Myth-Buster Series: I can pick and choose what parts I want believe are true in the Bible.

A long time ago when I was in 3^rd grade, my mom made a decision that changed my families’ life. She went on a retreat where she decided to commit her life to following Jesus. As soon as she got home, things started to change. We were that family that only went on Christmas and Easter services, and any other Sunday when we didn’t sleep in, which were few. Gone were the Sundays of sleeping in and going bowling or rollerskating or whatever activity. Sundays became a time of getting up early and somewhat dressed up only to fall asleep while reciting the Lord’s Prayer in an uncomfortable church pew. Over time we became that family that served everywhere in the church, cutting the grass, lighting the candles before service, reading Scripture during service, bringing snacks for Sunday school -- we became that family.

At the time I knew God was important but I didn’t understand a whole lot, like who Jesus was or what David had to do with Jesus or God. I just knew God was to be respected and feared. Anyhow, my mom was asked to be a part of a search committee for the new priest. Our previous priest had left for reasons unknown to me at the time. My mom, along with the team, interviewed candidates and eventually hired our new priest, Mother Barbara.

Mother Barbara made herself at home in our church and in our community. It was big news, the first woman preacher in town. Things at church seemed to go on as normal and by this time I was in sixth grade and was part of the youth group. Because our church was small we didn’t have a youth pastor so our priest led our small group. Again things were alright until one day she gave us an assignment and asked us to answer this question: “If you were God what would you do differently?” For some reason that question didn’t sit well with me. I talked it over with my mom and told her I didn’t know how to answer the question because I thought God was perfect and if I answer that question than I’m saying He’s not. My told me to write just that, so I did. When we met for youth group the next time we where suppose to share our answers, so I did and my priest got mad at me. I explained how it made me uncomfortable but she wouldn’t drop it. So of course I told my mom. Boy did my mom get upset and unaware to me at the time she was starting to have concerns with Mother Barbara.  My mom had been talking to her about creationism…what you need to know is my mom is a very passionate person, especially when it comes to truth, that’s where I get it from. Anyhow, she asked the priest about the matter and to my mom’s shock, the priest told her she didn't believe everything in Bible literally, that she thought evolution could be possible, and other things. She then said this comment to my mom: “If I believed everything in the Bible to be literal, then I wouldn’t be a priest.” WOW. Aren’t priests supposed to be teaching truth, teaching what the Bible says?

That didn’t go over so well with my mom, and being a pursuer of truth and follower of Jesus, we left the church. That is one of the best decisions my mom has ever made, first deciding to follow Jesus no matter what, two leaving the church, and three getting me plugged into Campus Life (I’ll explain later).

Now I don’t tell you this story for no reason but as real life understanding of tonight’s myth: “I can pick and choose what I want to believe about the Bible as true and follow the parts I like.”  I have experienced this myth firsthand and seen the impact it can have.

This is really the underlying theme to all the myths we have talked about and will talk about. For example when Mark talked about the “gay Christian,” people were picking parts of Scripture to focus on and acted if the rest didn’t matter, like the verses in Genesis about marriage or Romans 1. We also talked about hell, how people who want to believe hell isn’t real, eternal or permanent put more attention on God’s Love and forget the rest of his attributes (characteristics), like how is God is just and holy. We need to properly handle the Word of God. And God warns of what happens when people don't handle His Word properly. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:14-19:

  

Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. ¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. ¹⁶ Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. ¹⁷ Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. ¹⁹ Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

Remember Mark on the first night established that science answers the "what" questions but not the "should," and Scripture answers those "should" questions. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Hebrews 4:12, God makes it clear we need his word to discern truth.

Going back to 2 Timothy 2:14-19, it says we need to handle of the word of truth correctly and to avoid godless chatter because the more we engage in it the more ungodly we become. Paul gives an example of how this is happening, how two individuals have a misunderstanding of the resurrection because they departed from the truth and it’s causing others stumble.

In college I read a book as part of a team Bible study. In the book, the author questions the traditional understanding of doctrine, truths found in the Old and New Testament. (Side note: every church has a doctrinal statement of what they believe and use Scripture to back it up. Even Campus Life has one. You should really know what your church believes and why they teach it.) The traditional/conservative understanding of doctrine/core truths from the Bible is that it’s solid -- firm like a brick. It does not move, bend or flex.  The author I mentioned challenges idea and talks about doctrine being a spring part of a trampoline. He states, doctrines should be flexible, like a spring and if you remove one spring you can still jump on the trampoline. He tried to argue, that if you treat doctrine, like a brick, and when it is remove the foundation crumples and I would agree that’s true. When you start to take a part a solid foundation, it’s going crack and crumble, that’s what happened to basement this summer. However, the author then tries to argue the virgin birth could have not happened, or that he doesn't think creation was a literal six days, and implies you can still have saving faith. You only removed two springs, so you can keep on jumping. This is problematic thinking. Now, I’m not saying you have to have an understanding of everything about Jesus, like the virgin birth or how creation came to be, in order to be saved. But when you decide to believe and trust Jesus is who he says he his wholeheartedly, this means you believe what he says about who he is and everything else he speaks on.  So let's see say what Jesus has to say about it -- how firm his words really are. Matthew 7:24-27 says:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Granted, springs weren’t invented until the 1700s (coiled springs at least), but Jesus describes the man who hears his words and puts them into practice: they are standing on a what? A rock! As different things arise that could destroy the house, it stands firm on the foundation of rock that it has. It is the same with believers: Jesus warned us that life wasn’t going to be easy or pretty. In John 15:18-25, Jesus makes it very clear that world is going to hate us, and in Matthew 7, the verses just before, Jesus talks about his word being a rock-solid foundation. He warns about false teachers and the destruction they bring (also read 2 Peter 2). This should not come as a surprise -- since the very beginning Satan has tried to attack God’s word (read Genesis 3).

God’s word does not bend or flex to what the world thinks should be done, nor does it bend or flex to our emotions or desires. God’s word is firm. It does not change, just as he does not change, even if we wanted him to (Malachi 3:6 and Numbers 23:19-20). His word is also complete. God makes that very clear in Revelation 22:18-19 and Deuteronomy 4:2 and 12:13.

Revelation 22:18-19, ^"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. ¹⁹ And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll."

Deuteronomy 4:2, "Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you."

Deuteronomy 12:32, "See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it."

If God has made it so clear that His word is solid, does not change and is complete, then why do people pick and choose what they want to believe? Why did Eve enter a godless conversation with the serpent? We are living in a time where peoples' mottos are, “Do whatever makes you happy" or "follow your heart, it will never mislead you,” or a more recent one, “do what makes you happy because that makes God happy.” (Well first that’s not what God’s word says. Read Jeremiah 17:9 and then look up the cross references.) People don’t like being told they are wrong, being held accountable, or even idea of someone having authority over them because of our sin nature. However, this doesn’t give us the right to pick and choose what we want to believe is true. At the end of the day, God’s truth is still true no matter how hard we ignore it (Romans 1:18-32). Jesus addressed this issue in Mark 7:1-13. Verse 8 sums it up, “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” The Pharisees forgot what God actually commanded and put their own rules in place and then elevated them over God's words. 

The exact same thing is happening today and it’s dangerous.

It’s so important for us to have a proper understanding of how to handle God’s Word and really allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in all truth (John 16:13-15).

Myth-Buster Series: The Truth About Hell

Disclaimer: This is not the end-all, be-all authority on the matter of Hell. Nor is this a direct response to Rob Bell’s book, “Love Wins.” I would encourage you to read, “Erasing Hell,” by Francis Chan and “God Wins,” by Mark Galli. I would also recommend checking out Bible.org’s article, “What the Bible Says About Hell,” by Sid Litke (my father-in-law), a great resource for looking up key passages about hell. Remember to read what the Bible has to say about the matter because what God’s Word says about it is the only thing that matters.

As Mark and I were discussing topics for Ground Zero this fall and we talked about myth busters, the first myth that jumped to my mind was the one that came to the surface in Rod Bell’s book, “Love Wins.” When the book came onto the scene a few years ago, it caused quite the commotion within conservative Christian communities. Bell raises big questions that people in and out of the church have asked or even wonder about Hell: Of all the billions of people who have ever lived, will only a select number “make it to a better place” and every single other person suffer in torment and punishment forever? Is this acceptable to God? Has God created millions of people over tens of thousands of years who are going to spend eternity in anguish? Can God do this, or even allow this, and still claim to be a loving God? Does God punish people for thousands of years with infinite eternal torment for things they did in their few years of life?

Those are some big questions, hard questions, and honest questions. In the church we don’t talk about hell a whole lot because it’s depressing, dark, and scares some of us.  But nonetheless it is something that should be discussed because it is a reality, and God makes that clear in his Word.

After raising these big questions, Bell focuses on God’s love for all humanity and that being the sole purpose of why Jesus came in the first place. He fixates on this and his distaste for the traditional understanding of hell and then leaves the reader with the understanding that God wants to redeem all people, and therefore just as they had the opportunity to choose Christ in this life but refused, they will have another opportunity to do so in the next life.  We call this post-mortem salvation, to be saved after death.  The real question to ask is, what does God have to say about this? And to answer that we go to His Word.

First we need to remember that’s God’s word is what he says it is: 2 Timothy 3:16-17,  ^“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”; and Hebrews 4:12, For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Another thing we need to remember is that God is God, and we are not. We are created, He is the Creator. As Isaiah 55:8-9 puts it, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” We can’t even begin to think on the same level He does, nor even do what He does. And there are some things as we read His Word that make us uncomfortable because we wouldn’t have thought of doing that. Just because God does something that we don’t agree with doesn’t make Him less God. He is who is He is, and our opinions don’t change Him.

Now let’s talk about hell…

According to the Bible we only have one life to live. Hebrews 9:27 says, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” We have one life and when we die we are going to face the consequence for our decision to trust in Christ for salvation or not. John 3:16-18 and 36 makes that point very clear, ^“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. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son… Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”

Next, there are no do-overs after this life. There is no going to Hell and then realizing, “Oops, I should have chosen to trust in Jesus and what he said, I would like to go to heaven now.” Sounds harsh but it’s truth. Jesus himself tells the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. In the parable Jesus tell about the life of two men, one a rich man and the other a beggar named Lazarus. They both end up dying and the rich man goes to hell and Lazarus up to Abraham’s side. The rich man cries out in agony to Abraham asking for just a drop of water from Lazarus’ hand for a moment of relief. However, Abraham tells him it’s impossible because there is great chasm splitting the two eternities so that no one can cross from one to the other. Then the rich man asks for Abraham to send Lazarus to his family so that they don’t end up where he is at. Abraham makes it quite clear that can’t happen either and that they have prophets and Moses to know the truth and they have opportunities to respond to it. 

Let’s recap, you have one life (Hebrews 9:27), depending on whether or not you put your faith and trust in Christ decides your eternity (John 3:16-18, 36) and once you are there in either Heaven or hell, that’s where you will be, no crossing between the two (Luke 16:26).

Next the word eternity means endless amount of time, or simply put, forever. Again God makes it very clear in his word that eternity is permanent and forever. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus again paints a clear picture of what is to come after we die. He uses the illustration of separating sheep from the goats. The sheep are those who will inherit the kingdom, people who are accredited righteousness from God. The goats are those who ignore God while they were on earth. At the very end in verse 46 Jesus says, “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Both heaven and hell are eternal, forever. And eternity in hell is not a pleasant one. It’s one filled with suffering and punishment that last forever. Read Matthew 13:36-43, Revelation 20:11-15, and Luke 16:19-31. It’s not pretty.

People might not like to hear this and then question God’s character. “If He’s so loving, how could He do this?” Yes, God is loving but He is also holy and just. We, as the created, need to be humble in our understanding of our position before God. He is the Creator, the giver of life, who in the beginning made all things, including us. Love is a choice, and God before He ever created anything knew that we would reject Him but He still did it. He didn’t create us to be robots, He gave us a choice: Him or the world. Foolishly we chose the world and have been dealing with the effects of that sin ever since the beginning. However, because God loves us, He sent his one and only Son, to become sin for us so that we could be restored back to Him. Again, though, God gave a choice, to repent and believe in His son Jesus or not. God’s not forcing anyone who doesn’t want to be with Him to choose Him, but you better believe God is giving us every opportunity to accept such a wonderful gift. Read Romans 1:18-32, makes it very clear. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”   That is some good news!

Current Events: Violence, Voyeurism, and Misogyny

(For the last Monday of every month this year, we will be turning the “Lens of Scripture” to some sort of current event. Please tune in each month to see how God’s Word applies to what is going on the world today.)

Many headlines of this past year have highlighted the tension that exists between men and women. We’ve seen high-profile domestic abuse cases in the NFL, a killing spree motivated by frustration with women, and a rash of hacking private photos and distributing them on the internet. Debates have sprung up in the media about the proper behavior of men and women along with catchphrases such as “Don’t blame the victim!” and Twitter hashtags like #NotAllMen and #YesAllWomen. As we trace the events and news stories of this past year, we may start to ask questions like: What is happening between men and women in our country? Should we focus on men and teach them to view and treat women like people rather than objects? Or do we need to focus on women and instruct them to stop dressing and acting like sex objects? Maybe some of both? Where do we go from here and how do we move forward as a society in this area?

If we go back to Scripture, we see that this “Battle of the Sexes” is as old as Adam and Eve. As we already discussed in the Myth of the Gay Christian, when they sinned against God they were not only separated from Him, but suffered a curse in their relationship as well (Genesis 3:16). Throughout the Old Testament, we see the results of the fractured relationship between men and women, mostly in the form of men misusing their God-given strength and authority at the expense of women. But when Jesus (God in the form of a man) came to earth, He did not just die for sins so that people could go to heaven someday. He also came to establish the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:15; Luke 11:20) and to make all things new (Revelation 21:5). One of those areas that Jesus came to restore is the relationship between men and women and how women are treated. The story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman in John 4 is just one instance when He honored women as DIFFERENT but EQUAL creations of God in a very male-dominated society. It is not a coincidence that the code of chivalry was not established until after Jesus’ earthly ministry as men began to follow His example.

More recently, as a society, we have made some strides toward equality between men and women, but we have not been able to heal the brokenness and frustration that is still evident in the relations between the two. Again, if we turn to the Word of God, we see that the problem goes too deep for legislation about women’s suffrage or sexual harassment to fix. James 4:1-3 tells us:

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

Much of the tension and frustration felt between men and women is born out of misplaced desires and unrealistic expectations. When we make finding the "right" man or woman the end-all be-all of our existence and the ultimate validation of our humanity, we set ourselves up for a crisis. We want a man or a woman to come into our lives and fulfill all of our needs and desires. When that doesn’t happen (either because no one ever comes or because the person who does come can’t live up to our expectations), we get upset, argue, yell, fight, hit, covet, and even kill. Men who hit or exploit women don’t just have a problem with anger or lust. Women who will wear or do just about anything to catch a man’s eye don’t just have a self-esteem/self-image issue. What we all have is a WORSHIP problem:

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.” (Romans 1:21-25)

God made us to be worshipers. Therefore, we are always worshiping something. We are supposed to worship Him, but we end up worshiping the things that He has made rather than the Creator, Himself. Nothing that God has made can ever fill us like He can, not even people. When we try to put our idealized notions of the "perfect man" or "perfect woman" in God's place we create idols that will always disappoint us. There are no super-men or goddess-women who will satisfy all of your deepest desires and make all of your wildest dreams come true. You might be worshiping this kind of idol with the movies you watch, the music you listen to, the books or magazines you read, the clothes you wear, the posters you hang up, the conversations you have with your friends, or perhaps on the altar of your computer screen. You might even be asking God to give you the idol that you want so badly, but you will not get it. As James told us, you are asking with the wrong motives (see James 4:3 above). Essentially, you are asking for something that does not exist. God has made it clear that there are no other gods besides Him (Isaiah 43:10-11).

Instead of aiding us in our futile pursuits, Jesus tells us to turn away from them (Mark 1:15), come to Him, and find rest from them (Matthew 11:28-30). We can only find healing, restoration, and true fulfillment in Christ. Only when we become complete and secure in who God created us to be, through our relationship with Jesus, can we properly GIVE ourselves to a husband or a wife rather than constantly trying to GET satisfaction, fulfillment, and validation from them. And that is the picture of marriage that God gives us in Ephesians 5:22-33.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul tells us that wives are to submit to their husbands as the church submits to Christ and husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church. Many people get hung up on the first part about wives submitting to husbands before they understand the full picture that is being painted here. God’s command to men is to love their wives in the way that Christ (the infinite, perfect, almighty God in the form of a man) loves the church AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR HER. The woman is told to give in to her husband, but the man is called to give up his life! Which is the more difficult command to follow: Obey an imperfect man? Or mimic the perfect, sacrificial love of God who DIED for His bride even when she was unfaithful to Him (Romans 5:8)?

Men, your God-given strength and authority go beyond getting people to do what you want them to do. God has given you what you need to lead, protect, and serve the women and children in your lives in a way that honors Him. To paraphrase Voddie Baucham: Your job is to treat the women in your life so well that no loser would ever have a chance with them. Ask yourself, “How can we as men make sure the women around us feel safe and cared for?” Be intentional about using your power for good because when you use what God has given you to manipulate or exploit women or children for your own ends, you violate God’s created order. Remember that Jesus did not hold tightly to His ultimate authority as God, but let go of it to love and serve us (Philippians 2:5-11). When men follow Christ’s example and lay down their lives for their families instead of lording their authority over others (Mark 10:42-45), they will find women are more likely to respect them. But even if men don’t get the respect or satisfaction they want from women, they can still remember that their ultimate validation and fulfillment comes from God rather than people.

Women, don’t be quick to give your heart away to boys who don’t know what to do with it or scoundrels who are only looking to use you. Evaluate a man’s character through Ephesians 5:25-33 and stay away from the smooth-talkers who say a lot of the right things, but whose hearts don’t measure up. If that guy who likes you is not able to love selflessly and sacrificially, keep walking because he is nothing but trouble. If he is not committed to God’s Word, spiritual growth, and purity, then pass on him. If you can’t see yourself submitting to him, don’t waste your time with him. Trust that God really does have your best interests in mind even if He never brings you a husband. Find your identity and completeness in Christ, the only perfect man..

If Jesus Christ is not enough for us without a man or a woman in our lives, then our feelings of inadequacy and the problems in society will continue to perpetuate no matter how hard we keep chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:13-14). Let us focus more on who God created us to be rather than on who God may or may not have created us to be with.

Myth-Buster Series: The Myth of the "Gay Christian"

We hear many different ideas about homosexuality and gay marriage in our culture today. Christians in particular are bombarded with conflicting messages about how we should respond to these kind of issues. We're told that "God hates gays" by people like the Westboro Baptist group (who do not represent Christianity in general or the Baptist denomination in particular AT ALL). Others tell us to apply the popular, Christian cliche, "Hate the sin; love the sinner" to those who identify with the LGBT community. Then there are people who say that they are "gay" and "Christian" and that God is fine with that. They assert that "God made some people gay" and they imply that nothing can or should be done to change that. We also see accusations such as "hateful" and "discrimination" leveled against anyone who opposes the notion of "gay marriage". Surely followers of Christ shouldn't hate anyone, right? We're supposed to love our neighbors and even love our enemies. What exactly is the loving thing to do here?

How do we make sense of this chaos? Is it possible to be a "gay Christian"? What does real "marriage equality" look like?

As always, we need to look at this matter just like we would anything else: through the lens of Scripture. Our opinions MUST be shaped by God's Word rather than what seems or feels right at a given moment. Feelings and sentiments change like leaves blown in the wind, but Scripture provides us with a rock-solid foundation that does not move no matter what the weather is doing (Matthew 7:24-27).

So let's start by looking at what God says about marriage. After all, He is the Creator and Designer of all things, including humans, marriage, and sex. He alone is qualified to set the parameters for how things are supposed to work. In the very first chapter of the Bible, Genesis 1, God creates the universe and everything it. He saves the best for last and creates man and woman in His image (Genesis 1:26-28). This male/female arrangement is what God says reflects His image (v. 27). This is what God blesses (v. 28). This is what God calls to be "fruitful" (v. 28).

In Genesis 2:18-25, we get even more insight into the creation of the first couple and the first marriage. God started by making the man out of the ground (Genesis 2:7), but did not make the woman right away. It is worth noting that the order in which the man and the woman were created says NOTHING about their respective value or importance! Both were equally created in God's image, both equally reflect God's nature, and both are of equal value and importance to God. The man was given the privilege of coming first as well as the responsibility of being the head of the family (Genesis 3:16; Ephesians 5:23). The woman was given the honor of being the pinnacle of God's creation (He saved the best for last) as well as the privilege and responsibility of bearing children (Genesis 3:16). Men and women are DIFFERENT, yet EQUAL, which is part of God's design.

God said that it was not good for the man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). There is more going on here than merely the possibility of Adam getting lonely. God's main purpose for humanity is to bear His image. Everything about mankind (apart from sin and its effects) is supposed to say something about God's nature. We know that even though God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4), He is not solitary. He exists as Trinity: three in one (Matthew 28:19). By himself, Adam could not reflect this aspect of God's nature. So God says that He will make a "suitable" helper for Adam. Notice how God defines what qualifies as a "suitable" mate: not another man, but a woman who is DIFFERENT, but EQUAL. In Genesis 2:22, we're told that God, Himself, BRINGS the woman to the man. It is clear that God's provision for a man in this area is a woman (and vice versa). To pursue anything else is to reject what God has given. Genesis 2 concludes with a firm affirmation of God's created order for marriage: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." (v. 24) The scope of the language shifts to let us know that this is is not just the pattern for Adam and Eve, but for humanity as a whole. Generation after generation, a man is to leave his parents (which consist of one father and one mother) and unite himself with a woman. This mysterious and beautiful phenomenon of two DIFFERENT, but EQUAL persons becoming "one flesh" reflects the three-in-one nature of God where the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all DIFFERENT and distinct from one another, yet are all EQUALLY God. It is no accident that the only kind of union that can produce life is the one that reflects the nature of the Author of life.

In case anyone thought that God was not clear enough in Genesis 1 and 2 about His design for marriage, Jesus (God the Son) restates and provides further commentary on that design during His earthly ministry. In Matthew 19, the Pharisees ask Him a question about marriage and instead of offering an opinion based on the prevalent views of the day, Jesus goes directly to God's Word and quotes Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24:

"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Matthew 19:4-6)

Jesus regards these verses as authoritative for defining the terms of marriage centuries after they were written. He reaffirms the male/female aspect of marriage as well as the pattern for humanity laid out in Genesis 2:24. Then He gives the additional command not to separate what God has joined together. In the immediate context, Jesus is talking about divorce, but we know from Genesis 2:18-25 (and Genesis 1:27 which Jesus quotes here) that what God has brought together is a man and woman.

Unfortunately, marriage, along with every other aspect of humanity, has been radically damaged by sin. In Genesis 3, Adam and Even disobey God and everything changes. As a result of their sin, they experience separation from God, they feel shame, they are cursed, and they age and die. In that process, the relationship between humans and God was broken and the relationship between man and woman was also broken. Trust was fractured and our desires became perverted. In Romans 1:18-32, the Apostle Paul makes the connection between idolatry (worshiping creation rather than the Creator) and the distortions that result from it, including homosexual desires (v. 26-27), covetousness, malice, envy, murder, deceit, and others (v. 29-31). Therefore, the Bible contains commandments in both the Old and New Testaments that deal with inappropriate desires that go against God's created order for marriage.

In the Ten Commandments, God commands us not to commit adultery (Exodus 20:14). In Leviticus 18, we see commands against sleeping with relatives (v. 6-16), men sleeping with men (v. 23), and humans sleeping with animals (v. 24). All of these things pervert marriage as God designed it. People trying to defend homosexuality as a legitimate, Christian lifestyle might object and say, "That's the Old Testament. We aren't under the law anymore." However, there are at least two problems with that argument:

1.) The New Testament also deals with homosexuality (Romans 1:18-25; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:8-10). Even people who try to point out that Jesus never addressed this particular issue must face the fact that He condemned "sexual immorality" as a whole in Matthew 15:19. How did first century Jews define "sexual immorality"? Answer: the Old Testament law.

2.) Jesus came to fulfill the law, not abolish it (Matthew 5:17-20). Just because we do not need to obey the law in order to be saved, does not mean that we as Christians can ignore the law. Paul says that the law is good for making us aware of our sin (Romans 7:7 & 12). Jesus says that if we love Him, we will keep His law (Matthew 5:19; John 14:21). The reason why we don't worry about eating "clean" or "unclean" foods anymore is the same reason why we don't offer animal sacrifices at a temple. Jesus' death fulfills that part of t

he law: the ceremonial law. ALL of the law still applies, but Jesus has taken over the priesthood and the whole system of making atonement for sin. As Christians, we are still called to obey the moral commandments that have to do with the way we live and treat one another. Obviously commandments like "honor your father and mother," "do not murder," "do not steal," etc. did not go away because we are still supposed to "love our neighbors as ourselves." In the same way, commandments against adultery and homosexuality did not go away either because God's design for marriage has not changed.

In conclusion, homosexuality is wrong because it involves a denial of the created order and a turning inward toward one's self to seek out that which is the same rather than turning outward and giving to that which is DIFFERENT, yet EQUAL. It also involves giving into urges that contradict God's commands (just like any other sin). Someone might say, "God made me this way!" but just because we all have sinful desires that go against God's law it does not mean that we can blame the Creator for them. Our sinful rebellion against our Creator and His design for us is what led to our fallen state, not the other way around. The hope of the Gospel is that we can become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17) through faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Romans 3:22-26) and experience reconciliation with God. The good news is that God is making all things new (Revelation 21:5) and is bringing healing and restoration to our brokenness, even while we are still on earth. We can either persist in our rebellion against God and continue to go the way of the world which is wasting away (John 2:15-17) or we can confess our sin before God, repent from it, submit to the authority of Jesus Christ, and be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). This is the hope that we, as Christians, offer to everyone, whether "gay," "straight," or whatever other labels people want to throw around. As far as the question of "marriage equality" is concerned, God does not exclude anyone from getting married. But He is very clear on what actually constitutes "marriage." If people choose to reject the suitable mate that God has provided for them, God will either give them over to their desires (Romans 1:24, 26, 28) or will eventually grant them repentance, leading them to a knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 2:25-26). We earnestly pray for the latter.

Some additional resources on this subject:

-Sermon by Matt Chandler on homosexuality

-"'Gay Christianity' Refuted" by Dr. James White

-"Monogamy is Unnatural" by Matt Walsh (illustrates that marriage, as God defines it, is restrictive for every orientation, not just for homosexuals)

Myth-Buster Series: The Lens of Scripture

In 2 Timothy 4:4, the Apostle Paul warns the young Timothy that people "will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." The question that we should immediately ask is: "How do we tell the difference between truth and myth?" We might also wonder what tools could help us in our inquiry or if there is an objective lens that will give us a clear picture of reality.

Many are familiar with the popular TV show, “MythBusters.” In each episode, different ideas and claims are considered and then tested to determine their validity. Whether they realize it or not, the people on this show are facing this same question of: “What is truth?” (John 18:38). It is clear that the cast and crew from “MythBusters” use science as their standard for discerning fact from fiction. They follow the scientific method to create tests which will help them evaluate whether or not a claim is possible/plausible. In many cases, this method is a wonderful tool that helps us better understand the world in which we live. However, it can only answer certain types of questions. For example, “MythBusters” can use science to answer questions like these without any problems:

“Is it possible to swing so fast on a swing set that you do a 360^o over the crossbar?”

“If you microwave a piece of metal, will your microwave explode?”

“If you drop a penny off a skyscraper, could it kill a person?”

But what about this question:

“Should I drop pennies on people from the top of a skyscraper?”

Science can answer “What” questions, but it can’t touch the “Should” or the “Ought” questions. Science can help us understand the difference between true and false in a physical sense, but it cannot tell us the difference between right and wrong in the moral sense. Science can only describe the world as we observe it. It does not have any power to prescribe ethical behavior. One can give a recommendation to someone else based upon scientific observation: “If you put your hand in the fire, it will get burned. I wouldn’t do it if I were you.” But the suggestion to keep one’s hand out of the fire is based on personal preference, not an objective standard of right and wrong. Science provides information and greater power to act, but it doesn’t tell us what we ought (not) to do with that information or power. Science is not a respecter of persons: it aids those who wish to help as well as those who wish to hurt. For centuries, tyrants and thugs have intentionally used fire to torture and kill other humans beings to get what they want. Their actions are based on the same scientific observation, but motivated by a different personal preference. Who's to say if one personal preference is better than another? Science can only say "what" will happen to a person’s body if subjected to extreme heat. It can’t tell us if we "should" or "should not" do such a thing to other human beings. In fact, science is dependent upon non-physical principles of logic, knowledge, truth, uniformity in nature, induction, etc. and it is governed by a code of ethics which involves honesty and respect for human dignity. Science cannot account for its own preconditions. To answer the questions that move beyond the scope of "what" can or does happen in the physical universe, we need to use a bigger lens.

Right before Paul warns Timothy about the turning away from truth to myth, he includes this infamous statement about God's Word:

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

Paul has already answered the question of how to rightly discern truth. God has given us His Word for teaching, training, and equipping in matters of righteousness. If we want to know right from wrong, moral from immoral, ethical from unethical, God has given us the instruction that we need. As the transcendent Creator of the universe, He is the only One with the objectivity and authority to speak truth into our lives (Psalm 24:1-2; Isaiah 40:22; 55:8-9). He knows how everything is supposed to work and fit together because He is the One who made it! He alone is qualified to tell us about how we should live, how we should think, how we should treat one another, what we should believe, and even how we should do science. Without God, we would not exist, much less be able to do anything. He is the author of life and knows what is best for us. His commands and instructions are not burdensome (Matthew 11:28-30), but His Word guides us in the way of wisdom, righteousness, and truth (Psalms 23:3; 119-105; Proverbs 4:10-12; 8:20). So who will you trust: God or yourself? (Romans 3:4)

As we tackle different myths this year, we will examine them through the lens of Scripture because it is our source of truth. If an idea does not mesh with what God has revealed in His Word, it is "busted" and will unravel before our eyes. But everything that lines up with God's truth will stand the test of time:

"Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment." (Proverbs 12:19)

God's Holiness and Our Sinfulness

We’ve all heard the phrase, “God is holy,” but what does that mean, anyway? We think we understand that God is perfect, but since we’ve never seen perfection, it’s impossible for us to imagine what it’s really like. When it comes down to it, we hardly understand who God is at all.

The word “holy” comes from the Hebrew word “qadosh,” which means: “separated,” “marked off,” “placed apart,” or “withdrawn from common use.” God separate from His creation; He is not just another part of the universe. He is over and above what He has made, including us. He is greater in power, might, majesty, and everything else. He is perfect. Now, since we have no true understanding of what perfection is, we tend to think of God simply as better than the best we know. The truth of the matter is: God is MUCH better than that. He is greater than anything we could ever possibly imagine and then some.

God's holiness separates Him from us in another way: God is sinless. He is above our corruption. There has never been a moment when God did the wrong thing, or messed up in any way. He never sinned. In contrast, we sin constantly. Psalm 51:5 says, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” There has never been a moment in our lives when we were sinless.

In the same way that we cannot comprehend God’s holiness and his perfection, we also cannot fully understand our sin. We know nothing of what it would be like to be free from sin; it’s just a normal part of our everyday lives. From God’s perspective, however, sin is abominable. He cannot stand to look at our sin (Habakkuk 1:13a, Psalm 5:4-5). Because of our sins, we have been cut off from God (Isaiah 59:1-2), and we are deserving of punishment, and that punishment is death (Romans 3:23).

Thankfully, that is not how the story ends. Rather than having to take our rightful punishment, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21),” and “he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).” So now, even though God, in His holiness, cannot stand our sin, we are forgiven. Even though we are terrible people and our sins are so horrid that we deserve death, Jesus came so that we could be restored and made new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Through His death on the cross, Jesus made us acceptable to God so that we we could have a relationship with Him.

(written by Elizabeth)

The Depths of the Gospel: God's Greatness

We live in a reductionist society. This means that we tend to strip things down to their bare essentials in order to understand them. We don't like to waste time with a lot of extra "fluff." We prefer to be efficient. We like bullet points. We want to analyze and master content quickly, then move on. The problem is when we over-reduce and, as a result, oversimplify a subject.

For instance, if someone asks you about Einstein's theory of relativity, you might be able to write out his famous equation: E = mc². We can reduce a complex theory about the nature of a universe down to these five symbols, but how many people in the world actually know what all five of these symbols represent? It only takes a few seconds to scribble out this equation, but it takes years to comprehend what is being expressed here.

In the same way, we can try to reduce the Gospel to: a few verses (1 Corinthians 15:1-7), or even one verse (2 Corinthians 5:21), or possibly even the simple statement, "Jesus died for our sins." But just like with Einstein's equation, do we understand the full meaning behind each of these five words?

Just because we can recite John 3:16 or give a brief account of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus does not mean that we have mastered all there is to know about the Gospel. We may feel like we're ready to move on to "the next step," but the Gospel is more than just the information we need to know in order to be saved. It's not just about how to become a Christian; it's the core of Christianity itself from which everything else flows.

Paul describes the Gospel as "the mystery from which true godliness springs" (1 Timothy 3:16). Christianity is not all about marriage, or family, or modesty, or charity, or even morality. These are simply the byproducts of a life that has been transformed by the truth of who God is and what He has done for us (a.k.a. the Gospel). Only as our understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ continues to deepen will we be able to walk more and more closely with Him.

So let's begin by taking some time to meditate and reflect on the first word of that "simple" statement above: Jesus. We could spend a lifetime contemplating who Jesus is and we would only scratch the surface because Jesus is God (John 1:1-3). If Jesus is God, then the Gospel does not start in the book of Matthew, or Mark, or Luke, or John, but in Genesis 1:1. That's right, the Gospel begins with God creating the universe. Everything that exists comes from God; He made EVERYTHING (Romans 11:33-36; Colossians 1:15-17).

Since God made everything, He also owns everything. From the physical earth and everything in it (Psalm 24:1-2) to non-physical concepts like knowledge and wisdom (Colossians 2:2-3), it all belongs to God. There are no rules or principles that govern His behavior because He created them all, including morality and justice. Now if we stop for a moment to reflect on these truths, we realize that if God owns everything, then He has the right to do what He wants with it (Psalm 115:3; 135:6). If He built it up, He can tear it down. If He gave it, He can take it away. God created the world out of nothing with His words! When He speaks, it becomes reality. If we really believe that God has that kind of power, then we should not have any problem admitting that whatever God says goes, even if we don't happen to like it or agree with it.

We, in contrast to God, have absolutely no power. How then can we object to anything that God says or does (Daniel 4:35; Ecclesiastes 8:4; Job 36:23)? Could we ever be wiser than God in any way? What could we possibly understand or tell God that He does not already know (Isaiah 40:13-14)? In Isaiah 40, we are given a small glimpse of God's superiority over man. Compared to Him, we're like grass that's here one day and gone the next (v. 6-8), or like a tiny drop in a bucket (v. 15), or like grasshoppers (v. 22). The hard truth we don't want to admit is that we are not significant by our own merits. Apart from God, we are nothing (v. 17). However, God is sovereign and rules over all things with a mighty arm (v. 10). He is bigger than everything else put together (v. 12). But at the same time, God can be gentle. He demonstrates restraint and complete control over His own power and size (v. 11). He holds all things together (v. 26). He has the power to create and destroy (v. 23-24).  No one is equal to God; none can even compare to Him (v. 25). He never gets tired and never experiences weakness (v. 28). Yet He chooses to demonstrate His grace to us who are weak and have nothing to offer (v. 29-31).

The more we contemplate the greatness of God, the more humbled we become that He would have anything to do with beings as tiny as us, much less love us enough to die for our sins. Once you finish reading this post, resist the urge to "move on" to the next thing. Stop. Look up these verses. Read Isaiah 40. Meditate on it. Ponder the words that God has written about Himself and know that taking time to think about God is more worthwhile than anything else you might want to do.