Category: Discipleship Essentials

The Character and Doom of the Sluggard by Pastor David Caldwell

The Reverend David Caldwell (1725-1824) was born in Lancaster, PA. He moved to NC where he became a Presbyterian minister over two congregations, a physician, an educator, and a farmer. He was a Regulator and was present at the Battle of Alamance as a peace negotiator. He ardently supported the Revolution; although, he served mainly as a doctor for the wounded. The British hated and feared his influence so much that they put out a bounty of two hundred pounds on him. When General Cornwallis seized his home before the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, Caldwell was with Greene’s army in Virginia. The British burned all his sermons, but two escaped the flames, one of which is printed below.

The Character and Doom of the Sluggard

The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. Proverbs 12:24 (KJV)

The diligent person will rule, but the slothful will become a slave. 
Proverbs 12:24 (NET1)

Paying tribute or tax is an acknowledgement of subjection and dependence; and is opprobrious or not, according to the circumstances under which it is paid. When we pay a tax to the support of a government whose constitution we approve and in whose measures we have a voice, it is paid cheerfully; and then we are more than compensated by the personal security and by the facilities for improvement which it affords; but still it is an acknowledgement of dependence upon, or of subjection to, that government.

When it is paid to a foreign government; and especially, if it be paid from compulsion, and not from choice, it is always considered as degrading. Thus, the Jews considered the tribute which they paid at different periods of their history to the surrounding nations; and finally, to the Roman government. So all nations in all ages have viewed the payment of tribute by compulsion, whether it be paid to their own rulers, or to those of another nation; and this arises from that innate love of liberty which belongs to all men, as well as to their sense of justice and propriety; for the exaction from a people of a tribute more than they themselves, when properly informed, admit to be necessary to enable the government to give adequate protection to their persons and property, no matter by whom it is done, is felt to be a violation of justice; and the government which will make such exactions from downright avarice, or for ambitious purposes, is not guided by a fair appreciation of the rights of mankind, or by those benign principles which alone can render its operation acceptable and salutary to the governed.

When an individual is said to be under tribute, as in the text, the meaning is that he is in a degraded state of subjection to, and dependence upon, those around him; and such, we are here told, will be the condition of the sluggard. We are so constituted that vigorous and well directed exertion is necessary to the attainment of anything that is valuable; and all the powers we possess, bodily and mental, ought to be employed assiduously in pursuance of the end for which they were given. The powers with which we are endowed are various; but the employments for which they are required are also various; and it is not important in what way we are employed, provided it be at something that is right and useful. If we refuse to exercise these powers in the way in which it was designed we should exercise them, we must remain destitute of that which would be obtained by a proper industry; and this neglect, and the consequent destitution, may be either partial or total.

For example: a certain degree of bodily exercise is necessary to health; but, if we neglect that exercise, we must want the health and vigor which might otherwise be enjoyed. The acquisition of knowledge depends upon a diligent use of the means and the due exercise of our mental faculties; but, if we refuse to take this course, we must remain in ignorance. Industry, as to the things of this world, is necessary to obtain the means of subsistence and the comforts of life; but, if we refuse to labor, we must remain in poverty and wretchedness. We are surrounded by enemies and dangers of various kinds; and to avoid being overcome, both vigilance and efforts are necessary; but if we refuse to watch and to take the proper precautions, or to defend ourselves when attacked, captivity or ruin will be the certain consequence.

It has been said that the word, which is rendered slothful, in the text, ought to be rendered deceitful, or fraudulent; but we need not detain you with any critical remarks in order to settle that point, as the two characters are very much alike; for we generally find that the deceitful and fraudulent are indolent too; and there are certainly some of the same elements in both. As it stands, it answers better also to the antithesis in the first part of the verse. The hand of the Diligent shall Bear Rule; but the Slothful shall be under tribute. Besides there are many other passages, both in the Old aid New Testament, and especially in the book of Proverbs, of the same import, and about which there is no dispute.

A man may be so intent upon gain, or so absorbed in scientific or literary pursuits, or so engaged in something else that is lawful and even important in its nature, as to neglect his health, and, not only become the subject of debility and disease, but go down to a premature grave. The effect in this case is owing, not to indolence, but an imprudent or a too eager pursuit of the object; yet indolence will be followed by the same result; for in both cases the laws of our physical nature are violated in a similar way. We need not enquire whether there is any culpability in the former case; for that depends on circumstances and is not necessary to our purpose. It is with the sluggard we have to do at present; and about him there is no apology. While he is impairing his health and shortening his days by his inactivity and sloth, he is gaining nothing in any other way, and must therefore be chargeable with his own ruin. To say nothing of the injury to his health from inattention to cleanliness and from the want of fresh and wholesome air, which is very great, the laws of our physical existence require frequent and regular exercise; and without it the vitality of the system will languish, and its energies become impaired. As the door upon his hinges, so doth the sluggard upon his bed— turning from one side to the other, but still remaining in the same place. The slothful hides his hand in his bosom: It troubles him to bring it again to his mouth— that is, the slightest exertion is irksome to him; and he neglects, not only the muscular exertion necessary to health, but also to make suitable provision for his nourishment. Such a man cannot enjoy the health and vigor of other people; nor have the same number of days to live; for, as a matter of fact, we always find that those who live long upon the earth are people of regular and active habits.

If the sluggard commences in poverty, he will remain poor; and, if he commences rich, he will become poor. He may desire wealth and comfort, but his desire kills him; for ” his hands refuse to labor.” He may ” covet greedily all the day long;” but, while “the righteous have enough and to spare,” he is in want. While many a man, who began life poor, has become rich by honest and persevering industry, many a fine estate has been wasted by sloth and inattention. The slothful man saith there is a lion in the way: a lion is in the streets,— that is, in the very places where he ought to be at work, or attending to his business; and the amount of it is that he is ready to make any excuse, and will indulge his sloth upon any terms. The consequence is that, if he has a farm, it is in disorder, and becoming waste. I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding. And lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. To an observing and reflecting man this was a source of instruction. Then I saw and considered it well: I looked upon it and received instruction. The amount of it was, that while the man was saying to himself, Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep, his poverty was seen coming as one that travelled, and his want as an armed man. If he is a tradesman, or a merchant, and neglects his business, his customers, his debts, or anything belonging to his occupation, the same result will follow.

Sloth is usually at the bottom of all negligence, disorder, or bad management in business; and there is more sloth among us, and more of the evils resulting from it, probably, than many of you have ever supposed. But these are not all the evils, nor the worst evils to which the sluggard is subject; for those of a mental and moral kind are much more serious in their nature and their consequences. A certain amount of knowledge is necessary to a man’s welfare, here and hereafter; and the more knowledge he has the better, if he makes a right use of it; for then his satisfaction and his usefulness will be in the same proportion. But even that amount of intelligence which will enable him to understand his own interest and make him acquainted with the duties which he owes to God his Maker, and to his fellow beings, a diligent use of the means of knowledge, and much reflection on what he reads or acquires in any way. He may be very positive or dogmatic all in his opinions, without being able to tell why he entertains them; and is positive just because he is ignorant. The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason. Seven was considered as the number of perfection among the Jews, and being in common use it was employed by the inspired writers, as it was by the people to whom they wrote, to express the whole class of persons or objects lo which it was applied; and by “seven wise men” was therefore meant all the wise men in the world. The sluggard thinks he is wiser than anybody else; and this state of mind, in addition to his aversion to any proper exercise of his mental powers, keeps him in ignorance.

While the due exercise of all our powers, mental and physical, is the only condition on which our present and future welfare can be secured, of which we are expressly informed by the great and good Being who gave us existence, and the proof of which is manifest everywhere around us; he who will not comply with the laws of his being and fulfil the only condition on which his welfare is attainable, must become a certain prey to “all the ills that flesh is heir to;” for if he is not aware of these evils how can he escape them! It he is ignorant, how can he know in what they consist, or in what direction they will come, or if he does not know the things that make for his peace, how can he seek them, though ever so anxious!

Knowledge, like everything else that is good, is the reward of industry; and if we or anybody else, is as really an object of reprobation as the miser, the spendthrift, or the highway robber; and the blessings which he foregoes and the evils which he brings upon himself, here, are but forerunners of the heavier losses which he will sustain, and the more insufferable woes which he will bring upon himself hereafter; for the unprofitable servant will be bound hand and foot, and cast into outer darkness where no ray of comfort can ever cast even a momentary radiance over the gloom, and where there is weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth forever. The evils which he is bringing upon himself here are those of privation and of suffering: they are physical, intellectual, and moral; and increasing, as they are, from day to day, both in number and degree, they can be regarded only as the beginning of sorrows.

We have seen that while the sluggard is impairing his health and shortening his days, he is wasting his estate, or depriving himself of blessings and privileges which he might otherwise enjoy; and is not only acting in a manner very similar to that of the most prodigal spendthrift, but is pursuing towards himself, and perhaps others also who may be dependent on him, a perfectly suicidal course. God hath declared that “he is brother to him that is a great waster;” and that he “who sleeps in summer shall beg in harvest,” exposing himself to poverty, shame, and misery. As he will not disturb his ease that he may become acquainted with his duty to God or learn upon what terms the divine favor may be obtained, and what will be the consequence of neglecting to comply with those terms, neither will he take the trouble to ascertain what is due to him from his fellowmen, or what he owes to them. Hence being deficient in his duty to his God, his kin, and his country, he not only becomes an easy prey to every bold intruder who is either desirous of gain or greedy of power, but is exposed to all the evils, of whatever kind, that can come upon him from those towards whom he has violated his obligations.

While he is spending or losing, by his ignorance and sloth, the inheritance that has been handed down from his predecessors, perhaps through a number of generations, with all the temporal comforts which it might have afforded, or is neglecting to acquire the means of comfort and respectability which a kind Providence has placed within the reach of his industry, the ambitious and the covetous, those tyrants of the human race and pests of society, view him as an object fit for their purposes, and mark him for their prey, believing that his ignorance will screen them from his notice, and that his indolence will make him perfectly submissive, or prevent that vigilance and exertion on his part which are necessary to his safety.

Thus, they are encouraged to make the experiment, and they too often succeed. Here your own memories may easily suggest examples, both in public and in private life, in which the weak, the ignorant, and the slothful were outwitted and imposed on, defrauded and subjugated, by some unprincipled villain or other, who was destitute alike of honor, humanity, and everything else that could entitle him to the respect and affections of his fellow men; and of such the world is full.

But if the sluggard is so reckless as to destroy his soul, body, and estate, it is almost a matter of course that he will so undervalue his civil and religious liberties as to lose them in the same way.

Were he careful to examine into the rights of society and to ascertain what each individual parts with, for the sake of the government, the aggregate of which is the royal prerogative, and is committed into the hands of the supreme magistrate to be exercised for the public good, he would easily see when his civil liberties were secure, or when endangered by the attempts of ambitious and designing men; but he does not consider that the king, as such, is created, protected, cud supported by the State; and that all his acts should therefore promote the public good. While the sluggard continues ignorant of these leading principles, no wonder if he is easily awed into slavery, stoops his shoulders to the burden, becomes a servant to tribute, and yields to all the unjust demands of usurped prerogative.

In acting thus, however, he is an enemy, not only to himself, but also to his children. Can this be possible, you will say. Can he divest himself of such inanity! Can he lay aside the tender feelings of a parent! Can he forget the civil interests of his children! Can he expose his helpless infants to the lawless demands of tyranny, and to all the cruelties of despotism! Can he be so infatuated as to ruin his tender offspring by surrendering their liberty and property into the hands of those who exercise usurped prerogative!— I would say it was impossible, if incontestable facts did not prove the contrary.

Who are capable of such blackened crimes? who can deliberately ruin himself and his children at once? the sluggard; and whoever else may do the same thing from other principles or in other ways, the sluggard is sure to do it, in whom ignorance, disregard of moral obligation, and a supreme love of ease are inseparably united.

Should such a monster of human society appear at a time when the royal prerogative is extended beyond the bounds of reason, or the just limits of the constitution, would he act the champion in the cause of liberty, bravely withstand the shocks of an arbitrary and tyrannical government and bid defiance to all the illicit requirements of despotism! Would he vindicate the cause of political truth, and firmly resolve to transmit to his infant sons the fair inheritance of liberty! The answers to these questions I beseech you to conceal. Let not the friends of the constitution, or the “Sons of Liberty,” know that such an enemy to the common interests of mankind anywhere exists, lest their patriotic zeal should raise undue resentment and cause it to burst upon his devoted head— conceal, I pray you, conceal it from his unoffending family— add not infamy and disgrace to their bondage and oppression. It will be enough, and more than enough, for them to answer the demands of tyranny, and the lawless requisitions of an unprincipled minister, if, for lack of courage and firmness, the chains of slavery should be now fastened upon us. Alas, they must groan out their days in lamentation and wretchedness, suffering whatever a corrupt minister, or ministerial tools, can invent; and tamely surrender all that is most dear and valuable to the demands of avarice and the menaces of power.

Let them not know that their bondage and degradation must be ascribed to the ignorance and indolence of their progenitors, who, from cowardice or the love of ease, tamely surrendered all that was their own and all that should have been their children’s, into the hands of a minister or an infatuated senate. This would sink their sinking spirits still lower and add infamy and shame to poverty and oppression. Let oblivion spread her dark veil over their ignoble principles and unmanly conduct, who, for a little ease, or the hope of securing a trifling estate, or some mere selfish advantage of comparatively small value and short duration, would resign their own and their children’s liberty, overturn the constitution, and expose themselves, with their posterity, born or unborn, to the groping paw of arbitrary power.

When men of this character, ambitious and unprincipled, are a majority in the State, or have the control of public affairs, what unjust prosecutions, what shipwrecks of property, what fines, confiscations, and imprisonments, the black history of some former inauspicious reigns fully manifest, I refer to the time when a set of slothful and unprincipled wretches disgraced the British Senate, suffering the Council Table, Star Chamber, and High Commissioners to engross almost the whole power of making and executing the laws— at which time they enforced their loans, benevolences, and ship-money, by illegal prosecutions, intolerable fines, and long imprisonments, to the ruin or serious injury of the nation; for vast multitudes of the most industrious, upright, and valuable citizens left the country; and with all classes there was a want of confidence in the government;— while the disregard of moral honesty and good faith manifested by the men in power, and the temptations held out to the ambitious and covetous to stifle conscience and trample on the rights and justice and humanity, produced a general deterioration of moral principle.

The sin and danger of sloth, in relation to our civil liberty, or of yielding to the unjust demands of arbitrary power, is further evident from the fact that those in high life, or who administer the government, have all the allurements by which to turn the active spirits of the age, and cause them to act in concert with themselves. Some they bring over by promoting them to high stations; some by pains and penalties; some are influenced by the apprehension of not being able to obtain justice and of losing what little they have; some are brought into subjection and held fast through a kind of depravity in their understanding, not distinguishing between reasonable taxation and oppression; while others seem to have so much infidelity in their make that they will not believe what all mankind assert, and will hardly believe the testimony of their own senses.

But the sluggard from mere indolence, or from an aversion to exerting himself in any way, will not observe these matters, nor inquire into what is conducive to his own and his children’s safety and happiness. He would rather stoop his shoulders and take on him the whole load of oppression and slavery, with all their train of privations and hardships.

Were these evils confined to the persons and families of such indolent wretches, it would be more tolerable; but, alas! posterity, in all its extent and in its distant generations, may fuel the burden, made more insupportable by repeated additions.— France and Spain, yea, all the enslaved nations Europe, can bear witness that it was the sluggish disposition of their remote predecessors, and the inactivity of succeeding ages, which introduced, increased, and perfected their present bondage— a bondage which makes them to this day groan under a load that it is not likely they or their children will be able to throw off.

Had our forefathers in England given up the cause of liberty and indulged in sloth, or inglorious ease, when recreants, assisted by the French, and headed by an angry and disappointed Prince, attempted our subjugation and ruin, we should have been under the domination of popery, and exposed to all its persecuting tenets, to slavery, and all its poverty. Attempts have been often made, since the reformation, to introduce popery and slavery into the British nation; but they were always resolutely and successfully withstood. Charles I, prompted and sustained by his alliance with France, the depravity of his understanding, and his uxorious obedience to his queen, encouraged popery in his kingdom; and those who professed the protestant religion were both oppressed and persecuted. At this time, the British parliament was adorned by men of honesty, zeal, and activity, who effected such prodigious revolutions in church and state, as were the surprise and wonder of all Europe.

When James II abdicated the throne of England, and raised an army of papists and confederate French, to establish popery and slavery, the British nation did not betray their religion or their liberty by an inglorious submission, nor did they desert the mighty cause of truth and freedom through sloth or cowardice. They valiantly repelled the force and fury of his attacks and fearlessly proclaimed the prince and princess of Orange to be the king and queen of Great Britain. Thus our forefathers, or many of them, sacrificed their lives at Londonderry that they might hand down to us the fair inheritance of liberty and the protestant religion; and in the whole course of their conduct in the support and defense of their rights, they have set us an example which ought not to be disregarded.— But the sluggard gives up his all: all that is his own, and all that should he his children’s and their children’s under them, into the hands of ambitious, arbitrary, and wicked men,— in consequence of which, he and they, so far as he is at all concerned to prevent it, are exposed to unremitted slavery, poverty, and distress.

If the sluggard be thus an enemy to all above him, to all around him, and to all that will come after him, as well as to himself, in soul, body, and estate, he ought to be well observed in every well-regulated community; for he despises and tramples upon the laws of God and the most salutary institutions of men— institutions that have been handed down, as invaluable and sacred, from father to son, through many generations. Among these we may mention that of trial by juries, which is a very ancient institution or usage in Great Britain; for it seems to have been known to the first Britons, was practiced by the Saxons, and has been confirmed since the invasion of the Normans by the Magna Carta and by continual usage. Trial by juries, however, is not only of great antiquity but is essential to the safety and happiness of every British subject, and, in fact, of all mankind. Juries are England’s Euphoria and Tribute; and are the living bulwark of the laws and the liberties of the people. If we look at those nations that are destitute of this constitutional or essential safeguard, we find the condition of the inhabitants is miserable, being either entirely subjected to the arbitrary will of tyrants who plunder, dismember, or slay them from mere caprice, according to their humor, often without any provocation, and merely to gratify a savage cruelty; or at least we find them under such laws as render their lives, liberties, and estates liable to be disposed of at the discretion of men acting as judges, who are perfect strangers, whether mercenary than otherwise, and the mere creatures of the prerogative; sometimes malicious and oppressive and frequently partial and corrupt.

But such has been the patriotism, prudence, and activity of our ancestors, that they have never suffered the most evil prince, or princes, that ever swayed the British scepter, to destroy this invaluable privilege; nor can it ever be destroyed until the constitution, and the liberties of the people, which are now secured by it, are wrested from them and trampled underfoot, which can never be done, except from their own supineness or mismanagement. If Britons, when under the influence of heathen superstition, or in the ignorance and thralldom of popery, were thus jealous of their rights, and maintained the privilege of being tried by their peers, or by a jury of the wisest and best men to be found in the vicinity, as the only means of securing their lives and fortunes against the arbitrary, partial, and corrupt judges, would it not be a blot on the escutcheon of Britons or the descendants of Britons, professing the protestant religion, and enjoying so much light, now to give up, from sloth or cowardice, a privilege so valuable that every other of merely a civil kind can hardly be brought into the comparison.

The sluggard who gives up such an important branch of the constitution is worse than a thief or a robber; for the one takes from you only what he needs, or can take away at present, but the other undermines the constitution; opens door for tyranny and oppression; and exposes all around him and all that will come after him as well to the paw of arbitrary and despotic power. The consequences of sloth are therefore most pernicious; and the sluggard, being a perfect nuisance to society, must be under the eye of his Maker, and despised by all good men; for he will not unite with the people of God and the friends of humanity, either to procure or defend their common rights and privileges.

This seems to have been the case with the inhabitants of the city Meroz; and God expressed in the most forcible manner his displeasure at their indolence and cowardice. When Jab in, one of the kings of Canaan, who reigned in Razor, had subjugated Israel, and mightily oppressed them for the space of twenty years, Deborah, a prophetess, being influenced by the spirit of the Lord, called for Barak out of Kedesh-Naphiali; and ordered him to go to Mount Tabor, and take with him ten thousand men out of the tribes of Naphtali and Accordingly Bark issued a general proclamation for these two tribes to meet him at and they obeyed, except the inhabitants of this city Meroz, who, it seems, chose rather to be under the tyranny and oppression of that cruel prince, Jabin, than to join with God and his people in vindicating their rights and maintaining their common privileges. God, that he might shew his indignation against those sluggish or timid wretches who would not join in the common cause of liberty, nor unite in defending those rights which he hid originally given them, and which, though lost by their pusillanimity, he was about to restore, provided they shewed themselves worthy of such a favor, inspired the prophetess Deborah, and Barak, the chief commander of the expedition, with that celebrated song, recorded by the divine historian, in which there is this remarkable passage.

“Curse Meroz,” said the angel of the LORD, “Utterly curse its inhabitants; Because they did not come to the help of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the warriors.” Judges 5:23 (NASB)

There seems to be a dreadful similarity between our sluggard and the inhabitants of this devoted city, both in the measure and in the manner of sinning. They regarded neither the command of God, nor their own or their children’s happiness; and preferred their present ease to the good of the community, the cause of truth, and the welfare of posterity. They seemed to despise, or disregard, all that was above them, all that was around them, and all that might come after them, just like the person mentioned in our text, who shall be under tribute.

If this be so, may we not say, without any violence to the sacred text, curse ye the sluggard, saith the angel of the Lord, curse him bitterly, because he will not come up to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against those mighty oppressors who break down the sacred enclosures of the constitution, and make inroads upon the life, liberty, and property of the subject; who take away or mutilate our charters that have been solemnly ratified by British sovereigns and guaranteed by the plighted faith of government; who take away or deprive us of the right of trial by juries, which is indeed the palladium of English liberty; who tax us and take our money, without our consent; and who extend the courts of admiralty and vice-admiralty beyond their ancient and proper limits.— Thus the sluggard is an object of execration everywhere, and at all times; and the evils of his conduct attend him in all his interests and relations, in public and in private; yes, in every circumstance or situation of life, his way is as a hedge of thorns, he is cursed in his relations, as being numbered among the profligate and profane, and nearly connected with the most abandoned spendthrift; for he is brother to him that is a great waster. He shall be cursed with groundless fears and apprehensions, when called to the discharge of any necessary or important duty: There is a lion without: I shall be slain in the streets.— He shall be cursed in his possessions; for it is manifest to everyone who takes a view of the sluggard’s field, and of the vineyard of the man void of understanding, when he sees its whole surface covered with thorns and nettles, and its wall broken down, that poverty shall overtake the owner as one that travelled, and that famine shall seize him as an armed man. He shall be cursed in his dwelling; for, by much sloth the building decays. He shall be cursed as a felon-de-se, a person who is deliberately guilty of suicide, because he neglects the ordinary means of preserving his life and securing his best interest. The desire of the slothful kills him; for his hands refuse to labor. He shall be cursed of God forever: Thou wicked, slothful, and unprofitable servant— you must take up your everlasting abode in the blackness of darkness, where the excruciating pain inflicted upon you by divine vengeance, will be productive of eternal weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

But why need we attempt to mention in detail the numberless evils— the poverty, shame, and remorse— the contempt, misery, and despair— that he shall suffer in his person and character, here and hereafter? All the curses in the book of God are levelled against him; and they will, ere long, break upon him like a bursting cloud. The united execrations of the present, and of coming ages, will render him truly contemptible; and the gnawing reflections of a guilty conscience, will make him completely and forever miserable.

After this description of the sluggard’s character, and of the complicated train of evils which will pursue him, in soul and body, through time and eternity, blasting his name and character here, and involving the ruin of his hopes hereafter, you are perhaps saying, if this picture be just or if the sluggard’s character be so odious and his punishment so terrible, we will not indulge in sloth ourselves, nor connive at it in others. These are good resolutions and may be a good beginning; but these distempered times call for more than resolutions.

You know that some years ago the British Parliament took a notion to be arbitrary; and proceeded to pass acts which were unknown to the constitution, alarming to the wise and prudent in Great Britain and oppressive to their American subjects. They sent out their odious Stamp Act; but it could find no entrance, although it was said there, that it would execute itself. It was repealed, but the design of taxing these colonies, without their consent, was not laid aside. Probably they saw that American virtue would not readily yield to such arbitrary measures; and that therefore more time and deliberation were necessary; but in the meantime there was laid up a decree of the Parliament for future use, viz: “That they can make laws to bind us in all cases whatsoever.” They seem to be maliciously zealous to obtain domination over us,— a proof of which was given in the case of New York, whose legislation was suspended by an act of Parliament, for a supposed offence against the crown. Thus, they officiously stepped in and stripped his majesty of his prerogative, that they might usurp authority over us. They proceeded to lay a tax on a variety of things, though, with respect to most of them, it was again repealed; but the duty on tea still remaining, they resolved that it should be paid; and sent large quantities of it into various parts of this continent. Some was sent back; some stored up; and some destroyed, as at Boston. But the tea being the property of the East India company, the destruction of it was a trespass; and the perpetrators of the act were liable by the common law. Those concerned in that riot, however, were not apprehended, nor was the town of Boston called upon to deliver up the offenders. The justice of Parliament was invoked in this trifling matter; and it will surprise the less civilized nations to learn that it was granted. Their armies and fleets were sent, in virtue of this inhuman law, bearing down after the trespass at Boston was committed, and exposing the innocent with the guilty, to the most complicated distress that ministerial vengeance could invent, or that a British Parliament, filled with rage and the insatiable thirst of power, could inflict.

The sense of the United Colonies was taken on this important matter.— We set forth our grievances: We petitioned his majesty in a most humble manner to intercede with the Parliament on our behalf. Our petitions were rejected, while our grievances were increased by acts still more oppressive and by schemes still more malicious, till we are reduced to the dreadful alternative either of immediate and unconditional submission, or of resistance by force of arms.

We have therefore come to that trying period in our history in which it is manifest that the Americans must either stoop under a load of the vilest slavery, or resist their imperious and haughty oppressors; but what will follow must be of the utmost importance to every individual of these United Colonies; and should be the hearty concern of every honest American.

— What will be recorded on the following page of our history must depend very on our conduct; for if we act like the sluggard, refuse, from the mere love of ease and self-indulgence, to make the sacrifices and efforts which the circumstances require, or, from cowardice and pusillanimity, shrink from dangers and hardships, we must continue in our present state of bondage and oppression, while that bondage and oppression may be increased until life itself will become a burden; but if we stand up manfully and unitedly in defense of our rights, appalled by no dangers and shrinking from no toils or privations, we shall do valiantly.

Our foes are powerful and determined on conquest; but our cause is good; and, in the strength of the Lord, who is mightier than all, we shall prevail. If we fail to do our duty in this momentous crisis, bondage and oppression, with all their unnumbered and interminable woes, will be entailed upon us, but if we act our part well, as men and as Christians, in defense of truth and righteousness, we may, with the help of the Lord, obtain a complete and final deliverance from the power that has oppressed us, or at least secure our rights, and attain a prosperity and happiness which no other nation has ever enjoyed, or even dared to hope; for then the consciences of men being unawed or unbiased by human authority, and the truth of God being unadulterated and unfettered, the gospel will have free course; and we may hope that truth and righteousness will prevail until the predictions of the inspired writers, however vivid and glowing, shall be all fulfilled.

If I could portray to you, in anything like their reality, the results of your conduct in this great crisis in your political destiny; or it I could describe with any tolerable degree of correctness, the feelings which you will have of self-approbation, joy, and thankfulness, or, of self-reproach, shame and regret, according to the part you act— whether as men and as patriots, or as cowards and traitors— I should have no difficulty in persuading you to shake off your sloth, and stand up manfully in a firm, united, and persevering defense of your liberties; but I would hope that enough has been said— enough in reason— enough for my purpose; and we expect that none of you will be wanting in the discharge your duty, or prove unworthy of a cause which is so important in itself, and which every patriot and every Christian should value more than wealth, and hold as dear as his life.

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Meditations on God’s Greatness Inspire Faith, Peace, and Worship

 

Every day when we look upon God’s creation, we are meant to be profoundly impacted by it. What God made reflects who he is.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Psalm 19:1 (NLT)

Think about what we know about the heavens. When we look into the night sky, we are impacted by its mystery and immensity. Modern telescopes have revealed that the universe is much larger than we ever would have imagined, with thousands of gigantic far off galaxies filling the heavens. How big is the universe? What else have we yet to discover?

Our meditations on the universe point us to the Creator who is also far greater and more mysterious than we ever could imagine.

Like the heavens, which draw us to explore them, God wishes his people to be drawn toward him in a never ending quest to know him better.

Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” Hosea 6:3 (NLT)

Consider the oceans. One cannot help but be impressed with their grandeur, power, and immensity. The seas can be incredibly peaceful and terrifyingly angry and threatening. The power of a storm tossed ocean can sweep away everything man-made from a shoreline. The calm drum of the surf beating upon the sand can also give us a wonderful background noise for an afternoon nap. Who knows what mysteries still await exploration in its immense depths? What animals reside there which have yet to be discovered? All of this points our hearts toward the Creator, if we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to understand.

The grandeur of the mountains inspire us with God’s greatness, too. Their stability encourages us to be at rest in our hearts and let go of our pointless striving and worry. Imagine the incredible power it took to push them up from the surrounding plains! Imagine the God who created all of what we see from the Word of his power and upholds everything moment by moment.

And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. 3  The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. Hebrews 1:2-3 (NLT)

The Creator God has the power to uphold life or snuff it out in an instant. Our continued existence depends upon his conscious and deliberate maintenance of his upholding power. For God, nothing is too difficult. What we see as impossibilities are not even a challenge.

No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand. Isaiah 40:15 (NLT)

Nothing can overcome God’s plan for this world and our own lives. He is unchanging in his purpose to bring glory and honor to his Son by bringing every single being and thing into proper submission to him.

After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. 25  For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. 26  And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27  For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) 28  Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere. 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 (NLT)

Never fear. Nothing can stop the inexorable movement of all creation toward God’s intended purpose.

All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’ Daniel 4:35 (NLT)

Our proper response to God’s greatness is to worship.

How can we not surrender fully to such a God? How can we not worship him? In addition, we are to rest in his greatness.

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” Psalm 46:10 (NLT)

I encourage all of us to meditate often upon these things. It will inspire faith, help us to enjoy peace, and promote worship. Hopefully the result will be our growth into a greater knowledge and appreciation of our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer.

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How do so many people end up being so deceived?

I have friends who attend United Methodist churches that are embroiled in the process of disengaging from that denomination because of their radical views regarding LGBTQIA+. (The list of letters gets longer as time goes by.) One has to admire the courage and passion that Charles Wesley, the founder of Methodism, possessed. I believe he would be appalled at what has happened to those who claim the name of Methodist today. Where did this once powerful force for the gospel of Jesus Christ go wrong?

The Babel principle is that every man-made organization always slides toward centralization, self-rule, and self-glorification.

This is true of denominations, individual churches, governments, businesses, clubs, etc. It is a human problem that is generated from the sin nature we receive from Adam at conception, which, by default, leads us to abandon God’s leadership and establish our own kingdom. Christ died and rose again to bring us back into the kingdom of God, but, until the resurrection from the dead, even we Christians still have conflicted souls and are plagued by tendencies to rebel against God. Therefore it should not surprise us at all that the Methodist denomination has corrupted itself and abandoned the truth.

How did it happen?

I believe the slide into deception begins for any group or individual when we abandon our faith and conviction that God’s Word is inspired and the gold standard for truth.

When I became a born again Christian in 1971, I began to talk with other believers who regarded the Bible as infallible and the highest authority in their lives. As you can imagine, I struggled a bit with this for a while, but I finally reasoned that if Jesus rose from the dead and believed the Bible was infallible (John 10:35); so should I. I have never looked back.

When we accept the Bible as the gold standard for faith and practice, it impacts our lives tremendously. If we refuse to let God’s Word change us where needed, we experience a certain internal tension between what we want to do and what God says. If the tension is great enough, it begs for us to do something about it – either repent (change our minds) and align with the Bible’s teaching or deny that the Bible is true and authoritative.

We are in great danger of deception when we choose to believe some parts of the Bible and reject others that do not agree with what we think is right or desirable.

Let us look at a couple of current day examples.

  • Evolution. The Bible clearly teaches that the earth was created in six days and is “young” by geologic standards. Since unregenerate man automatically rejects the idea of a Creator, to whom we would be accountable by default, alternate explanations are required, no matter how nonsensical or self-contradictory. Children are taught to believe in the Big Bang theory, without giving thought to where the original matter and energy came from. We are taught that highly complex life self-generated from chaos, which contradicts the second law of thermodynamics. We are taught that humans have been on the planet for millions of years, despite the fact that genetic entropy does not allow for this kind of time line. Once we abandon what God says, we go careening off course into wilder and wilder levels of error and deception. It is unavoidable and tragic. Professing ourselves to be wise, we become fools. (Romans 1:22)
  • Transgenderism. The Bible clearly teaches that God created humans as male and female. (Genesis 1:27) I have lived for seventy years, and it is only very recently that people have been confused about this order of things. It should not surprise us, however, that people would adopt such nonsensical thinking. When we abandon God’s Word, we have nothing upon which to base anything when it comes to the truth. Truth becomes subjective. No matter what chromosomes and genitalia I may have, I can be whatever I deem myself to be, which is deception pure and simple. It remains to be seen what kind of destruction results from this sort of thinking. Those who encourage children to abandon their God-given understanding of gender and embrace something different are engaging in child abuse. The rejection of our God-given gender is simply another form of rebellion against the Creator.
  • Judgment. It is currently fashionable to believe that since God is love, he will not condemn anyone to hell. This sort of universalism contradicts Christ’s clear teaching and negates God’s justice. It also denies the necessity of Christ’s death for our sins. If God does not condemn, why did Jesus have to die? Why did Jesus tell the Pharisees that they would die in their sins, if they did not believe in him? (John 8:24) Why did he say that we should fear him who will cast people into hell? (Luke 12:5) The desire to escape God’s judgment against sin cannot and will not negate his judgment against sin. It is deception. Those who teach such things misrepresent God and deny the truth.

Jesus said that his disciples would be lovers of truth who would be liberated by adherence to his words.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NLT)

The opposite is also true. If we reject God’s Word, we will descend into deception and bondage. In fact, we cannot even be saved without having a love of the truth. (2 Thessalonians 2:10)

The choice is ours. What will we decide? If you are struggling whether or not to surrender your life to Jesus and be governed by the Bible, you are not alone.

The Holy Spirit was given to us to help us on our spiritual journey. You can turn to him and ask him to guide you into truth.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. John 16:13a (NLT)

You can trust him to show you the way. He did so for me.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, I am at a crossroads in my life. I can live according to the Bible’s teachings or continue to try to figure things out on my own. I do not want to make a mistake on something this big. I am struggling to know if I can really trust that the Bible, in its entirety, can be fully trusted to guide me in life. Please help me in my search for truth. Open my eyes and understanding. Help me to believe more fully. Amen.

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The Great Bait and Switch

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the oldest tricks in the book is the bait and switch. We get lured into talking to a sales person by responding to an amazing sounding deal only to find out midstream that that particular product is no longer available, but something more expensive is. Satan used something like that on humanity. He lured Adam and Eve into disobeying God by telling them they would not die, despite God’s warning to the contrary. Now that we have fallen victim to that lie, he continually uses the great switcheroo against us. Now the enemy of our souls uses the fear of death to enslave us and keep us from obeying the Creator. It would be like making a lot of money by doing one little thing for the mafia, only to find out later that there is no way out and the demands keep escalating. Is there any way out of this trap?

Jesus came as a human being to set us free from this most basic of fears.

Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15  Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. Hebrews 2:14-15 (NLT)

The only way for us to escape the enslaving power of the fear of death is to put our faith and allegiance in the only One who has actually conquered death. Anyone who can predict his own death and resurrection and pull it off, is someone worth following. He is the most important person who ever lived. His name is Jesus the Messiah. He is the Lord of life.

I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave. Revelation 1:18 (NLT)

The Lord of life is also master over death and the grave. He taught us that those who put their faith and allegiance in him actually will never die.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 (ESV)

So, Satan told us we would not die, which was a lie. Now he tells people that obeying God will cause us to die. Is that not how he deceived the Israelites into rebelling against God’s command to conquer the Promised Land the first time around? Satan is still at his old game of telling us that God brings death, but he brings life. Despite the Bible’s clear teaching that the wages of sin is death, people overwhelming fall for Satan’s lie that sin does indeed bring fulfillment and life. Do you ever wonder why God has gone to such lengths to redeem people like us? I do.

Jesus told his disciples that the truth will set us free. (John 8:31-32) The truth is that Jesus and his teachings bring life. Faith in Jesus transfers us out of the kingdom of darkness, death,and slavery into the kingdom of light, life, and freedom.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12  always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13  For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14  who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:11-14 (NLT)

Nevertheless, many, if not most, still actively choose satanic tyranny over God’s freedom.

Why is this? Simply put, we prefer to believe a lie than the truth. We would rather run our own lives, even if it leads to bondage and death, than serve the Creator.

The way out of this lunacy is to accept God’s amazing offer called the Gospel.

God sent his Son to pay the penalty for our rebellion against God. Jesus died for us so our sins against God and other people might be forgiven and we might be reconciled and restored to God the Father as his children. He died and rose again to liberate us from the tyranny of the devil and bring us into the glorious freedom of God’s children!

the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. Romans 8:21 (NLT)

Isn’t it time for you to make the switch? Stop following the father of lies and declare allegiance to the Truth, our Lord Jesus the Messiah King. Start truly living!

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. Romans 10:9-10 (NLT)

 

Prayer

Creator God, I am amazed at how patient you have been with your rebellious creatures. Forgive me for my part in all this. I now realize that I have been trying to live independently from you. I believe that you raised your Son from the dead and I now accept that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive the forgiveness he died to provide for me. Thank you for reconciling me to yourself and making me your child. Holy Spirit, come live your life in and through me. I devote my life to you now, my God. Use me as you see fit. Help me to boldly tell others about this glorious good news. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer and meant it, your life will never be the same! Now I encourage you to find a group of believers who can assist you on your discipleship journey. Get water baptized to make a public declaration of your allegiance to Christ. Receive the baptism in the Spirit to empower you to be a bold witness. Share your faith with others. Grace and peace be to you.

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Expand Your Impact by Narrowing Your Focus

 

To have significance is one of life’s basic longings; yet, most of us live in relative obscurity and wonder how important are we in the grand scheme of things? Few of us directly impact the lives of large numbers of people. Instead we touch a relatively small number of individuals. How can we make a more significant mark in life?  I believe it can happen by narrowing our focus.

If we were given the choice between preaching to a thousand people or discipling one, which would we choose? Few of us would be comfortable as that preacher, but most of us can see ourselves taking on a single disciple. Barnabas in the Book of Acts was significant enough to be mentioned several times in the Bible, but what was his main claim to fame? He was an encourager. In fact that is what his name means. He came alongside two men in his his lifetime who were operating in relative obscurity. One was Paul and the other was John Mark. God used Barnabas to help lift those men into major ministries that eclipsed Barnabas’. Paul became perhaps the greatest of all the apostles and the author of much of the New Testament. John Mark wrote one of the gospels and became a faithful co-laborer with Paul. We do not know much about anything else Barnabas went on to do. His reward and significance will be forever connected to those he helped.

Significance in life is largely measured through those we help along the way.

Barnabas was able to encourage others because he was full of faith.

When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23  When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. 24  Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord. 25  Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26  When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.) Acts 11:22-26 (NLT)

The ministry and art of encouragement hinges on our having faith and vision for people beyond what they currently have for themselves. With God’s help, parents can see things in their children and help them develop. Husbands and wives can do the same for each other. This is also true for others God brings into our lives. We should consider that our significance derives from helping others flourish. Our joy should be increased by making others successful. Seeing them eclipse us should be our crowning achievement.

For the majority of us personal significance will be found in how well we love, encourage, and develop those around us.

Parents’ most important disciples are their children. The future of the kingdom of God somewhat rests on the shoulders of the upcoming generations. How well parents invest in their children will have a great impact. God blessed my wife and I with four amazing children. They have expanded our impact in the world beyond anything we could have done personally. We fully expect their children and grandchildren to keep the chain going.

What if all of us decided to narrow our focus to discipling and encouraging at least one person to fulfill his or her calling in God in the coming year? How would that impact the world? What if we narrowed our focus to helping others? Perhaps we could all become like Barnabas by leaving an indelible mark on the world through the people we touch and encourage along the way.

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Satan’s Strategy to Legitimize and Normalize Perversion

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bible forewarns us that every society that refuses to acknowledge and worship God will sink into the abyss of sexual perversion. (Romans 1:21-27) The definition of perversion is the turning away from what is right, proper, or good. Any time we stray from God’s intended purpose for anything in creation, it is a perversion and turns into something that dishonors God and hurts us. This is especially true regarding sex. What God intended for great good has been used to bring incredible harm.

Satan’s strategy in the garden of Eden was first to bring into question the truthfulness of God’s words. That remains one of his chief weapons of mass destruction.

He began by asking Eve a seemingly innocuous question.

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” Genesis 3:1 (NLT)

The serpent couched an accusation inside his question. The Bible calls the devil the “accuser of the brethren” for good reason. (Revelation 12:10) In fact, God generously permitted his first people to eat from any tree of the garden, except one. Satan twisted that into God’s saying they could not eat from any of the trees, which put Eve on the defensive immediately. The penalty for eating that fruit would be death. Eve quickly revealed that she did not fully understand God’s command, which was perhaps the purpose of the probing question. She thought the prohibition also included not touching the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Perhaps Adam added that extra bit when he passed on the commandment to Eve, thinking it would strengthen what God said and make the fruit seem even more “off limits”. Whatever the case, we can safely say that it is never a good idea to add to God’s words. That is where most legalism starts.

Next Satan escalated his attack by flatly contradicting God’s warning.

“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5  “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” 6  The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7  At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. Genesis 3:4-7 (NLT)

What so quickly convinced Eve that God was a liar? Why did she so soon turn against her Creator and doubt his good intentions toward her and Adam? If we learn nothing else from this account, it is that humans are extremely susceptible to deception and more quickly accept lies than truth.

Humanity took a nose dive that day. God’s beautiful creation was perverted at its core, setting the course of history into a downward spiral which continues to this day. Only God can and will save us. In fact, that is just what he did when he sent his Son to live, die, and rise again. Jesus’ death and subsequent resurrection set in motion God’s great reclamation project which will culminate at Christ’s Second Coming, which will include the generation of a new heaven and earth. In the interim, we, the church, are engaged in a worldwide operation called the Great Commission by which God is offering to forgive us for our participation in the satanic rebellion. Those who accept his offer and put their trust and allegiance in Christ become part of God’s ever growing eternal family, those who will reign with Christ eternally.

For all practical purposes, the war was won and the final outcome determined when Jesus rose from the dead some 2000 years ago. Nevertheless, skirmishes and battles continue as human history moves toward the glorious return of God’s Son.

The Lord is working to increase his family through preaching the gospel and making disciples. Satan is likewise advocating a false gospel of humanism and  developing his own followers who will take his lie globally.

Yuval Noah Harari is often referred to as “the prophet.” He is an openly gay pro-transhumanist who is obsessed with rejecting the God of his fathers and turning humans into gods. He is the lead advisor to Klaus Schwab and has been praised by Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Silicon Valley, the New York Times, TED, Stanford, Harvard, and the World Economic Forum. He made the following statement.

“History began when humans invented gods, and will end when humans become gods.”

Let’s examine this lie. History did not begin when humans invented God. Rather, it started when God created humans. However, the last part may indeed be true. God may bring history to a close when men make their final attempt to throw off God’s rule by proclaiming themselves to be God. (Psalm 2) In the interim, Satan seeks to inflict as much damage to God’s creation as possible, dragging as many souls with him into the lake of fire as he can. One way he does this is by continually calling into question God’s Word. When we reject the Bible’s truth we have nothing upon which to stand.

In the realm of sexuality, he is especially active. The Bible says that God made us “male and female.”

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 (NLT)

For most of human history this has been a “no brainer,” but no longer. A great number of people once again have fallen for the serpent’s lie.

Now, contrary to thousands of years of historical precedent, male and female are no longer an absolute thing.

One can declare oneself whatever one wishes and even use surgery and hormone therapy to make the change look somewhat real. However, the truth is that we can never alter our DNA. Men have X and Y chromosomes, and women possess a double X. As much as we may wish and as hard as we may try, how God made us is irreversible. Some things we must simply accept and play the hand we were dealt.

Behind the push to deny and pervert how God created us is an implacable rebellion against the sovereign choice of the Creator.

Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? 2  The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one. 3  “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.” Psalm 2:1-3 (NLT)

Sexuality goes to the core of our identity. Today we see Satan’s hand at work in bringing confusion to gender and sexual identity. What was formerly obvious has now become complicated. The government, in an attempt to play God, increasingly demands that everyone accept and affirm the new politically correct order of things, even as we observe the obvious negative consequences. Little girls are put at risk when males self-identifying as females enter the women’s bathroom. Women are unfairly losing to men identifying as women in athletic competitions. Common people understand the insanity of these things, but governmental elites are forcing them down our collective throat.

This is a clear sign of the devil’s activity and his determination to corrupt God’s creation, demoralize the nation, and include as many as he can in his rebellion against the Creator.

Today this rebellion has escalated into a push for more laws to legitimize and normalize sexual and gender perversion and to punish those who will not accept and affirm the new order of things. Freedom be damned in the tyrannical push for new societal norms. As Larry Fink, the chairman and CEO of BlackRock, the world’s largest investment firm with $10 trillion in assets, a firm that has at least a partial ownership of almost every major corporation in the world, including the big media and Big Tech companies, has said:

“Behaviors are going to have to change and this is one thing we are asking companies, you have to force behaviors and at BlackRock, we are forcing behaviors.”

Fink believes the government has the responsibility to force compliance with mandated thinking and behaviors with businesses assisting in the process.

This is a form of fascism, an anti-God tyranny of the mind and soul which we see playing out everyday at one level or another, whether it is in the realm of medicine, sexual identity, gender, or politics.

In addition, the education establishment now is actively grooming young people to accept and adopt such thinking and behavior, often against the knowledge and wishes of parents. This is why Florida recently passed an anti-grooming law, which prohibits schools from engaging in this sort of activity. None of this should surprise us, in light of biblical prophecy.

Bob Chapek, the CEO of the Walt Disney Company, opposes the new law, calling it the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. (The Left always tries to capture the vocabulary and frame the argument to its advantage.) Here are his remarks.

“I called Gov. DeSantis this morning to express our disappointment and concern that if legislation becomes law it could be used to unfairly target gay, lesbian, nonbinary and transgender kids and families,” Chapek said. “The governor heard our concerns and agreed to meet with me and LGBTQ+ members of our senior team in Florida to discuss ways to address that… We are committed to support the community going forward.”

Satan always twists things. Rather than protecting God’s created order, the bill is framed as targeting people who do not accept or embrace God’s order for his creation.

The Left’s push is to affirm and normalize deviance from God’s intended purpose and function and to shame anyone who does not accept and affirm this perversion.

It is interesting that what formerly was called the LGBT community now has expanded to LGBTQIA+. A quick search for how many genders we currently recognize reveals that “experts” cannot agree. There are anywhere from 15 to 76, instead of just two. Where will this insanity eventually lead us?

Sin has twisted humanity. Yes, there is such a thing as gender dysphoria. Yes, plenty of people are confused regarding sexual identity and gender, but this does not mean that we abandon God’s original intention for his creation and affirm the confusion as being normal. We can affirm that we love people no matter what they think about sex or gender, but that does not include affirming their behavior.

When a society rejects God, it eventually descends into the kind of rebellion that actively recruits and encourages sinful behavior in others.

They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. Romans 1:32 (NLT)

It is vital that we who know the truth stand up for what is right. We cannot afford to bow before the anti-God forces at work all around us.

We must teach our children to stand for truth and resist the efforts to enfold them into cultural acceptance of the current rebellion against God’s created order. If necessary, we must remove them from any school system, church, or other institution that works to groom adults and children to accept these blatant attacks against God’s truth. Let’s demonstrate to our children and others who may be watching how to make a stand for truth before it is too late. God wants us to openly and unashamedly declare our allegiance to our Lord Jesus and to the truth contained in the Bible.

Taking this stand will likely be costly, but if we are not willing to make a stand, who will? If we lose freedom of speech, which has already happened to a great extent, we will find out who is still courageous enough to speak anyway.

Loyalty to Jesus includes standing for biblical truth in the marketplace, not just when giving a gospel presentation in a church meeting.

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21st Century Idolatry

 

 

 

 

 

 

Modern man prides himself in having progressed beyond the superstitions and ignorance of our forebears. Yuval Noah Harari is an influential thinker among globalists. President Obama recommended his books. He is a counselor to Klaus Schwab and a spokesperson at World Economic Forum events. Recently he gained some notoriety among conservative and Christian circles due to some quotes he made regarding the use of under the skin surveillance which may be linked to the mRNA vaccines. Mr. Harari provides us with a very good example of modern idolatry, which I define as the replacement of God with humanism.

Humanism, the belief that man is the measure of all things, began in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve decided that they wanted to be like God. (Genesis 3:5) The desire to remove the necessity of God has plagued humanity ever since. The tower of Babel was the next clear cut example of human beings attempting to be God. Before the Lord stopped that venture, he said that unless he intervened nothing would be impossible for humans. (Genesis 11:6) The confusion of languages that God afterward imposed stopped man’s progress toward self-determination for some time. Now that mankind has developed computers and gene editing capabilities, those who are considered to be global “elites” have once again begun to build their version of the tower of Babel.

Here is a relevant quote from Mr. Harari.

“There are no gods in the universe, no nations, no money, no human rights, no laws, and no justice outside the common imagination of human beings.”
― Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

The further we drift from a belief in God, the more easily people accept the notion that there is no Creator, no being to whom we owe our existence, allegiance, and worship. Once we adopt such a stance, the next step is for us to take things into our own hands as much as possible. Harari declares that there is no such thing as God, heaven or hell, or free will. According to him our actions, feelings, etc. have nothing to do with the human soul or being made in the image of God. We are simply products of mechanistic evolutionary processes and random chance. He claims that eventually authority will be transferred to artificial intelligence by way of algorithms that will understand us better than we do. In this brave new world, societal elites enabled by amoral scientists will rewrite our genetic code and attempt to create an injectable brain – computer interface that will combine biology with human engineering. Harari states that we may be the last homo sapiens because our genetic code is being rewritten. We believe this is taking place with the mRNA vaccines to some extent already. This new world will include injectable digital monitoring systems that will surveil us at all times. What could possibly go wrong in this scenario? This new world order abolishes all accountability to God.

Humanity has been Satan’s dupe for far too long; yet, we never seem to learn. He never has our best interests in mind and he is on the losing team. Those who follow him have adopted his hatred for God and are attempting to finally rid themselves of any and all accountability to the Creator. But God will have none of it. Here is what King David wrote well over 2500 years ago.

Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? 2  The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one. 3  “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.” 4  But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. 5  Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury. 6  For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.” Psalm 2:1-6 (NLT)

Nothing Satan and his minions plan ever turns out well for them. Eventually their futile efforts will come  crashing to the ground. The Lord will return in glory to judge the living and the dead. We look forward to the day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Until then, boldly keep the faith and boldly declare your allegiance to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

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Confession of a Conspiracy Theorist

Over the past few years, I have endured being labelled as a conspiracy theorist by some, even people I consider friends, because I have openly shared my belief that the so called mRNA vaccine is dangerous and that eventually Trump will be restored to office, and not through the traditional voting process. It became clear to me that holding such positions put me outside the realm of respectability in some circles and even perhaps made me a false prophet.

The warning about the mRNA jab was based on sound reasoning and research. The reason it was considered foolish was because Big Medicine, Big Tech, the Government, and the MSM all sounded a unified chorus assuring us that it was both safe and effective, both of which now have been disproved. It is not effective or safe. The eventual damage to the health of those who received the jab is yet to be seen.

We are witnessing an erosion in trust in what have been the great institutions in our society that have held us together: the presidency, our legislatures, our voting system, the medical system, the Supreme Court, etc. What is left to us now? We have been fed such a stream of lies by the media that many throw up their hands in complete confusion and demoralization, believing that now truth is nowhere to be found. Society has accepted the mantra and truth is subjective and we must find our “own truth.” Paradoxically this turn of events has set the stage for a great return to God. Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, (John 14:6) is still the answer.

When everything around us is shaking and falling, we can run to the Rock that will hold strong. (Hebrews 12:27)

My belief that Trump will be restored is based on prophetic revelation and a deep “gut” instinct, which are much more subjective and put me and others much farther out on a limb of our own making. The jury is still out on this conviction, and I will grant you that it is taking much longer than I ever expected. I also realize that I could be wrong and, if so, am prepared to accept the consequences my error. However, I am also prepared to be right.

Sometimes we must stand up for what we believe, even if it makes us look foolish. Playing it safe is not always the best option.

For years many of us have been praying that God would uncover the hidden evil at work in our government and bring it to justice. No one I know had any inkling how deep, wide, and pervasive the corruption really was. It is still coming to light. Sometimes when we ask God to do something, when he begins to answer our prayers, we think it is the work of the devil. What we are seeing unfold before us on the world stage is God’s answer to our prayers. He is uncovering evil and will bring it to justice. I guess this belief also qualifies me as a conspiracy theorist.

Another conspiracy I believe is Romans 8:28. God is working everything out for good in the lives of those who love him and are called according to his purposes. Nothing life or the devil can throw at us will ultimately bring us harm. God will always work it for good. The Bible teaches that God is the Sovereign Lord over his creation, working all things out according to his master plan. (Daniel 4:35) That is another conspiracy that even some Christians do not believe.

The Sovereignty of God one of the most important foundational truths in the Bible.

I have noticed that many of my Christian brothers and sisters desire to be considered wise by others. They are hesitant to accept anything that seems to be too far “right” or “left.” They try to take the middle section of the road. They are afraid of being labelled as a fool. They want to have the good opinion of other moderates in the church and in the world, thinking somehow that will make them a more credible witness for Christ. This is a great deception, in my opinion.

The Christian faith is founded on one of the world’s greatest “conspiracy theories” – the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

After Jesus’ death and burial, what was then the Jewish “Deep State” spread the lie that the disciples stole his body in order to be able to say that he rose again from the dead. (Matthew 28:13) You have to admit that the Jews’ version of events is much more plausible than ours! It is completely outlandish to believe that the founder of our faith died and rose again; yet, that is what we unashamedly believe and confess, making us to appear to be fools to a skeptical world.

So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. 24  But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25  This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. 1 Corinthians 1:23-25 (NLT)

We also believe such things as that the Bible is inerrantly true, God created the world, Adam and Eve were the first humans, Noah survived the flood in an ark, Jonah spent three days and nights alive inside a great fish, and one day Jesus will come again in the clouds with great glory as Lord of Lords to raise the dead and judge all humanity. Not one of these things seems reasonable to the modern world. As long as we do not openly declare our faith in these things in public places, but instead confine these confessions to church meetings, the world tolerates us. However, when we publicly pronounce that we hold such things to be true and others should believe likewise, we are told that this is foolish, dangerous, and unwelcome. The world does not tolerate the news that Jesus is Lord of all, just as it did not tolerate the news that the mRNA jab should be avoided.

Could it be that we are afraid of being labelled as conspiracy theorists because we have not come to terms with the outlandishness of the gospel? Do we really think that it is reasonable in the world’s eyes to believe that Jesus is Lord?

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not equating the gospel with the belief that the mRNA jab is dangerous or that Trump is coming back. Far from it. However, the gospel is every bit as far fetched in the minds of many people as the other two positions.

I have to confess that once I discern that someone is closed or antagonistic to information about the jab, I tend to stop sharing with them. I justify this by thinking that I should not throw my “pearls before the swine,” but is this really the reason? Could it be that I am simply afraid to be labelled as a fool by these people or incurring their displeasure? Could my silence be the reason that some went ahead and took the jab and now must pay whatever health consequences may come? These are heavy thoughts indeed.

Likewise, do I go silent about the gospel when I realize that someone is hostile because I am ashamed of Christ or afraid of their displeasure? Could my silence sentence them to an eternity in hell? This is far more serious than worries about health problems from a dangerous jab.

We must come to accept that bravely holding on to truth in the face of opposition is part of our calling as people of God. One of the marks of a true disciple is unwavering public allegiance to Christ and to truth in general.

Let’s break out of our false security of trying to appear wise to the world and embrace the foolishness of the gospel. Let those in the world think of us in any way they see fit. It is far more important what God thinks. He will reward our faith and allegiance to our Lord Jesus and to the truth.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NLT)
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Overcoming Abandonment

This article is related to a series entitled Wonderful Counseling.

All bondage is based on a lie.

This goes back to the garden of Eden where Satan seduced Adam and Eve to open the door to bondage and death by believing multiple lies. Satan convinced them that God did not have their best interests at heart and that disobeying him would not result in death. You know the rest of the story. Ever since then Satan, whom Jesus called the “father of lies,” has been hard at work convincing each generation to believe lies instead of God’s truth, which is found in the Bible and in the person of Jesus the Messiah.

One of the most devastating and predominant lies comes under the general category of abandonment.

Adam and Eve abandoned God when they chose to follow the interloper instead of their Creator, which resulted in God’s casting them out of the garden, sentencing them to a life of hardship, and cutting them off from the source of eternal life. However, God never truly abandoned them. In words spoken to the serpent just after the exposing of Adam’s and Eve’s sin, God gave all of us the promise that one of Eve’s descendants would defeat Satan.

And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15 (NLT)

This is the very first Bible verse related to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of that promise. The Hebrew word translated “strike” can also mean “bruise” or “crush.” Paul wrote thousands of years later that God’s people will play a part in Satan’s ultimate and utter defeat, when he penned these words: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Romans 16:20 NLT) If I were translating the Genesis passage, I probably would word it thusly: “He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Satan indeed struck Jesus at the cross, but that strike did not ultimately kill him. Instead God the Father raised him from the dead and gave him authority over all things, including Satan. Satan was defeated on the cross, but we are still in the middle of “mopping up” operations. God is using his people to finally and completely crush the devil.

The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.” Psalm 110:1 (NLT)

We also learn from that Genesis verse that God has a line of people and Satan has one. God has separated out for himself people from the beginning of time.

God chose the ones who would belong to him before he created the world.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4  Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:3-5 (NLT)

This passage strikes a death blow at the lie-based stronghold named abandonment. It does not matter whether we have been abandoned by our parents, spouses, or anyone else. If we become followers of Christ, the Bible tells us that it was because God chose us, not because we chose him.

For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. John 6:44 (NLT)

No one has the innate spiritual ability to come to Christ without being drawn by the Father via his Holy Spirit. If you are a follower of Christ it is because God knew you and chose you to be his before he made the world. It means that he sent his Son to die for you and afterward sent his Spirit to draw you to Christ. He worked in you to open your heart to the gospel, resulting in your being able to properly respond in repentance and faith.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT)

Once we come to Christ by faith, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee that God will complete or finish what he began on Calvary.

And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14  The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. Ephesians 1:13-14 (NLT)

Sometimes parents reject their own children. Often marriage partners become disillusioned or embittered with their spouses and abandon them.

God never becomes disillusioned with us because he knew all about us before he created and redeemed us.

There is nothing we may say or do that will catch him by surprise. When Jesus died for us, he saw us completely – the good, the bad, and the ugly, and he said a resounding “yes” to our heavenly Father’s choice of us to be in his eternal family.

Jesus will never reject or abandon those for whom he died.

Never will you hear our Lord say, “Oops, my bad. I made a mistake choosing you.” Instead he boldly declared the following words.

...those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. John 6:37 (NLT)

If you are a person who continually battles with the inner belief that you will ultimately be rejected and abandoned by those you love, that stronghold is no doubt based on past experience with disloyal people. It is likely that you participated in the lie by preemptively abandoning others before they could do it to you. You have been deeply wounded, which set the stage for believing the lie that even God will abandon you. It is not true. God will never leave you or forsake you. (Joshua 1:5 and Hebrews 13:5)

I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. 10  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 41:9-10 (NLT)
 
Prayer to Overcome Abandonment

Father God, I now realize that I have believed the lie that everyone I love and even you will eventually abandon me. Forgive me for thinking that you are like people who have rejected and left me. Thank you that you chose me to be your child before you created the world. Thank you for sending Jesus to pay the penalty for my sins so that I could be reconciled to you. Thank you for sending your Spirit to work inside me to make me open to the gospel. Thank you for sending those persons who shared the good news about Jesus with me. Thank you for those you sent to pray for me and disciple me. Thank you that you sealed me with your Holy Spirit, which guarantees that you will complete in my life what you began when you will one day raise me from the dead to dwell with you forever. I now renounce the generational lie of abandonment. I repent for believing that lie and acting in accordance with it. I believe that you set me from from these things. Help me to show love and loyalty to you and others for the rest of my life. Amen.

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Part 4: The Table Has Four Legs

This is the ninth article in a series entitled Wonderful Counseling. I sometimes use other names for this ministry, such as Personal Prayer Ministry and Biblical Healing and Deliverance. The adjective "wonderful" is used because Jesus is the "wonderful Counselor" of Isaiah 9:6. This ministry attempts to make room for Jesus to personally counsel people by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit, with the human ministers acting as facilitators. This makes it different from most counseling. It is highly effective at teaching the recipient how to hear the voice of the Spirit and to receive his life giving words.

A strong and stable table needs to have at least four legs. Remove one leg and the table will fall over, spilling all its contents on the floor. Shorten one or more legs, and the table will lean. Experiencing spiritual freedom depends on four essentials being in place in the believer’s life. Remove one, and the process gets short circuited and will produce less than desirable results. The four “legs,” so to speak, are the following:

  • Understanding, believing, and obeying God’s Truth found in the Bible,
  • Relying on the power of God’s Spirit in our lives,
  • Having a genuine fear of the Lord, and
  • Developing a heartfelt love for God.

Believing and Obeying God’s Truth Found in the Bible

Jesus told his disciples:

…“If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NET1)

To continue in Christ’s teaching means that we study, meditate upon, and obey. When we do this, freedom is an automatic by-product. Freedom, according to the Bible, is not doing what we please, but doing God’s will. Doing what we please, if it is out of line with God’s will, always leads to bondage. Sin always produces slavery. Obedience to God through the power of the Spirit always yields liberty.

Unless a person commits himself to learning, meditating upon, and obeying God’s Word, he or she will never experience true and lasting freedom.

Prayer and ministry from others may temporarily liberate us, but remaining free depends to a great extent upon our willingness to pursue God with all our hearts. If we do not commit to reading the Scriptures on a regular basis, we are not serious disciples. If we do not read the Bible devotionally, that is, asking the Spirit to show us what he wants us to get from our reading, we are missing out on something wonderful. If we do not ask God to help us to put his truth into practice, we are only playing at being Christ’s follower. We cannot be free while persisting in behavior that produces bondage and without embracing what God says will make us free.

Living by the Power of God’s Spirit

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NET1)

God’s Spirit is in complete unity with God’s Word, just as Jesus is one with the Holy Spirit. The Word of God was inspired by the Spirit of God. For the written word to have any transforming impact upon a person’s life, the Holy Spirit must “breathe” upon it to make it “come alive” via faith, causing it to become the Living Word for us.

The Holy Spirit causes information (the written Word) to become revelation (the Living Word) that produces life and transformation (the obeyed Word).

A person must know, trust, and rely upon the inner working of God’s Spirit to experience true freedom. The Spirit lives His life through us as we trust in His indwelling power. This is a huge secret of the Christian life.

The Fear of the Lord

Thirdly, for a person to experience freedom in Christ, he or she must have a deep and abiding fear of God. Proverbs says:

The fear of the Lord is like a life-giving fountain, to turn people from deadly snares. Proverbs 14:27 (NET1)

We can have understanding of God’s Word and the reality of the Spirit in our lives, but unless we fear God, there may be little heartfelt motivation to turn away from evil. Repentance means to “change our mind”. When this happens, we acknowledge that God is right and we are wrong. True repentance produces an emotional component of heartfelt sorrow and alarm, which motivates us to change.

For see what this very thing, this sadness as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, what punishment! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 2 Corinthians 7:11 (NET1)

While we acknowledge that our heavenly Father’s love for us is unchanging, we also realize that this same love is what provokes him to discipline us as needed when we sin. Every small child who is truly loved by his or her natural father nevertheless sincerely fears that father’s discipline, if his father is doing his duty. So we should fear God not only because he will discipline us, but also because of the law of sowing and reaping. Sin has consequences, and all of them are bad. Without the fear of the Lord, sinners go on sinning.

The fear of the Lord is our motivation to depart from evil. Without it we will never be truly free.

It is important to realize that the fear of the Lord is a work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We cannot gin it up on our own, but we can ask God to develop it in our lives. Wise people cherish the fear of the Lord. Foolish people do not really care.

A Heartfelt Love for God

The fourth leg of the table I mention here is perhaps the most important one. Fear is a good motivation to avoid evil and its consequences, but fear will not suffice as a proper motivation to serve God. Fear-based service is akin to slavery, and sometimes develops grudging obedience. But God has made us beloved sons (and daughters). His Spirit resides in us. We are one with Him, and consequently the Spirit of God’s Son motivates us to serve God out of a heartfelt love for him.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 And if children, then heirs (namely, heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ) — if indeed we suffer with him so we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:14-17 (NET1)

We are to serve God as a son serves his father, out of love, respect and a vision for the future. The son knows that one day he will inherit from his father; so, everything he does to build with his father will one day result in his own enrichment. So it is in God’s kingdom. God allows us to serve out of love and gratitude, out of our respect for Him, and because he has made us co-heirs with Christ.

Love is the only pure motivation to serve God.

Freedom always has a purpose. One reason the United States is in such trouble today is because we have separated freedom from its purpose and have used it to pursue sinful and selfish ends. The reason God brought us into his kingdom is so that we can serve him, bring glory to his name, be used as ambassadors of the gospel of freedom, and rule and reign with Him forever in the new creation. Unless we understand and embrace this heavenly purpose for our lives, we will be deficient in our motivation to serve God, with a resulting lack of freedom. All of this should motivate us to love him more and more.

If we desire to experience all the freedom that Jesus died to give us, we should carefully consider the four legs of the table. If one of them is missing or not very strong, ask God to do whatever is necessary to give us strength in that area. Our future depends on it. And be sure that God is more interested in helping us than we are in getting his help. He is waiting for us to ask and move toward him, expecting his participation.

For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 (NET1)

Go back to Part Three: The Basis of Our Freedom

Read Part Five: The Salvation of the Spirit

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