Questions God Asks: Where Are You?

On March 28, 2007, Misty Ann Weaver, a vocational nurse, started a fire in a mid-rise office building in an attempt to delay an audit for her employer, Dr. Robert Capriotti, a cosmetic surgeon. They had fallen behind in getting all the needed documents together, and Misty hoped the fire would buy them time. Instead of buying them time, her actions led to tragic consequences. The fire spiraled out of control, and three people died of smoke inhalation. Misty thought she had plan to cover up the fact that she had fallen behind in completing her assignment, but her plan led to the deaths of three people. On October 2008, she pleaded guilty to three counts of felony murder and one count of first-degree arson. She was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Misty’s story is extreme, but it illustrates a universal truth: our tendency to cover up our mistakes rather than confront them. We all have moments when we try to hide our shortcomings, hoping no one notices. But these actions often have consequences—maybe not as tragic as Misty's, but damaging nonetheless. The question we must ask ourselves is: How have you tried to cover things up in your life?

This isn’t just a rhetorical question; it’s an invitation to reflect. Questions like this help us connect our lives to a deeper truth. We often think of questions as tools to gain information, but they serve many other purposes too: to show interest, to stimulate creativity, to engage others, and to make people think deeply. In Scripture, God uses questions in a similar way—not because He needs information, but because He wants us to pause, reflect, and become mindful of our relationship with Him.

God’s Questions: An Invitation to Reflection

Throughout the Bible, God asks questions—not because He lacks knowledge, but because He wants His people to become aware of their own hearts and their relationship with Him. This is especially clear in Genesis 3:1-13, where God asks Adam and Eve, “Where are you?” after they eat from the forbidden tree. It’s crucial to remember that these texts were written long ago for an ancient culture, specifically the Israelites, who were surrounded by idolatry. These stories reveal the character of God, not to answer all our modern questions but to show the radical nature of His relationship with His people.

In Genesis 3, we witness a fascinating contrast: the humans are described as “naked” (innocent) in Genesis 2:25, while the serpent is described as “shrewd” or cunning. The serpent (whether Satan himself or influenced by him) challenges God’s command, and the woman, in response, adds to it by saying they must not even touch the fruit. This act of adding to God’s word opens the door for further temptation.

The woman’s desire for the fruit and the man’s silence speak to a truth we all face today—our desires and intentions matter. The man’s failure to intervene could suggest he was tempted as well, perhaps using the woman as a test case. Regardless, their eyes were opened, and they realized they were naked. In that moment, they lost their innocence, and the knowledge they gained was too much for them to handle. They tried to cover their shame with leaves, an act that mirrors how we often attempt to hide our own failures.

“Where Are You?”: God’s Call to Vulnerability

When God shows up, Adam and Eve hide, ashamed of what they’ve done. God’s question, “Where are you?” isn’t about finding their physical location; it’s a call to reflect on their spiritual state. God knew where they were physically, but He wanted them to realize their own separation from Him and the opportunity to restore that broken relationship. God then asks, “Who told you that you were naked?” Again, God isn’t seeking information; He wants Adam and Eve to come to terms with their choices and their consequences.

This moment in Genesis stands out compared to other ancient myths of its time because it highlights the possibility of restoration and relationship with God. It wasn’t about condemnation alone; it was about God’s willingness to bring healing. God’s question, “Where are you?” echoes through the ages. He asks us today, “Where are you in your relationship with Me?” Are you hiding, afraid of what God might say or do? Are you covering up your mistakes, pretending everything is okay? Are you blaming others, or are you willing to confess and seek forgiveness?

The Call to Confession

1 John 1:5-10 reminds us that instead of hiding, we need to confess. Instead of blaming, we need to own our sins. Instead of covering up, we need to seek God’s forgiveness. Confession shows that we are mindful and intentional about our relationship with God. It’s not about condemnation but about restoration. God’s invitation is to step out of hiding and move into a place of healing.

Bottom Line: God’s Desire for Relationship

The bottom line is this: God desires a relationship with each of us, regardless of our past or our sins. No mistake is too great to separate us from His love. But we need to be willing to come out of hiding, to confess, and to start the process of reconciliation. It’s the starting point for a renewed relationship with Him.

A Challenge

This week, take time to reflect and confess the obstacles in your relationship with God. These obstacles could be sin, but they might also be doubt, fear, or worry. Don’t take your relationship with God for granted; be intentional about strengthening it. Seek God with honesty, and in doing so, you’ll find that God is already there, ready to meet you.

God’s question isn’t one of condemnation but one of invitation: “Where are you?” How will you respond?

Pursuing Perfection: A Call to Live as God Intends

 

“On the other hand, you must realize from the outset that the goal toward which He is beginning to guide you is absolute perfection; and no power in the whole universe, except you yourself, can prevent Him from taking you to that goal.” – C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

How we live matters deeply to God. If our actions were insignificant, then Jesus would not have needed to die for our sins. Our words and deeds profoundly impact our relationship with God and our witness to others.

Yet, there’s a troubling misconception floating around: that as Christians, how we live doesn’t really matter because we’re bound to sin anyway. Some believe that faith alone is what counts, not behavior. However, this line of thinking misses a crucial truth: genuine faith shapes how we act. If we’re unwilling to confront sin in our lives, it’s a clear sign that our faith isn’t as strong as it should be.

The Biblical idea of perfection is about maturity and completion. To be perfect is reach the goal and be completely mature. This means life is about a progress towards maturity in Christ Jesus.

God doesn’t demand immediate perfection from us. Perfection is the ultimate goal He is leading us toward. What He does require, though, is that we actively work to make the necessary changes in our lives. Through these changes, we grow closer to becoming the people He wants us to be.

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:17 (NLT): “With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.” Similarly, he warns in Ephesians 5:3-5 (NLT):

“Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God.”

When we choose to follow Christ, there must be a visible transformation in our lives. As Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:4 (NLT): “Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you.”

This transformation says something profound about our commitment. If we refuse to adjust our vocabulary, the way we party, the jokes we tell, or the entertainment we consume, what does that reveal about our dedication? It’s tempting to justify our behavior by pointing to God’s grace and forgiveness, but grace is not a free pass to continue sinning. Grace is a safety net, not a license to be complacent. It ensures we don’t lose our salvation for every mistake, but it doesn’t excuse laziness in pursuing holiness.

God’s ultimate desire is to make us holy, as He is holy. Holiness is what biblical perfection looks like. The challenge is that God won’t accomplish this without our consent and cooperation. We must actively participate in the process by striving to change our lives and fighting against the sin that seeks to enslave us. This ongoing battle against sin is the path through which God molds us into His image.

Let’s embrace this journey, knowing that perfection is not just an unattainable ideal but a promise—one that He will faithfully bring to completion as we trust and obey Him. May our lives reflect our faith, drawing us closer to Him and serving as a testimony to those around us.

Be Wise

Robert Fulghum once wrote in the Kansas City Times, "Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in kindergarten." He went on to list simple yet profound lessons: share everything, play fair, say you’re sorry, and stick together. These lessons illustrate an important truth: wisdom isn’t about having vast knowledge or advanced degrees. Wisdom is about how we live, how we treat others, and how we respond to life. Even young children can display wisdom in their actions.

God desires that His people live with wisdom. Wisdom is more than a collection of rules; it’s godly knowledge applied to living well in God’s world. The Old Testament Law wasn’t merely a set of do’s and don’ts—it was a source of wisdom meant to guide Israel in representing God well. Similarly, the book of Proverbs offers timeless wisdom through short, memorable sayings. These proverbs were given to help God’s people navigate life in a way that glorifies Him and blesses others. They remain relevant to us today because living with wisdom transforms not only our lives but also the lives of those around us.

Proverbs 4:5-9 highlights three essential attitudes for living with wisdom: desiring wisdom, prioritizing wisdom, and valuing wisdom.

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I. Desire Wisdom (Proverbs 4:5-6)

The first step toward living wisely is to desire wisdom. To desire wisdom is to recognize its benefits and long for the blessings it brings to life. We often fail to desire wisdom because we mistakenly believe it’s too hard to obtain—that it’s reserved for intellectuals or scholars. However, God offers wisdom freely through His Word, His people, and prayer.

The father in Proverbs encourages his son to pursue wisdom persistently, reminding us that this is a lifelong process. Wisdom is not something we stumble upon accidentally; it requires intentional effort and discipline. Proverbs 4:5 commands us to “get wisdom” and “get understanding,” emphasizing the need for deliberate action. This pursuit often involves spiritual disciplines such as studying the Bible, meditating on God’s truth, and seeking counsel from wise believers.

In verse 6, wisdom is personified as something to cherish and guard, like a close friend. When we value wisdom in this way, we experience its blessings and protection. The journey to wisdom begins with a heartfelt desire to receive it.

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II. Prioritize Wisdom (Proverbs 4:7)

The second attitude we must cultivate is prioritizing wisdom. Desiring wisdom is not enough if we don’t make it a priority in our lives. To prioritize wisdom means to declare it as valuable and worth pursuing above all else.

Proverbs 4:7 tells us, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” This underscores the absolute necessity of wisdom in our lives. When we prioritize wisdom, we position ourselves to live the life God created us to live. This doesn’t guarantee a life free of challenges, but it ensures that we can faithfully represent God in all we say and do, trusting Him to provide for our needs.

Unfortunately, we often devalue wisdom, treating it as an afterthought. We settle for salvation and then muddle through life without asking God for the wisdom He has for us. Yet, God’s wisdom empowers us to bear His image more fully and live as His representatives in this world.

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III. Value Wisdom (Proverbs 4:8-9)

The final attitude we need is to value wisdom. To value wisdom is to recognize its worth and understand that it’s worth sacrificing for. Olympic athletes train for years to compete for a medal—we should have a similar dedication when it comes to pursuing wisdom.

In Proverbs 4:8-9, the father tells his son that wisdom will exalt and honor those who embrace it. When we live with wisdom, we become a blessing to others—not just through our words but through our actions and how we treat people. This kind of life brings recognition and honor, not in a prideful sense but as a testimony to the transformative power of wisdom. The benefits of living with wisdom extend from this life into eternity.

Today, we live in an age where information is readily available. A quick Google search or YouTube video can answer almost any question. But true wisdom doesn’t come from the internet—it comes from God, the one who created us and knows how life is meant to be lived.

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Conclusion

God calls His people to live with wisdom. This wisdom is seen in how we treat others and respond to life’s challenges. It is godly knowledge applied to living well in God’s world. To live with wisdom, we must desire it, prioritize it, and value it.

Living with wisdom glorifies God and blesses others. It helps us navigate life with understanding and grace, often making our lives easier and more fulfilling. More importantly, it allows us to be a blessing to our friends and family by treating them well and sharing truth with them. In doing so, we reflect God’s glory in our words and actions.

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Challenge

1. Read through the book of Proverbs, taking time to memorize a few key verses.

2. Reevaluate your priorities to ensure wisdom takes first place in your life.

3. Reflect on the benefits of wisdom and commit to living in a way that allows others to see its fruit in your life.

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Final Thought

Wisdom is not just about knowledge—it’s about living well in God’s world. Make the choice to BE WISE today.

Philippians: Practical Counsel

 

STOP — Philippians 4:2-9

Summarize

Unity is crucial to a healthy church. Paul asked two women, Euodia and Syntyche, to work out their difference and to continue to work together for the Kingdom. 

Worshipping with joy and living with grace are to characterize the Philippians lives. Rather than worrying they are to pray and through their prayer God will give them confidence and peace so they will be able to stand strong with Jesus.

To live with joy, grace, and confidence they need focus on what is true and good, things that are morally excellency and praiseworthy, because that will shape their thinking. They are to continue to follow Paul’s example and teaching.

Truth

Pay attention to your thoughts because your thoughts shape your attitudes and actions.

Observations

1. Unity is crucial. Euodia and Syntyche were helpful in the mission of proclaiming the Gospel. Their disagreement was a hinderance, so Paul that it was important to address the issue. It is crucial that we do our part to work through the disagreements we might have, because they can be hindering the mission of the church to make disciples.
2. Worshipping with joy is an important spiritual discipline for us to have. It reminds us of the good things God is doing and takes our minds off the difficulties. Rejoicing helps us to remember that God is working all things for good for His people.
3. When we aren’t joyful it is easy to worry. There are plenty of things to worry about, but when we have joy it is easier for us to turn those worries over to God, because we are confident that He will provide for our needs. If we are not praying we are missing out on a huge blessing of what it means to follow Jesus.
4. The biggest blessing of prayer is the peace, the confidence, that resides is our our hearts, helping us in times of doubt, worry, and discouragement.
5. Our thought life is extremely important. We need to be intentional about what we allow our minds to dwell on. This is why all forms of media need to be consumed moderately and wisely. We want our thoughts shaped by the things of Heaven and not the things of this world.
6. In our spiritual formation, having someone who can serve as an example for us is hugely impactful. Paul told the Philippians to follow his example and teaching. Even if we haven’t had a good mentor whom we can follow, we need to be aware that we are examples for our children, friends, and others around us to follow.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, may I be intentional about my worship of You. I want the focus of my life to be on You and not the things of this world so I can continue to grow into the person you created me to be.

Tomorrow: Philippians 4:10-23

Philippians: Lights in the World

STOP — Philippians 2:12-18

Summarize

Paul wanted the Philippians to obey him in this teaching of humility. It wasn’t enough for them to do what is right when he was there, it was even more important to do it when he wasn’t there. When they lived a life of obedience they continued the work of salvation in their life. God would join them in this work. To live in humility and to work out their salvation meant they needed to quit grumbling and arguing, but live as holy people. Their good lives should make them stand out in the world around them. Paul wanted them and him to find joy in their humble obedience as they grew in their spiritual formation.

Truth

Our lives can be a light in the darkness when we follow the example of Jesus.

Observations

1. The Philippians obeyed when Paul was around. They wanted to please him. Now Paul wants to emphasis that they need to obey even when he wasn’t there. Our obedience should not be dependent on who is watching us. True faith leads us to do the right thing even when there is no immediate benefit to us.
2. We miss out on spiritual formation when we neglect living with humility and being obedient. We need to take this seriously, fear and trembling, and not just treat it as a nice optional thing to do.
3. God is at work with us to transform our lives. So our transformation isn’t just about our effort, it is God working in us. We need to trust that He is at work.
4. Two things we need to avoid, things that will effect our unity, are grumbling and arguing. It is our unity and working together in one purpose that helps us stand out, to shine like stars, in this world.
5. Their continued spiritual formation is confirmation that Paul’s efforts are not being wasted. He needed to know that his sacrifice was making a difference.
6. The Philippians should find joy in their spiritual formation, just as Paul did. We need to be joyful in the positive change that happens to those around us because of their faith.

Prayer

Lord God, help me to be obedient. I want to experience the transformation you have for my life.

Tomorrow: Philippians 2:19-30

Philippians: Living is Christ

STOP — Philippians 1:21-30

Summarize

Paul mentioned that his hope (verse 20) that whether by his life or death he would have the courage to bring honor to Jesus. He saw that he had two paths before him. If he continued to live he would be able to continue the work Jesus gave to him to do. If he died he would go to be with Jesus. Paul did not know which to desire. To live meant that he could continue to teach and encourage people to follow Jesus, but to die meant he could experience the delight of being in heaven with Jesus. 

As Paul waited to see what would happen he urged the Philippians to live as citizens of heaven (not just as citizens of Rome) so they could live lives that were worthy of the Gospel. To live this type of life required that they live united as they lived and proclaimed the Gospel. They would need unity and courage because they too would face suffering because of Jesus.

Truth

We need the commitment and courage to live by faith because of the hardships that will come our way.

Observations

1. The dilemma for Paul was real. He loved people and wanted to see them become part of the Kingdom. He also was tired of the suffering he had experienced and was ready to be with Jesus. 
2.  As long as we are alive in this world we need to remember that we have a job to do: make disciples. No matter what we need to continue to do what we can, that includes giving, praying, and living a faithful life.
3. Paul urged the Philippians to live as citizens of heaven. As residents of Philippi they were also citizens of Rome. That was an honor, but Paul wanted them to understand their greater citizenship was to Heaven. They were to live the way God wants His people to live: with love, joy, peace, gentleness...and the rest.
4. The Philippians were granted the privilege of suffering for Jesus. Why is this a privilege? It means that they were living in such a way that the powers of the world wanted to oppose them. When we live as citizens of Heaven, the powers of this world will oppose us. They do not want the light of our lives to shine in the darkness they have created.

Prayer

Lord, grant me the courage and the faith to live a life that is worthy of Jesus.

Tomorrow: Philippians 2:1-4

The Bible is not an Answer Book

 I love the Bible. 

In fact, I believe that people who follow Jesus should be readers and students of the Bible. In the Bible we discover God, His character, and His will. 

Without the Bible we would not be able to follow Jesus or be the people God created us to be.

Last year I lead Bethlehem Church through The Story to give us a good overview of what the Bible is about. One of the things I constantly talked about through that series is that the Bible is gift from God. In all the 30 sermons I preached, I said, “We need to read, study, meditate on, and pray the Bible to be good stewards of the gift God has given to us.”

Even though I have a high view of Scripture, I also understand that it has limitations.

As modern readers of the Bible, we often approach it as if it has the answer to all of life’s questions. That is a primary reason why we  read and study the Bible: to have all the right answers.

Instead of viewing the Bible as an answer book, we need to see the Bible  as a tool to help create a worldview. It may not provide the answers to all the questions asked in our culture, but it does provide a framework that helps us create a Christian worldview.

I have been pondering how we use the Bible the past few days for a couple of reasons.

1. BibleProject has a podcast series that looks at ancient cosmology. One of the key points in the series is looking at how the Biblical account of creation is in dialogue and debate with the other ancient creation myths. 

Many Western Christians, for the past 120 years or so, have used the Bible to provide facts and answers about the beginning of the universe. The problem is that the Bible was not written to answer modern scientific questions. It was written to give God’s people a particular view of the world and to combat the pagan religious views of their neighbors.

Therefore, we shouldn’t expect the Bible to give us definitive answers about the how and when of creation, but we should expect it to give us an understanding about who God is and why He created the world.

2. Preston Sprinkle wrote:

If someone experiences and congruent between their biological sex and their gender, which one determines who they are—and why? What does the Bible say about this question?

That’s the problem. The Bible doesn’t directly ask and answer this question. There’s no verse in, say, Leviticus 28 that says, “If thy gender identity does not match thy biological sex, then thine body is who you really are.” Or whatever. (There is no Leviticus 28, in case you are flipping pages to check.) But the Bible does say quite a few relevant things about human nature and the importance of our biological sex which will position us to cultivate a theologically informed and biblically rooted answer to our question. (Embodied, p. 63)

After doing lots of research, Sprinkle admits that the Bible doesn’t contain the answers to the questions surrounding the transgender conversation. You can’t compile a list of verses that deal specifically with these issues. 

Not only is this true for the transgender conversation, but it is true for many of the questions we have today. Our culture is significantly different from the cultures that the Bible was originally written for. We shouldn’t expect to to have answers to our modern questions.

Since the Bible is God’s gift to His people, we can expect that it will give us a proper perspective to see the world.

It is important to make this shift away from seeing the Bible as an answer book to one that helps us create a Christian worldview.

God did not give us the Bible so we can have all the right answers. 

Rather, He gave us the Bible so we can become the right type of people. 

If we primarily use the Bible to have the right answers, to win arguments, and to point out other people’s sin then we are using the Bible wrong.

The Bible should help form us into the people God created us to be. One of the ways it does that is to create a proper perspective for us to see the world.

Let the Bible form your worldview.

Join the Paul’s Ponderings Facebook Page.

Trust God to Forgive

It is never easy to admit that we have made a mistake. 

The bigger the mistake the more we want to hide it, deny it, or ignore it. 

It is no wonder that we have a hard time confessing our sin, even in our private prayers to God. The result is that we carry around a complex baggage of guilt, shame, temptation, and habitual sin. This reality makes it difficult to accept God’s promise of forgiveness.

I know that I find it hard to confess my sins to God because I am embarrassed about what my sin reveals about my weakness. 

 After all I should know better! 

 “If I truly had faith,” I reason, “this sin wouldn’t be a problem.”

As a result I keep my distance from God. I don’t want to be weak faithless fool before Him.

Perhaps you struggle with asking for forgiveness because you are afraid of God. 

There is a voice inside of your mind telling you that if you confess your sins to God then He will punish you.  

“After all,” you think,  “isn’t God going to judge lawbreakers?”

In his book Created to Be God’s Friend, Henry Blackaby wrote:

Faith is lived out through trust. 

The question we need to ask ourselves is this: Do I trust God to forgive me? 

If we don’t trust God to forgive then we won’t turn to Him and confess our sins. 

Instead we will run away and hide. We will ignore the sin that is ruining our lives. We will do every thing we can think of to avoid God.

For us to trust people we have to believe that they have our best interest at heart.

This means we need to answer this question: Is there any reason why we should trust God to forgive us?

 

The reason we can trust God is Jesus. 

The life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the evidence we need to trust that God will forgive us. This is true, no matter who we are or what we have done.

The writer of the book of Hebrews gave us this gem of truth:

How do we come before the throne of God? 

First, it requires our surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord. If we are not willing to be a follower of Jesus it is impossible for us to experience God’s gift of forgiveness. Jesus is the High Priest who has prepared the way to God. There is no other way to forgiveness except through Jesus.

Second, we need to confess our sins to God through prayer. God knows our sins, and He has declared His willingness to forgive. Yet, forgiveness requires the acknowledgement that we have done something wrong. This is an act of trust, because we need to believe that God has our best interest at heart. So we confess our sin because we trust that God will forgive us.

Third, we need to worship God. From singing praise songs to serving people in need, it is important that we set our hearts towards God. Worship requires the right motivation more than it requires the right actions. We can go through the motions of worship without love and trust. Worship that is grounded in faith is the type of worship that God desires from us.

Living in these bodies of flesh in this world means that sin will be a part of our lives. 

Not only do we need constantly struggle with sin to eliminate it from our lives, we also have to trust God to forgive us when we sin. 

God is gracious and willing to forgive us, but we need to turn to Him and ask for it.

Trust God to forgive you.

A Repentant Heart

As a life long Christian, I know the right things to say.

For instance, when life becomes difficult I know that the right thing to say is, "I am trusting God an His timing." 

I may say that, but the reality is that I am full of worry. Rather than praying and doing the next right thing, I distract myself with scrolling through social media or watching YouTube videos. Then I wonder why God never showed up.

It is possible to say that right words while lacking the faith to believe those words. 

The prophet Isaiah made it clear that God wants to help us. His desire is to show us love and give us life.

Here is the kicker: God is waiting for us.

He is generous and desires to help, but we are not turning to Him for help. We are trying to make it on our own. If we would stop and turn to God the experience of our lives would be different.

What is the answer? 

How do we receive the love God has for us? 

King David in Psalm 51 gives us an insight on how we are to approach God:

David wrote this Psalm after Nathan the prophet confronted him about his sin against Uriah, stealing his wife Bathesheba and murdering him. For a year afterwards David pretended everything was fine, but in reality it wasn't. So when David thought about what he needed to do, in light of Nathan’s words, this is was came to his mind: Repentance.

At the heart of repentance is the denouncement of our actions and declaration of our loyalty to God. 

Repentance requires both.

This isn’t about coming to God through religious piety and tradition. Going through the motions of religion does not move God’s heart. 

What moves the heart of God?

Our heart is what moves God.

We can imitate the motions. 

We can fake the right words. 

What we can't fake is the genuine emotion, motivation, and intention of our heart. There needs to be a genuine sorrow for our evil and a genuine desire to be in a relationship with God for Him to act on our behalf.

God waits for us because He wants us to have a heart that desires Him above everything else in our lives. 

Until we approach the throne of God broken and repentant we will never realize the awesome love God has for us. 

This makes pride the biggest obstacle we have in experiencing the love of God.

When we are prideful we believe we change the circumstance of our lives by ourselves. We pursue happiness the way we think is best. We may say all the right things and go though the motions, but the intentions of our heart is on our plans. 

Our pride keeps us from experiencing God’s love.

I am  tired of mouthing the right things and ignoring God. 

My pride has kept me from admitting my weakness and my need for God’s wisdom and strength. 

I come before God with a humble spirit in search of His love. 

Will you do the same?

Theology of Rights

I have had these three tweets from Skye Jethani rolling around in my head for a couple of weeks.

I follow Skye on Twitter because I occasionally listen to The Holy Post Podcast, which he cohosts. Even through I don't always agree with him, I do find his thoughts to be interesting.

That is how I feel about these tweets. I don't 100% agree with them, but they sure got me thinking.

The part I absolutely agree with Skye about is the need for a corporate theology. American Christianity has developed a very individualized faith. It is all about my personal relationship with God. 

I have written before how we don’t just have a personal relationship with God, but we have a covenant relationship with God. An understanding of the covenant nature of Christianity would go along way to help us grasp the truth that we are part of God’s Global Family, and that our relationship with God includes our relationships with other people.

With that being said, when it comes to the topic of masks and vaccinations more than a corporate theology we need a theology of rights.

The reason I say this is because Americans, even though our Constitution was created to protect rights, have a poor understanding of what rights are. 

This lack of understanding about rights is true for people inside and outside the church. We have many people who want to stand up and claim something as a right to justify what they want to do.

One of the reasons we need a proper understanding of rights is because it helps us navigate these type of conversations.

Do I have the right to choose to wear a mask or not to wear a mask? 

Do I have the right to choose to be vaccinated or not to be vaccinated?

We need a way to determine if something is really a right or if we are using freedom as a  justification for doing what we want to do.

A second reason why we need a proper understanding of rights is because it helps us understand the sacrifice we need to make so we can follow Jesus. 

In Philippians 2:7 (NLT) we read:

Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;

he took the humble position of a slave

and was born as a human being.

Jesus gave up, in other words he sacrificed, his rights in order to save us. 

Looking at this passage through the lens of rights, Jesus saw his rights as something that he could set aside in order to love his Father and to love people. 

Our rights, like all of God’s blessings, are to be used for the good of His kingdom. That means there will be times when we have to set aside or sacrifice our rights in order to love people.

Remember, sacrifice is one of the primary ways we worship God.

For example, I am a big 2nd Amendment guy. I think we have the right to self-defense and to protect the lives of our family and friends. If we believe that, then we understand the sacrifice we make when we lay down our weapons for the sake of the Kingdom.

Having a proper understanding of rights allows us to have the conversation about how we properly use our rights, when we should work to protect our rights, and the when and why we should lay them down to follow the example Jesus.

Here is the bottom-line: A proper understanding of our rights helps us know when a sacrifice of our rights is needed in order to love people.

When it comes to these questions about masks and vaccinations here are a couple of thoughts I have.

It doesn’t matter what your position on masks are, whether they are effective or not, it is not a violation of your rights to wear a mask to spend time with a person who is more concerned about COVID than you are. In fact, wearing a masking is the loving thing to do because it is taking in to consideration the other person’s thoughts and feelings.

When it comes to vaccinations I think things are a little different. 

God created us to be good stewards, and being good stewards includes taking good care of our bodies. I don’t think it is wise or loving to tell a person unsure of the health benefits of a vaccine that they need to be vaccinated in order to show love to other people. This is especially true since there are other ways for a person to protect others, like practicing good hygiene and staying home when you are sick. 

Therefore, as long as a person is practicing good hygiene and staying home when not feeling well, they are not violating the command to “love your neighbor,” because they are doing other things to keep themselves and other people healthy.

Having a good theology of rights would help us know the proper use of our individual rights and us understand when to sacrifice those rights so we can love our neighbor.

Don’t be Lazy in Your Thinking

Many of us live in an echo chamber.

“What is an echo chamber?” You ask.

According to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary an echo chamber is:

a room with sound-reflecting walls used for producing hollow or echoing sound effects —often used figuratively, “Living in a kind of echo chamber of their own opinions, they pay attention to information that fits their conclusions and ignore information that does not.”

To say that we live in echo chambers means that we live in an environment where our worldview is endorsed and confirmed rather than challenged.

I know why we prefer the echo chamber. It is hard word to defend our worldview and think through our beliefs. We would rather be told that we hold the correct beliefs about the world.

Unfortunately, that causes us to miss out on what other people are truly saying. Often, it positions other people as the enemy because they have an opposing view than what we have.

Preston Sprinkle offers some good advice.

I think it is helpful to remember two very important points.

1. Reading or listening to people outside our tribe doesn’t mean we will switch tribes. When I read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins and A Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris I was told to be careful. There was a fear that if I read books by atheist authors I would become an atheist. To have this fear means that we are not very confident about our own positions to begin with. We fear that one little thought from the “other side” could cause our worldview to come crashing down. It is important for us to take the time to learn why we believe the things that we believe.
2. Reading or listening to people outside our tribe opens our eyes to nuances in the different positions. I see this happen all the time. It is easier to create a caricature the other side’s beliefs rather than actually dealing with them. This at the core of what Preston Sprinkle called “lazy thinking.” 

Read books, or listen to, people who don’t think like you.

Not only will you be better equipped to handle their arguments, you might just learn a thing or two along the way. 

The Loyal Leader

William Barclay in his Daily Study Bible: the letter to the Hebrews wrote: 

The real leader, if need be, dies in loyalty. He shows men how to live and is prepared to show them how to die. Jesus, having loved his own, loved them to the end; and the real leader having loved Jesus, loves him to the end. His loyalty never stops halfway. (p. 195)

Wow! What a thought. 

The best Christian leaders are people whose loyalty to Jesus gives them the courage to live a life worthy of Jesus and his sacrifice. These leaders understand that their lives are an example on how to live. This also includes preparing to die well.

This raises the question: Am I prepared to show other people how to die? 

To be honest, it isn’t something have really considered. My main focus has been on how to live well because death isn’t something I have had to face. It is hard to be an example to someone when you haven’t had to experience it yourself.

Maybe that is the wrong way to think about it.

Rather than thinking about the end of life, perhaps we should think about life. When we do something well to the best of our ability we can walk away confident that we did well. If we apply this to the end of life, we can face death with no regrets when we lived by faith, remaining loyal to Jesus.

The true leader in the Church is the person who is loyal to Jesus. 

Doubts may come, hardships may arrive, and persecution may be present, but that leader remains committed to Jesus. He or she is an example of what it means to live by faith, even if that commitment takes them to their death. 

No matter what, they will not forsake their King.

If I am to be the leader my family and church needs, then I have to be an example of loyalty and faith no matter what happens in my life. Attendance my rise and fall, but my confidence remains in Jesus. Health issues may creep in, but I remain faithful to Jesus. 

Loyalty and faith are not fickle. They are committed through the ups and downs of life.

A good leader realizes that his life is on display and that his actions are a powerful testimony of his faith. As people follow his example, they are constantly preparing for the end of their life, because they can face death with no regrets.

Be Different

It is hard to be different and to stand out from those around you. 

I find it easy to go with the flow and to allow myself to be influenced by the very same things that influence the rest of the world. It takes intention and work to go against the current of the culture.

This is exactly what we need to do.

It is essential for people who follow Jesus to live differently from the world. 

The apostle Paul wrote:

Don’t participate in the things these people do. For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true (Ephesians 5:7-9; NLT).

Christians are a changed people. We no longer participate in the same activities that the world does. These are activities that continue bring corruption and sin into God’s good creation. This is why it is crucial for us to live lives of faith.

 How do we do this? 

How do we prevent ourselves from being influenced by the culture in which we live? 

I believe the writer of Hebrews have provided us with some answers to these questions:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven (Hebrews 12:1-2; NLT).

In these two verses we find four actions we must do if we are going to live differently from the world.

First we must remember the witnesses. 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith...

Hebrews 11 is filled with great examples of faith, men and women who trusted God through the ups and downs of life. The writer of Hebrews wanted people be encouraged by these examples. Abraham, Moses, Ruth, David, Esther, Daniel, and the Apostles give us encouragement as we attempt to live faithfully in our culture. Remember, there is a reason God preserved their lives on the pages of Scripture so lets learn from them.

It is also important to remember that through the past two thousand years more and more people have been added to this great cloud of witnesses. On the pages of history and through the years of our lives are more men and women who are examples of what it means to live faithful lives in a culture not aligned with God’s will.

The second action we need to do is remove the hindrances. 

...let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress.

Change is difficult. 

One reason it is difficult is because it means that we are wrong in the way we live. If we were living right then a change wouldn’t need to happen. 

A second reason why change is hard is because of our habits. It is hard to break a habit, no matter how much we may want to be rid of it. Habits are ingrained in the way we do life.

We all have junk in our our lives that needs to be removed. We have self-image issues that rob us of confidence. We have relationship issues that cause problems with those that we are closest with. We have emotional problems (depression, anxiety, perfectionism, guilt, etc.) that need to be addressed. 

All these things hinder us from being the people God created us to be, and so we need to face these issues and deal with them. That might even mean going to a professional for help.

The universal weight people carry is sin. 

 

Yes, the weight of sin is different for each of us, but it is still there weighing us down. For us to get rid of it requires that we attack it, struggle with it, confess it to God, and continually look for ways to uproot it form our hearts. We cannot go with God and allow sin to remain in our lives unchecked. If we are not struggling to rid our lives of sin then we are not living a life of faith.

The third action we must do is run the race. 

And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.

God has created us to do good. 

Doing good is more than just being moral people. Doing good requires that we love and serve our neighbors. I like to say that we have been blessed so that we can be a blessing. 

Running the race that God has given to us is about doing the good works that He planned for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). So when we use the blessings God has given us to bring good into this world, we are running the race of faith.

The final action is to reflect on Jesus. 

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.

Jesus is our ultimate example on how we are to live. He showed us how to love, how to serve, and how to forgive. We must model our lives after his life.

Jesus’s sacrifice is the ultimate encouragement we need to live a life of faith. Knowing that Jesus went through brutal times, to save us from sin, offers us courage when we go through dark times of life and motivates us to remain faithful.

We can only keep our eyes on Jesus by reflecting on his life through reading and studying the Bible. 

I think one of the reasons we fail is because we create an image of Jesus that appeals to us rather than doing the hard work of discovering who Jesus really is. We cannot neglect the study, reading, and discussion that gives us a better understanding of Jesus.

Christians are called to be different from the world. 

It is easy to participate in the activities that help us blend right into our culture. This is why we must fight the hard fight to be different. 

Are you willing to do what it takes to change your life and be different?

An Example to Follow

Show me how a person responds to life, and I will show you what he truly believes.

While it is unfair to judge a person based solely on one or two situations, it is certainly true that choices a person makes over the course of his life reveals what he truly believes.

Our lives, for good or bad, are telling the people around us whether or not we truly have faith in what we say we believe. If we claim to be Christians and yet live lives the resemble the world, then we are telling people that we don’t really have faith in Jesus.

Faith is more than what we confess with our lives, but it is also how we act with our hands and where we go with our feet. If faith is just about what we confess then the only value it has for us is a way to escape hell. Instead, faith is to be the path of transformation.

Not only is faith the path of transformation, but it is also an example to follow.

In Scripture we are urged to follow the example of Abraham (Romans 4:16) and Paul urged others to follow his example (Philippians 3:17). We also know that we have been influenced by the lives faithful people. Our faith is connected to the example they gave to us.

What this teaches us is the importance our lives have in influencing others. Just as the example of faithful people influenced our lives, our faithful example can be a powerful influence in the life of another person.

A life that faithfully follows Jesus provides an example for others to follow.

In sense we have to see ourselves as teachers.

To be a good teacher requires us to be knowledgeable about what we are teaching and the ability to demonstrate how that teaching looks in real life. Humans need examples to help us move from theory to reality.

The Pharisees where part of the religious class of Jesus’ day. They interpreted Scripture for the people and taught them how it applied to their lives.

Yet, they missed a key component in their teaching: they didn’t live what they taught. This is one of the points that Jesus confronted them about.

1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. (Matthew 23:1-4; NLT)

The underlying theology that the Pharisees taught was okay. In fact, on many key points Jesus agreed with the Pharisees. The mistake Jesus highlighted was the burden the religious leaders placed on people with laws upon laws.

These men were able to teach what a faithful life was supposed to look like, but they could not provide the people with an example of what faithful living looked like.

Jesus did not tell the crowd that the Pharisees had bad theology, but that they had bad faith. Jesus urged the crowd to listen to the Pharisees teaching, but discouraged them from following their example.

As Christians who desire to influence the world for Jesus Christ it is essential that we remember that there are two parts to effective teaching: communicating true ideas and letting putting those ideas to practice in your life.

When our lives do not reflect the truth of the Gospel then people will wonder whether or not the Gospel is really the truth.

The best evidence for the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are the faithful lives of his followers.

When we live faithful lives we make the teachings of Jesus come alive.

Without our example Jesus’ teachings remain simply a theory – a nice way to live.

Having the truth doesn’t do us or anybody else any good if we don’t apply that truth to our lives.

The life of faith is the life that is lived based on the truth that we know.

As we live out the truth we believe we become examples for other people to follow. This is how Jesus is able turn ordinary people into lights of the world. Be a light worth following.

Reflecting on a Scandal

I originally posted this to my Facebook page, but thought it was worthy posting here:

This past week the board of directors of RZIM posted this letter concerning the double life of Ravi Zacharias. You can find the letter here Open Letter from the International Board of Directors of RZIM on the Investigation of Ravi Zacharias.

Ravi Zacharias had a ministry that influenced many people. The news that has been confirmed recently of his moral failure is disheartening, especially if he and his arguments helped strengthen your faith. 

In the light of this  I want to remind us of a few truths. First, truth is not dependent on the life of the messenger. When Ravi spoke truth about God, about the condition of the world, and about Jesus all that continues to be true. His grievous sin does not invalidate the truth he taught.

Second, the way that we live totally impacts the message that we have. Unfortunately, the revelation of Ravi’s double life is going to undo all his years of public life. This is why Jesus taught his disciples to be salt and light. Both of those metaphors deal with living in such a way that we are able to influence the world around us. Our lives provide evidence that our message is true. When we don’t live up to the message it will cause people to doubt our message.

Third, we have a choice to make when it comes to sin. It is probably true, as the letter indicates, that more accountably would have prevented some of this from happening, but accountability is overrated when it comes to transforming our lives. Accountability might help us manage the sin, but it falls short of creating holiness in our lives. When we have sin we need to confess it and seek ways to get rid of it. The Holy Spirit is able to transform our lives, but we need to give Him room to work.

The greatest tragedy here is not the moral failure of Ravi but the women he abused and their reputations that were ruined in order protect Ravi’s reputation. This is what should truly break our hearts.

The Spirit and God’s Image

The opening chapter of the Bible tells us a very important truth about humanity.

Genesis 1:26-27 (NLT)
Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

To be created in God’s image means that we are designed to demonstrate His character in this world, to rule with His love, grace, and wisdom (here is the Bible Project video on the Image of God). 

How are we able to do that?

To correctly bear God’s image in this world requires that we are connected to Him. We need God’s wisdom, love, and grace coming into our lives so it can influence the choices we make and the things that we do. 

This is why God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. That was essential for Adam and Eve to live out God’s image in their lives.

The problem is that sin severs that connection we have with God. 

Through our sin we declare that we have the ability to define what is good and bad, what is right and wrong, on our own and in the process we turn our back on God.

This is why we need to be rescued.

God needs to pursue us and make a way for reconciliation, a way for our connection to Him to be restored, to happen. All the different covenants we read about in the Bible remind us that God is making it possible for us to be reconciled to Him.

Jesus opened up the way for us to be reconciled to God. Through him we are able to once again experience the life God created us to live.

John 15:5 (NLT)
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

Jesus is not saying we can do nothing useful apart from him. We constantly see people who are not followers of Jesus do things that are useful, loving, and gracious. What Jesus is saying is that we can’t fulfill our work for the Kingdom apart from him. 

In order to bear God’s image we have to be connected to Him, like a branch is connected to the vine, so we can receive His life. 

What is the source of life that we need from God?

His Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Look at the description of the fruit the Spirit produces in our lives. To live guided by the Spirit means that we are empowered to bear God’s image in the world.

This is one of the main themes of Scripture: to restore humanity to our original design. That can only happen by repenting of sin, trusting Jesus, and being guided by the Spirit.

Be the Evidence

Questions are an important part of having a conversation.

They help us find out more about the other person and they provide us with information that we didn’t have before.

If I am going to have a conversation about God, then certain questions are going to come up. 

Truth be told, while I am a pastor, I am not a “Bible Answer Man.” There are many things about Christianity, the Bible, and God I have questions about.

The process of answering questions helps us think through what we believe and provides us the opportunity to look at the world from a new perspective.

This particular question is a common one. It would be reasonable to assume that if God wanted everyone to know Him that He would make it easy for people to find Him. 

I think at the heart of this question is this statement: "God if You would just reveal Yourself to me then I would believe in You." They justify their lack of faith because God, if He even exists, hasn’t made it obvious to them.  

I can understand why this is a difficulty to believing in God. There are times in my life that I wished God would just prove His existence. Yet, I suspect that wouldn't impact my long term faith very much.

Think about two Biblical examples of people who experienced God in a miraculous way: 

• The nation of Israel in Exodus. These people had experience slavery at the hands of the Egyptians. They witnessed God deliver them from slavery through the use of ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the miraculous provision of guidance and food through the wilderness. They saw how God revealed Himself to the entire nation at Mount Sinai. Moses went up the mountain, and when he doesn't return (forty days and forty nights) the people got antsy. They gather some gold together and made a golden calf to worship. In their worship they proclaimed this is the god who led them out of Egypt (Exodus 19 -32).
• Jesus' disciples. These men heard Jesus teach, witnessed his miracles, and saw him over a 40 day stretch after his resurrection. As Jesus prepared to ascend into heaven he took these followers to a mountain in Galilee. Matthew 28:17 saws; "When they saw him, they worshiped him--but some of them still doubted!" (NLT)  

It is amazing that Israel doubted God and disciples doubted Jesus after all they experienced. We tend to think if we were in their place and were able to witness miracles and see the risen Lord face to face that we would not doubt. I am not certain that would be the case.

These examples show us that a faith built on the evidence miracles is not a sustainable faith. Time has a way of eroding our experiences. Given enough time even the most awesome miracles would loose their impressiveness.

Aside from what theologians call general revelation (the evidence of God discovered in nature), God doesn't make Himself known to everyone. It might be impressive for God to reveal Himself in all His Holy splendor, but how long would that make an impression on people? At the very least it would be something He had to do every generation.

There is nothing God can do, except what He will do when Jesus returns, that will convince everyone that He is real.

That doesn't mean God keeps Himself hidden from people.

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

So God created human beings in his own image.

In the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27; NLT)

God created human beings in His image. To be created in God's image means that we are designed to be His representatives in this world, to demonstrate His character. In other words we are to be walking, talking, and breathing revelations of God. The world should know God because of His people.

This is why Jesus told his disciples: 

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:34-35; NLT)

The world will know that God exists through the lives of His people. May we be the evidence people need.