my faith will shine brightly into the darkened world, to the greater glory of God. My prayer on every day is that my faith will impel me to act, to do the right thing in all things, and so uphold God’s Law.

My prayer for you on every day is that God will strengthen and enlarge your faith, that it will daily grow stronger, and daily lead you closer to God. My prayer for you on every day is that your faith will shine brightly into the darkened world, to the greater glory of God. My prayer for you on every day is that your faith will impel you to act, to do the right thing in all things, and so uphold God’s Law.

When we act under the Law we do the right thing because we have to. When we act through faith we do the right thing because we want to.

Jesus calls us to faith. Jesus calls us to act through faith.

We are justified by our faith. We are saved by our faith. We are redeemed by our faith.

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All of us are called to be the Blessed Children of God.

We are not called because of our race. We are not called because of our ethnic heritage. We are not called because we attend church, or because we attend this church rather than that church.

We are called to God. We are called by God. We are not called by any church, nor any priest, pastor, or politician.

Yet many self-proclaimed Christians delight in claiming that non-Christians are not the Blessed Children of God. Often they are prideful and even arrogant about it, as if to impute special status to themselves while denying status to others.

It is certainly true that in Scripture we have multiple teachings that non-Christians are not the Blessed Children of God.

In Ephesians 2:3, the Apostle Paul describes non-believers as “children of wrath.” This is a doubling-down on his teaching in Romans 9:8 that only those who believe—”children of the promise”—can inherit God’s Kingdom.

In 1 John 3:8-10, we find the teaching that those who commit sin, those who do evil, are of the devil and not of God.

We can also look to verses such as James 4:4, which declares that “whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

There is a sound logic in the premise that those who reject God cannot be simultaneously the Blessed Children of God.

Yet that same logic necessarily works in the other direction: all those who follow God—all those who choose to follow God—must therefore be the Blessed Children of God. The Apostle Paul asserts as much in Romans 10, teaching that “everyone who has faith may be justified” and also that “every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Which brings me back to my opening statement: All of us are called to be the Blessed Children of God. Those who do not believe are called to believe. Those who have not repented are called to repent. Those who do not follow God’s Law are called to follow.

Paul reminds us of this in 1 Timothy 2:4, teaching that God “desires all men to be saved.” The Apostle Peter concurs with this stance, teaching in 2 Peter 3:9 that God is “forebearing…not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

We see Jesus Himself giving this teaching in the Parable of the Wedding Banquet from Matthew 22:1-14, showing how God has made known His call in multiple ways using the prophets as His messengers, even though only a few choose to respond and attend upon God’s calling. Jesus reiterates this teaching in the Parable of the Sower from Luke 8:4-8, reminding us that the calling is there even if we do not listen: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

We are called to God. We are called by God.

Nor can Christians seriously dispute that God’s call is universal. The Great Commission—arguably the foundational mission statement for the whole of Christianity—is that Christians are to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. If Christians are called to carry Jesus’ teachings to all nations, it necessarily follows that God calls all nations.

Paul, quoting Isaiah, reminds us in Romans 14:11 that “every knee shall bow” before God, reminding us yet again that God calls everyone.

We should also bear in mind that God called Jonah to carry His warning to the people of Nineveh, that they should repent of their wickedness lest God’s wrath come down on them. Nineveh, the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, was culturally, religiously, and geographically outside the domains of the Israelites, God’s chosen people. Yet the whole of the Book of Jonah revolves around God calling Jonah to carry a message of repentance and therefore grace to the city.

We must also remember that Ruth, ancestor to King David, was from Moab—the land inhabited by the pagan descendants of Lot’s incestuous union with his own daughter. Despite this heritage, she chose to follow Naomi back to Israel, back to God’s chosen people, and thus gave rise to Israel’s second and greatest King.

Even before Jesus came into the world, before He charged His disciples with the Great Commission, God called pagan peoples to repentance. God called pagan people to join God’s chosen people Israel.

We have always been called to God. We have always been called by God. Regardless of who we are, no matter from where we come, no matter what we believe in the moment, God calls all of us to come back to Him.

Will everyone answer God’s call? We already know that many do not. We need only listen to the non-believers around us who loudly and proudly reject God to know that not everyone has answered or is likely to answer God’s call. In his salutation to the Ephesians, Paul points out that God “chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him,” making it clear that only some are fated to answer God’s call.

Remember, Jesus Himself, at the close of the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, soberly reminds us that “many are called, but few are chosen.”

Are Christians those who are called by God and then chosen by God? We certainly believe that we are—I certainly believe that I am—and Scripture teaches that we are.

Are Christians, being chosen by God, better than those who are not chosen by God? Sadly, in my experience I have encountered professing Christians who at least act as if they believe themselves better than others, and a few who state it outright. I say “sadly”, because believers are not better than non-believers. Those who are saved do not enjoy any special status over those who have not been saved.

Jesus makes this quite clear with the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:9-14. Jesus teaches us plainly that the humble man, who acknowledges his sins, repents, and seeks God’s Mercy is the one who is justified, not the prideful man who arrogantly proclaims his salvation to everyone.

Paul reiterates this teaching in Romans 12:3, exhorting the nascent church in Rome to remain humble and not become full of themselves, and makes the same point again in Philippians 2:3.

Nor should we think any of this to have been radical or remarkable even in Jesus’ time. Exhortations against pride, such as Proverbs 16:18, have been part of the world’s wisdom since antiquity.

We are all called to God. We are all called by God.

Believing in God is not a source of pride, and should not be a source of pride. Claiming to follow Jesus Christ is not a source of pride, and should not be a source of pride. Scripture does not teach that we should be proud. Jesus does not teach that we should be proud.

Christians are not given a special calling not given to all men. Rather, Christians must accept that, when we answer God’s call, when we submit to God’s Will, we will find ourselves tasked with things we might otherwise ignore.

Christians must accept that, having declared faith in Jesus, we necessarily accept the charge of the Great Commission.

Christians must accept that, having declared faith in Jesus, we necessarily must be prepared to take up our own crosses, standing fast against oppression and injustice even at the cost of our own lives.

Christians must accept, having declared faith in Jesus, these tasks and charges come to us not because we are “Christian”, but because they are within God’s call to everyone.

God wants everyone to repent. God wants everyone to be saved. God wants everyone to come back to Him. Christians, having declared faith in His only Begotten Son Jesus Christ, are merely those who do repent, who seek salvation, and who strive to come back to God.

We are all called to God. We are all called by God.

My prayer on every day is that everyone everywhere will hear and heed God’s call. My prayer on every day is that everyone everywhere will repent, seek salvation, and strive to return to God. My prayer on every day is that everyone everywhere will be humble and not proud, always mindful that we are all fallen, we are all sinners, and so the believer can be neither better nor worse than the non-believer.

Believing in God is not a source of pride, and should not be a source of pride. Claiming to follow Jesus Christ is not a source of pride, and should not be a source of pride. Scripture does not teach that we should be proud. Jesus does not teach that we should be proud.

By professing to follow Jesus Christ, Christians accept that, in hearing and heeding God’s call, we accept the charges and tasks within that call to everyone.

God wants everyone to repent. God wants everyone to be saved. God wants everyone to come back to Him. Christians, having declared faith in His only Begotten Son Jesus Christ, are merely those who do repent, who seek salvation, and who strive to come back to God.

We are all called to God. We are all called by God.

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It is perverse for corrupt, fallen, and sinful men to argue that men should be given authority. Yet we see everywhere in the world people arguing exactly that.

Politicians jockey for position and power, arguing all the while that everyone should follow them and not their opponent.

Priests and pastors preach from the pulpit that people should believe as they believe. Some will go so far as to say those who do not believe as they believe are not of the body of Christ.

On social media and throughout regular media, we see “influencers” and all manner of media celebrities telling people not just what they should do but how they should think, and what opinions they should hold.

Our culture is awash with people arguing, in various forms, “follow me!”

Should we follow such people? Can we trust such people to lead us in a good direction? The answers are no….and no.

People are not trustworthy. We are fallen. We are corrupt. We are sinners. That is the reality of humanity, and that reality makes humanity a poor choice when it comes to trusting.

If we cannot trust people, who can we trust? Who should we trust?

The answer, of course, is always that we should trust God. That is the very essence of faith, a point powerfully articulated by the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” If we have “assurance”, if we have “conviction”, we have, by definition, “trust”. “Trust,” “faith,” “assurance,” and “conviction” are all synonyms of each other.

Jesus Himself teaches us to be skeptical of the teachings of men. He specifically warned His disciples to “beware the leaven of the Pharisees” in Matthew 16:6. He rebuked the Pharisees directly in Mark 7 when He called them out for elevating their traditions above God’s Law. Jesus denounced the Pharisees again in Matthew 23, when He admonished His disciples not to seek out titles and the accoutrements of status such as being called “rabbi.”

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus was never complimentary of how men wielded any authority. We certainly cannot read the Gospels and come away with a view that Jesus wanted people to follow anyone but God.

That we should just “trust God” is one of those trite formulations that is easy to say, difficult at times to comprehend, and extremely difficult on most days to actually do. We might tell ourselves—and others—to “let go and let God,” but how often do we actually put that dictum into practice? For myself the answer is “not nearly often enough.”

How do we put trust in God into daily practice? A good place to start—perhaps the best place—is with God’s Word. Start with Scripture.

One point about Scripture we must apprehend straight away: we can either believe that Scripture is God’s Word or we disbelieve that Scripture is God’s Word. For the Christian, there can be no alternative but that Scripture is God’s Word. The Apostle Paul explicitly teaches this in 2 Timothy 3.

For faith, Scripture is always sufficient. For faith, Scripture alone is sufficient.

Yet we do not need to lean solely on Paul for this teaching. Psalm 119:105 is an explicit affirmation of the power of the word of God. In Isaiah 40, the prophet reminds Israel that God’s Word is eternal.

Scripture, both Old Testament and New, is indisputably meant to be received as the Word of God. That is an essential element of faith that we cannot avoid. For the Christian, there can be no other faith, no other choice.

When we read Scripture, we are by definition immersing ourselves in God’s Word. When we search Scripture for guidance, we are by definition seeking out God’s Law. When we look towards Scripture to crystallize our choices in various circumstances, we are by definition opening ourselves up to God’s Will.

We cannot do any of that merely by listening to a priest or a pastor, nor by reading what other men have written outside of Scripture. No sermon can ever be God’s Word.

My weekly sermons are certainly not God’s Word!

Does this mean we should ignore what priests and pastors say? Should we put aside what Christian writers say about God, Jesus, and Scripture?

Hardly.

Ideally, sermons are written by well-meaning people calling our attention to particular points within Scripture, and specific teachings. Ideally, sermons present a rational and coherent application of Scripture to a specific issue, be it a theological issue or a practical one.

Not all sermons are ideally written, however. Not all professed Christian writers put even their own teachings into practice in their own lives. Some sermons are written more to puff up the pretense of authority claimed by a church, or a priest, than they are written to glorify God.

How can we discern which sermons are well written and which sermons are corruptly written? Again, we can look to Scripture.

Whatever the pastor preaches from the pulpit must reconcile back to Scripture or it is a teaching of man and not God. Only Scripture stands as the Word of God—the position of faith that Scripture is God’s Word necessarily means that only Scripture can be God’s Word.

Everything else comes from men. Everything else can only carry weight if it also carries Scripture. We know this because Scripture makes it quite clear this is so.

The admonition from Deuteronomy is repeated multiple times in the Old and New Testament. Proverbs 30:6 warns us not to add to God’s Word. The Apostle Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 4:6 that we should “not go beyond what is written”. In 2 Timothy 4:2 he charges us to “preach the word.”

A moment’s reflection reminds us why it is important not to pretend we can stretch and rewrite Scripture: As is made clear also in multiple passages, only God has authority; men do not.

When people invent rituals, traditions, and teachings which cannot be found within Scripture, which cannot be reconciled back to Scripture, they are by definition declaring their authority to add to God’s Word—a stance which is definitionally false. All authority has been given to Jesus—Matthew 28 tells us this explicitly in the Great Commission; as all authority goes to Jesus, there is no authority left for men to claim.

When people expound on Scripture, root their arguments in Scripture, and build ritual and tradition around Scripture, there can be the hope that others will listen, that others will take heed, that others will draw closer to God in consequence. We lose that hope when we stray from Scripture.

When people expound on Scripture, for their arguments to carry weight they must not merely quote isolated verses. They must view passages in context—and the ultimate context is always the whole of Scripture. Passages must be read critically, and ideally with a view towards how teachings may be applied in the real world. In each of my weekly sermons I strive to bring that sense of connectedness to the real world in which we all live, with no doubt varying degrees of success.

When people expound on Scripture, we do best if we are willing to challenge our apprehension of particular verses. When we read Scripture, we do best if we read as if to prepare to defend Scripture. If someone, believer or nonbeliever, wishes to challenge our understanding of Scripture, we do best if we are always ready to respond with substantive, honest, and Scripturally sound rebuttals.

When people expound on Scripture, we do well to consider the structure and logic inhabiting the text. The Law given to Moses on Mount Sinai is first expounded upon by the Prophets of the Old Testament, then illuminated by Jesus during His Ministry here on Earth, and finally brought to Christian understanding in the Epistles of the New Testament. The Epistles of the New Testament must therefore reconcile to what Jesus teaches in the Gospels, and what Jesus teaches in the Gospels must be read with the Law and the Prophets in mind.

We know this must be so because Jesus Himself teaches that God’s Law has not changed and will not change (“not one jot or tittle shall pass away”). God’s Law is the same as it was in the time of Moses. Of that we can have no doubt.

When we strive to hear God’s Word, when we seek to know God’s Law, when we search to apprehend God’s Will, Scripture is always sufficient. Scripture alone is sufficient. Teachings of men, for all their eloquence and possible passion, are always insufficient.

My prayer this day is that people everywhere will diligently seek to hear God’s Word, know God’s Law, and apprehend God’s Will. My prayer this day is that people everywhere will be inspired to look to Scripture in this quest. My prayer this day is that people everywhere will recognize that only when men’s words reconcile back to Scripture can they carry any weight.

Only Scripture stands as the Word of God—the position of faith that Scripture is God’s Word necessarily means that only Scripture can be God’s Word.

Everything else comes from men. Everything else can only carry weight if it also carries Scripture. We know this because Scripture makes it quite clear this is so.

When we strive to hear God’s Word, when we seek to know God’s Law, when we search to apprehend God’s Will, Scripture is always sufficient. Scripture alone is sufficient. Teachings of men, for all their eloquence and possible passion, are always insufficient.

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Behold, I have refined you, but not like silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

Isaiah 48:10

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I have never had a “road to Damascus” moment. I cannot think of a single time when I “heard” or even felt God directing me in any particular direction.

What I have had are moments of “Wow, I really do believe this!”

I have just enough of a deficit in humility to be quite at ease taking pride in my ability to reason and analyze things. In all the careers I have had, research and analysis has always been the essential skill that has allowed me to succeed.

I like to think.

That love of reasoning and thinking may be part of why my spiritual path has had more than its share of twists, turns, and unexpected forks in the road.

For a number of reasons, in my teen years God stopped making sense to me. Christianity did not make sense to me. The answers I kept getting did not seem logical.

For me, that’s a problem. For me, that’s a huge problem.

If I cannot make sense of something, I am more than likely going to conclude that it, or some aspect of it, is “wrong”. Rarely am I going to conclude that I am wrong (arrogance has always been one of the sins I do extremely well!).

As a young man, I became enamored of Tibetan Buddhism. There was a logic and a structure that I could comprehend. The discipline of meditation was a curious comfort.

Having taken up Buddhist practice made marriage an interesting exercise in putting together a wedding ceremony and wedding vows that could literally span East and West. We were fortunate that the pastor, who was Lutheran, was broad-minded enough to work with us.

What was particularly impressive about him was that, while he took great care not to denigrate the place I was at spiritually, he would not budge from where he was at. There was no equivocation from him: he gave us a Christian wedding and a Christian blessing of our marriage.

For a number of new reasons, my fascination with Buddhism did not last. For a time I was not much of anything. Spiritually, I was adrift.

Throughout all of this the one constant in my life has always been writing. Throughout my careers I have always been writing essays and articles of one kind or another. My love of the written word has without a doubt played an essential role in bringing me to where I am now in terms of faith.

Whenever I have wanted to press a particular point of morals or ethics, I have for a number of years gravitated towards using Bible verses to state my moral position. Almost by accident, I ended up reading and re-reading a fair amount of Scripture.

Unintentionally—but I see now not by accident—that constant reading and re-reading of Scripture worked a curious magic. The more I explained things using Scripture, the more I began to understand Scripture. Eventually, I came to a point where I, much to my surprise, began to believe Scripture.

I do not want to give the impression the evolution was at all easy. Psychologically and emotionally, it was quite turbulent and even violent. My path has taken me through some extremely dark places inside my head, places to where I hope I never return.

That I survived that path and lived to write this is itself no small miracle.

Yet I did survive. After enough moments of “wow, I really do believe this!” I had a moment of “wow, I really do believe!”

Have I been “refined” in the “furnace of affliction”? Yes, I have.

Whether through happenstance, my own poor choices, or because it was what God had chosen for me, I have found myself in all manner of trying situations. I have lost jobs, lost businesses, lost friends. It’s fair to say I’ve even lost my mind a time or two.

Surviving such situations is what has brought me to my faith in Christ today—and it genuinely is faith in Christ. There was a time I would have declined to say that, for fear of being hypocritical.

Fear of (or guarding against) hypocrisy is a large portion of what refines me today. I am always being challenged on what I believe. When I defend what I say I believe, inside my head I am forced to be clear on what exactly it is I believe.

Challenges and crises at work are also refining. The overarching challenge when dealing with client crises is “how do I do the right thing?” Answering that question demands that I know what that right thing is, and then have the courage to actually do it. Answering that question frequently challenges me about how to apply good accounting principles and company accounting policies, while always maintaining my own personal integrity.

There are days when it is quite tempting to yield to frustration and say or do things that would be less than helpful!

Yet these are also the moments when Jesus’ teachings that we are to let God's Light shine into a darkened world take on new relevance. Faith is not merely what I believe, but it is also a practical guide for what I should do in a variety of challenging and awkward situations. My faith plays a direct and substantial role in formulating my real world decisions, and in making my real world choices.

Every challenge, every conflict, every crisis demands that we respond. How each challenge, conflict, and crisis resolves hinges on that response. It scarcely needs be said that God's Will is that our response be the right response.

In every challenge, every conflict, every crisis, we are called by God to do the right thing. That is the calling given to Israel in the very first chapter of Isaiah. That is the calling in Micah 6. That is the calling Jesus gave during the Sermon on the Mount, and again in Luke 6. There is no doubt that whenever we are challenged, our first question—perhaps our only question—is “what is the right thing to do?”

How do we find the answer to that question? Perhaps we talk things through with a trusted friend or colleague. Perhaps we consult with a priest or pastor. Perhaps we turn to the study of Scripture for guidance. Perhaps we simply pray and meditate.

By the simple act of doing these things, of seeking earnestly for the good and righteous choice, we invariably open our hearts and our minds further to God—and ultimately it is He who writes the answer upon our hearts and in our minds.

In every challenge, every conflict, every crisis, we are refined. If we are mindful and intentional, we gain insight and perhaps some wisdom as well.

My prayer in every challenge, every conflict, and every crisis is that I will hear and heed God’s guidance. My prayer in every challenge, every conflict, and every crisis is that I will have the courage to follow God’s guidance and adhere to His Will. My prayer in every challenge, every conflict, and every crisis is that I will be mindful and intentional, that I might gain insight and hopefully some wisdom as well.

My prayer for you in every challenge, every conflict, and every crisis is that you will hear and heed God’s guidance. My prayer for you in every challenge, every conflict, and every crisis is that you will have the courage to follow God’s guidance and adhere to His Will. My prayer for you in every challenge, every conflict, and every crisis is that you will be mindful and intentional, that you might gain insight and hopefully some wisdom as well.

Every challenge, every conflict, every crisis demands that we respond. How each challenge, conflict, and crisis resolves hinges on that response. God’s Will is that our response be the right response.

By the simple act of seeking earnestly for that good response, for the good and righteous choice, we invariably open our hearts and our minds further to God—and ultimately it is He who writes the answer upon our hearts and in our minds.

In every challenge, every conflict, every crisis, we are refined. If we are mindful and intentional, we gain insight and perhaps some wisdom as well.

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When we embrace Jesus Christ and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, then we are redeemed. Our sins are forgiven, and our salvation is assured.

This is the basic premise, the foundational teaching informing all Christian churches in every denomination.

Logically, it makes sense. As God has already extended the offer of forgiveness—something we see reiterated in Isaiah and Jeremiah as well as in the Gospels—all that remains is for us to accept that forgiveness. Our acceptance is essential, for if we deny Jesus, if we say He is not our Lord and Savior, if we say we do not need God’s forgiveness, then we are rejecting that forgiveness and so remain unforgiven. Only when we accept Christ can we accept the forgiveness already offered by God.

What about after we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior? Once we are redeemed, once our sins are forgiven, what happens then?

Do we stop sinning?

As much as I wish that were true, it isn’t. It certainly isn’t for me. I still sin, and probably do so even without realizing it sometimes. I am still quite capable of saying and doing wrong things.

One might argue that none of that matters, that once I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior even future sins are covered.

Is that really true? I would say it is not.

Jesus Himself counseled against the complacency such thinking implies, teaching that we should have a particular vigilance, that we should be mindful of His eventual return.

There is the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids in Matthew 25, which Jesus concluded with “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” That admonition was repeated in Mark 13:33, “Take heed, watch; for you do not know when the time will come.”

There is the Parable of the Unfaithful Slave in Luke 12, with its warning of the perils of not adhering to God’s Will.

On every day, we are called to follow God’s Will and to obey God’s Law. If we truly have embraced Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, that call is only strengthened and made more immediate—yet our human imperfections mean that even after we accept Christ we will still fail in that calling, and we will still sin.

The Apostle Paul acknowledged the realities of our constant sinning in Romans 7. Paul was no stranger to sin, and he admitted that he still felt the tug of temptation and desire even after his conversion on the road to Damascus.

In 2 Corinthians 12, he spoke of praying that God would remove the temptation to sin, the “thorn in the flesh”, that continued to vex him despite accepting Christ.

That we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, and accept the forgiveness already offered by God, does not free us from the realities of ongoing sin and imperfection. Even after we have accepted Christ, we are still prone to make mistakes. We are still likely to sin. We are still going to do things which require us to seek forgiveness.

If we are being mindful, that should be a problem for us. As Jesus’ own teachings in the Gospels make plain, even if I have accepted Christ, if I still do not adhere to God’s Will, I still risk the consequences of God’s Wrath. Even if I have accepted Christ, if I know what the right thing is and do not do it, I invite God’s Judgement upon me.

The parable in Luke especially stands as a powerful warning that God’s Forgiveness should not be regarded as an eternal “get out of jail free” card.

Yet God has already offered us forgiveness.

That promise is repeatedly made in Isaiah, beginning in the very first chapter. It is reiterated in Isaiah 44, and again in Isaiah 55.

That promise is repeated in Jeremiah 31:34, and again in Jeremiah 33:8.

The people of Israel sinned grievously and repeatedly, yet, throughout the worst consequences of defeat and exile, God did not abandon His people.

King David sinned grievously and repeatedly, yet God did not abandon him.

We do well to remember that the Apostle Peter, on the night of Jesus’ arrest, denied Christ three times. He was still called to ministry, to make believers of all nations, and he was still the rock upon which the early Christian churches were built.

The lesson in Scripture is crystal clear: we can stumble, we can fall, we can sin, and we can still rise again. We can still seek righteousness. We can still answer the call to be holy.

There is an additional lesson in Scripture as well: We will stumble. We will fall. We will sin. We will rise again.

We will still seek righteousness. We will still answer the call to be holy.

Even after we accept Jesus Christ, we can sin, and we will. That is the reality of everyone who proclaims to follow Jesus and adhere to God’s Will.

That reality necessarily must shape one’s apprehension of what it is to “accept Jesus Christ.” That reality necessarily reworks what outwardly might seem to be a singular event into a never-ending process.

The reality of our continuing sinfulness demands that, if we truly and honestly accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we must accept an obligation to constantly strive to overcome the temptations and weaknesses which occasion us to sin.

If we truly and honestly accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we accept that we commit to a life of continual transformation and spiritual growth. Ideally it means we sin less and less over time. At a minimum it means we are more cognizant of sin, and of the desires and temptations which lead us to sin.

As Paul counseled the Philippians, if we truly and honestly accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we must understand that the acceptance is not the end of the spiritual journey, but a new journey all its own.

What we embrace on one day we must intentionally embrace on every day. What we promise to follow on one day we must intentionally promise to follow on every day.

When we truly and honestly accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we accept that, spiritually, we are just getting started. We are embarking on a journey designed to last a lifetime.

We will stumble on that journey, but we can still rise and press on. We will wander off the path into the weeds that lie on either side, but we can still get back on the path and continue the journey. We will sin, but we can still continue to seek out righteousness, continue to strive for holiness.

My prayer each and every day is that I will always be mindful of the path before me, of the journey that leads me back to God. My prayer each and every day is that I will hear and heed God’s call to follow His Will and obey His Law. My prayer each and every day is that, when I stumble and fall off that path, God will guide me back onto it, that I may continue pressing forward.

My prayer for you each and every day is that you also will always be mindful of the path before you, of the journey that leads you back to God. My prayer for you each and every day is that you also will hear and heed God’s call to follow His Will and obey His Law. My prayer for you each and every day is that, when you stumble and fall off that path, God will guide you back onto it, that you may continue pressing forward.

Even after we accept Jesus Christ, we can sin, and we will. That is the reality of everyone who proclaims to follow Jesus and adhere to God’s Will.

If we truly and honestly accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we must accept an obligation to constantly strive to overcome the temptations and weaknesses which occasion us to sin. If we truly and honestly accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we accept that we commit to a life of continual transformation and spiritual growth.

When we truly and honestly accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we accept that, spiritually, we are just getting started. We are embarking on a journey designed to last a lifetime.

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Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you are serving the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:22-24

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Working is never fun.

In my day job, getting up in the morning and going to an office every day is never something I view with excitement or anticipation. On more than a few days the gravity well in the center of the bed seems extra powerful!

When I reach the end of the work day, I am always glad to leave the office. When I am working from home, at the end of the work day I am always glad to sign out and go do something else. I am always happy to direct my thoughts to things other than work.

Yet I genuinely enjoy the work that I do. I enjoy the research. I enjoy the analytical efforts. I enjoy solving problems. Solving problems is when I come alive.

I will confess, I enjoy the praise and the compliments I get at work. When your boss says you are “a blessing”, that always feels good!

Who doesn’t like to be noticed for doing good work? Who doesn’t want to be respected for the work that they do?

In an ideal workplace, we receive praise whenever we do praiseworthy things. If we are ideal employees, we seek to always do praiseworthy things.

In reality, workplaces are rarely ideal. Many times people do praiseworthy things and never receive praise. That’s not right, and it certainly is not fair, but it is how many workplaces are.

In reality, we are frequently less than ideal employees, and do not always do praiseworthy things. Not only do we make mistakes, we grow tired and perhaps a bit lazy, and so take an inappropriate shortcut now and again. We might attempt to foist our responsibilities off on others—and others might attempt to foist their responsibilities off on us.

That’s not right, and it certainly is not fair, but it is how many people are at least some of the time they are at work.

We are imperfect. We are fallen. We are sinful. Even in the workplace, this is the reality for all of us.

Yet is it really sinful not to do praiseworthy things at work? Are we doing something wrong if we are doing less than our best at our job?

Broadly speaking, yes. We are called to always do our best, to give our best effort, no matter what.

Jesus reminds us of this in His teaching during the Sermon on The Mount, that we are to be “the light of the world.” We are not to simply sit and be idle. Rather, we are called to let God’s light shine into a darkened world through the work that we do. If we want people to think excellent thoughts about God’s light, we owe it to God and to ourselves to do excellent work.

Leviticus 19:35-36 also stand as an explicit prohibition to any sort of cheating in the workplace. We are called to make our measurements accurately, and our calculations precisely. We are called to deliver whatever labor, whatever service, to which we have agreed.

We do not have to wonder if details matter to the Lord. We are already told that they do.

We also do well to remember that all that we are comes from God. As God pointed out to Jeremiah in calling him to be a prophet to the nations, we are all God’s special creation. As Jeremiah would later remind the people of Israel in exile, God has plans for all of us, things we are called to do, missions we are called to undertake.

Jesus Himself reminds us of this as well, pointing out through the Parable of the Talents that each of us has been blessed with certain gifts. We are God’s own creation, and all that we are, all that we are able to do, comes directly from Him.

That which God has gifted us we are called to put to use.

God wants us to do things. God wants us to do good things. God wants us to make a difference in the world.

As is so often the case, this is very easy to say, and often very hard to do.

Regardless of the calling, regardless of the gifts we have been given to do whatever work is before us, the reality for most if not all of us is that working itself is not fun. Working is hard. Working can be quite annoying and frustrating. Working is what we have to do, not what we want to do.

Would I keep my day job if I were independently wealthy? Probably not.

Would I keep my day job if I had the chance to fully support myself with just my writings? Almost certainly not.

Even though I like the work that I do, all things being equal I would not choose to have the job that I do. Given a choice, I would want to do the work that I do my own way, on my own timetables, pursuing my own projects and tasks. Given a choice, I would want to do things “my way.”

I am not given a choice. Very few of us are given that choice. If I want to have a roof over my head and food in my belly, I have to do the work that I can where I can—and that means I have to hold down the job that I have. As is pointed out in Ecclesiastes 9:10, “whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” Regardless of the difficulties and dilemmas I might face at work, the difficulties and dilemmas that come from not working would be even worse.

Working is never fun, but working is a better choice than not working. Not working means not having the means to pay rent, buy groceries, and take care of all the other things needed to live. For myself, as one who values independence and self-sufficiency, those are not acceptable outcomes.

Working is never fun, but I am blessed in that my job is more than just a paycheck. My job is one that challenges me with regularity. My job stimulates me and keeps me from falling into a mindless rut of routine.

Not all jobs are like that. There are jobs that do seem almost mindless, where showing up is not just half the job, but nearly the entire job. I have worked at jobs like that. Those are the jobs where it is tempting to give less than my best effort. Those are the jobs where I have often not given my best effort. Those are the jobs where I have told myself it didn’t matter how good my work was—or was not.

Only it did matter. It does matter. Regardless of how or why I was at a particular job, the reality of that job was that it was the work that was before me. The reality of that job is that it was what had been given to me to do. The reality of that job is that it was where I was tasked with letting God’s light shine into a darkened world through my work.

The reality of such jobs is that they were jobs where I did not let God’s light shine into the darkened world nearly as much as I could have. The reality of such jobs is that they were moments when I failed to answer God’s calling.

The reality of such jobs is they were the jobs where, like the servant given only the two talents or the one talent, I was not given much. Like the servant given only the one talent, they were jobs where I was not faithful with what I had been given.

I could easily rationalize poor work performance as being not my fault. It was somehow the job’s fault for not being sufficiently stimulating. It was the employer’s fault for not giving me work that I enjoyed. No one cared about the work, and so no one was hurt if my work performance was poor. At one time or another, I have told myself exactly those things.

Yet that job was still what was put before me to do. That job was still work I agreed to do. If I did not do the work as best I could, that job was an agreement I failed to keep.

Was anyone hurt by my poor work? At the very least I was. Working may not be fun, but working at a job one actively dislikes is downright painful. Working at a job one actively dislikes leaves one bitter and angry at just about everything. Working at a job one actively dislikes perversely made it that much more difficult to find a better job, because radiating anger and bitterness is a great way to screw up a job interview—a necessary stepping stone to finding a better job.

What is the alternative? When a job is mindless, or frustrating, or the workplace is simply toxic in whatever way, how does one avoid bitterness and anger?

In a word: holiness.

In every situation and circumstance, especially ones where we are put upon on all sides, we are still called to holiness. We are still called to strive to be “worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.” We are still called to bear good fruit, and to let God’s light shine into a darkened world through our work and through our lives.

When I put my focus back on God, I push frustration and anger out of my mind. When frustration and anger no longer cloud my thoughts, I can see alternatives and opportunities I did not see before, and am in a frame of mind to take advantage of them.

When I put my focus back on God, I rekindle hope. Cynicism and bitterness are replaced by optimism and even joy.

When I put my focus back on God, even the frustrating and infuriating task becomes that much more doable.

Nor should we be surprised that this is the case. The Apostle Paul points out that this is the case in Romans 12, when he calls people to be shaped by faith and not by the pressures and problems of the world around them.

The single best thing any of us can do to deal with difficult situations in any job is to remember that, no matter the difficulty, the work that we do is always in service of God. In doing whatever work is at hand, we owe it to ourselves to follow God’s Law.

No matter who signs the paycheck, the work we do in every job, and in every profession, is always in service of God. Being mindful of that motivates—at least it motivates me. Being mindful of that elevates—at least it elevates me.

My prayer on every day is that I will always keep my focus on God, where it belongs. My prayer on every day is that, in focusing on God, I will remember that, no matter what task I am doing, I am doing it in service of God, and strive to do it well for that reason. My prayer on every day is that, through focusing on God, I will always hear and heed God’s call to holiness, and so strive for excellence in everything that I do.

My prayer for you on every day is that you will always keep your focus on God, where it belongs. My prayer for you on every day is that, in focusing on God, you will remember that, no matter what task you are doing, you are doing it in service of God, and strive to do it well for that reason. My prayer for you on every day is that, through focusing on God, you will always hear and heed God’s call to holiness, and so strive for excellence in everything that you do.

No matter who signs the paycheck, the work we do in every job, and in every profession, is always in service of God. Being mindful of that motivates. Being mindful of that elevates.

In every situation and circumstance, especially ones where we are put upon on all sides, we are still called to holiness. We are still called to strive to be “worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.” We are still called to bear good fruit, and to let God’s light shine into a darkened world through our work and through our lives.

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When you pass through the waters I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.

Isaiah 43:2

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A rather controversial quote from Martin Luther is his counsel to “sin boldly.” The complete quote is variously translated from the original German as “Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly.”

Superficially, there is a certain realism to Luther's counsel. We are sinners, after all.

People are, I have observed, frequently stubborn and stiff-necked, particularly about sinning. Perhaps the most common reason we give for not doing what we know is right is that we simply do not want to do it.

Not wanting is, of course, never a good reason for not doing. Not wanting is, however, a major reason which I perceive as being behind much of the bad behavior I see in the world around me.

We know what we should be doing, but we say it is too hard, or too time consuming, or simply too unpleasant, and so we simply do not want to do it. The outcome is that we simply do not do what we should, despite knowing we should.

People are quite stubborn and stiff-necked that way!

The Apostle Paul lamented this very thing about himself in Romans 7. He was honest and forthright about his failures to do the right thing, even when he knew quite clearly what that right thing was. The temptations of the flesh Paul openly acknowledged were stubborn temptations that refused to leave him, and frequently bested him—or, as he put it, “I of myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”

Paul knew when he sinned. He knew when he was doing a wrong thing. He did that wrong thing anyway.

By his own admission, Paul was unquestionably very stubborn and stiff-necked.

Yet being stubborn and stiff-necked does have one redeeming aspect: stubborn and stiff-necked people tend to be the last ones to just quit. Stubbornness quite often is a key ingredient to survival, and an essential ingredient to victory.

Of course, people who are stubborn and stiff-necked for the right reasons aren't usually called stubborn or stiff-necked. Rather, even in the Bible they are described using words such as “steadfast”.

Yet the mindset of both stubbornness and steadfastness is foundationally the same: a simple refusal to stop, to surrender, or to change direction. The distinction between the two traits even in Scripture comes down to why one refuses to stop, to surrender, or to change direction.

There is Jonah, who stubbornly refused God's calling, and spent three days in the belly of a fish regretting his choice.

There is Job, who stubbornly refused to blame God for his many troubles, even as he cried out to God to understand why he was being afflicted, and was ultimately rewarded by God for remaining faithful in the face of adversity.

There is Daniel, who spent a night among lions for refusing to cease his prayers to God.

There were Ahab and Ahaz, who despite warnings from the prophets persisted in leading Israel into sin and ruin.

Each, in their own way, stubbornly refused to quit what they were doing. Whether what they were doing was good or evil, a defining characteristic of each of these men was that refusal to quit.

Nor can we overlook the Apostles themselves, who endured prison, torture, and ultimately death as they worked to fulfill the Great Commission given them by Jesus, to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ and make believers of all nations.

The two billion Christians around the world today are a powerful testimony to their success. The two billion Christians around the world today are a powerful testimony to their stubbornness, even when facing torture and death.

If we are striving to serve God, being stubborn and stiff-necked—being “steadfast”—is demonstrably supreme among the virtues we might hope to have.

If we are defying God, being stubborn and stiff-necked is arguably among the worst sins we might commit.

Proverbs 11:19 teaches this very point: “He who is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die.”

For all his struggles with sin, Paul’s refusal to give up, his stubbornness in not ceasing to pray and work to rise above sinful temptation, are the reason we have the bulk of the New Testament today. Had Paul simply given in and stopped reaching for righteousness, his letters would never have been written, and the Bible would be considerably shorter than it is.

That Paul's letters were written, and comprise the bulk of the New Testament Christians receive today as Scripture, as God's Sacred Word, tells us something important about stubbornness: being stubborn is often an important characteristic of being consequential. We achieve the most, and have the greatest impact on the world around us, simply by not stopping, not surrendering, not changing direction.

If we are striving to serve God, being stubborn and stiff-necked—being “steadfast”—is demonstrably supreme among the virtues we might hope to have.

If we are defying God, being stubborn and stiff-necked is arguably among the worst sins we might commit.

Being stubborn matters because the reality of a great many trials and tribulations is that we can survive them. We can go through the fire and come out on the other side. All it takes for us to survive is for us to simply not quit—to not stop, to not surrender, and to not change direction.

Being stubborn matters because, as Isaiah prophesied to Israel, God does not abandon us in the middle of any trial or tribulation. If God wants us to survive, we are going to survive; in every crisis understanding the outcome is really that simple. If God wants us to survive, we need only stay the course to prevail.

Our challenge in every trial and tribulation is being certain whether what we are doing is in service of God or in defiance of God.

Job was blameless in all of his sufferings, yet his outwardly righteous friends were convinced he had sinned grievously, and was compounding that unknown error by stubbornly refusing to admit to his sin. Job was certain he had not sinned, and cried out to God for explanation; if Job had sinned, he wanted to understand how. In the end, God rebuked Job’s friends for not considering the possibility that Job had been right, that Job had not brought God’s wrath upon himself with sin, but that God was testing him for another purpose.

Daniel was blameless, yet political adversaries of his sought to orchestrate his death at the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar II. Had Daniel been overtly political, he perhaps might have avoided being put into the lions’ den, but Daniel was as doggedly apolitical as he was decidedly devout. Despite that, simply by keeping to his course as a loyal member of Nebuchadnezzar’s government and a faithful servant of God, Daniel ultimately triumphed over his adversaries, who were not so fortunate when it was their time to be thrown into the lions’ den.

Jonah, on the other hand, was unquestionably the architect of his own suffering, as he even acknowledged to the sailors who threw him overboard to be swallowed up by a great fish. Only when the fish had taken him down to the depths of the ocean did Jonah finally conclude that he should do as God called him to do. After the fish vomited Jonah back onto dry land, he went to Nineveh, a sprawling metropolis which took some three days just to walk across. With the same doggedness with which Jonah had fled God’s calling, Jonah carried out God’s calling, and the city of Nineveh was saved from its own sin and corruption.

How are we to know whether we are serving God or defying God? While we should look to Scripture for guidance, the ultimate answer will always lie in our faith.

If we are to be steadfast rather than stiff-necked, we must have faith that we are being led by God and not being led away from God. We must trust that, through our faith, we will see the path God wants us to take. Whatever that path is, and through whatever twists and turns it takes us, we must have faith that it will lead us to a good ending.

What we must always do, however, is walk whatever path is put before us. We must confront every obstacle, suffer through every trial, endure every tribulation.

We do not have the luxury of simply doing nothing. As God has put a path before us, it is certain He means for us to walk that path. We cannot therefore simply lay down and not walk that path.

We must walk the path. We must act. We must do. We must have faith that God will guide us rightly through each and every step we take.

As Martin Luther put it, we must sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly.

Because we must act, we must bear the risk of choosing the wrong action, which is to say we must bear the risk of sinning. Because we will act, we must accept the reality that some of our actions will be the wrong action, which is to say we will sin.

Yet if we keep our faith, if we believe in God with all our heart and all our soul and all our mind, we will be guided rightly, and even when we do not follow God’s calling for us, we will still be forgiven.

We must be stubborn and stiff-necked—we must be steadfast—in our pursuit of Godly goals if we are to realize God’s calling for us. We must also be stubborn and stiff-necked—we must be steadfast—in our faith, that as we repent of our many mistakes along the way, as we repent of our sins, we can receive God’s forgiveness already offered each of us.

My prayer on every day is that I will see clearly the path God has put before me, that I will not be misled by earthly temptations and distractions. My prayer on every day is that I will find the courage and conviction to walk whatever path I see before me, that I will find the courage to act even when the outcome is not clear. My prayer on every day is that I will not waver in my faith, that I may keep myself open to receiving God’s forgiveness already offered.

My prayer for you on every day is that you will see clearly the path God has put before you, that you will not be misled by earthly temptations and distractions. My prayer for you on every day is that you will find the courage and conviction to walk whatever path you see before you, that you will find the courage to act even when the outcome is not clear. My prayer for you on every day is that you will not waver in your faith, that you may keep yourself open to receiving God’s forgiveness already offered.

If we are striving to serve God, being stubborn and stiff-necked—being “steadfast”—is demonstrably supreme among the virtues we might hope to have.

If we are defying God, being stubborn and stiff-necked is arguably among the worst sins we might commit.

We must be stubborn and stiff-necked—we must be steadfast—in our pursuit of Godly goals if we are to realize God’s calling for us. We must also be stubborn and stiff-necked—we must be steadfast—in our faith, that as we repent of our many mistakes along the way, as we repent of our sins, we can receive God’s forgiveness already offered each of us.

Truly, we must both sin boldly, and believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly.

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I am no theologian. I make no pretense of being a theologian. I have no use for most of the intellectualizing that seeks justification as “theology.”

I like to think I am a simple man, and a practical one. My focus with these sermons is never to expound sublime doctrine or to weave profound “Christological” reasonings. My mission is simply this: share with others my thoughts on Scripture, and how the teachings of Scripture can be applied in our daily lives.

As my mission is simple, I believe my message should be equally simple. The focus should be simply God, simply Jesus, simply Scripture.

We do well to remember that Jesus Himself preached a virtue of simplicity, teaching His followers during the Sermon on the Mount to “let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”

We do well to remember also that long before Jesus began His ministry on Earth, the Psalms celebrated simplicity as wisdom, and Proverbs taught simplicity as the pathway to knowledge and understanding.

The more complex the reasoning, the more likely it is to be a rationalization, a fabrication arising from the eternally flawed “wisdom” of men. Jesus called out the Pharisees in Mark 7 for this very thing, of layering human wisdom on top of the already perfect wisdom given by God. Jesus again condemned the Pharisees in Matthew 23 for exactly this, for their endless complications and additions to God’s already perfect Law.

Jesus calling out the Pharisees for their hypocritical rationalizations makes one thing abundantly clear: complex reasoning is a problem, not a solution. Complex reasoning takes us beyond “Yes” and “No”, and so comes from evil.

We need only look at the world around us—at the wars, the chaos, and the omnipresence of pure evil everywhere—to see the problems complex reasoning has created for us, problems which will only be solved when we turn to the simplicity found in Scripture.

The world around us is absolute proof that complex reasoning will always be a problem and never a solution. The world around us is absolute proof that the wisdom of men will not save us.

The wisdom of men cannot save our societies; it is lunacy to expect the wisdom of men to save our souls.

What will save our souls? Wisdom that is simply God, simply Jesus, simply Scripture.

Theology, at its core, is the wisdom of men. Theology more often than not seeks to complicate what in Scripture is presented simply.

In other words, theology is no wisdom at all.

I have no use for the contrivance of using pseudo-Greek words such as “exegesis” or “eisegesis” to explain myself. I write and speak English, not Latin, and not Greek. I live in the here and the now—in the world we have, not in the world I wish we had. I jettison the needlessly complex in hopes of getting down to the simple truth at the core of everything.

I do confess that I enjoy showing off my vocabulary by using long four-dollar words, and do so more than I should. As much as I like to think of myself as a simple man, I know better than to pretend I am a humble one.

When I speak about Christian living, Christian faith, or Christian morals, I start with a single source: Scripture. I look to the Bible. I seek out God’s Word and I study God’s Law. From that simple approach comes what I hope is a simple message, and a sound one. From that simple approach comes what I hope is a message that is simply God, simply Jesus, simply Scripture.

Do I have perfect understanding of either God’s Word or God’s Law? Not all. My understanding is incomplete. My understanding may be quite wrong in some places. My understanding is constantly evolving (hopefully in a direction towards God and not away from him). Perfect understanding is the future hope, not the present reality.

Regardless of how well or how poorly I apprehend Scripture, Scripture is the only argument I will ever have, or hope to have. If I cannot defend my views with Scripture, then I cannot defend my views at all. If I cannot defend my views with Scripture, then my views are demonstrably in error and must be changed.

Regardless of how well or how poorly I apprehend Scripture, I realize that I must use the whole of Scripture. I cannot extract a single verse, or a single passage, and conflate it into a complete teaching all on its own. The context, the framing for any verse or passage will always be the entirety of the Bible. The letters of Paul, Peter, and John must always be read in reconciliation with the teachings of Jesus found in the Gospels, and the teachings of Jesus must always be connected to the Law and the Prophets found within the Old Testament.

Regardless of how well or how poorly I apprehend Scripture, I comprehend that within Scripture there are no errors, and no contradictions. God does not argue with Himself.

If a theological position leads to contradiction, that theological position is demonstrably wrong on that basis. All such theological positions should be rejected for that reason alone. God does not argue with Himself.

When we reject the false wisdom of men, when we discard the needless complexities men layer onto Scripture, then we can see the simple truth that has always been there. Then we can see the wisdom that is simply God, simply Jesus, simply Scripture.

My prayer this day is a prayer for simplicity—a prayer that all people everywhere will always see clearly to avoid the unnecessary complexities men have inflicted upon the world. My prayer this day is that all people everywhere will recognize that complex reasoning is not merely unproductive but also counterproductive—it hurts rather than helps in every situation. My prayer this day is that all people everywhere will turn away from the false wisdom and unhelpful complexities crafted by men, seeking instead for solutions that are simply God, simply Jesus, simply Scripture.

The world around us is absolute proof that complex reasoning will always be a problem and never a solution. The world around us is absolute proof that the wisdom of men will not save us.

The wisdom of men cannot save our societies; it is lunacy to expect the wisdom of men to save our souls.

What will save our souls? Wisdom that is simply God, simply Jesus, simply Scripture.

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Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

Jeremiah 29:4-7

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“Wherever you go, there you are.”

I have no doubt that everyone who has not lived their life on a desert island has heard this worn out cliche, or some variation of it.

Yet, as is so often the case, this saying has become a cliche because it it is obviously true. In every moment, and in every place, we are always ourselves, neither more nor less.

We do not transform as if by magic into a completely different person merely by changing locations. All that we are—all our hopes, all our dreams, and all our fears necessarily come along for the ride.

No matter where we go, there we are, and there we will be.

Whatever God calls us to do, whatever plan He has for our lives, will always be there as well.

When Jonah fled to Joppa to escape God's calling, God called him even there. God's calling followed Jonah onto the ship bound for Tarshish. God's calling followed Jonah even into the depths of the ocean. There, in the belly of a great fish, Jonah finally listened to God's call, repented, and vowed to do as God had commanded.

When the Apostle Paul encountered the Risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, Jesus admonished him, pointing out that “it is hard to kick against the goads.” Paul—then Saul—had struggled against God's Word, persecuting many of the early Christians. Yet eventually he could no longer ignore God's calling, and thus Saul–Pharisee and enemy of Christians—became Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles.

Jeremiah had a similar message for the Israelites deported to Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem. No matter where they had gone, there they were. In Jerusalem or in Babylon, they were still God's people Israel. They were still keepers of God's Law. They still had a calling to fulfill. Being removed from Jerusalem to Babylon removed none of that from who they were.

Wherever we go today, there we are. Wherever we happen to live, wherever we happen to work, all that we are is there.

Wherever we happen to live, wherever we happen to work, God's calling for us is also there. God's plan for our lives is also there.

Wherever we happen to live, wherever we happen to work, God is always there. He does not depart from us. He does not leave us to face our circumstances alone.

As we are called to bear witness to God's eternal Truth, we are called no matter where we are. We are called to be God's light into a darkened world no matter where we are. We are called to bear good fruit, no matter where we are.

Life does not stop merely because we are not where we wish to be. Our hopes and our dreams are not erased merely because we are not where we desire to be, no more than our fears would be vanquished if only we could be where we desire to be.

Life continues, wherever we are.

Our hopes and dreams persist, wherever we are.

Our fears still haunt us, wherever we are.

No matter where we go, there we are, and there we will be.

No matter where we go, there God is, and there God will be.

Wherever we are, each day we are called to follow the path God has laid before us. Wherever we are, each day we are called to hear God's Word, follow God's Law, and adhere to God's Will. Wherever we are, each day we are called to bear witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Wherever we are, each day we are called to treat everyone with forgiveness, with grace, and with compassion.

The call is not silenced merely because we do not like our surroundings. The call is not put on hold until we are in a place more to our liking.

No matter where we go, there we are, and there we will be.

No matter where we go, there God is, and there God will be.

My prayer this day is that all people everywhere will pay heed to God's calling, and will have their hearts and their minds opened to God’s Will. My prayer this day is that all people everywhere will be inspired to bear witness wherever they are, to whomever is around them. My prayer this day is that all people everywhere will be moved to bear good fruit wherever they are, meeting everyone they encounter with grace, with mercy, and with compassion.

Wherever we are, each day we are called to follow the path God has laid before us. Wherever we are, each day we are called to hear God’s Word, follow God’s Law, and adhere to God’s Will. Wherever we are, each day we are called to bear witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Wherever we are, each day we are called to treat everyone with forgiveness, with grace, and with compassion.

The call is not silenced merely because we do not like our surroundings. The call is not put on hold until we are in a place more to our liking.

No matter where we go, there we are, and there we will be.

No matter where we go, there God is, and there God will be.

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For our appeal does not spring from error or uncleanness, nor is it made with guile; but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please men, but to please God who tests our hearts.

1 Thessalonians 2:3-4

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Every Sunday I publish yet another sermon sharing my thoughts on Scripture and how to live out the teachings of Jesus in our daily lives. I have been blessed with a loyal base of readers who enjoy reading what I have written, and I am eternally thankful for each and every one of them.

Not infrequently I am also challenged both by other Christians and by non-believers regarding the substance of what I write. I get told I am wrong. I get told my logic is faulty. I get told, in so many words, that I am a heretic and blasphemer, or that I really do not believe in Jesus Christ.

I would be lying if I claimed to be completely unfazed by such challenges. No one relishes being called a liar, or anything else which is pejorative. No one enjoys people stating publicly that they might have a major flaw in their argument.

The challenges, particularly the more aggressive ones, are uncomfortable for another reason: Doubt.

What if they are right? What if I've overlooked something crucial in Scripture?

Doubts are vicious that way. They do not let you rest easy.

If I were to guess the most common thorn in the flesh, I would say it was doubt without hesitation.

Who has not felt that pang of dread in a particular moment?

Who has not felt that tug of fear that they might not be enough, or that they might be wrong, or that they might have made a completely boneheaded mistake?

Who does not cringe at the thought of others laughing at them?

I will confess I have felt such fears, and more frequently than I would like to admit. I like being right. I hate being wrong.

Is that my ego at work? Probably. Certainly I have never been accused of being short on ego!

Yet even without ego coming into play, being right matters. Being right matters because truth matters.

We are called to bear true witness in all things. We cannot do that and say things which are wrong. If we strive to tell the truth, we must also make it our priority to have our facts straight, our thoughts organized, and our words carefully chosen.

When someone challenges a particular point of logic, or a particular assertion, the clear inference to be drawn is that we might not have our facts straight. We might not have our thoughts organized. We might not have our words carefully chosen.

Sometimes that is the case. Sometimes we get the facts wrong. Sometimes we get our thoughts jumbled. Sometimes we do not choose our words carefully.

Sometimes, however, that is not the case. Sometimes people object to what we say not because we are wrong. Sometimes people object to what we say because we are right.

How should we respond to those who are offended when we speak the truth?

I know that often I am tempted to argue and debate, to prove with additional logic and reasoning why my words are true. I know that, when I am so tempted, there is usually a bit of defensiveness involved. Insecurity and doubt drive me to prove ever more emphatically that I am in the right.

I also know that my insecurities and doubts are unjustified.

If I discover I have said something wrong, I need only make corrections. I need only update my facts, revise my reasoning, edit my words.

If I have not said something wrong, what do I need to change? Nothing.

If I have spoken the truth and it is the truth which is giving offense, there is nothing for me to fear from those who are offended.

If I have spoken the truth and it is the truth which is giving offense, there is nothing about which I should feel defensive.

If I have spoken the truth and it is the truth which is giving offense, there is nothing I need to prove.

The only question that ever matters is whether or not I have spoken the truth—and that is not a question that will ever be answered by any other than God.

God alone judges what is true and what is false.

God alone sets the marker between what is right and what is wrong.

God alone is the only witness that ever matters, no matter what we say.

If God approves of what I have said, then the mockery of men is of no consequence.

If God disapproves of what I have said, then the praise of men is also of no consequence.

Saying this is easy. Remembering this is hard. Living this is harder still.

Living this means not being defensive simply because I am challenged. Living this means having the confidence to stand on whatever facts, whatever reasoning, whatever words I have brought to bear on the topic at hand.

Living this means not getting caught up in a contest of egos, where “proving” that I speak the truth becomes more important than simply speaking the truth.

Living this means letting my testimony stand on its own, and giving others the grace and the space to make of it whatever they will.

Living this is never easy.

Yet if we are sincerely bearing true witness to the world, if we are truly committed to speaking the truth in all things, then living this is what we must do.

If we are sincerely bearing true witness to the world, if we are truly committed to speaking the truth in all things, then we must always be mindful that God is the only witness that ever matters.

My prayer this day is that I will always be filled with confidence to stand by whatever I have said, that I will always be sure that what I have said is enough. My prayer this day is that I will always remember that “winning” an argument, either online or off, is never a priority. My prayer this day is that I will always simply shrug off the mockery and the ill humor of others, that my focus will always be on God, and on speaking the truth, without worrying about what others think or say.

My prayer for you this day is that you also will always be filled with confidence to stand by whatever you have said, that you will always be sure that what you have said is enough. My prayer for you this day is that you also will always remember that “winning” an argument, either online or off, is never a priority. My prayer for you this day is that you also will always simply shrug off the mockery and the ill humor of others, that your focus will always be on God, and on speaking the truth, without worrying about what others think or say.

The only question that ever matters is whether or not we have spoken the truth—and that is not a question that will ever be answered by any other than God.

God alone judges what is true and what is false.

God alone sets the marker between what is right and what is wrong.

If God approves of what we have said, then the mockery of men is of no consequence.

If God disapproves of what we have said, then the praise of men is also of no consequence.

God is the only witness that ever matters, no matter what we say.

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Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a cripple, by what means this man has been healed, be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man is standing before you well. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the head of the corner. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:8-12

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When the Apostles Peter and John went to the Temple on the Sabbath, they were confronted by a crippled beggar seeking alms. Instead, Peter healed him, and bid him get up and walk.

As one might expect, that drew quite the crowd at the gate to the Temple, so of course the two began preaching the Good News of Jesus’ Resurrection, exhorting those who would listen to seek forgiveness for their sins and embrace the Redemption found in Jesus.

As one might also expect, Caiphas and the priests of the temple were not pleased. They had been responsible for Jesus’ arrest and then His Crucifixion. Now His followers were proclaiming that He rose again from the dead—something a mere man obviously could not do.

Just as obviously, this would have been an extremely awkward moment. They had to wrestle with doubt. What if Peter and John were right, that Jesus was raised from the dead, and that He is the Son of God?

That would leave the priests of the Temple in a very parlous position. Trying to kill God is just not a good look for any priest!

We need no extraordinary insight to recognize the interest the priests of the Temple would have had in suppressing and silencing Peter and John. Even after being Crucified—moreso after the Crucifixion than before—Jesus posed a unique threat to the authority of the priests.

The priests of the Temple were supposed to be the mediators between God and His people Israel. They were the ones who entered the Holy of Holies, the most sacred part of the Temple, and the ones who offered sacrifices on behalf of the people. Their task was serious, and their responsibilities weighty.

Yet, as Jesus pointed out time and again throughout the Gospels, the priests and the Pharisees were still human, and still corrupt. Moreover, they had been corrupted. No matter the seriousness of the duties that lay before them, all too often the priests of the Temple exploited their position for their own gain.

Jesus’ teachings had made plain all the hypocrisies and corruptions that had overtaken the Temple priests. Peter, by preaching the Risen Jesus after the Temple priests had Crucified Him, was continuing Jesus’ none-too-subtle challenge to their position.

Peter’s challenge was obviously a threat to the priests, but it was also a dilemma to the crowd that was listening.

The role of the priests in ancient Judaism was well defined in Mosaic Law. Their role as mediators between God and His people Israel was an assigned role, not an assumed one.

Yet there were literally hundreds who had witnessed Jesus Resurrected. The testimonies of so many of the Risen Jesus meant that when Peter proclaimed the Risen Jesus as the Son of God, he brought receipts.

The dilemma for the crowd at the Temple gate was simply this: to whom should they turn? Should they turn to the priests, the ones whose role and responsibility were explicitly ordained by God? Should they turn to Jesus, who through the Sign of Jonah made a good claim to be the Son of God?

Ultimately, it is Peter who provides the answer.

Peter does not claim he healed the crippled beggar through his own power, or even on his own authority. The healing power and authority came through Jesus. The healing power and authority were of God, not of Man.

Peter further points out that it is through Jesus and none other that Man is Redeemed. It is through Jesus and none other that all will be saved. It is Jesus and none other who is the Son of God.

This is the crucial difference between the message embodied in Caiphas and the priests of the Temple, and the message proclaimed by Peter:

Caiphas’ implicit message was “follow us”. Peter’s explicit message was “follow Jesus.”

The priests of the Temple wanted the people of Israel to follow them—to follow men. Peter, in preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ, wanted the people of Israel to follow God.

We need no profound revelation of faith to understand that, whenever the choice is between God and Man, the right choice is always God.

By the time of Jesus’ Ministry here on Earth, the priests of the Temple had turned away from their sacred duties, turning their mediating role into a position of worldly power and material gain.

Their eyes were not on God, but on the world. Their path was not towards God, but into the world. Their service was not about God, but about the world.

For the crowd at the Temple gate, and for all of us today, the right choice is always to look to God, not the world. The right path is always towards God and away from the world. The right service is always about God, never about the world.

Every day, in ways large and small, we are confronted with this same dilemma, presented with this same choice: trust in God, or trust in men.

Yet we already know the answer, for we know that God is perfect, and men are not—men make mistakes, men get things wrong, men sin. We know God does as He will, while men struggle to attempt what we wish. We know that God has all authority, while men foolishly claim the pretense of authority.

God is trustworthy. Men are not. That has always been the order of things.

My prayer this day is that all people everywhere will make the right choice in all things, that choice being always to turn to God. My prayer this day is that all people everywhere will have their hearts and their minds opened to the gift of Redemption promised by Jesus through His Crucifixion and Resurrection. My prayer this day is that all people everywhere will be blessed with the faith to put their trust in God and not in men.

Every day, in ways large and small, we are confronted with this one dilemma, presented with this one choice: trust in God, or trust in men.

Yet we already know the answer. We know that God is perfect, and men are not. We know God does as He will, while men struggle to attempt what we wish. We know that God has all authority, while men foolishly claim the pretense of authority.

God is trustworthy. Men are not. That has always been the order of things.

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In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:1-5

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I do not, as a general rule, care much for abstractions of theology.

By habit, by training, and by personality, I am a practical man. These sermons of mine are always oriented around how I can put the teachings of Scripture into practice in my daily life. My hope is they provide something useful for others to apply in their lives as well.

When I speak of forgiveness, I do so because we all stand in sore need of forgiveness, and we are all called to be forgiving in our daily lives (which is to say most of us probably need to be more forgiving than we are).

When I speak on authority, I do so because we all have to stand for ourselves, to judge right and wrong for ourselves, and we cannot outsource that work to anyone else. How we judge right and wrong is how we will live our lives in the here and now.

When it comes to many issues of theology, I generally do not care one way or another. Many theological abstractions such as “Penal Substitutionary Atonement”, or the notion of a predestined elect already set to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, simply do not interest me. They do not alter how I apply Christian teachings in my daily life. They should not alter how others apply Christian teachings in their daily lives.

That application of Christian teachings is always my overarching concern. My concern is that we pray, not whether we should pray on one knee or two.

This will annoy some Christians, and surely add to the number who already denounce me as a heretic and blasphemer!

There are some points of theology, however, which I do see as relevant to how we put Christian faith into practice in a Christian life. One such point, which recently wandered across my very narrow attention span, was the concept of the Triune God—one God expressed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Why does it matter?

It matters because if we are to pray effectively, if we are to cultivate the mindset conducive to prayer, we must be clear in our own minds to whom we pray.

It matters because if we are to worship with honesty and integrity, we must be clear in our own minds who it is whom we worship.

It matters because, when we submit before God, we need to be clear in our own minds who it is who receives our submission.

Is Jesus a different entity than God? Is the Holy Spirit separate and apart from God or Jesus? If we worship Jesus are we still worshiping God?

The answers to these questions, of course, must be found in Scripture, if they are to be found at all.

This is a challenge, because neither “trinity” nor “triune” appears in any translation of Scripture in relation to God. There is no verse which explicitly says “God is in Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” There is no verse which explicitly says “God is the Father. God is not the Son. God is not the Holy Spirit.”

There are verses which do shed light on how Jesus presented Himself in relation to God. There are verses which shed light on how God presented Jesus and the Holy Spirit in relation to Himself. From these we must discern how to apprehend Jesus and the Holy Spirit in relation to God. From these we must apprehend the nature of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In Luke 1, the angel Gabriel appears before Mary, and tells her the Holy Spirit will cause her to conceive, though still a virgin, and the child she bears will be the Son of God.

In this passage we have three divine entities portrayed: God, Jesus (the Son of God), and the Holy Spirit. The question we must ponder is whether these are in fact three separate entities, or instead three presentations of the same entity.

In Matthew 3, when Jesus receives baptism from John the Baptist, the same three presentations again appear. The Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus, and God declares that Jesus is His Son, with whom He is well pleased.

In Matthew 12, when Jesus is seen performing miracles and healing those possessed by demons, He informs His critics in the crowd that if Jesus is working through the power of the Holy Spirit, there must be unity and not diversity. Again, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are referenced together.

Again we must ponder whether these passages present three separate entities, or three presentations of the same entity.

Jesus Himself provides an answer to that question in John 10:30 when He declares “I and the Father are one.”

Nor do we need to ponder how this statement landed on those whom Jesus addressed. The crowd around Him was outraged and attempted to stone Him for blasphemy. We know this because the crowd explicitly says this in John 10:33

They understood Jesus to be saying that He was indeed God. We can safely presume that Jesus was saying exactly that.

The crowd was similarly hostile to Jesus when, in John 8:58, He declared “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” The crowd recognized in Jesus’ words a reference to the passage in Exodus 3 when God appeared before Moses in the form of a burning bush, and God told Moses His name was “I Am Who I Am”.

The Gospel accounts do not indicate in either passage that Jesus sought to correct the crowd in their understanding, leaving us to conclude that the crowd understood Jesus correctly, even though they did not believe Him. As the crowd understood Jesus correctly, we must conclude Jesus said explicitly He is God.

When the disciple Philip begs of Jesus to show the disciples the Father in John 14, Jesus rebukes him, saying “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” Jesus doubles down on this a few verses later, telling the disciples “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me”.

In that passage not only do we not have Jesus correcting those around Him for their understanding of His words, we have Jesus correcting those around Him for their misunderstanding of who He truly is.

When Jesus is brought before the priests in Mark 14, the high priest asks Jesus directly “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”, and Jesus replies equally directly, saying, “I am; and you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Jesus very explicitly claims divine status for himself in this passage.

If Jesus is divine—and He absolutely is—how do we apprehend him? This is no minor question, for the first of the Ten Commandments given to Moses is "you shall have no other gods before me.” If Jesus is not God, we cannot worship Him. If Jesus is God, we must worship Him.

Note that Jesus’ own disciples worshiped Him after He calmed the storm in Matthew 14. If Jesus is not God, His own disciples blasphemed.

When Jesus appeared to His disciples after His Resurrection, they again worshiped Him in Matthew 28. If Jesus is not God, His own disciples blasphemed.

Obviously, we cannot rationally conclude that Jesus’ own disciples blasphemed. Such a notion would explode the whole of the New Testament. As we are compelled to conclude Jesus’ disciples did not blaspheme, we are also compelled to conclude that Jesus is God.

Jesus, the only begotten Son, is therefore God.

God the Father is of course God.

Is the Holy Spirit also God? Necessarily so—and easily so. The opening passage of John leaves little room for alternative interpretations.

The Great Commission at the close of Matthew also leaves little doubt that God as presented in Scripture is the Triune God, manifesting as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As there can be only one God, Jesus explicitly charging His disciples to baptize all nations “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” demands that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all be manifestations of God. Any other formulation runs counter to the First Commandment.

The First Commandment is why we are compelled to ponder this question. The First Commandment is why we are compelled to apprehend God as presented in Scripture as the Triune God. The First Commandment is why, as we worship God, we worship Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We worship God.

We do not worship saints.

We do not worship angels.

We certainly do not worship the inventions of men!

We can only worship Father, Son, and Holy Spirit if all three are manifestations of God. We can only baptize—or be baptized—in the name of all three if all three are manifestations of God.

We must worship Father, Son, and Holy Spirit if all three are manifestations of God. We must baptize—or be baptized— in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit if all three are manifestations of God.

The Gospels are clear on this. All three are manifestations of one God, and He is God. We worship all three because we worship one God, and He is God. We must worship all three because we worship one God, and He is God.

My prayer this day is that all people everywhere will come together and worship God—God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit—for He is God. My prayer this day is that all people everywhere will have their eyes opened to the Triune wonder of God, that He presents in three manifestations yet is always one God. My prayer this day is that all people everywhere will seek God as He presents to us, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and will come to know God in all three manifestations.

Jesus, the only begotten Son, is God.

God the Father is of course God.

The Holy Spirit is God.

All three are manifestations of one God, and He is God. We worship all three because we worship one God, and He is God.

We have but one God, and He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

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Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”

Matthew 18:21-22

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One teaching of Jesus which is reiterated throughout the Gospel accounts of His ministry here on Earth is that we are to forgive one another for our many mistakes.

We are going to screw up. We are going to hurt people. We are going to sin.

If you are living anywhere other than a deserted island, your own life experience is frank testimony to this. People have sinned against you, and you have sinned against other people. We have all sinned against God.

Yet no matter how many times we fall off the path, no matter how many times we sin, God's promise to us is clear: He forgives us for our sins.

We do not have to wonder if we are forgiven. We are told repeatedly by the prophets of the Old Testament that God offers us forgiveness. In the closing chapter of Amos, God promises to forgive the people of Israel and restore their cities. In the opening chapter of Isaiah God calls us to reason, promising that forgiveness is there if we will simply accept it, accept that we have sinned, and resolve to stop sinning. Psalm 32 is a celebration of the healing wonder of God's forgiveness.

God will deliver just consequence for every sin, but at the end is always His forgiveness.

We are told repeatedly by Jesus throughout the Gospels that we are forgiven. When Jesus heals the paralytic in Mark 2 He does so simply by saying “your sins are forgiven.” One chapter later, in Mark 3:28, Jesus expressly pledges that all sins committed by men will be forgiven. Jesus calls out to God to forgive the Roman soldiers nailing Him to the cross as they crucify him in Luke 23.

Forgiveness is God's eternal promise to us.

We are also told in both the Old Testament and the Gospels that because we are offered forgiveness by God, we are called to offer forgiveness to each other as well. The commandment in Leviticus 19 is unmistakable: we should not hate one another, but rather we should reason out our differences in a spirit of love, mercy, and compassion. The Lord's Prayer from Matthew 6 is a constant reminder that we are called to forgive one another for all of the many hurts we do to each other.

Moreover, we are not told that forgiveness is earned. We are told that forgiveness is given. It is given to us by God. We are to give it to each other. Jesus followed up His admonition to Peter about forgiveness with the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, where one who would not forgive the debt of another was held harshly to account for his own debts and transgressions, a clear teaching that we are all called to forgive one another.

As many times as we ourselves sin, as many times as we ourselves need to be forgiven by God, that many times at least must we forgive each other.

Yet we are not told to passively be hurt and preyed upon by others. As much as Jesus calls us to forgiveness, so, too, he calls us to stand fast in the presence of evil, to oppose oppression, and defend the defenseless within our midst.

Jesus was not passive when asked to judge the woman caught in adultery in John 8. With wisdom and grace, He used the law to show mercy to the accused, and to confront the hypocrisy of the accusers.

Jesus was not afraid to confront the hard-heartedness of the Pharisees when He healed a man's withered hand in Mark 3.

Jesus was not afraid to throw down to drive the money changers from the Temple in Matthew 21.

We are called to forgive one another our transgressions. We are not called to ignore them.

Yet is that not what forgiveness fundamentally is? Does not God promise in Jeremiah 31:34 that He will form a new covenant with Israel, that He will “forgive their iniquity and…remember their sin no more”? In Hosea 14 God's assurance of forgiveness is filled with promises of hope, of healing, and abundance, not warnings of limits and continued consequences.

If God forgets our transgressions, should we not do likewise?

But does God “forget” anything? How—or why—would God, who we are assured knew each of us even before we were born, forget anything about us?

We must remember that forgetting is not simply letting go of knowledge and ceasing to remember. A quick consultation with Merriam-Webster reminds us that forgetting is also an intentional choice to not notice. Forgetting is not turning a blind eye towards something, but deliberately looking past that something to focus elsewhere.

When God forgives, He chooses not to see our sins. He chooses to see instead perhaps our repentance, or maybe our piety.

When God forgives He chooses to look not at our past, but at our future. His focus is not on what we have done, but what we will do. In Jeremiah 29:11 He reminds the exiled Israelites that He still has plans for them, still intends that they have a future. The Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 2:7 that God already knows all that will happen in our lives.

Throughout Scripture, God looks ahead to Man’s future. He does not look back to Man’s past.

When we forgive one another surely we should do likewise. When we forgive, we should understand that we are choosing to look not into the past but into the future. When we forgive we choose to focus not on what people have done, but on what they will do.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that this is what we should do in Ephesians 4, when he calls upon the church in Ephesus to come together in unity, and “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Paul calls on not just the church in Ephesus but all of us to choose to let go of anger and hatred, and look to those around us with mercy and compassion.

Paul reminds us of this again in Colossians 3, pointing out that as we are called to new life in Jesus Christ, so, too, are we called to practice forbearance and forgiveness where before we might have practiced vengeance and anger.

No matter how we have been hurt by others, no matter how people have sinned against us, we are called by God to make the conscious choice to look past what has been done, to look ahead to what may be done.

What of the one who, having sinned in the past, does not seek reconciliation, and shows no remorse or repentance? What of the one who, having sinned in the past, chooses to continue to sin against you in the future?

How can we forgive a man who will not repent, will not change, and will keep hurting us? We can’t. That man’s choices place him beyond forgiveness.

If a man rejects God’s forgiveness, he remains unforgiven. The Apostle John makes this clear in 1 John 1:9, that we must confess our sins and acknowledge what we have done, if we are to be forgiven by God. If we deny that we have sinned, if we deny that we need to be forgiven, then we are not forgiven.

Likewise if a man rejects your forgiveness, then he does not have your forgiveness. If you offer and he does not accept, he remains unforgiven by you—by his choice and not by yours.

It is not on any of us what others do when we choose to forgive them. The choice to accept or to reject is a choice others get to make, regardless of how we have chosen. The person who chooses to reject our forgiveness is a person who chooses a path which leads them away from us, just as if we reject God’s forgiveness we choose a path which leads us away from God.

Whether others choose to accept or reject our forgiveness, our calling is always to offer forgiveness freely—not just “seven times”, but “seventy times seven.”

My prayer this day is that I will always be mindful that we are all called to choose forgiveness. My prayer this day is that I will always have the courage and the character to choose to look past what has been done in the past, and choose to focus on what may be done in the future. My prayer this day is that I will always have the discipline to answer that calling to forgive, not just seven times but seventy times seven.

My prayer for you this day is that you also will always be mindful that we are all called to choose forgiveness. My prayer for you this day is that you also will always have the courage and the character to choose to look past what has been done in the past, and choose to focus on what may be done in the future. My prayer for you this day is that you also will always have the discipline to answer that calling to forgive, not just seven times but seventy times seven.

No matter how we have been hurt by others, no matter how people have sinned against us, we are called by God to make the conscious choice to look past what has been done, to look ahead to what may be done.

It is not on any of us what others do when we make that choice to forgive. The person who chooses to reject our forgiveness is a person who chooses a path which leads them away from us, just as if we reject God’s forgiveness we choose a path which leads us away from God.

Whether others choose to accept or reject our forgiveness, our calling is always to offer forgiveness freely—not just seven times, but seventy times seven.

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In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.

Genesis 1:1-2

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One of the more frequent challenges I see on social media is the persistent demand of atheists that Christians offer up some solid evidence that God is real, that God exists. In my experience, they seem far more concerned that Christianity be false than atheism be true.

Christians would do well to realize how utterly absurd this demand for proof of God truly is. Not only is God real, it is patently obvious God is real. The world around us is proof positive God is real. We are proof positive God is real.

It is not the Bible which assures us God is real. It is our physical world, and even our physical selves which prove God is real.

The beginning of the Book of Genesis lays out a foundational premise: God created the heavens and the earth. Put another way, God created the universe and everything within it.

Is this a statement we must take on faith, or can reason and evidence establish its veracity?

Atheists will argue that it is a statement of faith, asserting that Christians can offer no evidence to support it as a factual claim.

Reality says that assertion is pure hokum.

In every aspect of science, from mathematics to physics to chemistry to biology, one principle is made abundantly clear: there is structure and order to the universe.

Mathematics, with discoveries of branches such as chaos theory, shows that nothing in this universe is random or even truly chaotic. Rules and principles govern even those phenomena which appear most random—which means those phenomena are not at all random.

The universe is surprising. It is certainly beyond our capacity to predict in most respects. Yet even in its unpredictability it is demonstrably an ordered and rational domain.

As the universe is ordered, there is necessarily an ordainer, an entity who decreed that the universe should be thus. Is it really so difficult to acknowledge that entity is God?

The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy is never created nor destroyed within the universe, and that it merely changes forms. A related principle, the Law of Conservation of Matter, likewise holds that matter is never created nor destroyed within the universe; it merely changes forms.

These scientific laws, well established and beyond all dispute, lead inexorably to the conclusion, also beyond all dispute, that “something” can never arise from “nothing”. If matter and energy are never created or destroyed, it is impossible for the universe to have emerged from nothing.

Again, we are left with the inevitability that there must be a “something” from which the universe emerged, an entity who created the universe. Is it really so difficult to acknowledge that entity is God?

The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that in any closed system, free energy (or potential energy) proceeds towards zero, while entropy—a measure of disorder or uncertainty within a system—proceeds towards a maximum. Stated more abstractly, this principle tells us that every closed system proceeds towards equilibrium. Metaphysically, this principle tells us that all closed systems invariably decay when left to themselves, that order invariably devolves into chaos.

If order proceeds towards chaos and not the reverse, then our ordered, structured universe cannot have happened on its own. All order must be created—it must be ordained; there is not a second option.

Once more we come to the inevitability that there must some entity who organized and structured the universe, who ordained and thus maintains its order. Is it really so difficult to acknowledge that entity is God?

Even the science of biology is replete with demonstrations that ours is a created universe, and that we ourselves are created beings. For that we need look no further than our own human DNA.

Deoxyribonucleic acid is widely described in scientific and medical literature as the molecule which contains the instructions an organism needs to function, develop, and reproduce. Segments of DNA, called genes, carry specific instructions for making or activating specific proteins within a cell, guiding cellular life and charting the growth and development of an organism’s body. Within each cell of a human body is a collection of 46 such molecules, called chromosomes, which are the complete genetic code for an individual human being.

I will reiterate that these descriptions of DNA as “instructions” and “genetic code” are the language biologists themselves use when discussing DNA. DNA as a biological programming language is the literal understanding of DNA by biologists around the world.

How is it plausible to assert that there is any sort of programming without there also being a programmer? If we look at a snippet of computer programming code, do we not take it for granted that it is the handiwork of a programmer? We certainly do not assume that computer programming code arises spontaneously.

Why would anyone argue that it is more rational, more “scientific”, to assume that the biological programming code which is our own human DNA arises spontaneously?

That DNA is the instruction set for a biological organism brings us yet again to the inevitability that this biological programming code necessarily has a programmer—that some entity wrote that code into the cells of every living creature on Earth. Is it really so difficult to acknowledge that entity is God?

Take note that I am making reference to what is known and understood in science, not theology. I am not discussing Biblical apprehensions of science, but how these scientific principles are discussed and taught by scientists themselves, without regard to their particular religious beliefs. Every single point I have made can be found in scientific literature.

Individually, each scientific discipline in its own way points invariably to the existence of a creator God who is the author of all existence. Collectively, science as a whole is a mountain of irrefutable evidence that God is real, that God exists, and that God created the heavens, the earth, and all that lies within.

Perversely, the atheistic declaration that there is no God relies more completely on faith than the theistic declaration that there is a God. The theist has the advantage of science—of reason and evidence—to complement their faith. The atheist is compelled to reject science, reject reason, and reject evidence to keep their faith.

My prayer on every day is that Christians everywhere may have the confidence their faith deserves, that Christians everywhere will understand that God is not merely proven by faith, but by science, by reason, and by evidence. My prayer on every day is that Christians everywhere will confidently address the foolish and fatuous claims of atheists that there is no evidence of God by pointing out that the universe is itself irrefutable proof of His existence. My prayer on every day is that Christians everywhere will educate others on the wondrous reality that is our created universe, and that we are indisputably God’s creation, and His blessed children.

The beginning of the Book of Genesis lays out a foundational premise: God created the heavens and the earth.

Each scientific discipline individually, and all of science collectively, is irrefutable, indisputable, absolutely conclusive proof positive that the opening of the Book of Genesis is inarguably true.

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So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking a king from him. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots; and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your menservants and maidservants, and the best of your cattle and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

1 Samuel 8:10-18

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As a rule I prefer not to bring politics into my weekly Proverbs. I prefer to approach faith in a spirit of unity; politics all too often breeds a spirit of division.

Nevertheless there are moments when politics and faith intersect, when what is happening out in the world brings what is happening within one's faith into sharper focus. This weekend, being Independence Day weekend when America celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, is one such moment.

There has been much chatter on social media that America is a “Christian” nation, and that it is past time for America to return to its “Christian” roots. Recently I have even had micro debates with those professing a desire for the United States government to actively promote Christianity as the only true religion, with explicitly Christian teachings and ideals written into law. Those debates are the genesis of what I have to say here.

I am a Christian. To borrow from the beginning of the Apostle's Creed, I believe in God the Father Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and Earth. I believe in His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary.

Being Christian, I naturally want everyone to embrace the Good News that is Jesus Christ. I take seriously the Great Commission Jesus has given His followers to make disciples of every nation.

If you are not now Christian, my hope is that my words will inspire you to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and embrace the Redemption He gifted all of us on the Cross at Calvary. If you are not now Christian, my desire is that God will soften your heart and open it that you might accept the gift of His Forgiveness, that you might be born again and be saved from death and eternal damnation.

If you are Christian, my hope is that my words will inspire you to seek greater passion and purpose in your faith. My desire is that you will be awakened to God's calling to be continually reborn, transformed by faith that you may seek God with ever greater devotion, and be ever more committed to the path that leads towards Him and away from sin.

Being Christian, I naturally want to see America be a nation of Christians. I want America to be a nation in which the people and the culture reflect all that Jesus taught His disciples during His ministry here on Earth. I believe that would be the very best outcome for every American.

I am all too aware that this is not a description of America as a nation today. Regardless of America’s past, America's present is not that of a Christian nation. Our social mores and our culture are focused on self indulgence, on ego gratification, on crass and destructive greed, and not on seeking God, following God's Law, and submitting to God's Will.

God willing, America may yet turn away from the degenerate and sinful pursuits popularized by modern culture, but it has yet to do so as a society. I pray daily for that to change.

As a follower of Christ, I do not want to see America’s laws, or any nation's laws, written in an explicitly religious context, let alone a Christian one. As a follower of Christ, I recognize that “Christian government” is a contradiction in terms. As a follower of Christ, I realize that we are called to follow God and not men, that man's laws are a pale, superfluous, and irrelevant imitation of God's perfect Law, which is the only true law.

The whole of Scripture teaches us that human government does not ever work the way we hope that it will. For all of mankind's best efforts and best intentions, men make poor governors and worse rulers.

This was Samuel's prophetic warning to the Israelites when they clamored for a king. Government is coercive. Government is corrupt. Government is oppressive. Left to itself, government will invariably tend towards authoritarianism.

Government is at best a necessary evil, and generally more evil than necessary.

This was Samuel's warning to the Israelites. Let it be a warning to all people in the world today.

We need only look to the rest of Scripture to see the truth of this warning. The rulers who appear throughout the Old Testament are hardly encouraging exemplars of human government.

Pharaoh was infamously hard of heart in Exodus, enslaving the Hebrew people before ordering the genocide of all male Hebrew infants.

King Saul began well as the first of Israel's kings, but sought to impose his will over what God commanded, spiraling down into sin, eventually dying ignominiously on the battlefield.

King David, for all his faith, sinned egregiously more than once, bringing a measure of chaos and civil war to the Kingdom of Israel.

King Solomon, celebrated for his wisdom, was seduced by his foreign wives to turn away from God, and so set in motion the events which would rend the Kingdom of Israel and eventually destroy it.

More than a few of the kings who came after Solomon, such as Ahab and Ahaz, were infamous for their evil and degenerate wickedness.

Even Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, proved himself to be a feckless administrator more concerned with manipulating and then appeasing the crowd in Jerusalem than in hewing to any standard of governance or leadership.

Scripture does not present human government at all in glowing, positive terms.

Human history agrees with Scripture. What government at any point in history has not been corrupt, venal, and vicious? What government has not at least dabbled in tyranny and oppression?

What government even now inspires anyone to seek God and pursue righteousness? Take note: coercion via the law is not inspiration.

Even if we accept government as a necessary evil, government is never necessary for individual moral judgment. No matter how government is structured, no matter how laws are written, it falls on the individual to choose for themselves moral right and moral wrong, and to act accordingly. The closing verse of Judges reminds us that we cannot escape this essential duty.

We do well to recognize that individual accountability has always been foundational to God’s Law. Deuteronomy 24:16 is explicit that we are accountable only for our own sins, which is to say our own choices. We answer individually to God for all that we do; what purpose is left for human government in such circumstance?

We do well to also remember that Jesus Himself admonished His disciples in Matthew 20 not to fall prey to the corruptions visible in Gentile kings and other leaders, who lorded their authority over their subjects. Jesus in His teachings envisions the Christian community as a community of equals—He explicitly called His disciples to be “brethren” in Matthew 23:8.

As I preached last week, we do well to remember that Jesus cautions us to beware of any who promote human authority. Those who seek human authority are by definition putting ego ahead of Scripture, are putting ego ahead of God. It cannot be said often enough that Jesus has authority; men have no authority.

If men have no authority, then there is no basis for leveraging human government to enforce “Christian” laws. Indeed, if men have no authority (and they do not), the very premise that human government can in any way enforce any part of God’s Law is not merely ridiculous, it is unbiblical.

When we recall the Apostle Paul’s keen observation of the nature of the law in 1 Timothy 1:9-11, we very quickly see why human laws—even presumptively “Christian” ones—do not ever work as intended: laws by their nature only affect those who are prone to break them.

Laws are of no consequence for the Godly, who in faith strive to do right with or without the law. Laws are of great consequence for the un-Godly, the “lawless and disobedient” who are predisposed to break the law.

Moreover, as the Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 7:6, we are called not to live according to the law, but according to faith—to live a “new life of the Spirit.”

If we are devout in our faith, if we are true followers of Christ, we have no need of human laws to steer us towards Godly conduct. Our faith already serves us well in this regard.

Similarly, if we are not devout in our faith, if we are not true followers of Christ, then no human law can hope to steer us towards Godly conduct. Our hardened hearts will make that impossible.

Inevitably, we must acknowledge that if we follow God’s Law, human laws are superfluous, and if we reject God’s Law, human laws are irrelevant.

That does not leave any “Christian” role for government.

We do well to admit that we do not need government to build for us Christian communities. We build Christian communities for ourselves, without government, and nurture Christian culture within our communities, by how we live our lives.

We do well also to acknowledge that we should nurture Christian culture within our communities not because that is this nation’s heritage, but because we are Christians. If we were transported to any other land and compelled to form new communities there, the imperative to build up communities which nurture and support every person’s Christian faith would be just as great. The calling of the Great Commission to make believers of all nations wherever we are would be just as compelling, for it is rooted in Jesus, not in geography.

Regardless of what people apprehend about America’s historical foundations, America’s present is where we are called to build up Christian culture and Christian communities. America’s present is where we are called to bear true witness to the Good News that is Jesus Christ, His Crucifixion and Resurrection, and through His blood our Redemption.

Government is not called to bear that witness. Government, being government, cannot bear that witness. Only we as individuals can bear that witness. We have an absolute moral imperative to do exactly that, to bear that witness.

That absolute moral imperative also demands we shy away from seeking to leverage human government in any way to advance the Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth. We must remember that when Isaiah prophesied Christ’s coming, he foretold that the government would be on Christ’s shoulder. That which is laid upon the Christ is by definition not laid upon men.

Government is reserved—has always been reserved—to God and God alone. As mere men, our task is to bear witness to God’s perfect government. That is the essence of the Great Commission, to bring the peoples of all nations to joyful submission to God’s perfect government.

We must remember Isaiah further prophesied that, in time, “every knee shall bow” before God—which is to say every knee is not fated to bow before men.

Human government is not our destiny. God's perfect government is our destiny, either in our salvation or our damnation.

Today I pray a special prayer for these United States of America, that this nation may prosper as a glory to God. Today I say a special prayer for all Americans, that as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we are inspired to answer God’s call to let our light shine before the nations of the world, that they may see great works done by God through us and be inspired to give glory to God. Today I say a special prayer that people everywhere will be as inspired by the Declaration of Independence as were the Founding Fathers to stand firm in their freedom, stand fast against the evil forces which threaten humanity from every direction, and stand tall before God, that we may see God’s Kingdom established here on Earth.

As we are Christians, we absolutely should nurture Christian culture within our communities and across this great nation. We should do this not because America has a Christian heritage, but because we are Christians. The calling of the Great Commission to make believers of all nations wherever we are is rooted in Jesus not in geography.

As we are Christians, we should steer clear of the temptation to pretend that any government could possibly be a truly Christian government. We are called to follow God and not men.

We absolutely can make America a truly Christian nation, but we can only do that by living Christian lives molded by making Christian choices. When we are committed to that, we will find we have no need of either law or government, for we shall have God instead.

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Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Matthew 23:1-23

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Let me make one point clear straight away.

I am not an ordained minister. I am not the pastor of a church. I am not seeking to be the pastor of a church; I would question my fitness to be a pastor in the highly unlikely event I were asked become one.

I am not a professor of theology.

I am one man who reads the Bible and writes the thoughts that come into my mind, that I may share them with others.

If people read my words and are inspired to draw closer to God, that is good. That is my hope and my desire.

If people read my words, decide I am a raving lunatic, and opt to seek elsewhere for the path back to God, so be it. My control over the outcome of my writings ends the moment I share my writings with others. The feedback will be whatever it shall be.

I am a man, neither more nor less.

As a man, I am a sinner. In this regard you and I are the same. In this regard the Pope and I are the same. In this regard the pastor of every church on the face of this good Earth and I are the same.

We are all sinners. We have all fallen short of the glory of God.

I am troubled when I see presumptive Christians departing from the clear teaching of Jesus by according particular authority to ordinary people—ordinary sinners—with a title such as “pastor,” “reverend,” “minister,“ or any other title.

If we are not to be called “rabbi”, it follows just as surely as night follows day we are not to be called any similar title.

If we are to call no one “master”, it follows equally that we are not to behave as if we are masters.

If we are all brethren, it follows equally that no one can possess any authority over anyone else. Jesus has authority; men do not.

I am further troubled when I see such people claim Biblical support for their entitlement. They make the grave error of cherry picking verses and not reading Scripture holistically. They put a spin on their chosen verses which neither reason nor Scripture can support.

When someone argues as if a quote from Paul's Letters somehow supersedes Jesus’ explicit teachings in the Gospels, it is certain they are not reading Scripture holistically and putting verses in context.

I am troubled because such arguments in favor of human authority are foundationally egocentric. They conflate Man's desires with God's Will.

Arguments presuming human authority are simply false. Jesus has authority. Men do not.

A verse or even a passage says what it says; of that there can be no dispute. Yet the significance of what that verse or passage teaches is always reliant on the larger context that is the whole of Scripture. We cannot point to a single verse as if that is the complete teaching in and of itself. When we do that we are immediately led down a path that ends in contradiction and error.

It is true that Hebrews 13:17 says we should obey our church leaders. It says:

Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Note that the exhortation is that those anointed by the church to lead the church be able to lead “joyfully”. That is a plea to refrain from needless conflict. That is not a demand for blind obedience, but for prudence and commensality. That certainly is not a declaration that church leaders have particular authority over the brethren.

It is also true that an earlier verse, Hebrews 13:7 commends church leaders as exemplars of righteous faith. That verse says:

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith.

The standard set forth in Hebrews 13 is not that a person who is the anointed leader of a church is definitionally good and endowed with unique authority over other men. The standard is that a person who by their life and by the fruits of their labors show they are a good person is who should be anointed to serve as the leader of a church. The standard is that those anointed by the church to lead the church should be supported by the church for the greater benefit of the church.

The title does not make the man. The man makes the title.

A title does not and cannot make any person worthy. Who they are and how they live makes a person worthy. The person whose faith has earned them the trust of the church community, whom the church community has asked to serve as its leader, has surely earned a greater respect of that same church community.

Yet that respect does not and should never extend to presuming such a person has any unique authority over the church community. Jesus has authority. Men do not.

If we are not reflecting what is in Scripture, if we are not amplifying what is taught in Scripture, then we are in error, our words have no merit and should be rejected. That is true whether a man is Pope, priest, pastor, or simply a man.

Likewise, if we are reflecting what is in Scripture, if we are amplifying what is taught in Scripture, then we are not in error, our words have merit and should be heeded. That is again true whether a man is Pope, priest, pastor, or simply a man.

1 Timothy 5:17 gives special commendation to “elders who rule well”, but surely to focus on honor given to those who excel in leadership without pausing to consider the meaning of “ruling well”—the essence of excellence in leadership—misses the point entirely, which is to acknowledge and celebrate extraordinary effort. Nor should we forget the very next verse amplifies this message by reminding us that “the laborer deserves his wages.”

One cannot read these verses in 1 Timothy in conjunction with the whole of Scripture and rationally conclude that church elders are in any regard in a position superior to the congregation as a whole. Those who carry out their designated tasks should be recognized for that effort. Those who perform extraordinary tasks, or perform their tasks extraordinarily well, should receive extraordinary recognition. That is not merely Scriptural, it is also common sense.

Bear in mind that Deuteronomy 17 instructed any who would be king over the Israelites to write down their own copy of the law, and to study it daily, that they might remember they are as beholden to the law as any of their subjects. Mosaic Law is clear on this point: the leader is not above those whom he leads, and he strays from the path the moment he thinks he is. Anyone who presumes a pastor has unique spiritual authority strays from the path for exactly the same reason.

We do well to remember that Jesus repeatedly condemned hypocritical and self-serving priests—condemnations which apply equally to egocentric pastors and ministers today.

He warned people against false prophets who used the pulpit for their own purposes, aptly calling them “ravenous wolves.”

He cautioned His disciples to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sad′ducees.”

He further condemned the scribes and Pharisees for their greed, highlighting that they “tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith.”

These are not teachings of Jesus which speak well of human authority. These are not teachings of Jesus which speak well in particular of authority claimed by priests and pastors.

These are teachings of Jesus which condemn the arrogance inherent in presuming human authority.

Nor should we ignore the disdain Jesus showed those willing to concede authority to others rather than think, act, and answer for themselves.

When the rich young man approached Jesus about what he should do to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus began His answer by rebuking the young man for his unctuousness. Rather than looking to God’s Word and God’s Law for guidance, the young man servilely asked Jesus—whom he apprehended to be a man and not the Son of God—to do his moral thinking for him. Jesus was not at all impressed by the young man.

Moreover, we often overlook that Jesus’ advice for the young man to sell all his possessions and give to the poor hearkens directly back to Deuteronomy 15. The standard God set for the Israelites always included making proper provision for the poor within the community.

We can safely presume that a wealthy man such as the one who sought Jesus’ counsel on getting into Heaven had far more than his own material needs required. Putting one’s excess back into the community was a clear moral duty for the Israelites and later the Jewish people. It is a moral duty for people today; giving of our excess is how we show compassion for the sick and mercy towards the poor.

Jesus did not make any additions to God's Law. Jesus reiterated and affirmed God's Law. Jesus challenged all people to actually follow God’s Law.

Following God’s Law does not require the intercession of a priest or pastor. As the closing verse of Judges reminds us, the standard has always been that we are tasked individually with choosing right from wrong and acting accordingly, for better or worse.

We are not called follow blindly. We are not called to substitute a preacher's words for our own. We are not called to substitute a pastor's thinking for our own.

We are called to follow God's Law. We are called to hear God's Word. We are called to be filled with God's Grace.

We are called to remember always that the title does not make the man. The man makes the title.

Most importantly we are called to be one Church, one congregation, one body of Christ. This is a repeated remonstrance of Paul, that we not be consumed with divisions and discord.

Paul argues explicitly against the divisions that come when we choose to follow men in 1 Corinthians 3. It takes no great theological insight to understand that when we put preeminence on a title, when we accord individuals particular authority, we immediately create division where we should foster unity.

Nor can we overlook one of Paul's most quoted lines, Galatians 3:28, in which he reminds us of Jesus’ teaching not to be consumed with title or position, as we are all one body in Christ. This verse is frequently cited as the powerful plea for unity that it is, and rightfully so.

We would do well to heed its message. We would do well to put aside thoughts of title and position, and thoughts of authority, that we might focus on what truly matters: God, God's Law, and God's Will.

The title does not make the man. The man makes the title.

My prayer today is that all of us may remember that we are called to follow God and not men. My prayer today is that all of us may be mindful that we are called to listen, to think, and to apprehend God’s Law for ourselves, that each of us might find themselves on the path which leads back to God. My prayer today is that all of us may be mindful that how we live our lives says far more about who we are than any title.

We are not called follow blindly. We are not called to substitute a preacher’s words for our own. We are not called to substitute a pastor’s thinking for our own.

We are called to follow God’s Law. We are called to hear God’s Word. We are called to be filled with God’s Grace.

We are called to remember always that the title does not make the man. The man makes the title.

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