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What Does it Mean That “God Won’t Let You Down?”

3. Are Miracles Possible?, Theology and Christian Apologetics

We often hear in popular Christian songs and from pulpits that “God is never gonna let me down!” or “God hasn’t failed me yet!” Besides the tragedy of grammar (I mean, how does God not fail you yet?), what does that mean? What does the Bible actually say about this? Does God actually make all things possible for you? What does it mean when people say that He won’t fail you (yet) or let you down?

What DOESN’T it mean?

First, I want to say what it isn’t. This does not mean that we expect or demand God to do what we think He should do. It doesn’t mean that God is required to give you what you’re having all the faith in the world for. This might be hard for some people to accept but hear me out and let me hash this out more.

Even David in the Old Testament did everything he could possibly do, begging God, fasting, and believing that his son would live. Sadly, God did not give him what he asked for. God didn’t heal David’s son. One of my favorite stories in the Bible is Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They refused to bow their knee to the idol, and when threatened with death, they said that God could deliver them. But even if He doesn’t, they won’t bow to the mob. God delivered them, but they knew that in God’s sovereignty, that might not have been the case. Many people in the Old and New Testaments didn’t get delivered. Does this mean God let them down? Did God fail them? No. It means we understand our place and limited power, and we trust God even if He doesn’t give us what we think He should.

Many times I’ve seen people assume that God made them a promise or that God spoke to them when in reality, this wasn’t the case but an assumption on their part. They move forward with making decisions in their life, thinking that God’s stamp of approval is on it because they think, He’ll never let me down! He won’t fail me! He wants this because I can feel it! Then they’re crushed when it doesn’t happen and might assume that God has failed them or let them down. God not letting us down doesn’t mean we won’t feel pain, get hurt, make mistakes, or that He won’t let bad things happen to us.

What DOES it mean?

What it does mean is that even when bad things happen or things don’t go as planned, you are always in His hands as a child of God. There’s no better place to be when things go wrong. It means that He is faithful even when life is kinda terrible. He goes through it with you. I think of Paul and the disciples in the early church and the torture and pain they endured. I think of the Christian martyrs around the world that are in hiding every day and sometimes killed. I think of the Mom or Dad who has lost a child, a horrendous experience that they have to live through every day. I think of the person who is having doubts about their faith or the prodigal child who’s out to have a good time. The thing that sets the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob apart from all others is that He’s with you in it. He walks alongside you, not leaving you alone and abandoned. He endures it with you and never leaves you or forsakes you. Compare this with how God describes other idols in the Bible:

“Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.” Jeremiah 10:5 (NIV)

“Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.” Psalm 115:4-8 (NIV)

It’s about love

I once read in a book about world religions that, in the author’s opinion one of the biggest differences between the Christian God and all other false gods could be summed up in one word: love. God became a human, His own creation, to redeem us when we did not deserve or even want it. The maker of the universe was broken for the sins of the earth. He continues to draw us to Him, wanting us to repent and follow Him. This doesn’t mean we don’t go to Him with our requests or prayers. We should ask in boldness and faith. It should mean that our love for Him isn’t contingent on whether He gives us what we want or not. He’ll never let us down because He is Good, the Great I AM. He’ll never fail because He has promises in Scripture about His character and identity.

To sum it up, God not letting you down has more to do with Him than with us. It’s about knowing His nature, knowing who He is, and the wonders of His glory and character. He is the standard of goodness, love, power, holiness, justice, wisdom, and grace. It’s worshipping a God that is in control, knowing that we can believe and have faith and ask God for anything. But then, letting God be God and trusting that for the believer, for His children, His ways are perfect. That no matter what, He’s our perfect Father.

Jesus Wasn’t a Refugee

Culture CrossExamined, Jesus Christ

It seems that every few years, Christians must deal with a new cultural narrative about who Jesus is and what He came to do. Contextualizing turns into syncretism. Jesus’s name is mixed in with the “gods” of the people. Suddenly we have different versions of Jesus made to fit contemporary expectations, more palatable to the masses. White Jesus. Hippie Jesus. Activist Jesus. And now, refugee Jesus.

Let me be clear: I think people’s intentions can be pure. People are trying to do the right thing bringing Jesus to our level. But making God in our own image or in the image of the culture has long-term ramifications that don’t end well and muddle the identity of Jesus and the Gospel.

Forget that He was a monotheistic Jewish Middle Easterner, following the Law of Moses, who claimed to be God in the flesh and died for the sins of mankind.

Bor-ing. We need a new Jesus. A relevant Jesus. A Jesus that gets us.

How to Contextualize

I have no problem with Christians helping people understand who Jesus is and why He came, especially for those who don’t understand or might have a wall up to His teachings. I’ve seen Christians wisely use the cultural times to their benefit. But this is always done in context with the Bible and who Jesus actually is. Hence, where we get the word “contextualization.” We’re not settling for partial truths and political bias, but seeking the whole truth and correcting bias. Paul was probably the best example of this. He says in 1 Corinthians 9:20-22:

“To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” (NIV)

Notice something: Paul met people where they were at without compromising what was true about Jesus. This is brilliant. He sought to understand so he could be understood.

He did not make Jesus a Gentile to win gentiles. He did not make Jesus a sinner to win sinners. He did not make Jesus a politician to win at politics.

Get Out of Your Echo Chamber

There’s a big difference. We need to identify with the culture on some level when it comes to preaching the Gospel. I repeatedly see people refusing to leave their echo chambers to reach the lost. It’s as if they’re set in their ways and are almost cynical to the “youngins” and their weird hair, clothes, and language. We need to seek to understand the culture to reach them. But we don’t do this by deceiving people. Jesus was not an immigrant or a refugee as we’d see it today. As a child, Scripture records Him and His family fleeing from one part of the Roman Empire to another. But He returned home. Refugees find refuge in another country because they don’t or can’t return home. People conflate this story in Jesus’ childhood with our understanding of refugees today. It’s like nobody seeks to understand Jesus’s story. They exaggerate this to make Him culturally relevant today. We make it about us instead of Him.

Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is At Hand

He cared for the poor, helped the hungry, and healed the sick. But that’s not ultimately why He came. He came to save souls and tell people to repent of their sins. Yes, Jesus invited everyone to the table, but the problem is that not everyone wants to sit with Him! John 3 says that people love their darkness. They don’t want to come to light, to Jesus, because their sins would be exposed. This is the heart of humanity. It’s not like Jesus is saying, “come sit at the table and stay who you are because there’s no judgment here!” No. He confronted people like you and me with hard truths. He cared about you changing. He cared more for your heart than just your outward actions. Would we sit at the table with Jesus if we knew He would look deep into our soul and know our darkest sins and He would call us to repent from them? This is a more challenging Jesus for the masses to accept, but this is nothing new.

It seems rather anachronistic to think of Jesus as some sort of social justice warrior. Activism, as we know it today, would make no sense to Jesus back then. So, when we cram Jesus’s 1st-century culture into our 21st-century world, we drastically change His message. He isn’t our political mascot. He’s The Son of God, the Lord of all.

¿Podemos legislar la moral?

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By Melissa Dougherty

Since the 1960s, there has been a dramatic decline in moral ethics here in the United States. Some would argue that it has been in a steady decline since the beginnings of humanity, as I would put it. However, here in the United States, the phrase “legislating morality” has come up more and more. Depending on the generation, many people have not heard this phrase or even understood what it means. Some use it as a cliché term to throw at the person who tries to promote certain morals that should or should not be permissible.

I say that, like the argument that there is “no absolute truth,” saying that we cannot legislate morality is simply self-refuting. Everyone everywhere knows intrinsically what is right and wrong. Many people would realize that it is obvious to enforce the law to distinguish right from wrong. As Romans 2:15 says, God’s law is written on our hearts. This is echoed in our Declaration of Independence as well. However, what morality are we talking about? First, one must determine whether morality can and should be legislated.

How can morality be legislated?

The brilliance of the Founding Fathers was to avoid the inevitable pendulum swing that many governments fall victim to by finding a middle ground. Instead of appealing to religion or a secular government, they appealed to the moral law to make their case. They then legislated those unalienable laws and rights into the Constitution. What makes this so clever is that it prohibits the government from establishing a national religion, but it does not prevent it from establishing a national morality. Their appeal to the moral law is not limited to just the United States. They appeal to an authority that many cultures and peoples have appealed to in the past. The Founding Fathers believed that these freedoms were morally right and needed to be preserved through legislation. This is literally legislating morality! This is also in the First Amendment. The government cannot establish a state-supported religion and will not force people to practice a particular religion. Unlike the popular political rhetoric we hear, this is not meant to shut up religious people.

Spoiler alert

No one needs the Bible to distinguish right from wrong. We know this intrinsically. That is why we see cultures appealing in some way to the moral law. They did not get together and decide this. Separated by thousands of miles, across all continents, without ever communicating, people knew this law.

Fascinating!

However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a suppression of this within us. This is where it gets muddy. This is not only true for the far-left secular humanist, but also for the far-right. When making rules around society or individually, we appeal to this law. But it’s not always black and white. There are those who want to enact Old Testament law in the United States. At the other extreme, secular humanists want to restrict any religion in our country. They want to eliminate any appeal to a Higher Being. Both are wrong.

What should be legislated is the moral law.

These self-evident truths are consistent with many biblical principles because of their common source: God. The purpose is not to create a Christianized country. The purpose is to create a moral one. This raises a question about whose morality. Should the individual decide for himself what is right and wrong? Or should we appeal to a higher standard than our own? This is a central question in this debate.

The thing is, without God… All we have left is the self.

As history has shown, forcibly establishing divine rule over non-believers does not work and is quite damaging. The same idea applies to forcing people to abandon their moral compass for vices. Secular humanism reinforces the desired authority of the “self.” As Natasha Crain says in her book Faithfully Different, feelings are the ultimate guide, happiness is the ultimate goal, judging is the ultimate sin, and God is the ultimate guess. For example, this is why when we debate someone who is pro-choice, they cannot ultimately say when life begins or what exactly is in the mother’s womb. They must appeal to the mother’s subjective perspective and say that it is up to her to decide what that is. Ultimately, they must suspend truth and reality to be consistent with secular humanism.

Right and wrong are not determined. They are discovered. The moral law is self-evident, but people have a way of suppressing this when it interferes with their own desires. As already stated, when our country was founded and the Declaration of Independence was written, Thomas Jefferson appealed to the moral law. This avoids the intolerance of a highly religious government and the moral relativism of a secular government. It is clear which way the pendulum is swinging in our country and why appealing to the moral law on which our country was founded is the obvious answer. This only works if people actually follow these rules.

The moral law is not an invented morality, but an inherited one. If we take away this law, there is no objective standard norm. In other words, relativists do not really have “morality.” Morality is doing what is right, not what someone finds desirable for their particular life or situation.

Recommended resources in Spanish:

Stealing from God ( Paperback ), ( Teacher Study Guide ), and ( Student Study Guide ) by Dr. Frank Turek

Why I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist ( Complete DVD Series ), ( Teacher’s Workbook ), and ( Student’s Handbook ) by Dr. Frank Turek

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Melissa Dougherty is a Christian apologist best known for her YouTube channel as a former New Ager. She holds two bachelor’s degrees, one in Multicultural Early Childhood Education and another in Liberal Arts. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies at Southern Evangelical Seminary.

Translated by Yatniel Vega García
Edited by Mónica Pirateque

Original source of the blog: https://bit.ly/3o0VZQo

April 14, 2023/by Guest

Cinco señales de la madurez espiritual

Español

By Melissa Dougherty

We all want to be wise in our spiritual walk. We want to progress and make good decisions that will pay off in the long run. We long to live wisely in all areas of our lives and be an example to others. But what I have seen is that the path to get there is not always the easiest. In my experience, I have witnessed what we would consider mature Christians who truly live according to these characteristics. But I have also seen others who lack them. Today I want to share with you five signs of what I consider to be proof of spiritual maturity. These characteristics have a biblical basis and are observable by the way some Christians behave in certain situations.

1.) They react according to the Scriptures and based on the character of God and not according to their feelings and emotions.

The most spiritually mature people I know are also the most emotionally mature. They make their decisions in accordance with the wisdom of Scripture and logic, and the fruit of the Spirit is visible in their lives, especially the part about self-control. They take time to think and evaluate situations and treat others the way they want to be treated. They do not project their faults on others and are conscious of this in their interactions and when expressing their judgments and opinions. They think before they act. They usually have a witty and intentional sense of humor but without humiliating or offending others. They are an example of what is written in James 1:19, where it says to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. They obtain their values from the Scriptures and also follow them. All of this is placed above their emotions and with this they avoid making hasty decisions or having emotional outbursts. Did you know that there is an IQ to measure general intelligence? Well, there is also an IQ for “emotional intelligence,” and I have found that spiritually mature people also have a high IQ for emotional intelligence. Costi Hinn once said, “A mark of maturity and self-control is having enough control over your emotions to be able to understand those who disagree with you.”

2.) They listen more and talk less.

In the previous point I referenced James 1:19. People who live by this passage tend to be more interested in the person they are talking to and avoid unnecessary arguments. And they don’t get offended by everything. I read a post on social media that said, “An immature Christian is hard to please and easy to offend.” Luke 6:45 says that people show good or bad things depending on what is in their heart. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Restraining your mouth is directly related to what is in your heart, and it is especially seen in what is said on social media. If you only have a hammer, everything will look like a nail. But spiritually mature Christians are different. They are people who seek first to understand and then to be understood. They try to respond to their listeners from a place of love grounded in love for God. They weigh the other person’s perspective even when it is contrary to their own. But they are not condescending when theological errors appear. They can sort out and decide which topics to avoid and which to delve into, and they are able to engage in deep conversations without arguing every time. Proverbs 15:1 says that a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. They look to others for spiritual advice and answers, and they welcome their shortcomings to be pointed out to them.

3.) They have a marked sense of humility.

They don’t seek to be above others. After observing them I realized that they live to serve, and they live like that in ministry too. They are like strangers or go unnoticed (even though everyone knows who they are!) They have a healthy self-confidence, and it is normal for them to be interested in others. They don’t always do it with the intention of teaching them something, but they instinctively know how to ask questions, they are easy to get to know others, and they treat everyone with respect because everyone is made in the image of God, especially when they don’t agree with them. They don’t tend to rebuke those who have a different opinion than them, nor do they demonize things they don’t approve of. They show love as described in 1 Corinthians 13. They are kind, patient, not boastful, they rejoice in the truth, and they seek God’s glory, not their own. In my experience, these Christians don’t brag about “having discernment” or “being humble.” They just show it off. They don’t need people’s praise for what they do. They do what they do to please God and God alone. But without being indifferent to others. This is easily visible by the way they treat, converse with, and love others. When they make mistakes, they have enough awareness and humility to recognize that it is necessary to make amends and admit their mistake. They don’t get defensive and if necessary, they take steps to change.

4.) They are self-aware.

A spiritually mature person can read an audience and is aware of how others perceive them. They show restraint in their social behavior. They are people who are able to control themselves during conversations and know when and in what situations they should step back to reconsider their feelings. They are aware that they represent Jesus and that their actions and words have consequences. And more than that, they are sharp-witted enough to understand how their words and actions will affect others. James 3 tells us a lot about controlling our tongue. He compares the tongue to the rudder that steers a great ship. In verse 5 it says, “So the tongue is a small member, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how a great forest is set on fire by a small fire!” James 1:26 says, “If anyone thinks he is religious but does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.”

5.) They set healthy boundaries and have authentic discernment.

Not every occurrence or feeling is attributed to a sign from God or interpreted as the movement of the Holy Spirit, nor do they consider that everything they think, feel or hear is the Holy Spirit speaking to them. They do not boast about their ability to discern. They just do it. They learn to develop discernment without resorting to paranoia. They are not conceited about the vast spiritual experiences they have lived, or how intense they were, or even about their great intelligence. They are like any person who comes to listen to a conversation believing that they can learn something from the other person, even though they know more than the one who is speaking! They do not listen to them in order to ridicule them later. They also know when to say no and when to say yes. A spiritually mature person knows that the word “no” is a healthy response. They know how to honor God with their time and they know their personal limits. They have enough common sense to know when to enter into a conversation, event or activity and when to leave. And they are equally aware of where God wants them to be. They prefer to trust in what God will do as they persevere in prayer and reading the Scriptures rather than being carried away by their moods that change every day.

In short, they are the living example of what Galatians 5:22-23 says: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” And they also live out what we find in Hebrews 3 regarding living a life of obedience.

So by their fruits, you will recognize them.

Recommended resources in Spanish:

Stealing from God ( Paperback ), ( Teacher Study Guide ), and ( Student Study Guide ) by Dr. Frank Turek

Why I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist ( Complete DVD Series ), ( Teacher’s Workbook ), and ( Student’s Handbook ) by Dr. Frank Turek

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Melissa Dougherty is a Christian apologist best known for her YouTube channel where she features content from a former New-Ager . She holds two associate’s degrees, one in Early Childhood Multicultural Education and another in Liberal Arts . She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from Southern Evangelical Seminary .

Translated by:

Translator Gustavo Camarillo
Edited by Monica Pirateque

Original Blog Source: https://bit.ly/41fvOEj

March 17, 2023/by Guest

What Does it Mean to be Unequally Yoked?

Apologetics for Parents, Culture CrossExamined, Theology and Christian Apologetics

Many people see “unequally yoked” in a Bible verse or hear it in conversation and seem to have one of two thoughts come into their mind: (1) Make sure I’m equally yoked with my spouse, or (2) Why does Paul care about anyone’s egg yolks, much less them being equal?

As important as getting good protein matters, this verse definitely doesn’t have anything to do with poultry. And some are surprised to learn that it’s not limited to marriage. I want to help break this down more.

What is a Yoke Anyways?

A yoke is a wooden beam that connects two large animals, like oxen, and helps them work equally and together. They carry the burden of work together. It would be attached to a plow or cart, and they’d pull it simultaneously as partners. Basically, they’re teamed up together. So with that in mind, let’s read the scripture:

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with the devil? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 6: 14-18 (ESV)

With the description of being “yoked” together, picture the image of the oxen yoked together, and imagine that they’re uneven, that one ox is yoked improperly, and it’s off balance. This causes the cart to go uneven, and the oxen cannot work together. This causes them to go around in circles or stop altogether. I also envision a three-legged race where people have their legs tied together, and they have to work together to get to the finish line, but one person either refuses to move, or they were tied incorrectly, and they can’t work together because of it. One person is just dragging the other like a bag of rocks, trying to progress but can’t.

What is the Context?

As with any passage of Scripture, it’s helpful to know who’s writing, why he’s writing, and whom he’s writing to. Paul is writing this letter to the Corinthian church to defend his authority and denounce people who were twisting truth. There always seemed to be moral issues within the church, and in both letters to the Corinthians, Paul addresses this. In chapter 6, Paul just got done addressing the Corinthian’s belief that Paul “restricts” them.

Paul loved the Corinthians, and he wanted them to know that. In chapter 6 verses 11-13, He says that they feel hurt by him and restricted, but he’s saying, no, I’m not restricting you. He’s saying that they’re restricting themselves, ironically, through their affection to the world and pride within themselves.

This is so familiar, isn’t it? We see this today, too, where people think it’s “unloving” or “judgmental” to even talk about moral restrictions.

With that as a backdrop to the verses about being unequally yoked, we can better understand why Paul would use that as an example. Paul is speaking to the overly broad affections of the Corinthian Christians. They had joined themselves —yoked themselves— to unbelievers, preventing their reconciliation with Paul. Paul is saying not to yoke together in this way because it causes damage to their relationship with God and other believers. The idea of “do not be unequally yoked together” is based on Deuteronomy 22:9, which prohibits yoking together two different animals. It’s talking about joining two things that should not be joined. Like ketchup on ice cream. Or using turpenoid with acrylic paint.

Or like pineapple on pizza. (Fight me.)

Many people use this passage when talking about marrying an unbeliever, which is true, but Paul is talking about much more than just that. It really applies to any environment where we let the world influence our thinking to the point that we compromise our beliefs or syncretize with theirs. In other words, it’s “conforming to the world,” as it says in Romans 12:2.

“Unequally yoked” refers to any environment where we let the world influence our thinking to the point that we compromise our beliefs or syncretize with theirs.

On the other side, some people use this verse to say we should never even be around or have anything to do with people with different beliefs than we do, and that’s just demonstrably false. Jesus didn’t even do this. What Paul is not saying is that we should never associate with unbelievers. The idea is to be in the world but not of the world. We’re not meant to be theological hermits in our religious echo chambers, only associating with people that agree with us. This isn’t biblical and doesn’t follow the biblical command to make disciples in Matthew 28 or to know what we believe and why we believe it, as it says in 1 Peter 3:15. We hide our light under a bush, and Jesus says not to do that, we need to let it shine. This doesn’t mean that if we have a weak conscience or struggle with being impressionable or people pleasers, we need to put ourselves in spiritually dangerous positions. We each need to discern our sensitivities and be wise about them. But that doesn’t mean we need to treat unbelievers with contempt or develop a superiority complex within ourselves by using this verse as an excuse to never associate with people of a different viewpoint or beat Christians over the head if they’re kind or friendly with unbelievers.

That’s simply unbiblical and frankly pretty unhealthy, in my opinion.

I mean, here we are speaking about yokes… some people place an impossible yoke on others, placing a burden that Jesus came to relieve. They use this passage in an extreme way, as a weapon, almost against their fellow brethren. There is no pleasing them. They completely miss the point of the passage.

But isn’t it more loving to share their yoke?

The difference here has a lot to do with boundaries. The Corinthian Christians thought, much like people do today, that it’s “loving” to accept people’s sin along with righteousness, darkness along with light, the devil along with Christ. When Paul says not to be unequally yoked, I’d like to think of it as the first-century version of the coexist or tolerance sticker. Don’t be a coexist sticker. You can’t just add the love of God without renouncing evil.

The best example of the context of what Paul is saying here is to look at the behavior of the Corinthians and see that he’s saying that they thought like worldly people, not like godly people. Because of their unhealthy ungodly associations, it caused them to stumble and sin. Paul is correcting this and trying to reconcile with them.

To be yoked together with someone means that you are in a compromising partnership with them, and you’re compromising your beliefs to do it. It’s a type of syncretism. This is mixing the Christian message with the more culturally accepted beliefs around you and making a hybrid sort of Christianity that seems to work for everyone. But really, it’s for the purpose of not offending those around you. Compare this with what’s called contextualization, which is what we want to do when sharing the gospel in a culturally appropriate way with unbelievers while not sacrificing the truth of the gospel to appease the people and culture.

¿Nacemos todos siendo hijos de Dios?

Español

By Melissa Dougherty

Many believe that all human beings are born as children of God. Isn’t that true? I want to find out what the Bible says about this beautiful theological truth.

Spoiler alert : That’s true. But according to what the Bible says, we are not born as children of God. The belief that we are all children of God has no biblical support and has generated many theological errors. The Scriptures show us that we are all created by God, but we become children of God through spiritual adoption. However, at birth we all have the image of God. All human beings are valuable because we are creations of God, and He loves us. And it is because of that love that He became part of His creation to save us and redeem us. Because of this, it was necessary for Jesus to become incarnated. If we were all already born as children of God, there would be no reason for Jesus to have to die to redeem us and adopt us. What did He redeem us from or where did He get us from to be adopted? This is the terminology that the Bible constantly uses when speaking about the death of Jesus: He “redeemed” us, because we were “slaves” to sin, and we are “adopted” into His family.

I want to expand on this point. There are many passages in Scripture that speak to us of the new birth, of being adopted into God’s family, of being a new creation in Christ, and all of them clearly show what we were—slaves to sin—and what we are no longer when we are called children of God. To be born again means to be made anew, to go from being children of wrath to being adopted as children of God.

John 1:12-13 says, “But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God , to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” The bold is mine.

To be born of God means to be reborn spiritually.

Romans 8:14-17: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to return to fear, but you have received a Spirit of adoption as sons , by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father! ’ 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs […]” Bold is mine.

We become children of God when we are saved by being adopted into God’s family through our relationship with Jesus Christ. Galatians 4 also speaks to us about this. In chapter 3, Paul has explained that we are all children of God through faith in Jesus. It is our faith in Jesus that makes us his children. If we belong to Christ, then we are descendants of Abraham and as children, we are heirs . This is important because Paul puts a lot of emphasis on the fact that only the heir, the son, can receive the inheritance.

He exemplifies this by comparing someone who is a servant of the world to someone who is a child of God.

There are two categories.

At the beginning of chapter 4, Paul writes this:

Galatians 4:1-7 “I say then, that as long as the heir is a minor, he is no different from a servant, even though he be the owner of all things; 2 but is under guardians and tutors until the age appointed by the father. 3 So we also, when we were children, were subject to bondage under the elemental things of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a servant, but a son ; and if a son, then an heir through God.” Bold is mine.

This is truly amazing, the promise God made to Abraham is our inheritance. We were slaves to the “elementary things” of the world. In verse 5 Paul says that Jesus purchased our freedom, for we were slaves of the law and of the world! And He adopted us .

This is explained in more detail in John chapter 3, where we find that Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save the world, but people preferred darkness and rejected the light. Now, many of us know John 3:16 by heart, so we’ll start there:

John 3:16- “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Let’s continue reading, although, usually, many people don’t.

“ 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. 21 But he who practices the truth comes to the light, so that his deeds may be made manifest, that they have been done in God.”

This is important: people don’t understand what this passage is showing us, and that is that the world has already been condemned. People usually interpret it the other way around. They think that God is the one who condemns us, but that is not what John 3 says. Sin is what condemns us. And since we are all born into condemnation, we need to be saved from it.

If we are adopted into God’s family through Jesus, you must ask yourself what or who we were separated from if God is not already our Father. How could we be adopted into God’s family if we already belong to it from the moment we are born? To whom does the world belong? Who is our father?

In John 8 and 1 John, the Bible shows us that our father is the devil. That is why we need to be “born again” because we were born in condemnation for being children of the devil.

We are with the wrong father!

Galatians 3:22-25 says:

“But the Scripture has imprisoned all under sin , so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to all who believe. 23 And before faith came, we were kept under the law , being kept in custody until the faith which was later to be revealed. The bold is mine.

1 John 3:10 shows us the dualistic view of our condition. If we are not children of God, we are by default children of the devil.

1 John 3:10 “This is how you can tell the children of God and the children of the devil : Anyone who does not do what is right is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” Bold is mine.

Jesus calls the Pharisees children of the devil in John 8. In this passage the Pharisees are in a heated argument with Jesus, and claim to be heirs of Abraham, but Jesus puts them in their place when they make this claim.

John 8:39-44 “They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye be children of Abraham, do the works of Abraham. […] 41 Ye do the works of your father.” They said unto him, We were not born of fornication: we have one Father, that is, God. 42 Jesus saith unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth from God, and came from him; for I came not of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why understand ye not what I say? Because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye desire to do. […] The bold is mine.

Just as we are not literally “born” again, which is what Nicodemus was asking, we are not literally “born” children of the devil either. Rather, it is a spiritual bondage and a spiritual rebirth. If you are a child of God, it means that you have experienced the new spiritual birth, you have been born again, and you are saved.

Recommended resources in Spanish:

Stealing from God ( Paperback ), ( Teacher Study Guide ), and ( Student Study Guide ) by Dr. Frank Turek

Why I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist ( Complete DVD Series ), ( Teacher’s Workbook ), and ( Student’s Handbook ) by Dr. Frank Turek

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Translated by Gustavo Camarillo
Edited by Monica Pirateque

Original Source: https://bit.ly/3nJvC1t

February 16, 2023/by Guest

Thoughts on Musician Plumb’s Deconstruction

4. Is the NT True?, Theology and Christian Apologetics

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How many times have you heard me cry out

“God please take this”?

How many times have you given me strength to

Just keep breathing?

Oh I need you,

God I need you now.

Though I walk through the shadows,

And I, I am so afraid.

Please stay… please stay right beside me,

With every single step I take.

These beautiful lyrics are from a 2013 song named “Need You Now by Tiffany Arbuckle Lee. But you probably know her by the name “Plumb.” In case you don’t know of Plumb, she was active until about 2018, and her songs regularly played on Christian radio. I remember listening to this song when I had a two year old, tears in my eyes knowing the feeling of this type of desperation.

I think anyone with a two year old gets this type of desperation, am I right?

She was inspired to write the song due to her suffering from debilitating anxiety when she was younger and the difficulties in her marriage. I remember hearing on the radio about the tough times that she was going through in her marriage. I recall thinking at the time how hard that must be for her to share something so personal. She shared how she and her husband had overcome so many obstacles. They were reconciled, were stronger than ever, and everything was made beautiful out of the ashes.

Until it wasn’t.

She and her husband are no longer together, and Plumb has been very quiet on the music scene. It’s now 2023, and she hasn’t released a single since 2018. It seems a lot has been going on for the singer in the last five years. I follow her on social media and didn’t really notice a lot from her until June 2022, when she made a controversial post about Roe Vs. Wade being overturned. She stunned her followers by implying that this isn’t something we need to be happy about and that the Church sometimes talks more about what we’re against than what we’re for. Granted, I have to agree to a point. But I would draw a hard line here and say that it would be exceedingly strange not to speak against killing innocent children, as this is exactly what many Christians believe abortion is!

It would be like a Christian speaking against child abuse, but then someone throws a rebuke at us, saying that because we’re Christians, we need to speak about what we’re for, not against. Is there actually a way to speak about the realities of abortion outside of speaking against it? Isn’t this precisely why it’s called “pro-life,” not “anti– Abortion”? But I digress.

She posted later in the year how she and her husband were officially done. I could tell it was a tough few years for her. She probably feels like she was in a toxic relationship that has left a wake of pain and confusion. No doubt this changed a lot for her. But it was the post from Wednesday, January 04, 2023 that stopped me in my tracks. It says:

Thx @walkingpastor for sharing this #richardrohr post…it’s a new year…begin again. I am. Asking questions I’ve been intimidated to ask. Being more open minded. Wanting to learn things I’ve been lazy to learn. Making space to love God and others well. That’s it. 3 years ago my life fell completely apart. In the process, deconstruction happened w/o me even realizing it at first. It’s been a long road. This year…I am starting a journey to piecing back together a new me. It’s not all gonna just magically happen in 2023…but it’s the year I am starting to begin again. And again. And…again. #GraceForSelf.

Richard Rohr. Deconstruction. I Am.

“Not Plumb!” I thought to myself! Another Christian singer has fallen for the Progressive Christian serpent speak. I thought about this post and prayed for days afterward for her and for those who have no idea of the consequences of these words. Though she hasn’t given many details in this regard, it would seem that Plumb is reading and aligning with the teachings of Progressive teacher Richard Rohr. This is an alignment with beliefs in a social justice gospel, inner divinity, a denial of many essential Christian doctrines such as the beautiful Atonement, that the Bible isn’t the Word of God, and much more. This made me sad.

“Two things happens when we hit rock bottom as Christians: We run from God, or we run to God.”

It seems it all started when her life fell apart, and I find that one of two things happens when we hit rock bottom as Christians: We run from God, or we run to God. They give up instead of look up. They look inward instead of upward.

I can’t sit here and say I understand her position or pain. But it seems that this was the turning point for her. How can someone who’s sung such beautiful lamented lyrics suddenly deny the God she claims to have sung for? Did she have someone to help guide and disciple her through this time? What questions has she been intimidated to ask? How well did she know her Bible? I naturally want more answers for clarification. The cultural climate is extremely aggressive toward Biblical Christianity. I think some are tired of running the race. I think some don’t want to be seen as being “against” the LGBTQ+ community. They want to seem loving, tolerant, open-minded, and non-judgmental. They are fatigued from fighting the good fight. So they stop fighting.

Christian, keep up the good fight. Cross that finish line, even if you have to crawl to it. Anchor yourself in God’s Truth.

There’s a God-shaped hole in all of us,

And the restless soul is searching.

There’s a God-shaped hole in all of us,

And it’s a void only He can fill.

I pray these words from her own song to remind her that deconstruction and Progressive Gospel will leave her empty and hopeless. Only Jesus can fill her void. He is the Living Water, the Bread of Life. I have been praying for her, and I hope you will join me.

Can We Legislate Morality?

Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics

By Melissa Dougherty

Since the 1960s, there’s been a measurable dramatic decline in moral ethics here in the United States. Some would argue that it’s been in a general decline since the dawn of humanity, myself included. However, here in the United States, the phrase “legislating morality” has been brought up more and more. Depending on the generation, many people have not heard this phrase or even understood what it means. Some use it as a cliche term to throw in the face of the person trying to promote certain morals that should be either lawful or not.

I say that similar to the argument of “there is no absolute truth,” saying that we can’t legislate morality is simply self-defeating. Everyone everywhere intrinsically knows right from wrong. Many people would see that it’s obvious to enforce right from wrong lawfully. As Romans 2:15 says, mankind has God’s law written on our hearts. This is also echoed in our Declaration of Independence. Whose morality are we talking about, however? First, it must be established whether morality can and should be legislated at all.

How Can You Even Legislate Morality at all?

The brilliance of the Founding Fathers was that they avoided the inevitable pendulum swing that many governments fall victim to by finding a middle ground. Instead of appealing to religion or a secular government, they appealed to the Moral Law to make their case. They then legislated those laws and unalienable rights in the constitution. What makes this so clever is that it forbids the government from establishing a national religion, but it doesn’t prevent it from establishing a national morality. Their appeal to the Moral Law isn’t confined to just the United States. They’re appealing to an Authority that many cultures and people have appealed to in the past. The Founding Fathers believed these freedoms were morally right and needed to be preserved through legislation. This is literally legislating morality! This is also in the First Amendment. The government cannot establish a state-supported religion and will not force people to practice a particular religion. Unlike the popular political rhetoric we hear, this isn’t meant to shut up religious people.

Spoiler Alert

Nobody needs the Bible to tell them right from wrong. We intrinsically know this. This is why we see cultures have the same appeal to the Moral Law in some form. They didn’t get together and decide this. Separated over thousands of miles, over the span of every continent, without ever communicating, people knew this Law.

Fascinating

However, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be a suppression of this within ourselves. This is where it gets muddy. This doesn’t just go for the far-left secular humanist but also for the extreme right. When making rules around society or individually, we appeal to this Law. But it doesn’t always mean it’s black and white. There are some people who want to enact Old Testament law in the United States. On the other extreme, secular humanists want to restrict any religion at all in our country. They want to take away any appeal to a Higher Being. Both are in error.

What should be legislated is Moral Law.

These self-evident truths agree with many biblical principles because of their common source— God. The purpose isn’t to create a Christianized country. The point is to create a moral one. This then spirals into a question about who’s morals. Is the individual supposed to decide for themselves what’s right or wrong? Or are we to appeal to a standard higher than our own? This is a core issue in this debate.

The thing is that without God? All we have left is self.

As history has shown, establishing a divine rule by force over non-believers doesn’t work and is quite damaging. The same idea applies to forcing people to abandon their moral compass for vices. Secular Humanism reinforces the desired authority of the “self.” As Natasha Crain has said in her book Faithfully Different, feelings are the ultimate guide, happiness is the ultimate goal, judging is the ultimate sin, and God is the ultimate guess. For example, this is why when we debate with someone pro-choice, they can’t ultimately say when life begins or what exactly is in the mother’s womb. They must appeal to the subjective perspective of the mother and say it’s up to her to decide what it is. Ultimately, they must suspend truth and reality to be consistent with secular humanism.

Right and wrong are not determined. It’s discovered. The Moral Law is self-evident, but people have a way of suppressing this when it interferes with their own desires. As discussed, when our country was founded and the Declaration of Independence was written, Thomas Jefferson appealed to the Moral Law. This avoids the intolerance of a highly religious government and the moral relativism of a secular government. It’s clear to see which way the pendulum is swinging in our country and why the appeal to the Moral Law that our country was based on is the obvious answer. This only works if people actually follow these rules.

The Moral Law is not an invented morality but an inherited one. If we take away this Law, there is no objective standard. In other words, relativists don’t really have “morality.” Morality is doing what’s right, not what someone finds desirable to their life or situation.

Jesus is Our Lord, Not Our Mascot.

Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Theology and Christian Apologetics

By Melissa Dougherty

Some churches and people make Jesus a mascot.

I’m sure a few people reading this might be scratching their heads, wondering what I mean by this. Others know exactly what I mean. Here in America, sometimes I think we take for granted that we don’t have to “hurt” to follow Jesus. What I mean by that is that we avoid any sort of struggle to obtain most of our Christian virtues.

In other words, we’re too comfortable.

We own a Bible and go to church and don’t get tortured for it. We praise God in our cars, listening to worship music with the windows down without fear of being imprisoned. Yes, I think we take this for granted. We make Jesus a symbol of our good decisions and a “good luck” charm. I remember a long time ago having lunch with a friend. She said that she had to make sure she went to church that week because she knew she was going to need to do good on an upcoming test. She reasoned that if she wore her cross, went to church and read a few Bible passages, then God would grant her grace. Like a give-and-take.

From time to time, we need perspective on this.

The definition of a mascot is “a person or thing that is supposed to bring good luck or that is used to symbolize a particular event or organization.” I submit that many people make Jesus out to be their mascot, not their God.

Once a week, it’s almost as if Jesus is brought out as a cheerleader to give advice on life’s struggles. Perhaps there’s a sermon about how to manage stress or how to deal with a particular sin. Some will depict Jesus as telling everyone how great they are, that He wants them prosperous and victorious. His main goal? Is to rebuild their confidence. He’ll fix all their problems. Just follow Me, and life will be great! People will then allow Mascot Jesus to reinforce in them what they think God should have us feel like: good and comfortable. He’s a motivational speaker. He tells people everything is just fine, and people are proud to be Christians and followers of this always happy, all-loving, all-tolerant, ‘Cheerleader’ Jesus.

Mascot Jesus is all about cheering us up as if life were like a football game.

But really, He’s put on the sidelines. It’s really about us. He’s just there in case we need Him. Then we get to call the shots and say it’s “God’s will” because this is the form of God that we’ve been taught. Even if there are some who claim to carry His Name, and call themselves Christian, they actually have very little reliance on him as Lord and God. Even then, I wonder if they know what it means to pick up their cross and follow Jesus as He says in the Gospels:

Matthew 16: 24-26: Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

He’s saying to “count the cost” of following Him, which means it will cost you something to follow Him. This doesn’t mean we live lives that are not happy and comfortable like some extremists. This means we know what we’re signing up for when we become a disciple of Jesus and understand the assignment.

For some, there’s not much evidence that they would have that kind of faith in the way they live. Then there are the Christians who say they do love Jesus, and do live for Him…

As long as He’s doing what they want.

As long as “Mascot Jesus” tells them about the “Goliaths” in their life and how to be the “David” overcoming them, they’re on board. Mascot Jesus makes the Bible about you. Mascot Jesus just wants you to be happy. Submission to this Jesus isn’t even hard. It just means following your feelings and making sure you only read the bits and pieces of Scripture that fit your mosaic of who you want Jesus to be. It seems like a contradiction, but many have redefined Jesus as someone they can both admire and ignore at the same time.

He’s Mascot Jesus. He’s convenient. He’s your cheerleader. He’ll make you feel good.

Praiseworthy? Sure! As long as He is in line with what we’re comfortable with and can be used when it’s convenient. As long as He’s a “Jesus” that’s culturally acceptable. Is He the God of your life, or are you? Do you follow the Jesus of the Holy Bible? Or do you follow Jesus that you’ve made in your own image?

Is Jesus your mascot? Or is He your Sovereign Savior?

Count the cost.

Five Signs of Spiritual Maturity

Theology and Christian Apologetics

By Melissa Dougherty

We all want to be wise in our spiritual walk. We want to grow and make good choices that are right in the long run. We want to exhibit wisdom in all areas of life and be able to be an example for others. But I find it isn’t always the easy road that gets us there. In my experience, I have witnessed what I would consider very mature Christians who exhibit these qualities. I have also seen others who lack them. I want to share what I believe to be five signs of spiritual maturity. These are areas that I see that are scriptural and can be shown by how some Christians respond to certain situations.

1.) They base their reactions on Scripture and God’s character instead of their feelings and emotions.

The most spiritually mature people I know are usually the most emotionally mature. They base their choices on the wisdom of Scripture, and logic and exhibit fruits of the Spirit in their life, especially the “self-control” part. They take time to assess and evaluate situations and treat others how they want to be treated. They don’t deflect onto others their own issues and are aware of this in their interactions and judgments. They stop and think first before they act. They also tend to have a smart sense of humor and wit without degrading or putting down others. They’re an example of James 1:19, which says to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. They draw from and submit to Scriptural values. This takes over instead of emotions and helps prevent poor decision-making and emotional outbursts. Do you know how there’s an intelligence IQ? Well, there’s also something called “emotional IQ,” and I find that spiritually mature people have a high emotional IQ. Costi Hinn once said, “It is a mark of your maturity and self-control when you can manage your emotions enough to understand someone you differ with.”

2.) They listen more and talk less.

I mentioned James 1:19 before. People living out this scripture tend to be more interested in the person they’re speaking to and don’t get into unnecessary arguments. They’re not easily offended, either. I read a post on social media once that said, “An immature Christian is hard to please and easy to offend.” Luke 6:45 says that a good person brings up good or bad things depending on what’s in their heart. Out of the heart, his mouth speaks. Controlling your mouth has a lot to do with what’s in your heart, especially on social media. Everyone is a hammer looking for a nail. But these people are different. They are the people that are trying to understand before they’re understood. They try to respond to people out of love for others rooted in a love for God. They consider the other person’s perspective, even if they disagree. But they’re not doormats to lousy theology, either. They can navigate and discern what topics to avoid and which to engage in and can have thoughtful discussions without arguing all the time. Proverbs 15:1 says a harsh answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. These people also look to others for spiritual advice and accountability, allowing others to point out their flaws.

3.) They have a sense of humility to them.

They don’t put themselves above others. I’ve learned from watching these people that they’re here to serve, and that’s what ministry is about for them. Not being known or noticed. (Even if they are well known!) They have a healthy sense of confidence, but typically these people look to others. They’re not always doing this to teach them things but instinctively know to ask questions, get to know others, and respect people as being made in the image of God, especially if they disagree with them. They don’t demonize and rebuke everyone and everything they disagree with. They display love as outlined in 1 Corinthians 13. They’re kind, patient, not boastful, lovers of truth, and seek after God’s glory, not their own. In my experience, these Christians don’t just boast that they “have discernment” or “are humble.” They show it. They don’t need praise from people. They do what they do to please God and God alone. They’re just not jerks about it. This is typically displayed in how they treat, talk to, and love others. When they make a bad decision, they have enough wit and humility to know they need to make things right and admit they were wrong. They don’t get super defensive and take steps to change if needed.

4.) They have self-awareness.

A spiritually mature person can read the room and has the insight to know how they sound to other people. They display a careful social balance in their interactions with people. They can hold themselves accountable in conversations and know when they need to step back from any situation and reassess their feelings. They realize they’re representing Jesus and that their actions and words have consequences. More than that, they have enough insight to know how their actions and words affect others. James 3 has a lot to say about controlling our tongue. He compares the tongue to a rudder that controls an entire ship. Verse 5 says the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.” James 1:26 says, “If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.”

5.) They have healthy boundaries and actual discernment.

Not every whim or feeling is seen as a sign from God or a move of the Holy Spirit, and don’t just take everything they think, feel or hear as the Holy Spirit speaking to them. They also don’t boast about how discerning they are. They just are. They model discernment instead of paranoia. They also don’t brag about how many spiritual experiences they’ve had, how intense they were, or how smart they are. They’re typically the people who enter a conversation thinking they can learn something from another person, even if they know a lot more than they do! That’s not the attitude they take. They also know when to say no and when to say yes. A spiritually mature person knows that “no” can be a very healthy word. They know how to honor God in their time and know their personal limits. They have enough sense to know when to engage in conversation, events, or activities and when they need to back off. In the same way, they also discern when they need to be where God wants them to be. They wait on God in prayer and Scripture reading instead of relying on feelings that change every day.

In short, they exemplify Galatians 5:22-23- “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.” And as well as Hebrews 3 in regards to holy living.

So by their fruit, you will recognize them.

Tag Archive for: Melissa Dougherty

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1.) They react according to the Scriptures and based on the character of God and not according to their feelings and emotions.

2.) They listen more and talk less.

3.) They have a marked sense of humility.

4.) They are self-aware.

5.) They set healthy boundaries and have authentic discernment.

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How Can You Even Legislate Morality at all?

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1.) They base their reactions on Scripture and God’s character instead of their feelings and emotions.

2.) They listen more and talk less.

3.) They have a sense of humility to them.

4.) They have self-awareness.

5.) They have healthy boundaries and actual discernment.

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