Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 130

Are There Errors in Scripture in the Small Details, Like Measurements of Time and Distance?

The issue of the Bible’s nature and its inerrancy will inevitably affect how we approach the reading and study of Scripture, as well as our personal time with God and how we listen to sermons in our churches. It will largely determine whether we trust God’s Word or trust ourselves or the current drift of our culture. It will determine whether we sit under Scripture as the decree issued by our divine judge, or whether we set up ourselves as judges over Scripture.

Many apparent contradictions in Scripture are resolved through a closer look. I recently responded to a question related to the differing number of days that the gospel writers use to refer to the same event. I share it as an example of how details in biblical passages are often claimed to be errors, but upon careful examination, we can see they are not.  (For those who are interested, I’ve written a booklet-length article on the subject of inerrancy and why it matters.)

Here are two parallel passages from the Gospels:

“And he said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.’ And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them…” (Mark 9:1-2)

“‘But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.’ Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.” (Luke 9:27-28)

So was it six days, or eight? Did one of the gospel writers record it wrong? Does it even matter?

Another parallel passage, Matthew 17:1, says the same thing as Mark 9:2, “And AFTER [Greek word meta] six days…” So it appears Luke 9:28 is the problem. Or is it?

In fact, Luke 9:28 says something else about the eight days that the other Gospels do not say about the six days: “ABOUT [Greek word hosei] eight days after [meta] these teachings he took with him Peter, John and James…”

To confirm that “about” is the best rendering here (and not my or anyone else’s attempt to get around the Matthew and Mark passages), note that the Greek experts of nearly every translation render hosei the same way, as “about.”

Here’s the definition of hosei in one of my favorite lexicons, J. P. Louw and E. A. Nida’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains:

78.42 ὡςi; ὡσείb: a degree which approximates a point on a scale of extent, either above or below—‘about, approximately.’

ὡςi: ἀριθμὸς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ὡς χιλιάδες πέντε ‘the number of men came to about five thousand’ Ac 4:4.

ὡσείb: ὡσεὶ λίθου βολήν ‘about a stone’s throw’ Lk 22:41.

So in Acts 4:4 the number of men came to “about” [hosei] 5,000. If some other biblical passage said the precise number was 4,793, or 5,235, would this mean either that passage or Acts 4:4 would be in error? No. The actual meaning of hosei requires that the number given be only an approximation, which inherently involves a certain imprecision.

In fact, if Luke knew there to be exactly 5,000 men he would NOT have said “hosei [about] 5,000. That this is God’s Word does not mean the all-knowing God was guessing, but that He was superintending the human writer as man used his own vocabulary and gave an approximation in order to avoid inaccuracy. This is fully in keeping with “All Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16) and “prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).)

Similarly, later when Jesus was with the disciples in Gethsemane, Luke used this same word hosei that he used in 9:21. So here we see what he means by using this word: “He withdrew about [hosei] a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed” (Luke 22:41).

How far is a stone’s throw? Well, it depends on the size of the stone, the strength of the person throwing it, and how hard they are choosing to throw. Is it 30 feet? 60? 90? The very word hosei that Luke deliberately chose dictates that it’s an approximation. When a writer acknowledges an imprecision, it is decidedly not an error unless reality was nowhere near the approximation (two feet would not qualify as a stone’s throw, and neither would 100 yards).

So I can write with complete accuracy, “Ronald Reagan was born about 100 years ago,” even though he was born over 106 years ago. The “about” makes my statement accurate.

Another form of hosei is used in Matthew 28:4 where the angel rolled back the stone, “And for fear of him the guards trembled and became LIKE [hos] dead men.”

Note that it is not saying they were dead men, but they appeared to be, or perhaps nearly became dead. Again, though this time it’s not about a number or a distance, it’s still an approximation.

Going back to our original question, while Luke 9:28 is approximate, Matthew 17:1 and Mark 9:2 do not use hosei and are therefore more precise. Still, meta (“after”) six days—as opposed to “on the sixth day” or “before the sixth day was over”—seems to leave room for a seventh day to have begun.

Is “about eight days” close in proximity to “after six days” (the wording of which suggests the seventh day has begun or is imminent)? Yes, which means Luke was not in error.

However, as to why Luke didn’t say “after six days” or “on the seventh day” (which is what comes after six days), one possibility is the common practice of counting parts of a day as a day. He, or the witnesses he interviewed, could have counted the remains of the day Jesus spoke (v. 27) as one day, then added the six full days Matthew and Mark referred to, and also counted the first part of the day they ascended the mountain.

In any case, likely realizing that some readers might or might not consider a portion of a day to be a day, he emphatically says he is giving only an approximation: “about eight days.”

Nanci and I have often been on the same trip and later given a different number of days we were gone. We could count a two week vacation as 14 days, but given our late arrival on day one and our early departure on day 14, it’s actually closer to 13 days, and if you mean full days, it was really only 12. And in fact, if at the end of day 14 we arrive home after midnight, which we sometimes do, we are now into day 15. Depending on how we look at it we could say we were gone 12 (full), 13 (counting two partial days as one), 14 (counting two partial days as two) or even 15 days (since we were at least a few hours into day 15). 

We could accurately say we were gone “about” any of those numbers. While someone else (even a gospel writer) might just say either 13 or 14, as long as we say “about” we are making clear it’s an approximation, and therefore we are not in error. Now if we said we’d been gone “about 10 days” or “about 18 days,” that would be a problem.

Knowing the lexical meaning and contextual usage of the Greek word hosei as an acknowledged approximation—as opposed to a claim to precision—coupled with the different ways people numbered days (sometimes counting partial days in the tally of days, sometimes not), I see no problem whatsoever with reconciling these passages. I don’t believe Matthew and Mark were in error, or that Luke was in error. I believe that what each said, given the exact words they used, was true.

In his excellent book Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem writes this about inerrancy and measurements in Scripture:

Whether I say, “I don't live far from my office,” or “I live a little over a mile from my office,” or “I live one mile from my office,” or “I live 1.287 miles from my office,” all four statements are still approximations to some degree of accuracy. Further degrees or accuracy might be obtained with more precise scientific instruments, but these would still be approximations to a certain degree of accuracy. Thus, measurements also, in order to be true, should conform to the degree of precision implied by the speaker and expected by the hearers in the original context. It should not trouble us, then, to affirm both that the Bible is absolutely truthful in everything it says and that it uses ordinary language to describe natural phenomena or to give approximations or round numbers when those are appropriate in the context.

We should also note that language can make vague or imprecise statements without being untrue. “I live a little over a mile from my office” is a vague and imprecise statement, but it is also inerrant: there is nothing untrue about it. It does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact. In a similar way, biblical statements can be imprecise and still be totally true. Inerrancy has to do with truthfulness, not with the degree of precision with which events are reported.

Photo: Unsplash

What Eternity-Impacting Ministries Is God Calling You to Support With Your Money, Time, Talents, and Abilities?

Ever heard of a “gospel patron”? Most probably haven’t, yet it’s a revolutionary concept that has the potential to encourage God’s people to pursue greater, eternity-impacting generosity.

John Rinehart is the author of a book I highly recommend: Gospel Patrons: People Whose Generosity Changed the World. In his article “We Need Gospel Patrons,” John writes,

The word patron occurs only once in the Bible, in Romans 16:2. It’s a reference to Phoebe, the apostle Paul’s patron. But throughout Scripture there are many examples of gospel patrons, although they are generally found in the verses we read right over on our way to the “good stuff.”

For example, how did Jesus and his disciples fund their three years of preaching and ministry tours after they left behind their fishing nets and carpenter’s belts for public ministry? They did not have a miracle meal of fishes and loaves for every lunch. Luke 8:1-3 records that three well-connected and generous women—Mary, Joanna, and Susanna—came alongside Jesus’ ministry and generously provided for him.

…There are more stories that could be told from history, from Scripture, and even from today. But there are also many stories still to be written by God. As much as we need to raise up and equip the next generation of gospel preachers and missionaries, we also need to call forth those who will partner with them, the next generation of gospel patrons. 

John is also the founder of the nonprofit organization Gospel Patrons. One of their core beliefs is that “When God raises up people to proclaim the gospel, He also raises up patrons to support them. They have different gifts and different roles, but are partners in the same mission.”

I love this video they produced, which talks about my friend Bryce Gray, who had a vision for an after-school reading program by partnering with his pastor, Doug Kempton, to make it happen. The resulting program, SOAR Tutoring, offers one-on-one reading tutoring to students on Detroit's east side and has had wonderful results. 

In the years I’ve known Bryce, I’ve been touched by his kind and humble spirit. I love how he took on this project as a gospel patron, funding a great ministry with great people doing the work. I think you’ll be touched, and inspired, too. Maybe it will help give you a vision for finding something similar to get involved in. (Either before or after watching this video, please read my thoughts below about the question of who “the rich people” are.)

Some important thoughts on wealth and giving: Sometimes when I talk about giving to great causes, such as missions and Bible translation and helping the poor and prolife efforts, people respond, “That would be great if I were rich, but I’m not!”

You and I may not think of ourselves as wealthy, but if you are even a lower middle-class American, you are among the wealthiest people in the world. Let me prove this. As of 2017, the median household income in the U.S. is $56,500. About half of all Americans fall below this household income amount, and the other half fall above it.

Enter $56,500 at www.globalrichlist.com, and you’ll see that anyone with this household income falls in the top 1% of the wealthiest people in the world. In fact, it puts them in the top 0.22%, meaning they are wealthier than 99.78% of those alive on this planet. If you make only half the U.S. median income, $28,500, you’re still in the top 1.44% of richest people in the world.

This means that the great majority of us, even though we may not think of ourselves are rich, really are. This should give us a new perspective when Paul says to Timothy:

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19, NIV)

Paul not only makes clear it’s God’s will for us to be open-handed givers, to be generous and rich in good deeds, but also tells us wonderful news of the eternal reward God will graciously grant givers. This passage also tells us that right here and now, through giving, we will “take hold of the life that is truly life.” Materialism, the money-centered life, is not the true “good life.” The good life, the true life, is the life of generosity.  So not only if we’re obedient, but also if we’re smart, we should always be looking for opportunities to generously invest in God’s kingdom.

On an episode of her radio program, which featured a message from John Rinehart, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth asks these great questions, well worth meditating on:

What assets do you have that could be used to support others on the front lines of ministry? (That might be money, but it could also be time, talents, connections, abilities.) 
How could you be investing in kingdom work? 
Have you devoted whatever you have to the Lord, to be used however He wants? After all, it all comes from Him and it all belongs to Him.
What do you see the Lord doing in this world that has been particularly encouraging to you, and how might He want you to be a part of that work in some tangible way? 

If you’re looking for ways to invest in God’s kingdom, but aren’t sure where to start, one idea is to give to EPM’s special funds. Those wishing to support Christian work, but who are unable to personally investigate which ministries are most worthy and strategic, can give online to those funds knowing 100% of all contributions will go to carefully chosen ministries:

Disabilities Fund: Assisting those who are disabled through worthy disability ministries.

Family Fund: Promoting the family's cause and helping specific needy families through established reputable organizations.

Legal Defense Fund: Assisting those in legal difficulty because they are upholding biblical principles.

Missions Fund: Evangelizing and discipling the world's unreached.

Persecuted Church Fund: Aiding Christians around the world who are suffering for their faith.

Pro-Life Fund: Intervening, with truth and compassion, for unborn babies and their mothers.

Racial Unity Fund: Fostering interracial understanding, partnership, and unity in the Body of Christ.

Relief Fund: Helping in Christ's name the world's unfed, unclothed, unsheltered, and genuinely poor.

Salt and Light Fund: Promoting truth, moral sanity, justice, and compassion in a post-Christian society.

Translation Fund: Support EPM’s efforts to translate more of our resources into other languages.

Photo: Unsplash

Will All People Be Equal in Heaven?

All people are equal in worth, but they differ in gifting and performance. God is the creator of diversity, and diversity means “inequality” of gifting (1 Corinthians 12:14-20). Because God promises to reward people differently according to their differing levels of faithfulness in this life, we should not expect equality of possessions and positions in Heaven.

If everyone were equal in Heaven in all respects, it would mean we’d have no role models, no heroes, no one to look up to, no thrill of hearing wise words from someone we deeply admire. I’m not equal to Hudson Taylor, Susanna Wesley, George Mueller, or C. S. Lewis. I want to follow their examples, but I don’t need to be their equals.

There’s no reason to believe we’ll all be equally tall or strong or that we’ll have the same gifts, talents, or intellectual capacities. If we all had the same gifts, they wouldn’t be special. If you can do some things better than I can, and I than you, then we’ll have something to offer each other.

We live in a culture that worships equality, but we err when we reduce equality to sameness. It’s illogical to assume everyone in Heaven will be able to compose a concerto with equal skill or be able to throw a ball as far as everyone else. In a perfect world, Adam was bigger and stronger than Eve, and Eve had beauty, sensitivities, and abilities Adam didn’t. In other words, diversity—not conformity—characterizes a perfect world.

Scripture is clear that we’ll have different rewards and positions in Heaven, according to our faithful service in this life. Since everyone will be happy, what could be the nature of these differences? Jonathan Edwards said, “The saints are like so many vessels of different sizes cast into a sea of happiness where every vessel is full: this is eternal life, for a man ever to have his capacity filled. But after all ’tis left to God’s sovereign pleasure, ’tis his prerogative to determine the largeness of the vessel.”[i]

A pint jar and a quart jar can both be full, but the larger jar contains more. Likewise, in Heaven all of us will be full of joy, but some may have a larger capacity for joy, having been stretched through their dependence on God in this life. John Bunyan said it well: “He who is most in the bosom of God, and who so acts for him here, he is the man who will be best able to enjoy most of God in the kingdom of heaven.”

Our different personalities, rewards, positions, and names in Heaven (see Revelation 2:17) speak not only of our individuality but also of how God finds unique reasons to love us. I love my wife and daughters, and I love different things about each.

We’re like unique instruments, played by an orchestra to produce one beautiful sound, rich in its variety. We all have our unique part in glorifying God. We bring something singular and vital to the concert of praise.

For more answers to questions about eternity, see Randy's book Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Heaven as well as his comprehensive book Heaven and devotional 50 Days of Heaven.  

[i] Jonathan Edwards, quoted in John Gerstner, Jonathan Edwards on Heaven and Hell (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980), 21–22.

Photo: Unsplash

Teens Who Choose Life in Unplanned Pregnancies Need Support and Respect, Not Shame

Today's guest post is from Kathy Norquist and Stephanie Anderson, who are both on staff with Eternal Perspective Ministries.

Last month, The New York Times ran a feature story about Maddi Runkles, a high school senior and straight A-student at a private Christian school in Boonsboro, Maryland, who became pregnant. After she came forward to share about her pregnancy, school officials disciplined Maddi for breaking the school’s code of conduct, first by suspending her for two days and removing her as student council president, but also by not allowing her to walk at graduation.

Both Maddi and her parents agreed with the first two disciplinary actions. However, they strongly disagreed with the school’s decision to bar her from participating in the graduation ceremony. Her father said, “Typically, when somebody breaks a rule, you punish them at the time they break the rule. That way, the punishment is behind them and they’re moving forward with a clean slate. With Maddi, her punishment was set four months out. It’s ruined her senior year.”

Maddi’s story has served to become part of a bigger conversation about how Christians can both encourage and uphold standards of chastity and purity, while still showing respect and care for unborn children and their moms, in a way that’s truly consistent with a prolife ethic.

In her interview with The New York Times, Maddi made this statement:

“Some pro-life people are against the killing of unborn babies, but they won’t speak out in support of the girl who chooses to keep her baby. Honestly, that makes me feel like maybe the abortion would have been better. Then they would have just forgiven me, rather than deal with this visible consequence.”

That Maddi came forward and also spoke to her classmates shows real integrity, and a willingness to take responsibility and accept the consequences of her decisions. Unfortunately, the school’s actions only serve to demonstrate to other teens who find themselves pregnant that there’s so much shame associated with pregnancy that abortion is the easy way out and “the only answer.” Sadly, the message it gives to others is: “Don’t tell, or look what will happen to you! If you get an abortion, no one will ever have to know.”

But isn’t there a way for us to show both grace and truth (like Jesus, see John 1:14), to be clear that promiscuity is against God’s revealed will and therefore our own happiness, but also to honor a girl’s courageous choice to give her child life?  Isn’t there a way to uphold rules, but still value relationship?

To be sure, the school officials are in a difficult position. But how different would the outcome have been if the school would have sought to support both Maddi and her child, perhaps by saying: “Because the school code of conduct was broken (actually, God’s commandments), there needs to be consequences. We respect Maddi for coming forward as she has and accepting these consequences. Yet we also don’t want to overlook the fact that God has taken something done against His beautiful and perfect will, and created this unique and precious human being which we do want to celebrate.”

In an article for The Chicago Tribune, Maddi wrote:

When girls like me who go to pro-life schools make a brave pro-life decision, we shouldn't be hidden away in shame. The sin that got us into this situation is not worth celebrating, but after confession and forgiveness take place, we should be supported and treated like any other student. What we are going through is tough enough. Having to deal with the added shame of being treated like an outcast is nothing any girl should have to go through.

…My school could have made an example of how to treat a student who made a mistake, owned up to it, accepted the consequences, and is now being supported in her decision to choose life. But it didn't. It is my hope that the next Christian school will make the right decision when the time comes.

Randy Alcorn writes in his book ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments:

No matter what one’s view of sex outside of marriage, clearly pregnancy per se is not wrong. It is not a moral, but a biological reality. Society should not treat the mother as a “bad girl” or pressure her to “solve her problem” by aborting her child. Rather, society should love her and help her through the pregnancy and the post-birth options available to her.

Society should affirm a woman for not taking the “easy out” of abortion to preserve her image and avoid some inconvenience, but at the cost of someone’s life. Whenever I see an unmarried woman carrying a child, my first response is one of respect. I know she could have taken the quick fix without anyone knowing, but she chose instead to let an innocent child live.

Though Maddi says the father of her child does not attend the same school she does, part of what makes these kinds of situations so difficult is that typically it’s the girl who carries the consequences and shame (which shouldn’t be there in the first place, because the baby isn’t the shameful part!) and often the father has no repercussions.

It’s unfortunate this situation has made such national news, since it could have been kept in house among believers to wrestle through together (1 Corinthians 6:1-6). Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). The world is watching how we treat one another in the body of Christ.

Still, the sharing of Maddi’s story could serve to help Christian organizations evaluate their responses to unwed mothers, and make sure they align with their prolife convictions in a way that communicates both grace and truth.

May God’s people reach out in love and compassion to both unborn children and their moms. And may we demonstrate to teens that abortion really is never the answer:

Abortion may cover up a problem, but it never solves it. The poor choice of pre­marital sex can be learned from, reconsidered, and not repeated. The poor choice of killing an innocent human being by abortion is more serious, more permanent, and more unfair. It causes one person to pay for another’s mistake. Furthermore, it forces the young woman to live with the guilt of her decision and gives her an even worse mistake to cover up. Not only the young woman, but all society suffers from the attitudes fostered by the abortion alternative.  —Randy Alcorn, ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments

Photo: Pixabay

Happiness in Jesus Is a Righteous, God-Honoring Desire

This interview on happiness and the Christian life, and specifically related to my devotional 60 Days of Happiness, originally appeared on Lifeletter Café.

What is the most important thing you are hoping to accomplish in 60 Days of Happiness?

My hope is that readers will experience some paradigm shifts that will forever change their view of happiness and what God thinks of it. It may also change their perspective on God’s nature, causing them to see Him in a way that floods them with gladness and increases their fondness toward our Creator. “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). Much of the battle for joy hinges on whether we believe God is happy and wants us to be too.

As they contemplate God’s happiness, I believe readers of 60 Days of Happiness will end up not only loving Him more but liking Him better. At least, that’s what happened to me as I studied Scripture and meditated on this subject for more than three years.

Religion so often has brought with it a culture of heaviness and "reverence"—what do you say to those who have a hard time making room for happiness?

I think we have a hard time seeing the place of happiness in the Christian life because we fail to understand that God is happy and that He created us to find delight and satisfaction in Him. Philosopher and theologian Cornelius Van Til (1895–1987) stated, “We may say, in all reverence, that God himself is happy.”

Some readers may be thinking, But does the Bible really say God is happy? The answer is yes—it does! Many times Scripture states that God experiences delight and pleasure. Other times when it affirms God’s happiness, readers of English Bibles don’t understand what the original language was communicating.

The apostle Paul wrote of “the gospel of the glory of the blessed [makarios] God with which I have been entrusted” (1 Timothy 1:11). Later in the same book, he refers to God as “he who is the blessed [makarios] and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (6:15). In 1611, when King James translators chose the word blessed in verses like these, it meant “happy”! In fact, the 1828 edition of Noah Webster’s dictionary still defined blessed as, “Made happy or prosperous; extolled; pronounced happy. . . . Happy . . . enjoying spiritual happiness and the favor of God; enjoying heavenly felicity.”

Only when we understand that Scripture teaches God is happy can we believe that God wants us to be happy and that happiness has a legitimate place in our worship and reverence for Christ. Scripture makes this statement about imitating Jesus: “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:6). If Jesus walked around mostly miserable, we should be miserable too. If He was happy, we should be happy.

How did happiness get dismissed by the "joy theologians" as something only on the surface or something tied to circumstances?

There’s a long rich, history of equating joy with happiness in Christ. For example, Jonathan Edwards cited John 15:11 (“that [Jesus’] joy might remain in you,” KJV) to prove this point: “The happiness Christ gives to his people, is a participation of his own happiness.”

Charles Spurgeon said, “May you so come, and then may your Christian life be fraught with happiness, and overflowing with joy.” Spurgeon’s views of happiness and joy, evident in hundreds of his sermons, are completely contrary to the artificial wall the contemporary church has erected between the two.

In stark contrast to believers prior to the twentieth century, many modern Christians have portrayed happiness as, at best, inferior to joy and, at worst, evil. Oswald Chambers (1874–1917), whom I greatly respect, is one of the earliest Bible teachers to have spoken against happiness. Chambers wrote, “Happiness is no standard for men and women because happiness depends on my being determinedly ignorant of God and His demands.”

After extensive research, I’m convinced that no biblical or historical basis exists to define happiness as inherently sinful. Unfortunately, because Bible teachers such as Chambers saw people trying to find happiness in sin, they concluded that pursuing happiness was sinful.

Because this concept of joy vs. happiness has been repeated and preached so often throughout the last century, many Christians believe there’s a huge difference between them. Now it’s common to hear people make claims like this: “Joy is in the Bible, but happiness isn’t.”

The problem with statements like these is that they simply aren’t true. Even in the King James Version, which Chambers used, happy is found a total of twenty-nine times. For example, Jesus told His disciples, “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:17). The apostle Paul wrote these words to Christians: “Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth” (Romans 14:22).

When did you uncover happiness as a core ingredient in your faith in Christ?

When I first read the Bible as an unchurched teenager, it was new, intriguing, and utterly disorienting. Because I had no reference points when I read Scripture, it wasn’t just Leviticus that confused me. But when I reached the Gospels, something changed. I was fascinated by Jesus. Everything about Him had the ring of truth, and soon I came to believe He was real. Then, by a miracle of grace, He transformed me—and the single most noticeable difference was my newfound happiness.

In the over forty-five years since, like everyone else, I’ve experienced suffering and heartaches in my life. Still, every day I find happiness in the One who reached out to me with His grace decades ago—and continues to do so whenever I call out to Him.

Yet as a young Christian, because I often heard warnings against happiness, I became wary of it. These proclamations were common enough that it seemed they must be right. But they made me uneasy, because I had celebrated my newfound happiness in Christ. Now I was being told that happiness was at least suspect and apparently even unspiritual, and shouldn’t be part of a serious Christian life.

To me, this was counterintuitive. Of course, we shouldn’t turn to sin for happiness—but happiness was something I gained when I came to Christ, not something I gave up! If it was God who made me happy to be forgiven and gave me the joy of a right relationship with Him and the privilege of walking with Him and serving Him, was God really against my happiness?

Years later, I’ve found that many believers are still operating under that assumption that happiness is inherently sinful and has no part in the Christian life. That’s one of the main reasons I studied what God’s word has to say about our happiness and His, and wrote my comprehensive book Happiness, as well as the devotional 60 Days of Happiness and small book God’s Promise of Happiness. 

I’m remembering this lyric from my childhood days in church: "Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." Is this supported by your thesis that happiness and holiness go hand in hand?

In the church I attended, an old Swedish Covenant congregation, we often sang that chorus, too. Though it has been many years since I sat in that church, the refrain still runs through my mind, and it’s worth repeating:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Some might consider that message simplistic, but I found it to be completely true. When I trusted Jesus, I was happy; when I didn’t, I wasn’t. When I obeyed Jesus—when I chose the path of holiness—I was happy. When I didn’t, I wasn’t.

I can confirm that those words are just as true now as they were then. In fact, they’ve proven true every day of my life since.

Note that the words aren’t an appeal to trust and obey because God demands our obedience (though He has every right to). Rather, the motive for trusting and obeying is being happy in Jesus.

When that hymn was written, happiness in Jesus was regarded as a righteous desire. That’s how we should regard it today. It’s not in opposition to our sanctification; it goes hand in hand with true, humble, Christ-honoring holiness.

How do you answer those who charge that "happiness" in the life of a Christ-follower is not the destination or end-goal?

I would agree that happiness, in and of itself, isn’t our ultimate goal.

At one point in my life, I wanted Jesus plus happiness. But this, I’m convinced, is wrong. What I first experienced as a young Christian was exactly right—happiness in Jesus.  Jesus plus happiness separates the two, and when this occurs, happiness ascends the throne instead of Jesus. But happiness in Jesus recognizes that Jesus is bigger than happiness. This keeps happiness in its place. It doesn’t become an idol; instead, it’s seen for what it is—a natural and beautiful by-product of knowing and loving God.

If gambling, alcohol, television, video games, golf or fantasy football has become an idol to us—as nearly anything can—we’d be wise to give it up. But we can’t give up our desire for happiness. Instead, we need to turn it to its proper object—God—putting Him first by seeking our greatest happiness in Him.

Some might still say, “Our sole purpose in life is to glorify God, not to seek happiness.” But as John Piper puts it, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” In other words, to be happy in God is to glorify God.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism was written in 1646 by a group of English, Irish, and Scottish Reformed theologians. It begins with the question, “What is the chief end of man?” and offers the reply, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” For theologians to come up with “glorify God” is no surprise. But to enjoy him forever? 

Think about this. Why didn’t they add “obey God forever” or “fear God forever”?

The composers of the catechism weren’t firing off an e-mail in which they chose words on the fly. They were writing a painstakingly deliberate statement of belief and practice that generations to come would memorize and seek to live by. Each word was judiciously selected.

Those seventeenth-century theologians and pastors stated that we exist not only to glorify God but also to find pleasure and happiness in Him. This doesn’t fit the stereotype of stodgy religious Scotsmen from nearly four hundred years ago.

Remarkably, the English Parliament officially endorsed this confession not long after it was written. What did theologians and even members of Parliament realize that has somehow been obscured in the centuries that followed?

And what does it mean to enjoy God? The Puritans knew. Thomas Watson said, “What is enjoying God for ever but to be put in a state of happiness? . . . God is the summum bonum, the chief good; therefore the enjoyment of him is the highest felicity.”

The catechism writers understood that God created people not only to glorify Him but also to be happy in Him—to be in a personal relationship with Him that’s deep, satisfying, and everlasting. As Psalm 68:3 says, “But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful” (NIV).

What is one of your favorite stories or segments from 60 Days of Happiness?

In day 27, “Who or what is our primary source of happiness?” I share that one of the keys to enjoying life is connecting the dots between our happiness and God as its provider. He’s the one whose overflowing reservoir of happiness has spilled over into His creation.

As I wrote that entry for the book, I was looking up from my computer at a photo I took underwater. It reminded me of the sheer delight of my unforgettable ninety-minute encounter with a wonderful monk seal I named Molly.

Whenever I look at Molly’s photo, my heart fills with joyful memories and longing for the New Earth’s joy and the days that await us. That anticipation gives me a harvest of happiness today. Of course, many people who don’t know God love to snorkel and dive. They’re truly moved by the enchanting beauty of the reef.

But an immense part of my happiness as I snorkel is knowing God, the primary, who made all these secondary wonders. I sense His presence with me—both when I’m out in His ocean and as I sit in my home remembering His nearness, both then and now. This is a shared experience between my God and me, and even as I type, the memories of countless hours spent in the water together with Him, enjoying His beautiful underwater kingdom, bring joyful tears to my eyes. The beautiful coral reef and its wondrous creatures don’t draw me away from God—they draw me to Him. 

Photo: Unsplash

Fathers, Your Relationship with Your Kids Is Irreplaceable

Before I get to today’s blog, thought I’d share this photo I posted on my Facebook page last weekend. So, Nanci and I get junk mail from Verizon and others, nothing new about that. And occasionally we get mail addressed to somebody else. But this came last Saturday, and it was a first:

Actually, Charles Spurgeon stopped working for our ministry years ago. And he never got used to his cell phone. Don’t know how to break it to Verizon!

On to today’s blog: this Sunday is Father’s Day. Fatherhood is a huge job, and dads need encouragement that their role in the kids’ lives matters. I recently watched this video highlighting the importance of dads, and absolutely love it.

As I tried to portray in my novel Courageous, fathers, you are irreplaceable in the lives of your children. So take some time this weekend to enjoy time with them, to talk with them about their fears, hopes, questions, and daily lives. You provide something for them that no electronic device can ever substitute!

Dennis and Barbara Rainey offer this advice:

A spiritually strong family is built on a foundation of "relational concrete." Tell your children your values, expectations, goals, and dreams for them, your family, and yourself. Ask them about their worries and their own dreams and goals. It's not words by themselves that communicate love—it's talking with your children in a way that shows deep interest and a strong desire to be involved in their lives.

…This loving conversation begins while your baby is still in the womb. It grows and matures throughout a child's development; when your child reaches adulthood you can communicate like friendly peers.

Talking may be a challenge during the teenage years, but it's more important at this time than ever. Many teenagers—boys especially—just do not seem to want to talk. But don't give up. You must pursue them—a persistent, gentle priming of the conversation well. Be prepared for that moment when the mood shifts and the words literally gush out of your teenager's mouth. Give your teen your full attention; listen well before you respond.

…Our model in being available and giving ourselves to our children is a good one. Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20). That picture of a loving God knocking and waiting, eager to enter a life, is how our children should perceive us.

Photo: Unsplash

Joni Eareckson Tada’s Advice for When You Don’t Wake Up Feeling Happy

As I’ve written and talked about happiness, I’ve heard from lots of people wondering how we can experience true, heartfelt, and Christ-honoring happiness in a broken world where life can be difficult. They often ask something like, “What should I do when I just don’t feel happy?”

It’s true that we can’t make ourselves happy in God any more than a seed can make itself grow. But we’re not just seeds. We’re greenhouse farmers who can make sure the seed is planted, watered, and fertilized.

Paul said to the church in Corinth, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6). While God makes the crop grow, the people who raise the largest and best produce, winning ribbons at the county fair, do their part too.

We should never flippantly say, “Happiness is a choice.” It’s not always easy to choose what brings ultimate lasting happiness over what brings instant temporary happiness. Choosing happiness is not merely working harder to pull up our minds and moods, as we would our bootstraps. Rather, it’s gratefully receiving God’s grace and happiness.

Still, there’s a lot to be said for “Just do it.” Harvard psychologist Jerome Bruner says, “You more likely act yourself into feeling than feel yourself into action.”

Too many of us wait for sufficient motivation before making wise and joy-producing choices. But whether it’s exercise, eating right, or volunteering to serve others, when we take those first steps, we overcome inertia and establish new habits. Once we see the positive happiness that results, we’re much more motivated to keep up those new patterns.

In an interview with World Magazine, one of my heroes of the faith, Joni Eareckson Tada, shares this advice for what we can do on days when we don’t wake up feeling happy:

Does depression still ensnare you at times? Are you happy? I make myself be happy. I make myself sing because I have to. The alternative is too frightening. My girlfriends will tell you, in the morning when I wake up, I know they’ll be coming into my bedroom to give me a bed bath, do my toileting routines, pull up my pants, put me in the wheelchair, feed me breakfast, and push me out the front door. I lie there thinking (gagging noise), “Oh God, I cannot face this. I’m so tired of this routine. My hip is killing me. I’m so weary. I don’t know how I’m going to make it to lunchtime. I have no energy for this day. God, I can’t do quadriplegia. But I can do all things through You as You strengthen me. So God, I have no smile for these girlfriends of mine who are going to come in here with a happy face. Can I please borrow Your smile? I need it, desperately. I need You.”

Our weakness, God’s strength. I hate the prospect of having to face the day with paralysis. I choose the Holy Spirit’s help because I don’t want to go down that grim, dark path to depression any more. That’s the biblical way to wake up in the morning, the only way to wake up in the morning. No wonder the Apostle Paul said, “Boast in your afflictions.” Don’t be ashamed of them. Don’t think you have to hide them and gussy yourself up before God in the morning so that He’ll be happy with you and see that you’re really believing in Him. No, no, no. Admit you can’t do this thing called life. Then cast yourself at the mercy of God and let Him show up through your weakness because that’s what He promises—2 Corinthians 12:9.

For more on happiness, see Randy’s books Happiness and God’s Promise of Happiness, and the devotional 60 Days of Happiness. 

Photos: Unsplash

A Look Back at 10 Years of Blogging, and a Book Giveaway

Ten years ago today, EPM shared my first blog post, “There is a God,” which featured Bryant Young, then defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers. We’ve since shared over 1,300 posts on a wide range of topics, including Heaven, suffering, giving, prolife issues, happiness, current events, and much more.  

Here are a few highlights from over the years:

How Can I Stay Motivated in My Relationship with Jesus Christ?

Six Eternal Truths to Remember Each Day

Depression, Gratitude and Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Why Doesn’t the Church Address the Issue of Modesty?

Thoughts on Cremation vs. Burial, and the Resurrection Question

Should Christians Save for Retirement?

Six Reasons to Live More Simply—and Give More Generously

How Do I Minister to an Unsaved Friend Whose Loved One Died Without a Relationship with Christ?

The One Thing My Daughter Remembered Most About My Parenting

Uncoolness, Tolerance, and Christ’s Bride the Church

Thanks for being part of our ministry by reading the blog and sharing posts with others! (By the way, if you’d like to receive them directly in your inbox, sign up in the sidebar of my blog with your email.)

In honor of the ten year anniversary, EPM is giving away two sets of Randy’s larger books, including Heaven, If God Is Good, Happiness, ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments, and Money, Possessions, and Eternity:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Photo: Pixabay

Christ’s Exclusive Truth-Claims Make Believing “All Religions Are Basically the Same” Impossible

A Barna survey found that 59% of American adults believe that “Christians and Muslims worship the same God even though they have different names and beliefs regarding God.” And it’s not just secular people who believe that “all religions are basically the same”:

One-quarter of born again Christians said that all people are eventually saved or accepted by God (25%) and that it doesn’t matter what religious faith you follow because they all teach the same lessons (26%). An even larger percentage of born again Christians (40%) indicated that they believe Christians and Muslims worship the same God.

A 2017 Barna Poll found that “almost three in 10 (28%) practicing Christians strongly agree that ‘all people pray to the same god or spirit, no matter what name they use for that spiritual being.’” (I’ve written more about the question “Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God?” in an earlier blog post.)

But truth-claims in all religions—including Christianity—are by nature exclusive. Jesus didn’t say, “I am a way and a truth and a life; I’m one way to come to the Father.” He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, emphasis added). If someone says Jesus isn’t the primary truth, then either he’s wrong or Jesus is.

How many routes can take us to the Father in Heaven? Peter preached, “Salvation is found in no one else [but Jesus], for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Yet many continue to insist that Christ was merely a good teacher, and just one of many ways to God—perhaps because if the Bible is true and we’ll be held accountable to God, then we realize we’re in trouble. Many people don’t want to hear there’s a God who created us, says we are sinners, makes demands on our lives, and claims to be our Judge that we must answer to. (The flip side of that bad news about our sin and accountability is the very Good News that Jesus, God’s own Son, came to earth as a man, suffered and died in our place, rose again, and freely offers us forgiveness and eternal life!)

In his book Encounters with Jesus, Tim Keller writes:

Some years ago I was on a panel with a Muslim cleric, talking about our differences in front of a group of college students. And one college student kept insisting, “Well, I listened to you both for twenty minutes, and I want you to know that I just don’t see any real difference between you. I just don’t see any difference between the religions. It seems like you’re basically saying God is love and we should love God and love one another.” In our responses to the student the cleric and I were in complete agreement. At first glance it looks tolerant to say “you are both alike,” but each of us argued gently that the student was not showing enough respect to listen to each religion’s distinctive voice. Each faith had made unique claims that contradicted the deepest teachings of other faiths. And so, we concluded, while each faith could certainly appreciate wisdom in the other, we couldn’t both be right at the deepest level. The student maintained his position, saying that all religions are fundamentally alike.

Ironically, the young man was being every bit as dogmatic, superior, and ideological as any traditional religion adherent can be. He was saying, in essence, “I have the true view of religion, and you don’t. I can see that you are alike, but you can’t. I am spiritually enlightened, and you aren’t.” But as I spoke to him a bit afterward I concluded that he was motivated by an underlying fear. If he granted that any religion made unique claims, then he would have to decide whether or not those claims were true. He did not want the responsibility of having to ponder, weigh it all, and choose. Among young secular adults it is common to adopt this belief that all religions are roughly the same. Dare I say this is a form of emotional immaturity? Life is filled with hard choices, and it is childish to think you can avoid them. It may seem to get you out of a lot of hard work, but the idea of the equivalence of religions is simply a falsehood. Every religion, even those that appear more inclusive, makes its own unique claim. But Jesus’ claims are particularly unnerving, because if they are true, there is no alternative but to bow the knee to him.

Tim Keller, Encounters with Jesus: Unexpected Answers to Life's Biggest Questions, (New York: Penguin Books, 2013), 195–196.

Christianity rises or falls on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. If this event is historically true, it makes all other religions false, because Jesus Christ claimed to be the one and only way to God the Father. To prove this, He predicted He would come out of the grave alive three days after He was executed. And He did.

The resurrection of Christ is provable by overwhelming evidence (read Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell or The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel). What does the resurrection mean? It means Christ is God and since He said He is the only way to forgiveness of sins and the only way to Heaven—all other religions are false.

Jesus asked His disciples the most important question: “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:16). If we get it right about Jesus, we can afford to get some minor things wrong. But if we get it wrong about Jesus, it won’t matter in the end what else we get right.

For more on the topic of truth, see Randy’s devotional Truth: A Bigger View of God’s Word.

Photos: Unsplash

Why Every Prolife Church in Oregon Should Support the Petition to Stop Taxpayer Funding for Abortion

The last 27 years I’ve been with Eternal Perspective Ministries. Before that I was a pastor for 14 years, and I have a number of close friends who are pastors. I feel like I understand their worlds.

I understand why pastors struggle with the many political issues people want them to address in church. In my opinion, most issues that are only political have no place in a local church, as it’s the place for solid Bible teaching and sound doctrine, not pitting social conservatives against liberals and thereby dividing the church. (See my article Conservative, Liberal, or Christian?) As a result, there’s been increasing push-back against having any petitions in churches because they appear to politicize the church.

Frankly, when it comes to marginal issues I sympathize with this—we don’t need to make our churches more political. But there’s no sense in which the killing of children is a marginal issue that Scripture is indifferent to! Long before it was ever a political issue, it was a moral issue, and one which God has a clear and emphatic position on. I encourage you to take a look at what God’s Word says about unborn children, and what the people of God throughout history have said about abortion.

I also understand almost no topic is as guaranteed to offend some church members as abortion. But we’re not dealing here with “one more social/political issue.” We’re dealing with a unique and focused evil in which Satan has deeply vested interests. There are demonic forces behind child-killing. Abortion is Satan’s attempt to kill God in effigy by destroying the little ones created in God’s image. We can’t afford to simply look away or sweep this issue under the rug.

The desire to avoid people’s disapproval is a common reason for church leaders to hold back in prolife efforts, including making petitions available to reduce the number of abortions. But for every reason or excuse we have, we must be ready to answer a question on the last day: “Was that reason more important than the lives of all those children I created in my image and the lives of the men and women involved in this life-altering decision?”

In one year alone, taxpayer funds paid for the deaths of almost 4,000 unborn children in Oregon. The Oregon Health Authority reported that $2.42 million in state money was spent on abortions in 2016, the highest amount in the past 14 years. During the fiscal year 2015-2016, money was paid to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers for 3,769 abortions covered under the Oregon Health Plan.

That breaks my heart. It also raises the question: what are we, as individuals, and collectively as the church, doing to help pregnant women and save those unborn children? I firmly believe that hearts are changed, women helped, and lives saved through God’s people reaching out and ministering to those in need, one at a time. But many lives can also be saved through judicial reform and legislative action, and for that we should rejoice. The jobs of personal intervention, education, and political action will all continue for decades to come, requiring great perseverance.

I highly encourage prolife churches to get involved with circulating petitions in an effort to help stop taxpayer funding of abortion in Oregon. Yes, I’m well aware that many, both church leaders and members, insist that it isn’t the job of the church to get involved in prolife activities. But what is the job of the church?

I appeal to believers to come to grips with the fact that loving God cannot be separated from loving our neighbor (Matthew 22:34–40). To a man who wished to define “neighbor” in a way that excluded certain groups of needy people, Christ pre­sented the Good Samaritan as a model for our behavior (Luke 10:25–37). He went out of his way to help the man lying in the ditch. In contrast, the religious hypocrites looked the other way because they had more “spiritual” things to do. (I recently spoke on this topic of “ProLife Issues: Distraction from the Great Commission, or Part of It?” You can watch the video here.)

Here’s more about the petition headed up by Oregon Life United:

Initiative Petition 1 — known as the Stop Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act — would prohibit state funds from being used for abortions, except when medically necessary or if required by federal law.

This is a pro-life petition drive for an Oregon ballot initiative to prohibit our state tax dollars from funding abortions. In order to qualify for the next general election we’ll need to gather signatures from more than 117,000 registered voters. 

Hundreds of volunteers and churches are needed for this petition drive to be successful. We’ll provide training and resources to make it easy for you to: 

Gather signatures from your friends, family, and neighbors
Gather signatures at your church or school

You can order petition sheets (for free) and get more information at the petition drive website: www.StopTheFunding.org. 

Let’s join together to “love our neighbor” by protecting the youngest human lives in our state. Pastors and church leaders, if you place these petitions in your church for people to sign, it would be a great opportunity to explain from the pulpit why you are doing so. You can say it’s not to bring politics into the church; rather it’s to obey God’s Word which says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:8-9).

(Some have genuine concerns whether circulating petitions in church is legal; the answer is yes. According to the IRS churches may engage in legislative activity, which includes sharing petitions, and retain their tax-exempt status as long as it’s not more than an “insubstantial” part of its overall activity in terms of time and money. This document provides more information.)

A fitting conclusion is a quotation that many, including myself, have attributed to Martin Luther. While Luther said some similar things, it appears the author of these actual words was a nineteenth century novelist named Elizabeth Rundle Charles who wrote about Luther and other reformers. But regardless of who said it, it’s true and has application to whether Bible-believing churches are willing to speak up in defense of unborn children, and whether God’s people are willing to unite to oppose the taxes they pay being used to support Planned Parenthood, and thereby to fund child-killing:

If I profess, with the loudest voice and the clearest exposition, every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christianity. Where the battle rages the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battle-field besides is mere flight and disgrace to him if he flinches at that one point.

 

For more, see Randy’s books Why ProLife? and ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments. Also see his articles Pastors, You Must Speak Up on Abortion; Let’s Reach Out with the Gospel to Women Victimized by Abortion; and The Evidence Doesn’t Lie: The Unborn are Children (which includes a special note to pastors and church leaders). 

Photo: Pixabay