Author: Jason Smith

How Gender Theory Hijacks the Conscience

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life2 Comments

Identity is a crucial term in the gender debate going on today. The core question being asked is: “How does someone identify?” One lesson plan for kindergarteners currently being used states that gender identity is “how you, in your head, define and understand your gender based on the options for gender you know to exist.”[1]

Gender theory claims that the gender binary of men and women is problematic, and that to say that a person is either a man or a woman is oppressive. But how should Christians who take the Bible seriously understand this argument? And how should we think about those who are born intersex (having ambiguous genitalia)? Does Scripture address these sensitive questions?

How the Cultural Influencers Enlist the Conscience

Not only are school curriculums encouraging kids to reevaluate their gender “assigned at birth” (the gender that matches their biological sex), but adolescents are encouraged to think of gender as a fluid concept. While your biological sex is something fixed all the way down to your chromosomal DNA, it’s argued that gender identity is something that you must decide for yourself. Therapists and peers say, “No one should be able to tell you who you are.”

One teen magazine matter-of-factly asserted: “The truth is, not all women menstruate and not all people who menstruate are women.”[2]

Parents of children who identify as transgender face a significant quandary. Gender therapists tell them that if they don’t affirm their child’s new gender identity and don’t support their decision to have transition surgery, they are not only unloving but putting their children at risk of suicide. Given such enormous stakes, many parents feel compelled to go along with what both their child and the child’s therapist are urging.

These are very real issues facing us, and we should not be glib or sarcastic as we confront them. Every parent I know wants what is best for their child. When faced with the harrowing prospect of losing their child to suicide, what parent wouldn’t do all that was necessary to avoid this?

In fact, many gender therapists pose the question to parents like this: “Would you rather a dead daughter or a live son?”[3]

Beyond the family unit, there is a growing movement in our society that has been outspoken in its support for transgender rights. Those who dissent from this movement are told that anything less than full support and affirmation of a transgender person’s stated identity is both harmful and disrespectful. Given the perceived damage caused by non-affirmers, it’s no wonder why there is now full-throated support for transgender rights in recent years. Who wouldn’t want a more just and equal society, where everyone is treated with respect and dignity? And doesn’t it only make sense to shout down all opposing views who don’t share these values?

In her book Mama Bear Apologetics Guide to Sexuality, Hillary Morgan Ferrer recalls a scene from Kindergarten Cop, where a little boy raises his hand in class to bluntly say, “Boys have a penis. Girls have a vagina.” Ferrer observes, “In 1990, this was considered so obvious that it was part of the joke. Fast-forward 30 years, and a statement like this could be prosecuted as hate speech.” Quite so. According to gender theory, gender identity (being a girl or boy) does not necessarily correspond to objective anatomy. In other words, one’s gender ought to be self-determined, not biologically determined.

Of course, all of this depends on the truth of what is being proclaimed. The transgender movement has worked hard to enlist the conscience as a powerful ally, but what if the consequences of the movement have not been fully considered? Karl Marx saw the world through the lens of “the oppressors and the oppressed.” Many may not realize it, but Marxist thinking has powerfully informed this movement by making two critical assumptions:

1) Transgender persons are victims and oppressed; and

2) Any and all means possible must be harnessed to protect such victims from whatever has been deemed oppressive.

In his book, God in the Dock, C. S. Lewis wisely said:

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”[4]

The point is that whether it is loving or not to affirm a transgender person’s stated identity depends on the deeper questions:

1) Can someone misperceive their gender identity?

2) Are there unintended consequences in affirming someone’s misperceived gender identity?

Many supporters of transgender rights appeal to a compassion for basic human rights and the need to respect all persons no matter what. I applaud this baseline concern for loving and respecting others. However, I have noticed that this compassion is almost always one-sided. For example, why is it that we ought to have compassion and respect for a transgender person, yet ignore the safety, privacy, fair competition, and dignity of women who are adversely affected by these recent changes? As Helen Joyce has written, “A man may be embarrassed if a female person uses a male changing room; a male in a communal female facility can inspire fear.”[5]

The Christian’s Identity

First and foremost, Christians are to find their identity in Christ – not gender or sexuality or anything else. The New Testament teaches that it is in union with Jesus that we are to understand ourselves. Our feelings should not be the basis for identity. Instead, Scripture teaches that we are to above all see ourselves in Christ.

One of the Apostle Paul’s favorite designations for Jesus followers is that we are “in Christ.”[6] By this, he means that we are united to Christ by faith in such a profound sense that what is true of Christ becomes true of us, simply through union with Him. Christ’s righteousness becomes our righteousness. God the Father’s loving delight in the Son is now the privilege extended to us. While distinctions remain – Jesus alone is God, we are not – our identity is now and forever tied up with Jesus our Savior and Lord.

Look at how Paul explained this:

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4, ESV)

Notice all the emphasis on our identity with Christ. Our union with Him should be the controlling center from which we approach everything else in life. As we will see, this doesn’t nullify other identity markers, but it gives us the basis for understanding other aspects to our identity.

The Binary Categories of Male and Female are God-given

The phrase “sex assigned at birth” sounds oppressive; it is meant to. It sounds like the doctor arbitrarily dictated the sex with which you would be identified. But something is clearly ignored in such phrasing. The sex you were “assigned at birth” nearly always – there are exceptions, but they are rare[7] – corresponds with the objective anatomy visible at birth. Throughout history, aside from rare genetic abnormalities, there has been one and only one objective criteria by which to determine whether someone is a boy or a girl: the baby’s biological sex. Isn’t it chronological snobbery to assume that virtually every culture from all of time has been hopelessly wrong about this?

From an early age, Christian parents need to teach their children the goodness of God’s design. They need to know that the biological categories of male and female are given in the first chapter of the Bible and tell us about what God intended when He created us.

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

In the biblical worldview, being a boy or a girl is not a matter of social convention but a true identity marker rooted in the reality of how God formed us in the womb. Children need to know about God’s deep involvement with their creation.

For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth. (Psalm 139:13-15, ESV)

While I have never knitted, I have watched others knit. Something that stands out to me about this activity is the intricacy and care that must be taken as each yarn is woven together individually to form the larger fabric.

That is the level of care with which God formed our bodies. Certainly, we must acknowledge that we also live in a fallen world where babies are born with congenital disorders, such as spina bifida or cleft lip. In the most heartbreaking cases, a disorder is so damaging that the baby does not survive.

Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve, death has been an ugly intruder. Things are not the way they are supposed to be. According to the Bible, sin has so marred God’s good creation that nothing less than a full redemption is needed.

“And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23, ESV).

In truth, none of our bodies are everything they were originally created to be, because they are all plagued by the effects of sin. But one day, they will be redeemed, set free from sin, and made glorious and without defect (Philippians 3:20).

But one thing we must see in Psalm 139 is that God left nothing to chance. There are no accidents in the way our sovereign God forms us. While natural processes of fertilization are involved, ultimately God determines a person’s sex from the moment of conception.

What about Intersex?

It is important to acknowledge that there are intersex individuals who were born with what has been termed ambiguous genitalia. We cannot overlook these individuals who have been created in God’s image and have immense value as human beings like the rest of us. It must be said that intersex is not the same thing as transgender, although many have tried to equate these terms.[8]

The transgender movement has often tried to point to intersexuality in support of their cause. Once again, this is an example where the conscience is enlisted as an ally. If people are born with ambiguous genitalia, so the argument goes, shouldn’t we downplay the significance of male-female differences? Anne Fausto-Sterling has argued that 1.7% of the population is intersex, and therefore it would be more inclusive if we treated gender as a spectrum rather than a binary of male or female.

While this may sound reasonable initially, medical doctor Leonard Sax demonstrates how Fausto-Sterling’s argument misses the mark for several reasons. First, as Sax points out, Fausto-Sterling’s definition of intersex is far too broad, and thus the 1.7% statistic is misleading. As Sax explains, in reality the number of babies born intersex is closer to .018%.  

The big difference here is that while Sax considers intersex to mean “having ambiguous genitalia,” Fausto-Sterling’s definition of intersex includes a broad swath of sex chromosome anomalies that have nothing to do with having ambiguous genitalia. For example, Klinefelter syndrome is a condition affecting .0922/100, where a male’s sex chromosomes are XXY, instead of the typical XY. But Sax points out that these males develop normally phenotypically – meaning they are observably male in every sense. The only difference is that men with Klinefelter syndrome tend to be infertile. Something similar could be said of females who have Turner syndrome (X instead of XX). They tend to be shorter than the average woman, but are nevertheless clearly female. Sax writes, “Girls with Turner syndrome do not have ambiguous external genitalia (e.g., no clitoromegaly), nor do they typically experience confusion regarding their sexual identity.”[9]

Therefore, Sax concludes that Fausto-Sterling’s statistic that 1.7% of babies are born intersex is misleading, and that a more accurate estimate is almost 100 times smaller at .018% of the population. To help us see these numbers more clearly, Sax writes, “This figure of 0.018% suggests that there are currently about 50,000 true intersexuals living in the United States. These individuals are of course entitled to the same expert care and consideration that all patients deserve. Nothing is gained, however, by pretending that there are 5,000,000 such individuals.”[10]

As Sax points out, the other, perhaps deeper flaw in Fausto-Sterling’s argument is that she doesn’t acknowledge that such genetic anomalies are pathological. Genetic anomalies are by definition abnormal and thus variants from what naturally develops in a healthy individual. Again, this does not dismiss intersex people as somehow less valuable; rather, it helps clinicians and their patients assess the best treatment without being hindered by confusion. Thus, male and female remain the healthy norm, and Fausto-Sterling’s whole argument falls apart.

Christians should consider chromosomal abnormalities as deformities demonstrating we live in a fallen world while also remaining committed to the good of intersexuals as persons made in the image of God.

Does the Bible ever address those born intersex? Interestingly, in a context where Jesus affirms that marriage is the lifelong union between a male and a female, He also mentions that “there are eunuchs who have been so from birth” (Matthew 19:12), which demonstrates an acknowledgement of intersex persons. Elsewhere, the prophet Isaiah predicts a future time when eunuchs and foreigners (who were at that time excluded from the covenant community) would be welcomed in and joined to the people of God.

Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
    “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;
and let not the eunuch say,
    “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
For thus says the Lord:
“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
    who choose the things that please me
    and hold fast my covenant,
I will give in my house and within my walls
    a monument and a name
    better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
    that shall not be cut off. (Isaiah 56:3-5)[11]

God’s word of comfort is that despite being a eunuch (whether you were born as such or had surgery) or a foreigner, you too will have the same privileges when you come to the Lord by grace. There is tremendous hope here for everyone, whether you are an intersex person, a person who has had gender transition surgery, or a person whose past is filled with promiscuity (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; note especially “And that is what some of you were”).

It is a reminder that the message of the gospel is that Jesus Christ has purchased eternal salvation and forgiveness for all who would freely come to Him in repentance and faith. The gospel is a message of grace, not works – not even the “work” of fitting traditional gender stereotypes. Isaiah 56 reminds us that while we may never be physically whole in this life, God’s grace promises us wholeness in Christ, and in eternity, a new resurrection body free of distorted desires or abnormalities.

Are Feelings the Arbiter of Truth?

Beyond giving a child a foundational understanding of the body and human identity from the Bible, it’s also worth considering the known harmful effects of gender theory. For example, many teens who were encouraged to transition later deeply regret their decision to listen to such advice. While the data concerning those who have decided to later detransition is not always presented, Abigail Shrier discusses the need to consider this evidence in her book Irreversible Damage.

Shrier writes, “Several studies indicate that nearly 70 percent of kids who experience childhood gender dysphoria—and are not affirmed or socially transitioned—eventually outgrow it.”[12] This contradicts the assumption that the only right response to a child’s experience of gender dysphoria is affirmation.

Parents must recognize that there are numerous cases where a child’s psychological state most needs correction and guidance, not unquestioning affirmation. For example, when a depressed teen really believes they are worthless and has no reason to keep living, that teen needs to be loved and counseled into a new way of thinking about their identity.

First and foremost, they need to know the love of God and the beauty of living for His glory above all else. They need to hear that God identifies with those experiencing emotional distress and anguish. Love and support for someone as a person does not always mean agreement with what the loved one is saying about themselves.

Christian parents need to regularly remind their children that their feelings can lead them astray. Our culture (mostly Hollywood) bombards us with the message “Follow your heart.” But according to the Bible this is getting things backward. The heart is the instrument by which we are to trust our Creator:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV)

This world was designed by God and for God (Romans 11:36), so it only makes sense to have His Word be the fixed reference point by which we test our limited “understanding.” Twice in the book of Proverbs we read:

“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12; cf. 16:25)

In the Star Wars film, The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon Jinn counsels young Anakin Skywalker, “Feel, don’t think.” The Bible says that is terrible advice.[13]

“The heart is deceitful above all things,
    and desperately sick;
    who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, ESV)

Even secular psychologists lend agreement to this conclusion. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt warns about the danger of “emotional reasoning.” Haidt says, “It is challenging to think well. We are easily led astray by feelings and by group loyalties.”[14]

With anything, children need to be reminded to check their feelings with reality, primarily with the truth rooted in Scripture. So when it comes to the question of gender identity, great care is needed. As Shrier explains, there is a growing tendency among therapists to give more credibility to “the ineffable feelings of an eight-year-old” than “chromosomal DNA” when it comes to identity.[15]

So, what should parents do if their child “comes out” as transgender? Granted, the approach will vary based on your child’s age. There’s a difference between a six-year-old repeating an idea he’s heard and a twelve-year-old sharing what she feels about her own gender identity.

While this is no doubt a difficult situation, I would strongly recommend parents not overreact. First, listen. Let your child share how they came to this conclusion. Ask questions, like, “Why do you feel you are now a boy (or girl)?” Without condemning or affirming what they’re saying, listen thoughtfully. Giving them your full attention will demonstrate your sincere love and might lead to further dialogue about this all-important issue. Sometimes children have bought into the idea that if they don’t fit into rigid gender stereotypes, they must be living as the wrong gender.

But what Christian parents must do is compassionately share the truth about gender and identity from a biblical perspective. Listening is never enough, because parents are charged with instructing their children to live according to their God-given identity. And it is through finding their identity in Christ that they will come to know true joy.

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4, ESV)

Feel free to comment or share your thoughts below!

[1] “Genderbread Person & LGBT+ Umbrella,” The Safe Zone Project, http://thesafezoneproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/GenderbreadPersonLGBTQUmbrella.pdf

[2] Abigail Shrier, Irreversible Damage, chapter 3.

[3] Shrier, Irreversible Damage, chapter 6.

[4] C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics, ed. Walter Hooper (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1970), 292.

[5] Helen Joyce, Trans (Oneworld Publications, 2021), Kindle edition.

[6] In the first chapter of Ephesians alone, the phrase “in Christ” is used a dozen times.

[7] Jeannie Visootak and John M. Graham, “Klinefelter Syndrome and Other Sex Chromosomal Aneuploidies,” Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases 1, no. 42 (October 24, 2006).

[8] Mark Olmstead, “When Jesus Agreed With Lady Gaga: What The Bible Says About Transgender Persons,” Huffington Post, August 31, 2017, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/when-jesus-agreed-with-lady-gaga-what-the-bible-says_b_59a813cce4b096fd8876c0d1

[9] Leonard Sax, “How Common Is Intersex?” https://www.leonardsax.com/how-common-is-intersex-a-response-to-anne-fausto-sterling/

[10] Ibid.

[11] In Acts 8:26-39, we see the Ethiopian eunuch fulfill this promise through faith in Jesus as he reads from the scroll of Isaiah just three chapters before this in Isaiah 53.

[12] Shrier, Irreversible Damage.

[13] As an aside, the adult Anakin seems to have fully subscribed to this advice, which ironically leads him to “the dark side.” All you Star Wars fans are nodding right now.

[14] Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff, The Coddling of the American Mind, chapter 13.

[15] Shrier, Irreversible Damage, chapter 6.

The Cry from the Cross

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life1 Comment

By Jason Smith

From Christianity’s inception, critics have wondered why believers put so much focus on the cross. It’s easy to see why this might seem strange. When you read a biography of one of your favorite heroes, you expect it to focus on the life of that person, not their death.

The Gospels are ancient biographies about Jesus. But what makes the Gospels so unusual is that they spend between a quarter and half of their pages focusing on the events leading up to Jesus’s death and then the crucifixion itself. That’s strange. People don’t usually write with such a focus on the deaths of their heroes.

Why in the world would Christians celebrate the death of their leader? Sing songs about His blood? And regularly partake in a meal that highlights His death more than His life?

The Gospel story is written in such a way that none of us could have imagined on our own. It completely goes against our natural way of thinking. The Bible says that the message of the cross confounds even the wisest among us (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). Why? Because none of us could have imagined a crucified God, a God who saves by coming to die.

Don Carson offers this warning:

“I fear that the cross, without ever being disowned, is constantly in danger of being dismissed from the central place it must enjoy, by relatively peripheral insights that take on far too much weight. Whenever the periphery is in danger of displacing the center, we are not far removed from idolatry.”[1]

The Cry

While Jesus hung there on the cross 2,000 years ago, the Bible records Him crying out to God, His Father.

I remember once being asked by someone, “Did Jesus really make a sacrifice on the cross when He died? After all, He was only dead for three days and then He got raised from the dead. Now, His followers worship Him.” The statement took me aback, because I’d never heard someone raise this objection. But it’s impossible to read the Gospels’ account of Jesus’s death without concluding that He indeed made a tremendous sacrifice.

A strange thing happened when Jesus was on the cross. God actually gave meteorological evidence that He was pouring out His judgment on His beloved Son.

Matthew 27:45 says: “From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.” Going all the way back to the Plagues of Egypt in the Book of Exodus, we see that darkness frequently accompanies God’s judgment of sin. It’s a sign of cursing, not blessing. A sign of wrath, not joy.

On Labor Day in 2020, many of us in Oregon remember how eerily dark the Willamette Valley was when the Oregon wildfires were raging. The fires killed at least 11 people and more than one million acres were burned. Whitney and I were driving home from a friend’s house, and in the early evening – when one would expect clear and sunny skies – the sky was a dark and hazy brown with a strange orange glow on the horizon. There was something apocalyptic about it all.

Jesus was crucified in the middle of the afternoon, the brightest time of day. Yet, the entire land as far as you could see was shrouded in thick darkness. How bizarre must that have looked to everyone present.

God is a very visual God. He uses pictures to show us what He is doing. And while Jesus hung on the cross, He was showing everyone two things: this was no ordinary Man and this was no ordinary death. He didn’t want anyone to miss this!

About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). (Matthew 27:46, ESV)

Jesus’s cry is pretty startling. And it is meant to be. Earlier that week, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to the shouts of praise and acclamation. A handful of days later, this same Jesus is spread out on a cross, with the crowds now jeering and mocking Him. And He’s shouting to the heavens, “Why have You forsaken Me? Why have You abandoned Me?”

The Curse

We are meant to stare in wonder as Jesus cries out in despair. Throughout His life recorded in the Gospels, Jesus makes 21 prayers to God, and in every case but one He addresses God intimately as “Abba” (“Father” in Aramaic). Yet here, for the first time in His life, Jesus feels His Father withdraw His loving presence and calls Him simply “my God.”

Every Jew knew that, according to their Hebrew Scriptures, anyone hanging from a tree was cursed by God.[2]

Now, imagine what a Jew is thinking as this spectacle unfolds. The land is covered in darkness. You see a man pinned to a tree, and He is crying out, asking why God has forsaken Him. Everything would tell you that this Man hanging there is under the wrath of holy God. And the truth is that He was under the wrath of God.

Paul even says: 

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.’” (Galatians 3:13, ESV)

Jesus became a curse for us. If you have ever wondered what the horror of hell must be like, here you have it in stark clarity. Although Jesus had never done anything wrong, He is bearing the weight of our sin and guilt. So He cries out in agony.

Psalm 22

Let me say something very paradoxical. And I’ll warn you, it may not sound right, but I absolutely believe it to be true. Jesus’s cry of agony from the cross was also a shout of victory.

Again, that may sound strange. But let me explain. This cry of dereliction actually comes from the first line of Psalm 22: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” It was somewhat common for an ancient Jew to quote the first line of a psalm with the whole psalm actually in mind.

If you have ever wondered if Scripture really transforms our perspective on what we are going through, here is proof that it does. Scripture even gave the Son of God perspective on what He was facing as He hung there from the cross.

And when David wrote Psalm 22 roughly 1,000 years before the Cross, he was actually writing a prophecy about what the Messiah would face at the end of His life. And it is astounding when you see the precision in which Psalm 22 describes the suffering of the Messiah.

The psalm is written as if Jesus Himself was giving His first person perspective from the cross.

But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
    they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
    “let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
    since he delights in him.” (Psalm 22:6-8, NIV)

v. 14 says:

“I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
    it has melted within me.”

v. 18:

They divide my clothes among them
    and cast lots for my garment.

v. 16:

“Dogs surround me,
    a pack of villains encircles me;
    they pierce my hands and my feet.”

This line is especially remarkable. Keep in mind this was written around 1,000 BC, which is 500 years before crucifixion was even invented by the Persians. And yet… who can deny that this sounds strangely like someone being pinned to a cross, with nails piercing both hands and feet? The Bible is God-breathed and when you have a God-breathed text, you have things that just don’t make sense apart from a God who perfectly knows the future.

And as Jesus is looking around and seeing His clothes being divided up, in one sense He’s facing enormous shame as He’s hoisted up for all the crowds to mock Him. But on the other hand, Jesus knew the Scriptures. And He knew that everything taking place perfectly fulfilled Scripture. Those very mocking words intended to tear Him down ended up being the source of His strength. Why? Because He saw that His Father’s plan was being perfectly carried out. And this same principle holds true for us.

Only the God-breathed Scriptures can give us the perspective we need when we’re facing a crisis or tremendous loss.

I was talking to someone who recently lost a family member, and he told me that nothing has given him the sense of peace and calm he needs like poring over the Bible and just letting God’s Word wash over him and settle his heart. When you have roots going deep into Scripture, death no longer terrifies you. You can face your trials with a view to eternity. And you can know that God is with you.

The Choir of Heaven

From all appearances, Jesus looked like a man totally stripped of power – stripped of everything! And yet in reality, no one there was more fully in control of that event. Jesus, as a man, drew strength from Scripture. It gave Him the perspective He needed to see His death as the grand event of redemption history.

But let’s be clear about something. Jesus really was experiencing Godforsakenness on the cross. Jesus wasn’t merely quoting Psalm 22 to draw attention to it. He really was being cut off from fellowship with the Father. So the cry of being abandoned is authentic; it’s not for show.

Hours before this, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus had pleaded with the Father, “If it is possible, take this cup from Me” (Matthew 26:39).

What was the cup that Jesus referred to? Throughout the Old Testament, there are frequent mentions of the cup of God’s wrath being poured out on sin.[3] The cup was a cup of judgment. So Jesus was asking, “Is there any other way for sinners to be reconciled to You, Father?”

But the silence in the darkness was the response. There was no other way. God is holy. So sin must be punished. There’s no Exceptions Clause here. Sin must be punished. So the only way for you and me to be spared from the judgment of a holy God is if there is a Substitute who would step in and bear our sin and punishment for us. All who trust in this Substitute will never have to drink the cup of judgment.

Why do Christians love to sing about the cross? Why is it that in the Book of Revelation, the choir of Heaven is pictured singing over and over, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain” (Revelation 5:12, NIV). The song of redemption will never grow old, because the sacrifice of Jesus is our everything. The children of God will never forget that apart from the cross, they are lost and condemned. Through the cross, our every need is met, the love of God abounds, and our eternity secured. Because Jesus cried out in Godforsakenness in our place, we can cry out to God knowing we are never forsaken in Jesus.

[1] D. A. Carson, The Cross and Christian Ministry (2004)

[2] Deuteronomy 21:23 saysthat a man hanged on a tree is cursed by God.

[3] Isaiah 51:17-22; Jeremiah 25:15-29; Obadiah 16; Revelation 14:10.

What Does the Bible Say about Abortion?

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life1 Comment

By Jason Smith

Some might ask, “Why bring up the Bible when we talk about abortion? Isn’t that a political debate?”

Many people would say the Bible is irrelevant to the issue of abortion. But as a follower of Jesus, I take the Bible to be the authoritative Word of God. Jesus had the highest view for Scripture, and Scripture claims to be the very words of God. It’s good to remember that everyone looks to some authority for shaping the way they view the world. These can include your family, your church, your friends, your professors, the scientific community, or your favorite YouTube channel. But we all have sources of authority, and as a follower of Jesus, I’ve become convinced that the Bible really is the authoritative Word of God.

So, the Bible matters to the question of abortion, because what really matters is what the Creator of everything says about this issue. But I think it’s worth pointing out something first.

Contrary to what many want to say, the abortion debate is not about those on the side of science, progress, and women’s rights versus those on the side of religion, faith, and superstition. That’s how many try to frame the debate in order to stack the deck so that religion and faith look silly. But historically, modern science has its roots in a biblical worldview.

As the great thinker, C. S. Lewis, pointed out: “Men became scientific because they expected Law in Nature, and they expected Law in Nature because they believed in a Legislator.”[1] So true science – going out and exploring this world and trying to discover the law and order in the universe is right at home in a theistic, rather than an atheistic, worldview.

So, when we talk about the nature of the unborn, the Christian wants to know both what can be gleaned from science and what can be gleaned from Scripture. Traditionally, this has been called looking at natural revelation and looking at special revelation.

Choice Is not the Issue

Something else needs to be cleared up. The big question about abortion is not whether someone is pro-choice or anti-choice. Nearly everyone is anti-choice when it comes to rape, genocide, and race-based slavery. People don’t want those choices to be legal, because they are immoral. So, the question isn’t whether you are for or against choice. The whole issue is about the nature of the unborn. Are they a full-fledged human being, imbued with personhood, dignity, and rights, or are they just a parasite, a clump of cells, or some other subhuman creature that can be killed?

On a personal note, something else needs to be said. If you have somehow been involved in an abortion in the past, you need to know that not only does the Bible talk about the unborn child, it also talks about the love, grace, and forgiveness of God found in Jesus Christ. So, you need to know – if that’s you – I don’t write any of this in a spirit of condemnation. I aim to follow the model of Jesus, who the Bible says was “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

So what does the Bible say about the unborn child? Well, one thing I’ll want to show from a handful of passages is that the Bible everywhere affirms both the value and personhood of the unborn.

Why the Incarnation Matters in this Debate

Just a couple months back, we Christians celebrated the Advent of Christ. The truth of Christmas is that God Himself entered this world – not directly to a manger – but through the womb of a virgin. It’s astonishing to consider that the Incarnation – God becoming a man – took place first in Mary’s womb. So Jesus Himself was an unborn child in utero.

There’s a unique encounter we read about in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1. Mary comes to see Elizabeth, her relative, who is also pregnant at this time. So you have two pregnant women greeting each other here. And here’s what we read:

And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.”(Luke 1:41-44, ESV)

This passage has some remarkable implications for the nature of the unborn child. First, notice that word “baby” used. In the Greek, it’s the word brephos. That same word is used in the next chapter of baby Jesus after He is born. That tells us that, according to the Bible, whether the child is unborn or born, either way it’s a baby – not merely a clump of cells or a non-person.

Secondly, notice what Elizabeth says: When I heard your greeting “the baby in my womb leaped for joy” (v. 44). This unborn baby – later known as John the Baptist – is already fulfilling his purpose of pointing others to Jesus. And he does this by leaping for joy. Joy is an attribute of human beings; it indicates personhood. A clump of cells doesn’t have joy. And notice that Elizabeth also calls Mary “the mother of my Lord” (v. 43). Even though Mary was only in that first trimester with Jesus, Elizabeth says she’s already a mother – not a potential mother.

So, everything here assumes the unique personhood of the baby in the womb.

Biblical ethicist Scott Rae writes:

“From the earliest points of life in the womb, Mary and Elizabeth realize that the incarnation has begun. This lends support to the notion that the incarnation began with Jesus’s conception and that the Messiah took on human form in all of its stages, embryonic life included.”[2]

David in the Womb

Let’s look briefly at another couple passages.

In Psalm 51, King David is confessing his sin to God. And here’s what he says:

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
    and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm 51:5, ESV)

Keep in mind, David is confessing his own sin here. But he says that this sin nature is something he’s had, not only from birth, but from conception. To have a sin nature from conception is something that can only be true of persons, who have the dignity of being moral creatures.

Or here again is a passage where David speaks of his life in his mother’s womb:

“You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13, ESV)

David speaks of God’s meticulous care in forming him and knitting him together. And notice he doesn’t say, “You knit the clump of cells that would become me together,” or even, “You knit together the fetus that would become me in my mother’s womb.” No, he says, “You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” So, from conception, that fetus or baby in the womb was David, not some impersonal parasite.

So even though David in the womb was tiny, not yet fully developed, and lacked many functional abilities, he was still at that time David. Though there would be changes in his development over time, there was no change to his fundamental nature at birth or any time before or after that.

And by the way, science supports this conclusion. Dianne Irving is a biochemist and biologist and teaches at Georgetown University. She had this to say:

“Scientifically something radical occurs between the processes of gametogenesis and fertilization… During the process of fertilization, the sperm and the oocyte cease to exist as such, and a new human being is produced.”[3]

Where Does Human Value Come From?

All of us have an inborne awareness that human beings have value. That’s why when the choice is given between saving the life of a drowning dog or a drowning child, the answer should be obvious. Of course, we should care for animals, too, but there is something unique and sacred about human life. But even though we all have the sense that human beings are valuable, this concept has no basis in a secular worldview.

The Declaration of Independence states that:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

It makes sense that if God created us, human beings have equal value and certain natural rights – including the right to life. But if there is no God, where do human rights come from?

Many of my secular friends want to hold on to human rights – they hate things like human trafficking, rape, and racist acts of violence. But the question is, if we all came about through purely natural processes that didn’t have us in mind, then why on earth do we assume human life has value? Wouldn’t we have the same status as pigs and cows and mice and dung beetles?

As Yuval Noah Harari explained in his book Sapiens:

“The idea of equality is inextricably intertwined with the idea of creation. The Americans got the idea of equality from Christianity, which argues that every person has a divinely created soul, and that all souls are equal before God.”[4]

He then writes:

“Homo Sapiens has no natural rights, just as spiders, hyenas, and chimpanzees have no natural rights.”[5] Harari is an atheist, but he recognizes the place that Christianity and the Bible had in introducing the concept of human rights to the world. Without the God of the Bible, he says, this whole idea of human rights and equality is an illusion. This is why having a theistic view of reality is so important.

The Bible teaches that you have intrinsic value – not because you have reached a certain level of development or because you have great hair or are especially smart or have contributed something to society. No. You have intrinsic value simply by nature of being made in the image of God.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness….”
So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
    male and female he created them (Genesis 1:26-27, ESV)

Notice that this is the very first word on human beings in the Bible. The first and most foundational thing God wanted us to understand is that we are made in His image and likeness, and thus have intrinsic value.

That’s why, just a few chapters later we read:

“Whoever sheds the blood of man,
    by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in his own image.” (Genesis 9:6, ESV)

So because we are uniquely created in God’s image and likeness, all humans have intrinsic value. And human life should be protected for that reason. That’s why we should never mistreat others based on skin color, age, sex, or anything else – including whether they are born or unborn.

“But the Bible Doesn’t Mention Abortion”

Here is what some people argue. They say that since the Bible doesn’t explicitly mention the word “abortion,” pro-life people shouldn’t condemn it as a sin. But there’s a real problem with an argument from silence like this. The Bible also doesn’t specifically say we shouldn’t slash people’s tires or spray paint our neighbor’s house or shoplift at 7-Eleven, but that doesn’t mean those things aren’t wrong. Our cultural context is different; but the fact remains that if abortion is the killing of an innocent human being – something that science supports – then it is in fact condemned in the Bible, because all killing of innocent human beings is condemned in Scripture.

Furthermore, I would argue that a case law describing an accidental abortion is mentioned in Scripture. Here’s what we read in the Law of Moses:

“If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.” (Exodus 21: 22-25, NIV)

This law addresses the very specific situation where two people recklessly fight, hit a pregnant woman, and subsequently cause her to give birth prematurely. If no one is seriously harmed, then the husband can demand a fine be paid according to what the court allows. However, if there is any serious harm done, the lex talionis (the principle of retributive justice) ensures that every harm is matched with a proportional punishment.

In the case where either the mother or the baby are killed, the culprit had to face capital punishment (“life for life”). This is significant, because elsewhere in the Mosaic law, accidental killings did not require capital punishment. The killer was still guilty of involuntary manslaughter and would have to flee to a city of refuge until the death of the high priest (Numbers 35:9-15, 22-29). It is significant that God has a far more severe punishment in the case of accidentally killing either a pregnant woman or the baby in her womb than other accidental killings. If God views unintentional abortions this severely, what does He think of intentional abortions?

Commenting on this passage (Exodus 21:22), the 17th century reformer John Calvin wrote:

“…the unborn, though enclosed in the womb of his mother, is already a human being, and it is an almost monstrous crime to rob it of life which it has not yet begun to enjoy…”

It is interesting that Calvin said this based on Scripture and without all the benefits of what modern science tells us about the unborn.

In many passages in the Bible, we are urged to care especially for those who are helpless and need our protection.

“Defend the weak and the fatherless;
    uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 82:3-4, NIV)

Final Word on Forgiveness

Before I conclude, I want to add that the great message of the Bible isn’t that “abortion is wrong.” The big message is the Gospel, which states that our God is full of grace and mercy. He sent His Son Jesus to reverse the consequences of our decisions and bear our sin and guilt in our place.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24, ESV)

That means that because of Jesus’s sin-bearing death, God can heal us of all our sin – including the sin of abortion. All God requires of us is that we get honest with Him, and He’ll wash us clean as we come to Him in repentance and faith.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.(1 John 1:9, ESV)

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below

[1] C. S. Lewis, Miracles, 140.

[2] Scott Rae, Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics.

[3] Dianne N. Irving, “When Do Human Beings Begin?” Catholic Education Resource Center, https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/controversy/abortion/when-do-human-beings-begin.html.

[4] Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens.

[5] Ibid.

Photo courtesy of thewonderweeks.com

How Can I Know God’s Will for My Life?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments

By Jason Smith

If you’re a Christian, it is in you to want to do what pleases God. You don’t want to oppose His will. You’ve had enough of that in your life, and you know how badly that can go. But sometimes you come across situations in life where you’re unsure what God would have you do. And these are just a small sampling of the thousands of decisions we make every day – what to wear, what to say, how to spend time, and what to do first. Life is full of decisions!

Many decisions in life are very much in the moment and either don’t require or don’t allow for a lot of careful thinking beforehand. Other times, you have more time to make a decision, and usually these are the decisions that weigh on you the most when you’re considering what is God’s will. Where should I look for work? Should I marry this person? When should I retire? I want to consider some of the basic principles for knowing God’s will for your life. Then I want to conclude with how this works out in practice, considering the example of how to know who to marry or even whether one should marry at all.

Begin with Biblical Principles

God’s will is that His children would be sanctified – or set apart – in the truth of His Word (John 17:17). As we regularly immerse ourselves in the Word and apply its truths to our lives, it will begin to shape our critical thinking and become the foundational worldview out of which we make all our decisions. In other words, as you submit your mind to God’s Word, God will work in your heart and mind so that you better understand His will.[1] While many assume that Scripture doesn’t speak directly to their situation, I have found that Scripture provides the counsel we need to follow God’s leading. Even though the Bible doesn’t spell out the answer to every specific question, it equips us with the truth and wisdom necessary to make that decision.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV)[2]

The Bible teaches that we are first and foremost to focus on Christ and aspire to become more like Him in all we think, say, and do. Jesus is not only our Savior; He is our example (1 Peter 2:21). As you do this, both the momentary decisions and the prolonged decisions will be shaped by the character of Christ, as revealed in God’s Word.

Ask God for Wisdom

Seeking God’s guidance through prayer and communion with God is essential. Jesus spent the whole night in prayer before choosing His twelve disciples (Luke 6:12). It’s clear that He sought out communion with God before making this all-important decision. Likewise, we are to lay out every decision before the Lord, pleading for the wisdom that only He can give.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:5-6, ESV)

One caution here. We shouldn’t try and demand that God give us a miraculous sign so that we know what to do. I remember wondering about this in the past. For example, if God wants me to try out for the basketball team, can I just ask Him to prove that by having the Portland Trailblazers win their next game?

Should I Put Out a Fleece?

In the book of Judges, we read about a man named Gideon who is told by God that he will have victory over the Midianites, a neighboring tribe (Judges 6:14-16). And so, as a test, Gideon puts out a fleece, asking God to prove this is His will by having the fleece filled with dew while having the surrounding dirt be completely dry in the morning. Sure enough, in the morning, only the fleece is soaked. But that’s not enough for Gideon. He asks God to do the very opposite the next morning – dry fleece and wet dirt (Judges 6:36-40). Once again, God is willing to comply with Gideon’s request. So you could say that Gideon asked God to prove something He had already revealed by giving Him a miraculous sign.

Many people have tried to use this as an example to follow, saying things like, “God wants us to put out a fleece” – i.e., ask God for a miraculous sign so that we’ll know His will. But Gideon’s story is not given as an example to follow. By Gideon’s own admission, God had already told him He would give Israel victory (v. 36). God chooses to comply with Gideon’s request, but not because Gideon is right to ask for this sign. Instead, this demonstrates God’s patience with a weak-willed man who was filled with doubts and lived in a difficult time.

So, before you lay a sponge on your back patio tonight, consider that Jesus said “a wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign” (Matthew 12:39). Also consider that Gideon did not have a Bible. And there’s really no example of someone “putting out a fleece” in the New Testament after the Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost.

The one time you could argue there’s an example of seeking God’s will through some kind of external sign is when, in choosing Judas’s replacement among the Apostles, the disciples cast lots, much like what was done for determining priestly duties in the Old Testament era (Acts 1:26). But I think we have to conclude that this was a very unique situation. The Apostles were the specially commissioned men who represented Christ’s authority in a unique way after Christ’s ascension. Their teaching was authoritative because they had spent considerable time with Christ on earth and witnessed His resurrection. So, it makes sense that they wanted to have a very public event like casting lots for determining the twelfth Apostle, who would be Matthias. No one could dispute Matthias’s authority, because this was done by the Apostles and in front of the church.

Invite the Leading of the Holy Spirit and the Counsel of Loved Ones

All true believers in Jesus Christ are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, and He directly leads us according to Scripture. “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14). The Holy Spirit gives us God-honoring desires, grants us various gifts with which to build up the church, produces spiritual fruit in our lives, and prompts us to obey the Lord. It is incredible to think that God is with us wherever we go in life!

At the same time, there’s an important caution that I should make here. The Holy Spirit will never lead someone to disobey the revealed Word of the Bible. Therefore, you should first seek to understand the moral principles of God’s Word, and not simply “pray about” a moral question, hoping the Holy Spirit will give you a new moral insight on an issue that Scripture already addresses. While the Holy Spirit empowers us to obey and freshly applies biblical truths to our hearts, He will never contradict the Bible He gave us.[3]

I have come across people who have tried to justify a behavior that clearly violates Scripture, stating something along the lines of “The Holy Spirit okayed this one for me.” That is a dangerous position to be in, my friend. While subjective impressions can certainly be helpful in making a decision, they must be tested by the objective Word of God, our primary source for moral truth.[4]

Seeking the counsel of others is always wise, especially those who share the same biblical worldview and faith commitments that you do. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”

Even if you can’t meet with someone personally about a decision, you can read books on the subject. One especially useful place to look for guidance on ethical decisions is in the various Christian teachers of church history. It’s amazing how so many issues we face today are described and considered by great minds from the past. Once again, counsel from others should always be tested against the authoritative Word of God.

Consider the Consequences

A good question to consider when weighing competing decisions is the potential consequences of a given action: What will result if I do this and not that? Paul encouraged the Corinthians to think through what will build their brothers and sisters up as they conduct the worship service:

“What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.” (1 Cor. 14:26, ESV)

Elsewhere, Paul talks about the potential consequences of eating foods that were considered “unclean” in the Old Testament, like pork, in front of a “weaker brother” (Romans 14:13-16). We should consider the long-term consequences of our decisions. The vast majority of bad decisions come from a failure to consider the long-term cost, because our focus is only on the short-term benefit.

An Example of Seeking God’s Will in Action: Who Should I Marry?

So, for instance, if a believer in Christ is wanting to know who they should marry or whether they should even be pursuing marriage, there are some clear Scriptural guidelines to follow:

  1. The person you plan to marry must be a believer. 1 Corinthians 7:39 says that a single person is “free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.” And 2 Corinthians 6 warns against being “unequally yoked with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14). So, the point to be made here is that missionary dating is always a bad idea. Many Christians enter into romantic relationships with non-Christians, trying to convince themselves that they will convert that person before the wedding date arrives. Allow me to be somewhat blunt here. That’s a colossal mistake. God doesn’t want you to even start down the road toward marriage – which is what dating is – if you would be unequally yoked. It’s like trying to unite two people with radically different centers of gravity.[5] This isn’t a matter of “praying about it” to see if it is God’s will. God has already spoken to this issue. Christians must only pursue marriage with other Christians.
  2. You should consider the Scriptural commands related to the marriage relationship, like in 1 Peter 3 and Ephesians 5, and decide if you are willing to submit to what Scripture commands for what your role in that relationship must look like. God calls wives to “submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22) and husbands to “love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (v. 25). If these God-ordained marital roles seem too burdensome to accept, then perhaps you’re not as ready to marry as you may have thought.
  3. If you desire marriage, that’s a very good thing. The Bible says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing” (Proverbs 18:22). Marriage is part of God’s original created design for human flourishing and reproduction. But there’s also a word spoken for those who are called to singleness, particularly in 1 Corinthians 7. The Apostle Paul, a single man, explains that the single life has its benefits. It frees you up to serve the Lord without having to also consider the needs of your spouse (1 Corinthians 7:32-35).
  4. How do you know if you are called to singleness? Well, however long you may be called to the single life, the main point is that you will be able to serve the Lord in a special way if you are single. But if you have a strong desire for marriage, there’s no reason to assume you are called to singleness. After commending the single life as a worthy pursuit, Paul bluntly says “But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion” (1 Corinthians 7:9). In other words, if you are struggling with sexual temptation and long to be married, then by all means, seek out a spouse. Some might argue that this doesn’t seem like a very romantic reason to marry someone, but Paul is simply being realistic about the power of sexual temptation and our need to live pure lives – whether we are single or married. It’s not that Paul doesn’t see other good reasons to pursue marriage, such as a strong attraction to another single person, a desire to have lifelong companionship with two souls knit together as one, and a hope of raising a family together.
  5. Invite the Holy Spirit’s leading and the input of others. The more you intentionally yield this decision to the Lord, the more you will be at peace with whatever direction God leads. Ask parents, family members, close friends, pastors, and confidantes to give their thoughts on the prospective marriage. If you’re afraid to ask someone, it might be that you already sense it is a bad idea.
  6. Who can you see yourself growing old with? Since marriage is a lifelong commitment, it’s worth considering this question carefully. It’s not merely a matter of finding someone who checks all the boxes, such as who will be the best financial provider or who seems to have the most friends. The big issue is: Who do you want to enter into covenant with? Again, the single person is “free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:39). That means that you should marry the one you wish to spend the rest of your days with.

Check Your Motives

Lastly, Scripture encourages us to consider our motives when we weigh various decisions. As Paul says, “If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3, ESV). This somewhat shocking statement should prompt us to consider the intentions of our heart. While we don’t want to fall prey to “analysis paralysis,” it’s also worth examining motives before plunging headlong into a weighty decision. Ask yourself questions like:

  • Is this an action done for the glory of God?
  • Is this an action done in love?
  • Will this build others up or tear them down?
  • Is this in line with what Scripture says?

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

[1] See Romans 12:2 and Philippians 2:13.

[2] See Philippians 2:13; Ephesians 5:10; Hebrews 13:20-21; 1 John 3:21-22.

[3] See 2 Peter 1:21 to see the Holy Spirit’s role in giving Scripture.

[4] See Ephesians 5:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21; 1 John 4:1.

[5] For believers who are already married to an unbeliever, the Bible calls them to stay committed to the marriage vows, but because this will inevitably create friction in the relationship, it is not given as the ideal.

Is the Jesus Story Really Borrowed from Pagan Myths?

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life, Why I Believe3 Comments

By Jason Smith

From the very birth of Christianity, the church has always believed in the virgin conception of Jesus Christ. It is part and parcel of the gospel message. It is an essential, not merely incidental, component for understanding who Jesus is.

While some skeptics would have us believe that Jesus’ virgin conception and divine nature were late inventions by the church, nothing could be farther from the truth. From the earliest sources on the life of Jesus, the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), we have the testimony of credible and early eyewitnesses who said Jesus Himself claimed to be the great “I Am” or Yahweh God.

One famous historian, Dr. William Ramsay, conducted a thorough investigation of every name and location mentioned in the Gospel of Luke and in Luke’s second volume, the book of Acts. Ramsay was an atheist convinced that Christianity was just one more myth of the ancient world. He planned to catalog all of Luke’s errors in order to make the story of the virgin-born Messiah look as ridiculous as the myths of Zoroaster and Zeus.

To Ramsay’s dismay, however, Luke proved to be a top-notch historian. He triple-checked every name and place Luke mentions against every historical record he could find pertaining to the first century. In the end, Ramsay could not deny Luke’s incredible accuracy. Eventually, Ramsay surrendered his life to the Jesus he had set out to debunk.

As mentioned, the Gospels of the New Testament claim to be based on eyewitness testimony, and the authors express a concern for what really happened in the life of Jesus.  Names and places are often mentioned that could only be known by people who were actually there when the events took place. These were people who knew Jesus personally. Most historians agree that Jesus’ mother, Mary, was the primary source for the nativity story found in Luke. The virgin conception was not only based in history, but also a necessary component of the gospel.

Writing at the beginning of the second century, the church father Ignatius wrote:

“For our God, Jesus the Christ, was conceived in the womb by Mary, according to a dispensation, of the seed of David but also of the Holy Ghost.”[1]

The Bible teaches that ever since Adam’s sin, children inherit the sinful condition of their parents.[2] Had Jesus come into this world like you and me, with a mother and father, He could not have been the sinless Savior and spotless sacrifice for sins that we all need. This could only happen if Jesus entered this world through a supernatural conception.

The Myth of the “Jesus Myth”

There are many out there, like comedian Bill Maher, who have tried to say that the virgin birth is just part of the “Jesus myth.” He argues that the Christians plagiarized this idea of the virgin birth from pagan mythologies that had already been around for centuries. But on closer examination, this skeptical claim falls apart. Not only are the pagan stories not really virgin births because they involve a god sleeping with a goddess or woman, but they don’t make any attempt to be rooted in history, as the Gospels do.

In his mockumentary film Religulous, Maher tries to argue that long before the Jesus story, the Egyptians believed that their god Horus, the son of Osiris, was born of a virgin, walked on water, performed healing miracles, died by crucifixion, and was resurrected as savior after three days. Oh yeah, and the film claims this is all recorded in the Egyptian book of the dead written in 1280 BC. This is meant to catch viewers off guard. Wait a minute. The Jesus story sounds just like that!

No doubt, it sounds pretty compelling. The only problem? Almost none of this is based in actual history; this is a deliberate misrepresentation of the facts. As Egyptian pastor Shaddy Soliman said, “If you made this kind of claim in Egypt, people would think you’re crazy.”[3]

The only thing truly accurate about the above description of Horus was that he was indeed supposed to be the son of the Egyptian god Osiris. But before considering the other claims, something needs to be clarified.

With nearly every one of the examples that skeptics like Maher cite, it is painfully obvious that they are mythological. They were not written as historical accounts. In fact, there is really no effort by the authors to root these polytheistic tales in a real historical context. By contrast, consider how Luke begins his Gospel:

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:1-4, ESV)

Luke talks about his account being based on the testimony of eyewitnesses. He says he did his research, following “all things closely for some time past.” He set out “to write an orderly account” so that his reader would have “certainty” about the Jesus story. This is how you begin a work of history, not mythology. He doesn’t start with “Once upon a time,” but instead gives specific names and times when kings and emperors were reigning, so that there would be no question, this is a carefully researched historical account. As it turns out, the real myth is that there even was a “Jesus myth,” since the Jesus story is based on credible eyewitness accounts of history.

Is Jesus Based on Horus?

So what about Horus?

Was he too said to be born of a virgin?

According to author Rice Broocks, here’s what really happened in the Horus myth (brace yourself, it’s pretty gross):

“Osiris was killed and dismembered, and his body parts cast into a river. Isis retrieved his genitals and then inseminated herself in order to get pregnant and have the son, Horus.”[4]

Oookay then. To call that a virgin birth is a bit of a stretch, to say the least. Well, what about Horus performing healing miracles? Nope, there’s no record of him ever healing anyone. What about Horus being crucified? Again, no, nothing like that is recorded other than his hands being spread apart at death. But no cross. No nails. In fact, crucifixion wasn’t even practiced by the Egyptians. So again, the claim doesn’t fit the facts of history. What about rising from the dead? As Broocks explains, in one account Horus is said to be resuscitated, but that is nothing like the Jewish understanding of resurrection where you are raised to new bodily life in glory.

I would encourage those who have been told that the Jesus story is just a copycat of other ancient religions to actually delve into the accounts themselves. Do the research to see if this claim stands up to historical analysis. Ask critical questions. Does the copycat claim make sense of the facts? Where do certain beliefs or ideas show up in historical records? Don’t just blindly accept the claims of those who are bent on making Christianity look foolish.

In most cases, my guess is that these skeptics don’t want the Jesus story to be true, because if Jesus really did die and rise again, then they are undoubtedly accountable to Him; He’s Lord. But if the Jesus story is just a reshuffled version of what was already out there, and it has no grounding in historical truth, they can shunt it aside as another fable and Jesus could be safely ignored along with Zeus and Thor. But what if this retelling is pure fiction?

In his book, Reinventing Jesus, J. Ed Komoszewski writes:

“Only after the rise of Christianity did mystery religions begin to look suspiciously like the Christian faith. Once Christianity became known, many of the mystery cults consciously adopted Christian ideas so that their deities would be perceived to be on par with Jesus. The shape of the mystery religions prior to the rise of Christianity is vague, ambiguous, and localized. Only by a huge stretch of the imagination, and by playing fast and loose with the historical data, can one see them as having genuine conceptual parallels to the Christian faith of the first century.”[5]

The simple fact is that the vast majority of historians today accept that the basic facts about Jesus’ life are rooted in history, not mythology. Not only that, but no historian or scholar ever tried to argue against the Jesus of history for the first 1,700 years following His life. While some disputed His resurrection appearances, nobody tried to argue that Jesus was not a figure of history or that His story was just cobbled together from ancient mythologies. Even today, no historian worth his or her salt will try to deny that Jesus ever existed.

It wasn’t until the Enlightenment that a handful of historians began to argue that since miracles cannot happen (a premise they assumed a priori based on naturalistic convictions), then the story of the miraculous Jesus cannot be real either.

Komoszewski writes:

“As far back as the 1840s, Bruno Bauer began to publish views that the story of Jesus was rooted in myth. Bauer’s greatest influence was on one of his students, Karl Marx, who promoted the view that Jesus never existed. This view eventually became part of communist dogma.”[6]

The Jewish Context of Christian Origins

A glaring problem with this “copycat theory” is that it ignores the Jewish theological and historical context into which Christianity was born. While many forget this, the first Christians were all Jewish. One thing is clear about the Jews of the first century: they utterly repudiated all forms of polytheistic and pagan worship. That being the case, the early Christians would abhor the idea of borrowing ideas about God or worship from the pagan myths of the Gentiles.

It’s clear from the New Testament that the early Christian leaders saw myths as a dangerous threat, not something from which to learn. The Apostle Paul warned his fellow Christians about those who “devote themselves to myths” (1 Timothy 1:4, NIV). He predicted that many, even in churches, “will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:4, NIV). The Apostle Peter said, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16, ESV). The argument that Christians just adopted pagan mythical ideas makes no sense, given their leaders continual warnings to run away as far as they could from myths.

Again, Komoszewski writes:

“The first-century Jewish mindset loathed syncretism. Unlike the Gentiles of this era, Jews refused to blend their religion with other religions. Gentile religions were not exclusive; one could be a follower of several different gods at one time. But Judaism was strictly monotheistic, as was Christianity. As the gospel spread beyond the borders of Israel, the apostles not only found themselves introducing people to the strange idea of a man risen from the dead; they also came face-to-face with a polytheistic culture. But they made no accommodation on this front.”[7]

Is Christmas a Pagan Holiday?

I’ve come across numerous internet bloggers, YouTubers, and conversation partners who try to argue that Christianity so closely parallels the ancient mystery religions that Christians must have just copied them to sound legitimate. This erroneous idea is found on the lips of one of Dan Brown’s characters in The Da Vinci Code: “Nothing in Christianity is original.” The novel claims that everything from Jesus’ virgin birth to His birthday on December 25th to the idea of Him receiving “gold, frankincense, and myrrh” has its origin in pagan mythologies, like that of Mithras.

But this is so inaccurate, it’s almost laughable. None of Brown’s claims stand up to scrutiny. To be as charitable as possible, we’d have to say that he didn’t do his homework when writing the book. More likely, he knew that the sensational sells while the truth is often ignored. It’s simply not true that Mithras was born of a virgin – he was born of a rock![8] Let’s not pretend rocks can be called virgins now. In fact, what you don’t find in any of the mystery religions is anything remotely like the virgin conception in the New Testament – which was also prophesied 700 years in advance in Isaiah 7:14. You have gods like Zeus sleeping with human women and producing beings that are half-man and half-god. But obviously if a god had sex with a woman, then she’s not a virgin.

What about December 25th? It’s true that this was the date chosen by the Emperor Aurelius to dedicate his pagan temple to Sol Invictus, the god of the “Unconquerable Sun,” because it was close to the winter solstice. Since Mithraism was closely associated with the worship of Sol, there is a connection between Mithras and that particular date. But let me explain why that does not mean Christmas itself has pagan origins.

No one knows the actual date of Christ’s birth. The earliest known date for celebrating it was actually January 6th and many Eastern churches still celebrate Christmas on that day. But here’s the important point to be made: The celebration of Christmas preceded the choice of December 25th as the day on which to celebrate. So why do we celebrate it on December 25th? According to historians, we have Constantine, the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, to thank for that. Prior to becoming a Christian, Constantine worshiped Sol Invictus. It seems that in AD 336, the year before Constantine died, he chose December 25th to now be a day for celebrating Christ, not Sol Invictus. In the decades that followed, many popes and emperors argued for appropriating the pagan holidays to demonstrate the redemptive power of Christ.

What about this idea in The Da Vinci Code that gold, frankincense, and myrrh were presented to Krishna at his birth long before the Jesus story? This one is just false. There’s nothing like this found in the story of Krishna’s birth,[9] and I would guess that Brown got this idea from Dorothy Murdock, who has no academic training. While she is a popular writer, many of her claims – such as this one—are roundly rejected by the scholarly community.

The most we could say is that certain cultural practices appear to have overlap between Christianity and ancient pagan religions, but that only makes sense when you consider that by the end of the first century, the vast majority of Christians were former pagans. Nevertheless, there’s good reason to conclude that Christian theology and the Jesus story were not influenced by Mithraism or other pagan mythologies. In the most profound sense, the Christian gospel is both original and unique. The so-called parallels are either gross exaggerations or complete fabrications. All claims to the contrary are evidence of shoddy scholarship and a hunger for the sensational.

Eddy and Boyd make the point well:

“While there are certainly parallel terms used in early Christianity and the mystery religions, there is little evidence for parallel concepts. For example, as we have noted, both Christianity and the mystery religions spoke of salvation—as do many religions throughout history. But what early Christians meant by this term had little in common with what devotees of mystery religions meant by it. To site just one difference, there was in the mystery religions nothing similar to Paul’s idea that disciples participate in the death and resurrection of their Savior and are adopted as God’s children by placing their trust in him.”[10]

So, yes, you’ll find similarities in the general, but you won’t find specific parallels. Christianity is utterly unique in the kind of story it tells. It’s a story of grace – of the one true God coming to the rescue of humanity by being born of a virgin, living a sinless life, dying as a substitute sin-bearer in the place of lost sinners, and rising again bodily. The testimony we find in the New Testament belongs to those who actually saw the risen Christ, felt His nail-pierced hands, and saw Him ascend into the clouds.[11] History records not only His first followers doggedly sticking with the same story from the beginning but also their willingness to die for what they witnessed firsthand. What about the pagan adherents of those other supposed “dying and rising god” myths out there? We don’t have any record of them claiming to see their god in the flesh or being willing to die for this claim. Only Christianity can say this. That’s the power and uniqueness of the Jesus story.

[1] Quoted in Josh McDowell and Don Stewart, Answers to Tough Questions Skeptics Ask about the Christian Faith (San Bernardino: Here’s Life Publishers, 1980), 56.

[2] See my previous article “Does the Bible Teach Original Sin?”

[3] Quoted in Rice Broocks, Man, Myth, Messiah, 119.

[4] Rice Broocks, Man Myth Messiah, Kindle edition.

[5] J. Ed Komoszewski, Reinventing Jesus, 234.

[6] Ibid, 318.

[7] Ibid, 233.

[8] Edwin Yamauchi quoted in Lee Strobel, The Case for the Real Jesus, Kindle edition.

[9] https://www.learnreligions.com/the-story-of-the-birth-of-lord-krishna-1770453

[10] Boyd and Eddy, The Jesus Legend, 142.

[11] See John 19:35; 20:26-31; 21:24; 1 John 1:1-4

The Cradle in the Shadow of the Cross

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for LifeLeave a comment

By Jason Smith

During the Christmas season, our schedule is often crammed with all the festivities to attend, gifts to deliver, and shopping to complete. The race against the clock and the stress of getting things “just right” can be a bit overwhelming. That is why we all could use a reminder to pause, step back, and take it all in. Consider with me what Christmas is really all about.

Selah

The Bible has a wonderful word for this: selah. Selah means stop. Consider. Absorb. Don’t hurry on to the next task to accomplish. Instead, take a deep breath and reflect on the wonder of what God has done out of His unspeakable love for you.

One reason we need to pause is that we often think we have already “figured out” Christmas. We imagine that since we have heard the Christmas story so many times before that we already have a good grasp on it. But, in truth, Christmas is about an event we could never fully wrap our minds around.

“The Word became flesh.” (John 1:14)

We are talking about the infinite becoming finite; the omnipotent One becoming small and weak; the eternal Son of God who created time entering into time itself as the Son of Mary. The Creator entered His creation. The Author wrote Himself into His play.

There is great mystery here. In the words of the Lutheran theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the incarnation is a holy mystery. It’s a mind-bending mystery to consider how divinity and humanity could be so closely intertwined in a single person. And yet, that is precisely what we have with Jesus. He is not merely the greatest man who ever lived. He is the one and only God-man.

His hands were the hands that placed the stars in the sky. His voice was the one that spoke light into existence at the very beginning. His were the eyes that have peered into the soul of every man, woman, and child. Yet, here He was on Mary’s lap, the glory of Heaven was there as a little baby, nursing from His mother’s breast.

And we are meant to pause and wonder, to allow ourselves the time to ponder the incredible truth of it all. As we do that, the Spirit of God opens His glorious truth to us.

We are like the person with impaired vision who went into surgery to have his vision corrected, and when he comes out, he can see color for the first time. “I never dreamed that the sky could be so blue!” he says. “I never imagined grass to be so green.” Although he could see things before, he’s now seeing everything in a brand new way, as it was always meant to be seen.

That’s what we must do as we consider the coming and incarnation of the Son of God. As we stare into the face of the infant in the manger, we begin to see everything and everyone else in the light of God’s glory.

“He Was in the Form of God”

Writing about the incarnation, the Apostle Paul said:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:5-7, ESV)

To say that Jesus existed “in the form of God,” is to say that the Son has always had the nature of God. We typically think of “form” as the outward design, but in first-century Greek, the word morphe (“form”) meant something more like “inner substance” and “nature.” Paul is saying that at no point in time did Jesus ever become a god or graduate to godhood. He always has been and always will be the eternal God of all. The fact that He is the Son of God doesn’t make Him any less divine, because a son always shares the nature of his father.

Paul goes on to say that this Son who has always existed as God “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (v. 6) or clutched. The idea is that the Son didn’t cling to His divine rights so as to avoid coming to our rescue. In fact, He did the opposite. Rather than seeing His divine nature as a reason to overlook us, He saw it as the thing that qualified Him to save us.

“He Emptied Himself”

Now, when some scholars early in the 20th century looked at the text that says Christ “emptied Himself” (v. 7), they assumed this meant He emptied Himself of His divine nature. As if, in order to become a man, Jesus had to shed His deity. But there’s a fundamental misunderstanding here. It doesn’t say He emptied something out of Himself, but that He “emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant” (v. 7). This self-emptying is talking about Christ’s incredible humility – that He who was exalted above all would stoop to such a low and degrading level out of love.

It’s not that being human is degrading; it’s not. We alone are the prized creation made in God’s own image (Genesis 1:26-27). But the Son of God was willing to subject Himself to being servant of all.

Christ didn’t have His Godhood taken away. This might sound like a mathematical paradox, but what we have here is subtraction by addition. Christ emptied Himself – not by losing His deity, but by adding a human nature.

Remember Christ’s words to the disciples when they were bickering about who was the greatest?

“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man [speaking of Himself] came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45, ESV)

How much egg do you think was on their face after that? They had just been arguing back and forth. Peter says, “I’m taller, so I should lead.” James says, “No, I’m smarter, so I should be in charge.” Jesus says, “Guys, stop looking to be served. Even I came here to serve you all and even die for you.” You can bet their mouths were snapped shut after that!

“And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8, ESV)

Once again, “form” here means nature. So Jesus really did become fully human in every way. He wasn’t just wearing a human disguise. And He came as an obedient servant of His Father – all the way to the point of dying a criminal’s death on a cross.

“Even Death on a Cross”

This statement would have been shocking. To say that the cross was God’s idea would have sounded absurd to people at the time. They didn’t think of the cross as something you find on top of churches or worn around a neck. A cross — or stauros in the Greek — would have been viewed as the epitome of shame and agony. The word “cross” is something that even Romans wouldn’t say in polite company, because it conjured up the image of gore and shame.

Crucifixion – which originally was invented by the Persians – and then “perfected” by the Romans was designed to maximize both the pain and shame of the victim. In fact, the very word “excruciating” literally means “out of the cross.” This horrendous experience needed a whole category of its own to describe this level of torture.

Now consider that at Calvary, that was God on the cross. According to this verse, the cross was always the goal of Christ’s coming. This was not Plan B; God had always intended it to happen in this way. The reason for the manger of Christmas is the cross of Good Friday. The Son of God came to this earth as a man ultimately to pay for our sin and die the death we deserved.

Now ask yourself, “How much love is required to willingly undergo that kind of torture for those who are spitting in your face?” Jesus lived out the very humility Paul is calling us to embody. That’s why Paul brings up Christ’s incarnation and death. Earlier, he said, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3, ESV). Who but Christ embodied this perfectly?

It was Christ who looked not merely “to His own interests, but… to the interests of others” (v. 4). At the cross, we see the ultimate act of selflessness – God Himself pouring out His love, enduring the penalty for our sins, so that we could be forgiven in full.

“God Has Highly Exalted Him”

Charles Wesley, who is known for his many hymns, including “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” also wrote the famous hymn, “And Can It be that I Should Gain.”

The first stanza goes like this:

“And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”

When we consider Christmas, we should see a Savior God who was willing to lay aside every privilege and right in order to secure the freedom of those who deserved death. Jesus looked at you and considered your need, and because of His great love, He willingly made that vast journey from heaven to earth. And because He did that, words like “Bethlehem,” “manger,” and “wise men” mean something to us today.

Let’s join Paul in letting the truths of Christmas and Calvary turn out hearts to worship.

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11, ESV)

Have thoughts on this post? Share in the comments below!

“O Holy Night,” Celtic Worship

Is Original Sin a Biblical Idea?

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life, Why I Believe5 Comments

By Jason Smith

One of the hardest Christian doctrines to swallow is that of original sin. To many, it sounds old-fashioned, pessimistic, and puritanical. But what exactly is it?

According to theologians, the term original sin does not describe the first sin of Adam in the garden, although that is a common assumption. Instead, original sin teaches that we have all inherited a corrupt and self-centered nature from Adam. Original sin is the condition of being sinful by nature.

A Little Savage

Throughout church history, various people have disputed this teaching. One somewhat infamous theologian named Pelagius taught that we don’t come into this world corrupted, but rather, morally neutral. He said every human being is free to follow Adam’s bad example or live a morally unmarred life. Much like the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau who came along centuries later, Pelagius believed that man was conditioned to sin by a corrupt society, but goodness naturally flowed from the human heart.

I’m fairly certain that parents everywhere would disagree with Pelagius. No child needs to be taught how to lie their way out of a jam or how to steal that forbidden cookie. Even secular publications recognize this.

The Minnesota Crime Commission issued the following statement in response to the rising crime rate:

“Every baby starts life as a little savage. He is completely selfish and self-centered. He wants what he wants when he wants it – his bottle, his mother’s attention, his playmate’s toy, his uncle’s watch. Deny these and he seethes with rage and aggressiveness, which would be murderous were he not so helpless… If permitted to continue in the self-centered world of his infancy, given free reign to his impulsive actions, to satisfy his wants, every child would grow up a criminal, a thief, a killer, a rapist.”[1]

What this commission observed is merely what Christians have long taught about original sin. King David put this in stark terms:

"Surely I was sinful at birth,
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me." (Psalm 51:5, NIV)

John Calvin explained it this way:

“Original sin, therefore, seems to be a hereditary depravity and corruption of our nature, diffused into all parts of the soul, which first makes us liable to God’s wrath, then also brings forth in us those works which Scripture calls ‘works of the flesh’ [Gal. 5:19].”[2]

Not Just “Mostly” Dead

It is because of original sin that evil runs amuck in this world, and it is the reason we all need the redemption found in Jesus Christ alone.

If I was to guess, I would say the two biggest reasons people don’t see their need for Jesus are:

1) People downplay the majesty of God’s holiness; and

2) People downplay the seriousness of their own sin.

You could think of it like this. The less high and holy God is and the less morally corrupt we are, the less obvious it is that we need a divine Savior. If we human beings are basically good by nature but not everything we could be, then a human solution is all we need. Many would argue this way. What we need is self-improvement skills, a more developed society, or better education.

You ready to hear what the Bible says about us? Brace yourself; it’s not pretty. The Bible claims that we are by nature “dead” in our “trespasses and sins.”[3] We’re not talking “mostly dead” as Miracle Max might put it (The Princess Bride); this is dead dead. It says that we are “sons of disobedience” who follow the devil’s leading, obey the fleshly “desires of the body,” and are “by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”[4] Did I mention that it says the devil has blinded us to keep us from seeing the truth about God’s glory?[5] The Bible traces the problem not merely to bad fruit in our lives, but to the fact that we are spiritually dead at the root.

Ouch! Not exactly a boost to your self-esteem, perhaps. But doesn’t this teaching explain a lot about why we are the way we are? When you look around this world, doesn’t it seem like something has gone drastically wrong with the human race? Why so many wars? Why so much bloodshed? Why is it that you lock your doors at night and need a password to log in to your computer? Why do people have to earn your trust rather than already having it from the time you meet them?

G. K. Chesterton once wisely observed that “Certain new theologians dispute original sin, which is the only part of Christian theology which can really be proved.”

He had a point, didn’t he? When you scour the annals of human history over the last few millennia or when you flip on the evening news, isn’t it painfully obvious that human beings are naturally depraved, just as the Bible teaches.

Interestingly, only Christianity holds this view about our natural condition. No other faith system is willing to say that we inherit guilt and corruption from our first parents. But the Bible gives it to us straightaway as the problem that needs to be solved.

Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be

In his letter to the Romans, Paul says that while we inherit our moral corruption from Adam, there is also a way to inherit a righteousness that is not our own from Jesus.

“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:18-19, ESV)

Notice that Paul says it was not a host of atrocities, but only “one trespass” that “led to condemnation for all men.” Sin is always heinous; it is always an affront to God’s glory and a rebellion against His right authority. We should never again downplay the seriousness of sin after reading this. All it took was a single sin to drag the world down into condemnation. Only one!

If that seems over the top, could it be that we too don’t think sin is all that bad? Isn’t it our nature to relabel our own sins so that they don’t sound so bad?

Cornelius Plantinga Jr. writes:

“Vices have to masquerade as virtues – lust as love, thinly veiled sadism as military discipline, envy as righteous indignation, domestic tyranny as parental concern.”[6]

While we tend to see sin primarily as harming ourselves or others, the Bible makes it clear that sin is first and foremost against God Himself. We can try to pretty it up and make sin sound not so bad, but the reality is that you and I were born with a deep-seated hostility to our Maker. That is original sin. And original sin is the foremost reason the world is “not the way it’s supposed to be.”[7]

God created us to be good, but we’re not. So, what hope do we have?

An Alien Righteousness

Thankfully, the Romans 5 passage above explains that while Adam’s disobedience brought condemnation, another man’s obedience can make many righteous. God the Father sent Jesus into a world mired in sin and already condemned not to destroy us but to save us (John 3:16-18). On the cross, the sinless Jesus took the condemnation owed to us so that through faith in His loving sacrifice, we could be acquitted of all guilt and justified.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1, NIV)

Spiritually speaking, the Bible says that we will belong to one of two men. In Adam, we inherited his corruption at conception and were marked by the associated guilt. In Christ, we inherit His righteousness by faith and are now marked by His redemption through the cross.

R. Albert Mohler said, “Most Americans believe that what their problem is, is something that has happened to them, and their solution is going to be found within. In other words, they believe that they have an alien problem that is to be resolved with an inner solution. The gospel says that we have an inner problem, and the only solution is an alien righteousness.”[8]

Do you believe that?

The Bible says that as long as we identify our chief problem as something external to us (our environment, society, family), we will never see our need for Christ. But the moment we agree with God that it is our sin that has separated us from Him,[9] then we are ready for the alien (external) righteousness of Christ that He lovingly gives us through faith.

Have thoughts on this post? Share in the comments below!

[1] This report is quoted in Charles Swindoll, You and Your Child (Nashville: Word Publishing, 1998), 21.

[2] John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1975), 2.1.8.

[3] Ephesians 2:1.

[4] Ephesians 2:2-3.

[5] 2 Corinthians 4:4

[6] Cornelius Plantinga Jr., Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin (Grand Rapids: Eerdsmans, 1995).

[7] Ibid.

[8] Mohler said this in his talk “Preaching with the Culture in View” at the 2006 Together for the Gospel Conference.

[9] “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.” (Isaiah 59:2, NLT)

Photo by Johnny Greig

Beware a Critical Spirit

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional2 Comments

By Jason Smith

“What gives you the right to judge?”

If you’ve lived in the United States for almost any amount of time, there’s a good chance you’ve heard this question or some version of it. Maybe someone even threw this barbed question at you or someone you know. It’s a question that gets to the heart of some major cultural shifts that have been witnessed in the last several decades. It’s also a question that points to why so many seem fed up with Christianity today.

But wait a minute, someone might say. Didn’t Jesus Himself tell us we are not to judge others?

Judge Not or Judge Correctly?

Perhaps more than any other passage in Scripture, I hear Matthew 7:1 quoted today – by both Christians and non-Christians alike.

“Judge not, that you be not judged.” (Matthew 7:1, ESV)

Seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it? Many will say, “Who are you to judge? Even Jesus said ‘Judge not.’”

Certainly such a command should be taken seriously, if we claim to follow Jesus as Lord. But let’s make sure we are understanding what exactly Jesus meant by this. For example, in another passage of the New Testament, the crowds are quick to criticize Jesus – even calling Him “demon-possessed!” That’s when Jesus showed them the error of their ways and added,

“Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” (John 7:24, NIV, emphasis added)

So, which is it? Are we to judge or not judge? We like simple and straightforward answers to this question, don’t we? And yet, as with so many other areas of human relationships, the answer has to be more complicated than a simple “yes” or “no.”

Let’s consider the Matthew 7 quote in its full scriptural context. After saying “Judge not,” Jesus goes on to say this:

“For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:2-5, ESV)

There’s a lot to unpack here, but if we seek to understand Jesus’ words, we can avoid both errors that people often make. The first error is to think “judge not” is an absolute statement calling us to forsake all moral judgment or critique. The second error is to judge with a Pharisaical or self-righteous judgment.

Pharisaical Judgment

The first thing we need to see is that judgment here is akin to the word criticism. Jesus is chiding those who were eager to make harsh criticisms of others. This is seen in the ridiculous image Jesus paints for us. If you have read this passage before and completely missed Jesus’ use of righteous satire, there’s a good chance you missed what He’s saying.

Imagine someone walking into church with a massive tree trunk sticking out of his eye. To the amazement of everyone around him, the poor guy is somehow unaware of this ocular protrusion. How do you even broach the subject when he’s acting as if nothing is wrong? You then watch as he suddenly approaches one of the gentlemen staring at him in wonder.

“Listen, pal,” says Mr. Tree Trunk. “It seems that no one else is willing to tell you this, but you have some kind of black speck stuck in your eye. Here, I don’t want to embarrass you, but let me see if I can get it out of there.”

To which the other man, still startled by the size of that log, blurts out, “No, no! Thanks, but I think I’ll ask someone else to help with that.”

The whole scene sounds absurd, and yet it makes Jesus’ point perfectly. Jesus talks about things stuck in our eye, because very often our harsh criticism is the result of blindness to our own faults. To criticize someone else when we are struggling with the same thing (maybe even to a greater degree!) is to play the hypocrite.

Why Are We Quick to Judge?

It is part of our human nature that we tend to minimize the seriousness of our own sins and failures while we magnify the shortcomings of others. This can stem from spiritual pride – even if we don’t consider ourselves religious. We all have an inner Pharisee that is eager to make others look worse in order to make ourselves look better by comparison.

Take inventory of your own heart. When you hear about someone else’s failures, are you quick to condemn? Is there a part of you that smiles when others are exposed for wrongdoing? Do you jump at opportunities to show others to be in the wrong simply because you are gratified by being right?

There are times when we might be absolutely right, but the way we are speaking is shortsighted and harsh. Maybe it’s because we’re speaking like someone who has the goal of tearing others down rather than building them up.

Are you better at seeing the good intentions of others or finding errors in their thinking? Too often, we can criticize someone else only to find out later that we had no understanding of their unique situation. Proverbs 18:13 says, “To answer before listening— that is folly and shame.”

The Pharisees felt they had to bolster their self-image, because for them everything hung on being seen as righteous and morally praiseworthy. But when you understand that your righteousness comes from Christ through faith, you no longer feel the need to be superior or self-righteous. When you understand your own guilt has been removed by Christ, you won’t feel the need to find guilt in others.

Why We Can’t Neglect Discernment

Secondly, let’s note that Jesus is not calling for an absolute ban on any and all moral judgments. We’ve already seen that Jesus elsewhere calls people to “judge correctly” or to make sober judgments in the right way. And in Matthew 7, Jesus goes on to say, “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs” (v. 6). Picking up Jesus’ metaphor for those who mock and malign us, how are we to know who the “dogs” or “pigs” are without careful discernment? A little later in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns of “false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (v. 15). If we should never make any moral judgments whatsoever, why would He say, “You will recognize them by their fruits” (v. 20)? To determine if the “fruit” of someone’s life is good or bad, one must make a moral judgment.

But even in the example of the man with a log in his own eye, Jesus tells us to “first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5, ESV)

In other words, Jesus isn’t calling us to stop correcting people who are in error. Jesus is saying that until we have examined our own hearts first and confessed our own sin to God and others, we are in no position to confront others. A good question to ask ourselves before issuing criticism is: “While my situation is different, is this something that I too struggle with in some way?”

God calls all His people to live in holiness, so of course Jesus still wants us to speak the truth in love to one another (Ephesians 4:15). If God calls something “sin,” so should we. Sin is always destructive, and God’s commands are for our good (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). When we keep this in mind, we can warn both ourselves and others against it. Jesus calls the clear-eyed person to help the brother with the speck out of love.

Elsewhere the New Testament says:

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. (Galatians 6:1, NIV)

Confronting a brother or sister in sin is something Jesus explicitly calls His followers to do. But this is so important: the goal must always be restoration. The goal is not to expose, embarrass, condemn, or make an example of someone. To confront someone in love is to say, “I know that what you are doing offends God and can only bring harm to yourself and others in the long run. So please come back to the Savior who loves you too much to let you go your own way!”

Tenderness in tone goes a long way here. That’s why Paul says to restore the person caught in sin “gently.”

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

Let’s remember that Jesus came into this world not to condemn, but to save.[1] If you are at all familiar with the teachings of the Bible, you know it says that every last one of us are sinners. Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.” All includes you, me, and everyone else in the line of Adam. What does that have to do with being overly critical?

Well, if I am a sinner who deserves condemnation but instead receives grace from God, that should radically shape the way I deal with others. As a Christian, I know that Jesus found me when I was lost and showed me incomprehensible grace when I was headed for the ultimate judgment of hell. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NIV). To forget this in my relationships with others is to forget the greatest thing that happened to me.

How quickly we can forget that because of Jesus’ compassion for the lost, He was frequently found with the biggest sinners. Why? Not because the perfect Son of God wanted to join in their sin, but simply because He loved them and knew they needed Him. How ironic that we don’t find Jesus sharply criticizing the sexually promiscuous or the materialistic tax-collectors. Instead, it was for the religious leaders that Jesus reserved His sharpest criticism, the very ones who mocked Him with the label “Friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:19).

Cruelty, slander, and mud-slinging happen in the world. We know that. We know people get canceled and shamed and ostracized without a fair hearing. But that should not happen in the church of Jesus Christ. Jesus does not delight in a church that looks down on a sinner who has lost their way.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who goes after that wandering sheep with the goal of bringing it back to the fold. That should be our hearts, too. And as I look at my own heart, I confess there are times that I’ve jumped to conclusions about people without giving them a fair hearing. That is always wrong, and Jesus calls us to do better than that.

Christians of all people should understand the importance of being slow to criticize. We should take our cues from Jesus and be known for humbly loving those with whom we strongly disagree. We should confront religious hypocrisy while being especially watchful about such hypocrisy in our own hearts.

Question for reflection: Am I more eager to confront hypocrisy in others than I am willing to confront it in my own life?

[1] John 3:18.

Living in Daily Dependence on God

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional1 Comment

By Jason Smith

Guatemala City Dump

As our team walked across the dirt path, mounds of trash stood high on either side of us. A putrid smell filled the warm air. Birds circled overhead. This place was like nothing I had ever seen before.

Up ahead of us, I saw a few kids running around in an open area, playing soccer with what looked like a ball made of cardboard and plastic. I smiled at one of the boys who stopped and stared at us. As we hiked on, I saw a little child standing at the entrance of what looked to be a makeshift house about the size of a garden shed. She stood behind a scrap of wood acting as a baby gate. Her face and shirt were stained. She looked at me with those big brown eyes which are etched into my memory. My wife, Whitney, and I exchanged looks, reading each other’s mind.

This is no place for a little girl.

We were at the Guatemala City Dump, the largest landfill in Central America. Thousands of people come here to forage for discarded valuables they might sell for a paltry amount. But the most astonishing thing of all was that most of them called this place “home.”

“God Is Taking Care of Us”

A gray-haired woman invited us into her home, which was basically a lean-to made of sheet metal and wooden boards. Inside, I saw a little black stove with flies buzzing around what food was there, a couple of recovered shelves, and several filled garbage bags. In the corner of this little hut sat a black dog with a chain around its neck and a fire in its eyes. The dog stood up when we entered and locked its eyes on me. When it began to snarl under its breath, I quickly averted my gaze, praying that the chain kept me well beyond the reach of the canine’s teeth.

We listened as the woman shared her story of how her husband and her ended up at the dump when they had no other option. I don’t remember everything she said, but one statement stuck with me: “God is taking care of us.” I didn’t hear her utter a word of complaint about her life situation.

Despite the stench that filled the air and the bleak sights all round us, there was something remarkable about this place. The people here took care of each other and welcomed visitors like us who came from such a different world. I saw firsthand that love, commitment, faith, and family endured in this community, despite the squalor conditions.

How strange it is that we humans can so easily forget what matters most.

Hearing this dear woman’s story was convicting. It’s easy for me to forget the countless ways God has taken care of me. I have a roof over my head. I have food in my refrigerator. I don’t have to wear the same clothes every day. Throughout the world, there are many people – including many persecuted Christians – who don’t have the very things I can take for granted.

As the Son of God, Jesus knew how fickle our hearts can be. He taught His followers:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25, ESV)

Useless Worry

Jesus said that anxiety rules our hearts when we forget what matters most. Sadly, we naturally tend to fixate on things that won’t last and won’t matter in eternity.

We live in a consumer-driven society. As Americans, we tend to think about what we don’t have, rather than considering all that God has already given us. But, as Jesus points out, this never leads anywhere good.

“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (v. 27)

Have you ever thought about how useless it is to worry? No one ever accomplished anything profitable by fretting about the unknowns. Like furiously spinning your tires while stuck in deep mud, worrying is a pointless exercise. And rather than letting us rationalize our anxiety, Jesus gently calls us out for what worry is at the root: a failure to depend on God for everything. He points to nature as an object lesson for us (vv. 26-30). Our heavenly Father feeds the birds of the sky and clothes the grass with beautiful lilies. So, why would you worry about whether He will provide for you, His dearly loved child?

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” (vv. 31-32)

In other words, do you really think that the One who sees all doesn’t see you and your need? When Jesus says “the Gentiles seek after all these things” He’s referring to the non-Jewish pagans who don’t know God. In other words, to fret about having enough each month is to live like an atheist who denies that a loving God is running the world.

Seeking the Kingdom

Those who have been born again through the all-sufficient grace of God should recognize that such anxious thoughts don’t belong in their heart. To be a child of God is to depend on your heavenly Father for everything in life. Cherish this promise from Jesus:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (v. 33)

Seeking God’s kingdom is pursuing life under His kingly rule, not under the rule of something else. Think of it this way: You are a child of the One with infinite riches. His kingdom is beyond any earthly kingdom doomed to eventually perish.

If you’re like me, then you are frequently tempted to depend on so many other things besides God. Maybe you’re putting your hope in a paycheck, your family, your career, or your own abilities. Such things will only leave us anxious about what comes next. Instead, ask the Lord to cultivate a heart of dependence, where you fully rely on Him for everything in life.

What are you tempted to rely on that is preventing you from saying with that elderly woman, “God is taking care of me”?

Are you living in daily dependence on God, where you can pray “Give us this day our daily bread” and mean it?

*Photo Source: https://www.aroundtheworldinktdays.com/living-in-trash-the-guatemala-city-garbage-dump/

Should I Live My Truth?

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life, Why I Believe2 Comments

By Jason Smith

We live in an age of “anything goes” when it comes to religion or spirituality. If it warms your heart or excites you or if it works for you, then go for it.

Into this cultural context comes the big question of truth. What is it? How do we know truth?

Historically, truth has been defined as that which corresponds to reality. To tell the truth is to say how things really are – objectively and independently of how I feel about it.

Truth and Authority Redefined

Today, people have redefined truth to mean “whatever I strongly feel to be true in my heart.” That’s why you hear people say things like “You’ve got to live your truth” and “Everyone has their own version of the truth.” The truth is no longer understood to be something “out there” that I must go and discover. Instead, it is something that rises up within my own heart. And there’s a reason for that. Truth is a binding word. That is why many will argue that if something is true for someone else, then we should never question it. Otherwise we’re asking others to not be true to themselves. To be inauthentic. To live a lie. Or so the argument goes.

J.P. Moreland explains this line of thinking:

“Today, people are more inclined to think that sincerity and fervency of one’s beliefs are more important than the content. As long as we believe something honestly and strongly, we are told, then that is all that really matters.”[1]

But no matter how much I may passionately believe that something is good for me, that fact alone does not make it true.

Intuitively, we recognize that truth is closely linked to authority. If I get to define what is true for me, then I am my highest authority, and I don’t have to answer to a truth that stands outside of me or to a God who determines what is true.

Despite how common this claim is in our culture, the reality is that you and I don’t get to decide what is true. Trying to elevate our feelings and opinions to the level of moral truth doesn’t change the fact that when God declares something to be so, it is true for everyone.

Truth and Love

This doesn’t mean that personal experiences don’t matter. One well-known political commentator has a famous line: “Facts don’t care about your feelings.”[2] It’s a witty slogan perfect for bumper stickers. But the problem I have with most bumper stickers is that they often leave something wanting, something left unexplained. While I agree that facts don’t care about your feelings, followers of Jesus should care. We belong to One who showed incredible compassion for the lost, the hurting, and the misled.

In the Gospel of Matthew, we read this of Jesus:

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

Elsewhere in the Bible, we read this of God:

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13-14, BSB)

While truth should never be sacrificed in the name of love, truth is best delivered in the context of a loving relationship. Try as we might, we cannot have one without the other. Truth and love act as preservatives for one another. When you try and separate them, they both spoil.

Why We Need a Transcendent Authority

Many in American culture fail to understand that in order to determine whether something is objectively right or wrong, we must have a transcendent authority. Only a God who has created us and therefore holds authority over us can decide whether something is right or wrong. Whenever a higher authority is rejected, people get to pick and choose whatever is right for themselves. The biblical book of Judges is centered on how dark things become when everyone lives by their own version of morality.[3] Which is why all this talk about “living your truth” is really just a declaration of autonomy and liberty from all moral restraints. As Fyodor Dostoevsky said, “Without God… everything is permissible.” Families suffer, societies are ruined, and even whole nations are destroyed by such a poisonous philosophy.

Despite all those claiming the right to decide what is morally right for themselves, I still believe that everyone knows there is a transcendent moral standard that stands outside of them; it’s unavoidable. Our consciences bear witness to the fact that God’s law is written on our hearts (Romans 2:14-16). Deep down, none of us can deny that we are all beholden to this standard.

All you need to do is watch what happens when someone is mistreated by someone else. Sure, you can claim all day long that “everyone should just live their own truth.” But the moment your car stereo is stolen or a store overcharges you or you get penalized for something you didn’t do, suddenly your blood begins boiling and you feel the need to cry out, “You can’t do that! That’s not fair!” The moment we are harmed personally, our moral indignation betrays what we really believe: There is a transcendent moral standard to which we are all accountable, despite our frequent claims to the contrary.

After all, how could anyone ever say the Holocaust was evil or the Jim Crow laws were unjust or what the terrorists did on 9/11 was wicked unless there really is a transcendent moral standard embedded in the nature of God Himself? We all know it’s not enough to say, “I don’t personally like those things, but I’m not going to foist my version of truth on someone else.”

The Oldest Lie in the Book

In the book of Genesis, the serpent came to tempt Eve to eat from the one fruit that God had forbidden. We’re told that “the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made” (Genesis 3:1). In other words, he was an expert strategist. He had really thought this through. In order to entice Eve into rebellion against the One who had formed her and loved her, he had to point out something that she didn’t yet have. Despite all the delights of living in a beautiful garden with a husband who adored her and a God who met her every need, the serpent touched on the one thing she did not have: the ability to determine good and evil for herself.

After she initially objects to violating God’s single prohibition, the serpent assures her:

“You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5, ESV)

That was the bait that convinced her to eat the fruit. Being like God. Standing in His place. Knowing good and evil as He does.

Well, how does God know good and evil? Not by experiencing both good and evil – the Bible everywhere denies God can sin – but by determining what is good and evil as only a moral authority can. So to be like God is to decide for oneself what is good, beautiful, and true. Eve believed the satanic lie that she could live her own truth and not face any consequences. “You will not surely die,” the serpent had said.

The Truth Will Set You Free

When Jesus of Nazareth walked this planet, He talked a lot about truth. Because we’ve inherited the sin nature from Adam, we are by nature truth suppressors.[4] Jesus explained that we fall for the same old lie that duped Eve. And just as she and Adam ran and hid from God, we all run from the truth. To be more precise, Jesus said we don’t want to know the truth about ourselves. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says:

“For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:20-21, ESV)

Jesus came into an already condemned world to bear our condemnation.[5] He said that apart from Him we are trapped in the darkness of deception. On the other hand, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a call to repentance and surrender. To repent is to admit we have gone wrong – that our version of the truth is not, in fact, the truth. When we surrender our lives to Jesus, our sins are forgiven (including the sin of distorting the truth) and our minds are renewed. From that point forward, we’re called to live in line with the truth of the gospel.

To sum up – yes, we should speak the truth in gentleness and love, not abrasively.[6] Yes, we need to be sensitive to the feelings, personal convictions, and experiences of others. Yes, we need to respect those who are different from us. After all, in the biblical worldview they are made in the image of God and thus imbued with unfathomable dignity as His precious creations.

But let’s stop claiming things that can only mislead: “People should be able to determine what is right and wrong for themselves” or “Everyone needs to live their own truth.” As followers of the One who claimed to be “the Way, the Truth, and the life,” we need to surrender to the truth as He defines it in His Word. 

"I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right." (Isaiah 45:19, ESV)

Living my truth might be the worst thing I could ever do. Instead, I am called to live God’s truth.

[1] J.P. Moreland, Love Your God with All Your Mind (NavPress: Colorado Springs, 2012). Kindle edition.

[2] This is conservative commentator Ben Shapiro’s line. For the record, I agree with much of Shapiro’s moral reasoning. Of course, because Shapiro does not believe the gospel, he and I just don’t see eye to eye on the solution to moral problems.

[3] This was the repeated message in the very dark book of Judges: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:24)

[4] See Romans 1:18-20; 5:12. According to the Bible, the universal sin is that human beings have “exchanged the truth about God for a lie.” We worship things of this world, rather than the Creator of this world.

[5] Romans 8:1-3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 10:11-14; 1 Peter 2:24.

[6] Ephesians 4:15; 2 Timothy 2:24-26.