For the past year, I’ve been writing on what the Bible says about various topics. We started out almost a year ago (here) with a number of our blog writers discussing the authority of the Bible and why we should put our faith in the words it says. From there, each week I’ve written on a different topic, exploring what the Bible says about it.
For some topics, the Bible has a lot to say specifically addressing it. These would include money, love, miracles, truth, and others. For other topics, the Bible is almost silent, including dinosaurs, aliens from other plans, or entertainment just to name a few. Even for the ones that the Bible does not address directly, we can still use the truths contained in Scripture to guide us on how to follow its teaching on any particular issue.
Personally, I have enjoyed writing this series, as it gave me good reason to dig deeply into what the Scriptures say about each one of these topics. I have had the opportunity to be well-educated on the Bible for basically my entire life, but knowing that the Bible speaks on a topic is different than looking into exactly where and how much it addresses that topic. I have been challenged at times with the topics that aren’t found as easily in the Scriptures, as well as being challenged on other topics with which of the myriad of passages to include.
As God often does things, some of the topics have been very timely in my life. We generally plan the topics months in advance, and sometimes God works in our lives so that a particular topic comes up right when I’m experiencing life that goes along with it. For example, my boss’s wife passed away around Memorial Day this past year, and that very day I was writing on what the Bible says about life and death.
So, to wrap up this series, I’d like to bring up again what the Bible says about its own authority, and why it is so valuable to speak into our lives in every season or issue that comes up.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
This passage reminds us that the Bible will “thoroughly equip” us for “every good work.” We’re not partially equipped for some things, but fully equipped for whatever life may throw at us. If you don’t feel fully equipped, I challenge you to keep studying! Keep reading the Word for yourself, and supplement that with good, Biblical teaching and study groups. Keep reading our blog posts here at Worldview Warriors, and feel free to connect with us if you have questions on any Bible topics, or even what the Bible says on a topic that we didn’t address.
If you have enjoyed these posts, I would also encourage you to watch in the coming months for the book I’ll be publishing through Worldview Warriors Publishing, called “What the Bible Says About…” Not only will it include every post in this series, but there will also be a bonus post not published online: What the Bible Says About Angels.
I do hope you have enjoyed this series and have learned new things about how the Bible addresses certain topics. Be encouraged to keep digging deeper into God’s Word; it really is the answer for everything.
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The topic of science and the Bible, and the agreement or disagreement between the two, often comes up in the context of the origins debate of creation vs. evolution. I’ll leave that discussion to our blog writers who are much more experienced and knowledgeable in it, but I will take a look at what the Bible says about science.
First of all, what is science? While there are lots of areas to science, simply put it is observing, studying, experimenting, and learning about the world around us and how it works. Today we have biology, chemistry, physics, etc., but these were all named long after the Bible was written, so there is no direct mention in the Bible of science. But the Bible still talks about the concepts of science.
There are many passages in the Bible where we see the writers observing God’s creation. Psalm 111:2 says, “Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.” Psalm 19:1-6 tells of the wonders God has created in this world for us to observe: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.”
The Bible also has passages that refer to scientific concepts that we have since proven to be true. For example, Isaiah 40:22 indicates that the earth is round, Job 26:7 tells how the earth seems to float in space, Ecclesiastes 1:6 tells about wind currents, and Psalm 8:8 and Isaiah 43:16 indicate that there are currents in the sea.
The Bible has a lot to say about knowledge, and science is really just the search for more knowledge regarding how our world works. We know that God has all knowledge, and as we seek out God we will be seeking more knowledge of Him and of how our world works. Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” Colossians 2:2-3 says, “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Job 38-40 tells about all the mysteries of God’s creation that mankind will likely never know.
King Solomon ponders the idea of science and knowledge in Ecclesiastes 1:13-17: “I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. I said to myself, ‘Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.’ Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.”
The Bible is not a science textbook; it is a book that tells us all about the God who created science and everything that we can observe and even many things we can’t yet observe. We humans are curious by nature, so we’ll continue seeking out answers to the mysteries of this world. But more importantly, seek out a relationship with the Creator who made it!
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The word “shrewd” is kind of a weird word, don’t you think? It’s not one I use often in my daily speech. But it is a concept taught in the Bible, so today we’re going to take a look at what it is.
Google’s definition of shrewd is, “having or showing sharp powers of judgment; astute.” Some synonyms for shrewd are “astute, sharp-witted, sharp, smart, acute, intelligent, clever, canny, perceptive, perspicacious, sagacious, wise.” The idea of being shrewd can be either a positive or a negative thing, depending on the circumstances. You can be shrewd in a crafty way to steal from others, or you can be shrewd in a positive way by making wise choices that help others.
The first Bible passage that comes to my mind when I think of the word shrewd is what’s known as the Parable of the Shrewd Manager (sometimes also called the Parable of the Unjust Steward) in Luke 16:1-13. In this parable, a wealthy man has a manager or steward to take care of his finances. The manager had been accused of wasting his master’s money, so when he’s faced with losing his job, the manager calls in each person who owes a debt to his master and decreases those debts, thus making friends with the debtors so they would return the favor to him once he lost his job. The manager then gets commended by his wealthy master for being shrewd since the master sees how the manager used his position to help himself. This is a negative example of being shrewd.
With this parable, Jesus is showing the difference between those who are of the world and those who are believers in Him. We as followers of Jesus should use the worldly wealth that we have to build relationships with others and to help them (shrewd in a positive way), not for our own selfish gain like the shrewd manager did (shrewd in a negative way). We should use what we have been given by the master (in our case, God, who has given us all that we have) for the master’s purposes, not our own.
Another example of shrewdness is the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders found in Matthew 7:24-27. The foolish man built his house on sand so it couldn’t stand up to the wind and rain, while the wise man built his house on a solid rock foundation and it could withstand whatever came. The wise man was shrewd in a positive way, making intelligent choices that took care of his possessions.
Jesus explains shrewdness also in Luke 12:42-46, with a similar account recorded in Matthew 24:45-51. Luke 12:42-46 says, “The Lord answered, ‘Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.’” Jesus shows the benefits of being shrewd in a positive way, by taking care of what God has entrusted to us, and the negative consequences of not doing so.
The book of Proverbs also has a number of verses about being shrewd or prudent. Proverbs 12:23 says, “The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves, but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.” Proverbs 13:16 says, “All who are prudent act with knowledge, but fools expose their folly.” Proverbs 18:15 says, “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.”
How are you being shrewd in your own life? Are you being positively shrewd, or negatively shrewd? Ponder these parables and the shrewdness in your life as you go about your week.
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Last week I wrote on what the Bible says about leaders, so to follow that up (pun intended), this week I’m writing on what the Bible says about followers.
Really, the whole Bible is about followers. From the very beginning, humans were created to be in fellowship with God and to be obedient to what God calls us to do. That got a lot more difficult after sin entered the world, of course. Humans were also created with free will, which we used to disobey God and not follow His ways. We’re all following something, but the question is what or who are we following?
If we claim to be Christians, then we should be following Jesus Christ. This is also known as being His disciples, which you can read more about here. There are many passages that detail what that looks like, so I’ll highlight a few of them here.
“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.'
Jesus replied, 'Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.'
He said to another man, 'Follow me.'
But he replied, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.'
Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.'
Still another said, 'I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.'
Jesus replied, 'No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:57-62)
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
“If anyone comes to me [Jesus] and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27).
“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” (John 8:31-32).
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it’” (Matthew 16:24-25).
From these passages, it’s pretty clear that being a follower of Jesus is not necessarily easy. But making the easy choice to follow the world is generally not the best choice in light of eternity, as Jesus taught in Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
We can learn more about being a follower of Jesus by looking at His first followers and the writings they have left us, including Paul’s letters. Paul himself was a great example of a follower of Jesus. As he wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” We should all strive to follow the example of Christ, but we can use other people as examples as well.
But it is important that we are ultimately following only Christ, even as we use others as examples of how to do that. As Paul wrote in Philippians 3:7-9, “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”
Who or what are you following in this life?
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For some inspiration to start writing this post, I searched online for “quotes on leadership” and wow - there are tons! When there’s a link titled “620 Leadership Quotes That Will Make You Feel Unstoppable,” you know there’s a lot of quotable phrases out there on the topic. There are also many, many books on leadership, both from Christian and secular viewpoints, and I even took a class in seminary on Christian Leadership. But, for those of us who consider the Bible to be our primary source of authority, what does it say about leaders?
If we consider ourselves to be followers of Jesus Christ, then He is our ultimate leader. Jesus gives us the best example of servant leadership in John 13:13-17, right after He washed the disciples’ feet: “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” A leader is one who can humble themselves to even the most menial tasks when needed.
This idea of being a humble leader is also explained by Jesus in Mark 10:42-45: “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
In some of his letters, Paul provides us with character qualities of good leaders. Titus 1:6-9 says, “An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” 1 Timothy 3:1-13 provides a similar description.
In Exodus 18, Moses got a lesson on leadership from his father-in-law Jethro. Moses was trying to handle every dispute that came up among the massive nation of Israel, and it was just too much for him. Jethro urged Moses to appoint additional judges: “But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens” (verse 21). This is a great example of delegating, with those judges handling the smaller cases and only bringing the more difficult ones up to Moses. We still apply this principle in organizations and governments today.
The Bible is full of stories of leaders, some good and some bad, and there are too many to list all of the stories here. You can find many of these in the heroes of the faith series that Logan Ames wrote here.
Romans 12:9-13 is about living out our love for others, but it’s also a good description of what a leader should do: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
While we may be leaders among people, the most important thing to remember is that we’re all called to be followers (disciples) of Jesus Christ. Even the highest leader here on earth still has to submit to the Almighty Leader, God Himself. Where better to learn our leadership skills from than the One who is truly in charge!
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Music is important in the lives of many people. I have talented musicians in my family, and while I am not one of them, I definitely enjoy good music and attending concerts, musicals, etc. Many people can make a living off their music, and for many others it’s a great hobby. Most churches use music in their worship services as another way to praise God. So, it’s no surprise that music is addressed in the Bible.
The very first musical reference in the Bible was of Jubal in Genesis 4:20-21: “Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes.”
The book of Psalms is full of songs, since “psalm” is another word for “song.” We no longer have the original tunes for these songs, just the lyrics, but many of today’s worship songs use lines from the psalms. The book of Psalms of the longest book in the Bible, actually making up 7% of the total Bible! King David wrote many of the psalms, and in 2 Samuel 23:1 he is called “the hero of Israel’s songs.”
The book of Song of Songs is naturally another musically-oriented book. There are also song lyrics recorded in Revelation 5:9-10, Revelation 7:9-12, and Revelation 15:1-4. Mary the mother of Jesus sang a song of praise in Luke 1:46-55 after finding out she would bear the Messiah. Moses and his sister Miriam sang a song recorded in Exodus 15 after God defeated the Egyptian army in the Red Sea. David’s victory over Goliath was celebrated with a song in 1 Samuel 18:6-7.
We see that Jesus and His disciples sang in Matthew 26:30, and Paul and Silas sang hymns in prison in Acts 16:25. Ephesians 5:18-20 encourages the church to “speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.” Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” James 5:13 also tells us to sing songs of praise when we’re happy: “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.”
There are many times that music goes along with other activities told about in the Bible. For example, music was used at the coronation of King Solomon (1 Kings 1:39-40), and musicians were in the king’s court for his pleasure (Ecclesiastes 2:8). Music was used to bring down the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6), and David played his harp to calm down King Saul (1 Samuel 16:14-23).
Music, like any form of entertainment, can be used for God’s glory or against Him. Our motivation and the choices we make regarding music are key to determining which side of this we’re on. How are you using music to glorify God in your life?
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My grandpa used to ask, “Do you want to see my pride and joy?” Then when you said yes, expecting to see a photo of something dear to his heart, he would show you a picture like this one. (He had a great sense of humor!) Since last week I wrote on what the Bible says about joy and this week I’m writing on pride, it made me think of my grandpa’s joke.
What is pride? Google defines pride as, “a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.” There are two kinds of pride: one kind is a sense of accomplishment in a job well done, and the other is being full of ourselves and giving ourselves more glory than we give God.
Galatians 6:4 says, “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.” 2 Corinthians 7:4 says, “I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.” These verses are examples of the first kind of pride, in which we are pleased with the accomplishments of ourselves or others.
The other kind of pride, the sinful one, is explained in Proverbs 8:13: “To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.” Psalm 10:4 explains this further: “In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” Proverbs 27:2 says, “Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.” This pride puts ourselves as #1, not God.
We’re told about the consequences of pride in Proverbs 16:18-19: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.” Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
While there are numerous proverbs relating to pride, we also see warnings against it in the New Testament. Galatians 6:3 says, “If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.” 1 John 2:16 says, “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Romans 12:16 says, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”
Jesus even told a parable on pride, which is recorded in Luke 18:9-14. It tells of two people praying, one a Pharisee who prayed a very proud prayer, and the other a tax collector who prayed a humble prayer. In verse 14, the parable ends with Jesus saying, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
The first century church in Laodicea had their sin of pride addressed by Jesus in the book of Revelation. Revelation 3:17 says, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”
How are you doing with pride in your life? Are you giving God the glory where it is due to Him, or are you taking that glory for yourself?
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It is often said that joy is different than happiness; happiness is temporary and based on circumstances often external to us, while joy is more internal and consistent. Today we’re looking at joy, so what does the Bible say about it?
As with the last two weeks’ posts on self-control and patience, joy is another of the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. We have joy in our lives when the Spirit lives out joy through our obedience to following God.
The book of Psalms is a book of songs, and joy and rejoicing are fun things to sing about, so many verses in it reference joy. Among them are Psalm 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”; Psalm 118:24, “The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.”; Psalm 30:5, “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”; Psalm 71:23, “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—I whom you have delivered.”; and Psalm 28:7, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”
The prophet Isaiah explained God’s invitation to the people of Israel to be in relationship with Him, after their exile was punishment for turning away from Him. Isaiah 55:12 shows the joyfulness of turning back to God: “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”
Zephaniah also prophesied the people of Israel returning back to God. Zephaniah 3:14 and 17 describe this joyful experience: “Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! … The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
Mary, the mother of Jesus, rejoiced after hearing the news that she would bear the savior of the world. Her entire song is in Luke 1:46-55, but it starts out with this: “And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior’” (Luke 1:46-47).
In the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:1-7, Jesus tells how there is much rejoicing when even one sinner repents and turns to Him. Verse 7 says, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
Jesus encouraged His disciples (and us) to live out joy in their lives, even in the midst of difficulties. Not long before His crucifixion, He told them, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). A little later in the same discourse, He said, “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy” (John 16:22).
The apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians while imprisoned for preaching the Gospel, so it’s amazing that he focuses on joy throughout this letter. In the last chapter, he sums up his joy in Philippians 4:4 by writing, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Similarly, in 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Paul simply wrote, “Rejoice always.”
Paul keeps reminding the Roman church to be joyful as well. Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Just a few verses later, Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 14:17 says, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
James tells us in James 1:2-3 that pure joy comes out of our trials: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” 1 Peter 1:6-7 also echoes this thought: “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
Finally, we are reminded in Hebrews 12:1-2 of the joy that Jesus had in order to accomplish His work on the cross: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
How are you doing with joy in your life? Are you focusing more on temporary happiness, or the eternal joy of know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
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Patience is one of those things that we all want to have NOW, right? We don’t like to be patient in learning patience in our lives. But as followers of Jesus, we should strive to be patient as the Bible tells us to. So, what does it say?
Just as with self-control that I wrote about last week, patience is one of the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. That means that when the Spirit is living in us, the Spirit makes patience evident in our lives, rather than us having to simply try our hardest (and fail) at being patient.
1 Thessalonians 5:14 urges us to be patient with everyone: “And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” Ephesians 4:2 echoes that: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
The apostle Paul prayed for patience, among other things, for the people at Colossae: "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience” (Colossians 1:9-11). In that same idea, Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
The wisdom books of the Old Testament talk a lot about patience. For example, Proverbs 15:18 says, “A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.” Psalm 37:7 says, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Ecclesiastes 7:8 tells us, “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.” Proverbs 25:15 says, “Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.”
How do we get patience? James tells us it is through persevering through trials: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything“ (James 1:2-4). James again encourages believers to be patient toward the end of his letter: “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near” (James 5:7-8).
We can be thankful that God is patient when it comes to saving His creation, as it says in 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” The “love chapter” of 1 Corinthians 13 tells us in verse 4 that love is patient, and since God is love that reinforces that God is patient.
What are you doing to grow in patience in your life? Or, what is God doing to help you grow in patience? Be encouraged to be patient as God is patient with us.
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5-6).
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Self-control is one of those things that’s a lot easier said than done. We know what we should do (or not do), but we can’t always control ourselves (thanks to sin in the world). So, what does the Bible say about self-control or self-discipline?
The first place I think of is the list of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” These fruit are not character qualities that we possess of our own power, but they are evident in our lives when the power of the Holy Spirit is living in us.
We know that self-control comes from God living in us. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” Paul’s letter to Titus shares that self-control is a quality that leaders in the church must have: “Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined” (Titus 1:7-8).
James 1:19-21 shows what a self-controlled life looks like: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” Paul also writes about this idea of a self-controlled life in Colossians 1:28-29: “He [Jesus] is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”
Self-control means being able to deny the sinful desires of our flesh in order to follow God’s desires for us.In Luke 9:23 Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Titus 2:11-12 echoes this: “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” Romans 8:13 similarly says, “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”
Paul explains self-control from the perspective of an athlete in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
The introduction to the book of Proverbs explains how the whole book teaches us to live a life of right living and self-control: “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair” (Proverbs 1:1-3). Proverbs 16:32 says, “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.” Proverbs 25:28 tells us that self-control is important to protect ourselves: “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.”
How are you doing with self-control in your own life? Call on the power of the Holy Spirit living in you to help you make good, self-controlled decisions in your life.
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Wouldn’t it be great if there were no sin and no evil in this world? That’s the way God created it (Genesis 1:31), but He also created humans with free will, and the first humans used that free will to disobey God (Genesis 3), thus bringing sin and evil into the world. Because of original sin, the disobedience of those first humans has been passed on to everyone who has been born since then. While we are on this earth, we’ll have to deal with sin and evil. So, what else does the Bible say about sin and evil?
Google defines sin as “an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law.” So, sin is anytime we disobey God, based on the rules He has given us in the Bible. Evil is defined by Google as “profound immorality, wickedness, and depravity, especially when regarded as a supernatural force.” Evil is basically the manifestation of sin.
I already discussed how sin came into the world, but what is the consequence of that regarding our relationship with God? Isaiah 59:2 spells it out: “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” God is holy, so He cannot be in the presence of sin, so when we disobey Him and sin, we’re separated from God.
We know that everyone falls short and sins against God (Romans 3:23). If we say we don’t sin, we’re liars (1 John 1:8-10). There is no one who never sins (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
In case you don’t know what sin is, the Bible provides some helpful lists, such as the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). Jesus gives us a list of sins in Mark 7:20-23: “He went on: ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.’” Another list of sins is in Galatians 5:19-21: “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
John gives us an explanation of those who are of God versus those who are of the devil in 1 John 3:6-10: “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.”
This explanation from John may be confusing, however, because even when we are children of God, we do continue to mess up and disobey Him. But when we have been born of God, our desire is to sin no longer; this is in contrast to those who are not born of God, who don’t really care if they sin or not. So it’s really all about our intentions. Hebrews 10:26 says, “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left.” We need to try our best for our sin to not be deliberate or intentional, once we know that we are in fact sinning.
The apostle Paul struggled with this as well in Romans 7:15-20: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” We all go through this same struggle of knowing what is right and not being able to do it.
You may be wondering why a loving God would allow sin and evil to enter His perfect creation. God allows humans to have the choice to love Him or not, rather than just blindly loving Him without having another option. That way our love for Him is genuine. The theological word for the problem of why a loving God allows evil is “theodicy,” and you can read more about that here and here.
We know that the punishment for sinning is death (Romans 6:23), but the second half of that verse is the remedy for sin - that God gives us eternal life through Jesus. 1 Peter 2:24 reminds us of this: “‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’”
Paul discusses more about how Jesus’ sacrifice saves us from our sins in Romans 5:12-21, and I encourage you to read more about that passage here. Verses 18-19 are the key point: “Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” All sin entered the world through Adam (and Eve), and we all have the opportunity to be saved from that sin through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Do you have that faith? Please contact us at Worldview Warriors if you’d like to discuss that more, and we’d love to help guide you to that saving faith, so you too can have a restored relationship and eternal life with God.
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This topic is actually a pretty difficult one because so many people today want to point their fingers at others claiming them to be fools. I am hoping today’s post can be one where each individual reader takes the time to do some personal reflection on this word and what the Bible has to say about it. Piggy backing on Katie Erickson’s “What Does the Bible Say About...” series, I’d like to dig into what the Bible says about fools.
It can be quite a touchy subject because this word is such a trigger to most; who really likes being called a fool? I know I don’t. So, what I would ask you, the reader, to do with today’s post is to reflect on your own self. Please don’t just think to yourself, “Oh, I know who fits this very well and they need to realize it and change it.” I encourage you to see how in and through your own actions how you might fit this description, and then pray about it asking the Lord God to reveal to you about how you can change your own mindset and actions. In doing so, keep yourself disciplined and accountable to the Lord and His good and right ways.
So what does the Bible say about fools? We see in Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” How are you doing with this? Are you being willing to listen to God’s Word and really be a learner, or do you think you’ve figured it all out?
Next up we see in Proverbs 1:22
Proverbs 1:32 tells us, “For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.” What comes to my mind is a person’s passion and desire to do what is right no matter what. How is your heart in wanting to do what is right? Are you willing to strive to be the best in all you do, or have you become complacent in doing good in this world?
I would like to share three more Proverbs with you. Proverbs 13:20 states, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” What comes to my mind is the text in 1 Corinthians 15:33 which states, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’” It is really true. You end up becoming like those you hang out with. I encourage you to seek out good friends and good influences in your life and hang out with them as much as you can.
Allow the following text to “simmer” a bit in your mind and spirit. Pray on it. Proverbs 14:8: “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.”
What I appreciate so much about this next verse is how it points out the importance of being a person of grace to others, remembering that God forgives sins and so should we. Proverbs 14:9 says, “Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.”
There are so many more verses in the Bible about fools, and I encourage you to dig into them, research them, and be open to the leading of the Holy Spirt in not being a fool.
Lastly, I will leave you with Psalm 14:1: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”
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This is an interesting post for me to write since I’m not a parent, well at least not of humans anyway - our household does have 5 indoor cats, 4 pet frogs, 2 bearded dragons, and 1 betta fish. This is not a topic I’ve looked into much considering I don’t have a personal need for it in my life, but here’s what I’ve found on what the Bible says about parenting.
The most often-quoted verse I’ve heard on this topic is Proverbs 22:6: “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs also talks about disciplining children, as in Proverbs 23:13, “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.” Proverbs 29:17 echoes this sentiment: “Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.”
Hebrews 12:5-11 further tells us about discipline for children. Verses 9-10 say, “Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.” God disciplines us as His children, so we have His example to follow as earthly parents disciplining our children. For some additional insight on disciplining children, check out Jason DeZurik’s recent blog post here.
In Ephesians 6:1-4, we see instructions to both children and parents: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise— ‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” There are similar instructions in Colossians 3:20-21: “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.”
But, some of the most important parenting commands in the Bible come from the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” It’s very important for parents to teach God’s Word to their children, and to tell their children what God has done in your life so they can see Him working in their own lives.
Joshua 4:20-24 says, “And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, ‘In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.’” This passage shows us the importance of handing down the stories of what God has done to future generations, that they may know God’s faithfulness.
God is our Father, so while we humans won’t be able to perfectly imitate Him, look to His example given to us in the Bible for how to treat your children with Godly love, to help them grow in their understanding and relationship of their heavenly Father.
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They say that love makes the world go 'round, and that love is all you need. But what does the Bible say about love?
That’s an interesting question to answer, because the Bible is God’s Word given to us, revealing who God is. God is love, so the Bible is technically all about God’s love. It’s like the transient property in math (yes, I’m a geek): if A=B and B=C, then A=C. So if the Bible = God and God = love, then the Bible = love.
Think about it; every story we read in the Bible has to do with God’s love. God loved humankind so much that He created us and the world we live in. God loved humankind so much that he at least saved Noah and his family from the Flood, so they could repopulate the earth. God loved us so much that He made a covenant with Abraham and made him into a great nation. God loved that great nation, the people of Israel, so much that He kept sending them judges and prophets to turn them back toward following Him when they’d stray. God loved the world so much that He sent Jesus to die and be raised again for us so we could have eternal life (John 3:16). God loved us so much that He gave us His Word, so we could be equipped to do His work on this earth (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The entire Bible shows us God’s love!
But the Bible does talk specifically about love in many places as well. The most common place is what’s known as the “love chapter” of 1 Corinthians 13. I encourage you to go read the entire chapter, but I’ll highlight a few verses for you here: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
Another often-quoted passage about love is 1 John 4:7-12: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
In John 13:34-35, Jesus commands us to love one another: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Jesus reiterates this command to His disciples in John 15:12-14: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” While this was a new command in light of the love that Jesus brought to earth, this was also a very old command for the Israelites. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (known as the “shema” in Hebrew) says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
The Bible also tells about love in human relationships, including that of a husband and wife. Ephesians 5:25-33 talks about this, as does the book of Song of Songs. Ephesians 4:15-16 highlights how we should interact with others: “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that love us one of the fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” When we have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in us, all of these things will flow from our lives and the Spirit working through us.
There are even Proverbs written about love. For example, Proverbs 17:9 says, “Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”
I could go on and on with more passages about love in the Bible, but as I started with, the whole Bible tells us about God and His love, either directly or indirectly. I’ll leave you with one final passage to close this post.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
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Truth is an important topic in our culture today. Many people say it’s a subjective thing - what’s true for you may not be true for me. We’ve written on the topic of absolute or relative truth previously, here and here, so I encourage you to go check out those posts. Today, we’re going to focus on what the Bible says about truth.
Perhaps one of the most commonly known passages about truth is found in John 8:32: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” If you look at the context of that passage, you’ll see that Jesus spoke that line right after saying, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples” (verse 31). The truth comes from Jesus’ teachings, and it will set us free when we are His disciples. Jesus and the Jews then have a discussion about sin and being Abraham’s descendants, and Jesus ends His discourse with this: “Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God” (verses 45-47). Jesus did not sin, so He never lied, so He always told the truth. But the truth wasn’t what those Jews wanted to hear, so they did not believe Him. Sound familiar, like anything in our culture today?
We know from a few chapters later in John that Jesus Himself is the truth. “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6). If we know Jesus, then we know the way to the Father, the truth about everything, and we can have life through Him. He is the truth. 1 John 5:20 says, “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”
A few chapters later, in Jesus’ message to His disciples, He shares that the Spirit we have received is the Spirit of truth. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit helps us understand and comprehend what the truth is, because the Spirit is truth.
The belt of truth is part of the armor of God, in Ephesians 6:14. We are to have it buckled around our waist. You can read more about the belt of truth here.
Speaking truthfully is important for all believers, and it’s even part of the Ten Commandments. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16). This is echoed many times in the book of Proverbs too. Proverbs 12:19 says, “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.” Proverbs 12:22 says, “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.” Proverbs 19:5 says, “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.” Similarly, Psalm 15:1-3 says, “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others.”
Proverbs 30:5 also tells us that God’s Word is true: “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” In John 17:17, when Jesus is praying to the Father for the disciples, He says, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” The message of Jesus is truth: “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation” (Ephesians 1:13).
There are many more passages about truth in the Bible; these are just scratching the surface. Why are there so many? I believe that’s partly because the Bible IS truth. The Bible is THE authority, the standard by which we measure whether all things are true or false. Naturally, to hold that place of authority, the Bible must speak about truth. Also, the Bible is the way that God has specifically revealed Himself to us. God is truth, so His Word is truth, and again should speak on what truth is.
What is truth in your life? Do you try and make your own “truth,” or are you holding to the truth of the Bible? I encourage you to find out more about what the Bible says about truth and what the Bible says the truth is.
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Growing up in the church, we would often have events where there was a “free will” offering collected. Rather than charge a fee to attend the event, you could give whatever you wanted (if anything) toward the event’s cost or whatever cause funds were being raised for. One of the pastors had a saying about free will offerings that I still remember (and sometimes use): “You got in free, so you will give an offering!”
So, what is “free will”? According to Google’s dictionary, free will is defined as “the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion.” Free will is being autonomous and able to make our own decisions, not being controlled by some being in authority over us.
God created humans in His image (Genesis 1:27), so we all have the desire to choose good or evil, just as the first people Adam and Eve did. They knew the rules God had set for them (Genesis 2:16-17), and they broke those rules (Genesis 3). That was the first example of humans’ free will being exercised.
Because of that original sin, our human nature generally chooses to go against God. The people of Israel continually had to make the choice to serve God or to serve their own selfish desires or the other peoples around them. Deuteronomy 30:19-20 demonstrates this: “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
Joshua 24:15 shows how Joshua and his household chose to serve God: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
We too have the choice to repent from those evil actions and turn back to God (Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17; Acts 3:19). It is our choice to believe in Jesus and choose to follow Him, or to continually choose to turn away from Him (1 John 3:23). In John 1:12-13 we see that we still have the option to be made right with God again: “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
The apostle Paul struggled with his free will in Romans 7:15-21: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” Just like each one of us, Paul had the choice to do what he knows is right or to go against that. He struggled with knowing what is right and desiring to do it, yet not being able to fully do that. That’s the free will that God has given us.
Of course, we are not free to choose absolutely anything we want. I could choose to fly, but that doesn’t give me the ability to do it. Our free will is still bound by the laws of nature and this world that God has created for us. We also need to be aware of God’s natural law, where we will experience consequences for the choices that we’re free to make. We will reap the consequences for our choices and actions in this world.
I often say, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” This pretty well sums up free will; we can make lots of choices that turn us away from God, but just because we CAN make those choices doesn’t mean we SHOULD. Choose this day to love and serve God with your life!
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Authority is one of those things that we all appreciate when it keeps things under control, but we also don’t appreciate when we feel as though it’s oppressing us or keeping us from doing what we want to do. Authority comes in lots of forms, such as teachers at school, your boss at work, those to protect us in law enforcement, and those who rule over us in local and national governments. But what does the Bible say about authority?
First and foremost, we know that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus. Because of that, He gives us the authority and power (and the command) to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).
As for human authorities who govern over us, we see in Romans 13:1-7 that Paul urges believers to obey the governing authorities. For more on that, check out this post and this post.
It’s easier to submit to the authorities who govern over us when their rule lines up with God’s Word. But what about when it doesn’t? 1 Peter 2:13-18 says, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.”
Ephesians 6:5-9 says, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.”
While I would guess that most of the readers of this post are not in slavery, that was a common situation in Biblical times so the Bible speaks on it a fair amount. But slavery back then was not the same as we think of slavery today; then, it was generally only for a short time to pay off a debt, and then the slave was freed. Even though we’re not technically enslaved, we can use the principles given in these passages when we are dealing with authorities such as bosses or teachers. Serve them as if we’re serving God; do God’s will by obeying them.
Paul gives us words of encouragement on dealing with authority in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15: “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.”
The writer of Hebrews echoes this thought in Hebrews 13:17: “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” Titus 3:1-2 also encourages us this way: “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.”
In the book of Acts, Peter and the other apostles were often persecuted and thrown in jail for the sake of the Gospel. In one such instance, they are being questioned before the high priest and the Sanhedrin (some of their governing authorities), and they said, “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 5:29).
We see from Scripture that it’s important to obey the human authorities that are over us, but when we have to choose between obeying God or mankind, we know that receiving God’s reward in eternity is better than the temporary reward we’d receive for obeying humans and going against God. “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
