Author: Seth Durham

Obedience.

I’ve been thinking a lot about obedience lately: what it means, why it’s difficult, and why it’s important.

Let’s begin by looking at the dictionary definition:

obedience, n.

The action or practice of obeying or doing what one is bidden;

the fact or quality of being obedient;

submission to the rule or authority of another.

Oxford English Dictionary

Look closely at that third definition (submission to the rule or authority of another), for it is in this sense that Christians are called to obey God.

Obedience means surrendering your will to Him. It means praying, as Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but thine be done.”(Luke 22:42). It means doing what God says, even when you don’t want to. In fact, if God asks you to do something you want to do, then doing it isn’t obedience at all. There is no submission there; no surrendering of the will. Obedience is when you do what you’d rather not, because God told you to.

We find examples of this throughout Scripture. Abraham took Isaac up the mountain to be sacrificed (Genesis 22). Moses confronted Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 4). Gideon reduced his fighting force down to 300 men before a crucial battle (Judges 7). In each case, these men did what they did, not because they wanted to, but because God told them to. They submitted to God’s authority; surrendered their wills to Him. They obeyed.

What makes obedience so difficult?

———-Pride———-

When we understand what obedience is, it’s pretty easy to see why it’s hard to be obedient. We’re rebellious by nature. We hate being told what to do. Our sinful flesh wants to be in charge. If our fallen nature has a motto, it mirrors the last two lines of William Henley’s Invictus: “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.“(emphasis added).

Pride makes obedience nigh impossible. A prideful man does not recognize any authority higher than himself. He will not bend the knee, even to his Creator.

Humility is both prerequisite to, and a demonstration of, obedience. As always, Christ is our perfect example. Jesus humbly did the will of the Father at all times, no matter the cost.

[Jesus] humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Philippians 2:8

———-Fear———-

A second obstacle to obedience is fear. You can be humble, recognizing God as the ultimate authority, and still not obey because of fear. Fear comes in many flavors: fear of failure, fear of ridicule, fear of loss, fear of pain, fear of death.

Fear is a paralytic toxin when it comes to obedience. As humility is the antidote to pride, so faith is the antidote to fear. To overcome fear, we must have faith that God is good, that He knows what is best, and that He will give us the strength we need to accomplish what He tells us to do.

The prophet Isaiah spoke often about faith and fear:

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.

Isaiah 2:12

[The LORD] will keep in perfect peace all who trust in [Him], all whose thoughts are fixed on [Him]!

Isaiah 26:3

Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.

Isaiah 26:4

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Bottom line: Obedience requires humility and faith.

Why bother?

Since obedience is so hard, and it involves doing what we don’t want to do, why should we obey? Here are four good reasons:

1) For our protection:

When you tell a small child, “Don’t put your hand on that hot stove,” you do so because you care about the child. You know that if the child disobeys, they will suffer the consequences.

In the same way, many of the commands God has given us are for our own protection. We may not see how disobedience will lead to disaster (just as a child may not fully understand what will happen if they touch the stove), but God does. Obedience can, and often does, keep us from harm.

2) For our development:

When I tell my daughter to clean her room, or to do her chores, I’m not doing it just to throw my weight around. My daughter may think these things are not important, and that I’m being a horrible dictator, but that’s simply not true. I know there are important life-lessons that can only be learned from experience. By doing her chores, she learns about authority, responsibility, discipline, and much more. Doing what I ask of her develops her character in ways she does not understand.

Similarly, when we obey God, we gain valuable experience. We become more like Christ. Obedience strengthens our faith, and builds our character.

3) Out of love:

God’s love for us is clear. He created us, sustains us, and cares for us. Everything we have, and all that we are, comes from Him. He loved us so much that, while we were still sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:8).

God wants us to love Him in return, and to do that, we obey. Jesus said: “If you love me, obey my commandments.” (John 14:15).

4) For guidance:

Imagine that I come to you and ask you for directions and we have this conversation:

Me: Hey, do you know how to get to such-and-such?

You: Sure. First, head south...

Me: Whoa! let me stop you right there. I don't want to go south. I'm headed north. Can you please help me get to such-and-such?

You: Yes. Turn around and head south, then...

Me: Wait! I just told you ... I'm not going south. Now, please, just tell me how to get to such-and-such!

If I refuse to follow your instructions, you can’t help me, can you?

It’s the same way with God. If you want Him to direct you, you must make sure that you are following the directions you already have. For example, suppose God tells you to go to church (Hebrews 10:25), study your Bible (II Timothy 2:15), and spend time in prayer (I Thessalonians 5:17). If you refuse to do these things, how can you expect God to direct you any further?

Start obeying the commands you know, and God will guide you from there.

Take action.

Obedience is not easy. To submit to God’s authority, we have to swallow our pride and overcome our fears, but when we do, blessings come. When we obey, God protects us, develops us, and guides us.

See if you can think of just one command God has given you that you are not following. What’s stopping you? Pride? Fear? Ask God to help you change. Make a commitment to obey that command from here on out. It won’t be easy, but God will bless you if you do.

Nothing New.

When I write these posts, I have a couple of goals in mind. One is to communicate truth, and only truth, to the best of my ability. I never want to lead someone down the wrong path.

Another goal is to write something useful. I don’t want to waste your time. I want you to walk away with something important to think about; something that will have a real, positive impact on your life.

These are good goals, but the second one sometimes trips me up. It subtly morphs into, “I want to write something new / innovative / flashy / profound / exciting!” My ego whispers, “unless what you have to say is new and brilliant, it’s not worth saying.“

I was recently reading C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity, and the following passage really spoke to me on this issue:

“The real job of every moral teacher is to keep on bringing us back, time after time, to the old simple principles which we are all so anxious not to see; like bringing a horse back and back to the fence it has refused to jump or bringing a child back and back to the bit in its lesson that it wants to shirk.”

Mere Christianity; Book 3, Chapter 3

I realized I needn’t worry about writing anything new or original. It is worthwhile to revisit those old, simple principles that we so easily forget; those truths that we need to be reminded of, over and over again.

True love.

So, today, allow me to remind you of this: God loves you.

It blows my mind that God, Creator of all things, cares about us. In the scope of creation, what are we but specks of dust? Yet, the Bible makes it clear that God loves mankind, and not just mankind as a whole, but individuals, including you and me.

His love is not based on who we are (for we are truly wretched creatures), but on who He is. So great is His love for us that He became flesh, lived a sinless life, and took the punishment we deserve onto Himself, providing the way for us to be forgiven and redeemed.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Romans 5:8

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

I John 4:10

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

I John 4:16

No matter what you’ve done, no matter where you are in life, God loves you. If you call out to Him, He will save you from your sin… because He loves you. He will make you into a new creature, and He will carry you through life’s difficulties… because He loves you.

The fact that God loves you may be nothing new, but it’s definitely a truth worth revisiting over, and over again.

Unconventional Gratitude.

We just celebrated Thanksgiving, and I certainly have much to be thankful for. It’s easy to be grateful for the good things … friends, family, health, food, shelter, clothes, etc. etc. But lately God has challenged me to be thankful for some less-than-ideal things.

Replace the grumble.

A typical morning: My 13-year-old dog wakes me up from a deep sleep because she wants breakfast –grumble-. As I stumble out of bed, I’m reminded of all my body aches … neck, back, shoulders –grumble!- I feed the dog, then decide to feed myself. I make a cup of coffee, then pull a breakfast sandwich out of the freezer, but I can’t read the tiny print that tells me how long to heat it up for –grumble!!- I hunt down my reading glasses, toss the sandwich in the microwave, but then my kid needs something and I get distracted. By the time I get back to my coffee and sandwich, both are ice-cold –grumble!!!

Lately the Holy Spirit has shown me that there’s a lot to be grateful for in my morning routine. I am thankful that my old dog is still with me. Though my body hurts, I am thankful that I’m not bed-ridden or wheelchair bound. Though my eyesight is getting worse, praise God I can still see! And though my coffee and egg-muffin are cold, I’m glad to have sustenance.

I’ve started to replace the grumble with gratitude and it has improved my mornings dramatically.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

I Thessalonians 5:18

Thankful for “no”.

God, why didn’t you give me ______?

My “blank” has lots of things in it. Wealth, fame, talent, etc. If God were a genie that granted wishes, I’d be a rockstar/movie-god with mansions, yachts, and a private jet (just one, ’cause I’m not greedy or anything).

Sometimes I look at what the millionaires and billionaires have and wonder why God is holding out on me. Instead of being grateful for what I have, I start to envy what I don’t.

But God has given me an answer to my question, and it’s actually a little embarrassing. I know that if God gave me all the things my sinful heart desires, my relationship with Him would go down the toilet. I would be caught up in, and consumed by, the pleasures of this world, and I would go spiritually bankrupt.

There’s a passage in proverbs where Agur asks God specifically not to give him riches for this very reason.

…give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’

Proverbs 30:8-9

I’m like a child who wants pizza and ice-cream for every meal, and can’t understand why his parents say, “no!” I’m learning that when God says “no” it’s for my benefit.

Grateful in suffering.

In II Corinthians, the Apostle Paul talks about his “thorn in the flesh.” We’re not given the details, but it’s clear from the passage that this thorn is something very unpleasant. Three times Paul asks God to remove it, and God replies, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (II Corinthians 12:9a)

Paul came to understand that even this difficult thing in his life was there for his good. It kept him humble, and it allowed God to continue to work through him.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

II Corinthians 12:9-10

It’s hard to be grateful when you’re hurting. It may be the most difficult test of faith. To be in physical or emotional pain and believe that God is good and that your pain has a purpose.

Remember this promise from the book of Romans:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

Challenge yourself to be a grateful person. Be grateful for what you have, and for what you don’t. Be grateful in the midst of suffering, believing that one day you will understand how everything you experienced in life was a manifestation of God’s love, mercy, and grace.

Be Useful.

American actor Shia Labeouf has led a tumultuous life. In 2021 he was nearing rock-bottom. Desperate to get back into the spotlight, he signed on to do a drama, accepting the role of Padre Pio, an Italian priest.

To prepare for the role, Shia spent several months with a group of Franciscan monks, and the experience changed his life. I don’t know if Shia is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation (I hope so), but I do know that there has been a great shift in his mindset. He said something in a recent interview that really resonated with me. To paraphrase: Before, my purpose in life was to be happy. That’s not my purpose anymore. Now my purpose is to be useful.

He’s onto something. When your primary concern is your own happiness, your focus is on yourself… what can I do to make myself feel better? But if your mission is to be useful, your focus is on others… how can I serve those around me? This was certainly the mindset of Jesus. He came with a servant’s heart and spent His lifetime serving those around Him.

Called to serve.

There are numerous scriptures that echo the idea that we ought to focus on serving others rather than ourselves. Here’s a sample:

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 5:13-14

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Philippians 2:3-4

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

I Peter 4:9-10

Jesus called [the disciples] together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10: 42-45

Unnatural.

Knowing what we should do and actually doing it are two different things. The truth is, it goes against our fallen nature to serve others. Deep in our hearts we believe that it’s better to be a king than to be a slave. But our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), and we must fight our natural desire to put ourselves first.

Fact: We are all selfish creatures! But the Holy Spirit can give us the strength to be humble, and to focus more on the needs of others than on our own. Ask God to help you be a better servant, and He will.

Unexpected benefits.

It’s difficult and counterintuitive to put others first, but it’s amazing what happens when you “just do it!” When you focus on serving others, true joy comes as a byproduct.

It’s ironic that when we focus on ourselves and our own selfish interests, happiness inevitably evades us. Yet when we decide to serve others, happiness is a frequent side effect. Put it to the test. Ask yourself how you can be useful to the people around you today. Focus on their needs and watch how God blesses all involved.

Peace.

It’s an understatement to say that over the last few days, my heart and mind have been troubled. A few days ago, terrorists marched into the neighborhoods of Israeli civilians, and committed unspeakable acts of violence. People were gunned down in their homes, women were raped, babies were beheaded, hostages were taken.

There is no justification for these atrocities. Period. I am appalled that there are people around the world, including here in the United States, that are not only justifying what happened, but gleefully celebrating these barbaric attacks. It is unconscionable. How deranged and depraved these people are!

Now, another war is upon us. More innocent people are going to die. I must confess that watching these things unfold has made me physically ill. My digestion is out of whack. I’m not sleeping well.

It’s time to recalibrate.

Focus.

My problem is easy to identify. My focus is on the wrong thing. Like Peter when he tried to walk on water, I have taken my eyes off of Jesus and begun to sink into fear and despair. Oh me of little faith.

It’s time to remind myself that God knows what He’s doing. I may not understand it, I may not like it, but that doesn’t matter. My role is to trust. Trust that He is good. Trust that truth and justice will prevail. Evil will not go unpunished… one day, the sheep will be separated from the goats (Matthew 25:31-46), and the goats will burn. That day is fast approaching.

Until then, I must take my focus off of what’s happening, and instead focus on God and His Word.

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sworn this oath:

It will all happen as I have planned.
It will be as I have decided.

Isaiah 14:24

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.

Deuteronomy 31:8

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

John 14:27

Signs of the times.

When you look to the sky and see dark clouds, you know rain is coming. When the leaves start to fall and the temperature cools, you know that summer is ending and autumn is imminent.

The Bible tells us that one day Jesus will return, and the world as we know it will come to an end. It also tells us about the things that will take place as that time draws near. Many of those things are happening right now. Evil is rampant, persecution of Christians is on the rise, natural disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity, wars and rumors of wars are upon us, technology is pushing us closer and closer to a global system of trade and governance. And on, and on.

This is very good news for those of us who have put our faith in Jesus Christ… and very bad news for those who have not. But if you’re reading this, it’s not too late! Today is the day of salvation, and God has made salvation simple, so that anyone can be saved. Pastor JD Farag constantly reminds people that the gospel is as simple as A.B.C.

Admit that you are a sinner in need of a savior.

Believe that Jesus died to pay for your sins.

Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord.

That’s it. There is nothing else you need to do to find forgiveness and salvation. Don’t put it off. Don’t wait. Life is short, and time is short. In these troubled times, trust in Him, and find peace.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Isaiah 26:3

A Mighty Fortress.

None of us has a complete understanding of what God truly is. He is more than any human mind can comprehend. But the Bible helps us to understand God by comparing Him to things we are familiar with. For example, several passages of scripture liken God to a fortress.

The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.

Nahum 1:7

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.

Psalm 62:6

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

Psalm 18:2

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

Psalm 59:16

Peace and safety in times of trouble.

The Bible does not teach that trouble will never come our way. In fact, Jesus said the exact opposite. He said we will have trouble, but we can take heart, because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). The harsh reality is that the world is full of trouble, danger, sorrow, and pain. But we who trust in the Lord have an impenetrable shelter in which we can find peace and rest. Jesus said:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Mathew 11:28

Head inside.

A fortress can’t protect you if you stand outside it. The world wants to pull us out of our Fortress. It tempts us with sinful pleasures and beckons us to venture outside where we are vulnerable. When we do, the enemy is ready and waiting to ambush us.

Maybe you’ve wandered outside, and now the enemy has ahold of you. Remember, as a child of God, you are no longer a slave to sin, and by the power of the Holy Spirit you can escape the grip of the enemy and return to the Fortress at any time.

And if you want to remain in the Fortress, then make God your top priority. Read the Bible daily. Study it. Get to church on Sunday. Pray. Serve others. These things keep us within the mighty fortress that is our God.

A God Too Small.

The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.

Richard Dawkins

It’s utterly, utterly evil. Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God who creates a world which is so full of injustice and pain?

Stephen Fry

Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?

Epicurus

I’m fascinated when men who do not believe in God attack Him with such great passion and ferocity. “God doesn’t exist!” they proclaim, “But if he does, he’s an immoral psychopath because he allows or even perpetrates [insert atrocity here].”

Theologians and apologists have wrestled with “the problem of evil” for centuries. It’s often presented as evidence that God does not exist, but the quotes above assert something more. There’s an audaciousness to them, an attitude of superiority. They imply that if God exists, man possesses the knowledge, wisdom, and authority to sit in judgement of His actions. How foolish!

An incomplete picture.

Can you rightly judge the quality of a painting if you can see only one square inch of it? Can you read the first word of a book and determine the worth of its message? If you taste only one ingredient, can you fairly critique the whole meal?

In like manner, none of us has sufficient knowledge to criticize God’s actions. We see one speck of one piece of the puzzle, and dare to imagine that we are in a position to pass judgement on the whole. We don’t even know how much we don’t know!

Given our limitations, isn’t it possible that God has good reasons for allowing pain, suffering, and evil to exist? Reasons that we know nothing about? Reasons that are beyond our comprehension? Only pride would dare answer, “no!”

When a parent takes their small child to the doctor and allows the doctor to give the child a shot, what does that look like from the child’s point of view? The child doesn’t understand the purpose of the shot. They don’t know that it is ultimately for their good. All they know is that the needle hurts, and the parent let the doctor stab them with it! Would the child be right to call the parent evil based on what they experienced?

Obviously, the knowledge-gap between us and God is infinitely greater than the gap between a parent and their child. It’s fair to say that we are in no position to accurately judge the decisions of The Almighty.

Where were you?

You are probably familiar with the story of Job. He was a man who had it all… health, wealth, family, and fame. In an instant, God took it all away.

Job was flabbergasted. Why had God allowed all this evil to happen to him? Job’s friends came and basically said, “Wow! Job, you must have sinned pretty bad for God to do all of this to you.” Job insisted he was innocent; that he did not deserve what God was dishing out.

In the book of Job, chapter 31, Job boasts to his friends of his righteousness. Near the end of the chapter he states:

“If only someone would listen to me! Look, I will sign my name to my defense. Let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write out the charges against me.

I would face the accusation proudly. I would wear it like a crown.

For I would tell him exactly what I have done. I would come before him like a prince.”

Job 31:35-37

Bold words. He’s basically saying, “God, You messed up! You got this one wrong!” But his friend, Elihu, reminds Job who God is (Job chapters 32 – 37), and then God Himself responds to Job (Job chapters 38 – 41).

Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind:

“Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?

Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.

Job 38:1-4

God asks Job a series of rhetorical questions to remind him of his place in the universe. Such questions apply to anyone who wishes to challenge God. Where were you when God created the universe out of nothing? Where were you when God brought order out of chaos and light into darkness? When did you become omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent? Who do you think you are?

Job, to his credit, responds in the only appropriate way:

Then Job replied to the LORD:

“I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.

You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.

You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’

I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.

I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”

Job 42:1-6

No limits.

I don’t know why God allows evil, pain, and suffering to exist, but I don’t need to. The Bible tells me that God is good, that He has a plan, and that He is without limits. God is not bound by time or space. He is not constrained by the laws of nature, physics, or mathematics. If He chooses, He can instantly right every wrong, and mete out His perfect justice to every human soul… past, present, and future. He can do this because He is Almighty God, and with Him nothing is impossible.

If you look at the current state of the world, and believe that evil, pain, and suffering are incompatible with a perfect and holy God, you simply believe in a god too small.

Cause And Effect.

There is an inescapable law at work in the universe known as the law of cause and effect. Every effect has a cause, and conversely, every cause produces an effect. Some effects are easy to predict. Place your hand into a fire, and you will get burned; drop a ceramic mug on concrete, and it will shatter. Other effects are more subtle and harder to spot because they accumulate over time, like what happens inside your cells when you eat chocolate cake, or the damage done to your liver when you drink alcohol.

This law is important to understand because your life is a series of causes and effects. Your choices in life cause things to happen. In general, good choices lead to good outcomes, poor choices lead to bad ones. For example, if you choose to eat healthy foods and exercise regularly, you are likely to see great benefits to your health. If you choose to smoke, drink, overeat, and live a sedentary life, your body will suffer as a result.

My point is, your choices generate causes, and whether the results are immediate or delayed, every cause has an effect. There’s no getting around it.

Three words.

The law of cause and effect may seem obvious, but it’s something that has to be taught. Children need to learn it early on, and if they don’t, they pay dearly for it later in life. As soon as our daughter was old enough to understand, my wife and I used three words to teach her about this law: Actions have consequences.

It’s up to you to demonstrate this. When you tell your child that if they do (a) that you will do (b), you must follow through with (b). If you don’t, you’ll wind up with a child that has no respect for you, and who will wrongly think they can disregard authority without repercussions. If you let that happen, they will learn the hard way that actions have consequences.

The consequences of sin.

The original sin, Adam and Eve’s decision to rebel against God in the Garden of Eden, was a choice that had grave consequences. It brought a curse that still affects all of creation to this day:

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.

Romans 5:12

The earth mourns and dries up, and the land wastes away and withers. Even the greatest people on earth waste away.

The earth suffers for the sins of its people, for they have twisted God’s instructions, violated his laws, and broken his everlasting covenant.

Therefore, a curse consumes the earth. Its people must pay the price for their sin. They are destroyed by fire, and only a few are left alive.

Isiah 24:4-6

We all suffer because of that original sin. Then we compound the problem because we are all sinners ourselves. There is none righteous, no not one (Romans 3:10 / Psalm 53:3). Our own sin has consequences. It negatively affects us and those around us, whether we realize it or not.

In Romans:6 we learn about the ultimate consequence of sin. The wages of sin is death. Here death refers to an eternal separation from God. It means to be cut off, forever, from Goodness, Light, Justice, Mercy, Love … all that God is.

A way out.

If the law of cause and effect is certain, and sin leads to death, and all have sinned, then what hope is there? Can you escape the consequences of your sin? Can you cheat death? No. Not in and of yourself. But God, in His mercy, provided a miracle. He came to Earth in human flesh and died in your place. Jesus took the consequences of your sin upon Himself. Your debt has been paid. You are free! All you have to do is accept His free gift.

Cause and effect: Sin leads to death, separation from God; Jesus leads to life and a restored relationship with God!

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

Acts 16:31

If you are not a Christian, choose today to accept Christ as your Savior. If you are a Christian, choose to seek after Him more fervently. Both choices will have a positive effect on your life.

Freedom.

We recently celebrated the 4th of July here in the U.S.A. One of the main things we celebrate on this day is the concept of freedom. This got me thinking about what freedom is… and what it is not.

Free from… / Freedom to…

Total freedom (the ability to do whatever one wants without consequences) is actually a bad idea. For example, no one should have the freedom to commit acts of evil. When we talk about freedom, what we’re really talking about are individual freedoms (plural). These fall into two broad categories: freedom to do something, and freedom from something.

Our founding fathers believed in freedom from oppression. They risked everything, including their lives, to throw off the yoke of a tyrannical government. They also believed we had certain God-given rights, and they enshrined specific freedoms in the Constitution. Among these are freedom to peaceably assemble, freedom to worship God, and freedom to speak our minds.

Spiritual freedom.

Spiritually speaking, we are all born slaves. Slaves to sin. And sin is a cruel master, promising pleasure but delivering death. Have you ever seen a meth addict? Sin is like spiritual meth. It feels good for a while, but eventually it owns you, and you cannot escape its destructive effects.

A slave to sin puts “self” above all else. He is his own idol, his own god. He chases wealth, fame, and pleasure, believing these things will bring him happiness. But satisfaction is always just out of his reach, he becomes a prisoner of his passions, and sin slowly eats away at his soul.

Jesus talks about spiritual slavery in the book of John:

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.“

They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.“

John 8:31-34

There is only one way to be free from the tyranny of sin, and that is through Jesus Christ.

because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:2

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

Romans 5:8-9

One master or another.

Spiritual freedom is a bit of a paradox, because the Bible makes it clear that we have to serve something. Here are a few verses that illustrate what I mean:

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Romans 6:16

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Romans 6:18

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.

I Peter 2:16

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

Romans 6:22

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

I Corinthians 6:19-20

Why trade one master for another? What’s the difference? The difference is, God is a loving and kind master who wants what is best for us. We serve Him willingly because we owe Him everything, and to serve Him is to serve absolute Goodness, Truth, Love, Righteousness, and Peace. There is nothing higher or nobler one could dedicate themselves to.

We serve because His yoke is easy, His burden is light, and we enjoy rest for our souls (Mathew 11: 29-30).

True spiritual freedom is both freedom from sin and freedom to serve.

More than slaves.

As Christians, even though God is our Master, it’s not accurate to say that we are His slaves, at least not in the common understanding of the word. God could enslave all of humanity if He wanted to, force us to do His bidding, and there would be nothing we could do about it. But He wants us to come to Him and submit willingly.

Amazingly, scripture teaches that when we accept Christ as savior and are freed from sin, when we pledge our loyalty to our new Master, He goes far beyond anything we have a right to ask of Him: He elevates us to the position of sons and daughters, joint heirs with Christ!

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.

And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Romans 8:14-17

The process of moving from a slave to sin to a child of God is something I have experienced personally. It feels like a crushing burden lifted off your back; like cruel, iron shackles falling away from your wrists and ankles. I pray you find the same relief that I have. Call out to Jesus and experience true freedom!

Is Faith Foolish?

faith; noun

“firm belief in something for which there is no proof“.

Merriam-Webster

Many people today are confused about the meaning of the word faith. They think it means believing in something ridiculous or absurd without any evidence. But that’s not what faith is, and what they don’t realize is that most of what they believe requires a measure of faith. Why? Because it’s extremely difficult to actually prove anything.

True faith is not about believing in things that are fanciful or unreasonable, rather it is a firm belief based on logic, evidence, experience, and inference when proof is not available.

For example, I have faith that the Earth is spherical. I can’t prove it, but I’m convinced the earth is shaped like a ball, spins on its axis, and rotates around the sun. Since I’ve never personally circumnavigated the globe, or viewed our planet from outer space, my belief in a globe-shaped Earth requires a bit of faith.

So it is with faith in God. I can’t prove His existence, but I’ve seen ample evidence to justify belief in Him. If you’re an atheist or agnostic, I encourage you to seek out the evidence for yourself. If you’ll read the works of Stephen Meyer, C.S. Lewis, and William Lane Craig with an open mind, you will find a wide range of scientific and philosophical reasons to believe that God is real.

Christian faith.

The Bible is the foundation of Christian faith. The Bible says that we are all doomed sinners. It says that Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, died in our place; that He rose from the grave on the third day; that all who repent and call upon His name will be saved.

This good news, passed down for thousands of years, has been the hope and joy of countless people. It takes faith to believe it. Christians have faith that the Bible is true, faith that Jesus is who He claimed to be, and faith that salvation is ours because of what Jesus did on Calvary.

But I want to know!

It was either Paulo Bitencourt or Carl Sagan who said, “I don’t want to believe, I want to know!” (Ironically, I’ve seen this quote attributed to both men, so I don’t know who said it, but I believe it was Bitencourt). I get it. Faith, by definition, means to believe without knowing; to believe without proof. Isn’t it better to know? To have proof and no room for doubt?

Why doesn’t God just provide us with definitive proof and render faith unnecessary? I don’t know, but God’s ways are higher than my ways; His thoughts higher than my thoughts. In lieu of proof, He has given us sufficient evidence, and He asks us to walk by faith, not by sight… for now.

There will come a day when faith will no longer be necessary. The day Jesus returns as King and Judge. On that day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. For those who know Him as Savior it will be a glorious day; for those who do not, it will be terrifying.

Until that day comes, I will hold fast to my faith, and to the hope I have in Him.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23
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