Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 126

“I Felt My Soul Rejoice”: The Christ-Centered Happiness of David Brainerd

David Brainerd (1718–1747) served as a missionary to the Delaware Indians of New Jersey. He was orphaned at fourteen, and in college he suffered from debilitating tuberculosis. Having endured great suffering while serving in a fruitful ministry, he died at age twenty-nine. His biography inspired many, including pioneer missionary William Carey as well as missionary martyr Jim Elliot. During Brainerd’s final illness, he was nursed by Jonathan Edwards’s daughter Jerusha, who may have contracted tuberculosis from him. She died four months after he did. Depressing story, right? But in fact, the story involved much happiness.

Understandably, Brainerd’s diary frequently references his pain, using the word 78 times and suffer or suffering 30 times. Yet the most striking thing about his writing is how many more references he makes to his happiness in God and others: he uses happy and happiness 60 times, delight 50 times, pleased and pleasure 177 times, joy and enjoy 350 times. He also uses blessed more than 200 times, often meaning “happy.”

Though his life was not typical, like all of us Brainerd experienced both sorrow and joy: “This morning the Lord was pleased to lift up the light of His countenance upon me. . . . Though I have been so depressed of late, respecting my hopes of future serviceableness in the cause of God, yet now I had much encouragement. . . . I felt exceedingly calm and quite resigned to God, respecting my future employment. . . . My faith lifted me above the world and removed all those mountains that I could not look over.”[i]

On his twenty-fourth birthday, racked with pain, Brainerd wrote, “This has been a sweet, a happy day to me.”[ii]

Honesty about his illness and periodic depression demonstrated Brainerd’s sincerity about his happiness. He wrote, “It appeared such a happiness to have God for my portion that I had rather be any other creature in this lower creation than not come to the enjoyment of God. . . . Lord, endear Thyself more to me!”[iii]

Brainerd spoke of “the absolute dependence of a creature upon God the Creator, for every crumb of happiness it enjoys.”[iv] He said of God, “He is the supreme good, the only soul-satisfying happiness.”[v]

One painful day he “found some relief in prayer; loved, as a feeble, afflicted, despised creature, to cast myself on a God of infinite grace and goodness, hoping for no happiness but from Him. . . . Toward night, I felt my soul rejoice that God is unchangeably happy and glorious.”[vi]

A terribly sick young man was able to rejoice that God is, always has been, and always will be happy! How many Christians today, in times of suffering, take such solace in the happiness of God?

Brainerd made the daily choice to meditate on God, see him all around, listen to his Word and God’s people, and behold him in his creation. He looked for happiness in God. He wrote, “If you hope for happiness in the world, hope for it from God, and not from the world.”[vii]

If a young man without modern medicine and dying of an excruciating disease could make choices that brought him happiness in Christ, surely we can too.

Excerpted from 60 Days of Happiness: Discover God's Promise of Relentless Joy.

[i] David Brainerd, as quoted in Jonathan Edwards, Life and Diary of David Brainerd (New York: Cosimo, 2007), 78–79.

[ii] Ibid., 81.

[iii] Ibid., 90.

[iv] Ibid., 112.

[v] Ibid., 151.

[vi] Ibid., 153, 183.

[vii] David Brainerd, as quoted in Jonathan Edwards, The Life of the Rev. David Brainerd, Missionary to the Indians (Edinburgh: H. S. Baynes, 1824), 302.

Communion with God Through Prayer

This blog is excerpted from a five-day devotional I wrote for Sports Spectrum, available on YouVersion. Each day’s entry features video reflections from NFL stars, including Drew Brees, Ryan Tannehill, Matthew Slater, Matt Forte, and Demario Davis. They discuss topics such as the daily refreshment of God’s Word, prayer, salvation, baptism and the courage to tell others about Jesus. Below each video, I share some additional reflections.

Here are some insightful reflections from NFL quarterback Ryan Tannehill about prayer and our relationship with God.

Randy again:

I confess to struggling to maintain long periods of prayer. However, over the years God has graciously taught me about praying and depending on Him continuously. As I hear requests, I often pray immediately so I don’t forget. My wife Nanci and I pray together, sometimes on the phone, as we hear about needs throughout the day.

I ask God to give me divine appointments wherever I go, and prompt me to see needs I can meet. I want prayer to be an adventure in which I enter God’s presence and become absorbed with Him. Just as we need to hear from God in His Word, we need to talk to Him, so communication is two-way.

Ryan put it so well: “Prayer plays a crucial role in any relationship with God…it’s your life-line. Once you have that tight feeling with God, you don’t want to feel anything else. He’s such a fulfilling God, a loving, giving Father that we don’t deserve…when you get a taste of it, you just want more!”

Sometimes when I’m praying, I pull out a chair and imagine Jesus sitting in it (He not only sat in chairs; He also built them!). Then I talk to Him. I’m not pretending Jesus is with me; I’m believing His promise that He really is with me. Contemplate the reality of your Father in Heaven, Christ your Savior, and the Holy Spirit your Comforter and Teacher, and you’ll find rich meaning in the phrase “spending time with God.”

No matter how busy I was, my kids were always welcome to come and talk with me. It’s the same with my grandkids today. A king’s advisers hesitate to interrupt him, but his children have unlimited access. Since our King is all-knowing, He can hear each prayer as if you or I were the only ones praying in the whole world. “Whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help” (Hebrews 4:16, CEV).

The more conscious our dependence on Christ, the more we’ll “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18). We can’t spend time with many of the world’s famous people, and I think they’d disappoint us if we could. We can, however, spend time with God daily. He loves us so much that He gives us constant access and always listens with genuine interest. To “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) isn’t an impossible chore but an ongoing delight.

Photo by Olivia Snow on Unsplash

He Suffers With Us

Safely Home, the painting by Ron DiCianni pictured here, has special meaning to me. I wrote a novel, also called Safely Home, set in China and telling the story of Li Quan, a modern day martyr. It was inspired by this beautiful work of art. To this day Ron’s painting hangs on my office wall.

The painting portrays a man on his knees. His clothing is worn and tattered. He’s just walked down a long strip of blood-red entry carpet that has led him to the foot of a throne.

The man’s arms dangle at his sides. He appears both exhausted and relieved, overcome with emotion. His head rests on the chest of one kneeling down to him, holding him tight in a loving embrace. The one hugging him has stepped off the throne. It’s the King, the Creator of the universe, who is also, incredibly, a man. King Jesus.

A few feet to the right, open shackles lie on the palace floor. The man had been a prisoner on earth. He’d suffered terribly at the hands of those who despised him because they despised his King. In his right hand, hanging limply to the ground, is a beautiful gold crown.

This man is a martyr. He has lived out Revelation 2:10—he’s been faithful unto death, and his Lord has given him the crown of life. He’s one of those who “did not love their lives to the point of death” (Revelation 12:11, CSB). He endured great suffering but is now safely home.

Several things strike me in this painting. One is Heaven’s view of earth below. Another is the look on the man’s face, at long last freed from pain and persecution.

But what really strikes me is the look on the face of King Jesus. He, too, is full of emotion. His face radiates compassion and approval. His nail-scarred hands, drawing the martyr to Himself, are silent testimony to the extent of His love.

The evil that pursued this man in the Shadowlands can no longer touch him. He’s forever beyond its reach, for between evil and him stands the Lord of the cosmos, the one who embraces him and says, “Never again will I let you suffer.”

Many people imagine that though God once suffered on the cross, He’s remote and distant from suffering. Not so! Christ made it clear that to persecute His people is to persecute Him. Whatever others do to His people, He regards as being done to Him (see Matthew 25:40–45).

After His ascension, Jesus said to the Pharisee on the Damascus road, “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4). Persecution, of course, entails suffering. One verse later Christ says to Saul, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Note the present tense—although Christ’s atoning sacrifice occurred in the past, He continues to identify with and participate in His people’s suffering until He returns to end all suffering.

Thousands of people around the world die for Christ each year, and God knows the story of each one. He knows exactly how many martyrs there will be, and He is prepared to return and set up His Kingdom when the final martyr dies (Revelation 6:11).

Though you and I may never die for following Christ, it is certain that each of us will face suffering and heartaches in this life. But we are not alone. Jesus suffered for us, He suffers with us, and our brothers and sisters throughout the world suffer alongside us as we follow our suffering Savior.

Christ calls upon us to trust that He’ll work all suffering in our lives for good (Romans 8:28). And He promises that one day on the New Earth, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes…neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain” (Revelation 21:4).

When that day comes, and we are at last safely home, we will gaze with wonder at the scars of King Jesus that made our suffering His so that His eternal joy and comfort could become ours.

This Sunday, November 5, is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, a global day of intercession for persecuted Christians worldwide. It’s a day to remember and pray for the hundreds of men, women, and children killed for Christ each day, ignored by the world but watched by the eyes of heaven—those of whom the world is not worthy. Open Doors USA offers free resources, including a video, that individuals and churches can use in observance. 

If you’d like to give financially to help persecuted Christians, see The International Justice Mission (IJM), Open Doors USA, and Voice of the Martyrs. (And see IJM’s great gift catalog, for worthy gifts to give in honor of your loved ones this Christmas season.)

You can also give through EPM by donating to our persecuted church fund, and 100% of the donations will be passed on to worthy ministries.

A Message of Appreciation to Joni Eareckson Tada, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of Her Life-Altering Accident

In 1967, 50 years ago, a diving accident left Joni Eareckson Tada a quadriplegic at age seventeen. Years later Joni wrote about what she was thinking:

I desperately wanted to kill myself....

Why on earth should a person be forced to live out such a dreary existence? How I prayed for some accident or miracle to kill me. The mental and spiritual anguish was as unbearable as the physical torture.

But... there was no way for me to commit suicide. This frustration was also unbearable. I was despondent, but I was also angry because of my helplessness. How I wished for strength and control enough in my fingers to do something, anything, to end my life.[1]

Who at that time would have said, “God is clearly working out His gracious purpose in this young woman’s life”? Yet thirty-five years later, Joni, still a quadriplegic, wrote what may seem counterintuitive, but one day we will see through different eyes:

God cares most—not about making us comfortable—but about teaching us to hate our sins, grow up spiritually, and love him. To do this, he gives us salvation’s benefits only gradually, sometimes painfully gradually. In other words, he lets us continue to feel much of sin’s sting while we’re headed for heaven...where at last, every sorrow we taste will one day prove to be the best possible thing that could have happened.[2]

My wife Nanci and I deeply love Joni. With her warm-hearted exaltation of God’s sovereign love, she has profoundly impacted our own lives and ministry, along with countless others. She’s a living example of the verse she quotes in the introduction to her wonderful Beyond Suffering Bible: “My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees” (Psalm 119:71).

I love to look at the books on people’s shelves. One night when Nanci and I were at Ken and Joni Tada’s home, I looked through the bookshelves, lined with classic works by great theologians and preachers, including many of my favorites, such as Charles Spurgeon. The books Joni reads are rich and deep, centered in God’s Word, food for her soul. No wonder both the life she lives and the books she writes share those same qualities.

Recently I recorded a video message to be shown at an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of Joni’s accident. As I mention in the video, the fact that Joni would be celebrating something so difficult, which a sovereign and loving God has used so greatly, shows the kind of character and Christ-honoring perspective she has.

I highly recommend reading through Joni’s personal reflections on the anniversary of her diving accident (as well as this interview with her from Christianity Today). She writes:

What a difference time makes—as well as prayer, heaven-minded friends, and deep study of God’s Word. All combined, I began to see there are more important things in life than walking and having use of your hands. It sounds incredible, but I really would rather be in this wheelchair knowing Jesus as I do than be on my feet without him. 

Later she writes this:

I don’t think you could find a happier follower of Jesus than me. The more my paralysis helps me get disentangled from sin, the more joy bubbles up from within. I can’t tell you how many nights I have lain in bed, unable to move, stiff with pain, and have whispered near tears, “Oh, Jesus, I’m so happy. So very happy in you!” God shares his joy on his terms only, and those terms call for us to suffer, in some measure, like his Son. I’ll gladly take it.

Thank you, Lord, for our dear sister Joni. With people like her as our examples, we celebrate the truth that you are sovereign and loving and purposeful. We celebrate that in the coming resurrection, in our new bodies and living on your New Earth, we will no longer suffer but will forever experience joyful pleasures at your right hand. Thank you for purchasing by your deliberate suffering all of our joys, both here and in the world to come.

[1] Joni Eareckson Tada, Joni (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1976), 74–75.

[2] Joni Eareckson Tada and Steven Estes, When God Weeps (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1997), 56.

The Daily Refreshment of God’s Word

Today’s blog is excerpted from a five-day devotional I wrote for Sports Spectrum, available on YouVersion. Each day’s entry features video reflections from NFL stars, including Drew Brees, Ryan Tannehill, Matthew Slater, Matt Forte, and Demario Davis. They discuss topics such as the daily refreshment of God’s Word, prayer, salvation, baptism and the courage to tell others about Jesus. Below each video, I share some additional reflections.

Here’s NFL quarterback Drew Brees on God’s Word being the roadmap for the Christian life.

Randy again:

Occasionally I think the directions from my phone’s maps app are wrong. “I should turn here, not there.” I’ve learned the hard way to trust the GPS knows better. And while the app is occasionally wrong (though not as often as I am), God is never wrong.

I grew up in an unbelieving home, but at age 15 I came to faith in Jesus while reading the Bible. As a new believer, I couldn’t get enough of God’s Word. I learned the Bible doesn’t contradict itself, but it does contradict me—and I desperately need those mid-course corrections!

The Bible was the North Star to which I fixed my life’s compass. Forty-five years later, that’s truer than ever. As Drew said, God’s Word is a road map, but I also think of it as a corrective lens. Any day I don’t contemplate Scripture, my focus blurs, my purpose gets fuzzy, and my happiness diminishes. I become impatient, critical, self-centered, and unhappy because I lack God’s fresh infusion of grace and perspective.

We may check social media, texts, and emails several times a day, but think nothing of going multiple days without reading Scripture. No wonder we’re spiritually starved and lack the discernment to know what’s true and false.

If you already study God’s Word regularly, stick with it. If not, ask yourself: do I just sit in my recliner and hope I’ll be in shape for the next game? Then don’t procrastinate spending daily time in God’s Word. Drop everything—including this devotional. Open your Bible and meditate on it. Follow a reading plan if it helps. Not next week, not tomorrow—now.

However, don’t just do it out of guilt; do it to find great joy in Jesus! David said of God’s words, “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10).  

Scripture’s depths are endless. Day after day, year after year, we discover more treasures, ones we somehow missed before. Through God’s Word, the Holy Spirit transforms our hearts and minds.

In a spirit of gratitude, read and reflect on these words: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NLT).

Photo: Pixabay

Why the Coming Resurrection Frees You from the Bucket List Mentality

The concept of a bucket list, a list of things you want to do before you “kick the bucket,” is entirely understandable for people who believe that this is the only life they will ever live, and that after they die they will no longer exist. It’s even understandable for those who believe that after they die, they will be a ghost forever and won’t have actual bodies. But for us as Christians who believe in the resurrection and the coming New Earth, we should be the last people to think in terms of a bucket list.

Now, there’s a distinction between making a bucket list and having some things you would like to do and experience with your family if God gives you the opportunity. That is fine, of course. But if it is the bucket list in the sense of, “I’m going to kick the bucket, and this is my only opportunity as a physical person to do things in a physical world”—that’s utterly and completely unbiblical, contradicted start to finish by 1 Corinthians 15 and every passage that speaks of the resurrection and eternal life.

Here’s a clip from the Linger Conference earlier this year, where I share why if you have a biblical view of Heaven, you don’t need a bucket list.

Read more about how the coming resurrection should impact our thinking, and about my and Nanci’s post-bucket lists, in the article Why the Reality of the Resurrection Means You Don’t Need a “Bucket List.”

Photo by Egzon Bytyqi on Unsplash

Should Christians Avoid Business or Personal Connections with the Marijuana Industry?

Recently, a strong Christian friend, who owns a business here in my home state of Oregon, asked my opinion about his doing work that would either directly or indirectly facilitate the legal growing and selling of marijuana. I’m sharing my edited response to him because this is a subject that is relevant for many, and will only become increasingly so as more states legalize marijuana.

My personal counsel to him was to stay away from any business or personal connection with the marijuana business, whether direct or indirect. It’s important to clarify that I believe medical marijuana is sometimes beneficial, and I have counseled believers in serious pain to try it when other alternatives have not worked for them. The stigma of marijuana use shouldn’t prevent someone from a treatment they would otherwise have embraced.

Nearly all medications that relieve pain or adverse symptoms can reduce awareness and are potentially addictive, but can still be used wisely and moderately. (This 2011 article is somewhat dated, but contains some good insights on Christian views of medical marijuana, especially the final portion from Ed Welch.) Having said this, medical marijuana is not what this blog is about.

While some evangelicals see recreational cannabis as a gray area, I think its dangers to people, especially to young people, are very significant. People debate it, like they do everything, but I’m convinced it is harmful in and of itself, and that it can be and often is a gateway drug. (Just ask those whose loved ones have been drawn into hard drugs, and often you’ll find they started with smoking pot.)

The American College of Pediatricians reports:

Marijuana is addictive. While approximately 9 percent of users overall become addicted to marijuana, about 17 percent of those who start during adolescence and 25-50 percent of daily users become addicted. Thus, many of the nearly 6.5 percent of high school seniors who report smoking marijuana daily or almost daily are well on their way to addiction, if not already addicted. In fact, between 70-72% of 12-17 year olds who enter drug treatment programs, do so primarily because of marijuana addiction.

The fact that recreational use is legal now in Oregon doesn’t mean that much in a state that legalized abortion four years before Roe v. Wade and was also literally the first principality in human history to legalize physician assisted suicide (it wasn’t even legal in the Netherlands then). As if this weren’t enough for Oregon to be famous for, last month, Governor Kate Brown signed House Bill 3391, making Oregon the only state in the U.S. without any laws that restrict or limit abortion, and one of only a handful of states that chooses to use taxpayer money to pay for elective abortions. 

Of course, there are Christians who defend it and say it’s no different than alcohol. But while it’s possible to drink alcohol in moderation, i.e. to avoid intoxication, it’s virtually impossible with marijuana. I have read what users say, who claim four puffs is all it takes for intoxication, and some say one to three puffs will get them high. And who takes just a puff or two? Do people really take just one puff then stomp it out? That would be like getting intoxicated on one or two sips of wine, then pouring the rest down the drain. That’s just not going to happen.

Would I want my grandsons to try marijuana? No. Why? Because I love them and don’t want them to go where it leads. Even if it doesn’t become the gateway to other drugs (which it very well may), it would mess with their minds and bodies, dull their consciences, and impair their walk with Jesus and testimony for Him.

This is why I would stay away from furthering the marijuana business, as well as for the reason of seeking to be a good example to both believers and unbelievers. If someone asked you, “What businesses do you service?”, would you be embarrassed to say one of them is a cannabis retailer or a marijuana grower? That’s probably a clear sign you shouldn’t do it.

For business people who provide goods and services, I would ask these questions if you are considering doing business with legal cannabis retailers:

Would I be empowering or enabling their business, and thereby effectively participating in their negative influences?
Would I be legitimizing or endorsing the use of pot?
What message would I send to others, young or old, by my involvement?
Would I be, or appear to be, compromising convictions for the sake of money?
Would Jesus bless my work?
How would this fit with 1 Corinthians 10:31? “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”

Here are some articles I found informative and helpful:

The Legalization of Marijuana: What Christians Should Know
A Portland pastor who used to smoke marijuana has some helpful thoughts: Marijuana to the Glory of God
This article is mostly about recreational marijuana but touches on its medical use: Medical marijuana - what does the Bible say?
Don’t Let Your Mind Go to Pot
This longer article by a believer who’s a former pothead has some good insights: What Should Christians Do as America Goes to Pot?
Finally, Sam Storms, has some helpful thoughts: 10 Things You Should Know about Marijuana and the Christian

Photo: Pixabay

God’s Revealed Truth Is Something We Discover, Not Invent

I know some people, including a few old friends, who say they are still following Jesus, but are walking away from God’s truth. They’re no longer believing that people need to trust Jesus to be saved and rescued from Hell (some don’t believe in Hell at all), and are no longer affirming that the Bible is entirely true or that Jesus is the only way to Heaven (John 14:6). They’re following the latest drifts of our culture and trying to be popular on social and moral issues, rather than holding on to God’s revealed truth in Scripture. 

My heart is heavy for them. It’s easy for all of us to distance ourselves from some truths, especially when it means we can fly underneath the culture's radar and avoid becoming a target. 

Jesus said some strong words: “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33). Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16-17).

Maybe you’ve seen this going on around you, or sometimes in your own heart. Here are some related thoughts from my book Truth. I hope maybe there’s something you’ll find helpful or encouraging or that the Lord might use in your life:

In The Fellowship of the Ring, Bilbo Baggins says to his young cousin, “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

To “keep our feet” in this world requires putting our weight upon what is true.

Theologian J. Gresham Machen wisely said, “Nothing in the world can take the place of truth.” Yet we are constantly bombarded with lies that attempt to do just that.

Truth is not something we invent, only something we can discover. God reveals it to us in His Word.

Truth is rooted in the eternal, all-powerful, and unchangeable God. Therefore His promises cannot fail: “Every word of God proves true” (Proverbs 30:5 ESV).

The Holy Spirit leads people into truth (John 16:13). We’re commanded to know the truth (1 Timothy 4:3), handle the truth accurately (2 Timothy 2:15), and avoid doctrinal untruths (2 Timothy 2:18). Christ’s disciples do the truth (John 3:21) and abide in the truth (John 8:31-32). The “belt of truth” holds together our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:14). God “does not lie” (Titus 1:2). He is “the God of truth” (Isaiah 65:16 ESV).

“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19).

Christ, as the Living Word of God, is inseparable from truth. He not only is the Truth (John 14:6), he is the source of all truth, the embodiment of truth, and the ultimate reference point, in concert with His revealed Word, for evaluating all truth-claims.

Those in countries where democratic ideals are embraced might have the illusion they should have a voice when it comes to truth. But the universe is not a democracy.

Truth is not a ballot measure. God does not consult us to determine right and wrong. It’s we who must go to revealed Scripture to find out what we should believe. Our culture appeals to whatever now is; God appeals to his intentions and design, to what ought to be.

When we wonder what’s right, we’re to turn to God’s Word: “For the word of the Lord is right and true” (Psalm 33:4). As Psalm 119 depicts in every one of its 176 verses, God’s truth is at the heart of the spiritual life.

Christ the Truth-Teller v. Satan the Liar

Unlike God, the devil promises without delivering. He’s always denying, revising, or spinning the truth, rearranging the price tags. Jesus called him a “liar, and the father of lies.” He said, “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language” (John 8:44).

Everyone speaks their native language fluently. Have you ever known people who lie so convincingly that it’s difficult not to believe them? Satan’s the best liar in the universe. “Go ahead, you deserve it. This won’t hurt anybody.” He’s articulate, smooth, and persuasive. He murders people, and he lies to cover his murders.

When we speak the truth, we speak Christ’s language. When we speak lies, we speak Satan’s language. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice” (John 10:27). He says, “But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will flee from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice” (v. 5).

We’re to become familiar enough with God’s Word that we learn the sound of our Master’s voice, and can tell the difference between his voice and the devil’s impersonation.

Examining Truth-claims

In an age of endless Internet gossip, tabloids, false advertising, lying politicians, and “made up reality,” how important is the truth? Reformer Ulrich Zwingli wrote, “The business of the truth is not to be deserted, even to the sacrifice of our lives.”

Luke makes a profound observation: “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).

They searched the Scriptures—probing, not just skimming. The Bible should be primary, all other truth-claims secondary. We need a worldview informed and corrected by God’s Word.

They searched the Scriptures daily. (People died to get the Bible into our hands; the least we can do is read it!) Unless we establish a strong biblical grid, a scriptural filter with which to screen and interpret the world, we’ll end up thinking like the world. We desperately need not only Bible teaching, but group Bible study that explores the text and applies it to daily life.

The test of whether Scripture is my authority is this: Do I allow God’s Word to convince me to believe what I don’t like, what’s contrary to what I’ve always believed or wanted to believe? Do I believe it even when it offends me? Am I willing to bow my knees before God and accept his truth even when my life would be easier, for the moment, if I didn’t?

“Truth is truth even if no one believes it; a lie is a lie even if everyone believes it.”

Photo by Daniil Silantev on Unsplash

Under Grace, Not Sin

God’s grace is His giving to us, at great cost, the goodness we don’t deserve.

Sin always has been and always will be irrational. It seems to make sense for the moment, but it lacks all perspective and denies reality so that truth eventually catches up with it. Scripture tells us, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable” (Hebrews 4:13, NLT). God warns us that “you may be sure that your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23, NIV).

While the Christian life is certainly fraught with temptations and struggles, Christ’s work on our behalf is sufficient to give us victory over sin so it does not master us. We are not “under sin” or “under law,” but we are still under something, something unbelievably wonderful: grace. “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14, NASB).

If we believe that “God is for us” (Romans 8:31), then even when Scripture exposes our sin, we still trust Him, because He desires to meet and defang our sin with His forgiving and empowering grace.

Perspectives from God’s Word

“See if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:24).

“I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5).

Perspectives from God’s People

“Sin is the mouthiest of backseat drivers, the one who, as often as we allow it, hurtles over our shoulder, elbows us in the face, and grabs for the steering wheel.” —Jonathan Parnell

“Sin is treason, not sinus trouble. God forgives sin; he does not heal sin.” —Rosaria Butterfield

Today’s blog is excerpted from the new expanded edition of Randy’s book Seeing the Unseen. This 90-day devotional equips and inspires readers to live with a right view of eternity that can shape the way they think and live today. Each brief devotion includes Bible verses and inspirational quotes, along with Alcorn's uniquely powerful insights, to help readers better understand the eternal realities that should guide a Christian’s daily life.

Photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash

How Should We Approach Debt?

One hundred years ago, debt was regarded as an earned privilege for the few. Now it’s seen as an inalienable right for all. Borrowing has become an integral part of our lives.

Why do I receive mailings telling me that $5,000 or $10,000 or $20,000 has already been approved for me and to receive it I need only send in the enclosed agreement? Why do banks and credit companies beg me to borrow from them, listing dozens of ways I could use the money? Why are people so anxious to lend me money? The answer is simple—they want me to borrow because they will make a lot of money from my debt.

Several years ago, I put together Scripture related to debt, as well as some self-examining questions to ask ourselves: Debt: Who You Gonna Serve?

You might also like to check out these past blog posts on Nine Consequences of Debt and 11 Questions to Ask Ourselves About Debt.

I’ve received questions over the years about specific types of debt, including How Should Christians Approach Home Mortgage Debt?, What About Student Debt?, and Should We Have and Use Credit Cards?

Those working to get out of debt often have questions about how to balance the goal of being-debt free with faithfulness in giving. In this 3-minute video, I discuss the question of “Should I Tithe or Pay off My Debt First?” (See also Paying Down Debt and Giving.)

For more on stewardship and debt, see Randy’s books The Treasure Principle, Managing God’s Money, and Money, Possessions, and Eternity.

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