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This past week, someone in our church asked a thoughtful question that many careful Bible readers eventually notice. When reading the first books of the Bible, it can seem as though there is a contradiction regarding the tribe of Levi. In some places, God clearly says that the Levites have no inheritance in the land. Yet in other passages, we read that they were given cities and land. So which is it? Did the Levites receive an inheritance or not?

First, where does the bible say the Levites had no inheritance? What exactly does it say? The clearest statements are in Numbers and Deuteronomy. Let’s begin with the key texts, which must be understood as being in harmony with each other and not in contradiction. That's because God cannot lie, so His Word cannot contradict. Scripture does not fight against itself—it harmonizes perfectly because it comes from a perfectly truthful God”  (Titus 1:2, Numbers 23:19, John 17:17, 2 Tim. 3:16, John 10:35, James 1:17).

In Numbers 18:20, God tells Aaron: “You will have no inheritance in their land, and no portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.” (CSB)

In Deuteronomy 10:9, Moses is recounting events from earlier (Exodus–Numbers period), and Moses reminds Israel:  “That is why Levi does not have a portion or inheritance like his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God told him.” (CSB)

In Deuteronomy 18:1–2, we again read: “The Levitical priests—all the tribe of Levi—will have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They will eat the food offerings presented to the LORD; that is their inheritance. Although Levi has no inheritance among his brothers, the LORD is his inheritance, as he promised him.” (CSB)

These texts are very explicit. Levi does not receive what the other tribes receive.

But, of course, now the question becomes unavoidable:

If the Levites have "no inheritance…" why are they given land?

The answer becomes clear when we understand what the Bible actually means by the word “inheritance.” When Scripture is read carefully—paying attention to its historical setting, wording, and theology—we discover there is no contradiction at all. Instead, we see a beautiful picture of God’s provision and purpose.

To put it simply, the Levites did not receive a tribal inheritance like the other tribes of Israel. The tribes of Judah, Ephraim, Benjamin, and the others were each given large portions of land in Canaan. These territories were passed down through families and became part of each tribe’s identity. Levi, however, was different. They were not given a large, continuous region of land to call their own.

Instead, God told them something remarkable: He Himself would be their inheritance. That did not mean they were left without anything. The Levites were supported in other ways. They received tithes and offerings from the people, portions of sacrifices, and they were assigned specific roles in serving God. They were also given cities scattered throughout Israel, along with small areas of pastureland to support their daily needs. So while they did not receive land in the same way as the other tribes, they were still provided for.

The tension many people feel comes from statements like those in Numbers and Deuteronomy, where God says the Levites have “no inheritance.” At first glance, that sounds absolute. But when we look closely, we see that the Bible qualifies this statement. The Levites had no inheritance “like their brothers.” In other words, they were not given a tribal territory like the other tribes.

Later passages, such as those in Numbers 35 and Joshua 21, explain that the Levites were given cities to live in—forty-eight in total, spread throughout the land. These were not tribal territories, but places to live and carry out their ministry. They lived among the other tribes rather than in one unified region of their own.

This leads us to the key idea: the Bible uses the word “inheritance” in more than one way. For most tribes, inheritance meant land—territory that defined their identity and was passed down through generations. For the Levites, inheritance meant something different. Their inheritance was God Himself, along with the provision He gave through the worship system of Israel.

This arrangement was not random. It was intentional. The Levites were set apart for a special purpose. They were responsible for serving in the tabernacle (and later the temple), assisting the priests, teaching God’s law, and helping guide the spiritual life of the nation. Because of this calling, their lives were not meant to revolve around farming or land ownership, but around service to God.

Their identity was not rooted in land, but in their relationship with the Lord. While other tribes could point to their territory and say, “This is ours,” the Levites were to say, “The LORD is ours.” Their provision came through the worship of God—through tithes, offerings, and the generosity of the people.

In this way, God was not depriving them. He was providing for them differently. The cities and pasturelands they received were not a contradiction of God’s earlier words, but a practical way to support them in their calling. They had what they needed, but their dependence was directly on God rather than on land.

Interestingly, there is another story behind this arrangement. In Genesis, the tribe of Levi was told they would be scattered throughout Israel as a result of sin. At first, this scattering was a form of judgment. But later, God transformed it into something good. Instead of being a sign of disgrace, their scattering became a means of blessing. By being spread throughout the land, the Levites were able to teach God’s law and help lead the people in worship everywhere.

This shows a powerful truth about God: He often takes what is broken or difficult and turns it into something meaningful and purposeful. What began as discipline became a design for ministry. When God says, “I am your inheritance,” He is saying more than something symbolic. He is declaring that He Himself will be their provider, their security, and their identity. The Levites were to trust Him in a way that was visible to the entire nation.

When we put all the passages together, the picture becomes clear. The Levites did not receive a tribal land inheritance like the other tribes. However, they were given cities, pasturelands, and ongoing support through the worship system. Above all, their true inheritance was the Lord Himself. This is not a contradiction. It is a carefully designed system that reflects God’s wisdom and purpose.

And there is an important lesson for us in all of this. The greatest inheritance is not land, wealth, or possessions. It is God Himself. The Levites remind us that what we have is not as important as who we belong to. In the end, their story points to a greater truth for all believers: our greatest treasure is not what God gives us, but God Himself.

 

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not?

 

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Every year, Easter arrives with familiar symbols—sunrise services, hymns of victory, empty crosses, and phrases like “He is risen!” But for many, the meaning of Easter can feel distant, reduced to tradition or sentiment. Yet the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not merely a moment to remember—it is the event that changes everything. If the resurrection is true, then it reshapes how we understand life, death, sin, suffering, purpose, and eternity. Let’s explore why.

1. The Resurrection Confirms Who Jesus Is
Throughout His ministry, Jesus made bold claims. He didn’t merely teach about God—He claimed equality with God (See the blog article Is Jesus God?). He forgave sins, received worship, and declared Himself to be “the resurrection and the life.” But anyone can make claims. The resurrection is God’s validation of those claims. As Paul writes in Romans 1:4 (CSB), Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God with power… by the resurrection from the dead.”  The empty tomb is God’s public declaration: Jesus is not just a teacher—He is Lord.

2. The Resurrection Proves That Sin Has Been Defeated
On Good Friday, it appeared that sin had won. Jesus was crucified—mocked, beaten, and killed. But what looked like defeat was actually victory in disguise. When Jesus rose from the dead, it proved that His sacrifice was accepted. Romans 4:25 says He was “delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”

From a biblical perspective, the resurrection means:

• Your sin can truly be forgiven
• Your guilt does not have the final word
• Salvation is not wishful thinking—it is an accomplished reality

Thus, the empty tomb declares: The debt has been paid in full.

3. The Resurrection Defeats Death Itself
Death is the great enemy every human being faces. It is a result of sin and the curse, and normatively, unavoidable, final, and often feared.  But Easter changes that. 1 Corinthians 15:55–57 proclaims: “Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?... Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”

Jesus didn’t just come back to life temporarily—He rose in victory over death itself.
This means:

• Death is no longer the end for the believer
• The grave is not the final chapter
• Eternal life is not a vague hope—it is a secured promise

Because He lives, those who trust Him will live also.

(Note: Two people in the Bible did not experience death in the normal way but were taken by God.  Do you know who they are? Hint: See Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5 and 2 Kings 2:11. They point to the truth that death is not the final word for God’s people. In a sense, they can be said to anticipate the New Testament's resurrection of believers and the transformation described in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (being “caught up”), as believers alive at Christ's return will be taken into God's presence in a similar fashion.)

4. The Resurrection Gives New Life Now
Easter is not only about what happens after you die—it is about how you live today. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in believers. Romans 6:4 says we are raised “to walk in newness of life.”

That means:

• You are not enslaved to your past
• You are not defined by your failures
• Change is possible—not by willpower alone, but by God’s power

The resurrection brings transformation:

• From guilt → to grace
• From bondage → to freedom
• From despair → to hope

5. The Resurrection Gives Meaning and Purpose
If there is no resurrection, life ultimately has no lasting meaning. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:17, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless.”  But because Christ has been raised, everything matters.

• Your obedience matters
• Your suffering is not wasted
• Your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:58)

Easter anchors your life in something eternal. It gives purpose that extends beyond this world.

6. The Resurrection Demands a Response
The resurrection is not just information—it is a call. In Acts 2, when people heard that Jesus had risen, they were “cut to the heart” and asked, “What should we do?” The answer was clear: Repent and believe.

Easter confronts every person with a decision:

• Will you dismiss it?
• Will you admire it from a distance?
• Or will you trust the risen Christ?

There is no neutral ground.

7. Conclusion: The Empty Tomb Changes Everything
 The resurrection of Jesus is not a side note in Christianity—it is the very center of it. It is not an accessory to the gospel; it is essential to it. In 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul makes this unmistakably clear. He argues that if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is empty, our faith is futile, we are still in our sins, and those who have died in Christ have perished. Then he concludes with sobering force: “If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone” (1 Cor. 15:19, CSB).

In other words, remove the resurrection, and Christianity collapses. There is no forgiveness without a risen Savior. There is no victory over sin or death. There is no living hope—only religious effort built on a false foundation.

But Paul doesn’t leave us there. He immediately declares the glorious reality: “But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead” (1 Cor. 15:20). That single truth changes everything. It means the cross was not a tragedy but a triumph. It means sin has been paid for, death has been defeated, and eternal life is secured. The resurrection is not just something Christians believe—it is the reason Christianity exists at all. And because Jesus is alive:

• Truth is not uncertain
• Forgiveness is not hypothetical
• Death is not final
• Hope is not fragile
• Everything changes 

So the question that remains is this:
What will you do with the risen Christ?

8. A Final Encouragement
If you are weary, burdened, or uncertain—Easter is for you. The risen Jesus still calls people today: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, CSB). He is not in the tomb. He is alive. He is risen, indeed! And that changes everything.

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not?

 

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Few doctrines test our emotional comfort like the doctrine of hell. For that reason, annihilationism — the belief that the wicked ultimately cease to exist rather than endure eternal conscious punishment — has gained renewed attention in recent years. Many sincere Christians ask: Does the Bible really teach eternal punishment? Or do the lost simply pass out of existence?

This is not merely a philosophical question. It is a biblical one. And when we allow Scripture to speak on its own terms, without influence from our own preconceived notions of what is good, right, or even desirable, the case against soul annihilation becomes compelling.

The Language of “Eternal” in the Teaching of Jesus

The clearest starting point is the words of Christ Himself. In Matthew 25:46 (CSB), Jesus concludes the final judgment scene by saying:

“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The same Greek word (aiōnios) describes both destinies. If “eternal life” means unending life, then “eternal punishment” must also mean unending punishment. To argue that eternal life lasts forever but eternal punishment does not requires redefining the same word within the same sentence. Annihilation is not punishment in any meaningful sense. It is the absence of experience. But Jesus does not contrast eternal life with eternal non-existence. He contrasts eternal life with eternal punishment.

Revelation and the Language of Conscious Torment

The book of Revelation uses unmistakably conscious language. Revelation 14:10–11 says of the wicked:

“He will be tormented with fire and sulfur… and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever, and they will have no rest day or night…”

The phrases “tormented,” “no rest,” and “forever and ever” do not describe extinction. They describe ongoing awareness. Revelation 20:10 uses the same language regarding the devil, the beast, and the false prophet:

“They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

There is no hint of annihilation here. The text does not suggest a temporary experience ending in non-existence. It describes unending, conscious judgment.

“Where Their Worm Does Not Die”

Jesus quotes Isaiah 66:24 in Mark 9:47–48: “Where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.”

If annihilation were the point, the fire would consume and go out. The worm would finish its work. But Jesus emphasizes that the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. The imagery communicates continuity, not cessation. These are sobering words, but they are Christ’s own.

Does “Destruction” Mean Non-Existence?

Annihilationists often appeal to passages that speak of the wicked being “destroyed.” But the biblical concept of destruction does not require extinction. The Greek word apollymi frequently means ruin or loss, not annihilation. In Luke 15, the prodigal son was described as “lost” (apollymi) and “dead,” yet he clearly had not ceased to exist. He was relationally ruined. Similarly, 2 Thessalonians 1:9 speaks of “eternal destruction.” If destruction meant extinction, it could not meaningfully be eternal. One cannot be eternally non-existent.

Eternal destruction implies an ongoing state of ruin.

The soul is never said to cease existing. In Matthew 10:28, Jesus says:

“Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Again, “destroy” does not mean annihilate. It refers to total ruin under judgment. If Scripture intended to teach that the soul ceases to exist, we would expect explicit language of extinction. But no such language appears. Instead, Scripture consistently describes ongoing judgment, shame, contempt, and torment. Daniel 12:2 speaks of some rising “to shame and everlasting contempt.” Shame and contempt require conscious existence.

The Moral Logic of Judgment

Annihilationism also struggles to account for the Bible’s teaching about degrees of punishment. Jesus teaches in Luke 12:47–48 that some will receive greater judgment than others. If all the wicked ultimately cease to exist in the same way, how are degrees of justice expressed?

Eternal conscious punishment allows for proportional justice. It reflects the seriousness of sin against an infinitely holy God. The gravity of sin is not measured merely by how long the act lasted, but by the dignity of the One against whom it was committed.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

In Luke 16, Jesus describes a rich man in torment after death. Whether one interprets the account as a parable or a historical narrative, the point remains: Jesus portrays conscious suffering after death. He does not correct the assumption of awareness. Instead, He uses it to warn.

Annihilation Relies on Silence, Not Explicit Teaching

Perhaps the simplest argument is this: nowhere in Scripture does it explicitly say that the wicked cease to exist.

It does say:

• “eternal punishment”
• “forever and ever”
• “no rest day or night”
• “weeping and gnashing of teeth”

The doctrine of eternal punishment is built on positive statements. Annihilationism depends on reading certain words (“destroy,” “perish”) as extinction, even though those words regularly mean 'ruin.'

Why This Doctrine Is Difficult

It would be dishonest not to acknowledge the emotional weight of this doctrine. Nobody wants to hear they're going to suffer forever, or that a loved one might suffer torment(s) forever. Eternal punishment is not pleasant to contemplate. Modern culture, shaped by therapeutic sensibilities, resists divine wrath. Many prefer a God who is loving but not judging.

Yet Scripture never divides God’s attributes. He is infinitely loving and infinitely just. The same Jesus who wept over Jerusalem also warned repeatedly about hell. We do not teach eternal punishment with smugness or cruelty. We teach it with tears, gravity, and urgency — because the same Christ who spoke of hell also gave Himself to rescue sinners from it.

Final Summary

When we allow Scripture to speak plainly, it teaches:

• Eternal punishment, not temporary judgment
• Conscious experience, not extinction
• Ongoing justice, not disappearance
• Two eternal destinies: resurrection unto life or unto condemnation/punishment

The Bible does not present hell as a fading into nothingness. It presents it as a sober reality from which Christ came to save. And that is why this doctrine matters. The weight of eternal judgment magnifies the glory of eternal grace. The cross is not excessive if hell is real. It is necessary. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us such that we might have life (Romans 5:6–10; John 3:16).

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not?

 

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Have you ever noticed how often the question of who Jesus really is comes up in everyday conversation? Sometimes it happens in a Bible study. Sometimes in a classroom discussion. Sometimes when a friend knocks on your door, or when you’re scrolling through social media and someone confidently says, “Christians didn’t originally believe Jesus was God.” Other times it’s more personal: If Jesus really is God, why did He pray? Why did He get tired? Why did He say the Father is greater than He is?

At first glance, those questions sound reasonable. After all, the Gospels show us a Jesus who eats, sleeps, weeps, prays, and dies. That looks very human. And yet the same Bible shows people worshiping Him, angels bowing before Him, demons trembling at His name, and disciples calling Him “my Lord and my God.”

So which is it?

Is Jesus God — or is He just God’s greatest messenger?

Is He eternal — or the first and highest created being?

Is He the Creator — or part of creation?

Is He unique — or simply one spirit among many?

These aren’t small questions. The identity of Jesus is the foundation of Christianity itself. If Jesus is not truly God, then Christian worship is misplaced, prayer is misdirected, and the cross becomes something far less than the saving act of God Himself. But if Jesus is God, then everything changes: our understanding of God, salvation, worship, Scripture, and even our own identity.

The good news here (not to be confused with the Gospel) is that the Bible does not leave us guessing. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture steadily builds a clear, coherent, and compelling portrait of Jesus as fully God and fully man—not half-and-half, not a lesser deity, not a created being, but the eternal Son who took on flesh for our salvation.

What follows is my humble attempt to walk through some relevant Scripture on this topic to help clarify some common questions and perhaps answer some critics. This is a longer blog post than some because the topic is weighty, and the Christian church has answered this question for nearly 2,000 years!  I cannot possibly cover the material exhaustively here.  

My aim, therefore, is to help those who wish to learn more about the topic and, perhaps, equip those having conversations with friends, neighbors, and others about who Jesus is and is not. It is not my intention to be technical, though some level of precision is necessary when discussing this topic. I've tried to keep what follows readable and rooted in the text as much as possible.  If you have questions, I urge you to reach out to me directly, and I'd be glad to discuss them with you. As with all that I write, I offer what follows in humility as honoring to Christ Jesus, Son of God, our Lord and Savior.

In what follows, we will look at:

• Passages that directly call Jesus “God”
• Verses that show Him doing what only God can do
• Key Greek and Hebrew insights that sharpen the meaning
• How Jesus can be both divine and human without contradiction
• Why the early church said the Son is “of the same essence” as the Father
• How common objections fail when Scripture is read carefully
• Why Jesus is not an angel, not a created being, and not the spirit brother of Satan
  
  

And finally, we’ll see why this doctrine is not just about winning debates — but about worship, trust, and the heart of the gospel itself.  If you have another Gospel or another Jesus, you do not have the Savior or the salvation that the Bible speaks of for sinners.

So, let’s begin where the Bible begins: with the claim that the man from Nazareth is nothing less than God with us.

1) The Bible Calls Jesus “God” in Plain Language
There are places where the Bible doesn’t merely imply deity—it speaks it.

Jesus is directly called “God” — John 1:1, 14
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

John opens his Gospel with a deliberate echo of Genesis 1. Before creation begins, the Word already is. He is distinct from God (“with God”) and yet fully divine (“was God”). Then the unthinkable happens: this eternal Word becomes flesh.

John 20:28
When the risen Jesus appears to Thomas, Thomas falls before Him and says, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus does not correct him. He receives the confession.

Romans 9:5
“…the Messiah… who is God over all, blessed forever.”

Titus 2:13
“while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”  

And by the way, the Greek grammar here unites “God” and “Savior” to the same person.

Hebrews 1:8
“But to the Son: ‘Your throne, God, is forever and ever…’”

Don't miss what the author of Hebrews is saying here as He shows the superiority of Jesus and the New Covenant. In this passage, God the Father addresses Jesus the Son as “God.”

2 Peter 1:1
“…through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

If the New Testament writers were trying to avoid calling Jesus God, they chose very strange language.

2) The Bible Gives Jesus the Works and “Job Description” of God

Even when Scripture doesn’t use the word “God,” it gives Jesus what belongs to God alone.

Jesus is the Creator—not a creature

Jesus forgives sins
Jesus receives worship3) Key Greek Terms That Sharpen What the Text Is Saying

John 1:1
Contrary to what some believe, John 1:1 does NOT teach that Jesus is a lesser deity. One of the most common objections to the deity of Christ centers on the opening line of John’s Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) Some wrongly claim this verse should instead read, “the Word was a god,” as if John were saying Jesus is merely a divine-like being — a lesser god, not truly God Himself. This wording appears in certain modern translations produced by groups that deny the full deity of Christ (for example, the New World Translation of the Bible adopted by Jehovah's Witnesses).

At first glance, this may sound like a technical dispute over grammar. But in reality, this verse is one of the clearest and most decisive affirmations of who Jesus is. And when we look carefully at the original Koine Greek grammar, the claim that John meant “a god” simply does not hold up.

Let’s look at what John actually wrote.  John 1:1 in Greek reads (using the NA28 edition of the Greek New Testament):

Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος  ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.
(Koine Greek)

“En archē ēn ho logos, kai ho logos ēn pros ton theon, kai theos ēn ho logos.”
(transliterated)

Literally in English:

• “In the beginning was the Word,”
• “and the Word was with God,”
  
• “and the Word was God.”

The key phrase here is the final clause: “kai theos ēn ho logos” — “and the Word was God.” This construction emphasizes nature: the Word has the very identity of God, not merely godlike qualities. In the original Koine Greek, the word theos (“God”) appears without the definite article (“the”). That is what leads some to claim it should be translated “a god" (that is, indefinite).  But that argument misunderstands how Greek grammar works.

Why is “a god” grammatically wrong? In English, leaving out “the” often makes a noun indefinite (“a god”). But Koine Greek does not work that way.  Greek frequently omits the article when describing the nature or essence of something. This is called a qualitative construction. It tells us what something is by nature, not whether it is definite or indefinite. In this sentence, John is not saying who the Word is (that was already made clear: “the Word was with God”. He is saying what the Word is.

In other words:

• “The Word was God” means: the Word has the very nature of God.

If John had written, “ho theos ēn ho logos” (“the God was the Word”), he would have collapsed the Father and the Son into the same person, denying the personal distinction he just affirmed in the previous line (“the Word was with God”). John carefully avoids that mistake.

Instead, he writes it in a way that means:

• The Word is not the same person as the Father (“with God”),
• but the Word fully shares God’s nature (“was God”).

This is exactly what historic Christian theology has always taught.

And Greek scholar after Greek scholar — across denominations and theological traditions — has pointed out that John’s construction emphasizes quality, not indefiniteness. Greek writers regularly leave out the article not to make a word vague or unspecific, but to describe what something is by nature. One of the best summaries of this comes from a standard rule of Greek grammar (often called “Colwell’s Rule, 1933”), which observes that predicate nouns placed before the verb often lack the article but remain definite or qualitative.

What this means in simple terms is this:

John deliberately and indisputably wrote the sentence, in Koine Greek, to say, “The Word was fully divine.”  
Not “a god.”
Not “god-like.”
Not “a lesser divine being.”
But: the Word possesses the very essence of God.

So in summary, the Greek grammar does not weaken John’s statement — it actually strengthens it. John is not saying Jesus is one god among many. He is saying the Word is truly divine, fully sharing in who God is, while still being a distinct person from the Father. And we know from the rest of Scripture that this person is Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. This is why virtually every major Greek scholar and every mainstream translation renders the verse: “The Word was God.”

Colossians 2:9
“For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ.”

The word theotēs means “deity.” Paul says the full reality of God dwells in Christ — bodily.

Philippians 2:6–11
Jesus existed “in the form of God,” humbled Himself, and then received universal worship.

“Every knee will bow… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

That phrase comes from Isaiah 45:23, where Yahweh says every knee will bow to Him. Paul applies it directly to Jesus.

4) Hebrew and Old Testament Foundations

Isaiah 9:6
The coming Messiah is called “Mighty God” (El Gibbor).

Then, in the New Testament, we find the following Yahweh texts about God applied directly to Jesus:

• Joel 2:32 → Romans 10:13
• Psalm 102 → Hebrews 1
• Zechariah 12:10 → John 19:37

In these examples, Jesus is placed inside the identity of the LORD. This is not accidental language, nor poetic exaggeration. The New Testament writers deliberately take passages that speak of Yahweh Himself and apply them directly to Jesus. In Jewish theology, this is extraordinary. No faithful Jew would ever place a mere creature inside the divine identity.

And yet again and again, the apostles do exactly that.

This is not inconsistent with the doctrine of the Trinity — it is one of the strongest biblical
foundations for it.  According to the historic Christian understanding of the Trinity summarized in the Athanasian Creed, God is one in essence and three in persons. The Creed famously says: “We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance.”

In simple terms, this means:

• There is only one God, not three gods.
• The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
• The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father.
• Yet all three share the same divine nature, glory, power, and eternity.

The Creed goes on to say that the Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, and the Spirit is uncreated — yet there are not three uncreated beings, but one uncreated God. Each person is eternal, almighty, and fully divine, yet there is only one eternal, almighty God.

This is exactly what the New Testament shows us when it places Jesus within Yahweh’s identity using Old Testament Scriptures like those above.

Jesus is not a second God.
He is not a lesser God.
He is not a created messenger borrowing God’s titles.
He is the eternal Son who shares fully in the divine being of the one LORD of Israel, while remaining personally distinct from the Father.

So when Scripture applies Yahweh texts to Jesus, it is not breaking monotheism (the idea that there is one God)— it is revealing the mystery of God’s own inner life.  The God who saves is not solitary. The LORD who redeems is Father, Son, and Spirit. And the Jesus who was pierced on the cross is none other than the LORD Himself, come in the flesh to rescue His people.

5) Fully God and Fully Man (Scripture That Demonstrates This Truth)

Jesus is truly human:

• Born (Luke 2:7)
• Grows (Luke 2:52)
• Hungers (Matthew 4:2)
• Weeps (John 11:35)
• Dies (Mark 15:37)

And truly God:

• He is Worshiped (Despite the "No other Gods" of Exodus 20:3, Deuteronomy 5:6)
  • Matthew 14:33 — “Then those in the boat worshiped him…”
  • Matthew 28:9, 17 — the disciples worship the risen Jesus
  • Hebrews 1:6 — “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
  • Revelation 5:11–14 — the Lamb receives worship with the One on the throne

• Forgives sins (a divine authority, belonging only to God) 
  • Mark 2:5–12 — Jesus forgives the paralytic’s sins; the leaders say, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
  • Luke 7:48–49 — “Your sins are forgiven,” and the crowd asks, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

• Creates (power and authority that belongs only to God) 
  • John 1:3 — “All things were created through him…”
  • Colossians 1:16–17 — “Everything was created by him… He is before all things…”
  • Hebrews 1:10 — the Son is addressed as the Creator of heaven and earth

• Called God (directly named as God)
  • John 1:1 — “The Word was God.”
  • John 20:28 — Thomas: “My Lord and my God!”
  • Romans 9:5 — “the Messiah… who is God over all”
  • Titus 2:13 — “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ”
  • Hebrews 1:8 — “But to the Son: ‘Your throne, God, is forever and ever…’”
  • 2 Peter 1:1 — “our God and Savior Jesus Christ”

6) The Greek Word “Homoousios” in Simple Terms

As Christians wrestled with how the Bible describes Jesus, one Greek word eventually became central to protecting the truth the apostles had taught about Jesus being fully God and fully Man. That word is homoousios (ho-mo-OO-see-os). It simply means: “Of the same essence” or “of the same nature.”

In everyday language, it means that the Son is made of the same divine ‘stuff’ as the Father. This word was chosen carefully in the early fourth century because the church faced a serious controversy. Some teachers were saying that Jesus existed before creation and was very exalted — but that He was still a created being, not truly God. They claimed there was a time when the Son did not exist.

The church recognized immediately that this teaching threatened the heart of the gospel. If Jesus were a creature, even the greatest creature, then:

• He could not fully reveal God
• He could not bear the infinite weight of human sin
• And worshiping Him would be idolatry

So the question was simple but enormous:
In AD 325, church leaders from across the Christian world gathered at the Council of Nicaea to settle this question based on Scripture. They concluded that the Bible clearly teaches that the Son is not a creature, but fully divine. To protect that truth, they confessed that the Son is:

“Begotten, not made, being of one substance (i.e., "homoousios") with the Father.”

That single word — homoousios — drew a bright line:

• The Son is not similar to God.
• The Son is not almost God.
• The Son is not a lesser divine being.
• The Son shares the very same divine nature as the Father.

So, the Son and the Father are NOT the same person. The Bible clearly shows they are distinct — they speak to one another, love one another, and send one another.  And the church carefully explained the balance:

• The Father and the Son are different persons (i.e., different “who”)
• But they share the same divine nature (i.e., the same “what”)

That is why Christians say:

• Same what — God
• Different who — Father and Son
• Not two gods.
• Not one person playing different roles.
• But one God in three persons.

This language was not invented to override Scripture — it was chosen to protect what Scripture already teaches.  The Bible says:

• The Father is God (John 6:27)
• The Son is God (John 1:1; John 20:28; Hebrews 1:8)
• The Spirit is God (Acts 5:3–4)
• And yet there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4)

The word "homoousios" (aka same substance) simply gave the church a precise way to say what the apostles had already proclaimed, which was:

• Jesus is not part of creation.
• Jesus is not a lesser deity.
• Jesus shares fully in the being, glory, power, and eternity of the one true God.

Now, why does all of this matter for salvation?  

That single word — homoousios —  was not an abstract philosophical debate. Everything depended on it. The church took a hard stance early-on, making it clear that Scripture says:

• Only God can save in the way Scripture describes.
• Only God can forgive sins absolutely.
• Only God can reveal God perfectly.
• If Jesus is not fully God, then the cross becomes the sacrifice of a creature.
• But if Jesus is fully God, then the gospel becomes breathtaking because it was God Himself who came to rescue us.

And that is why the church confessed — and still confesses today — The Son is not the same person as the Father, but He shares the same divine nature.

• Same “what.”
• Different “who.”
• Again, not two gods.
• Not one person playing roles.
• One God in three persons.

7) Answering Common Objections

“Firstborn means created.”


“Only the Father is true God.”
“Jesus prays and learns.”

“When Jesus was baptized… the Spirit descended like a dove… and a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son.’” (Matthew 3:16–17)

• The Son in the water
• The Spirit descending
• The Father speaking

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)

“Though existing in the form of God… he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant.” (Philippians 2:6–7)

• Humans are meant to depend on God
• Humans are meant to seek the Father
• Humans are meant to live by trust, not self-reliance

• Loving communion within the Trinity.
• Prayer is not a sign of weakness in God.
• It is a window into God’s own inner life.

• Fully God — able to represent God to us
• Fully man — able to represent us before God

• Before choosing the disciples (Luke 6:12)
• Before feeding the crowds (John 6:11)
• Before facing the cross (Matthew 26)
• Before raising Lazarus (John 11:41–42)

• God is not solitary or distant.
• From all eternity, God is Father, Son, and Spirit — living in perfect love.
• Prayer is not trying to wake up a reluctant God.
• It is entering into the life of the God who already delights in fellowship.

• The Father plans it
• The Son accomplishes it
• The Spirit applies it

• He is the eternal Son in loving fellowship with the Father
• He is the true man living a life of perfect obedience
• He is our mediator standing in our place
• And He is our teacher, showing us how to trust God

8) Jesus Is Not the Spirit Brother of Satan

According to the Bible:

• Angels are created beings (Psalm 104:4, Nehemiah 9:6, Colossians 1:16)
• Satan is a created angel (Revelation 12:7-9, Job 1:6, Zechariah 3:1–2, Luke 10:18).
• Jesus is the Creator of angels (Colossians 1:16-17, John 1:3, Hebrews 1:5-6, 10–12).

Scripture draws a sharp and unbreakable line between Christ and Satan. Satan is a created angel who rebelled (Job 1:6; Revelation 12:7–9). Angels themselves are part of the created order (Psalm 104:4; Nehemiah 9:6). But Jesus is the Creator of the entire invisible realm, including angels and authorities (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16–17). Angels worship Him (Hebrews 1:6), and He is addressed as the eternal Creator (Hebrews 1:10–12). Creator and creature are not siblings.

Nonetheless, despite this evidence, at some point in conversations about who Jesus really is, an unusual claim sometimes arises: that Jesus and Satan are “spirit brothers”—two beings who belong to the same heavenly family, who began alike and then chose opposite paths. This is most common within Mormonism, otherwise known as the Church of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Please note that many Mormons today will deny that they believe Jesus and Satan are brothers. Nonetheless, this teaching was most definitely a belief of the early Mormons.

So, this idea does not come from rumor, caricature, or misunderstanding. It comes from official Mormon teaching about the premortal life — the belief that all people lived with Heavenly Father as spirit beings before coming to earth. In this system, every human being existed as a spirit child of God, and Jesus is described as the firstborn among those spirits. LDS teaching also describes a premortal “council in heaven,” where God presented His plan, and Jesus willingly offered to carry it out, while Lucifer rebelled and proposed a different plan. Because both Jesus and Lucifer are described as premortal spirit sons who lived in God’s presence before the world began, later LDS leaders and manuals concluded that they belonged to the same heavenly family. This teaching appears in early LDS scriptures, official manuals, and statements from authoritative church leaders, though in more recent years the Church has tended to speak less directly about the family relationship and to describe the premortal council and rebellion in more general terms.

Here are examples of Mormon writings supporting these claims, including a testimony by an ex-Mormon about the lies he used to speak while on "mission" for the Mormon church:

Lucifer was “Another Spirit Son of God” 
Official LDS Gospel Topics essays — "Premortality," and "Satan"
Premortal Spirits Organized Before the World
Abraham 3:22–23 (Pearl of Great Price)



The Premortal Council and Jesus’ Response
Abraham 3:27 (Pearl of Great Price)


Milton R. Hunter (LDS Apostle and Theologian)


Mormon Research Ministry
I encourage everyone to read "Ten Lies I Told as a  Mormon Missionary" by former Mormon missionary Aaron Shafovaloff.

Why does this matter biblically?  

Like many theological errors, at first it may sound harmless, even creative. But when we stop and think about what this would actually mean, the idea begins to collapse under its own weight.  Here is a simple way to see the problem:

If one man has a brother, and another man has no brother, those two men cannot be the same person.

A person either belongs to a family with siblings or does not. You cannot be both the man with a brother and the man without a brother at the same time.  It's another person. And, when it comes to Jesus, if we're speaking of another Jesus, then we're not speaking of the Jesus of the Bible. And if it's not the Jesus of the Bible, then we're not speaking of a Jesus that can offer salvation.

And that is exactly the contradiction this claim creates.  The Bible repeatedly tells us two things that cannot both be true if Jesus and Satan are brothers:

• Satan is a created angel, part of the invisible heavenly order.
• Jesus is the Creator of angels, existing before they existed.

A creator and his creature cannot be siblings. A being who brings others into existence cannot belong to the same created family as those he made. If Satan is created, and Jesus created him, then Jesus cannot be his brother, any more than an architect can be the sibling of the house he designed. Scripture is very clear on this distinction.

Colossians 1:16 says:  

“For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible…”

The phrase “the invisible” includes the angelic realm — thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities. In other words, Jesus did not come from the angelic family. He created it. Hebrews 1 drives this point home even more forcefully. The chapter repeatedly separates the Son from angels (Jesus is shown to be greater than the Angels):

• The Son is called God (Hebrews 1:8).
• The Son is worshiped by angels (Hebrews 1:6).
• The Son is addressed as the eternal Creator (Hebrews 1:10–12).
• Angels are described as “ministering spirits” sent to serve (Hebrews 1:14).
• Angels worship the Son (Revelation 5:11-14).
• Angels serve the Son (Hebrews 1:7, 14, Matthew 4:11, 26:53, Luke 22:43).
• Angels were made by the Son (Colossians 1:16-17, John 1:3, Hebrews 1:2, 10-12, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Revelation 4:11).

All of that is not the language of siblings. Here, again, the Scriptural evidence is that Creator and creature are not brothers. The Bible never describes God as physically begetting spirit children. The Bible never says angels are God’s offspring. The Bible never places Jesus and Satan in the same created family. Instead, Scripture makes a clear distinction:

• Satan is a created angel (Job 1–2; Revelation 12:9)
• Jesus is the Creator of angels (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:10)

Hebrews 1 exists largely to prevent this exact confusion:

“For to which of the angels did He ever say, ‘You are My Son’?” (Hebrews 1:5)

And then:

“Let all God’s angels worship Him.” (Hebrews 1:6)

Friends, THAT is why the Bible presents a radically different picture from Mormon theology:

• Jesus is not a spirit child among spirit children.
• He is not one brother among many.
• He is not part of creation at all.

He is:  

“Before all things, and by Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)

And Scripture not only reveals who Jesus is in relation to creation — it also reveals who He is in relation to our salvation.

The simple bottom line is this: 

Scripture draws a sharp line between God and everything else. God alone is the Savior.

“I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.” (Isaiah 43:11)

And yet the New Testament speaks with equal clarity:

“There is salvation in no one else… for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

So, if only Yahweh could create and save — and Jesus creates and saves — then Jesus is not a creature helping God. He is God Himself acting to rescue His created people.

Only God can forgive sins absolutely. Only God can conquer death finally. Only God can reconcile the world to Himself fully.  A created being, no matter how exalted, cannot bear the infinite weight of human guilt or bring eternal life to the world.

But the gospel does not present Jesus as a helper standing beside God.  

It presents Him as God with us.

Friends, the Jesus of the Bible is:

• Eternal
• Creator
• God with us
• Obedient man
• Crucified Savior
• Risen Lord

If Jesus is not God, then worshiping Him is blasphemy.

But if Jesus is God — and Scripture repeatedly says He is — then refusing Him is not a harmless disagreement. It is refusing the Creator God and Savior of Sinful Humanity Himself.

And so the right response to Jesus remains the same as Thomas’s, when he saw the risen Christ and finally understood:  “My Lord and my God.” (John 20:28)

And may the God of all peace and truth open your eyes today to understand all of these truths.

(Is there more that could be said to prove Jesus is God? Yes! So much more. Jesus walks on water, raises people from the dead, performs numerous healing miracles, returns from the dead Himself, was before time began, and identifies Himself as I AM (the Old Testament name for God) just to name a few. But alas, this blog must stop somewhere and my goal for this article has been to address specific topics raised during recent discussions within our local community.)

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not?

 

Photo Source: Artificially Generated 

Why the Old Testament’s Many Wives Don’t Cancel God’s Design for Marriage

One of the most common questions people ask when reading the Bible is this:
          “If God wanted one man and one woman, why do so many Old Testament heroes
           have multiple wives?”

• Abraham had more than one woman in his household.
• Jacob had two wives.
• David and Solomon had many.

So what are we supposed to think?  

Did God change His mind?

Did He lower His standards?

Or did He approve of polygamy back then but not now?

The answer is actually much clearer—and more hopeful—than many people realize.

God’s Design for Marriage Never Changed

The Bible does not start with multiple wives. It starts with one man and one woman, for life.

          “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and 
          they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)

This verse appears before sin ever enters the world. That matters. Genesis 2 is not describing a broken culture—it is revealing God’s original, good, and beautiful design.

In the original Hebrew, the word used here for “leave” means to leave behind, be unattached, forsake, loosen, or sever former loyalties, and "hold fast” (or "bond") means to cling to, join to, unite with, stick to, or be glued to—language used elsewhere for covenant faithfulness to God. In other words, marriage is pictured as a transfer of primary allegiance from one’s parents to one’s spouse and the formation of a new, exclusive covenant bond. This is not casual or temporary language; it is the vocabulary of lifelong, faithful attachment.

Marriage was created to be:

• Exclusive
• Covenant-bound
• One man and one woman joined into one flesh

Jesus Himself later pointed back to this moment and said, “From the beginning it was not so,” meaning God never intended anything else.

Polygamy Enters After Sin—and Always Brings Pain

The first man in the Bible to take more than one wife was not a godly hero. It was Lamech, a violent and arrogant man (Genesis 4). From that moment on, every polygamous household in Scripture is filled with rivalry, jealousy, broken trust, and family division.

Consider just a few examples:

• Abraham’s household fractured under jealousy between Sarah and Hagar.
• Jacob’s wives competed for affection and status.
• David’s many marriages produced chaos and heartbreak.
• Solomon’s wives eventually pulled his heart away from God.

The Bible never praises polygamy. It records it honestly—and it always shows the damage it brings. This is a crucial distinction you should note: The Bible describes many sinful things without endorsing them.

Did God Permit Polygamy or Just Tolerate It?

With humility, I believe the best biblical answer is:
                God tolerated it, but He did not approve of it.

There are many places in the Old Testament where God regulated broken human behavior without blessing it. Divorce, slavery, and monarchy all fall into this category. God set limits to restrain harm, but those limits never meant the behavior itself was good. Jesus explains this principle clearly when He says Moses allowed divorce “because of the hardness of your hearts.” In other words, God met sinful people where they were, but He never redefined what was right.

Polygamy fits that same pattern. God governed it to prevent chaos, abuse, and injustice, but He never called it good. God sometimes regulates sin without endorsing it.

God’s Displeasure Was Never Hidden

Even in the Old Testament, God made His moral direction clear. Kings were commanded not to multiply wives. Faithfulness to one’s spouse was continually tied to faithfulness to God. Prophets condemned covenant betrayal in marriage. Scripture consistently treats marriage as a sacred, exclusive bond.

By the time we reach the New Testament, all ambiguity disappears. Jesus restores God’s original design. Marriage is once again defined by Genesis. Church leaders are required to be faithful to one spouse. And marriage becomes a living picture of Christ and His church. The gospel does not lower God’s standard—it restores it.

Why This Matters Today

This topic matters because it teaches us how to read the Bible rightly. Just because something appears in Scripture does not mean God approves of it. The Bible tells the truth about fallen humanity—but it always points us back to God’s holy design. From Eden to Christ, God’s plan for marriage has always been the same: one man, one woman, united in covenant faithfulness for life. And in Jesus, broken things are not just tolerated—they are redeemed.

A Bible Q&A on Marriage, Multiple Wives, and God’s Design

This past week, I answered several good, thoughtful questions about this topic. For those interested, what follows are those answers for others' benefit:

Q1: If God designed marriage as one man and one woman, why does the Old Testament include polygamy?

Because the Old Testament tells the truth about a fallen world. After sin entered the human race, God’s good design for marriage was repeatedly distorted. The Bible records what people did, not just what they should have done. Polygamy appears in Scripture not as God’s ideal, but as a symptom of brokenness—just like violence, deception, and idolatry.

Q2: What was God’s original design for marriage?

God’s design is established in Genesis before sin ever entered the world:

“A man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)

Marriage was created to be:

• One man
• One woman
• A covenant of exclusive, lifelong faithfulness

Jesus later confirmed that this was not merely descriptive—it was prescriptive. It was God’s intent “from the beginning.”

Q3: Did God ever command or encourage polygamy?

No. There is not a single verse in the Bible where God commands, encourages, or praises a man for having multiple wives. Polygamy is always portrayed with negative consequences: jealousy, family division, emotional harm, and spiritual compromise. The Bible never presents it as something for us to imitate.

Q4: But didn’t God “allow” polygamy in the Law?

God regulated polygamy in the same way He regulated other broken realities like divorce and slavery—not because they were good, but because people were sinful.

Jesus explains this principle when He says Moses allowed divorce “because of the hardness of your hearts.” God governs sin to limit harm, but that does not mean He approves of it. God sometimes restrains sin without blessing it.

Q5: Why didn’t God immediately abolish polygamy in the Old Testament?

I personally believe it is because God works patiently with fallen people within fallen cultures. He is a Redeemer who moves sinful people toward holiness gradually rather than instantly erasing every sinful structure overnight. This does not mean God was morally neutral. It means He was merciful, guiding His people forward without abandoning them.

When God called Abraham, Jacob, and others, He was not starting with a holy culture. He was redeeming a deeply broken one. To abolish all entrenched family structures instantly would have produced massive injustice—abandoned women, fatherless children, and economic collapse. God instead begins reshaping hearts, not just laws.

“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.” (Psalm 103:8)

God’s patience is not approval; it is mercy aimed at transformation.

We must recall that across the ancient world, polygamy was tied to:

• Survival (widows without protection)
• Wealth
  
• Tribal inheritance
• Political alliances
• Kings were forbidden to multiply wives (Deut. 17:17)

• Covenant faithfulness in marriage was stressed (Mal. 2:14–15)
  
• God describes His relationship with Israel as one husband and one bride (Isa. 54:5; Hos. 2:19)

• Hearts were hardened (Matt. 19:8)
• Cultures were deeply broken
• Redemption is progressive, not instant
• God was preserving His redemptive plan
  
  

But from Genesis to Christ, the trajectory has always been one of moving sinners back to one man, one woman, one covenant, one flesh for life.

Q6: Did polygamy ever lead to good outcomes in the Bible?

No. Every polygamous household in Scripture ends in sorrow, conflict, or spiritual decay.

• Abraham’s family fractured.
• Jacob’s wives fought and manipulated.
• David’s family imploded.
• Solomon’s marriages led to idolatry.

The Bible consistently shows polygamy producing pain, not blessing.

Q7: How does the New Testament clarify this?

Jesus restores God’s original design for marriage. He points back to Genesis and says marriage is meant to be one man and one woman joined together by God. Church leaders are required to be faithful to one spouse. Marriage becomes a picture of Christ’s exclusive, covenant love for His church. The gospel does not lower God’s standards—it redeems us back to them.

Q8: So how should Christians understand polygamy today?

Polygamy was never God’s design. It was tolerated in a fallen world but never approved. In Christ, God’s original intention for marriage is fully restored. Marriage is meant to reflect faithful, exclusive, lifelong covenantal love—just as Christ loves His people. 

Q9: Pastor, what is a one or two sentence summary? 

God created marriage as one man and one woman for life; polygamy appears in Scripture because of human sin, not because of divine approval.     

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not?

 

Photo Source: Artificially Generated 

                  Lord, you are my portion…you hold my future.
                                                                         -- Psalm 16:5, CSB

The turn of the calendar invites reflection. A new year often awakens both hope and pressure—the hope that something good might begin and the pressure to somehow become better versions of ourselves. However, Scripture gently redirects us away from self-reinvention and toward faithful pursuit of God, grounded not in our own resolve and self-determination but in His character.

The apostle Paul reminds us that Christian maturity does not mean arrival. “Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect,” he writes, “but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12, CSB). Paul’s honesty is freeing. The Christian ought to enter a new year without pretending that we have somehow already arrived and without being paralyzed by what lies behind. We press on—not to earn God’s favor, but because Christ has already claimed us. Past failures do not disqualify us, and past successes do not define us. What matters is the direction of our lives toward Christ.

As we look ahead, though, uncertainty often feels heavier than expectation. We do not know what this year will bring—its joys, its trials, or its losses. Yet Scripture reminds us that the future is not unoccupied territory. “The Lord is the one who will go before you,” Moses told Israel. “He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8). We, as Christians, therefore, should walk into the unknown with confidence, not because the path is clear, but because the Lord is already there with us. When we set the Lord always before us, as David says, we are not shaken (Psalm 16:8).

That confidence should shape how we live. Rather than scattering our energy across countless spiritual goals, Paul models focused faithfulness: “One thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13–14). The new year does not require dozens of resolutions; it invites renewed devotion to Christ. Spiritual growth often comes through one area of obedience, repentance, or trust. When our hearts are fixed on Christ, small steps taken in faith carry eternal weight.

Scripture also reshapes how we think about time itself. Instead of measuring our lives by productivity or achievement, Moses prayed, “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts” (Psalm 90:12). Life’s brevity is meant not to create anxiety but to bring clarity. Each day is a gift entrusted to us by God. Faithfulness matters more than busyness. Obedience matters more than efficiency. When we number our days, we learn to live with urgency without panic and purpose without pressure. How are we going to use each of the days that the Lord has given us this year for His glory?

At the center of this perspective is an anchor for the soul. David declares, “Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future” (Psalm 16:5). The believer’s ultimate security does not rest in circumstances improving or plans succeeding, but in the unchanging faithfulness of God Himself. Because the Lord is our inheritance, we can face uncertainty with joy. And because Christ has conquered death, our hope extends beyond this year into resurrection life and fullness of joy in God’s presence forever (Psalm 16:11).

All of this means that a Christian should begin the new year anchored, not anxious. We press on without pretending we have arrived. We walk forward knowing the Lord goes before us. We pursue focused faithfulness rather than scattered effort. We number our days with wisdom. And we rest in the unshakable joy that the Lord Himself is our portion. Whatever this year holds, we face it with confidence—not in ourselves, but in the faithful God who holds our days and walks with us every step of the way.

So, as we begin this year, this kind of spiritual encouragement is good for the soul. We should be reminded that God has not left His people to face the days ahead with vague hope or borrowed optimism. He has given us His Word—clear, steady, and sufficient—to shape how we think, how we walk, and how we trust Him. The passages below are offered not as resolutions to be mastered, but as anchors to return to again and again. They invite us to fix our eyes on Christ, to walk wisely with the days we are given, and to rest in the God who goes before us and holds our future.
 
Five Passages for Devotional Encouragement in the New Year:

1. Philippians 3:12–14 — Pressing On Without Pretending We’ve Arrived (see my recent Sunday sermon on this 12/28/25).
Teaching/Study Points:

• Christian maturity is marked by pursuit, not perfection
• Growth flows from grace—Christ has already taken hold of us
• The believer is freed from both pride and shame
• The Christian life is forward-leaning, not backward-looking

New Year Emphasis:  

• The gospel allows us to begin again without denial or despair.

2. Deuteronomy 31:8 — The God Who Goes Before You
Teaching/Study Points:

• God’s presence precedes His people into the future
• Fear is answered by God’s faithfulness, not certainty
• Obedience flows from assurance, not anxiety

New Year Emphasis:

• We do not step into the unknown alone.

3. Philippians 3:13 — One Thing I Do
Teaching/Study Points:

• Spiritual growth requires focus and intentionality
• Faithfulness is often concentrated, not complicated
• One area of obedience can reshape an entire life

New Year Emphasis:

• God often uses simple, faithful steps more than dramatic plans.

4. Psalm 90:12 — Numbering Our Days, Not Our Goals
Teaching/Study Points:

• Life’s brevity should produce wisdom, not fear
• Time is a stewardship, not a possession
• Faithfulness matters more than productivity

New Year Emphasis:

• Living wisely begins with humility about our limits.

5. Psalm 16 — Because the Lord Is My Portion
Teaching/Study Points:

• God Himself is the believer’s inheritance and security
• Joy flows from delighting in God, not controlling outcomes
• Resurrection hope anchors present faithfulness

New Year Emphasis:

• The greatest blessing of the new year is not what changes, but Christ Jesus who walks with us.  “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age,"  
  says Matthew 28:20. "For he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you," Hebrews 13:5.
  
  

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not?

 

Photo Source: Artificially Generated 

Every year, the Christmas season rolls around with lights, decorations, warm gatherings, and familiar songs. But behind all the traditions and noise, Christmas carries a meaning unlike any other holiday. At the heart of it is a truth so staggering, so hope-giving, that it stands apart from anything else we celebrate: God came to be with us.

The purpose of Christmas is simple yet profound. We celebrate Christmas because God the Son took on human flesh and entered our world to save sinners. It is not just a sentimental season or a cultural moment—it is the moment in history when God Himself stepped into our sin-filled, broken world. Matthew 1:21 says, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” That is the heartbeat of Christmas.

Christmas stands apart from every other holiday because it celebrates something God did, not something we did. Other holidays commemorate our achievements or historical moments, but Christmas announces that God entered human history to rescue us from sin and restore our relationship with Him. It is grace wrapped in swaddling cloths. It is heaven touching earth.

The Bible gives a beautiful name to the newborn Jesus: Immanuel, which means “God with us.” This name comes straight out of the Old Testament. In Matthew 1:23, the Gospel writer quotes Isaiah 7:14, where God promised a sign to His people centuries earlier: “The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.” In its original setting, Isaiah 7 spoke to a king named Ahaz during a moment of national fear and political turmoil. God told Ahaz that a child’s birth would serve as a sign that He was still present with His people and had not abandoned His promises.

But Isaiah 7 was more than just a promise for one moment in Judah’s history. The prophecy reached beyond its immediate fulfillment toward something far greater. A child born in Ahaz’s day would be a sign of God’s presence, but he would not be God Himself. Only in Jesus—born of the virgin Mary—does the name Immanuel reach its fullest and truest meaning. Jesus is not simply a reminder that God is with us. Jesus is God with us.
This is the wonder of Christmas. The eternal Son of God did not shout His love from the heavens. He came down. He entered our humanity—our weakness, pain, and temptation—so that He might redeem us from the inside out. Christmas tells us God did not stay distant from the mess of our world. He stepped right into it.

But a common question about Christmas is: Why was Jesus born when He was? Why not earlier—or later?  During this past week's local Follow the Son Bible Club for middle and high school students, another leader, who is a member of our church, and I discussed these exact questions with the students. The Bible answers this question clearly. Galatians 4:4 says, “When the time came to completion, God sent his Son.” That phrase—“the fullness of time”—means God chose the exact moment when everything in human history was prepared for the arrival of Christ.

For example, historically, the Roman Empire had created unprecedented conditions for the gospel to spread. The empire enjoyed relative peace. Roads connected major cities and regions. Travel and communication had become easier than ever. One common language, Greek, allowed people from different cultures to understand the same message. Spiritually, Israel was longing for deliverance, feeling the heavy weight of Roman occupation and yearning for the promised Messiah. The Law had exposed humanity’s inability to save itself, and the world was ripe for grace.

Theologically, all the pieces of God’s redemptive plan had come together. The promises made to Abraham, the covenant with David, and the prophecies of Isaiah and Micah were pointing to this exact moment in history. Jesus entered the world at a time of deep darkness because His coming was the light people desperately needed.

Christmas tells a story bigger than a baby in a manger. It is the story of our God who keeps His promises. It is the story of a Savior who steps into history, not randomly or accidentally, but at the perfect moment. It is the story of a Redeemer who came not only to live among us, but to die for us—so that through faith in Him, we might be brought back to God. Immanuel means you are not alone. It means God sees you. God knows your pain. God entered the world as it is—not as it should be—to save sinners, heal the brokenhearted, and give hope to the hopeless. Christmas is God’s announcement that He is with us, He is for us, and He has come to redeem us.

That is why Christmas is not merely festive—it is miraculous. And it is why the message of Christmas never grows old: God came to us so that, by His grace and through faith in Jesus Christ, we might be brought back to Him—not as rebels, but as sons and daughters, heirs of His kingdom, and members of God’s own household. 

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not?

 

Photo Source: Artificially Generated 

There are a lot of churchy phrases floating around today that sound spiritual but really aren’t— and one of the more troubling in recent years is the phrase “the spirit of Jezebel.” Entire pockets of the hyper-charismatic world have embraced this phrase—especially self-appointed ‘deliverance ministries’ that host conferences promising freedom from hidden demons and generational curses. Add to that the YouTube ‘spirit healers,’ the sensational ‘spiritual warfare’ paperback books sold in stores that are built more on imagination than Scripture, and various other activities—and you’ll find an entire ecosystem built around this idea of spirits attaching themselves to people—even believers.  

Within those circles, women in particular are sometimes labeled as having ‘the spirit of Jezebel’—a vague, catch-all accusation used to suggest manipulation, control, seduction, or rebellion. But here’s the real question: Is a ‘spirit of Jezebel’ even a biblical category? The short answer is no, and treating it as if it were often creates more spiritual harm than clarity. 

This article explains why it is not biblical and how it becomes spiritually dangerous.

Where Do People Get the Idea of a "Jezebel Spirit"?
The concept usually comes from one of three sources: the Old Testament Jezebel, the symbolic Jezebel in Revelation, and/or from modern charismatic teachings.

The Old Testament Jezebel (1–2 Kings)

• Promoted Baal worship in Israel (1 Kings 18)
• Murdered God’s prophets (1 Kings 18:4)
• Manipulated King Ahab (1 Kings 21)
• Used seduction, intimidation, and idolatry to corrupt Israel

The Jezebel in Revelation 2:20– “that woman Jezebel.” 

• A false teacher with manipulative influence
• A seducer into idolatry and immorality
• Someone who resembles Jezebel’s character
  
  

• “A demon named Jezebel must be behind her.”

Modern Charismatic/Deliverance Teachings and Ministries (20th Century and Forward)

• A demon named Jezebel
• A demonic personality is behind certain sins
• A spiritual diagnosis for manipulation or seduction

• Manipulation
• Control
• Seduction
• Rebellion
• Divisiveness

A deliverance ministry often (but not always) incorrectly teaches that:

• Many (or most) personal problems are caused by demons
• Christians can be demonized or “infested” by specific spirits
• These spirits must be identified, named, and cast out through special prayers or rituals or gatherings/meetings
• Deep-rooted sins, trauma, or habits are often blamed on “spirits” instead of the human heart
• They often claim to cast out spirits such as:

• “Spirit of Jezebel”
• “Spirit of fear”
• “Spirit of anger”
• “Spirit of lust”
• “Generational curses”
• “Regional or territorial spirits”

• These categories do not come from the Bible, but from:

• modern charismatic tradition
• spiritual warfare books
• subjective experiences
• folklore mixed with Scripture

What Deliverance Ministries Look Like in Practice
Deliverance ministries often include:

• shouting
• commanding spirits
• “breaking strongholds”
• laying on of hands
• dramatic reactions (crying, shaking, coughing, etc.)
• One-on-one “deliverance appointments”

• questionnaires
• intuition
• visions
• spiritual impressions
• “words of knowledge”

• Christians can be controlled by specific demons
• Sins are caused by demonic forces rather than the flesh
• Special techniques are needed for freedom
• Pastors and normal Christians are not all equipped for this work

Biblically, all of these ideas are incorrect or, at least, misleading. 
         “Each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own desire.”

• spirit of Jezebel
• spirit of addiction
• spirit of depression
• spirit of anger

• repentance
• faith
• walking in the Spirit
• renewing the mind with Scripture

Why Deliverance Ministries Can Be Spiritually Dangerous

• blame demons for personal sin, hindering personal repentance
• create fear and superstition
• misuse spiritual authority
• promote unbiblical teachings
• stigmatize women with labels like “Jezebel spirit”
• keep people dependent on the “deliverance minister” or church practicing it
• replace biblical counseling with theatrics
• lead people away from Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-filled, Word-based discipleship

How do Most Evangelicals Interpret Luke 10:17–20? 
The seventy-two, returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing at all will harm you. However, don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”                      -- Luke 10:17-20, CSB

Most mainstream evangelical scholars, pastors, and commentaries agree: Luke 10:17–20 is NOT a universal promise of exorcistic power to all Christians.  Instead, it refers to a specific, time-bound, apostolic-era mission given to the seventy disciples Jesus sent out.

The standard evangelical interpretation of Luke 10:17-20:

1. A temporary, special empowerment for the seventy during Jesus’s earthly ministry.
2. Not repeated verbatim for all believers today.
3. The main lesson is not about demons, but about:

• the authority of Jesus,
• the priority of salvation (“rejoice that your names are written in heaven”),
• and the coming defeat of Satan in Jesus’s ministry.

Representative evangelical voices:

• ESV Study Bible — “This was a special authority given to the seventy for this mission.”
• CSB Study Bible — “These instructions were specific to this particular evangelistic mission.”
• R.C. Sproul — “This does not constitute a general mandate for all Christians to engage demons directly.”
• The Gospel Coalition (which, I must admit does not always publish articles that I fully agree with) has various articles on spiritual warfare emphasizing prayer, Scripture, and gospel proclamation, not exorcistic techniques.
• John MacArthur — “The authority given to the seventy is not normative for today. The Christian’s true joy comes from salvation, not power encounters.”
  
  

Why Luke 10:17–20 Does NOT Support Modern Deliverance Ministries

• Believers are told to resist, not rebuke, the devil (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8–9).
• Only Jesus and His apostles cast out demons with authority.
• There is no instruction in Acts or the Epistles for Christians to:

• break generational curses,
• identify territorial spirits,
• perform deliverance sessions, 
• or dialogue with demons.

• the gospel (Rom 1:16)
• the Word (Eph 6:17)
• prayer (Eph 6:18)
• holiness (James 4:7)
• the church's discipline and teaching (2 Tim 2:24–26)

Concise Refutation You Can Use in Conversation With People Concerning Luke 10

1. Luke 10:1 shows that the authority was given to the seventy, not all believers.
2. Jesus commands them not to focus on demon-subjection (v.20).
3. The NT never instructs believers to engage demons directly; instead, we are told to resist (James 4:7), stand firm (Eph 6:10–18), and proclaim Christ.
4. Jesus defeated Satan through the cross (Col 2:15), and believers are to overcome by the gospel, not techniques (Rev 12:11).
5. Unbiblical deliverance practices mirror Sceva (Acts 19:13–16), not the apostles.
6. Luke 10 is about Jesus’s authority and the joy of salvation, not a blueprint for modern exorcistic practices.

Okay, all that said, why specifically is the idea of a “Jezebel spirit” not biblical?

• There is no “spirit of Pharaoh.”
• No “spirit of Goliath.”
• No “spirit of Korah.”
• And no “spirit of Jezebel.”

• “The Corinthians struggle with a Jezebel spirit”
• “Timothy, cast out the spirit of manipulation”
• “Elders must discern which spirit is behind a person’s behavior.”

“Put to death what belongs to your earthly nature” (Col. 3:5, CSB).
“Do not give the devil an opportunity.” (Eph. 4:27).

• The flesh: manipulation, seduction, idolatry
• The Spirit: love, kindness, self-control

When and why is the teaching dangerous or unbiblical?

• “She’s controlling because of a Jezebel spirit.”
• “He’s manipulative because of the Jezebel demon.”

• Assertive women
• Women who disagree
• Women with leadership gifts
• Women in conflict situations

• Wisdom
• Discernment
• Shepherding
• Teaching
• Confrontation

• The flesh
• Pride
• Desire
• Idolatry
• False teaching

So what do people usually mean when they say “Jezebel spirit”?

• Manipulation
• Control
• Seduction
• Intimidation
• Rebellion against authority
• Leading others into compromise
• Spiritual deceit

• “Manipulative behavior”
• “Control issues”
• “Sexually seductive behavior”
• “Rebelliousness”
• “Idolatrous influence”

A better, more biblical way to describe these behaviors:

Bottom Line: Sin is sin—there’s no demon named Jezebel.

• A named demon called Jezebel
• A deliverance ministry category called “Jezebel spirit”
• The idea that specific sins must be cast out, not repented of
• Using that label to shame women or avoid real counseling

• People sin because of their hearts (Mark 7:21–23)
• Satan tempts, but does not possess believers (1 John 5:18)
• Manipulation, seduction, rebellion, etc., must be repented of
• Revelation uses “Jezebel” symbolically to describe false teaching

“This person [of whom is being spoken about] is behaving in manipulative, seductive, or controlling ways similar to Jezebel in Scripture.”

Colossians 1:13 explains that Jesus has already delivered His people. So, if we're 'delivered,' why do we keep on sinning?
The Problem With This Faulty Thinking

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not?

 

Photo Source: Artificially Generated 

INTRODUCTION
Many believers—especially in our internet age—have encountered arguments online from Seventh-day Adventists or Jewish Roots groups claiming that true obedience requires worshiping only on the seventh day, from Friday night to Saturday night. And if those conversations ever made you pause and think, “Wait… are we doing this wrong?” you’re not alone. Countless sincere Christians have never been taught why the church worships on Sunday.

But here’s the good news: when you open the Scriptures and trace the story of what God has done—from creation, to the cross, to the empty tomb—you don’t find confusion, compromise, or theological drift. You find clarity, beauty, and freedom. You find a story that leads you straight to Jesus and shows you how the earliest believers understood the Sabbath, the resurrection, and the rhythm of New Covenant worship.

So let’s walk through this topic together with an open Bible and an open mind. Along the way, we’ll make key observations from Scripture, explore what changed—and why—and see how the church, from the very beginning, joyfully gathered on the first day of the week: the Lord’s Day.

WHY CHRISTIANS WORSHIP ON SUNDAY: A BIBLICAL AND HISTORICAL LOOK AT THE SABBATH AND THE LORD'S DAY
For many Christians, Sunday worship feels as familiar as the sound of the church bell or the smell of coffee in the foyer. It’s the day we gather with fellow believers, celebrate the risen Christ, and enjoy a weekly rhythm of worship, rest, and renewal. Yet not everyone agrees that Sunday is the right day for Christian worship. Certain groups insist that the true Sabbath is Saturday—and that Christians who meet on Sunday are disobeying God.

So what does the Bible actually teach? And how did Christians, from the earliest days of the church, come to worship on Sunday instead of Saturday?  To answer those questions, we need to walk through the Bible’s own story—starting in Genesis, moving through the Old Testament, seeing how Jesus fulfills the Sabbath, and watching the early church form its weekly gathering habits. What emerges is a clear, consistent picture of why Sunday became the Lord’s Day: the weekly celebration of Christ’s resurrection and the dawn of the new creation.  

KEY POINT #1: The Sabbath Command Is Moral, but Its Old Covenant Form Was Temporary

The Sabbath is not a human invention. It originates in the very structure of creation. God Himself rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2–3), establishing a pattern of work and rest that is woven into human life. Later, when God gave Israel the Ten Commandments, He included the Sabbath in His Moral Law (Exod. 20:8–11), calling His people to remember that pattern with weekly rhythm and reverence.  This tells us something important: There is a permanent principle behind the Sabbath—people need regular rest and worship.

But Scripture also teaches that the form of the Sabbath under Moses—Friday evening to Saturday evening, with strict regulations—was meant to be temporary. It was part of Israel’s covenant with God and pointed forward to something greater. Today, God has completely reconciled believers to Himself in Christ; therefore, Christians are free from any judgment or condemnation that would have previously resulted from practicing customs required for God's covenant people in the past.  But to be clear, while the civil and ceremonial laws observed by ancient Israel no longer apply for Christians today, the Moral Law--which derives from the moral character and nature of God Himself--still very much does apply. The fourth commandment, to keep the Sabbath, should still be observed. However, it is observed in a new-covenant way—not by keeping the old Saturday regulations, but by finding our true rest in Christ and following the pattern of weekly worship, rest, and renewal that the apostles modeled on the Lord’s Day, the day of His resurrection.

The Apostle Paul makes this incredibly clear:

“Let no one judge you… regarding a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance is Christ.”                                     — Colossians 2:16–17

Did you catch that?  Paul says the old Sabbath was a shadow, not the final form. A shadow is not permanent, but it points ahead to something real. In Romans 14:5–6, Paul gives Christians freedom about which day they set aside, something he would never do if the seventh day were still binding. So, here is one reason why, after the resurrection, the early church did not continue to gather on the seventh day—even Jewish believers in Jesus had shifted to a new rhythm. 

KEY POINT #2: Christ Fulfilled the Sabbath and Offers True Rest
The Sabbath was never meant to be an end in itself. It pointed to a deeper reality—rest in God. That’s why Jesus didn’t just teach about rest; He promised it:

“I will give you rest.”
— Matthew 11:28–30

Also, in Hebrews chapter 4, we learn that the author is not merely speaking about the Sabbath as a day of the week—it’s about a Person. The writer is intentionally showing that the Old Testament Sabbath and even the rest in the Promised Land were shadows pointing to the full and final rest found only in Jesus Christ.  The weekly Sabbath pointed forward to a greater 'rest'—full salvation, completed work, and restored fellowship with God. Hebrews 4 explains that this ultimate “Sabbath rest” is found only in Christ’s finished work on the cross. Summarizing verses Hebrews 4:1-11, we can say: "There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God… and we enter that rest through Christ."

Some groups point to Hebrews 4:9 (“a Sabbath rest remains”) to argue for Saturday observance, but the word “sabbatismos” in this passage clearly refers to the eternal rest believers have in Jesus Christ, not a command to keep observing it on the seventh day.

I say this because "sabbatismos" is a somewhat unique word in the NT:  σαββατισμός (sabbatismos) — “Sabbath rest” (v. 9). It does not refer to the weekly Saturday Sabbath. It refers to a spiritual, eternal Sabbath, a rest available to God's people and modeled after Joshua, after David, after Moses. The word, more literally, means “the full and final Sabbath celebration.”  And where in Scripture do we see the final, complete rest for God’s people found?  Answer: Only in salvation through Christ, and ultimately in glory. Thus, Hebrews 4:9 must mean that the true and ultimate Sabbath is the believer’s rest in Christ’s finished work.

But the argument over the Sabbath isn't just about one word in one verse. It is also because the “rest” spoken of in Hebrews is entered by FAITH, not by the calendar (vv. 2–3).  Hebrews 4 says:

“We who have believed enter that rest.” (v. 3)

Note carefully:  
The way into this rest is not by observing a day—but by believing in Christ.

• Not by keeping the seventh day
• Not by entering Canaan
• Not by following ceremonial regulations

But by faith.

Therefore, the “rest” cannot be a literal Sabbath day, because Hebrews says it is entered only by believing. This aligns perfectly with Jesus’ invitation: “Come to Me…and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28).   So, again here, the 'ultimate' rest spoken of in Hebrews 4 is a person, and not a 24-hour period.

I should also point out that at the conclusion of Hebrews 4:1-11 (vv. 10-11), there is a clear exhortation to come to Christ (vv. 10–11).  The climax of the passage: “The one who has entered His rest has rested from his works, just as God did from His.” (v. 10)  This, too, clearly does not refer to resting one day a week. It refers to resting from trying to earn righteousness.

• Stopping self-justification
• Removing all hope in the flesh
• Trusting Christ alone
  
  

And there's only one way for that to occur, biblically. The author is referring to the 'rest' of justification, salvation, union with Christ, and the future resurrection. In other words, Hebrews 4 is a gospel call to believe in Christ (and verses 13-16 reinforce this point, speaking of Christ as the High Priest whom we should cling to in hope that we can draw near to the throne of grace and receive mercy).  The concluding point the author is driving toward is that practically, in our flesh, we should:

• Stop striving.

• Stop earning.

• Stop performing.

• Christ has done all the work to make peace with God possible. 

So, Rest in Him.

And, because the entire book of Hebrews is about Jesus surpassing OT institutions, it could not be clearer that the writer intends that only Christ can give the kind of rest described.
The argument of Hebrews is (in brief):

• Jesus is greater than angels (ch. 1–2)
• Jesus is greater than Moses (ch. 3)
• Jesus gives greater rest than Joshua (ch. 4)
• Jesus is the greater High Priest than Aaron (ch. 5–10)

So logically:
Hebrews 4 must be about Christ, who is Jesus, and not about a Saturday commandment. The pattern is consistent:  Old Testament shadow → New Testament fulfillment in Christ.

Because the “rest” in the New Testament is…

• Still available (v. 1)
• Greater than Canaan (v. 8)
• Rooted in God’s finished work (v. 4)
• Entered only by faith (v. 3)
• Described as a final Sabbath celebration (v. 9)
• Connected to rest from works (v. 10)
• And preached in a book that exalts Christ above every OT institution

We must conclude: The Sabbath is ultimately fulfilled not in a day, but in a Person: Christ Himself.  Hebrews 4:1–11 teaches that Jesus Christ is the true and final Sabbath rest for the people of God.  We rest because Christ finished the work. We enter rest by believing in Him. We will one day experience full rest when we rise in Him.

KEY POINT #3: Christian Worship Moved to Sunday Because of the Resurrection
The shift from seventh-day worship (Saturday) to first-day worship (Sunday) did not happen because the early church abandoned the Old Testament or decided to adopt a new tradition. It happened because God Himself intervened in history—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit—and the entire rhythm of redemptive history changed.  This means Christians did not “change” the Sabbath. Christ fulfilled the Sabbath, and His resurrection inaugurated a new pattern of worship that fits with the new creation He began. To truly understand this, we must examine Scripture, redemptive history, and early church testimony. Let's try to briefly follow some of the evidence.

A.  Sunday Worship Begins With the Resurrection of Jesus
The most significant reason Christians worship on Sunday is simple: Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. This is recorded in all four Gospels:

• Matthew 28:1
• Mark 16:2
• Luke 24:1
• John 20:1

The resurrection was not just a great miracle—it was the beginning of something new. In Scripture, the resurrection marks the start of the new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Just as the first creation began with light at the dawn of the first day, the new creation begins with Jesus Christ rising at dawn on the first day. This is why Sunday became known as “the Lord’s Day”—because it was the day the Lord Jesus conquered sin and death and stepped into a glorified life. The earliest Christians didn’t gather on Sunday because they preferred it over Saturday. They gathered on Sunday because it was the day the world had changed.

B. Jesus Appeared to His Disciples on the First Day—Twice
The resurrection event wasn’t the only first-day miracle. After rising, Jesus appeared to His gathered disciples on the first day:

• John 20:19–23 — Jesus meets His disciples on resurrection Sunday.
• John 20:26 — Jesus meets with them again “eight days later,” which, in Jewish counting, lands on the next Sunday.

In other words, Jesus Himself began meeting with His church on Sunday. This isn’t a coincidence—it shows a pattern. The resurrected Lord gathers His people on the same day He rose.

C. The Holy Spirit Was Given on Sunday—The Day of Pentecost
Acts 2 tells us that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost. Many Christians are unaware that Scripture specifically states that Pentecost always fell on the first day of the week.

Pentecost came:
“on the day after the seventh Sabbath.”
— Leviticus 23:15–16

Seven Sabbaths = 7 Saturdays
The next day = Sunday
This wasn’t random.

God chose to pour out the Spirit on the same day Christ rose from the grave. So now, the two greatest events of the New Covenant both happened on Sunday:

• Christ’s resurrection
• The Spirit’s outpouring

This is why early Christians saw Sunday not as the “replacement Sabbath,” but as the fulfillment day—the day that celebrates the finished work of Christ and the power of the Spirit in the new creation.

D. The Early Church Gathered Every Sunday for Worship
The book of Acts records the earliest Christian worship gatherings. The first Christians did not meet on a Saturday Sabbath; they met:

“On the first day of the week… to break bread.”
— Acts 20:7

This is the earliest known description of a Christian worship service. Breaking bread refers to the Lord’s Supper, which means the early Christians were celebrating Communion on Sunday. And history shows us this pattern didn’t fade away—it became the weekly norm.

E. Christians Gave Offerings and Practiced Corporate Giving on Sunday
Paul instructs the churches:

“On the first day of every week, each of you is to set something aside…”
— 1 Corinthians 16:1–2

This wasn’t an arbitrary instruction. Paul is calling for giving, worship, and gathering on the same day the church already met: Sunday. Corporate giving was tied to corporate worship, which was, again, on Sunday.

F. Sunday Was Already Known as “The Lord’s Day” in the First Century
Revelation, written near the end of the first century by the Apostle John himself, uses a title that Christians already understood:

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.”
— Revelation 1:10

This is important: John doesn’t define the phrase, "the Lord's Day."  
Why? Because Christians already used it.

“The Lord’s Day” = the day the Lord rose from the dead, the day the Lord began His new creation, the day His people gathered. The apostolic church already had a name for Sunday by the end of the first century, as they had already developed a habit of worshiping on that day. “The Lord’s Day” was shorthand for the day Jesus rose. Sunday wasn’t debated or optional—it was established.

G. The Rhythm Changed Because the World Changed
The Jewish Sabbath pointed back to the old creation. But Sunday—Resurrection Day—points forward to the new creation.

The Old Testament Sabbath commemorated:

• the completion of creation
• Israel’s rescue from Egypt
• the covenant made with Moses

But the New Testament 'Lord's Day' on Sunday commemorates:

• the resurrection of Christ
• the beginning of the new creation
• the outpouring of the Spirit
• the formation of the church
• the inauguration of the New Covenant

Christians didn’t shift worship because of a council or emperor. They shifted because the entire axis of history had moved! Christians didn’t stop gathering on Saturday because they rejected the Old Testament. They began gathering on Sunday because God had completed His redemptive work in Christ and had begun something entirely new. When Christ rose from the dead as “the firstfruits” of a new creation (1 Cor. 15:20; Col. 1:18; Rom. 6:4), God inaugurated a new humanity (a new birth)—so naturally, His people began gathering on the day that new creation dawned (John 20:1, 19; Acts 20:7). And because all who belong to Christ are now part of that new creation themselves (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15), Sunday became the joyful celebration of the new life God is making possible in Christ.

F. Early Church History Confirms Universal Sunday Worship
Long before Emperor Constantine, every known Christian writing (as far as I know) from the first and second centuries testifies that Christians worshiped on Sunday. Examples include:

• Ignatius of Antioch (A.D. 110)
  Christians “no longer observe the Sabbath, but live in observance of the Lord’s Day.”
• Justin Martyr (A.D. 155)
  “We hold our common assembly on the day of the sun… because Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead on the same day.”
• The Didache (late 1st/early 2nd century)
  Commands believers to gather on “the Lord’s Day.”

And, moreover,  not a single document from the earliest centuries that I know of presents Saturday as the Christian practice. There is no historical evidence that Saturday gatherings were the norm among Christians after the resurrection. Sunday was universal and rooted in the apostolic witness. Therefore, in Summary, Christian worship moved to Sunday because God had moved extraordinarily in human history on Sunday:

• Jesus rose on Sunday.
• Jesus appeared to His disciples on Sunday.
• The Holy Spirit was poured out on Sunday.
• The church gathered on Sunday.
• The apostles called it the Lord’s Day.
• The early church universally worshiped on Sunday.
• Sunday represents the new creation brought by Christ.

Again, the rhythm changed because the world changed. The incarnation and resurrection of Jesus Christ became the center of Christian time and Christian worship. Even the Western calendar became known as “before Christ” and “Anno Domini” (Latin for “in the year of our Lord”).  This is why we say ‘BC’ and ‘AD’ today, using the standard Gregorian calendar. It was explicitly a Christian dating system, dividing all of history into Before Christ and Anno Domini, ‘the year of our Lord.’ The entire global calendar turns on the arrival of Jesus—no other figure in history marks time itself.  

Christians did not “replace” the Sabbath—they followed the risen King into a new pattern of worship centered on His victory and His new creation. Our calendar is not divided by Jesus’s death, but by His birth—because when God stepped into the world, all of history reset. Everything before Him is ‘before Christ’; everything after His arrival is lived in ‘the year of our Lord.’”

So when the church gathers on Sunday—the Lord’s Day—we are not abandoning the Sabbath pattern. We are celebrating the fulfillment of it. We rest, not merely because the week has ended, but because Christ’s work has been completed. The resurrection set the rhythm, and the risen Christ invites His people to worship in the light of the new creation He has begun.

KEY POINT #4:  Acts 15 Shows That Gentiles Are Not Bound to the Mosaic Sabbath
A pivotal moment in church history occurs in Acts 15, when the apostles convened to determine whether Gentile Christians were required to observe the Law of Moses, including circumcision, food laws, and, naturally, the Sabbath. Some insisted, “It is necessary to keep the law of Moses” (Acts 15:5). But the apostles rejected that idea:

“Why are you putting a yoke on the disciples… a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?”    — Acts 15:10

And their final decision (Acts 15:28–29) did not include observing the Saturday Sabbath specified in the Law of Moses. If Saturday Sabbath observance were essential for New Covenant believers, the book of Acts would have made it clear. But it didn’t. Why? Because Old Testament 'Saturday' Sabbath-keeping under the Mosaic law was never required of New Covenant believers. 

KEY POINT #5: The Old Testament Sabbath Mosaic Laws Do Not Continue Under the New Covenant
When people argue for Saturday Sabbath keeping today, they often ignore what the Sabbath actually required under Moses:

• animal sacrifices (Num. 28:9–10)
• travel restrictions (Exod. 16:29)
• prohibition of fire (Exod. 35:3)
• death penalty for violation (Exod. 31:14–15)
• temple rituals and offerings

No modern Sabbath-keeper follows these laws—and for good reason. Scripture tells us that Christ fulfilled the Mosaic system, and the New Covenant does not continue those regulations. Hebrews 8:13 says the Old Covenant has become “obsolete.” Galatians 3:24–25 states that the law served as a tutor “until Christ.” The Sabbath command remains in its creation principle—a rhythm of rest—but not in its original Mosaic form.

KEY POINT #6: The New Covenant DOES call for Rest and Worship (a 'Sabbath')—but Not a Specific Day
Did you know that the New Testament never binds Christians to a calendar day? Instead, it emphasizes the spiritual principle behind the Sabbath.

• Romans 14:5–6: Each believer may regard days differently.
• Colossians 2:16–17: No one may judge you regarding Sabbaths.
• Mark 2:27: Sabbath exists for humanity’s benefit.
• Hebrews 4: Christ is our true rest.

Christians should absolutely live with weekly rhythms of rest and worship—but Scripture does not require those rhythms to occur on Saturday, the seventh day.  As a pastor, for example, I labor for the Lord on Sundays, preaching and teaching. As such, I typically take my day of rest on Fridays.

KEY POINT #7.  Groups today claiming Sunday worship is sinful have no biblical basis to make such claims.

REFUTING TWO COMMON GROUPS:
A. Seventh-day Adventists 
Claim: “The Sabbath command is unchanged.”
The Response: Col. 2:16–17 and Rom. 14:5–6 say otherwise.

Claim: “Revelation 14:12 proves Sabbath keeping.”
The Response: In John’s writings, “commandments” refer to faith in Christ and obedience to His teaching (1 John 3:23)—not Mosaic laws.

Claim: “The seal of God is the Sabbath.”
The Response: The New Testament never refers to the Sabbath as God’s seal. Instead, it explicitly identifies the Holy Spirit as the seal of God’s people (Eph. 1:13; 4:30). Our identity and security in Christ are marked not by a day on the calendar but by the indwelling Spirit, whom God gives to every believer at salvation. 

Claim: “Constantine changed the Sabbath.”
The Response: Christians worshiped on Sunday for over 200 years before Constantine was even born.

B. Jewish Roots Claims
Claim: “Gentiles must keep Torah.”
The Response:  Acts 15 rejects this directly.

Claim: “Jesus and Paul kept Sabbath, so we must.”
The Response: Jesus and Paul kept the Sabbath as Jews living under the Old Covenant (Gal. 4:4), but Jesus’ perfect obedience was to redeem us from that law, not keep us under it (Gal. 3:13; 4:5; Rom. 7:4–6). Paul explicitly says he is “not under the law” but under the law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:20–21), and his circumcision of Timothy (Acts 16:3) was a missionary concession, not a binding pattern—otherwise we would also have to require circumcision and the whole Mosaic code for Gentile believers. 

Claim: “Matthew 5:17 means the law continues unchanged.”
The Response: Jesus said He came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it—not to freeze the Old Covenant in place (Matt. 5:17). Fulfillment means completion, not continuation of every Mosaic regulation. Hebrews 7–10 explains that with Christ’s coming, the priesthood changed, the sacrifices ended, and the covenant itself became obsolete. The law is upheld in Christ, but its Old Covenant form is no longer binding on those who are part of the New Covenant. 

What the New Testament Actually Requires:

• Gather with the church (Heb. 10:24–25). And, the apostles led the church to do this on the first day (Acts 20:7).
• Practice regular rest (Mark 2:27). We need rhythms of worship and renewal.
• Find your true rest spiritually in Christ (Matt. 11:28; Heb. 4:1–11). He is our Sabbath.

Conclusion: The Sabbath Is Fulfilled in Christ Jesus, and the Lord’s Day Is Our Celebration
Christians are not bound to the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturdays). That form of the command pointed forward to Christ, who is the true rest of God’s people (Col. 2:17). The specific regulations of the Mosaic system have passed away (Heb. 8:13; Gal. 3:25). But the principle of rest remains—and now it is rooted in Christ, not in a calendar rule. 

From the earliest days of the church, believers gathered on the first day of the week to celebrate the resurrection. They called it the Lord’s Day (Rev. 1:10). For two thousand years, Christians around the world have followed that joyful pattern. Why?  
Because Sunday is:

• the day Jesus rose
• the day He appeared to His disciples
• the day the Spirit descended
• the day the church gathered
• the day the apostles honored
• the day Christians have worshiped for 2,000 years

The early church fathers—Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, and many more—testify overwhelmingly that Christians worshiped on Sunday long before Constantine. This was the universal practice of believers from the first century onward.

And today, we continue to honor the Sabbath not by clinging to the shadow, but by embracing the One who cast it. We rest in Christ. We gather with His people. We celebrate the new creation He began on a Sunday morning.

“Let no one judge you… regarding a Sabbath day.”  — Colossians 2:16

“One person considers one day above another… each must be fully convinced.”  — Romans 14:5

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.” — Revelation 1:10

So, at the end of the day, Christians aren’t sneaking around God’s law by worshiping on Sunday—we’re simply showing up to praise God on the day He rewrote history. If the resurrection really split time in two, the least we can do is meet Him on the right side of the calendar.  And that means we worship on Sunday because that’s the day the stone rolled, the tomb emptied, and the world got new marching orders. And Sunday is the day that everything began!   And frankly—if you were in the early church and wanted to celebrate the victory of Life Himself... For all the reasons above, I think Sunday is a pretty good place to start!

Friends, this is the orthodox, biblical, historic Christian understanding of the Sabbath—rooted in Scripture and lived out by the Christian church from the very beginning.  I've tried my best to explain it.  If you have questions, as always, let me know. 

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not? 

 

Photo Source: Artificially Generated 

Is Anything Really Random If God Is in Charge?

I’ve had people recently ask me questions along the lines of: “Science says some things are random — like particles, mutations, or even which car wreck I get into. So… does God really control everything?” 

That’s an honest question. But, at the end of the day, this isn’t just a science question. It’s a God question:  Do we believe in a God who reigns or a God who just reacts? 

The Bible’s answer is always: God reigns. “Our God is in heaven and does whatever he pleases.” (Ps. 115:3, CSB)

So the real issue is this: Can the universe have events that are truly random if God is truly sovereign? The Bible’s answer is: No. Things may appear random to us, but nothing is truly random to God. 

There are two kinds of “Random,” and this is where some people get confused.
We have two separate ideas, known as:

1. Epistemic randomness (merely looks random to us)
2. Ontological randomness (really is completely random, even to God)

Here’s the difference:

• Epistemic randomness is like rolling dice. I don’t know what number will come up, so it feels random.  But in reality, it is not actually random.  If we could calculate all the parameters (weight, wind, friction, force, speed, materials, etc.), we actually could predict how the dice would fall.
• Ontological randomness is very different. It would mean: there was no cause, no plan, no purpose — it just happened. Not even God planned it or knew it would happen.

The Bible is totally fine with the first one (epistemic randomness). The Bible never allows the second one. Why? Because the moment God intends something, it’s no longer random anymore. There is an intended purpose. “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” (Prov. 16:33). 

Casting lots was the most “random” thing people did in Bible times — and God says, “I ruled that too.”

But then why does Life Look So Unpredictable?  Answer:  Because we’re not God.

Scripture is honest: life doesn’t always line up with what people “deserve.”

• “The race is not to the swift…” (Eccl. 9:11)

• The wicked sometimes prosper (Ps. 73; Eccl. 7–8)
• Creation is broken and groaning (Rom. 8:20–22)

So from our limited human perspective, life often feels messy, unfair, and at times, even random.  One may even be tempted to ask where God is and doubt whether or not He cares about our situation. But here’s the key sentence for this blog today: Our vision is limited — God’s rule is not. What looks chaotic to us is coordinated by Him.

And that brings me to why the church (New Testament Christians) has repeatedly said  “No” to ontological randomness...
Let’s say something really is fully random to the greatest extent (ontologically), meaning that “nothing caused it” for the events to occur (and by definition, this requires that not even God knows what happens next). That would mean, at a minimum, at least three things:

• God couldn’t have foreknown it.
• God couldn’t have purposed it.
• God couldn’t have promised what happens after it.

So, with that definition, all of a sudden, belief in ontological randomness makes God less than God!  In this scenario, one must ask: Is he all-powerful and knowing, or not?

But God says:

• “He works all things according to the counsel of his will.” (Eph. 1:11)
• “I declare the end from the beginning…” (Isa. 46:10)
• “Not even a sparrow falls… without your Father.” (Matt. 10:29)

So if God works all things, there can’t be a little corner of reality called “the random zone” where God has no say. That would make Him less than God.  And that’s why we say: Ontological randomness and biblical sovereignty can’t live in the same house. If God gives it a purpose, it is no longer random.

Now, some will argue with this. They will try to say that “Randomness doesn’t cease to be random just because it was dealt with a purpose.”   Lovingly, I tell you this is "wrong."  To argue this way is to make a category error:  it confuses epistemic randomness (how it looks to us) with ontological randomness (what it is in reality).

For example, consider shuffling a deck of cards. It is called “random,” yet the dealer’s purpose is to ensure fairness. But note that the dealer doesn’t cause the sequence of cards; the randomizer does (imperfectly, I will add). However, those people who argue that God works more like a card dealer, simply using the random outcome dealt to Him for the purpose of the game, are on seriously unbiblical grounds.

God is not a limited creature working with forces outside His control; He is the First Cause of all that exists (John 1:3; Col. 1:16–17).  Everything is ordained by God and within His control. So he does not “use” uncaused randomness any more than He can “use” something that exists apart from His will (Rom. 11:36).  

And biblically speaking, we must remember that randomness describes our ignorance, not God’s process. God does not deal from a shuffled deck that He didn’t control—He made the deck, ordained the shuffle, and designed every card’s position to reveal His glory.  If the deck were truly random—meaning uncaused or purposeless—then neither physics nor divine providence would govern it. That would mean there exists a domain of reality uncaused and undirected by either natural law or divine will, which contradicts both science and Scripture. So even the most chaotic-appearing systems (weather, quantum events, shuffles, or lots) operate within ordered laws established by God (Ps. 119:89–91; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3).

And because Scripture teaches that God specifically ordains, knows, and upholds all things (Isa 46:10; Eph 1:11; Heb 1:3), “genuine randomness” (as I explained in detail above) would introduce ungoverned events that nullify prophecy, promise, providence, and prayer—therefore it cannot be the tool of the biblical God to produce freedom; human freedom is real but rests in God’s meticulous providence, not in metaphysical chance.   

And all of that requires that if God purposes an event in its particulars, it cannot be random; if it’s random in its particulars, it isn’t purposed. If God “gives randomness a purpose,” then it ceases to be random because it is now an act of His will.  To have an event both purposeful and purposeless at once is both metaphysically incoherent and biblically indefensible.

Now some people will say...  But Pastor, look around, God allows evil and lets people sin and do all kinds of 'random things' to each other — isn’t that like randomness? No, those are two different categories.

• Sin = moral rebellion inside God’s world
  • God permits it.
  • God overrules it.
  • God can even use it for good (Gen. 50:20; Acts 2:23).
• Ontological randomness = something that happens fully outside any plan or control
  • That would be something God didn’t see coming.
  • That would punch a hole in His sovereignty.
  • God would simply be reacting to whatever happened, and that would not be biblically true to how we see God at work in Human history.

So, the conclusion from the Bible is:

• God can govern sinners.
• God cannot “govern” what, by its literal definition, has no governor.  That’s why sin can exist in a world ruled by God.  But true randomness can’t.  And that is why the Christian church has rejected it for centuries (Augustine, Calvin, Aquinas, Edwards, Spurgeon, many others).

But What About Suffering, Cancer, and Random Car Wrecks? 
Christians still suffer, get cancer, and die in car accidents. Doesn’t that mean things are just happening? No, it means we still live in a fallen world. After the Fall, everybody lives in a world of death, decay, and danger (Gen. 3; Rom. 5:12; Rom. 8:20–23). 'Fallen' does not equal random.

• Creation was “subjected to futility” by God — but look closely, the Scripture also qualifies by saying “in hope” (Rom. 8:20). And that word "Hope" implies that even decay has a purpose.
• “All my days were written in your book…” (e.g., there is a beginning and end, Ps. 139:16)
• Nothing can separate us from God’s love — not even death (Rom. 8:35–39)

So two people may die in the same crash, suffer, or develop cancer. 
To us: it seems tragic and sudden; it appears random. 
To God: neither was an accident.

Then, What Does God Actually Use?
God uses apparent (epistemological) randomness — what looks unpredictable to us — as a tool to teach us to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

• We see: “That was lucky.”

• God sees: “That was providence.”
• We see: “That was bad timing.”
• God sees: “That was right on time.”

Okay, so if God is "in control," how should we think about what happens to us in life?

The Bible teaches one unified reality: God sovereignly ordains all that comes to pass, yet He is never the author or approver of evil.  He may allow something, or He may engineer something, and we rarely know which is the case. When we say "ordain" or "allow," it is our human attempt to distinguish between actively knowing his intentions and passively being aware that he allowed something to occur.  We see examples of this in Scripture. For example, consider Job.  We are explicitly told that God permissively allowed Job to suffer boils on his skin, lose his kids, property, etc., but in reality, it was Satan who engineered Job's affliction. There is a concurrent agency. Yet, God remains sovereign over the outcome, using even evil deeds to accomplish His good and redemptive purposes.  

Thus, God’s ordination includes both His active will (what He commands and delights in) and His permissive will (what He allows for a season to fulfill a larger redemptive plan). That’s not a dodge or wordplay — it’s the way Scripture holds the tension. What God permits, He permits with purpose.  And in that sense, evil is never “for God’s Glory” in itself — But God can bring glory through it. Sometimes, we don't know or understand the purpose.  In those times, we trust that God is good and He knows what He is doing. Sometimes it is not for us to receive an explanation.

But I acknowledge that when someone says, “God ordained this for His glory,” it can sound callous if not explained carefully.  The evil itself — the abuse, the betrayal, the sin — is never good or glorious. It is wicked, and Scripture calls it such (Isa. 5:20). Yet, God’s ability to bring redemptive good out of evil is what magnifies His glory.  The cross is the clearest example. It was the worst act of human evil in history — the murder of the sinless Son of God — and yet it was the very means of our redemption. “They did whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place.” (Acts 4:27–28).  So, in this example, we must never say, “The evil was for God’s glory,” we can say, “God overruled evil to display His justice, mercy, and grace — and to accomplish good that evil could never thwart.” 

Okay, Pastor, How Ought We Live in a World That Feels Random?

1. Trust God’s character when you can’t trace His plan.
   He is good, He is wise, He is in control. All things work for our good and to make us more conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-29)
2. Pray, because life is not random. God answers His people's prayers. 
   If events were truly random, prayer wouldn’t matter. But it does. “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6; 1 John 5:14–15; Romans 8:26-27; 1 Thess. 5:16–18 ) 
3. Give thanks in everything (1 Thess. 5:18).
   Not because everything is pleasant, but because nothing is pointless (Ro. 8:28-29, Jas. 1:2–4). God is working through it all for His good purpose.

4. Expect trouble, not favoritism.
Jesus: “You will have suffering… Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33).
5. Look past living life on earth “under the sun” to eternity.
Many things don’t make sense now. But one day, they will. 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, “For now we see only a reflection, as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known.” This verse captures the tension between present confusion and future clarity—our limited understanding “under the sun” will one day be replaced with perfect understanding in eternity. Other strong options that echo this truth include:

• Ecclesiastes 3:11 (CSB): 
  “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end.”

• Romans 8:18 (CSB):

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.”

Bottom Line:

• The Bible never teaches “luck runs the world.” There is no affirmation of ontological luck, chance, or coincidence in the Bible.  Personally, I try to make a habit of not using such words so as not to confuse blind luck with what I know to be God's sovereignty.
• The Bible does teach “God runs the world — even the parts that look lucky.”
• What looks random to us is just God’s secret work.
• Christians should talk less about fate and more about how we can glorify God in the midst of our circumstances, whether they are good, bad, or ugly.

In other words, God does not play the hand He’s dealt. He made the deck.
“For from him and through him and to him are all things.” (Rom. 11:36)

That’s the heart of it.  There's no such thing as 'luck,' 'chance,' or 'coincidence' in the Bible in the same way that most people understand those words today.

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not? 

 

Photo Source: Artificially Generated 

Biblically, What is the Rapture?
The Rapture, according to Scripture, is the future event when Jesus Christ will return, and believers—both those who have died in Him and those still living—will be suddenly and gloriously caught up to meet Him in the air. The Apostle Paul describes it in 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, saying that “the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” Similarly, 1 Corinthians 15:51–52 teaches that in “a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet,” believers will be transformed, putting on incorruptible, glorified bodies. Biblically, the rapture is not a secret escape invented by human imagination but the promised hope of Christ’s visible return to gather His people, assuring them of eternal fellowship with Him.  Although its exact timing in relation to the tribulation is debated, the central truth is that the rapture is the climactic fulfillment of the church’s blessed hope in Christ Jesus (Titus 2:13), arriving suddenly and unexpectedly at the end of this present age.  Nobody knows the day or hour, which ought to lead all believers to live in readiness and holiness.

The Origin of the Word Rapture
The word “rapture” does not appear in most English Bibles (at least not the mainline modern translations that I checked), but it originates from the Latin “rapturo,” a translation of the Greek word “harpazō” (ἁρπάζω), which means “to seize, snatch, or catch up.”

• This term is used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17: “Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (CSB).
• The Latin Vulgate (otherwise called the Vulgate) translates harpazō as rapiemur (“we shall be caught up”), from which the English word “rapture” is derived. The Vulgate is the Bible translated into Latin by Jerome in the late 4th century, commissioned to bring consistency to the many differing Latin versions then in circulation.  It became the standard Bible of the Western church for over a thousand years, shaping theology, worship, and scholarship throughout the Middle Ages. Jerome translated most of the Old Testament directly from Hebrew and revised the New Testament from Greek manuscripts, aiming for clear Latin that ordinary people could understand. The Vulgate is especially important because its earliest version(s) greatly influenced doctrine. For instance, its wording in Matthew 4:17 shaped Roman Catholic teaching on "penance" in comparison to what would become the later Protestant understanding of "repentance." Roman Catholic doctrines rejected by the reformers concerning Mary in Luke 1:28 are another example ("full of grace" vs. "found favor with God"). Similarly, the translation of the word "sacrament" as it relates to marriage, rather than "mystery," in Ephesians 5:31-32 is another example.
• The Vulgate was the most influential Bible in Western Christianity until the Reformation and continues to hold lasting significance today. During the Reformation, the influence of the Vulgate was diminished because Reformers turned back to the original biblical languages—Hebrew and Greek—rather than relying on Jerome’s Latin for the formation of church doctrine. This return to the original languages of Scripture challenged certain doctrinal positions of the Roman Catholic Church (a few examples are provided above), which had been interpreted from Jerome’s Latin.  This return to the Sources (ad fontes in Latin) helped to make the original text widely accessible.  Reformers such as Luther, Calvin, and Tyndale translated Scripture directly into the vernacular languages (German, French, and English) from the original Hebrew and Greek texts, thereby bypassing the Vulgate.  From then on, the Vulgate remained central in Roman Catholicism, but it no longer held exclusive sway over all of Western Christianity, particularly Protestantism. 
• Yet, one of the Vulgate's enduring legacies is precisely the translation choice in 1 Thessalonians 4:17—rapiemur—from which we derive the very word ‘rapture.’ This reminds us how God has used the history of translation to carry the hope of Christ’s return through the centuries, and while the word itself comes through Latin, the truth it expresses rests firmly on the inspired Greek Scriptures.  

Thus, the doctrine is based on a biblical term.  The rapture is not a foreign concept imposed on Scripture, as some have wrongly argued over the years.

The Biblical Basis of the Rapture
Several passages speak of Christ’s sudden return for His people. For example:

• John 14:1–3 – Jesus promises to prepare a place and come again to receive His disciples to Himself.  This passage is not a technical rapture passage, but it remains relevant nonetheless. Jesus’ promise is about final reunion with Him, which could apply equally at death (Philippians 1:23) or at His second coming (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). The text doesn’t mention resurrection, catching up, or trumpet blasts—the explicit “rapture language” found in Paul’s letters. Historically, though, this passage has been understood as Christ’s assurance that His followers will dwell eternally with Him. Today, these verses are more commonly associated with modern pre-tribulational beliefs about the rapture. 
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 – The clearest text: the dead in Christ rise first, then the living are caught up together with them to meet the Lord.
• 1 Corinthians 15:50–52 – At the last trumpet, in a moment, the dead will be raised imperishable, and the living will be changed.
• Matthew 24:29–31; 36–44 – Jesus describes His coming as sudden, unexpected, and compared to Noah’s day.

Together, these passages show that the rapture is about Christ’s visible, decisive return to gather His people.

The Major Views of the Rapture
Christians have interpreted the timing of the rapture differently in relation to the “tribulation” (a period of testing and judgment spoken of in the last days):

1. Pre-tribulation rapture – Christ comes before the tribulation to remove believers, then returns visibly after it (popularized in dispensational teaching since the 19th century and by popular books like Left Behind, but such ideas are not new to that period. For example, see: A Brief History of the Pre-Trib Rapture).
2. Mid-tribulation / Pre-wrath rapture – Christ raptures believers during or just before the most intense part of the tribulation, some where around the 3.5 year mark of the 7 years foretold in Scripture.
3. Post-tribulation rapture – The church goes through the tribulation, and Christ’s second coming and the rapture are one event at the end.  This has been the most predominant view within the church, historically.
4. Historic premillennial / amillennial views – Many in the early church did not distinguish a separate rapture event from the second coming; rather, they saw it as a single, climactic return of Christ. Note: Amillennialism means “no literal millennium.” It does not deny the millennium of Revelation 20, but interprets it symbolically as the present reign of Christ in heaven, rather than a future earthly reign. Historic premillennialism is the belief that Christ will return before (pre-) a literal millennium (a thousand-year reign) on earth. It is called “historic” because it was widely held in the early church, long before dispensationalism or the pre-tribulation rapture were developed. 

Importantly, though, what should unite Christians is not the timing but the certainty: Jesus is coming again to gather His people!

Why No One Knows the Day or the Hour
Jesus Himself said plainly:

• “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels of heaven nor the Son—except the Father alone” (Matthew 24:36, CSB).
• “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority” (Acts 1:7).

Traditional Christian teaching holds:
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." 
- Mt 24:36.

“For this reason, you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will."
- Mt. 24:44

• The time of Jesus' return is hidden and should keep believers watchful and faithful (Mark 13:32, Matthew 24:36, 42-44).
• Not even the Son (Jesus) in His incarnation claimed knowledge of the day (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32).  Philippians 2:6–7 shows He voluntarily limited Himself in certain respects).  
• When Jesus says He does not know the day or hour, it is not because He lacks deity, but because He willingly submits to the Father’s authority in His incarnate mission. Jesus’ statement underscores the surprise nature of His return. If even the incarnate Son did not claim to know the exact time, then no one else should presume to know it.

A major problem is this:  Anybody claiming to know the exact date of Christ’s return is a false teacher, contradicting Jesus’ own words!

• Thus, when people set dates (as we've seen in the news over the past few weeks), those people reveal that they do not take Scripture seriously. And when others follow them, it shows that they have not read (or do not believe) their Bibles—because Jesus emphasized that it will be a surprise for all of us.

The Traditional Christian Posture Toward the Rapture
The church throughout history has emphasized:

• Hope – The rapture/second coming is the blessed hope (Titus 2:13).
• Watchfulness – Believers are called to live in readiness, not speculation (Matthew 25:1–13; 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11).
• Holiness – The certainty of Christ’s coming motivates purity and perseverance (1 John 3:2–3).

The point here is not to chart timelines, but to encourage believers to persevere, remain faithful, and be prepared for the Master's return.  Christians should certainly not attempt to divine the time of His return by looking at the moon, stars, or by listening to false prophets.

What About Waiting 2000 Years? Doesn't the Bible say Jesus is Coming Soon?
The Bible reminds us that God’s sense of time is not like ours: “With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day” (2 Peter 3:8). What feels to us like a long delay—two thousand years since Christ promised to return—is not slowness on His part but patience, “not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). In His perfect wisdom, God has stretched out history so that countless souls, generation after generation, might be brought into His family. And when I think of that patience, I can’t help but be thankful—because if Jesus had returned earlier, before I was born, I would never have had the chance to hear the gospel, to believe, and to know the joy of salvation. His waiting means mercy for me, and mercy for you.  Isn't that wonderful?

What About Those Who Die Before the Rapture?  (The Resurrection and the Intermediate State of the Body– a tangential but highly related topic)
The concept of a future bodily resurrection is consistently presented throughout Scripture (Job 19:25–27; Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2; Matthew 22:23–33; John 11:24–25; Revelation 20:4–6, 11–14, others). Jesus Himself declared this hope when He told the Sadducees that God is “the God of the living” (Matthew 22:32) and when He promised that “all who are in the tombs will hear His voice” and rise, “those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28–29).

The Bible describes two resurrections: the resurrection of the righteous to eternal life and the resurrection of the unrighteous to judgment. Revelation 20:6 refers to the resurrection of believers as the “first resurrection”—a blessed and holy event that occurs in stages throughout God’s plan of redemption. Christ, the “firstfruits” (1 Corinthians 15:23), was the first to rise never to die again, and all who belong to Him will follow in their appointed order: church-age believers at Christ’s coming (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17), Old Testament saints and tribulation martyrs at the second coming (Daniel 12:2; Revelation 20:4), and those who believe during the millennium at its close (Revelation 20:5). By contrast, the second resurrection refers to the resurrection of the unjust, which takes place after the millennium and leads to the “second death”—eternal judgment in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11–15).

Between death and the resurrection lies what Christians sometimes refer to as the intermediate state. Scripture teaches that when believers die, they are “absent from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23). Their souls are safe in Christ’s presence, experiencing conscious joy and rest, though not yet clothed in their final glorified bodies (2 Corinthians 5:3–4). The unbelieving dead also remain conscious, but in a state of torment and separation from God, awaiting final judgment (Lk. 16:19–31).

The Bible does not teach “soul sleep” (the idea that believers are unconscious between death and resurrection) but instead consistently affirms conscious fellowship with Christ after death. Jesus told the repentant thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), not at some far-off time after a long sleep. Paul longed “to depart and be with Christ—which is far better” (Philippians 1:23) and taught that to be “away from the body” is to be knowingly “at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). The martyrs under the altar in heaven are portrayed as crying out to God in conscious worship and prayer (Revelation 6:9–11). While Scripture often uses “sleep” as a metaphor for physical death (e.g., 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14), this refers to the body’s rest in the grave, not the soul’s condition. The consistent witness of Scripture is that believers immediately enter Christ’s presence at death, awaiting bodily resurrection at His return.

This raises the question: Do the dead have some kind of pre-resurrection or temporary body?
Scripture is not explicit. One could say that believers who have died (then and including today) are in some kind of pre-resurrection body in Heaven because the Bible does not affirm that a human soul and spirit can exist non-corporally (without some kind of body). However, the consistent teaching of the church is that the dead await the final resurrection for their glorified bodies. Some passages suggest that the departed are not utterly “naked spirits.” In Jesus’ parable, the rich man in Hades and Lazarus are described as speaking, seeing, and even having a “tongue” and a “finger” (Luke 16:24). Some theologians, however, caution against building a theology of Hell from a single parable. On the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared as recognizable men in glory (Luke 9:30–31). Revelation 6:9–11 portrays the souls of martyrs crying out to God and being given white robes to wear (suggesting they have some bodily form, unspecified). These may be symbolic, but many theologians have suggested that God grants some form of interim embodiment or that the soul itself takes on bodily likeness until the final resurrection. Others caution that these are pictures meant to affirm identity and conscious existence, not to describe an actual, temporary body.

What is certain is that at Christ’s return, the dead in Christ will rise, and their souls will be reunited with their final, glorified, imperishable bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51–53; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). The living who belong to Christ will be instantly transformed, so that both the resurrected and the translated will together “meet the Lord in the air” and “always be with the Lord.” Human beings were created as embodied souls, and salvation will not be complete until body and soul are reunited in glory. This is why Paul both rejoices in being with Christ after death and yet “groans, longing to be clothed” with his heavenly dwelling (2 Corinthians 5:2–4).

Unbelievers, too, will be raised—Daniel 12:2 says “some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt (judgment).” Jesus warns us to “fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Just as believers will be fitted with resurrection bodies suited for eternal life, so unbelievers will be fitted with resurrection bodies suited for eternal punishment (for example, consider human flesh as it is known today: it cannot withstand fire for eternity without disintegrating and regenerating-- thus an eternal body for punishment is assumed for the unjust who are punished eternally). The Bible calls this the second death, eternal separation from God in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14–15).

Thus, the traditional Christian view is clear: all will be raised, believers to eternal life with Christ, unbelievers to eternal judgment. Within that truth, Christians acknowledge mystery. Whether the saints in heaven and the lost in hell experience a form of interim embodiment remains debated, but what is certain is that believers who die are safe, conscious, and joyful in Christ’s presence, while unbelievers are in torment awaiting judgment. The blessed hope of the church is not only to be with Christ at death but to be raised and transformed at His coming, sharing in His victory forever (Titus 2:13).

Summary
The rapture comes from the biblical idea of believers being caught up to meet Christ at His return. Christians differ on when it will occur, but all agree it will be sudden, climactic, and a comfort for God’s people. Scripture warns us that no one knows the exact day or hour—not even Jesus in His earthly ministry—and so any date-setting should be rejected. The proper Christian response is to live in hope, readiness, and holiness, knowing Christ will return at the Father’s appointed time.  Jesus is coming again soon!

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not? 

 

Photo Source: Artificially Generated 

There are moments when the world seems to stop — moments when news breaks that shakes us to the core. The assassination of Charlie Kirk this past week has been one of those moments. Many are grieving, many are angry, and many are asking, "Where is God when something like this happens?"

It’s okay to ask that question. God isn’t afraid of our heartbreak. The Bible tells us He is “near the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). When evil feels like it’s winning, God invites us to bring our pain, confusion, and anger to Him.

Murder Is Evil — And God Condemns It
Let’s be very clear: what happened to Charlie Kirk was murder — a premeditated, deliberate, cold-blooded act of evil.  The Bible leaves no ambiguity about murder:

• “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13) is one of the Ten Commandments.
• Genesis 9:6 says, “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans his blood will be shed, for God made humans in his image.”
• Murder is an assault on the image of God in another person — it is never justified, no matter how much we may disagree with someone’s beliefs or words.
• Assassination is condemned because it is:
  • Premeditated, targeted killing outside lawful authority.
  • Usually motivated by hatred, revenge, financial or political gain, not justice that conforms with biblical teachings.
  • Always outside the moral framework that  God gives governments and individuals.
• Biblically, assassination is closer to the actions of Cain killing Abel (Genesis 4) or King David’s murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 11) — a wrongful taking of life that brings God’s judgment.

This act must be condemned, and justice must be pursued. As Romans 13 reminds us, God gives governments the sword to punish those who do evil. Justice matters to God. This does not mean we should withhold forgiveness from the one who committed evil—we are called to forgive, just as Jesus has forgiven us. Forgiveness releases the offender from our personal bitterness and desire for revenge, and it imitates the mercy of Christ. Yet forgiveness does not necessarily mean the removal of consequences. Sin still carries real effects—broken trust, damaged relationships, and at times even legal or disciplinary consequences. God Himself fully forgives His children in Christ, yet He often allows discipline, correction, or natural outcomes of sin to remain for our good and His glory. In the same way, when we forgive, we extend grace from the heart, but we must also acknowledge that forgiveness does not erase accountability or the need to deal with sin’s earthly results.

Murder vs. Killing: Understanding the Commandment
The Sixth Commandment, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13), uses the Hebrew word רָצַח (ratsach), which means intentional, premeditated, unlawful killing. It does not prohibit all forms of killing, but specifically wrongful killing — that is, taking innocent life outside of God’s moral boundaries.  In Scripture, there is a difference between:

• Murder — forbidden, condemned, deserving judgment.
• A justice-related killing — allowed or commanded under certain circumstances (self-defense, Governmental justice, a nation at war).

The Bible allows for the protection of innocent life — including your own.

• Exodus 22:2 — “If a thief is caught in the act of breaking in, and he is struck and dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed.”
  • This shows that lethal force in the immediate protection of life or home is not considered murder. 
• Luke 22:36 — Jesus tells His disciples to buy a sword if they do not have one, implying there is a place for defense.
• The key is that self-defense is reactive, not premeditated; it seeks to stop harm, not commit vengeance.
• Scripture repeatedly shows God commanding His people to go to war in defense or judgment (see Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel). Soldiers are not condemned for their role — in fact:
  • Romans 13:4 — The governing authority “does not bear the sword in vain” — the sword symbolizes the state’s God-given right to use lethal force to punish evil. The government is God’s servant, “an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong.” The death penalty is seen not as revenge, but as justice — protecting the value of life by showing that taking innocent life is a capital offense. 
  • Luke 3:14 — When soldiers asked John the Baptist how to live righteously, he didn’t tell them to stop being soldiers. Instead, he told them not to abuse power, to be content, and to act justly.
• The difference between a soldier in war and a murderer is authority and justice: a soldier acts under lawful authority to restrain evil and protect life, not to take life for personal gain.
• Romans 13 also applies to law enforcement. Police are ministers of God’s justice when they act righteously to restrain evil. If deadly force is necessary to stop a murderer or violent criminal, Scripture does not call this murder but rather an extension of God’s justice.
  • The key principle: The force used must be just, proportionate, and aimed at preserving life and order, not out of malice.

Evil Is Real — But It Doesn’t Get the Last Word
Charlie’s death is a painful reminder that evil is not just an abstract idea — it’s real, personal, and destructive. Scripture does not shy away from this truth. The Bible says the world is fallen, broken by sin, and that the enemy comes “to steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). But the same verse also says that Jesus came so that we “may have life and have it in abundance.” Evil’s goal is death, but God’s goal is life. Evil seeks to silence, but God speaks a better word — a word of hope, healing, and redemption.

God Can Redeem What Looks Unredeemable
The cross of Jesus Christ is proof that God can take the ugliest act in history — the crucifixion of the Son of God — and turn it into the most beautiful act of salvation. The world thought Good Friday was the end. Darkness covered the earth. The disciples ran away in fear. Evil seemed to win.  But three days later, the tomb was empty. What Satan meant for destruction, God used for eternal good (Genesis 50:20).

If God could do that at the cross, He can bring beauty out of this tragic event involving Charlie Kirk. It doesn’t mean Christians do not grieve. It means they may grieve with hope, knowing that in Christ, death will not have the last word in this world.

A Call to Examine Our Hearts
When something like this happens, it’s not just a news headline — it’s a wake-up call. Jesus once suggested that when tragedy strikes (and this is my simplification of the parable), the question we should ask is not “Why them?” but “Am I ready?” (Luke 13:1-5).

Friend, are you at peace with God? 
Have you trusted in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins? 

This tragedy reminds us that life is short and eternity is long. The Bible says, “It is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). But there is good news — the same Jesus who conquered the grave offers eternal life to anyone who will trust Him.

Comfort for Today, Hope for Tomorrow
For those who are mourning today:

• God sees your tears and keeps track of every one of them (Psalm 56:8).
• He promises to be close to you, to sustain you when you have no strength left.
• And one day — for those who belong to Christ — He will wipe away every tear and death will be no more (Revelation 21:4).
• We especially lift up Charlie’s wife and family in prayer. Their world has been shattered, their hearts are aching, and their loss is immeasurable. May God surround them with His comfort, give them strength to face each day, and remind them that He is close to the brokenhearted. Let us commit to pray for them regularly — that their faith would not falter, that their hope would remain anchored in Christ, and that they would experience the peace that surpasses all understanding which only a Christian can know (Phil. 4:7).

For those who are wrestling with anger:

• “Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity.” (Ephesians 4:26–27, CSB) 
• Righteous anger at sin is not wrong — God Himself is angry at evil.  But we must not allow it to turn into unrighteous anger or bitterness. It means that some anger is legitimate (for example, anger at evil or injustice), but it must be expressed without sin — no malice, no revenge, no bitterness. 
• “Do not let the sun go down on your anger” — This is a metaphorical way of saying, don’t nurse your anger or hold onto it indefinitely. Address it quickly, reconcile if possible, and release it to God before it festers into resentment.
• “Don’t give the devil an opportunity” — Unresolved anger opens the door for Satan to stir up division, bitterness, and sin.
• Some wrongs do not get resolved before sundown. In cases of great injustice — murder, abuse, systemic evil — righteous anger may persist. Biblically, that is not necessarily sinful if:
  • It drives us to God (lament, prayer, intercession).
  • It fuels constructive action (pursuing justice, speaking truth, protecting the vulnerable).
  • It does not turn into bitterness or vengeance (Romans 12:19 — leave ultimate vengeance to God).
• Paul’s command is not telling believers to never wake up angry about evil — but to not let anger harden into hatred, unforgiveness, or corrosive resentment.
• God calls us to leave ultimate vengeance to Him: “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
• Trust that He will hold every evil deed accountable — either at the cross, or on judgment day. Pray honestly: Lament to God. Turn anger into intercession (see the imprecatory Psalms as a model). 

The Invitation
If you’ve never trusted Christ, I pray that today would be the day you decide you want forgiveness for your sins. God offers forgiveness, peace, and the assurance that nothing — not even death — can separate you from His love (Romans 8:38-39). Pray to God today. Tell Him you believe Jesus Christ died for you, that you need His forgiveness, and that you want Jesus to be Lord of your life. He promises that anyone who calls on His name will be saved (Romans 10:13).

A Final Word of Hope
This tragedy reminds us that our world is broken, but it also reminds us that this world is not our final home. For those who belong to Christ, death does not get the last word. There is a day coming when wars will cease, when hatred will be silenced, when murder will never again take another life — because the Prince of Peace Himself will reign.

Until that day, we weep with those who weep, we work for justice, and we hold fast to the gospel that can transform even the hardest heart. And we look forward — with longing — to the day when all of us who trust Christ will meet again in His presence, with no more tears, no more fear, and no more death.

Until we meet in heaven and see the Prince of Peace face to face, may the God of peace fill your hearts in Christ Jesus.  Amen!

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not? 

 

Photo Source: Public Domain (unknown)
In Jeremiah 23:16–32, God strongly rebukes the false prophets in Judah who claim to speak for Him, but are actually speaking from their own hearts, dreams, and imaginations.

“I did not send these prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.”
                                                                              — Jeremiah 23:21

It has become increasingly common in Christian circles to hear phrases like:

• “God told me…”
  

• “I was having coffee with God the other morning, and He said…”
• “The Lord gave me a word for you…”

          At first glance, such expressions may sound spiritual and intimate—evidence of a personal walk with God. But if we're not careful, they may also reflect a dangerous confusion between personal impressions, desires, emotions, one's inner feelings, and what is genuine divine revelation. In some cases, these statements amount to what Scripture warns against: false prophecy.   In this blog article, I will attempt to briefly explore the biblical meaning of biblical prophecy, the danger of claiming new revelation from God, and how Christians can speak about the Holy Spirit's leading without misrepresenting God.

What Is (and Is Not) Prophecy?
          Prophecy in Scripture involves speaking God’s words, not merely one’s thoughts or feelings. While there is both foretelling and forthtelling, all prophecy shares one thing in common: God is the source, not man.

• Foretelling: Predictive revelation about the future (e.g., Isaiah’s prophecy of Christ’s birth).
• Forthtelling: Bold proclamation of God’s truth and will (e.g., confronting sin, calling for repentance, preaching God's Word/Scripture).

          In both cases, the prophet does not speak from imagination, a lone feeling, or intuition, but by direct revelation from God.  In contrast, modern usage often confuses spiritual impressions, emotions, or personal insight with prophetic authority. We must remember: sincerity does not equal truth, and feeling prompted does not equal hearing from God. Claiming “God told me…”—when used to assert divine authority over personal thoughts, convictions, or guidance—is functionally a claim to new revelation, and that claim has serious theological implications, particularly regarding the sufficiency, authority, and uniqueness of Scripture.

The Danger of Saying “God Told Me…” When He Didn’t

1. You risk speaking lies in God’s name.

          “They speak visions from their own minds, not from the Lord’s mouth.”
                                                                              — Jeremiah 23:16


2. You undermine the sufficiency of Scripture.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness…”
                                                                    — 2 Timothy 3:16

3. You blur the line between spiritual leading and divine revelation.

Modern Phrases That Deserve Caution

• “God told me to break up with you / marry you / take this job.”
• “God gave me a word for you.”
• “The Lord said this to me during my quiet time.”
• “Jesus appeared to me in a dream and told me or said…”

          Such phrases can quickly shift from sharing personal experiences to claiming prophetic, new revelation. Even if well-meaning, they can mislead others or add weight to decisions that are merely personal. We must remember that biblically, any time someone says “Thus says the Lord,” or “The word of the Lord came to me,” it is a prophetic formula—it means God is speaking directly, with infallible truth. If that’s what someone means by “God told me…,” then they are placing their words on the same level of authority as the inspired Word of God.

This Is Functionally New Revelation
          The Bible is a closed canon of God's revelation—complete and sufficient for all matters of faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 1:12). To claim “God told me something” that is not found in Scripture—and expect others to receive it as authoritative—is to suggest: God is still giving His Word of truth outside of the Bible.  This is functionally equivalent to adding to Scripture. Yet, the bible says clearly:

“Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it…”

                                                                      — Deuteronomy 4:2

“If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book…”                                                        — Revelation 22:18

          God has already fully revealed Himself in the Scriptures, culminating in Christ. To speak “on behalf of God” apart from His Word is to challenge the finality of God’s revelation.  When someone says “God told me…,” and others treat it as binding, directive, or infallible, it creates a parallel authority to Scripture—whether intended or not.

• If someone says, “God told me you need to move to another city,” and you believe it, then you’re treating their word as equal to God’s Word.
• If someone says, “God gave me this truth that’s not in the Bible, but you should follow it,” they’re setting up their voice as equal with the apostles and prophets.

          This undermines Scripture alone as our final authority and leads to spiritual abuse, confusion, and doctrinal error. There is no example in the New Testament—after Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit—of God giving authoritative new revelation to an isolated individual or small group that was meant to bypass or be withheld from the entire body of Christ. 

          Additionally, there is no instance in the New Testament where a private revelation was considered binding or authoritative for the broader church without being tested and affirmed by the church or its leaders.  Prophecy was never given in isolation or in a way that bypassed the local church. It was corporate, spoken aloud, evaluated, and done in order—always for the edification of the church, not private or mystical experiences. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul gives instruction for prophecy in the church:

• “God gave me a word for just you…”
• “God told me something new that’s not in Scripture…”
• “God is revealing things to me that most Christians don’t know…”

          They are doing something that has no precedent in the New Testament post-Pentecost (after the coming of the Holy Spirit), and it is categorically warned against. These claims mimic false prophets, Gnostic teachers, or spiritual elitists—not biblical apostles or prophets.  Revelation was given for the building of the church, and once the apostolic foundation was laid, no further revelation was needed.

“Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son…”  

                                                                —  Hebrews 1:1–2

          Christ is the final and fullest revelation of God.  All divinely inspired (God-breathed) Scripture is now complete, sufficient, and authoritative (2 Timothy 3:16–17; Jude 3).

An Old Testament Warning with New Testament Weight

"But the prophet who dares to speak a message in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet must die."

                                                                              —  Deuteronomy 18:20

 Context and Meaning:

• This verse is part of a passage (Deut. 18:15–22) where God promises to raise up a true prophet like Moses (ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ—see Acts 3:22–23).
• He gives Israel guidance for how to discern between a genuine and a false prophet. True prophets speak only what God commands. False prophets speak from their own imaginations, or worse, in the names of false gods.
• In contrast, false prophets—those who claim divine authority for words God never gave—are guilty of a capital offense under the Mosaic covenant. 
• Verse 20 emphasizes how seriously God takes misrepresenting His voice.

While we are not under the civil penalties of the Mosaic law today, the moral weight of the verse remains: Speaking presumptuously for God is not a minor slip—it's a serious sin. God said, “That I have not commanded him to speak” – the problem isn’t just that the message is wrong; it’s that it is unauthorized. Even well-meaning messages are false prophecy if God didn’t give them. 

So What’s a Better Way to Speak?
         
Rather than claiming direct revelation, we should learn to speak with biblical humility:

• “I have considered all the options, prayed about it, and I still desire to…”
• “As I prayed and studied Scripture, I felt burdened to…”
• “I sensed conviction from the Holy Spirit as I read this verse…”
• “This passage really spoke to my situation…”
• “This seems wise and consistent with biblical principles.”

          These expressions reflect a Spirit-led, Word-saturated life—without claiming God’s voice where He hasn’t spoken. The Spirit leads believers, but never apart from or contrary to Scripture. We should be careful never to speak as if we have divine, infallible revelation, unless we are quoting chapter and verse.

The Spirit Still Works—But Always in Line with God's Word / Scripture
         
         In Scripture, the Holy Spirit is alive and active, but He never contradicts the Word He inspired. He illuminates Scripture, convicts of sin, leads in righteousness, and empowers for service. But He does not add to the Bible or speak in contradiction to it. The Holy Spirit never leads you to disobey Scripture, override Scripture, or replace Scripture.

Guarding the Name of God
         We must remember the Third Commandment:

“Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God…”

                                                — Exodus 20:7

          Using God's name to validate our preferences, decisions, or emotions is a form of misusing His name. Speaking as if from the Lord when He has not spoken is dangerous ground indeed.  Instead, we are called to be students of the Word, filled with the Spirit, and careful in speech. Let’s encourage one another to pursue genuine intimacy with God—but to do so with reverence, clarity, and truth.

Final Thought
You can have coffee in the morning, and you can meditate on Scripture and pray during that time—but be careful before saying to a friend that, “God told me over coffee…” unless you’re quoting what He already told us in His Word. God has spoken, and His Word is enough. 

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not? 

 

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"A House Divided"
(Mark 3:20-30)

“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.”  — Mark 3:28–29, CSB

Of all the things Jesus said, few have caused more confusion—or fear—than His warning about the unpardonable sin. What is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? Have I committed it? Is it still possible today? 
Let’s explore these questions by digging into the context, the warning, and the gospel hope Jesus offers.

The Context: Jesus, Miracles, and the Accusation
In both Mark 3:22–30 and Matthew 12:22–32, Jesus had just healed a man possessed by a demon—one who was blind and mute (Matthew 12:22). The crowd was astonished and wondered aloud, “Could this be the Son of David?”—a messianic title. But the Pharisees, determined to reject Jesus no matter what, accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons (Mark 3:22).

Jesus responded with logic and gravity. First, He pointed out the absurdity: Satan wouldn’t cast out his own demons—that would be a kingdom divided. Then He issued a chilling warning: attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan is not just wrong—it is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. And this sin, He said, would never be forgiven.

What Is Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
To understand this warning, we must recognize the unique moment in redemptive history that was unfolding. Jesus, the Son of God, was physically present on earth, performing undeniable miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit. The religious leaders had front-row seats to the clearest revelation of God—yet they deliberately rejected Him. Worse, they labeled the Spirit’s holy work as demonic.

So, what is this unforgivable sin? At its core, it is:

A persistent, willful, and final rejection of the Spirit’s testimony about Jesus—so much so that one calls the work of God, evil.

It is not a moment of doubt, a spoken curse, or a lapse in understanding. It is a settled, hardened posture of the heart that sees the truth clearly but calls it a lie.

Why It Was Unique—And Yet Still a Warning
The unpardonable sin in its clearest form could only be committed in the unique setting of Jesus’ earthly ministry. He was physically present, doing miracles no one could deny, and yet religious leaders chose to slander the Spirit’s work with eyes wide open.

Today, Jesus is not physically walking the earth. We are not watching Him raise the dead or cast out demons in person. Therefore, we are not in the exact same situation the Pharisees were in. That means most people who fear they’ve committed this sin almost certainly have not. In fact, the very fear of having committed it is often a sign of a heart that is still soft to the Spirit’s conviction.

But Don’t Miss the Deeper Truth: Unbelief Is Still Fatal
Although the exact circumstances of blaspheming the Spirit may not be replicable today in the same way, the principle behind Jesus’ words still stands. To reject Jesus Christ, persistently and finally, is to reject the only means of salvation.

“Without faith it is impossible to please God.” — Hebrews 11:6

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” 

— John 14:6

So, if you reject the only Savior, you reject the only pardon. That is, by definition, unpardonable.

So, Can Someone Commit the Unpardonable Sin Today?
Not in the exact same way the Pharisees did—since we don’t see Jesus in person—but yes, a person can still persist in unbelief, harden their heart against the Holy Spirit’s testimony in the gospel, and die without repentance. That, too, is an eternal sin—not because God is unwilling to forgive, but because the person has willfully and finally rejected the only One who can save them. However, as long as there is life, there is hope. But after death, the door to mercy closes.

A Final Word: Come to Jesus
If you are burdened with guilt, wondering if you've gone too far or sinned too much, hear the Savior's invitation:  “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28

"And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
— 1 Corinthians 6:11, CSB

The apostle Paul gives hope with those words, "And some of you used to be like this..." He reminds believers in Corinth that their past does not define them. By God’s grace, they have been washed (cleansed of sin), sanctified (set apart as holy), and justified (declared righteous)—not by their own merit, but in the name of Jesus and through the Holy Spirit.

These verses are a powerful reminder of the transforming power of the gospel—no matter how dark a person’s past, Christ’s grace is greater!

So in summary, there is only one unpardonable sin—not believing in Jesus to the end. Every other sin—no matter how dark—can be washed clean through faith in Him. Don’t harden your heart. Don’t delay by wrongly thinking you need to get your life somehow together first before you come to Jesus or visit a church.  

Come to Jesus, today!   Trust the Spirit.  Receive the pardon He paid for with His blood.

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."   — Philippians 4:7  

...This is not a promise of peace from the world, but peace from God Himself. It’s supernatural, not circumstantial. Even when life is chaotic, the believer can rest in Christ, knowing that God is in control and near to those who seek Him.

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not? 

 

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"Let the little Children Come to Me"
(Mark 10:13-16; Matthew 19:13-15)

          One of the greatest privileges—and responsibilities—Christian parents and churches have is to teach God’s truth to the next generation. Yet in a distracted, fast-paced world, it’s easy to drift toward holding back portions of Scripture that feel too difficult, too heavy, too harsh, or too old-fashioned. But God’s Word gives a clear charge: do not hide it—declare it.

Why This Matters
          Our children do not need a watered-down version of Christianity. They need the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). They need to hear of God’s justice and His mercy, His holiness and His love, His commandments and His promises. A shallow faith will not sustain them in a deep and broken world.  Similarly, they need to hear about God's teachings on matters of life and godliness—for example, marriage, singleness, and, yes, sexuality.  If it's in Scripture, they need to hear about it.  Why? Because the world will not hesitate to fill the void with its own ideas. Our silence on any of these matters opens the door for spiritual confusion amid a culture that lacks the Spirit of Christ.

Biblical Foundations: We Will Not Hide It
Consider these powerful Scriptures:

• Nehemiah 8

"...The priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding... [...] ...Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people... [...] While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate, he read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively to the book of the law.
 

• The repeated phrase “all who could understand” (vv. 2, 3, 8) emphasizes that the reading of God’s Word was not just for religious leaders or adults, but for everyone capable of understanding, including children.

• The people gathered for hours, listening attentively (v. 3). Nothing was held back—Ezra read the whole Law, and the Levites explained it clearly (vv. 7–8).

• The scene shows families standing together under the authority of Scripture.

• Psalm 78:4

"We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, his might, and the wondrous works he has performed."

• Deuteronomy 6:6–7

"These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road..."

• Deuteronomy 8:3 and Matthew 4:4 — Jesus Quotes It 

"He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then he gave you manna to eat, which you and your fathers had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." (CSB)

•  Joel 1:3

"Tell your children about it, and let your children tell their children, and their children the next generation."

• 2 Timothy 3:15

"And you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."

• Proverbs 22:6

"Start a youth out on his way; even when he grows old he will not depart from it."


In Summary: 
          The summation of these verses is that we do no favors to our children by holding back. Teach your children about God's truths, including His justice and grace, His laws and love, His holiness and mercy. Teach about His commands as well as His promises. Teach them the cross. Teach about sin and repentance as well as grace and forgiveness. Let them hear both the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the gospel. Children are more capable of understanding deep spiritual truths than we often give them credit for. Simplify language where necessary, but do not shrink the truth. The Holy Spirit delights to work in young hearts. When they come to church, and hear the pastor preach, it should reinforce what they're already hearing at home.

A Few Practical Encouragements

• Start Early: Teach Scripture from the earliest years (2 Tim 3:15). Use story Bibles for toddlers, read the Bible aloud as they grow.
• Talk Naturally: Make spiritual conversations part of normal family life (Deut 6:7).
• Model It: Let your own love for God’s Word be visible. Children learn from what they see and hear.
• Be Honest: Don’t skip the hard parts of Scripture. Explain them simply and truthfully.
• Pray: Ultimately, only God gives spiritual understanding. Pray for open ears and soft hearts.
• Don't be tempted to think you've got time or you'll wait till they're older: By elementary school, children today are hearing about sex, drugs, violence, gender, divorce, and many other topics where they need to have a godly perspective.

Final Word
          In Nehemiah 8:3, the entire community—men, women, and children old enough to understand—stood for 4-6 hours to hear God’s Word read aloud. They were hungry for truth. May we foster that same hunger in our homes and churches today. Just as food nourishes the body, God’s Word nourishes the soul (Deut. 8:3, Mt. 4:4, 1 Pet. 2:2). We must feed children the whole Word to strengthen their hearts and minds. A child fed on a watered-down gospel will not thrive spiritually, and so we ought not hide God’s truth.

         Moreover, God’s Word provides everything we need—not just for salvation, but for daily living, holiness, and parenting, as well as for every area of life (2 Pet. 1:3). This is another reason why we must not withhold the whole counsel of God from our children. All Scripture—nothing left out—is profitable (2 Tim. 3:16-17). We cannot rightly disciple children or adults if we selectively omit portions of God’s truth.

          Brothers and Sisters, let's make up our minds today to always proclaim God's truths boldly—for the sake of the next generation and for the glory of our great God.  Hold back nothing.  Children are a gift from God—not possessions, but a heritage and trust to be stewarded faithfully (Ps. 127:3).

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not? 

 

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“The devil made me do it.”

Maybe you’ve heard it. Maybe you’ve thought it. Maybe, in a moment of fear or darkness, you even asked:

Can a Christian be possessed by a demon?

          It's a sobering question—and a common one in today’s world, where spiritual battles are often just beneath the surface. The short answer is no, a Christian cannot be possessed. But the reality is a little more nuanced, because yes, Christians can be oppressed. Let’s explore what the Bible says and why your spiritual security in Christ is stronger than fear.

Possession vs. Oppression: What’s the Difference? 

          In Scripture, demonic possession refers to control. The demon doesn't just influence—it dominates. The possessed person is overtaken, their body and mind subject to the intruder's will (for example, see Luke 8:27–33).

          Oppression, on the other hand, is external. It involves attack, temptation, accusation, and torment. It’s real, and it’s intense—but it’s not the same as ownership. Christians are not possessed territory, because they are already owned.

You Are God’s Dwelling Place

          When you trust in Jesus, something miraculous happens: God’s Spirit takes up residence in you.

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” 

                                                                                                — 1 Corinthians 3:16

“You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
                                                                                                — 1 John 4:4 (CSB)

          God doesn’t share living space. The Holy Spirit seals believers for redemption (Eph. 1:13–14), meaning the enemy cannot gain access to take possession. Just as darkness cannot overpower light, demons cannot coexist with the indwelling presence of God.

You’re Already Owned

          Here’s what else is true: you belong to Christ. You’ve been bought at a price (1 Cor. 6:19–20), transferred from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of Jesus (Col. 1:13). That means Satan has no claim on you. Possession implies ownership—and Satan cannot possess what Christ has purchased.

The Death That Disarmed the Devil

          This brings us to one of the most powerful truths in the New Testament:

“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.” — Hebrews 2:14

          Satan was defeated at the cross. Jesus became human not just to die for us, but to disarm the devil’s strongest weapon—the power of death. The Greek word for "destroy" here (katargeō, καταργέω) means to nullify, to render powerless, or to inactivate. This verse affirms that through the cross, Jesus didn't merely rescue us from guilt—He stripped Satan of his legal authority over those who belong to Him.  For the believer, this means Satan cannot take ownership. The power of possession has been broken.

But Yes, Expect Opposition 

          Though you’re secure, you’re not immune. The devil still prowls (1 Peter 5:8). He attacks, deceives, accuses, and oppresses. But Scripture doesn’t tell us to fear him—it tells us to resist him (James 4:7). That’s spiritual warfare, and every Christian is in it. So yes, a Christian can experience oppression, discouragement, temptation, and even spiritual torment. But never ownership. Never possession.

How to Walk in Freedom 
 
 Here are some practical ways to stand firm in the freedom Christ has secured:

          1. Remember whose you are; stand firm in faith (1 Peter 5:8–9
              You're not just protected—you’re possessed by the Holy Spirit.
               Let your identity as God’s temple define your confidence.

          2. Put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10–18); use Scripture as your weapon
               Truth exposes the enemy’s lies. Speak God’s Word when fear rises.
               Resist the devil by submitting to God (James 4:7).
               Our spiritual warfare isn’t about shouting at demons—it’s about standing firm in
               the truth, righteousness, gospel, faith, salvation, the Word, and prayer.
               The greatest rebuke against Satan is a life surrendered to Christ.

          3. Stay in Christian community (fellowship)
              Isolation is dangerous in spiritual warfare.
              Lean on godly fellowship, prayer, and wise counsel.

              Hebrews 10:24–25 (CSB)

              “And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not      

               neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging 

              each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.”

             
              Key Phrases (Heb 10:24-25):
              “Not neglecting to gather together” – This is the core of the “do not forsake the
              assembly” message.

              “As some are in the habit of doing” – Even in the early church, some were wrongly
               skipping fellowship!

              “Encouraging each other” – The purpose isn’t just attendance, but mutual
              strengthening in Christ.

              “As you see the day approaching” – The return of Christ should fuel our
              commitment to Him and His people.

          4. Pray with Christ's authority and in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18)
             Not your own authority—but Christ’s. His victory is your covering.  Invoke the name
             and authority of Jesus, if there is demonic oppression, not as a formula, but in          
             faithful dependence.  Deliverance comes through the gospel—not rituals, not
             special exorcists, but through Christ crucified and risen.

What about the Non-Christian?

             Yes—according to Scripture, non-Christians can be possessed by demons.  

Why Are Non-Christians Vulnerable?

             Because they are spiritually unprotected and not indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  Demonic possession is the extreme form of Satan’s grip, but all unbelievers are under his domain (Col. 1:13–14).

• The New Testament gives multiple examples:
  • Matthew 8:28–34 – Two men possessed by demons in the region of the Gadarenes.
  • Mark 5:1–20 – A man possessed by “Legion” who could not be restrained.
  • Luke 8:2 – Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus cast out seven demons.
  • Acts 16:16–18 – A slave girl with a spirit of divination.

• In each case, these individuals were unbelievers and under the control or influence of unclean spirits—sometimes with supernatural strength, torment, or occult powers.

What’s the Solution for the Non-Christian?

             Not exorcism—but salvation.  Jesus warns that if a demon is cast out but the person is not filled with the Spirit   (i.e., not saved), worse can come.  --- Matthew 12:43–45 (CSB)

• True deliverance from demonic bondage comes through:
  • Repentance and faith in Christ
  • Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
  • Discipleship, renewal of the mind, and biblical obedience
  • Spiritual deliverance is not about a sensational or dramatic event but a genuine transformation of the heart through faith in Jesus Christ (Col. 1:13).
• Temporary deliverance without repentance and faith in Christ is dangerous.

• The only lasting solution is to be born again, filled with the Holy Spirit, and made a child of God through the gospel (John 1:12).

What Should Christians Do for Non-Believers Under Demonic Influence?

• Proclaim the gospel – It is the power of God for salvation (Rom. 1:16).
• Pray/Fast earnestly – For their deliverance, salvation, and protection (Eph. 6:18; Mt. 17:21).
• Be discerning and cautious – Not every problem is demonic, but some are (1 John 4:1).
• Seek help from mature believers – If a case of suspected demonic activity arises, never handle it alone, unbiblically, or recklessly. Possession is the most severe form of spiritual bondage, but all who are outside Christ are under Satan’s domain in some form. 
• The ultimate hope is not just deliverance, but salvation through Jesus Christ, who came to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

Final Word: Jesus Doesn’t Share

             The devil may shout, but he can’t stake a claim. He may oppress, but he cannot own. If you are in Christ, your soul has already been spoken for—sealed, bought, and protected by the Savior who died not only to forgive you, but to free you.

“He himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death.” — Hebrews 2:14

So, Dear Christian Brother or Sister: 
             Walk in that freedom.
             You're not a battleground for possession—you're a temple for glory.

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not? 

 

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          Ungodly emotions should not merely be managed because Scripture calls believers to a far deeper work—the transformation of the heart through sanctification, not just behavior modification.  Scripture consistently teaches that God desires not just outward control, but inward transformation. Management focuses on controlling external responses, while biblical sanctification addresses the root, which is the heart—the seat of our desires, thoughts, and will (Prov. 4:23; Matt. 15:18–19). Emotions—like thoughts and actions—are rooted in the heart, and Scripture calls for the heart to be surrendered to God, not simply restrained.

The Call to Surrender Emotions to God (Emotions Must Be Spirit/Word Regulated):
          Emotions reflect what we love, believe, and value. Therefore, ungodly emotions reveal disordered worship—when our affections are set on idols rather than God (Col. 3:5). Instead of masking or suppressing emotions like anger, fear, jealousy, or despair, Scripture calls us to repent of misplaced desires and beliefs that produce them. For example, "be angry and do not sin" (Eph. 4:26) implies not the removal of emotion, but its submission to righteousness.
          In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul urges believers to “take every thought captive to obey Christ,” which includes thoughts and feelings. As Brian Borgman explains in his book Feelings and Faith, “the goal is not emotional suppression but emotional sanctification.” This process doesn’t start with managing feelings but repenting from sinful responses, mortifying the flesh (Rom. 8:13), and seeking renewal through the Spirit (Rom. 12:2). God doesn’t call us to deny emotions, but to regulate them with truth. This means evaluating our emotional responses in light of Scripture, and reshaping them through renewed thinking:

“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
— Romans 12:2, CSB

       
          Emotions must submit to truth, just like behavior must. Godly emotions are not marked by their intensity, but by their alignment with God’s will and character. Here are are a few common examples:

• Ephesians 4:26 – “Be angry and do not sin” shows that even justified emotions can become sinful if not regulated.
• Psalm 42:5 – The psalmist speaks to his own soul: “Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Put your hope in God…” He’s not suppressing emotion; he’s redirecting it toward truth.
• Galatians 5:22-23 – The fruit of the Spirit includes self-control, which applies not only to actions but also to emotions.

The Heart is the Source of Emotions and Must Be Transformed:

                    “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
                                                                                                     – Proverbs 4:23

                    “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good,
                    and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the
                    abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
                                                                                                    – Luke 6:45
 
          The heart is typically described as the control center of life. Ungodly emotions arise not randomly but from within. They function as indicators, much like warning lights on the dashboard of a car. When we experience strong emotions—whether anger, fear, despair, or jealousy—they are pointing us to something deeper: our beliefs, desires, and values. This means that simply managing your emotional outbursts will not address the root problem; God desires a transformed heart, not merely modified behavior.  

          As Luke 6:45 demonstrates, Jesus taught that everything we do—including how we feel—flows from the heart within.  Emotions are one of the ways our heart "overflows." They are not separate from our spiritual condition—they expose what we truly believe, want, and love.

• Anger may reveal a love for control or a desire for justice on our terms
• Anxiety may expose a fear of losing what we treasure or not trusting God's sovereignty.
• Sadness can reveal deep longing or loss—but also an idol that we’ve depended on too much.
• Envy can reveal discontent with God’s provision and a heart that worships status or recognition.

          Again, these emotional responses are not random—they flow from the desires and passions of the heart (see also James 4:1-2).  But Scripture warns us that the heart can be deceived:



                    “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity,
                      passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
                                                                                                    – Colossians 3:5

          When emotions like envy, bitterness, rage, or selfish sorrow rule us, they often expose idols—things we love more than God. We are not called to manage these sinful patterns but to mortify them—put them to death. Management may keep them hidden; submission brings them into the light for transformation.

We Are Called to Take Every Thought Captive:
                    “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the
                      knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
                                                                                                    – 2 Corinthians 10:5

          This applies to emotions as well as thoughts, since emotions are often fueled by what we think and believe. Rather than being controlled by feelings, we are called to examine them in light of Christ’s truth and bring them under His Lordship.

The Process of Sanctification and Emotional Change:

• Repentance – Recognizing that emotions like bitterness, anxiety, or selfish sorrow are rooted in misplaced trust or desires (Jer. 17:9; James 4:1–2). As A. Craig Troxel writes,  in his book With All Your Heart: Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will toward Christ, “Our reasoning is inseparably bound up with our affections and feelings”, so repentance must address the inner person, not just surface emotions.
• Mortification – Putting to death the sinful desires or thought patterns that fuel ungodly emotions. Romans 6:6–12 calls believers to “not let sin reign in your mortal body.” This includes not allowing emotions to control one’s life or dictate decisions.
• Transformation – Through God’s Word and Spirit, believers can develop godly emotions—love, joy, peace, and godly sorrow (Gal. 5:22–23; 2 Cor. 7:10). In the book Untangling Emotions, J. Alasdair Groves and Winston T. Smith biblically affirm that emotions “are meant to be deeply shaped by what we value, what we believe, and ultimately, whom we worship.”

Again, the Goal is to Be Transformed, Not Merely Controlled:

                    “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
                     renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is
                     the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
                                                                                                    – Romans 12:2

          This transformation includes our emotional life. We are not called to act like Christians externally while remaining unchanged internally. God wants our thoughts, desires, and emotions renewed through His Word and Spirit.

The Fruit of the Spirit is the Result of Surrender, not Suppression:

                    “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
                    goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control...”
                                                                                                    – Galatians 5:22–23

          These are not personality traits or emotion-management techniques. They are spiritual fruits, produced when we walk by the Spirit and crucify the flesh (Gal. 5:24). We must surrender our fleshly emotions and yield to the Spirit, who brings about lasting change.  The goal is not to cope or manage your feelings, but to have lasting heart change.

Why This Matters: A Godly Heart-Oriented Approach:
          Craig Troxel, in his book With All Your Heart, emphasizes that the heart is a “trinity of spiritual functions: the mind, the desires, and the will.” What this means is that simply managing emotions addresses the output, but not the engine of the heart driving them. The Bible's process of sanctification calls us to bring every part of the heart into submission to Christ, not just external feelings. Therefore, the Christian life is not about emotionally coping, but about victory over sin and being conformed into the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). Ungodly emotions should be brought to the cross, confessed honestly, and transformed through the Spirit and truth, not merely restrained.

Conclusion:
          The Bible makes it clear: managing emotions is not enough. Ungodly emotions must be confessed, crucified, and replaced with godly ones through the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of God's Word. God’s desire is not just better behavior, but a renewed heart that reflects His holiness and love (Ezek. 36:26–27). To simply manage ungodly emotions is to treat the symptoms without healing the heart. God calls us to something far better—a life of ongoing repentance, heart renewal, and transformation into Christlikeness. Through His Spirit and Word, our emotions can be reoriented to reflect what God loves, values, and desires, so that our entire inner life glorifies Him (2 Cor. 3:18).

References: (Recommended Reading)

• Anxious for Nothing: God’s Cure for the Cares of Your Soul. John MacArthur (David C. Cook, 2012). 224 pgs. ISBN: 978-1434702975.
• Feelings and Faith: Cultivating Godly Emotions in the Christian Life. Brian S. Borgman (Crossway, 2009). 240 pgs. ISBN: 978-1433503634.
• Untangling Emotions. J. Alasdair Groves and Winston Smith (Crossway, 2019). 224 pgs. ISBN: 978-1433557828.
• Uprooting Anger: Biblical Help for a Common Problem. Robert D. Jones (P&R Publishing, 2005) 208 pgs. ISBN: 978-1596380059.
• With All Your Heart: Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will toward Christ. A. Craig Troxel (Crossway, 2020). 224 pgs. ISBN: 978-1433535536.
• The Christian Counselor’s Manual. Jay Adams (Zondervan, 1986). 496 pgs. ISBN: 978-0310511502.

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not? 

 

Battle of Gideon Against the Midianites
Judges 6-7
Photo Source: Logos Media

Old Testament Story: Gideon’s Fear and God’s Faithfulness (Judges 6-7)

          One of the most well-known and influential stories in the Old Testament is the story of Gideon in Judges 6-7. Gideon was an unlikely, fearful man whom God called to lead Israel against the Midianites, a powerful enemy that had been oppressing Israel for years. At first, Gideon was paralyzed by fear—he doubted himself, he doubted God, and he constantly looked for signs and reassurance before taking action (and this was not a good thing; see my earlier blog on Not Putting Out Your Fleece).

          Yet, through God’s guidance, Gideon moved from fear to faith—not because of his own strength, but because he learned to trust in God’s power and obey despite his fears. His story is a good illustration of how we can overcome fear biblically using the principles from our biblical counseling approach to fear and anxiety. So today, I'd like to offer some encouragement and a biblical perspective for those who may struggle with fear or anxiety along these lines.  Let's see what we can learn from God's Word and the story of Gideon regarding this matter.

1. Gideon's Fear: Doubting God's Plan (Judges 6:11-16)

A. Fear Often Stems from a Lack of Trust in God's Presence and Power
          The first time we see Gideon, he is hiding in a winepress, threshing wheat in secret because he is afraid of the Midianites (Judges 6:11). This is not the picture of a bold, confident leader—it is the image of a man who is terrified, insecure, and convinced that his situation is hopeless.
 
          When the Angel of the Lord appears to Gideon, He says something shocking:

          "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!" (Judges 6:12)

          Gideon immediately responds with doubt:

          "If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened? Where are all His wonders that our

           ancestors told us about?" (Judges 6:13)

          Instead of focusing on God’s power, Gideon focuses on his circumstances. He assumes that if things are difficult, God must have abandoned him.

Biblical Counseling Insight:

• Fear often comes from forgetting God’s presence and power.
• Gideon’s first problem wasn’t the Midianites—it was his lack of trust in God’s sovereignty.
• When we dwell on our problems instead of God’s promises, fear takes over.

Application:

• Instead of dwelling on what you can’t control, meditate on who God is.
• God is always present, even when circumstances seem overwhelming.

2. Gideon's Fear of Inadequacy: "I'm Too Weak" (Judges 6:14-16)

A. Fear Often Comes from a Wrong View of Ourselves
          After questioning God’s presence, Gideon then questions himself. When God calls him to save Israel, he immediately gives excuses: "But Lord... how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family!" (Judges 6:15)

          Gideon believes he is too weak, too unqualified, and too insignificant to do what God is asking. But God does not respond by telling Gideon he is stronger than he thinks. Instead, God simply says:  "I will be with you." (Judges 6:16)

          The solution to fear is not self-confidence but God-confidence.

Biblical Counseling Insight:

• Fear magnifies our weaknesses, but faith magnifies God’s strength.
• Anxiety says, "I can’t do this." Faith says, "I don’t have to—God is with me."
• Fear is defeated when we shift our focus from ourselves to God’s power.

Application:

• Stop focusing on your inadequacy and start trusting in God's sufficiency.
• You don’t need to be strong—God is strong for you.

3. Gideon's Fear of Obedience: Testing God Instead of Trusting Him (Judges 6:36-40)

A. Fear Delays Obedience Through Doubt
          Even after God reassures Gideon, he still hesitates. He asks God for multiple signs before he is willing to act. He lays out a fleece and asks God to make it wet while the ground stays dry, and then he asks for the opposite the next night (Judges 6:36-40). Why? Because Gideon still wants to feel in control. He is afraid of stepping out in faith without extra assurance.

Biblical Counseling Insight:

• Fear often shows up as delayed obedience.
• Faith does not require constant signs—it requires trusting God's Word.
• Anxiety makes us hesitate; faith moves forward in obedience.

Application:

• Obey even when you don’t feel ready. Trust that God will equip you as you step forward.
• Stop waiting for “more signs” when God has already spoken in His Word.

4. Gideon's Victory: Trusting God's Power (Judges 7:1-22)

A. God's Strength Is Made Perfect in Weakness
          When Gideon finally obeys, God does something shocking. He reduces Gideon’s army from 32,000 men to just 300! (Judges 7:2-8). Why? Because God says: "You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, saying, ‘My own strength has saved me.’" (Judges 7:2)

          God wants Gideon to know that victory doesn’t come from human strength but from God’s power alone. When Gideon and his 300 men attack, they don’t even fight. They blow trumpets, break jars, and shout, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"—and God causes the Midianites to panic and destroy themselves! (Judges 7:19-22).

Biblical Counseling Insight:

• Fear tells us we need to be strong, but God teaches us to rely on His strength.
• Victory over fear happens when we surrender control and trust God completely.
• When God works through our weakness, He gets the glory.

Application:

• Stop trying to control everything—trust God to fight your battles.
• Victory over fear is not about getting yourself stronger or more resilient; it’s about trusting in the One who already is.

5. Conclusion: How Gideon Overcame Fear

• He shifted his focus from his circumstances to God's presence. (v. 6:12-13)
• He stopped looking at his own weakness and trusted in God's strength. (v. 6:14-16)
• He moved from hesitation to obedience. (Judges 6:36-40)
• He let God fight the battle instead of trying to control the outcome. (Judges 7:1-22)

6. Final Challenge:

• Are you letting fear control your life, or are you trusting God’s presence and power?
• Will you stop waiting for a sign and start obeying in faith?
• Do you believe that God’s strength is enough for you?

Closing Prayer:
"Lord, help us to trust in Your strength, not our own. Give us faith to obey, even when we feel afraid. Teach us to rely on Your presence and to walk in courage, knowing You go before us. In Jesus’ name, Amen."

Gideon’s story is a perfect example of how to overcome fear biblically. He started out afraid, insecure, and doubting—but as he shifted his focus from himself to God, he learned to walk in faith! We must do the same. Fear may seem overwhelming, but God’s power is always greater.

Would you like to read more on anxiety?  Have a look at this article on how the Bible points the anxious heart to treasure Christ and His heavenly kingdom by K. Christensen on the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) website: Trace Your Anxieties Back to Your Treasure

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not? 

 

Jesus Commands the Apostles to Rest
Mark 6:30-31
Photo Source: Logos Media

So, on more than one occasion, I've heard someone claim to be a “modern-day apostle…” But can that person be true a biblical apostle? No! They can’t be. Not by biblical standards, anyway.  To answer this more fully, I want to briefly take a moment and explain some of the biblical criteria for an apostle and then give you an example of a problematic 'apostolic' movement that has gained popularity today. 

The Greek word for Apostle, “Apostolos,” means “one who is sent” or “messenger,” so what is meant biblically is "a sent one of Christ" or a "Messenger of Christ."  That sounds good for the Christian, but in the New Testament, this designation carries with it a unique authority and mission. Biblically speaking, Scripture contains the criteria for someone to be considered an apostle of Christ. 

First, in the Bible, we see that an Apostle of Jesus Christ is called and commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself. And that was the case for all of the original twelve apostles according to Luke 6:13-16. Paul, though not one of the twelve, was personally chosen by the risen Christ according to Acts 9.  

Second, an Apostle had to be an eyewitness of the resurrected Christ. When choosing a replacement for Judas in Acts 1:21-22, Peter says that one must have seen the resurrected Jesus. Later in this letter, Paul defends himself concerning this specific point by asking, “Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” (1 Corinthians 9:1). By contrast, no one alive and walking on this earth today has seen the resurrected Christ. Scripture clarifies that the original apostles had firsthand encounters with the risen Jesus. Nobody today has, or can, meet this condition because Jesus has ascended into heaven.

Third, a genuine apostleship of the Lord should be confirmed by miraculous signs and wonders. In 2 Corinthians 12:12, Paul says, “The signs of an apostle were performed with great endurance—signs and wonders and miracles.” That is, apostles had special, God-given authority to perform miracles as a confirmation of their calling.

Fourth, the genuine apostles had divine authority to lay the church's foundation. I mention this because the apostles laid the doctrinal foundation of the church, meaning their role was foundational and not repeatable.  2 Peter 3:15-16 tells us the apostles had the authority to write Scripture. Verses like Revelation 22:18 remind us that nobody alive today has the authority to add to the Bible. And that’s a big problem today where false teachers claim new revelation from God apart from the Bible. If it is indeed a true revelation from God, then what is said is equal to Scripture. Ephesians 2:20 says the church is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.” And since the foundation has already been laid, and the biblical canon is closed, there is no need for new apostles or private revelations that compete with Scripture. In other words, the role of the apostle was temporary and not ongoing.  Jude 3 says explicitly, “The faith was once for all delivered to the saints.”  We should heed Proverbs 30:5-6, "Every word of God is pure; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Don’t add to his words; he will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar."

But Pastor, Why Do Christians Believe the Bible Canon is Closed?  Here's a brief answer:

1. Revelation is complete – Jesus is God’s final revelation (Hebrews 1:1-2). This passage emphasizes that Jesus is God’s final and ultimate revelation. Since Scripture is the written record of God's revelation, and since Jesus fulfilled God’s plan, no further divine revelation is needed. 
2. Faith has been delivered "once for all" (Jude 3). The phrase "once for all" suggests that the body of Christian doctrine is complete—meaning no new revelations or additions to Scripture are necessary. 
3. Warnings against adding or taking away from God’s Word (Revelation 22:18-19, Proverbs 30:5-6).  God’s Word is not to be tampered with. Since Revelation is the final book in the biblical canon, many believe the warning there serves as a divine closing statement. God’s revelation is perfect and complete; humans should not attempt to add to it. 
4. Scripture is sufficient – It equips believers fully (2 Timothy 3:16-17). If Scripture is sufficient to make believers "complete and equipped for every good work," then no further revelation is necessary. 

 
So, in summary, an apostle’s role was to establish the church and deliver God’s final revelation in Christ as His sent messengers. Once the foundation was laid, the biblical role of the apostle ended. There are no modern-day living apostles who can meet these criteria—those claiming to be apostles today fail the biblical tests to be truly apostolic. 
 
Let me give you one brief example of this type of false teaching that is concerning today (and so you do not get yourself entangled with it)—and that is the New Apostolic Reformation or NAR movement.  Certain of their leaders claim direct, new, revelation from God, putting their words on the same level as Scripture. And in NAR’s case, their seeking of signs and wonders is always accompanied by false doctrine.

The false teachings of NAR are a perfect reason why you will hear me remind you from time to time that not everything that happens in the book of Acts is normative for us today. Now, don’t hear me wrong. Acts is the Word of God, inerrant and inspired— but what I’m saying is that we can’t always take Acts and make it a direct blueprint for modern Christian practice in every single way because it primarily describes the early church in a unique historical context rather than always explicitly prescribing rules for all Christians at all times.

Are there timeless principles in Acts? Absolutely! But not everything is normative for us today. For example, we don’t handle poisonous snakes in this church and test to see if our faith will save us. But some churches do indeed entertain this sort of thing.  We can say that Acts provides valuable insights, patterns of living, models, and examples that inform our Christian living today and are true for us today. It definitely gives us valuable patterns of Christian behavior. For example,  we certainly should model the early church's dedication to prayer, fellowship, and evangelism. But we shouldn’t normatively expect handkerchiefs and aprons to heal someone. You must understand that the book of Acts records many non-normative events—unique, miraculous, or transitional moments in the early church that were specific to that time as they established the early church with signs and miracles. Many of those things are not generally repeatable patterns for daily Christian living today. Is God still in the business of miracles? Absolutely, yes!  But Acts is not our normative pattern.
 
So instead of chasing those non-normative experiences, believers today should focus on the clear biblical patterns for Christian living, such as faith in Christ, devotion to Scripture, fellowship, prayer, evangelism, discipleship, and living by the power of the Holy Spirit. God is still at work in the lives of His people, and miracles are still very much alive today.  It is not correct, however, to expect Christians always to do what was done in the early church; the apostles were uniquely on a God-given mission to establish the early church. So, let's recall that Hebrews 12:2 reminds us to “Keep our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer, and perfecter of our faith.”  And if we do that, we will be guarded against these errors and false teachings.

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not? 

 

Are you interested in a good devotional on evangelism? Take a look at You Will be My Witnesses: 31 Devotionals to Encourage a Spirit of Everyday Evangelism. Published by Seminary Hill Press and edited by Matt Queen and Alex Sibley and available here on Amazon (new is more expensive while used copies are available at a reduced cost).

 

  

 Watson, Thomas. The Doctrine of Repentance. Carlisle: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2012 

          Thomas Watson (c. 1620–1686) was a celebrated Puritan pastor, theologian, and author in 17th-century England. He was known for his engaging sermons and devotional writings, which combined deep theological insight with practical application, making his works enduringly popular among Christians even today. Watson authored many influential works, including The Body of Divinity, The Doctrine of Repentance, and The Ten Commandments. These books remain widely read for their spiritual richness and practical application.

          Watson attended Emmanuel College, Cambridge, which was known for its strong Puritan influence. In 1646, he was appointed pastor of St. Stephen’s Church in Walbrook, London. He became widely respected for his expository preaching, which combined doctrinal depth with practical guidance. Watson's sermons, like his books, were marked by clarity, vivid imagery, and a pastoral tone.

          No book or human work can replace God's Word, the Holy Bible. However, books written by brothers and sisters in Christ can edify the soul and challenge us to live rightly before the Lord.  One such book is The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson.  It was written in the 1660s, and it addresses the vital Christian theme of repentance. Watson explores repentance not just as a one-time act but as a continual and ongoing posture of the believer's heart before God. His writing style is marked by simplicity, deep spiritual insight, and rich imagery.

          Known for his directness as he writes, Watson seeks to win men’s understanding. He says “faith and repentance” comprise the “two great graces essential to [being a believer in Christ]." His thesis, summarized, is that true repentance is a grace of God’s Spirit involving an inner transformation of the heart—characterized by godly sorrow, confession, hatred for and shame of sin, and a turning away from sin that is motivated by God’s holiness, graciousness, mercy, and promises. Without true repentance, there is no genuine salvation. And so, in a pastoral tone, Watson skillfully describes the nature of repentance, its six principal components, and its motivations, gives practical advice for us all, and warns against falsely repenting.

          The book’s strengths lie in its scriptural depth and clarity, making it an excellent resource for personal devotion or teaching. Watson addresses the seriousness of sin and warns of the dangers of superficial repentance and complacency in the Christian life. Watson's work stands largely above criticism, with a timeless message: "Repentance is never out of season," even if the world claims otherwise.  

Central Themes in the Book (His Conclusions Drawn from Scripture):

• The Nature of True Repentance:
  • Watson defines repentance as a grace of God’s Spirit whereby a sinner is inwardly humbled and visibly reformed."
  • He emphasizes that repentance involves both sorrow for sin and turning from sin. It is not merely feeling sorry but changing one’s ways.

• The Necessity of Repentance:
  • Without repentance, there is no forgiveness of sins.
  • Watson underscores that repentance is an essential part of the gospel message and the Christian life.

• The Marks of Genuine Repentance: Watson outlines several key aspects of true repentance:
  • Sight of Sin: Recognizing sin as offensive to God.
  • Sorrow for Sin: Experiencing heartfelt grief over sin.
  • Confession of Sin: Openly acknowledging sin before God.
  • Shame for Sin: Feeling a godly shame for past wrongs.
  • Hatred of Sin: Developing a loathing for sin and its effects.
  • Turning from Sin: Demonstrating repentance through reformed behavior.

• The Motivation for Repentance:
  • Watson explores obedience and God’s goodness, mercy, and patience as motivations for repentance.
  • He also warns against the consequences of unrepentant sin, including divine judgment.

• The Fruits of Repentance:
  • Genuine repentance leads to forgiveness and a transformed life characterized by holiness, obedience, and love for God.

• Warnings Against False Repentance:
  • Watson contrasts true repentance with counterfeit repentance, such as worldly sorrow or outward conformity without inward change.

Relevance Today:
Watson’s The Doctrine of Repentance continues to resonate because:

• Humanity's chief problem is sin, and Jesus Christ saves sinners, according to the Scriptures.
• It addresses the timeless struggle with sin and the need for ongoing repentance in the Christian life.
• Its clear, Scripture-saturated teaching is accessible to both new and mature believers.

Key Quotes:

• "Repentance is a grace of God’s Spirit, whereby a sinner is inwardly humbled and visibly reformed."
• "Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet."
• "Repentance is the vomiting of the soul."

Why Read This Book?

• Spiritual Depth: It challenges readers to examine their lives and cultivate a genuine relationship with God.
• Biblical Clarity:  It is biblical. Watson anchors all his arguments in Scripture, making it a trustworthy guide.
• Practical Application: It offers tangible steps for living out repentance daily.

          The Doctrine of Repentance is a profound work that calls believers to embrace a lifestyle of repentance and pursue a deeper walk with God. It’s a timeless resource for personal spiritual growth and for understanding the transformative power of the Holy Spirit leading sinners into repentance and a restored relationship with God. Thomas Watson’s life exemplified a deep love for God, His Word, and His people. His writings continue to inspire Christians to pursue holiness, repentance, and deeper knowledge of Scripture. His legacy as one of the most beloved Puritan authors lives on, offering timeless wisdom and encouragement to believers around the world.

Thomas Watson's The Doctrine of Repentance is in the public domain and can be obtained for free at many libraries and online. If you'd like to obtain a personal copy, here is a link to the copy I recently read, and here is a copy of his work in modern English.

 

  

Did God Create Evil?  
No! The question of whether God created evil is one that theologians and philosophers have wrestled with for centuries. Whether God created evil can be better understood through an illustration. Consider how darkness is not an independent force but the absence of light. In the same way, evil is not a created thing but the absence of good, or more profoundly, the absence of God.  Here are some key considerations based on biblical texts and Christian doctrine:

1. God's Nature and Goodness

• According to Scripture, God is inherently good and holy:
  • Psalm 25:8: “The Lord is good and upright.”
  • 1 John 1:5: “God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him.”
• Because God’s nature is good, He cannot be the author of moral evil or sin.

God, who is inherently good and holy, did not create moral evil. Instead, He allowed for the possibility of evil by giving humanity and angels free will. If God had not allowed this possibility, we would serve Him out of obligation rather than genuine choice. God desires a relationship with beings who choose to love and serve Him willingly, not mechanized “robots” programmed to obey. So, to reiterate: God did not create evil, but He allows it.

• Deuteronomy 30:19: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live.”

2. Evil as a Consequence of Free Will
The existence of free will means that humans have the capacity to choose good or to reject it. When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God (Genesis 3), evil and suffering entered the world. This was not a result of God creating evil but of humanity misusing the freedom given to them. So, because humans have free agency, the possibility of moral evil exists. The Fall of Adam and Eve brought forth the consequences of disobedience and the introduction of sin into the world. Scripture explains why humanity experiences suffering, brokenness, and death. Yet, even in this righteous judgment (toward our disobedience), the Bible describes how God’s good promise of redemption through Christ offers the only true hope and lasting restoration.

• Romans 5:12: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people because all sinned.”
• 1 Cor. 15:22: "For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive."
• Genesis 2-3 explains how the serpent (Satan) deceived Eve by casting doubt on God’s word and character. Adam and Eve willingly eat the forbidden fruit, relying on their own judgment rather than obeying God, introducing sin into the world and human experience. They freely chose to disobey God, ushering in the consequences of the Fall and curse. Adam and Eve become aware of their nakedness, symbolizing their newfound shame and guilt. They hide from God, indicating a broken relationship and the beginning of alienation from Him. The Fall affects all aspects of life, introducing suffering, death, and broken relationships.  
• Genesis 3:15, known as the protoevangelium, foreshadows humanity's redemption, Satan's defeat, and the victory through Jesus' death and resurrection. 

3. God’s Sovereignty and God Permitting Evil for a Greater Purpose
Even though God did not create evil, He allows it for His sovereign purposes. While we may not fully understand His reasons, we trust God’s actions are holy, good, and ultimately serve His glory. We struggle to comprehend God's infinite wisdom from our limited, earthly perspective. God has incomprehensible wisdom, and there is a vast difference between human understanding and God’s divine wisdom. Our responsibility is to trust in God's plans. Many verses in Scripture remind us that even when we do not understand why things happen, we can trust in God’s higher purposes and plans. In times of confusion or suffering, the Bible offers comfort by assuring us that God's ways are perfect, even if they seem beyond our comprehension.  For example, consider the following verses:

• Romans 11:33-34: “Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord?”
• Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:29 tells us for what end such good serves.  It is ultimately so that we become more like Christ)
• Genesis 50:20 (Joseph speaking to his brothers): “You planned evil against me; God planned it for good.”
•  Isaiah 55:8-9 is often cited when reflecting on God’s sovereignty and our limited perspective compared to His eternal and perfect understanding:
  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.”
  This is the Lord’s declaration.
  “For as heaven is higher than earth,
  so my ways are higher than your ways,
  and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

4. God Works Good Out of Evil
The question is often asked: "What about natural disasters?"  Hurricanes, droughts, floods, etc., are often categorized as “natural evil.” Humanity’s 'Fall' (Genesis 3) affected creation itself. Although God permits these things, He can redeem them for good purposes. Often, there is an opportunity for God to reveal His goodness and grace amid these events. This principle is evident throughout Scripture:

• Romans 8:20-22: Paul explains creation is subjected to futility and groaning due to sin. 
• Genesis 50:20: Joseph tells his brothers, “You planned evil against me; God planned it for good.”
• Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

5. Isaiah 45:7 – What's this business about God “Creating Calamity?”

• Some confusion arises from passages like Isaiah 45:7, which says, “I form light and create darkness, I make success and create disaster; I am the Lord, who does all these things.” The word often translated as "disaster" or "calamity" (Hebrew: ra – רָע) can mean judgment, calamity, or hardship rather than moral evil. In this context, God brings judgment or hardship as part of His justice.

6. Why Not Create a Perfect World Without Evil?
Some might wonder why God didn’t simply create humans and leave them in heaven, free from suffering. The answer lies in God’s desire for genuine love and relationship. True love requires choice. If God had not allowed for the possibility of evil, we would lack the ability to choose to love and worship Him freely.  This, of course, should not confuse the issue that God sovereignly saved men and women-- they do not save themselves. While humans may reject God, salvation itself is an act of God’s grace, not human effort. The Bible teaches that apart from God’s intervention, we are spiritually dead and incapable of saving ourselves (Ephesians 2:1-9). It is God who initiates, accomplishes, and completes the work of salvation. True freedom to love and worship God genuinely comes as a result of His transformative work in our hearts through the Holy Spirit (John 6:44). This ensures that salvation is entirely by grace, ruling out any notion of self-made human merit or self-sufficiency. We must always be clear that God’s desire for genuine love and relationship allows for choice, but the capacity to choose God and be saved comes through His sovereign grace and Holy Spirit alone.  

• Joshua 24:15: “But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship?”
• Ephesians 2:8-9: "For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift — not from works, so that no one can boast."

7. God’s Plan for Redemption and New Creation

• Revelation 21:4 (CSB):
  “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more because the previous things have passed away.”
  Insight: God’s plan is to create a new heaven and earth where evil, pain, and suffering no longer exist.
• 2 Peter 3:13 (CSB):
  “But based on his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”
  Insight: The brokenness of this world is temporary, and God promises a future free from sin and evil.

Conclusion
God did not create evil but allowed for its possibility by granting free will. God is wholly good. Evil is the absence of good, like darkness is the absence of light, or cold is the absence of heat. Through this freedom, we have the opportunity to choose to love, worship, and serve God willingly. God permits evil because of human free will, and He can use it to accomplish His purposes. Even though we may not fully grasp His purposes, we trust that God’s plan is ultimately holy, perfect, and glorifying to Him. God may create or allow calamity (judgment or hardship) as part of His sovereign justice, but this is distinct from being the author of sin or moral evil.  Any Christian belief in this regard must preserve the belief in God's goodness while acknowledging the reality of evil and human responsibility.  While it is true that everything (all things) that touches our life must pass through the will of God, humans (biblically speaking) are always responsible for their actions and how they choose to live before God.

.... Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?  If not, why not? I invite you to turn to Jesus today as your Lord and Savior. Won't you turn to Jesus and have your life changed?  ...

 

  

Why Christians Should Not “Put Their Fleece Out” Like Gideon
          The story of Gideon in Judges 6 often captivates believers because of his "fleece test" to confirm God’s will. Gideon asked God for a miraculous sign, first for the fleece to be wet and the ground dry, and then the opposite, to confirm that God had indeed called him to deliver Israel from Midianite oppression. While this story reveals God’s patience and grace, using it as a model for decision-making today is misguided for Christians who have the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

The Context of Gideon’s Test
          Gideon’s request for a sign came from his fear and doubt, not faith. God had already spoken to him clearly (Judges 6:12–16), promised victory (Judges 6:14, 16), and given a miraculous sign by consuming his offering with fire (Judges 6:21). Yet Gideon hesitated, asking for further confirmation. His use of the fleece was not an act of trust but of uncertainty. God graciously indulged him, but this was not intended as a normative practice for discerning His will.  If you're unsure, I urge you to read the passage again. We do not need to test or doubt God's Word in this manner for several reasons:

Christians Have the Holy Spirit 
          Unlike Gideon, believers today have the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide them. Jesus promised the Spirit would lead His followers into all truth (John 16:13) and teach them everything they need to know (John 14:26). Through the Spirit’s presence, Christians can experience direct guidance and conviction without needing external signs. Testing God with a “fleece” demonstrates a lack of reliance on the Spirit’s leading and His ability to speak through the Word.

The Word of God Is Sufficient
          In addition to the Holy Spirit, Christians have God's complete and authoritative Word. Second Timothy 3:16–17 declares that Scripture equips believers for every good work. By immersing ourselves in God’s Word, we can discern His will for our lives without resorting to arbitrary tests. Gideon lacked this resource, but we have clear, timeless principles that guide our decisions and faith.

Testing God Is Discouraged
          In Scripture, testing God is generally seen as an act of unbelief. In Deuteronomy 6:16, God commands, “Do not test the Lord your God.” Jesus echoed this in His response to Satan’s temptation (Matthew 4:7). Gideon’s fleece was not an example of trust but of doubt, and such tests reflect a failure to take God at His Word. Today, asking for a fleece-like sign often replaces the faith and trust that God desires from His people.

How Christians Can Discern God’s Will

Rather than putting out a fleece, Christians should:
          1. Seek God’s Guidance in Prayer: James 1:5 encourages believers to ask for wisdom, trusting that God will provide it generously.
          2. Study Scripture for Timeless Principles: God’s Word provides clear guidelines for decision-making.
          3. Listen to the Holy Spirit: The Spirit provides conviction and peace through prayer and reflection (Philippians 4:6–7).
          4. Seek Wise Counsel: Proverbs 11:14 teaches that victory comes through many advisers (these need to be Christians who also have the Holy Spirit indwelling them).
          5. Step Forward in Faith: Trusting God often means acting on His revealed Word without requiring extraordinary signs.

Conclusion
          Christians do not need to “put their fleece out” like Gideon because we have the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to guide us. Relying on tests or signs to confirm God’s will undermines faith and ignores the resources God has already provided. Instead of testing God, we should trust Him, seek His guidance in prayer and Scripture, possibly seek wise counsel from other Christians as needed, and then move forward in faith, confident that He is with us.

 

  

  Augustine. Confessions. Translated by Henry Chadwick. Oxford: Oxford Press, 1998.

          Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) made many contributions to Christian theology and literature, earning him status as one of the most influential fathers in the Western Church (both Catholic and Protestant).  For much of his early life, he followed the false beliefs and teachings of Manichaeism.  After becoming a Christian and being baptized, Augustine returned to North Africa and became the bishop of Hippo, where he spent the rest of his life writing, preaching, and defending the Gospel of Jesus Christ against heresies. He wrote with influence on topics such as church doctrine (Catholic ecclesiology), soteriology, hermeneutics, the trinity, philosophical theology, and theological history.

          Confessions is Augustine’s spiritual autobiography, in which he shares his journey from a pagan life filled with gross sin and pride to a new life of faith in Christ Jesus. Augustine's Confessions is an autobiographical work where Augustine reflects on his life, his spiritual journey, and his ultimate conversion to Christianity. Written in the form of prayers to God, the book recounts his early years of youthful indulgence and waywardness, including his involvement with Manichaeism, a popular religious sect of his day. Augustine narrates his growing dissatisfaction with worldly pleasures and intellectual pursuits, highlighting his internal struggles with sin, pride, and the search for truth.

          The central theme of the Confessions is Augustine's longing for spiritual fulfillment, which he eventually finds through the teachings of Christianity. He recounts key moments leading up to his conversion, such as his encounter with the philosophy of Neoplatonism and his eventual realization that true wisdom could only be found in God. His mother's devout prayers and his friendships also played significant roles in shaping his journey toward faith. The moment of his conversion, famously triggered by a child's voice chanting "Take up and read," leads Augustine to read a passage from Paul's epistle to the Romans (ch.13 v. 13-14), solidifying his decision to embrace Christianity fully.

• Romans 13:13–14 (ESV): "Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." 

          Confessions serves not only as a personal reflection on Augustine's spiritual development, but he also explores broader theological themes such as the nature of God, the problem of evil, and the human will. Augustine reflects deeply on the nature of time, memory, and the world's creation, blending his personal story with philosophical and theological insights. His work is a profound meditation on the transformative power of the Holy Spirit to change a person and the importance of self-examination in the life of faith.

          Augustine’s thesis is very relevant to biblical counseling and pastoral care: Jesus Christ is the true power of God’s grace in overcoming man’s chief problem of sin and genuine life change. God can use trials, philosophical searching, and personal reflection to change human hearts.

          Other noted works by Augustine include The City of God, On Christian Doctrine, On the Grace of Christ, and Original Sin.   One of Confessions' significant strengths is its spiritual depth and honesty. Augustine gives a raw, reflective perspective on his struggles, sins, and transformation. Readers who might struggle similarly or believe their sins are too great for God’s mercy will find encouragement. Another strength is the numerous theological insights on many topics (the problem of evil, the nature of God, and the human condition). A weakness is that Augustine is not doctrinally correct on every matter, and the reader must remain discerning—for example, sex within the marital union is not restricted by the Bible to only procreation, as Augustine believes (p. 25). Readers should use caution with Augustine’s allegorical interpretation of scripture (p. 96). He equates the ‘firmament’ in the creation narrative as ‘Scriptures’ and ‘let there be light’ as soul-illumination by God’s truth versus visible light (285)-- which is an interesting thought but not exegetically correct.
         
         In summary, Confessions is a timeless spiritual autobiography that will bless those who spend the time to read it. Nothing has changed.  Sin ruins lives, and Jesus sets them free.  Confessions offers readers a deeply personal account of one man’s transformation through faith. Augustine’s vivid storytelling, coupled with his profound theological insights, makes this work not only a reflection of his life but also a meditation on universal themes of grace, redemption, and the search for truth. For anyone grappling with life’s more profound questions or seeking to understand the power of faith, Confessions remains a compelling and thought-provoking read. 

Augustine's Confessions is in the public domain and can be obtained for free at many libraries and online. If you'd like to obtain a personal copy, here is a link to the copy I recently read.

 

  

Trust in God's Provision: A Summary of Don't Worry by David Powlison
David Powlison’s article, "Don’t Worry", explores Jesus' teaching from Luke 12:22-34, where Christ instructs His followers not to be anxious about their daily needs. Through the lens of this passage, Powlison offers a practical and spiritual guide for Christians on dealing with worry and anxiety, particularly about material concerns. Below is a summary and reflection on his key points.

Jesus' Teaching on Anxiety
Jesus uses simple, everyday examples to encourage His disciples to trust in God's provision. He tells them not to worry about food, drink, or clothing because life is much more than these necessities. Jesus points to nature — the ravens and the lilies — to illustrate that God faithfully provides for all creation, and if He takes care of these, He will surely care for His people who are created in His image.

The Root of Anxiety: Misplaced Focus
Powlison explains that worry often stems from misplaced trust or obsession with material things, such as money or health. He describes how Jesus addresses this mindset, emphasizing that a person’s worth is not based on what they possess. This insight reminds believers that God’s kingdom and righteousness should be their primary focus.

Worry's Futility
One of Jesus’ crucial statements is that worrying cannot add even an hour to one’s life. Powlison highlights that anxiety is not only futile but also a sign of distrust in God’s ability to control the uncontrollable. Worry, in essence, creates an illusion of control over things we cannot truly manage, leading to further anxiety.

Jesus Offers Better Reasons Not to Worry
Powlison explains that Jesus doesn’t simply tell us not to worry but provides several reasons why we shouldn’t:

1. Life is more than material needs: Our purpose extends beyond what we eat, drink, or wear.
2. God values us more than birds and flowers: If He cares for them, He will surely care for us.
3. Worry accomplishes nothing: It adds nothing to our lives.
4. God will clothe us with more than just physical garments: He promises to adorn us in glory, making us more beautiful than the lilies of the field.
5. The world worries, but believers have God’s promise: Unlike the nations who chase material things, Christians have a heavenly Father who knows their needs.
6. God promises the kingdom: The ultimate security is found in God’s kingdom, not in earthly provisions.

Conclusion: Seek God's Kingdom
The culmination of Jesus' teaching is a call to seek God's kingdom first. When we prioritize the eternal over the temporal, we experience freedom from worry. Powlison ends the article by encouraging believers to trust in God’s faithfulness, to relinquish the need for control, and to focus on giving rather than getting.

In sum, Don’t Worry reminds us that anxiety, while a common human experience, has no place in the life of a believer who trusts in God's provision. Through practical examples and deep biblical insights, Powlison shows us how faith in God’s care can dispel worry and lead to a life of peace and generosity.

This article is based on "Don't Worry" by David Powlison, initially published in The Journal of Biblical Counseling (Winter 2003). For more on biblical counseling, please visit the Association of Certified Biblical Counsellors (ACBC) at their website.  Vol. 21. No 2. of the Journal of Biblical Counseling is available here.