Category: Bible

I remember once trying to encourage a single young man who was struggling with contentment and sexual purity. In the course of our conversation, I mentioned something about the imminent return of Christ, and he said to me only half-jokingly: “I hope Jesus doesn’t return until after I’ve gotten married.” What the comment revealed in his thinking is an error that many Christians inadvertently end up believing: that the romantic and sexual relationship of marriage represents ultimate good in life and something on which you should not miss out.

It’s not surprising that many believers feel this way since such is the frequent anthem of our unsaved world, especially Western culture. So much of our media, especially music and movies, glorifies romantic/sexual love and portrays it as the key to lasting fulfillment, even “happily ever after.” We are promised that if we can only find “the one” or just experience sexual fulfillment in our own uniquely preferred way, we will know true joy. All obstacles to this ultimate good, therefore, should be removed, including God’s rules for marriage and sexuality. After all, why would a good God want to keep us from enjoying life’s ultimate treasure (cf. Gen 3:1-7)?

But if we are willing to think more soberly, we can see this kind of thinking for what it is: vain idolatry. To be sure, marriage is a good gift from God (Gen 1:31; 2:18), but it is one of many lesser gifts in this world and not an ultimate gift (Eccl 9:7-9). If we look to romance and sexual fulfillment as our great treasures in life, not only will we fall under the wrath of a jealous God (Ex 20:4-5) but we will also be thoroughly disappointed. As Solomon says in Ecclesiastes: “Vapor of vapors! All is vapor! There is no lasting profit from anything under the sun!” (Eccl 1:2-3) Though love can make intoxicating promises, the truth is that no amount or kind of love will satisfy; in fact, the more you chase love, the less satisfaction you will experience in your love (Eccl 1:8; 6:7, 9)!

Solomon most likely wrote the song named after him that celebrates as holy the love of marriage, the “Song of Songs” (Song 1:1). Yet even Solomon didn’t find lasting satisfaction in his relationship with the lovely Shulamite; instead, in his quest for ultimate fulfillment in the things of the world, he ended up multiplying marriages with one-thousand great and beautiful women of his day (1 Ki 11:3; Eccl 2:8). These additional relationships, though, also could not satisfy Solomon but instead led Solomon astray and filled him with regret (1 Ki 11:1-13; Eccl 2:11, 17). Therefore, whether within the proper confines of a monogamous heterosexual relationship or in some deviant version, romantic/sexual love represents another broken cistern that, by itself, can hold no water (Jer 2:13), even an empty idol unable to provide (Ps 135:15-18).

I sometimes meet men holding on to 1 Corinthians 7:9 and the belief that problems with relational/sexual contentment will be resolved by marriage. There is, to be sure, a certain practical advantage in having a spouse to whom one can legitimately direct sexual passions and from whom find refreshment (Prov 5:15-20; 1 Cor 7:2). But marriage does not itself bring contentment, and, unfortunately, many who struggle with discontent before marriage find that they continue to struggle after marriage—sometimes even more so. The solution to contentment, of course, is not getting what you want but do not currently have, but accepting and giving thanks for what you currently have from God as his perfect provision (Eccl 5:18-20; Eph 5:3-4; Phil 4:12-13).

And really, Paul’s whole point in 1 Corinthians 7 is not about finding fulfillment but mitigating distraction: in which state will you be less distracted in serving Christ, remaining unmarried or getting married? Go with whichever one lets you pursue and serve Christ better. Why? Because as the Bible testifies emphatically: Christ is the true treasure (Col 2:1-3; Phil 3:7-8; Heb 11:24-26). Knowing, imitating, and serving him is where lasting joy is found (Jn 15:10-11; 17:3). He is the spring that ever satisfies thirst and the food that gives eternal life (Jn 4:13-14; Jn 6:27, 35).

You see, when we proclaim to others God’s standards for marriage and sexuality, as Pastor Babij did in the Sunday sermon, we’re not trying to use God to keep people from life’s true treasure. Rather, we’re trying to prevent people’s obsession with a false treasure from keeping them away from the one who truly saves and satisfies. Indeed, many formerly immoral persons, including those who practiced homosexuality, testify that it is was the greater prospect of knowing Jesus that led them to give up their sinful lifestyles (cf. 1 Cor 6:9-11).

Marriage truly is a good gift from God and is to be nurtured and enjoyed in holy thankfulness. But we must not look for too much from marriage or lead our single brothers and sisters to do so. We must consciously push back against our culture and its heavy promotion of romantic and sexual love as ultimate. The unmarried Christian life can be just as satisfying as the married—and often with fewer troubles and distractions (Mt 19:10-12; 1 Cor 7:28, 32-35)! Rather than focusing on marriage, then, let us direct one another to the one to whom all true marriages ultimately point (Eph 5:22-33).

Revelation 19:7-8, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Questions to Consider:
1. Can other human relationships be as rich as or richer than a marital relationship? Consider David and Jonathan (1 Sam 18:1; 2 Sam 1:26).
2. How does idolizing sex, romance, or marriage cause one to act unbecomingly in marriage?
3. Are you content in whatever state God has placed you? Why or why not?

One of the spiritual errors that we American Christians can easily fall into is too much individualism. Ours is a culture that strongly promotes individual rights, personal independence, and self-fulfillment, and we can unwittingly bring these same values into Christianity. Now, the Bible does teach a richly personal aspect to our faith (e.g Ps 16; John 13:23; Rev 2:17), but the Bible also teaches an equally rich communal aspect. To become a Christian is not simply to gain an intimate, saving relationship with Jesus; it is to gain this relationship with all the saints. Together we believers are Christ’s bride (Rev 19:7-9; 21:9), body (Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:27), and temple (1 Cor 3:16; 2 Cor 6:16; Eph 2:19-22).

There are many implications of this profound communal reality for the Christian life, but one implication has to do with our singing: when you come to church, to whom do you sing?

The answer may at first seem obvious: “I sing to God! I sing to Jesus!” And perhaps you’re remembering times of worship when you forgot or blocked out all others in the room from your mind and just focused on worshipping Christ. There is good truth in such an answer, but consider the poignancy of Colossians 3:16,

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Ephesians 5:18-19 gives a similar description of a well-functioning Christian church:

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.

Notice how these verses emphasize a dual purpose in Christian singing: we sing to give praise and thanks to God but also to speak, instruct, and give exhortation to others in the church. In other words, we sing for both God and each other.

Truth-filled and Spirit-filled singing together is actually a key component of Christian edification. When we see and hear one another joyfully singing God’s Word—even amid difficult circumstances (cf. Acts 16:25), what we’re really seeing and hearing is communal affirmation of the worthiness of Christ: “I believe Christ’s word! He deserves all thanks and praise! Oh, come join me in loving and trusting him!” Many people have reported the deep encouragement of heart-felt Christian singing together, and we can see why: this is God’s design.

I sometimes wonder if our great dependence on reading song lyrics while we sing in church today isn’t a missed opportunity; so often, we must direct our eyes to a screen or to a book page to know what to sing next. But what if we already knew the lyrics? Where might we direct our faces instead? We, of course, could look up to God in heaven or simply close our eyes, but we could also look at the singers, musicians, and even one another. We could testify to all with both our faces and our voices: “God is great! Let’s celebrate him together!”

Even if we cannot be totally independent from provided lyrics, we can be more purposeful about how we sing in church. Singing is not just about you and God, it’s also about us and God. Therefore, let us sing to God and to one another.

Questions to Consider:
1. Do you need to sing well in order to fulfill God’s commands in Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:18-19?
2. What do you communicate to others if you consistently sing half-heartedly in church or refrain from singing at all?
3. How can you protect a desire to sing and edify others from becoming a desire to sing from hypocrisy or for others’ approval?

Imagine the scene; you hear about such in the news every so often. A man has been found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. He is not remorseful for his crime, nevertheless a close relative of the victim soon visits the murderer in prison and tells him through tears, “I forgive you.” No doubt, the scene is remarkable, and, if this relative is sincere, he is showing great courage and humility in declaring his forgiveness. But is his forgiveness biblical?

Yes and no.

As we heard in the Sunday sermon on Matthew 18:21-35, God’s fundamental call to Christians when it comes to practicing forgiveness is “forgive as you are forgiven.” All righteousness ultimately means to be like God, therefore, it only makes sense that truly righteous forgiveness toward others ought to look like God’s forgiveness toward us (Eph 4:32). However, if we consider the model of God’s forgiveness more thoroughly, we must realize that God’s forgiveness has two parts: a part dealing with the heart and a part dealing with the relationship. We must understand these two parts because one part of forgiveness is unconditional and the other part is conditional.

Heart forgiveness is the unconditional part. In true, godlike forgiveness of any offense, the heart must trust God to take care of the injustice, love the person in spite of his sin, and be eager to see repentance and reconciliation in the relationship. You must always forgive in your heart whether or not the other person is repentant or seeking your forgiveness because you love God and love others—even your enemies. God shows himself in the Scriptures to be a loving and forgiving God eager to see those who sin against him reconciled to him (e.g. Ex 34:6-7; Isa 55:7; 65:1-5; Ezek 18:23). We are to imitate God in this, thus Jesus gives us an unconditional command in Mark 11:25,

“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.”

But relationship forgiveness is the conditional part. Though God is a forgiving God in his heart, sin brings a real breach in relationship with God (Isa 59:2). That relationship is only healed (and the just punishment for offenses removed) when the one who has offended God seeks his mercy in repentance and faith (e.g. Ezek 18:32; Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19). Apart from repentance, there is no relational forgiveness with God, only the fearful expectation of judgment (Heb 10:26-27). Now, God has not given us personal authority to exact punishment for sins (Rom 12:14-21), but we do imitate God’s forgiveness in extending relationship forgiveness only to the repentant. Note the condition attached to Jesus’ command in Luke 17:3-4,

“Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

Now, of course, the above truth about conditional relationship forgiveness does not mean that God gives us permission to give an unrepentant person the cold shoulder or to treat that person harshly; no indeed, a forgiving heart would still seek to do that person good and to entreat him to repentance so that the relationship can be restored! Nevertheless, it is proper for us to acknowledge to someone who has sinned against us that his sin has produced a breach in our fellowship and that the relationship will not be whole until there is repentance. And where there is repentance, we should immediately extend relationship forgiveness and begin rebuilding the relationship. Far from looking for an excuse not to forgive others, we who have been forgiven our great debt by God should be the most eager to see others forgiven, both in our hearts and in our relationships (cf. Rom 12:18).

For more instruction on the two parts of biblical forgiveness, please see our recent Sunday school lesson on Forgiveness and the Past.

Questions to Consider:
1. With whom do you need to apply the above instruction about forgiveness? Consider Matthew 5:21-26 and Proverbs 3:27-28.
2. Does every specific sin against or offense from others need formal relationship forgiveness?
3. How should you respond to those who refuse to grant you relationship forgiveness when you are repentant?

One technique I have come to appreciate in the art of storytelling is dramatic irony. Dramatic irony describes a situation in which the reader/audience understands the full significance of a character’s words or actions in a story but the character himself does not. Dramatic irony is often used to create humor. For example, in the movie Toy Story, the audience knows from the beginning that the character Buzz Lightyear is a toy, while Buzz thinks he is an actual space ranger. Thus, when the toy Buzz gets all worked up about fulfilling his galactic mission with Star Command, the audience appreciates how silly and ridiculously Buzz acts. But dramatic irony can also be used to highlight tragedy. For example, Shakespeare’s famous play Romeo and Juliet actually begins with a poem telling you exactly how the play will end: “a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life.” Knowing the ending from the beginning changes the way you watch the play and heightens the sadness of it: you know that any character’s momentary hope or happiness will soon be shattered and that, no matter how hard the characters try to salvage the situation, they cannot escape the fated calamity.

However storytellers use dramatic irony, the technique is almost always poignant, including in the Bible. One book of the Bible in which we see dramatic irony is the book of Job. At the beginning of Job, the reader is treated to a behind-the-scenes look at a conversation between Satan and God that results in the utter devastation of Job’s life. What then follows is a mixture of humor and tragedy as Job and his three friends argue over why what happened to Job happened to him. They go on and on in their poetic debate (35 chapters!), but the reader knows all the while that the speakers are not even close to figuring out the real reasons for what God was doing. Even when God appears to Job, God does not explain to Job what God was doing but reminds Job of who God is, implicitly calling on Job to trust God. One of the great lessons of Job, then, is similar to what Solomon expresses in Ecclesiastes 8:14-17: man cannot discover all that God is doing in each situation of life, so rather than grope in a frenzy for answers, man should humble himself, fear God, and enjoy his portion in life.

The greatest dramatic irony in the Bible, though, must be with the life of Jesus, even in the Gospel of John. As we began to explore together in the last Sunday sermon, John begins his Gospel record with a vital clarification of who Jesus is: the Creator Word, who before the beginning of creation was both God and with God (John 1:1). Consider how that beginning clarification changes the way we ought to appreciate the words and events that unfold in John’s gospel, like Jesus’ conversation with the immoral, outcast Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42); the Jews’ resentment of Jesus offering himself to them instead of literal bread (John 6:1-65); Jesus’ grief over Lazarus’ death (John 11:1-46); Jesus’ washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:1-20); Jesus’ praying for his disciples (John 17:1-26); Judas’ betrayal of Jesus (John 18:1-11); Jesus’ trials by the high priests and Pilate (John 18:12-19:15); and Jesus’ crucifixion and burial (John 19:16-41). Because we, the readers, know who Jesus is from the beginning of John’s Gospel, we can see just how outrageous created man’s treatment of their Creator God is! But we also see God’s glorious grace in spite of man’s sinful reception as well as the Son’s confidence in the plan of and future vindication by the Father. Truly, there is no god like the true God! What a wondrous salvation he has revealed! And he has given us an example to follow (Heb 12:1-3).

This Christmas, may we remember afresh who Jesus really is and who he has made us to be by his mighty incarnation, death, and resurrection.

John 1:14, And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Questions to Consider:
1. How is the reception to Christians today similar to Christ’s reception in the Bible?
2. Should we expect the world to understand and judge Christians fairly? Why or why not?
3. Do you know who Jesus really is? If so, how does your life reflect that?

When I first started marriage counseling while at seminary in California, I felt such great grief over the couples with whom I was meeting. Over the first few sessions with these couples, what I saw was professing Christian husbands and wives completely at odds with one another, acting and speaking toward each other in such vicious ways that even unbelievers would be ashamed. The unforgiveness, selfishness, and pride were so ugly; I felt like my heart was being weighed down even outside our counseling meetings. When I met with my pastor and counseling trainer for further direction, he said something that has always stuck with me: “When you see what sin has done to other marriages, thank God for your own good marriage.”

Truly, it’s easy to take for granted good gifts, even good marriages. We can start to nitpick and complain about our spouses for not being perfectly godly or for not being everything we ever wanted. But when we remember 1) that we did nothing to deserve a good spouse or marriage (Prov 18:22; 19:14), 2) that even what we did do in wisdom and righteousness was all of God and not ourselves (1 Cor 15:10; Phil 2:12-13), and 3) that many—even the vast majority of married people—do not have that kind of marriage (Prov 21:9; Titus 3:3), we should feel sober and humble gratitude. More than that, we should be moved to care diligently for our marriages and spouses since the gift of a good marriage is so easily spoiled by just a little foolishness and sin (Song 2:15; Eccl 9:18; 10:1).

Christians should have a similar cherishing mindset when it comes to the local church. Pastor Babij has recently been showing us from Jude the absolute horror of what goes on in many churches around the world because of false teachers: these teachers pretend to speak for God but only offer their own sinful delusions and useless opinions, they look to exploit their flocks via monetary greed and sexual immorality, and they lead their followers down of path of false peace that ultimately results in ruined lives and eternal judgment (Jude 8-11). Thank God if such is not the case at your church! Even if you only go to a decent church, praise God! Because many poor souls do not even have that. And what, really, did you do to deserve the fellowship and ministry of a good church? What makes you so different from others who do not have a good church? We must ultimately confess that whatever good we have, even our churches, is an undeserved gift from God (1 Cor 4:7).

I am always saddened, therefore, when people so quickly give up a good church. Maybe it didn’t have all the ministries they wanted. Maybe the music wasn’t exactly to their taste. Maybe someone in the church offended or sinned against them. But they then abstain from the church or even leave it altogether to search for another. If good churches were a-dime-a-dozen today, maybe such behavior would be more understandable. But why would someone so easily give up on a good church when a good church is so hard to find? Perhaps people, like those looking for perfect spouses today, are led on by the dream of a perfect church somewhere where everyone is perfectly godly and all desires and preferences are fulfilled. No such church exists, and even if it did—as is often well said—you better not join it, because then you would ruin it!

The reality about churches according to the NT is that every church has problems. This is because churches are made up sinners—sinners redeemed and regenerated to walk anew—but sinners nonetheless. But an imperfect church can still be a good church, and you would be a fool to pass up the good church you have for the perfect church that only exists in your own mind (cf. Eccl 9:9). Cherishing a good but imperfect church requires humility and faith in God as well as a firm commitment to show patient love to brethren who still sometimes fail just like you do (Eph 4:1-3; Phil 2:1-11). You must also be diligent to serve and protect the church with the gifts Christ gave you (Eph 4:11-16). But when you and I cherish the church this way—without looking for too much from church—we will find that, like a good marriage, a good church can be thankfully enjoyed to the glory of God, and the people of that church can become powerful witnesses of the grace of Christ to the world.

Philippians 2:14-16, Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

Questions to Consider:
1. Do you cherish your church? Why or why not?
2. What are good reasons to leave a church? What are not good reasons?
3. How can you help be part of the solution to the problems your church still has?

I’m always amazed at how accurately the Bible describes false teachers. Even today, we frequently see the same two qualities in proud, religious charlatans as we heard in the sermon from Jude 8-10 on Sunday: excused rebellion of immorality and a cavalier attitude toward supernatural beings. But I think Pastor Babij is right in directing us not only to think about how religious leaders at large can delude themselves into thinking their ways are justified before God but also how we can do the same. Below I highlight three of the most common ways we also get led astray “by dreaming” and how none of these can reliably provide divine direction.

New Revelation
I recognize that there are true, blood-bought brothers and sisters in Christ who believe that God continues to give supernatural revelation to his people today via prophecy, tongues, visions, and dreams. I am convinced, however, that this is a great error and one that continues to do harm to God’s people (see more why here). And even if God were giving new revelation today, how could one ever be certain that the “revelation” one received was from God and not from the devil or from one’s own imagination? “I feel it is undeniably divine,” is no adequate defense since feelings are subjective and unreliable (see below); “It led to a positive circumstantial or spiritual outcome,” is also inadequate since apparently-good results are not always tied to truly-good causes; and “It fits with what the Bible already says,” means little since, while contradiction would certainly prove a new revelation to be false, non-contradiction would not necessarily prove new revelation to be true. The fact is that we do not have official, Christ-appointed representatives like the apostles of the NT nor their validating signs to be able to confirm new revelation from God today (Lk 24:49; Eph 2:20; 2 Cor 12:12). Which means the next time you hear someone say, “God told me we should get married,” or “I had a vision that you will become a pastor,” or “I really went to hell, but God sent me back to tell you about it,” don’t believe it.

Feelings
Even those who affirm the cessation of miraculous sign-gifts today can sometimes treat their own feelings as indicators of God’s will or approval. Examples include: “I just had this impression that I needed to talk to you,” or, “I finally have peace about this decision,” or, “I feel led to get involved in this particular ministry.” Now, understand, feelings are a noteworthy factor in making wise decisions; you want to be operating according to godly desires, be full of faith, and make sure that you are sensitive to your conscience (1 Tim 3:1; Heb 10:22; 1 Tim 1:5, 19). But feelings by themselves do not reliably reveal God’s will. Many pastors and biblical counselors can tell you about Christians who have justified naïve, foolish, or outright sinful actions with good feelings and an unbothered conscience: adultery, divorce, unforgiveness, financial recklessness, etc. Good feelings do not necessarily mean that you are doing right, and agitated feelings do not necessarily mean that you are doing wrong. Consider that Jesus was so agitated before going to the cross—which was God’s will—that Jesus prayed in agony and sweat drops of blood (Lk 22:44), while the rich fool of Jesus’ parable felt good about his life when that fool was in fact ripe for judgment (Lk 12:19-21). While we should, as much as we can, remove unnecessary vexation from our hearts and live with clean consciences in the joy of the Lord (Eccl 11:9-10; Neh 8:10), we must recognize that feelings by themselves are not adequate guidance for us.

Signs and Circumstances
Often associated with supposedly guiding feelings are supposedly guiding circumstances; it is extremely easy for us Christians to begin interpreting God’s will based on the “signs” we see in our good or bad circumstances. “Serving in this ministry is getting difficult, so God must not want me to remain,” or, “My wife was just diagnosed with cancer. What did we do to displease God?” or, “I guess God doesn’t care about this sin or else he would have done something about it.” Implicit in many such thoughts is a version of the prosperity gospel: if circumstances are good, God is pleased, if circumstances are bad, God is not. Now, there is a certain connection between prosperous circumstances and righteousness and wisdom; the Bible repeatedly emphasizes the blessing, even material blessing, that often comes to those who walk according to God’s way (e.g Ps 34:12-14). Moreover, it is wise for us to pay attention to good opportunities and not simply waste our time with what’s unprofitable (Mt 7:6; 10:23; 25:14-30; Col 4:5). But we must remember that circumstances by themselves do not indicate God’s will or approval. Sometimes God ordains evil for the righteous and good for the wicked, according to his own mysterious purpose (Eccl 7:15). Sometimes a good circumstance is just an undeserved mercy or even a test, while a difficult circumstance is simply meant to prune us and grow us in perseverance (John 15:1-2; Rom 5:3-5). I mentioned once in a sermon how the great missionary to Myanmar, Adoniram Judson, ministered there in hardship for six years before he made his first convert, which could easily have been interpreted as God directing the Judsons somewhere else. Why, otherwise, was God not blessing the ministry? But fruitfulness is not itself an indicator of faithfulness, and God saw fit to bless the Judsons’ latter ministry so that 8,000 had come to Christ in Myanmar before Adoniram died. The same truth applies to us: there is no way to know God’s will based on circumstances alone.

So what is the moral of the story? If new revelation, feelings, and circumstances are all ultimately unreliable as messages from God, then with what are we left? Simply with what God specifically gave us to guide us and what he directs us back to again and again: the Bible. Here is where we find our sufficiency and strength for all of life and godliness: the revelation of Jesus Christ (Ps 119:105; 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:3-4)! Together, as we learn it, teach it, pray it, talk about it, and do it, we will find ourselves adequately guided regardless of what revelations people claim, what feelings we have, or what circumstances we encounter.

Deuteronomy 29:29, The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.

Questions to Consider:
1. Why are we sometimes inclined to look for divine guidance or affirmation outside the Bible?
2. Besides God, from where else might good feelings or feelings of peace come?
3. What is the verdict from God’s sure word on your life right now (Heb 4:12-13)?

After the Sunday sermon on Song of Solomon 2:15, I’ve found myself thinking about what Khaleef said about the difference between “struggling with” sin versus merely “coddling” sin. According to Merriam-Webster, to “struggle” means either “to make strenuous or violent efforts in the face of difficulties or opposition” or “to proceed with difficulty or with great effort.” Truly, if we “struggle” with sin, then we are working hard to avoid and overcome it. However, to “coddle” means to “treat with extreme or excessive care or kindness” and is similar to the word “pamper.” If we “coddle” our sins, then we are not really treating them as the ruinous enemies that they are. We apply no great effort to rid ourselves of their influence, rather we cover, protect, and cherish them to our own harm.

As Khaleef brought out on Sunday, the metaphor of little foxes is poignant in illustrating our relationship with sin. Little foxes may not seem like much trouble; they look harmless, even friendly and cute. But there is no mistaking their ultimate effect: they ruin the vineyards, even when those vineyards have just entered their time of peak beauty and blossom. Now, real-life foxes are mainly a problem for those with poultry and small livestock as the foxes make opportunistic attacks. But spiritual foxes are a problem for everyone. These little foxes of sin ruin—destroy, corrupt, pollute—the joy-giving vineyards of one’s Christian walk, one’s marriage, or one’s church. These foxes are not cute but need to be given no quarter; they must be caught and destroyed with all diligence.

But to do what is necessary to preserve and enjoy our vineyards, we really need eyes of faith to see past what only looks or feels true. We must see sin for what it really is: a pleasant looking trap designed to enslave and destroy (Jn 8:34; Rm 6:16; cf. Prov 5:3-6). We must see Satan, his minions, and his missionaries for what they really are: not holy and caring friends but deceivers and murderers (Jn 8:44; 2 Cor 11:12-15; Prov 27:6). And we must see God for who he really is: not the miserly, aloof cosmic kill-joy, but the holy God of all love and generous giver of all good gifts (1 Jn 1:5; 4:8; James 1:17). We essentially face the same choice in the gardens of our lives as Adam and Eve faced in the first garden: believe God and take hold of the good he has promised both now and forever or believe Satan to seek out our own good now via sin and inherit death (Gen 2:15-17; 3:1-7). If we want to know and experience true life, then, we must learn to go against flesh-driven feelings and deny ourselves the temporary comfort of sin for the greater joy of knowing Christ.

In the end, our vineyards are not ours to leave to be ruined as fox dens. Our vineyards were given to us by God to tend and enjoy, and he will hold us accountable for what we do with them (cf. Mt 21:33-46; 1 Tim 6:17-19; Eccl 11:9-10). What a good command of God via Solomon it is, then, that we catch the little foxes that would otherwise ruin our vineyards and spoil our portion of holy enjoyment!

Song of Solomon 2:15,
“Catch the foxes for us,
The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards,
While our vineyards are in blossom.”

Questions to Consider:
1. The Puritan John Owen famously wrote, “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.” Which reality is more evident in your life?
2. Practically speaking, what would truly struggling against your sin instead of coddling it look like in your life?
3. Do you believe that God’s waiting reward for righteousness is better than the comfort of immediate indulgence (cf. Heb 11:6)? Why or why not?

In the Sunday sermon on Ecclesiastes 12:9-14, I stressed that Solomon includes the final epilogue section to prevent people from misunderstanding his book. But perhaps you found it ironic, as I do, that many modern interpreters use the epilogue of Ecclesiastes itself to argue for distorted views of his work! Because of only minor changes in subject, style, and vocabulary in the epilogue, some Bible scholars regard Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 as part of the proof that Ecclesiastes, in fact, was not carefully written by one author (cf. Eccl 12:9-10), does not have a consistent message (cf. Eccl 12:11-12), and was not written to lead readers to lives of holiness and joy before God (cf. Eccl 12:13-14).

Yet Ecclesiastes is not unique in this ironic phenomenon; so called “higher criticism” similarly seeks to turn other parts of the Bible meant to establish credibility on their heads. Another example is the book of Daniel. Daniel is an absolutely astonishing book due to its detailed prophetic visions of the future. And these visions have been historically verified: not only the general succession of Middle East-dominating empires revealed in Daniel 2 and 7 but also specifically Alexander the Great’s Greek empire and the successor states that came after him (especially the Ptolemaic and Seleucid Greek kingdoms) in Daniel 8 and 11. Surely all this confirmed prophecy should make us pay attention to the words of Daniel and to the totally sovereign God who reveals mysteries (Daniel 2:20-23)! Not so, say many Bible scholars. Rather, Daniel’s incredible accuracy is just part of the proof that the book was written much later than it claims. In other words, the author of Daniel must have written all his words of “prophecy” after the fact in order to achieve his great accuracy.

Or take still another common target of higher biblical scholarship: the Gospels. You would think that the fact that four different authors writing with different styles and different purposes yet all recording a consistent message about the person and ministry of Jesus would be highly significant—we can trust their united record! After all, does not the Torah say that two or three witnesses are needed to establish a matter in court (Dt 17:6, 19:15)? The New Testament has four Gospel witnesses! Yet somehow modern biblical scholarship inverts this evidence and asserts that the great similarities in the Gospels, especially the synoptics (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), is proof that the biblical writers copied one another. We don’t really have four independent witnesses, they say, but maybe two. Paradoxically, these same scholars will also assert that the differences in the Gospels represent outright contradictions about the life of Jesus. So then, from the supposedly sage vantage-points of many of these interpreters, we’ll never know for certain what to believe about Jesus since the records about him are so unreliable.

What to make of all this? Clearly, here, we see how important is the worldview or set of assumptions someone brings to assess the data of life, whether that data is in the world or in the Bible. Depending on one’s assumptions, the same evidence might confirm or contradict what God says in his word. Yet not all assumptions or worldviews are made equal. As many presuppositional apologists will tell you, reality simply does not make consistent sense without biblical assumptions: there is a God and he is our Creator, this God will one day perfectly judge the world in righteousness, and this God has revealed himself to us in the Bible.

The Bible tells us why people refuse to interpret according to biblical assumptions: because in pride they do not want to acknowledge God but instead live their own ways (Isa 53:6). They therefore suppress the truth in unrighteousness and live with insanity in their hearts all their days (Rom 1:18; Eccl 9:3). Yet the Bible, even Solomon, outlines a better way to understand the world and operate in it: the fear of the Lord (Eccl 12:13). In interpreting the Bible or in living our lives in general, we have the choice of whether we will exalt ourselves like gods or humble ourselves as creations designed to adore the one true God. The outcome of either path is already clear from the Bible:

Matthew 23:12 (NASB95), “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”

Questions to Consider:
1. Many people will point to life experiences that “prove” certain truths about God: even God’s cruelty or non-existence. How should we respond?
2. Bible interpreters often get into trouble when they speculate without enough evidence or assume what they are trying to prove. How can we get into similar trouble when it comes to interpreting people?
3. Do you live with a humble fear of God? What are the fruit of such fear in your life?

My wife and I recently went on a vacation to Italy. It was a great time, and one subject she and I have found ourselves discussing are the differences between Italy and America. There are many, of course, but one difference very much surprised us. While in Italy, we traveled through several major cities, small towns, and bits of countryside, but we cannot remember seeing any public LGBTQ+ pride displays. The one exception was a person we saw wearing a rainbow insignia on the return flight to America. It dawned on us just how much we are bombarded in America with the normalization and celebration of homosexual lifestyles, to the point that we American Christians might be more shocked not to see gay pride than to see it.

I felt another strange phenomenon listening to Pastor Babij’s Sunday sermon. Jude 5-7 reminds us that God judged both angels and men in the past who went after “gross immorality” and “strange flesh,” including the homosexual rapists of Sodom. Pastor Babij explained afresh that though all sins are offensive to God (James 2:10), homosexuality represents particularly heinous rebellion against God and his design for marriage (Gen 2:24, Lev 18:22, Rom 1:26-27, see more here). All of this is plain from the Bible. Yet it almost feels odd to hear such because of the society in which we live. Is a sermon calling out the sin of homosexuality more shocking today than the sin of homosexuality itself?

I remember one of my theology teachers in seminary warning us that we must remain constantly critical of the world’s thinking, especially what is asserted as unquestionable fact. Such thinking, he told us, is like an acid that is always working to eat away at biblical convictions. There may be many areas in our Christian lives in which it seems like we are not being affected by the world’s thinking when we actually are, even if the effect is simply to make us feel more hesitant and ashamed in our biblical convictions. Sexuality is clearly one of those areas.

So how should we respond to the corrosive impact of worldly thinking and ideas? Romans 12:1-2 gives a good answer:

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Since our minds are constantly being attacked with the deceits and discouragements of the world, we need to have our minds constantly renewed by God and his word. This happens as we diligently pursue those simple “means of grace” God gave us: prayer, Bible reading and meditation, Bible teaching and preaching, fellowship, communion, service, and evangelism. Really, we all face a choice regarding to which image we will be conformed: we can do nothing and let the world conform us more and more into its image, or we can pursue God by the hard work of sanctification and obedience and be more and more conformed to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29, 2 Cor 3:18), to God’s glory and to our eternal reward (Rev 21:5-8). To which image are you being conformed?

Questions to Consider:
1. Besides sexuality, what other areas of worldly thinking have subtly affected American Christians?
2. In what ways should sin always remain shocking to us? In what ways should sin never be shocking to us?
3. How should a knowledge of your own sinfulness and God’s grace affect the way you address shocking sins in others?

As I continue to think about Pastor Babij’s Sunday sermon, a certain phrase in Jude 4 draws my attention. Jude 4 says,

For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

The phrase that sticks out to me is “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed.” Why weren’t these persons noticed? Was the church not on guard against the infiltration of false teachers? I’m sure the church was. But the problem is that false teachers often don’t look or seem like false teachers at all.

As part of my seminary training, one sobering truth that I learned about children’s ministry was regarding how to spot child abusers in the church. Many people suppose that child abusers have a certain unsavory or strange look and that, if you’re watching out, you can easily discover these abusers. But the truth is that many abusers do not look like abusers at all. They can actually look quite upstanding and be some of the most winsome people you have ever met. For this reason, a wise church child protection policy does not rely on how people look or seem but holds to standards of guarding that remove opportunity for abuse.

The same is true of false teachers. As Pastor Babij said: it’s not like false teachers wear a name tag declaring, “I’m a false teacher.” Many false teachers in fact look and sound like good people. False teachers often seem to have a deep love for God, a strong grasp of theology, and a true care for God’s people. They are charismatic and appear trustworthy. They appeal to the original biblical languages. They may even speak eloquently about the danger of false teachers! It’s no wonder people in the church don’t notice false teachers creeping in.

The apostle Paul wrote about this same phenomenon in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. Notice how he connects the look of false teachers with the look of their sending master:

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

If believers cannot discover false teachers by mere impression and appearance, then what should believers do? Certainly, believers should not naively provide ready opportunities for false teachers to gain followers (Prov 14:15; 1 Tim 3:6; 5:22). But more fundamentally, believers must do as Pastor Babij said on Sunday and what the Scriptures teach again and again: hold what these teachers say and how they live to the biblical standard (e.g. Gal 1:8-9; 1 Tim 3:1-7; 2 Tim 2:19; 1 John 4:1-3). Though false teachers are masters of disguise, their departure from the gospel will eventually manifest in their teaching and behavior (1 Tim 5:24-25; Mt 7:15-20; Lk 6:45). Once these teachers have shown their true colors, believers need to remove the wolves and rescue any sheep led astray (1 Cor 5:11-13; Titus 3:10-11; Jude 22-23).

Questions to Consider:
1. Why is knowing well the once-for-all-delivered faith so important for guarding the church against false teaching?
2. What popular Christian teaching today is obviously false? What popular Christian teaching today is less obviously false?
3. How can you best help someone who has been duped by a false teacher?