Not Forgotten. Not Overlooked.

By Summer Martin

“Women are inferior to men.” “Christianity is oppressive and patriarchal.” “The Bible silences women.” “Christianity limits women’s potential.”

These are just a few of the claims I have heard throughout my thirty-eight years of life. Honestly, it baffles me.

Yes, I know that the living and active Word of God is folly to those who do not believe. But I’ve even heard these things from people who claim to be believers. And it’s simply not the God I encounter in Scripture.

I see a God with a soft spot for His daughters.

When I open my Sword, I do not see a God who ignores women, sidelines women, or treats women as second-class citizens. I see a God who consistently lifts women up and uses them for His purposes. He does not leave them. He does not forsake them. He notices the overlooked. He hears the cries of the brokenhearted. He repeatedly chooses women—often unlikely women—to play significant roles in His redemptive story.

Take Rahab, for example (Joshua 2:1–24; Hebrews 11:31). A Canaanite. A prostitute. An outsider to the covenant people of God. Yet when her faith was placed in the Lord, she was not merely spared. She was welcomed. Redeemed. Grafted into the people of God. She even became part of the lineage that would lead to Christ Jesus Himself (Matthew 1:5).

Rahab’s past never determined who God saw her as.

Just like today, we can look at people and remember who they used to be. We may have witnessed their failures, their rebellion, or their brokenness. But that was then. The past is not the whole story. Men have a past just like women do, and it doesn’t disqualify them from being redeemed and useful in God’s kingdom. And guess what? It doesn’t disqualify women either.

Then you have my ladies Deborah and Jael.

Deborah was a prophetess and judge in Israel (Judges 4:4–10). Men in Israel came to her for wisdom, counsel, and judgment. Men. Coming to a woman appointed by God for that purpose.

And Jael (Judges 4:17–22). An ordinary housewife going about her ordinary day when God chose to use her in an extraordinary way. Through her courage, God secured victory for Israel. A woman. An “ordinary housewife.”

Hannah literally poured herself out before the Lord, so much so that the priest thought she was drunk (1 Samuel 1:9–20). She knew God was a God who saw her and heard her. And guess what? God granted her prayer and then used Samuel for His purposes. Hannah became the instrument God used to bring Samuel into the world at exactly the right place and the right time.

Ruth was a Moabite woman who married into an Israelite family and put her faith in the Lord (Ruth 1:16–17). Through God’s providence, she became part of the lineage that would ultimately lead to Jesus (Ruth 4:13–17; Matthew 1:5).

Esther risked her life to save her people (Esther 4:13–16). Mary was entrusted to carry the Messiah (Luke 1:26–38).

And then there was Salome.

While many focus on the disciples, Salome was among the faithful women who followed Jesus, ministered to Him, witnessed His crucifixion, and came to the tomb on resurrection morning (Mark 15:40–41; Mark 16:1–8). When many others had scattered in fear, she remained near her Savior. Her faithfulness placed her among the first witnesses to the empty tomb along with Mary Magdalene—the greatest news in human history.

Lydia became the first recorded convert in Europe and opened her home for the advancement of the Gospel (Acts 16:11–15, 40).

And then there are women some people may not even remember.

Shiphrah and Puah, the Hebrew midwives who risked their lives to save the sons of Hebrew women after Pharaoh commanded that they be killed (Exodus 1:15–21).

The daughters of Zelophehad, who approached Moses concerning their inheritance rights. Rather than dismissing them, God affirmed their request (Numbers 27:1–11).

Huldah, a prophetess during King Josiah’s reign (2 Kings 22:14–20).

Priscilla (Acts 18:24–26).

Phoebe (Romans 16:1–2).

Dorcas (Acts 9:36–42).

Joanna (Luke 8:1–3; 24:10).

The Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1–42).

The Bible’s pages are filled with women like these—not perfect women, but faithful women. Courageous women. Repentant women. Generous women. Women whom God saw, called, equipped, and used for His glory.

He met Hagar in the wilderness (Genesis 16:7–13).

He met Hannah in grief (1 Samuel 1:9–20).

He met Ruth in widowhood (Ruth 1:16–17).

He met Mary in humble obedience (Luke 1:38).

Far from pushing women to the margins, God repeatedly places them right in the middle of His unfolding story of redemption. Again and again, God demonstrates that women are not an afterthought in His kingdom.

They never were.

And perhaps nowhere do we see God’s heart for women more clearly than in Jesus Himself.

A woman who had suffered from a bleeding disorder for twelve years reached out and touched the hem of His garment (Mark 5:25–34). For twelve years she had lived with pain, isolation, and the label of being unclean. Yet when Jesus stopped and spoke to her, He did not call her “unclean.” He did not call her “outcast.”

He called her “Daughter.”

“Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace” (Luke 8:48).

Daughter.

Not forgotten.

Not overlooked.

Not unwanted.

Daughter.

That single word tells us so much about the heart of Christ.

So when I hear people claim that Christianity diminishes women, I cannot help but wonder if we are reading the same Bible.

Because from Genesis to Revelation, I see a God who sees women, hears women, redeems women, equips women, and uses women for His glory. I see women woven throughout the pages of Scripture—not as an afterthought, but as image-bearers, disciples, servants, witnesses, mothers, leaders, prophets, and daughters of the King.

And that is exactly what we still are today.

Daughters.

If Only One

Written by Summer Martin

The Navigators and Other Things That Are Not the Church

By Bradford Smith · 23 Feb 2026

I find myself increasingly suspicious of movements. Let me explain.

I am a church man, and the further I go, the more of a church man I become. And when I say church man, I mean exactly that, a man of the church, the local church that is.

I love the local church.

I cherish the local church. I esteem the local church, and it is the local church that I serve.

The Bible assumes local church membership/headship. The local church ought to be the venue to enable the believer to discover his gifts and his call and then to empower him to walk in that gifting and call.

Jesus is building His church. (Matthew 16:18)
God brought together Jews and Gentiles into one new man, the church! (Ephesians 2:15)
The church is the temple of God. (Ephesians 2:21)
The church is growing into maturity, into the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13)
The church is the bride of Christ and one day, Jesus will come again to claim His bride.
The local church is the hands and feet of Christ in the local community.

I guess that’s not enough.

The Navigators is not the church.

For some reason, the Lord has placed several Navigators in my life, several men who have previously been a part of The Navigators ministry. Per their reports, The Navigators consumed their spiritual life with a rigorous discipleship program focused upon the practice of the spiritual disciplines.

Anecdotally, one of the men was a Navigator for the better part of 30 years and has never been a member of a local church!

Intrigued, I checked out their website and found a repeated focus on what they call “Life-to-life discipleship.” Yep, it’s a—checks notes—movement. The word discipleship is littered across the home page, and as they tout, “All you need is just what God has given you—your gifts, heart and relationship with Him,” but not the church evidently.

“We do this on college campuses, military bases, workplaces, inner cities, local communities and hard-to-reach places.” Still no mention of the church.

Finally, among several ministries listed, further down the page, I found an icon to “The Church”, their ministry to the church or the Navigators Church Ministry (NCM) as it’s called. Success! There it is, the church!

However, clicking on the link, it was clear that the NCM was to help the church, that the Navigators would partner with the church, not be subject to the church. “Navigators Church Ministries helps pastors and churches transition to Jesus-style disciplemaking.” Apparently, the Navigators have cracked the code on discipleship and desire to guide and help pastors. No snarkiness intended here, it’s what is clearly stated.

Finally, I examined the Navigators Ministry Impact Report 2025 and you guessed it, not a single mention of the church.

Hear me say this, I am not demonizing the Navigators. I am not demonizing earnest Christians seeking to walk in discipleship. What I am demonizing is the relegation of the church to an ancillary or even competing organization or idea.

The Navigators is not the church.

The chapel is not the church.

We live in a military town. I served 22 years in the military, and I have attended many chapel services. I’ve served with some amazing chaplains, great men of God. I’ve served with some chaplains who well, not so much, and everywhere in between.

As the chapel is not the church, the chaplain is not your pastor.

The chaplain is not going to issue a rebuke and enact church discipline if you stray. You can disappear from the chapel, be completely anonymous—and yes, I realize you can do that in many churches today—and no one will notice your absence. There is no check on doctrine or the doctrinal stance of the chapel or the chaplain.

Any chaplain worth his salt would agree, the chapel is not the church.

In-line with being a church man, I’ve become an ordinary means man.

The ordinary means of grace are the singular recipe given in Scripture to guide the believer in being conformed into the image of Christ. Thus, we behold the glory of God through the Ministry of the Word, the Fellowship of the Body, and the Administration of the Sacraments (Baptism and Communion). In doing this, we see the glory of God as in a mirror, and we are transformed, degree by degree—from glory to glory—into the image of God. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Yes, God can and does sometimes make dramatic and immediate transformations in us. Yet, often, it is the ordinary means of grace, practiced week in week out, over time, that effectively changes us. And as we are changed into Christ’s image, our actions naturally follow suit.

Thus, absent the Fellowship of the Body, that is, the church, I will never become what God would have me be. I’ll never have all that God has for me. I’ll never know or see all that God desires I know and see. The church is absolutely essential for my spiritual development.

There are so many well-meaning—at least I believe they are well-meaning—competitors that have arisen, various movements and organizations, para-church ministries, missionary alliances etc.

None of these are the church.

In line with this, the Officer Christian Fellowship (OCF) is not the church.

Protestant Women of the Chapel (PWOC) is not the church.

Your Christian Motorcycle Alliance (CMA) is not the church.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is not the church.

Young life, Youth for Christ (YFC), and Youth with a Mission (YWAM) are not the church.

No Place Left (NPL) is not the church.

No Place Left (Army) is not the church.

Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM) is not the church.

Here’s one, your on-line celebrity pastor and your live-streamed worship service is not the church.

Whatever the latest Christian “movement” is, it’s not the church. Now, find you a local church that preaches the Gospel and jump in with both feet.

If Only One

What makes waiting so hard? Me.

By Summer Martin · 30 Jan 2026

We’ve all heard that right? We may be praying for circumstances to change; for a loved one to find salvation; for a child; for a loved one to overcome addiction, but in today’s culture of instant gratification, we don’t truly understand what it means to wait on the Lord.

Most people reduce it to being passive, silent, or inactive, that waiting on the Lord means doing nothing until God finally acts. That’s not biblical waiting. It is not spiritual procrastination, not an excuse to avoid doing things. When we wait on the Lord biblically, we actively wait. It’s a posture of trust, obedience, and true surrender in the space of God’s faithfulness, promise, and fulfillment. Scripture doesn’t present waiting as weakness, instead it frames it as strength under restraint.

Waiting reveals a faith anchored in the character of God rather than the timing we prefer.

Isaiah writes, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.” (Isaiah 40:31)

This renewal is not in any way attached to circumstances changing, but the act of waiting itself. We have reassurance in settled conviction about God’s nature; He is faithful, wise, good, and sovereign. If we waiver in any of these truths, waiting can become unbearable. And when it does, when we become impatient, it reveals something about us, that we want things on our timeline more than we trust in God’s character.

Waiting on the Lord can force us to ask an uncomfortable question, “do I trust Him even when He withholds clarity?” Strength and courage are not passive traits, they require intentional discipline.

Waiting involves:

● Continuing in obedience when answers are delayed.

● Choosing faithfulness when outcomes are uncertain.

● Resisting the urge to manipulate, rush, or force doors open.

Waiting on the Lord is to refuse shortcuts that compromise obedience. Waiting says, “I will not move ahead of God, even if I am capable of doing so.”

Charles Spurgeon says “The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes.” Waiting exposes our true desires, strips away illusions of control, and reveals whether we desire God himself, or merely what He can give us.

One of the Hebrew words for waiting is qavah, which combines tension with a sense of anticipation or looking ahead. Many are surprised by the tension of waiting, because some who claim to wait on the Lord actually wait for relief, clarity, success, or rescue. When we truly wait, it becomes holy. God Himself becomes the reward, not just the answer.

When we do not seek God while waiting, something I am frequently guilty of, anger, anxiety, and even apathy may follow. Anger may manifest outwardly as a “blow-up” but may simmer as a low-grade frustration. Sinful anger prompts rash action or a turning inward, an apathy, a self-protective posture that says, “I just don’t care anymore.” While waiting, I need to avoid these pitfalls and remind myself that waiting and seeking are inseparable. If I choose not to seek God in the waiting, I am merely enduring time, not actively engaging in faith.

David wrote several psalms while waiting: waiting to be king, waiting for deliverance, waiting for vindication, and more. In those seasons, God was not absent. He was forming David’s heart.

If we ever feel God’s silence in these times of waiting, know that is often the environment God uses to sharpen our spiritual hearing. God often prepares us in the waiting for what we are asking Him to give. Psalm 37:7 instructs us, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” This stillness is not inactivity, it’s the refusal to strive anxiously for control. Waiting on the Lord is an act of surrender, the decision to trust that God’s ways and timing are so much better than our own.

Waiting confronts our need to manage outcomes and invites us to rest in the sovereignty that is God.

Waiting strengthens trust and grows our spiritual maturity by how faithfully we walk when our prayers are not answered quickly. It deepens trust, not by removing said hardship, but by anchoring our soul in God’s faithfulness. When we wait on the Lord, we learn to:

● Discern God’s voice,

● Endure uncertainty,

● Develop perseverance,

● Grow in humility, and

● Rely on God rather than ourselves .

Isaiah’s promise does not end with waiting, it ends with renewal: “They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Waiting is not wasted time; it is formative time. God never wastes a season of waiting. What we may feel like a delay is divine preparation. Silence is God’s refining work. Waiting on the Lord is not about standing still until He resumes, it is about becoming the person who can walk faithfully into whatever God brings next.

Remain obedient. Live with open hands and a steady heart. Be prayerful, hopeful, faithful even when progress feels slow.

Waiting is not weakness.

Waiting is worship.

If Only One

Vacuuming the Red Carpet - a Paen for the Small Church Pastor

By Bradford Smith · 16 Jan 2026

I am a small church pastor.

And I love it.

I know every single one of my 40 to 50 members very well. I know their struggles, their triumphs. I know their weaknesses and strengths. I know their dreams and aspirations. I’ve wept with them, celebrated with them, walked with them through life’s seasons and I just love it.

I am a small church pastor.

And sometimes it’s hard.

I have amazing elders and deacons who share the burden and duties of leading the church, but they all have full-time jobs, and I am bi-vocational… as such, I often become the de facto whatever, plumber, electrician, administrator, coffeemaker, and most all, janitor. My church cannot afford a custodian so frequently the task falls to me.

Every Saturday, I clean the church for Sunday morning services. Sometimes, my wife is able to help, or my sons. Sometimes others from the church help, but sometimes, it’s me, just me.

It’s not a huge job. I vacuum the sanctuary, straighten the pew Bibles, ensure the rows of chairs are aligned and boy, wouldn’t pews bolted to the floor be nice. I set out some welcome stuff for the morning, clean the bathrooms, wipe off the water fountains, check the nursery, make sure the fellowship hall is not a disaster, and lastly, vacuum the red carpet. Our church has a long corridor through which visitors enter, and it is adorned with about a thirty-foot-long red carpet. All told, it takes roughly an hour by myself.

Sometimes I’m bitter.

I was vacuuming the red carpet, angrily. Rage cleaning, as it were. I don’t want to do this. God called me to preach and teach the word of God, not to this. Why won’t somebody help me? Why don’t more people pitch in? One Saturday, I decided to wait until Sunday morning to clean before church. Huge mistake and the place was trashed—there are four separate organizations that meet in our building. I spent the hour before church, you guessed it, rage-cleaning. I had to ask my wife to pray over me before I preached so as not to preach angry. Sometimes I’m bitter.

Sometimes I’m prideful.

I’ve been the teaching elder—what some would call the lead pastor—for 8 years. Before that, I served as an elder while still an active-duty Army officer for 8 years, since the birth of the church as a church plant. I prayed and prayed that God would give me a pulpit, a place to preach. I prayed for years, and He is faithful and true and He did exactly that. I returned from my last deployment and that very week, circumstance allowed me to assume the role of teaching elder, where I’ve served ever since.

We made every mistake possible, our humble church plant and that season, our church was characterized by frustration. It was palpable, you could feel it, cut it with a knife. Attendance dwindled until… I came along. In my foolish and prideful heart, I truly thought that I’d start preaching and things would just start happening, attendance would blossom. We’d “blow up” as I hear it described. It didn’t happen.

Week after week, I’d stand by the entrance to our sanctuary gazing down the long corridor with the red carpet, waiting for the people to come. Weekly services became a weekly kick in the junk, a weekly humbling, reminding me that Jesus says, “I will build my church.” (Matthew 16:18) It’s His church and He will build it as He sees fit, in His timing. Now, I believe that. I’ve preached it, but for the last 8 years, I’ve lived it.

I served in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) for the better part of 15 years. I had to try out to gain entrance into the unit and at the tryouts, people say things like, “I’d be happy to vacuum the hallways and make coffee in the organization, if you’ll just let me in.” Now, we don’t really mean it. What we really mean is, “just let me in and then you’ll see how wonderful I am, and I’ll get to do the things to get the glory.”

It's the same with the kingdom of God. “I’d be more than happy to just sweep the floors in the kingdom of God.” This is a lie. It should be true, but in my prideful heart, it’s not. But, maybe it can be.

I was going through my duties one day, dutifully vacuuming the sanctuary, then on to the red carpet and on that same red carpet I’ve vacuumed so many times, it occurred to me… the carpet I was vacuuming might just receive, indeed had received, someone’s first steps into eternity. This carpet would represent someone’s path unto salvation, maybe to hear the Gospel for the first time, maybe even to salvation.

Something changed in my heart. God changed my heart.

What a privilege to vacuum the sacred and blessed ground that holds such an honor, the path to glory, the path to the Almighty. How could I be bitter with such a humbling assignment. I began to see my duties in a sacred light, my Levitical duties in prepping the sanctuary to receive the blessed saints of God in gathering to worship the Lord on high. What a blessing to have been granted such a wonderful facility to gather. What a blessing to have a gathering at all, a beautiful pulpit to preach the word of God. Who better to polish its beautiful oak finishing than the preacher of the that same word?

Sometimes I am humbled.

“Humble me, God.” What a dangerous prayer to pray. I didn’t pray that specifically, but that is exactly what God has done, is doing. And so, every Saturday, I still go about my janitorial/Levitical duties in preparing the holy place. I’d be lying if I said I still weren’t bitter or weary occasionally, but more often than not, I am humbled and grateful as I vacuum that same red carpet.

I was recently approached by a church member who felt led to take upon herself the weekly cleaning of the church building. What’s this? Hope?! I don’t know if she’ll follow through, time will tell, but I found myself, interestingly enough, wondering if I’d actually miss vacuuming that blessed red carpet. Maybe.

I am the pastor of a small church, and I just love it.

If Only One

Grace for the Mind: The Christian and Mental Health Treatment

By Summer Martin · 30 Dec 2025

“You don’t need medicine, you just need faith.”

“You have depression because you don’t fully rely on Jesus. Stop taking the meds, and increase your faith.”

Boy, do these statements really cook my grits. To me these comments are the same as, “your child would still be alive if you had enough faith,” which has been one of the reasons I wanted to write this.

I have always had a soft spot for psychiatric patients in my years as a nurse, and even more so for people in general who battle against mental health disorders. Since starting this certification program for Biblical counseling I’ve come across conversations that rotate around the sentences above, which has put this need in my life to write this article. I have started and stopped several times, but the need just grew. I feel like it needed to be written for the fact that Christians should know that it’s okay to take the medications if needed.

Sometimes the body needs support while the heart is being healed.

Now a little about me. In all my years as a nurse, I have come to almost loathe medication administration, especially if the underlying issue can be cured or managed without it. For instance, someone with type I diabetes is going to be prescribed medications; but for someone like me, who at one point was diagnosed with prediabetes, or others who were not born with it, but their lifestyle caused type II diabetes, why can’t their lifestyle and diet be adjusted? Granted, if their blood sugars remain elevated, they will need medication to manage acutely. Or let’s say someone has high blood pressure, like I do, they might need medication to keep it in normal range. So who’s to say someone wouldn’t benefit from some sort of mental health medication?

Breaking the Stigma-Struggling doesn’t make you less Christian- it makes you human.

The term mental health has such a stigma surrounding it.

If you admit that you go to a therapist, or admit to taking any sort of mental health medication you are seen as the pink and purple polka dot weirdo walking around. Even more so when you tell them you are a Christian. Because, when you’re a Christian, everything is sunshine and rainbows right? Wrong, see my article on suffering. Even the Bible records people who suffered with mental health issues. An article from Reclaim Today lists some of them: Hannah (1 Samuel 1: 1-20) who knew about grief, sorrow, depression which led to anorexia (not eating); Elijah (1 Kings 19) who felt helpless and terrified; Job (Job 1-42) who lost literally everything, deep sorrow, hopeless and confusion; and David (Psalm 6, 13) who had all the feelings, particularly depression in some of the Psalms.

Medication may steady the mind; Scripture transforms the heart.

A lot of times mental health disorders affect different brain chemicals or the electricity in the brain. Medications can correct that, bringing levels and electrical impulses back to normal. Even though I agree with taking the medications if needed, I don’t believe they are the be all end all. There has to be work put in with it. Which is where Biblical Counseling comes in for Christians. A certified biblical counselor cannot prescribe, but if they have questions about medication, the counselor can refer them to their primary care who can help and maybe get them in touch with a psychiatric practitioner. While they get their lab work normalized, we will be able to work together to come to what God says about the situation or circumstances. Depression, gluttony, anxiety, etc. They are all roots of something more, yes they have physical symptoms, but in order to relieve the entire problem, you have to get to the bottom of the sin problem.

Sin wounds the spirit and it rewires the brain.

There is a Christian neuroscientist named Aaya that I came across on TikTok, who talks about how the seven deadly sins impact not only your spirit but your brain. She goes on to say “Pride overstimulates the ego and shuts down empathy. You literally lose the ability to see people clearly because the part of your brain responsible for self awareness goes dim. Envy hijacks your brain’s reward system making you crave what others have instead of what’s yours. Over time your brain starts rewiring itself for bitterness and lack. Wrath keeps your amygdala on fire, that's the fear and the fight center of your brain. So your brain stays in survival mode while your logic shuts down. Sloth isn’t just being lazy, it’s a loss of drive. Your dopamine levels drop and your brain stops seeking success, purpose, or pleasure in the right places. Greed floods your brain with short term dopamine the more you chase, the less you feel. That’s how addictions happen. Gluttony overstimulates your pleasure centers and then numbs them, you keep consuming but satisfaction never happens. Lust when disconnected from love weakens impulse control and deep connection. It wires the brain to crave bodies and not bonds. They don’t just hurt your spirit but rewire your brain.”

I mean look at sloth and greed for instance, those dopamine levels drop, or you just get a short shot of dopamine which is the happy chemical. We chase whatever it is in order to produce that happiness, We crave it. So if we do not have a natural “normal” level of this in our bodies due to the choices that we make, medication can help. It doesn’t mean that a person has to stay on them all their life. And as I stated before, medication will not address the main problem, sin, but it can help to allow those levels to be maintained where they should be in order to receive the counseling that needs to take place. We need to realize that medication by itself will not produce the obedience that is needed to address the sin.

My Final Word: Trust God, Seek Wisdom.

My final thoughts here are that I believe that my God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, can do mighty things, and can heal anything if it is in His will, that Scripture is sufficient to address all mental health issues. This quote by Jeremy Pierre from The Gospel Coalition stood out to me “And proclaiming the Gospel is the primary way we exercise dominion, psychiatric medication may be understood as a legitimate outworking of the dominion function”.

Ultimately it is a conviction between you and the Lord. Seek Biblical guidance, and if needed, seek professional guidance as well.

If Only One

What does it mean to “sin willfully”? (Hebrews 10:26)

By Bradford Smith · 30 Dec 2025

For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. (Hebrews 10:26)

Sounds pretty simple and straightforward.

A simple if/then statement. If I continue to sin “willfully”, then I am out of luck. There is no sacrifice for my sins. I will be lost. The key then must be to stop sinning “willfully”. This must be avoided, and if only I can avoid this, then there will remain a sacrifice for my sins, and I can be saved. I’ll be okay.

Easy. Right?

Maybe you’ve heard this verse taught this way. Maybe your church or your denomination teaches just such a doctrine. Maybe you’ve wrestled with this verse because it sounds very straightforward, but let me assure you, the above interpretation is a devilish notion, and we ought to confront it and crucify it with Christ.

First Things

I’d like to remind you, as we seek to interpret this verse, of three principals to guide our interpretation.

1. The Gospel removes burdens. Jesus, our great Savior, is in the business of lifting the burdens of men. Any teaching that places a burden back on the man is not from God. It is from the devil. The only biblical burden I see is a burden for the lost.

2. Our Father is a good Father who loves His children and gives good gifts to His children. We are called to “fear” Him in a biblical manner, meaning to revere, respect, to stand in awe of Him. May the Lord forgive us for our casual view of God. At the same time, any teaching that brings a fear of Him as in a “terror” is likewise, not from God. It is from the devil.

3. Context rules, as always.

Context: To Whom

Hebrews is a letter with an audience, and here it is, well, Hebrews, that is, Jewish converts to Christianity.

We must ask ourselves, what is the typical struggle for a Jewish Christian as recorded in Scripture? It’s law-keeping, plain and simple.

The Jews had the Law and the prophets and were steeped in the requirement to keep every jot and tittle of the Law from their youngest days. Those who most fervently and zealously kept the Law were considered especially righteous, i.e. the Pharisees. Even after receiving Christ, after redemption, they were tempted to return to their self-righteousness, their law-keeping.

Paul rebukes the churches in Galatia for just such a thing, for putting the yoke of law-keeping, specifically circumcision, upon the back of the Gentile converts. In fact, this is some of Paul’s most scathing rebuke, astonished that they so quickly return to that which Christ rescued them from, attempting to attain righteousness through law-keeping. He declares it a false gospel and any man preaching this “he is to be accursed!” (Galatians 1:9) If even an angel comes preaching this false gospel, he is likewise to be accursed. (v. 8)

They eventually hold the first Church council, the Jerusalem council, to address the matter of the Judaizers, those seeking to put the burden of the Law upon the backs of the Gentiles. These were believers, from the sect of the Pharisees, but they announced in the assembly, speaking of Gentile converts, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.” (Acts 15:5) The Council uniformly rejects this notion. Peter asks, “why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear.” (v.10)

These Hebrews, the recipients of Epistle, are of the same mindset, the same tendency, tempted to return to law-keeping for righteousness, despite being justified by faith in Christ alone.

Context: For What Reason

We only need to read the surrounding chapter to get a clearer picture.

In verse 1, the author speaks of the Law as having “only a shadow of the good things to come”. In speaking of the sacrificial system, he writes, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (v. 4) God abolishes the old and establishes the new and “by this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all [emphasis mine].” (v.10) As the author affirms, “For by one offering He has perfected for all time [emphasis mine] those who are sanctified.” (v.14)

What a glorious pronouncement!

The single offering of Christ has perfected me, past tense, forever, once for all, for all time. You pick the modifier, but it’s good. What blessed assurance we have in this precious and very great promise of God!

Nothing else needs to be done. The author confirms this. “Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.” (v. 18) There doesn’t need to be another offering. His death is more than enough!

Now, we ought to do things because of this great truth. We ought to: have confidence (v.19), draw near (v.22), hold fast (v.23), gather (v.24-25), but these are the grateful responses of a people redeemed.

Then we come to our verse. What is it to willfully sin? It is to reject the sufficiency of the death of Christ and to return to that which He redeemed us from, law-keeping, attaining righteousness by our own conduct, that for which Scripture reserves its harshest judgement.

As we read on, the author speaks of he who “trampled under foot the Son of God and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified.” (v. 29) And who are these people? Those who abandon faith in Christ and return to law-keeping.

Once I abandon faith in Christ and return to law-keeping, the author of Hebrews nails it, “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” (v.26) There is nothing better or more efficacious than the shed blood of Christ, and if I abandon that and that alone and seek to inject myself and my own works back into the process, I can only have one expectation, “a terrifying expectation of judgment.” (v.27) How much severer will be my judgment? I have insulted the very “Spirit of grace.” (v.29)

This verse, verse 26 is meant to be an encouragement to us, to remain in Christ, to resist the desire to return to works-based righteousness, to law-keeping. Christ is enough, forever! Rest in this truth.

But, because we are all legalists in our hearts, works-based righteousness is a tough yoke to break which is why the author gives us this loving warning.

Our Father

I cannot imagine a condition whereby my sons, all of them adopted, would cower in fear that I would tear up their adoption certificate upon the basis of their conduct.

Have you forgotten the love of the Father? Our Father loves us so much that He shed the blood of His only begotten Son on behalf of all who would believe. Have you forgotten the imputed righteousness of Christ? Forever, as the Father looks upon me, He sees nothing less than the righteousness of Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Have you forgotten that God’s standard is perfection: perfect, perpetual, and personal obedience? Thank God for the active obedience of Christ, that He lived it all for me.

This is a truth worth proclaiming! This is a truth that runs contrary to every other system of the world, the varied meritocracies of human existence. This is a God worth loving, serving, and obeying. Now, read Hebrews 10:26 and rejoice and rest in Christ, just like the author intended!

If Only One

The Church: More Than a Building

By Jessie Dukes · 24 Oct 2025

Hello all, my name is Jessie Dukes and I am a grateful daughter of the One true King. I have been afforded the pleasure and honor of being able to bring this article to If Only One to talk about the Church.

I want to first begin by telling you I am not a scholar. I have no degrees, nor have I obtained any “post-nominal letters” to follow my name. I am simply a sinner saved by grace, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. With that being said, I have walked 10 years now with the Lord and have spent many hours of study and prayer in the Word. I cannot tell you the amount of wisdom I have gleaned from listening and reading the works of great men such as John MacArthur, Paul Washer, Martin Luther, and the prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon. But the one whom I have learned the most has been my husband. He is my favorite Pastor. He’s also the hottest!

But like all sinners; I have a past. The testimony I carry is a life redeemed from childhood trauma, drug use, and years of poor choices. But God… brought me out of the darkness and the shadow of death and set my feet upon a rock (Psalm 40 and 107:14). Praise be to God!

The Condition of Man in the Eyes of a Holy God, the Mission of the Church, and Laity

Understanding the condition of my heart was a game changer for me. I remember when the Gospel clicked for me. It was made known to me that I was a sinner in need of a Savior and unable to redeem myself apart from Jesus. Paul tells us in Romans 7 that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. From the fall of creation to present day there is not one man among us who has sought God on his own accord. (Romans 3) It is the Spirit that draws us, and it is the accomplished work of Christ that has saved us. Jesus Himself thanked the Father for all those given to Him and also said not one would He lose.

If we are to be disciples and follow the commands of spreading the Gospel; it is of the utmost importance that we truly understand the only thing we have contributed to our salvation is our sin. Or as folks living in the holler would say…God's done it all!

So what is the mission of the church? I think a better place to start would be to the individual believer. If we don't get this part right then the church suffers. What is the chief end of man? It is a simple one… You ready for this?… it is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We are image bearers of God created to reflect the truth of God by sharing the Gospel. As image bearers, we are covering the face of the earth with the GLORY of GOD.

What does that literally look like in our day to day lives? Walking in communion with Christ, other believers, worshiping Him in spirit and truth, and crying out to a lost world that He has risen. As one body, we do this together. So the Laity consists of the sheep that are under the governorship of the pastors/elders. We are the hands and feet of Jesus who have been appointed to different tasks and gifts that are all used in unison to build up the body.

Who is the Church? The Body of Christ, Laity and Clergy in Partnership.

I think it is important to start by saying that not every church is a church. Jesus Himself said there are some places that are synagogues of Satan. Out of the Reformation came three strong ideals that were seen as characteristics of the true church:

1. Faithful preaching of the Word.

2. Right understanding and practices of sacraments - the Lord’s Supper and baptism.

3. The right practice of “church discipline”.

Are people living the way Jesus commanded them to? Are lives being transformed into the image of Christ? Another way to say it would be, are we confronting the sin among us? Are we loving people to Christ or unlovingly watching them walk their way to hell? We aren’t demanding perfection but the Lord commands our obedience to Him and His Word. And, in my experience, God has used the body, my kids, and my spouse to pour me out like a drink offering in order to sanctify my wretched soul. He has used all things, including my sin, to break me and make me whole. I am clay in the Hands of the Potter. Praise be to God for His unfathomable love for His people! God reveals Himself through His people. The Church is all those who believed by faith in Christ from the beginning to the end. Past, present, and future. The walls of denominations come down and we are One mind, One body, and One in Christ.

So together we work in unison with the clergy to spread the Gospel and hold together the sanctity of the Church. We are under the headship of Jesus Christ and all things come through Him and from Him. We are to serve together, pray together, take communion together, and we are to spread the good news to the world as we witness God build His Church. The role of the elders/pastor is not to entertain us nor is it their sole responsibility to fill the pews. If the only reading of Scripture you are hearing comes from church, then I would beg you to cry out to God and ask Him to open your eyes and give you a desire to know Him deeper.

Let me also remind you that the leaders have been placed in their positions by God but at the end of the day they are still men. Are you praying for them? Are you encouraging them? Are you being submissive to their authority as they lead, teach, and guide? Are you praying for their family? They will give an account to the Lord for every deed and word they have taught. That is a heavy load to carry. Are you helping to carry their crosses?

Let me remind you, Jesus did not suggest fellowship. He lived it and commanded it. You are to be active in the body and you are to be seeking and searching for God away from the church as well. The Gospel should never be a portion of your life; it is your life. It is the very foundation upon which you live and breathe. And if you are not doing that or maybe if church is just an afterthought for you, then my dear friend, something is wrong. I pray God grants you forgiveness and healing from your wounds. I pray that He opens your eyes so that you see the love and bond that is shared among the believers. I pray that you see the grace He has shown us by allowing us to join with other believers in worship, praise, prayer, healing, restoration, and most of all, love. There is no greater love in this world than the love one believer has for another. Afterall, we are a forever family and will spend eternity together. How precious is that?

What is the role of the Laity? The Call, The Command, The Commitment, and The Community.

Acts chapter 2 sums up the role of the body and how the church should function. We are to present ourselves as living sacrifices joined together in fellowship. We are called and commanded to go out into the world and be a light. We are commanded to love one another, pray for one another, and support one another. Were you aware that you have the ability to heal one another?

Love conquers all things. It covers a multitude of sins. We have in us the Spirit of God granted to us in grace. We are a family doing life together. We are to carry the burdens of our brothers and sisters. Rejoice when they rejoice and mourn when they mourn. One of the things I have taught my daughters is, see a need meet a need. Meaning, if you see something that needs to be done, do it. Don't wait around to be told or asked. Step up and help. We all work together to accomplish all things. No matter how big or small.

What is the purpose of the Church?

To be a tool of God’s grace and continue the work of Jesus.

So let's address now the purpose of the church. Matthew 5 tells us we are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. We are the bearers of God’s grace to a dying world. The main focus of the church is the Gospel. If the churches focus is on gifts, deliverance, or any other teaching other than the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then the church has failed. What is the Gospel message? The Gospel is not something you can live. The Gospel message is that Jesus stepped down from His throne in glory to be a suffering servant. He lived a perfect obedient life to God’s law. He was tempted in every way but without sin. He was persecuted, beaten, and crucified by the ones He came to save. Nailed to a cross where he took on the full wrath of God for the sins of the church. He was buried and was resurrected and now He sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for the saints. He has conquered death and freed us from all bondage and defeated the enemy. He has overcome that which we could not. He is our deliverance. It has never been nor will ever be, Jesus plus works.

We are the church.

In conclusion, our sole purpose in this life is to glorify God and enjoy Him. We are clay in the hands of the Potter, being molded and shaped day by day to look more like our Creator. We are shedding the old and putting on the new. We are like-minded people doing life together and walking out our sanctification together. We possess a shared truth, power, and purpose. We have a common cause. We serve a relational God who has built in us a desire for relationships. Without that, we are left to our own demise and to our own desires. Our life becomes a “me-centered” world.

Church is not a spectator event. Let me tell you like I tell my family, it's not all about you. When I die; I want the Gospel message written on my tombstone because it's all about Jesus. He is more important than anything in this life. Christianity is not an individual experience or a private one. It is communal. We die to ourselves every morning when our feet hit the floor and we obey the command of our Lord to share to all who will hear what is the joy and hope of our salvation, Jesus. I will close with this. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor who was imprisoned for years and separated from the flock of Christ during the Nazi war, said this about the church. “The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer, a physical sign of the gracious presence of the triune God. How inexhaustible are the riches that open up for those who by God’s will are privileged to live in the daily fellowship of life with other Christians. Let him who has such a privilege thank God on his knees and declare it is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in fellowship with other brothers and sisters.”

If Only One

The Burden of Bible Reading

By Bradford Smith · 15 Jan 2025

How’s your One-Year-Bible-Reading plan going?

It’s January 15th, as of this writing. Are you still hanging in there? Have you missed any days? Maybe you’ve given up already. I have a better question maybe. How’s it really going, in your heart?

No Burdens in Christ

Listen, Christ came to free His people from their burdens. The Gospel message is a message of liberation, a message of freedom. As such, any message that puts a burden upon the backs of the people is not from God, and I mean, any message.

Yes, this includes the burden of Bible reading.

The only biblical burden I find is the burden of the saved for the lost, and this is a good thing. We ought to feel a burden to proclaim the glorious riches of God’s grace to the lost, but what about Bible reading?

The Bible, a Treasure

The Bible is a treasure.

Have you ever considered the implications of what having the Bible means? The God of the Universe, the Creator and Sustainer of all things chose to reveal Himself to us through His word and He “has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the full knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” (2 Peter 1:3) He has literally given us everything we need to be saved and to live in that salvation, to walk it out.

He has withheld nothing from us. In fact, He has given us “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 1:3) He has given us Himself. He has given us Jesus, and the Word is what reveals Him to us.

The Bible is literally “God-breathed”, inspired by God and it’s doing something. It’s “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) The Word of God equips the people of God for the work of God through the Spirit of God. What a treasure, what a jewel! It is “living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

David tells us that that the Bible is “perfect, restoring the soul,” that it is:

“sure, making wise the simple,

right, rejoicing the heart,

pure, enlightening the eyes,

clean, enduring forever.” (Psalm 19:7-9)

He goes on to tell us that they [His commands, His word, i.e. the Bible] “are more desirable than gold, even more than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.” (v.10) He continues with, “Moreover, by them Your slave is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.” (v.11) What a blessing, that He has given us His Word!

The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119, an entire chapter about His word, His precepts, His commands, His statutes, in other words, an entire chapter about the Bible. His “word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) How could I know how to live without it? How could I know what to do without it? How could I ever know Jesus without it? Well, in short, I can’t. Impossible.

The Bible is necessary, essential to life and salvation and holiness.

“I have treasured your word in my heart, that I may not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11) Treasure it in your heart, store it up.

Read it. Study it. Meditate upon it. Memorize it. Obey it.

Just don’t make it a burden or put that burden upon another.

One Year?

Have you ever asked that question?

Listen, reading the Bible in a year is a good thing. No doubt. Reading the Bible in a month would be a good thing? Is reading the Bible in two years or even three somehow less of a good thing?

What do men do, but excel at putting the burden of righteousness, the burden that Christ has liberated us from, right back upon the backs of the people. Well-meaning Christians do it. Preachers do it. I’ve done it for sure.

In 2019, I read the entire Bible in a year, and it was a blessed year for sure. I had read the entire Bible through in a year previously, but it had been several years. I attributed and still do, the blessedness of 2019 to my consumption of God’s word among other things. I set my heart that this would be my habit for the rest of my life. I did it in 2020, again in 2021. 2022, yep. 2023 for sure.

My Bible reading app encouraged this. Each morning, I’d dutifully open my Bible, read for 15 to 20 minutes and receive my check mark as a reward. The others I’d invited to read with me could also see my progress, my piety, my faithfulness. It kept track of my streaks and if I missed a day, I could always catch up, but if I missed two days, I’d be challenged to make it up due to time requirements and would find myself confronted with the difficult decision of going ahead and checking off the reading I hadn’t done, in essence, lying to myself, and the app, and my Bible friends about my progress, my piety, my faithfulness.

Something changed.

My reading became mechanical, a chore, a duty to be performed and somehow, if I didn’t read the entire Bible in a year, somehow my walk was lesser. Again, who decided that reading the Bible in a year was somehow the standard? Sounds eerily similar to the extra-biblical requirements placed upon the people by the rabbis through rabbinical tradition, not from God’s Word.

To What End?

In 2024, I set down the burden of yearly Bible reading.

I read the Bible every morning. Every day, I consume God’s word in some way. I read it, study it, memorize it, meditate upon it. Most evenings, it is the last thing I consume, but I don’t bind my conscience to an arbitrary standard anymore. The relief was palpable.

Please, read the whole Bible in a year as you feel led! If you’ve never read the entire Bible, you should, and why not do it in a year, but understand this. You don’t have to! It’s not a measure of performance. God is not somehow disappointed in you if you don’t. Your walk is not less than that of another who continues the practice.

Most of all, remind yourself of the treasure that God’s word is and ask God to give you a hunger for His word and maybe, just maybe, you’ll find yourself reading it more than ever. Now, get back to your app!

If Only One

“If you love me, you’ll obey me,” - Not a Litmus Test, but a Promise

By Bradford Smith · 15 Aug 2024

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. (John 14:15)

The words of Jesus seem simple enough.

We see here a conditional clause, validating the believer’s love for Jesus. If you truly love Jesus, then you will obey Him. The result of our love is obedience to Him. The converse must naturally imply, if you don’t keep His commandments, then you must not love Him, or maybe it’s a spectrum. The more you obey Him, the more you love Him. The less you obey Him, the less you love Him.

Easy right?

But what about when you aren’t obedient? What about when you struggle? I don’t know about you, but I fall short in obedience EVERY SINGLE DAY. Not a day goes by that I don’t struggle with obedience, that I don’t fail in some way.

The Burden

Any teaching that places a burden upon the believer is not of God.

Repeatedly, Scripture proclaims the freedom we find in Christ. Jesus proclaims, “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36) Writing to the church in Corinth, Paul says, “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) To the church in Galatia, he writes, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free.” (Galatians 5:1a) He goes on to admonish them, “therefore, stand firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” (v1b) Paul simply cannot believe that the Galatians, having been set free from the curse of the Law, the burden, have sought to pick it back up again, “how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?” (Galatians 4:9)

As we are all legalists deep in our hearts, what do men excel at, but putting a burden upon ourselves, picking the burden back up. The church is sometimes an unwitting accomplice in putting a burden back upon the believer, the burden of obedience, the burden of evangelism, the burden of works amongst others.

To be sure, we ought to obey Christ and there is a sense from Jesus in which our obedience to Him does indicate that we love Him. Certainly, if you have no desire to obey Him, no inclination to follow Him at all, never feel any conviction from the Spirit, then why on earth would you declare that you love Him? That doesn’t even make sense.

A Foundation for Freedom

Yet, there’s a deeper and better interpretation, truer to the freedom we find in Christ.

“If you love me,” Jesus declares. Do you love Him? Well, that depends. There are days where I roll out of bed “on fire” for Jesus. I am filled with His Spirit, basking in His grace which He has lavished upon me, longing to declare the glorious riches of His grace. There’re other days where I’m not even sure I’m a Christian (I’m speaking in hyperbole here, because of the blessed nature of assurance in Christ). The point is, I am hot and cold. Sometimes I bask in the waters; other times I languish in the desert. Let us not base our assessment upon the fickle and sometimes fleeting nature of human affections.

There’s an infinitely stronger foundation. John writes, “We love, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) My love finds its firm footing in the love of Christ, the love that is eternal, unchanging, never-ending, fierce and unwavering. From eternity past, Christ fixed His eyes upon His people and has never nor will He ever relent. Here, I start to find assurance. Here, I find some rest. No matter how I feel in the moment, I know that God’s love for me endures, and this is the basis of my love for Him.

From the foundation of God’s love for me, I can resolutely declare that I love Him, that I do love Jesus.

A Precious Promise

From here, we begin to behold a promise rather than a command, a precious and very great promise of God. (2 Peter 1:4) Since, considering His love for me, I can declare resolutely that I do love Jesus, the second half of the sentence comes to life, “you will keep my commandments.” Here we have the promise of obedience, the promise of sanctification.

As a Christ follower, a Christ lover, I simply cannot continue in sin, in disobedience. I have the Holy Spirit of God indwelling me. It is the power of God working in me to sanctification. (Philippians 2:13) Is the Holy Spirit any less irresistible in our sanctification than He is in our salvation? By no means!

Beloved of Christ, take heart. Though you languish now, it is but for a season. God will not let you languish for too long. God will not let you walk too far from Him. God will call you to obedience. God will grant you repentance. It is as sure as the rising of the sun. As a Christian, you do love Jesus, so rest in the promise of your obedience. Let Jesus’ words be a balm to your weary soul.

If Only One

To the Christian wrestling with sin and shame…

By Bradford Smith · 03 Jul 2024

…I’d like to offer you some encouragement.

…you are not alone.

The Apostle John writes, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8) What is the surest way to deceive yourself? In your self-righteousness, to deny your sin, to claim that you have no sin. Two verses later, he concludes, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:10)

Sin is that terrible unifier. All men are born into sin and even after salvation, wrestle with the flesh until that glorious day, when we will be freed from the very presence of sin in death. Even the Apostle Paul, lamenting his own struggle writes, “For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15) Though he doesn’t specify his struggle, he is so disgusted by his sin he writes, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24)

Regrettably, many churches and denominations teach the possibility of sinlessness, the possibility of attaining such a status by the things that you do, along with a possibility of losing salvation, or even giving it away because of sin. I heard a pastor once claim that he couldn’t remember the last time he had “willfully” sinned. I cannot imagine the burden statements such as this and the accompanying theology must place upon his congregants. For me, I don’t have to look back much further than this morning, yesterday at the most.

You are not alone.

…your struggle is not unique.

Your struggle is uniquely yours, but it is not unique that you struggle, nor is the nature of your struggle. Paul writes to the church in Corinth, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) Whether it be substance abuse, violence, sexual sin, pride, laziness, gluttony or an amalgam of many, which is most likely, understand that someone somewhere struggles with the same things as you, probably right there in your own circle.

The church is horrible in this regard, putting up pretenses of having it all together. I still remember my shock, as a new convert, at discovering that folks in the church still struggled with sin. The married couple that always seems to have it all together doesn’t. That man who is always so joyful wrestles with depression. The confident fellow is wracked with doubt. The nice lady who sits two pews over battles pornography. Even your pastor, yes, even your pastor, wrestles with something, many somethings. He just may not have anyone he can talk to about it.

Your struggle is not unique.

…there is no condemnation.

Not coincidentally, after spelling out his own personal struggle, Paul pens some of my favorite words in all of Scripture. “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) Hear Paul. Believe Paul. There is no condemnation, not now, not ever, for those who are in Christ Jesus. Say it out loud if you need to. No condemnation. Repeat it. Preach this to your burdened soul.

Do you really think that God is going to tear up your adoption papers?

Do you really believe that God is going to revoke your citizenship?

Is God going to disown you, his beloved child?

What beautiful truth is this assurance! I remember once, wallowing in the pit of despair and self-loathing at my sin, when the Spirit came upon me as a flood, reminding me of this great truth. There is no condemnation. Period. My soul exalted at this liberation. My spirit soared. My burden lifted. God does not condemn me! He will not. As such, I’ll not condemn myself. What freedom we find in this knowledge.

…ignore the lies of the devil.

He is the accuser of the brethren. (Revelation 12:10)

The Devil tempts us to sin though we cannot be tempted with that which we do not already desire in our flesh. (James 1:14) He cannot manufacture sinful desires, but he can inflame them, offer the opportunity to succumb to them, tempt us to fall. And when he is successful, what does he do, but launch the fiery darts of accusation.

How can you do this?

You must not really be a Christian.

No Christian would ever do the things you’ve done.

If anyone knew what you did, they would reject you outright.

Lies! Blasphemous lies, though I myself have wrestled with many of these accusations, particularly the one about the rejection of others. Hear the words of the Lord, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” (Zechariah 3:2) What a glorious notion. As you stand before the Lord with the accuser launching his attacks, God turns to Satan and condemns him, not you! Hallelujah!

…our sin ought to grieve us.

Let us not gloss over the wretchedness of our sin.

In sin, you break fellowship with God. I am never not a son, but as John writes, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (1 John 1:6) Our sin grieves the Holy Spirit of God and breaks fellowship with him.

Allow me to explain. A man was watching from his office window upstairs as his son and a friend played ball in the front yard. At some point, the ball wound up across the street. The son and his friend ran to the edge of the road and the father could see that they were talking about crossing the road to get the ball, something strictly forbidden without permission. The father could see the friend seeming to try and coax the son into going to get the ball. The father could almost hear him saying, “C’mon. No one will see. It’s safe.” Silently, the father prayed for his son and in a moment, the son said something to his friend and turned and ran toward the house, leaving the ball across the street. The father hastily sat back down at his desk when his son ran in, “Dad, will you come and play ball with me?” The father thanked God and joyfully got up and went out to play with his son. They had a sweet time of intimate fellowship. Now, had the son broken the rule and gone after the ball, he would’ve still been his son. There is nothing that would change that, but he would have broken fellowship with his father until a restoration.

It's the same for you and me. Our sin breaks fellowship with God.

…God won’t let you go too far.

We must look always to the precious and very great promises of God. (2 Peter 1:4)

Struggling believer, let me remind you of yet another great truth, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6) Here we find a precious and very great promise of God. He will not let you languish too long. He will not abandon you in your sin. He started a work in you, on the day of your salvation, and He will finish that work. He will bring it to completion. He will perfect it and you.

How can we be so sure? Paul goes on to write, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13) It is the power of God at work in you, the power of the Spirit, conforming you into the image of Christ. He may free you suddenly from the power and presence of a sin or, He may free you slowly over time, degree by degree until you awake one day and realize, “You know, I haven’t ____’d in awhile!”

Now, this is not to say we ought not to strive for holiness. As Paul also says, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12b) The believer ought to cultivate the work of the Holy Spirit through the ordinary means of grace, that is, the ministry of the Word, the fellowship of the body, and the administration of the sacraments. In these, the believer finds the spiritual nourishment and ultimately, beholds Christ. And as the believer beholds Jesus, he becomes like Jesus, and holiness necessarily follows. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

…God doesn’t delight in you any less.

O’ struggling believer, when the Father looks upon you, forevermore He sees one thing and one thing only, the very righteousness of Christ! It has been imputed to you, bestowed upon you. (2 Corinthians 5:21) He loved you from eternity past (Romans 8:29), set His affections on you, and even now, Zephaniah 3:17 is still true when he writes, “He will exult over you with joy,” and, “He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”

The next time you are tempted to despair, remember how God sees you, not in spite of your sin, but because of who He is, His great love and His great mercy, O’ precious son, faithful daughter. Because His very being is the foundation of His relationship with you, it will never and can never change. What good news this is!

God is perfecting you, but as He is outside time, He sees the finished product. He describes you and sees you as “perfected”, as in, work complete. Throughout John’s first Epistle, he describes you as “beloved.” Bask in this revelation.

…rejoice as you struggle.

He has given us the means of restoration. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) How many times will the Father receive our prayers, issue us forgiveness? Always, is the only answer.

Let the mortification of the flesh be a daily work, a daily battle. Yet, let us not fight, as we fail, from a defeatist position. No, rather let us glory and revel in the amazing fountain of grace that is the love of the Father. Let us struggle out of joy in the knowledge of assurance. Heaven and hell no longer hang in the balance. Let assurance be our vigor, His mercy and grace be our resolve. Amen!

If Only One

The Red-Letter Bible and the Doctrine of the Trinity

By Bradford Smith · 22 May 2024

There’s something about those red letters in the Bible.

Musician David Crowder sings about them, “then I read the red letters…when I read the red letters…Thank You, God, for red letters.” Anne Wilson echoes, “Red letters coming off the page…”

In 1901, Louis Klopsch published The Holy Bible: The Red Letter Edition. In it, the words, “universally accepted as the utterances of our Lord and Saviour” were printed in red.(1) Other publishers soon noticed the commercial success and followed suit with their own versions. Originally in KJV only, publishers quickly incorporated other red-letter translations. Today, red letter editions are so common that it is almost noteworthy to find one that doesn’t have the words of Christ in red.

There’s something about those red letters for sure.

Where’s the problem?

It’s a nuanced problem, with perhaps troubling second and even third order effects.

It has influenced my preaching in years past. I’d preach, “Well, David says this, or Paul says this or Peter says that…but, but the words of Jesus affirm this vital truth,” or something to that effect. As if the words of Jesus as recorded in Scripture bear more weight than those of the other authors of Scripture.

Here’s the problem. Heretics love the red-letter editions of the Bible.

If I can somehow delineate or distinguish the words of Jesus as separate from or even above the other words of Scripture, then I can start to build doctrinal positions that affirm my heretical beliefs, maybe even affirm my sinful lifestyle.

For example, you’ve heard it said, “Well Jesus didn’t say anything about homosexuality,” in an effort to find biblical support for the practice, or at least defer biblical criticism. “It’s only those Old Testament verses in Leviticus that say anything about it.” Well, is this true? Did Jesus never address the issue? Sort of, depending upon what you mean.

Who wrote the Bible anyway?

We see the divine nature of Scripture in the doctrine of plenary inspiration.

Paul tells us that “all Scripture is God-breathed,” or “inspired by God”. (2 Timothy 3:16) At the time, prior to the canonization of the New Testament, this referred directly to the Old Testament. Today, we may safely apply it to the totality of Scripture, the Old and New Testament. Peter similarly writes, “no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2 Peter 1:21) How could the authors have remembered all that they wrote, sometimes twenty or thirty years after the fact? Jesus promised the Apostles that He would send the Holy Spirit and He would “bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John 14:26)

The Bible is a supernatural book with both human authors and a Divine author, none other than the Holy Spirit of God, every jot and tittle of it. The words of Jesus. The words of Paul. The words of Moses, David, Luke, John, Amos, Daniel, Solomon (you get the point), all equally inspired. The Bible does not contain the word of God, it is the Word of God. This is the doctrine of plenary inspiration.

Divine Simplicity

Perhaps the least understood or discussed attribute of God is the attribute concerning His attributes, otherwise known as divine simplicity. God is simple, not simplistic, not elementary, but completely simple. He is His attributes. He does not possess love, He is love. (1 John 4:16) He does not possess holiness, He is holy. (1 Peter 1:15-16) God is light. God is life. God is righteousness. God is truth and so forth. “All that is in God is God.”(2)

As such, His simplicity is “the condition of being free from division into parts.”(3) God does not have parts. “God is not composite and is not susceptible of division in any sense of the word.”(4) God cannot be described as the composition of His attributes. This defines His essence, His very being. God is simple.

Simplicity and the Trinity

The patristic fathers appealed to simplicity to defend the Trinity, drawing a distinction between essence and persons.

God is three persons, existing as Father, Son, and Spirit differentiated only by their eternal relations of origin, that is paternity, filiation, and spiration. The Father, in paternity, is unbegotten. The Son is eternally generated (begotten) of the Father, known as filiation. The Spirit proceeds (spiration or eternal procession) forth from the Father and the Son. These eternal relations of origin describe the sole distinguishing characteristic of the members of the Godhead.

In divine simplicity, each person of the Godhead possesses a totality of the divine essence. In simplicity, what is true of the Father is true of the Son and the Spirit. Where the Father is, so therefore is the Son and the Spirit. They are of the same essence, with one single, unified will.

Simplicity and the Work of God

Since God is simple, we may safely say that every work of God is the one, singular and unified work of the Triune God.

Every member of the Godhead is equally responsible for every aspect of creation, providence, and redemption though we may just as safely describe specific aspects of God’s work as being appropriated by a specific member of the Godhead. Thus, we can describe the Triune work of salvation in fulfilling the Covenant of Redemption, the Pactum Salutis, as: God the Father chose (elected) those whom He would redeem, God the Son did the work of redemption on the cross, and God the Spirit applies the work of redemption to the hearts of His elect. These appropriations are consistent with the eternal relations of origin, but we must always stipulate the simplicity of God and the presence of the totality of His essence in every aspect of His work.

Simplicity and the Bible

Let’s return to our example.

Who wrote Leviticus 18:22, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination”? Likewise, who wrote Leviticus 20:13, “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act, they shall surely be put to death”? Well, Moses wrote these verses. From the doctrine of plenary inspiration, we know that the Holy Spirit wrote these verses through the mind, mouth, and hand of Moses. But are you ready for this?

Because of the doctrine of divine simplicity…Jesus wrote these verses. Color them red. To say that Jesus didn’t say anything about homosexuality is to deny the divine simplicity of the Triune God.

Likewise, who wrote 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God”? We know that Paul wrote this. Because of plenary inspiration, the Holy Spirit wrote it. Because of simplicity, Jesus wrote it.

We can safely apply the essence of the totality of the Godhead to all of Scripture. Color it all red, every last word of it. Let the heretics starve for material.

My favorite illustration of this is John chapter 3 whereby at some point, the words of Jesus and the words of John become indistinguishable. Where does Jesus stop talking, and John’s commentary start? Is it after verse 12? At verse 16? After verse 21? This is a beautiful illustration of plenary inspiration and divine simplicity in a single running monologue.

I liken the red letters to the chapter subtitles and even the verse and chapter numbers themselves, not inspired, not Scripture, added later by men to assist us in understanding Scripture. If we keep the red letters in this context, then we’re okay.

So, don’t get me wrong. You don’t have to burn your Crowder CD (not that anyone uses CD’s anymore). Keep listening to Way FM if you must. Don’t sell your red-letter Bible. I’m keeping mine for sure. I love it. Just know, and recognize, that which is of God and that which isn’t (like red letters).

We must first recognize and then vigorously oppose any idea or teaching that would seek to divide the word of God against itself.

References:

[1] Louis Klopsch, "Explanatory Note," in The Holy Bible: Red Letter Edition (New York: Christian Herald, 1901), p. xvi.

[2] Matthew Barrett, Simply Trinity (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2021), 137.

[3] Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (1949; repr., Ontario: Devoted Publishing, 2020), 39.

[4] Ibid.

If Only One

No Christian, God is Not Going to Judge You For Your Careless Words

By Bradford Smith · 05 Apr 2024

But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. (Matthew 12:36)

There it is. Right there. Jesus said it. Remember all those careless words you’ve spoken. Don’t speak careless words! It says every careless word. God will judge you for them…

Sigh.

I guess at this point, it shouldn’t astonish me how quickly works creep in, how quickly men who’ve been delivered from a burden seek to pick it right back up. In fairness, as believers, we are all growing in the faith, growing closer to God and the truth. None of us has it all figured out.

In confession, I’ve taught this passage in this way before. Yes, you’ve been justified by faith, but in some way, you will have to give an account for your idle or careless words. Idle and careless words could mean many different things, easy to define per Scripture, but I could never really explain just how we might have to give an account.

Perhaps that is because, as believers…we won’t. Allow me to explain.

Of Course, Context Matters

Jesus has healed a demon-possessed man, and the crowds are astounded. The Pharisees are rightly concerned at the attention Jesus receives from this miracle, so seeking to undermine the veracity of His miracle, they make an accusation against Jesus, “This man does not cast out demons except by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.” (v. 29) The text about careless words is a part of Jesus’ response…to the Pharisees.

The Pharisees are Jesus’ audience in this context.

First, He corrects their accusation and then redirects them to the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. It is, in fact, the Pharisees who are in sin by attributing the works of God to the devil. The Pharisees are not regenerate. They are unsaved. Jesus provides further evidence for this, their words.

A good tree only produces good fruit, He says. (v. 33) Calling them a “brood of vipers,” he questions “how can you, being evil, speak what is good?” (v. 34) He is speaking to “you” the Pharisees. The principle is this. “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” (v. 34) The Pharisees are evil, and their evil words testify to this fact. You can imagine their response, their defense, “well, how are our words so evil? Surely not all our words are evil?” Jesus puts the nail in their coffin, so to speak, speaking about “every careless word.” Every single careless word is evidence against them, a very condemning thought. Think of the sheer volume of careless words you’ve spoken. The Pharisees are no different. Verse 37 helps us finalize Jesus’ intent, “by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned,” still speaking to the Pharisees.

Let us summarize, the Pharisees are self-righteous, believing that their righteous deeds could justify them. Jesus confronts them with their wickedness and specifically, with the wickedness of their careless words, which will indeed be their condemnation.

The Principle of the Matter

Don’t get me wrong. There is principle here for the believer. One of the greatest indicators of the condition of the heart is the words spoken. A heart still hardened by the deceitfulness of sin will certainly generate uncharitable speech, ungodly words. I still recall my daughters coming home from a friend’s house shocked by the nature and type of speech they overheard from their friend’s mother toward their father, all indicative of an unrepentant heart.

There ought to be a difference for sure. A believer ought to speak careful words. Scripture is abundantly clear on the matter. Solomon’s Proverbs offer numerous thoughts:

When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. (Proverbs 10:19)

David weighs in:

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! (Psalm 141:3)

As does Paul:

But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness. (2 Timothy 2:16)

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths. (Ephesians 4:29)

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. (Ephesians 5:4)

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Colossians 3:8)

The Lord’s brother cautions us,

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. (James 1:26)

Not only should our words be careful, but they ought to be useful as well, helpful. As Paul clarifies, the Christian ought to speak “a word as is good for building up what is needed, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” (v. 29b) Our words ought to yield fruit, the edification of the body of Christ, the building up of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

But what about when they don’t?

The Law and the Gospel

I don’t know about you, but I’ve spoken a million careless words.

I’ve spoken harshly to my sons, harshly to my wife. My natural tendency is toward criticism and sarcasm. I’ve spoken without thinking, carelessly, time and time again. I’ve inherited my father’s booming and even terrifying voice. It carries and I’ve seen all my children tremble before my words. I’ve gossiped. I’ve slandered. I’ve reviled. I’ve tolerated gossip and slander and reviling. I’ve used my words to deliberately hurt people that I love. I’ve lied. I’ve lied by commission, and I’ve lied by omission. Worst of all, I’ve done these things, spoken careless words, today even, certainly yesterday. My words have been a cesspool of iniquity. Jesus will need some extra time with me on that day, to ensure I get a full accounting.

What about you?

Writing to professing believers, John reminds us in his first Epistle, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8) Just two verses later, he affirms, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” (v. 10) Every believer still struggles with sin and will until the Lord calls them home, and it might be tempting to become discouraged when you still wrestle with uncharitable speech but thank God for the imputed righteousness of Christ!

The Law of God requires perfect, perpetual obedience and Christ satisfied that. This is the active obedience of Christ. The good news of the Gospel is that He did this on behalf of every believer. We have become the very righteousness of Christ! (2 Corinthians 5:21) When God looks at me forevermore, He doesn’t see Brad the quick-tempered, sarcastic, and sometimes malevolent speaker of harsh words. No, He sees only the righteousness of Christ!

What freedom there is in this, the freedom to fail, to not be perfect.

Paul writes, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) Say it again, out loud if you need to. There. Is. No. Condemnation. Period. Now, in sanctification, as God conforms us into the image of Christ, our sin ought to decrease over time. For sure, my words today ought to be better than my words yesterday and for me, they are. But it is certainly an up-and-down road, a battle, a fight, and when I fail, when I lose control of my words, it ought to grieve me as it grieves the Holy Spirit. Yet, I do not grieve in anticipation of future judgment, only in remorse at betraying my new nature in Christ and the great grace that has been lavished upon me.

It is to put oneself dangerously close to being in league with the accuser of the brethren to pick back up the burden of obedience, in this case, of careful words. How frequently might the enemy have discouraged this growing Christian but for a reminder of the imputed righteousness of Christ my King!

On That Day

There is a sense that my careless words might result in judgment, in that they yield temporal consequences. I have certainly experienced the consequences of careless speech and in some way, I still am feeling the consequences. However, that’s not what the Jesus is talking about here. Jesus is talking about that day, “the day of judgment”.

So, let’s get back to that day.

Do you really think you’ll show up in heaven and before proclaiming “well done,” He’s going to pull out your report card, your evaluation report, your grading rubric and, “Let’s see, on Tuesday, March 12th, you were short with your wife. On that same day you were sarcastic with your daughter. On Wednesday you…” You get the picture. How absurd that sounds when you say it out loud.

No. Trust in this. As Jesus loves His people with a perfect love, He is going to be much more joyous to see you than you will be to see Him. All judgment for the believer has been poured out on Christ at the cross. Nothing more needs to be done. Speak careful words, certainly. Yet, rest and trust in the completed work of Christ on the cross.

“It pertains to eternal rewards,” some might claim, not judgment in terms of salvation. Allow me to ask in response, if Christ is everything and in salvation, I have Christ, then what more could there possibly be? I’ve become increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of varying degrees of rewards in heaven and addressed it here.

Beloved, refuse to pick back up the burden of works, nor let anyone place it back upon you, be it a church, a pastor, or anyone else for that matter.

“It is finished!” O blessed words.

If Only One

Why Matthew 7:21-23 is not the Scariest Passage in the Bible

By Bradford Smith · 22 Mar 2024

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

Matthew 7:21-23

I used to think that these were the scariest words in all of Scripture. Imagine men and women showing up on that day, judgment day, fully convinced of their own righteousness, their destiny in heaven, only to find out otherwise. I imagined their shock and horror, their terror as Jesus spoke those most ominous words, “I never knew you; depart from Me.” These were good “Christian” people, maybe raised in the church, maybe they went on a mission trip, a Sunday school teacher, people I likely knew and loved. I used to think this was a fearful notion until…

…until I reckoned the sovereignty of God. The blessed doctrines of grace give great comfort in that God is sovereign over all things, including salvation. “Salvation is of the Lord,” is the clear testimony of Scripture. (Psalm 3:8, 62:1, Jonah 2:9, Revelation 7:10) God is the author of salvation from eternity past to eternity future and He secures salvation for His people, apart from anything we would do or have ever done. What great comfort Jesus gives us in preaching that He will not lose one of His sheep! (John 10:27-29)

…until I fathomed the justice of God. All men receive either mercy or justice. No man receives injustice. God’s justice is perfect and had He desired, He would’ve been just as good, just as much God, had He killed us all and sent us to hell a long time ago, me included. The more I follow Christ, the more I see my own wretchedness, my own bankruptcy, my own deserved condemnation, but by the grace of God.

…until I came to understand justification. The blessed words of that great Apostle Paul ring clear, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Grammatically and theologically speaking, all three are a gift: grace, salvation, and faith. Yes, even our faith is bestowed upon us, granted to us. (Philippians 1:29, 2 Timothy 2:25) When asked the question, “How did you get saved?” the only appropriate response must come in the 3rd person singular, “Because He…” If ever I place any of myself in that sequence and start to say, “Well I repented” or “I believed” and that’s why God saved me, then I’ve got it backward, placing conditions for salvation upon me or my actions. Here I begin to tread back into Matthew 7 territory, but an increasing understanding of what justification by faith signifies keeps me ever more secure.

…until I rested in assurance. How sweet is the perseverance of the saints, that we may rest in Christ knowing that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) How blessed that the saint is forever sealed of the Holy Spirit, never to be lost. (Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 8:29-30) In that assurance, we rest. We rest from our works, our self-righteousness, “For we who have believed enter that rest.” (Hebrews 4:3) I work out of gratitude because I love Jesus, my Lord and Savior. His commands are no longer burdensome because heaven and hell no longer hang in the balance. Amen!

As such, in Jesus’ words, where I once saw fear, I now see comfort. No follower of Christ would ever stand before the Lord and declare their own works as righteous. No, we know and believe that our works merit nothing in the eyes of the Lord, and because I rest only on the active obedience of Christ in His life, and the completed work on the cross in His death, I rest secure, assured. The words of Jesus here only confirm and strengthen my faith in this regard, to God be the glory.

If Only One

Which Bible Translation Should You Read?

By Bradford Smith · 07 Mar 2024

Which Bible translation should you read?

This seems like one of the most basic questions a believer ought to ask. There is literally a mountain of Bible translations along with passionate defenders of each translation—I see you, KJV only brothers! So, what about you?

The Best Translation

Well, the best Bible translation is no translation at all.

If you want the word of God unfiltered, then learn biblical Greek and/or Hebrew and read the Bible in its original language. The unbelievable and blatantly supernatural mountain of New Testament manuscripts has enabled scholars to assemble a New Testament with remarkable accuracy, certain of its faithfulness to the original autographs. Most modern translations are based upon one of two textual bases, the Textus Receptus for the King James/New King James version and the 28th edition of the Nestle-Aland for most others.

There are tons of resources available to help you in this regard. It will take years to develop even a modicum of proficiency, but it’s doable. I know several men who are proficient in Greek and their ability to read the Bible in its original language aids them greatly. However, even if you never become proficient in Greek—spoiler, you probably won’t—even a basic knowledge of the Greek language will do nothing but assist you in your biblical studies.

So, for the rest of us mortals, which translation should we read?

What Does God Want?

A better question might be, which translation does God want us to read? God cares about His words. Words matter. They matter to God, and He has much to say about His word. He writes:

You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. (Deuteronomy 4:2)

I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19)

To add to the word of God or take away from it is a serious matter, punishable under the wrath of God. Words matter to God. His word matters. Therefore, we ought not to change the word of God. The problem is that all translations, by necessity, change the word of God in some way.

Here, we must understand the difference between translation and interpretation as it relates to differing methodologies of translation. Per Merriam Webster,

Translate: to turn into one's own or another language.

Interpret: to explain or tell the meaning of: present in understandable terms.

If translators merely translated the original Greek word-for-word, we would be left with a frequently incomprehensible document. Languages do not always translate well word-for-word. Idioms, figures of speech, different cultural ideas and patterns of thought ensure this. In many cases, the translators must make an interpretive call as to what the author intended, as to what he meant. There is a spectrum from formal (word-for-word) to dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought).

Formal equivalence is a general word-for-word translation, a more literal approach, seeking to remain true to the original words while resisting interpretive calls unless necessary.

Dynamic equivalence is a more thought-for-thought translation, a more interpretive approach seeking to remain true to the original meaning.

Let’s look at a passage to demonstrate the difference between translation and interpretation. Examine the differences in Luke 9:44:

“Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” (NASB ’95)

“Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” (NIV)

Do you see the difference? The translators of the NASB translated the words of the authors and left the phrase, “let these words sink into your ears.” The NIV translators made an interpretive call, and for the record, I think a correct interpretive call, in interpreting the phrase as, “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you.” They interpreted the meaning. Here, the NASB translated; the NIV interpreted. It seems like the NIV got it right, but do you recall our original proposition, that we ought not to change the word of God. Words matter. God’s word matters.

Let’s examine another passage, Romans 2:4:

Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? (NASB ’95)

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (ESV)

Here you can see that the ESV adds to the text words not in the original which changes the actual meaning of the text. The text says that God’s kindness leads to repentance. The ESV softens it, paraphrasing it as, it is intended to lead to repentance, not that it actually does. It is just meant to. The ESV translators made an interpretive call and here, I believe it would stand against the meaning of the original text. Do you see the difference?

Now, by necessity all Biblical translations change the word of God some, falling somewhere on the spectrum from formal to dynamic equivalence. According to God’s own word, the translation that changes the text the least would be the most ideal translation. As such, we would consider translations closest to the formal equivalence end of the spectrum best.

The New American Standard Bible (NASB 1995 version), the King James/New King James Version (KJV/NKJV), the English Standard Version (ESV), and the newer Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) fall closest to the formal equivalence end of the spectrum, that is, they are the most literal.

Another factor to consider is translation motive and agenda. Unfortunately, we increasingly see agendas creeping into translations whereby the translators make interpretive calls that clearly reveal said agenda. For example, in the last two decades we see a proliferation of Bible translations with deliberately gender-neutral language which is not faithful to the original text. The 2020 version of the NASB is guilty as charged and for this reason, we favor the 1995 edition.

What about readability? Granted the less literal translations are easier to read for sure. Readability is important, but is it more important than remaining as true as possible to the actual words of the text? It’s not as if the literal translations cannot be understood. It may just require a bit of work on our behalf.

Avoid at All Cost

1. Paraphrases

A paraphrase is not a translation.

The most (in)famous paraphrase is The Message, published from 1993 to 2003 by Eugene Peterson. To his credit, he translated from the original language, but he uses highly idiomatic language and sometimes even contemporary slang. It is in on the extreme far end of the dynamic equivalence spectrum as Peterson makes interpretive call after interpretive call. Again, it is a paraphrase, not a translation. As such, The Message is not the Bible. The Living Bible, published in 1971, is another well-known paraphrase by Kenneth Taylor. Unlike Peterson, Taylor doesn’t even translate from the original language, instead choosing to translate from the 1901 American Standard Version. Read a paraphrase if you feel led but understand that it isn’t Scripture.

2. The Passion Translation

Also a paraphrase, The Passion Translation (TPT) gets a special mention because of its increasing prevalence. Similar to other paraphrases, it is the work of a single author, Brian Simmons, who claims that Jesus visited him in a vision commanding him to write a new translation of the Bible.

Unsurprisingly, Bill Johnson from the heretical Bethel Church in Redding, California praised the work as, “One of the greatest things to happen with Bible translations in my lifetime.” As their own website says, “The Passion Translation (TPT) is a heart-level translation (I’m not even sure what that means) that uses Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic manuscripts to express God’s fiery heart of love to this generation, merging the emotion and life-changing truth of God’s Word.”

Actual biblical scholars have not been as impressed:

Dr. Andrew Shead:

“Any church that treats it as such and receives it as canon will, by that very action, turn itself into an unorthodox sect.”

“To package it as Scripture is an offence against God.”

Simmons abandons “all interest in textual accuracy, playing fast and loose with the original languages, and inserting so much new material into the text that it is at least 50% longer than the original.”

“The result is a strongly sectarian translation that no longer counts as Scripture; by masquerading as a Bible it threatens to bind entire churches in thrall to a false god.”

Dr. Andrew Wilson

“It’s not a translation. It’s an interpolation, or a gloss, or (more bluntly) an addition.”

Compare the translation for the single text of 2 Timothy 4:2:

New American Standard Bible (1995): preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

The Passion Translation (TPT): proclaim the Word of God and stand upon it no matter what! Rise to the occasion and preach when it is convenient and when it is not. Preach in the full expression of the Holy Spirit-with wisdom and patience as you instruct and teach the people.

You can readily see that Simmons not only deletes Scripture, i.e. reprove and rebuke, but adds to it, even making things up that aren’t even remotely included. The discerning reader will avoid TPT at all costs. It’s not Scripture, but something else masquerading as Scripture often reflecting the dangerous theology of the New Apostolic Reformation.

3. The New World Translation

The New World Translation is also not a Bible.

First published by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in 1961, it is a heretical perversion of the Scriptures promoting the false theology of the Jehovah’s Witness cult. The danger is in its subtlety. To the undiscerning eye, it would be practically indistinguishable from the actual Bible. The addition of a word here. The removal of a word there. With a small change of an article from definite to indefinite, they produce a work that denies some of the fundamental basics of Christianity such as the deity of Christ.

We encountered this danger first-hand when we went to visit a friend, and her son came running up, “Mr. Brad, look at this Bible I got at a yard sale!” I took a quick look and “Yikes!” it was the New World Translation. Not to discourage the kid, I feigned interest and then later, subtly made it disappear after replacing it with another legitimate version.

Again, the undiscerning reader may not even notice, so subtle is the devilish work of the New World Translation and its authors. It is not the Bible.

My Translation Journey

My wife and I started attending church as a New Year’s resolution in January 2005 so, I needed a Bible. Not knowing anything, I bought a King James version and that is the version I read for a year or two until I tried reading it that is! For the record, I love my KJV and some Scripture just doesn’t sound right unless it is from the KJV, the 23rd Psalm comes to mind, or the Lord’s prayer. Yet, few modern readers could understand any of the original 1611 version, but even with the present version, the archaic language sometimes renders it impossible to understand. Consider a few examples if you will:

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. (Psalm 37:8)

I have no idea what it means to “fret not thyself in any wise to do evil,” and I’d suggest that neither do you.

Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. (Colossians 2:23)

Again, I have no idea what, “not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh,” means.

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. (Hebrews 2:18)

To succour? My spell check doesn’t recognize that word and neither did I, nor do you.

My first modern translation was the HCSB, the Holman Christian Standard Bible. My father-in-law gifted it to me and so I read it and I still have it and still love it. However, as I was appointed an elder in my church and began to preach occasionally, the other elders who used the ESV would joke about my HCSB, the Hard-Core Southern Baptist translation! I shrugged it off, but deep down I coveted their ESVs and wondered if I too should switch to the ESV, the translation preferred by my home church pastor and many of our theologically reformed brethren.

So, I took a chance. I bought an ESV thin line which I loved and preached from for several years. I wore it out, no kidding. The cover began to come off and so I inquired to my friend who runs Cherry Hill Bibles (www.cherryhillbibles.com) about rebinding it. I took his quote to my Distinguished Director of Resource Management who suggested in return that my tattered Bible possessed character, and that to rebind it would be to remove all its character. So, I prayed about a new one…

…and Mr. Neil, one of my deacons and best friends, got it for me. I couldn’t have loved a Bible more than my large print ESV preaching Bible. It had no notes or footnotes, only the word of God, in large enough print that I could almost read it without my glasses. He even had it imprinted on the front “Pastor Bradford Smith”. I just about burst with delight carrying it around. It was about this time that I invested in a Creel Preaching Notebook—sorry, he has since retired from making them. Coupled with my new ESV, I felt as if I could preach the paint off the wall.

Yet, my own teaching began to haunt me. The ESV was close to formal equivalence, but I increasingly noticed questionable interpretations in the text which forced me to continuously consult one other version, the NASB. Would I dare? How could I shelf Mr. Neil’s perfect gift?

Finally, I had to do it. I stepped out and bought a thin-line NASB, ’95 version mind you, and I’ve been in love ever since. Yet, I had one final step to take. I had to make amends.

As I moved on from the KJV, with its Textus Receptus textual basis, I found myself having scorn for the TR-based KJV and its contemporary ally, the NKJV. So ardent were the KJV-only constituents, and so unreasonable, that I found myself for several years holding them and their translation up to just as much contempt as they did for modern translations, though I’d never admit it publicly. Yet, the more I studied, I came full-circle and began to appreciate the TR and ultimately, I can’t believe I’m going to say this, the NKJV. The last Bible I bought for my recent mission trip to Peru was a parallel RVR 1960/NKJV and I absolutely love it. My NASB ’95 remains my main preaching/teaching text, but I still cherish and use the others.

I’m sure that my translation journey isn’t finished. I’ve yet to investigate the new Legacy Standard Bible, but I certainly intend to. In hindsight, it’s interesting how my journey through translations mirrored my own faith walk, my own journey in following Christ, and what a journey it’s been.

What About You?

In summation, we recommend without any reservation the NASB (1995 version), the Legacy Standard Bible, and NKJV. Read the ESV with caution, checking its interpretations against the more literal translations or the original language if able.

If you read another translation than these, pray about it, and read multiple versions. Compare the languages. Yet, as long as it’s an actual Bible, not a paraphrase, then you ought to read the one you have. If God desires you to switch translations, He’ll lead you in that regard, just as He did me.

Happy reading!

If Only One

It’s Okay Not to be Okay, Okay?

By Summer Martin · 01 Mar 2024

Are you okay?

Worthlessness. Inadequacy. Failure. Overwhelmed. Overstimulated. And numerous other words can be used to describe the “not okay” feeling that you may be feeling. And you know what? It’s okay to feel all of it. We are human, flesh and blood. We can feel the negativity that comes with life. It is guaranteed that we will face suffering, and that we will lament. We also know that we should, “Count it all joy my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.” (James 1:2) It is also true that we can have joy and lament at the same time. We can realize that God has placed us where we are for a reason, for the furthering of His kingdom.

But, so many of us do not realize that not being okay is okay. I mean, look at Job 3:11 when Job is asking why he didn’t die at birth; Jeremiah 15:18 “Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fall?”; and even Psalm 6:4 “Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love.”

As a Christian, I know my battle started the day that God called me His and redeemed me. When my husband and I got engaged, the battle escalated a little. Once we were married, guess what? The enemy tried a little harder. And now, as the wife to a wonderful, kind, caring man who is aspiring to eldership at our church, the enemy is trying even more to get between us. He, my husband, has been battling gluttony, laziness in studying God’s Word, cynicism, and anger while I was battling feelings of failure, bitterness, and inadequacy. Yes, I was slightly prepared for this new stage of battle because I knew that the closer we draw to our Father, the more the enemy will try using different tactics to cause division. However, I was not completely prepared for it.

I’m not okay.

Ever since my husband announced his aspiration to be an elder, the enemy has been leaving little thoughts in my head, such as “you’re doing a horrible job at being a wife”, “you’re a failure”, “you’re not good enough”, etc. etc. It has caused me to dip into a slight depression and even prevents me from opening up to my husband and communicating. I haven’t wanted to read my Bible, to pray, to journal, to be in discipleship, to clean the house, or to be a part of anything. I haven’t even been as excited to do children’s ministry with my husband on Wednesday nights. It wasn’t until a friend of mine came down that it all started to make a little more sense to me. We are one flesh. Genesis 2:24 reads, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” The enemy despises marriage, Christian marriage in particular. So, when a Christian couple who has become one flesh, decides to grow closer to God, and one aspires to eldership, how do you think the enemy reacts? You guessed it, the enemy is enraged and will do anything he can to come between us. Yes, I know that my husband loves me unconditionally, but the enemy will use past feelings and thoughts to create emotional instability.

But does that mean that it’s true?

Absolutely not. Instead of continuing to dwell and linger on those thoughts and keeping them to myself, I eventually sat down with my husband and discussed them. It took everything I had to come to him about it because the enemy kept telling me that it wouldn’t make a difference. We both realized that we would be coming under attack even more, and that we would need to be there for each other to protect our marriage. We would need to rely on God. We prayed together, and have been praying together, and it’s made a difference. Sitting down and reading God’s word makes a difference. Remembering whose I am makes a difference. “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)

In reading through “A Well-Watered Woman” these passages stood out to me: God will never leave our side (Hebrews 13:5); that it’s okay to not be okay in this fallen world, because in the end, when we are with Christ, it will be better than okay (2 Corinthians 4:8-12); that feelings that I feel in this world are not something to be frightened of because I can learn from them, and lean on my Savior in the midst of them (Psalm 63: 1-3).

Have you ever thought about Genesis 3:17-18 and how the thorns and thistles it speaks of when God tells Adam “because you have listened to the voice of your wife an have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field” lead to the crown that Christ wore when he was tortured? Christ himself became physically not okay here in this fallen world by graciously giving his body up to the pain he endured, so that we can be more than just okay forever in Him (Romans 5:8).

And that’s okay.

So why is it so hard for us to believe that it’s okay to not be okay? The world is constantly pushing out images, songs, movies, books, social media posts which makes it seem like everyone is living a life of abundance. And then we wonder what’s wrong with us. The world has this instantaneous need to have everything now, and to be “keeping up with the Jones’”, but that is not even close to what God called for His Apostles. They were charged with going out to various places with nothing but the clothes on their backs, no money, no food, no change of clothes. They would need to be okay with not having that security. The Apostles emptied themselves in order to be poured into by Christ so they could be used. That’s something I never really considered before until I watched a Paul Washer sermon. The Apostles completely giving themselves to Christ and the mission to spread the good news allowed Christ to use them. When we go through the not okay season, it is easy to just give up, to give in, but what if we...just abide. Now hear me out, I am not meaning to abide in the not okay, because we can acknowledge that feeling; but we rather continue and abide in God, the Holy of Holies, the Creator, the sovereign King, so that we can rely solely on Him.

The meaning of abide according to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, is an old English word signifying progressively to “await,” “remain,” “lodge,” “continue,” “dwell,” and “endure”. What if through our insecurities, through all the times that the enemy will attack us and feel as though we are beaten, bruised, and weakened that the only thing we can and should do is abide in Christ? Abide in His word. Abide in His authority. To remember that Christ did not shed his blood on the cross so that we would have to rely on ourselves, He did it so that we could rely on Him. On His grace that is sufficient.

With this journey that my husband and I have begun, it only stands true that we will more than likely face many more trials. That myself as his wife will still face those feelings of inadequacy and failure, but I will be able to recognize that it’s not I who live, but Christ in me.

If Only One

Total Depravity and Why It Matters

By Bradford Smith · 18 Jan 2024

Before we ever comprehend the grace of God, not that we could ever fully comprehend it, we must reckon with the wickedness of man. The cherished doctrines of grace are firmly anchored in a robust understanding of the doctrine of the depravity of man, total depravity as it were.

Terminology matters and we’ll not shy away from traditional terminology as some have chosen to do for the sake of clarity. Clarity demands either this or, for us, a clearly defined set of terms, understanding that theologians have oftentimes applied different labels to the same ideas.

Origins of Sin

We cannot examine the doctrine of depravity without first investigating its origin, for in its origin, we find a better grasp of its nuances. Anyone familiar with the issue will know where we’re headed. The proof text for the origin of sin we find in Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.

Romans 5:12

The one man sinned, Adam, and through his sin, both sin and death entered into the world, death being the judgement for sin. Why did death, that is judgement, spread to all men? Paul answers the question, “because all sinned.” Recognize for starters, that Paul wrote this prior to countless legions of people even being born. How on earth did we sin? The answer is in the grammar. The Greek word translated “sinned” is in the aorist indicative tense, a historical aorist tense, indicating a one-time completed action. Had Paul desired to speak to the individual sins committed and still being committed by people, he would have used either the imperfect (past) or present tense, but he didn’t. He is referring to the sin of Adam, that in Adam, all sinned.

Adam is our federal head. That is, he is the representative of all men and when Adam sinned, it is as if the rest of us did as well. His sin is imputed to us, transferred to us, credited to our account. Whether this is fair or not is beyond the scope of this work but suffice it to say that no one questions the fairness of Christ serving as the representative for redeemed humanity and having our sin imputed to Him as His righteousness is imputed to us.

Original Sin

When most people think of original sin, they think of the first sin committed by the man. In reality, original sin has two aspects to it, guilt and corruption, that in Adam, all men inherit a guilty verdict and a sin nature, a propensity to sin.

1. Guilt. Let’s address the legal aspect of original sin, our guilt. I like the term original guilt, sometimes called imputed sin or inherited sin. Adam was guilty of sin and received the judgement of death and as Romans 5:12 makes clear above, because all sinned in Adam, all have received the same judgement of death. Verses 18 and 19 firm this up. Paul writes that “through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men,” and that “through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners.”

One chapter later, he writes, “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23a) The wages, the result of our sin, is death. That all men die is the evidence for the universality of our guilty verdict. David speaks to both aspects of original sin in Psalm 51 writing, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” (verse 5) This verse doesn’t speak to David’s mother, but to David, as he repents of his sin with Bathsheba and here, laments his sin condition. Before he had done anything, at conception, he was “in iniquity, and in sin.” He was guilty, having inherited sin, original guilt as it were.

2. Corruption. David’s lament points us to the other aspect of original sin, that of our corruption, often called original corruption or original pollution. David laments “The wicked are estranged from the womb; These who speak lies go astray from birth.” (Psalm 58:3) We are estranged from God in the womb, as we’ve inherited a guilty verdict and a corrupted, sinful nature. As we are born, we lack much capacity to commit sins though I can see sin even in my young grandchildren. We go astray from birth and as we grow, we grow in our capacity to commit sins. A natural question pertains to the salvation of babies and young children though that is beyond the scope of this work.

A Heart Problem

Berkhof refers to the heart as “the central organ of the soul”. (174) The heart is the seat of emotion and will and in our sin, we have a heart problem. We’re born with it.

Solomon writes, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) The condition of our heart is a matter of great importance and Jeremiah reminds us, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick.” (Jeremiah 17:9) Our hearts have been completely and irreversibly corrupted by sin. “Who can understand it [the heart]?” Jeremiah laments. (verse 9b)

This sin condition of our hearts governs our very being. Paul reminds us that we are “dead in our trespasses and sin,” that we are, “by nature children of wrath”. (Ephesians 2:1-3) We are “darkened in our understanding…because of the hardness of their [our] heart” (Ephesians 4:17-19) We are not sick with sin, struggling with sin, afflicted by sin; we are dead in our sin.

1. The problem is universal.

Solomon writes, “that there is one fate for all [emphasis mine] men,” that “the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives.” As he concludes with finality, “Afterwards they go to the dead.” (Ecclesiastes 9:3) Paul draws the same conclusion:

There is none righteous, not even one;

There is none who understands,

There is none who seeks for God;

All have turned aside, together they have become useless;

There is none who does good,

There is not even one.

Romans 3:10-12

It is impossible to miss the universal scope of Paul’s conclusions. A few verses later, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Returning to the 5th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, we see that death spread to all men. Every single person born receives the guilty verdict and the inherited corruption of original sin.

2. The problem is irreversible.

“Try harder. Do better. Be good.” This is the mantra of many in not just the pagan culture of the day, but even within the modern church. The problem is, we lack the capacity in our sin. We lack the will.

Job testifies, “Who can make the clean out of the unclean? No one!” (Job 14:4) Jeremiah asks rhetorically, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?” (Jeremiah 13:23a) The answer is obviously a resounding “no”. The guilty sinner is unable to affect his condition in any way and really, wouldn’t even want to. The uncomfortable fact is that guilty sinners like being sinners and have no desire to follow God whatsoever.

The ways of God are ridiculous, insane, even stupid to the sinner. “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him;” (1 Corinthains 2:14a) There exists a satanic collusion as, “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)

The unregenerate man does not recognize his condition, is not even aware of it and wouldn’t care or desire to change his condition, even if that were possible, which of course, it isn’t.

What Do Sinners Do?

It’s simple, but important to get the order right. Because we are born corrupted, with a sin nature, we sin. It’s not that because we commit sins, we are therefore sinners. It’s quite the opposite. Because we are sinners, we sin.

Recall the condition of our natural hearts, completely bent against God. Jesus teaches, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and slanders.” (Matthew 15:19-20) Our sin condition, our wicked hearts, generate fruit and that fruit is wickedness, evil deeds, sins. “The evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” (Luke 6:45)

And there is no lamentation over sin from the sinner. We may mourn the consequences of our sin or the effects, but not the actual sin itself. In our sin, in our unregenerate condition, the difficult fact is that we like to sin. It’s stronger. “Men loved the darkness rather than the Light,” Jesus tells Nicodemus. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” (John 3:19-20) We love our sins and hate God and His anointed, Jesus. Scripture says that we are slaves to sin, unable and undesiring to free ourselves.

There is a war between the things of God and the things of the wicked heart, our flesh. “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another.” (Galatians 5:17a) Our very essence of being is completely opposed to God and the things of God.

This is the first fruit of our sin condition, the committing of sins, sinful acts, lacking any godly remorse. I have the unfortunate privilege of being an adult convert and I distinctly remember my sinful life. I sinned wantonly, only seeking to avoid punishment or consequences, having no regard at all for the ways of God. In fact, just like Scripture says I did, I considered the ways of God absolute foolishness along with anyone who might believe in such nonsense.

What Can Sinners Not Do?

Sinners sin, because they are sinners.

Sinners can never please God, nor would they desire to if they could. It’s not in their free [I’ll use the word] will. Their nature is to sin, to reject God in their sin.

Speaking of the things of God, Paul declares that sinners “cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” (1 Corinthians 2:14b) He cannot. This aspect of total depravity is sometimes called total inability. “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh,” Paul concludes. We have no redeeming qualities, nothing worthy of consideration in the eyes of God. As a matter of fact, Isaiah concludes that “all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.” (Isaiah 64:6)

Returning to Romans, we find that “those who are according to the flesh [all men] set their minds on the things of the flesh,” that is, sin. (Romans 8:5) “The mind set on the flesh [all minds according to the Bible] is hostile toward God…for it is not even able to do so [submit to God], and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (verse 6-8)

Total depravity is the condition of the unregenerate sinner whereby every aspect of their existence stands in opposition to God, is thoroughly and unchangeably corrupted.

What Can Sinners Do?

Sinners can certainly do good deeds.

I’ve known many unsaved men who were moral, upstanding men of character. My own father was the hardest working man I’ve met. He provided for his family, paid his taxes, sang in the choir etc., but he was unsaved for most of his life, right up until before his death. I worked with another man years ago who was the best man I’ve worked with. He worked hard, cared for his Soldiers, loved them even, and always did the right thing. But, he didn’t know Jesus, and we are told that his righteousness is a filthy rag in the eyes of the Lord.

All good deeds done by the unsaved are tainted by their sin. No matter how good the deeds look externally, no matter how upstanding their character appears to be on the outside, the deeds are corrupted because they spring from a corrupted heart and they can never, nor will they ever merit the favor of God.

Furthermore, no sinner is as bad as they can be all the time. Adolf Hitler had a mother and cared for her in her dying days to the point whereby her Jewish physician noted what a caring son he was. Can you imagine if people were as bad as they could be all the time? Sounds a lot like what hell would be like.

Thankfully, the common grace of God restrains sin. Common grace is found in the preaching of the Gospel. Where the Gospel is preached, things are just better. Common grace exists in the moral law, that God has written his law on the hearts of men. (Romans 2:14-16) Parental upbringing, laws that reflect God’s law, societal standards all serve to restrain sin and are a part of the common grace of God.

What Does It All Mean?

Where does total depravity leave us? What foundation does original sin build in our understanding of the doctrine of the grace of God?

It’s simple.

The depravity of man renders every man or woman ever conceived under the deserved judgement of God…unless God does something. Unless God does something…the sinner is helpless to help themselves and will one day perish in their sins and suffer for all eternity in hell.

Looking ahead to the New Covenant, God says through Ezekiel, “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” There it is. We need a heart change, a new heart. And God promises that He will do exactly that, that He will reach into our chests and remove our hearts of stone and replace them with a heart of flesh. This is the miracle of regeneration.

The Apostle John rests secure in the grace of God based upon the depravity of man. Speaking of salvation, John writes, “But as many received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13) It is the will of God that saves. Nothing more.

In His conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus expounds upon the idea. Unless someone is “born again”, they cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:3) Later, one must be born of the Spirit. (verse 5-7) Here, God acts in the miracle of the second birth, another term for regeneration. I didn’t decide to be born the first time just as I surely didn’t decide to be born a second.

In the 6th chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus brings to bear the full weight of our depravity and its effects upon salvation. “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” (John 6:44) Our sin has driven an impenetrable barrier between us and God, unless it is the Father who draws us to Jesus. Verse 63, “it is the Spirit who gives life”.

But God!

An understanding of the depravity of man magnifies the miracle of salvation and the grace of our Lord Jesus.

We are born guilty with a heart to sin, but God.

We would live our entire lives as rebels against a holy and righteous God, but God.

We could never change, nor would we desire to, but God.

We would deservedly suffer an eternity in hell, but God.

You can guess my favorite words in all of Scripture, “but God”! I imagine they were some of Paul’s favorites as well. He writes:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ.

Ephesians 2:4-5

The doctrine of the depravity of man clarifies that God is the author of salvation, from eternity past to eternity future. The doctrine of the depravity of man crushes any remnant of pride within the human heart. The doctrine of the depravity of man eliminates any ability of man to boast so that we only boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, just as it ought to be. (Galatians 6:14)

This is why getting depravity right matters.

If Only One

Suffer…to the Glory of God

By Summer Martin · 12 Jan 2024

When non-Christians consider suffering, they typically do not consider a Christian living a life of sanctification.

I have met a lot of people who think that it should be all rainbows and sunshine once God redeems you. I recently heard a talk given by someone, who I believe is a true believer-in-Christ, who said that “God doesn’t call us to suffer”. Insert that cartoon character whose mouth drops open, and eyes go wide. Yeah, that was me. Ahem, what?!

What the Bible Says

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. (1 Peter 4:12-16)

Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. (1 Peter 4:19)

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance. (Romans 5:3)

Defining Terms

To fully understand what it means to suffer, or face trials and tribulations, let’s look at some definitions.

According to the King James Version dictionary, a trial is defined as “experience; suffering that puts strength, patience on faith to the test; afflictions or temptations that exercise and prove the grace or virtues of men” as well as “temptation; test of virtue”.

Tribulation is defined by the same dictionary as “severe affliction, distresses of life; vexations. In Scripture, it often denotes the troubles and distresses which proceed from persecution”.

Finally, the definition of suffering is “The bearing of pain, inconvenience or loss; pain endured; distress, loss or injury incurred; as sufferings by pain or sorrow; sufferings by want or by wrongs”.

Common to all of these are afflictions or temptations, distress, and bearing pain. These are some of the things that we, as Christians, are guaranteed. James 1:2 does not say if, it says when. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,”. James goes on to say in verses 3-4 “for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”.

A Biblical Case Study

God does not tempt because he does not desire his people to sin. However, God will allow you to be tempted by the enemy for the glory of a sovereign God. It may be the same instance. It may be a trial for God’s purpose, and a temptation from Satan, simultaneously.

Look at the example of Job.

The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.” (Job 1:6-12)

Satan proceeds to take away Job’s donkeys, his sheep, his camels, and his children. In the next chapter, Satan causes Job to be covered in painful boils. During this time, Job could have come to God with complaints, and lost faith, but did he? NO! “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshipped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:20-21)

Final Thoughts

Just because you are a Christian, or a good person, that doesn’t mean that you are going to live a life full of puppies, rainbows, and sunshine. Life is hard. Life is challenging. Satan seeks to kill, steal, and destroy. BUT GOD. “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.” (Isaiah 48:10) Everything God does and allows is furthering his eternal purpose, His decree.

We go through the fires of afflictions, distresses, and vexations to refine us, just as a silversmith refines and purifies silver. Do you know why that is important, or how a silversmith does that? A silversmith holds a piece of silver over the fire letting it heat up. He must hold it in the flames where it is the hottest to burn away all the impurities. This silversmith must sit in front of the fire the entire time the refining process is happening because if he ever takes his eyes off it and leaves the silver in the fire a moment too long, the silver is destroyed. When it is complete and fully refined, the silversmith can see his image in it. In other words, we are sanctified in our suffering.

In sanctification, God infuses us with such grace that we become inwardly more righteous in our lives. Trials and temptations are just the refining fire that we endure. Paul writes, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB 95)

God is our silversmith, and we are the silver. He keeps his eye on us while we go through the fire of life's adversities so that He can pull us out lest we be destroyed. God is sovereign. God is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. God knew all before we were even conceived in our mother’s womb. God knew the trials and sufferings we would endure, but because HE IS GOD, and HE IS SOVEREIGN. These things happen for HIS GLORY.

That is why we count it joy when we face trials, that we know our faith is being tested to produce endurance, and our reward is not here on earth, but in the Kingdom of Heaven.

If Only One

Yes to Female Deacons—A Comprehensive Study

By Bradford Smith · 07 Dec 2023

“Why not make the declaration now?” I asked our assembled elders.

We’d been teaching through 1st Timothy in homegroup and in the coming week, chapters 3, verses 8-12 loomed, the qualifications for deacons. Women or wives? Which was it?

They all enthusiastically agreed.

Our church plant wrestled with the issue several years ago. We had five elders at the time, two fully convinced that female deacons were biblical and two either opposed or uncertain. The teaching elder and ostensible tiebreaker was on the fence. As we had not yet appointed deacons and wouldn’t for several years, we remained grid-locked on the issue, so we punted.

Fast forward several years, through the appointment of our first deacons, it seemed we were finally off the fence and ready to commit.

We affirm that God, as revealed in Scripture, allows for the appointment of female deacons.

Guardrails to Orthodoxy

God has given us several graces to keep the church within the bounds of orthodoxy.

1. He has given us His word and the Holy Spirit of God indwelling the believer to illuminate the truth of Scripture. This is a ministry of the Holy Spirit, Sola Scriptura as it were. Yet, we are not biblicists, we need other helps. Every heretic has a Bible verse.

2. Creeds and Confessions. For 2000 years, the Holy Spirit of God has been at work in the hearts of believers, and they have written things down which, though not on the level of Scripture, help serve as guardrails, keeping us within the bounds of orthodoxy. Our church affirms the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message and considers the 1689 London Baptist Confession a reasonable expression of the faith.

3. Church History. If you come up with an idea or an interpretation that has not been affirmed or practiced in the 2000 years of the church, that ought to be a red flag.

4. Church Universal. Consider the affirmation or practice of like-minded Christians.

5. Community. Contrary to contemporary notions, the primary place for the study of Scripture is the corporate gathering. For nearly 1500 years, no one had a Bible, many couldn’t have read one even if they had one. Corporate study drives our personal study.

As such, the elders of the Way set about to determine whether it was biblically permissible to appoint female deacons.

Fear of Liberal Slide

One of our previous elders readily admitted that the reason he would not agree with female deacons was a fear of being branded a theological liberal. To the best of my knowledge, not one of the Southern Baptist churches in our local association appoints female deacons.

Granted, the descent into theological liberalism is normally a long and gradual slide into heterodoxy. No denominations or churches wake up and say, “We’re going progressive.” Almost always, it starts with a denial of the inerrancy of Scripture followed by the appointment of female pastors or clergy. Like clockwork, the next step is the affirmation of same-sex marriage and the inevitable appointment of homosexual clergy. This is the pattern we’ve seen in the Episcopal, Lutheran, and now Methodist denominations amongst others.

Scripture describes two offices for God’s church, the office of elder and the office of deacon. Scripture uses the words for elder, pastor, and overseer or bishop interchangeably. They are the same office, the teaching and leading office of the church. And Scripture is clear that the office of elder is reserved for men, that men are to teach and lead the church. (1 Timothy 2:11-14, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9) Not only should women not occupy the office, but they ought not perform the function of the office, that is preaching and teaching to men.

The elders of the Way are in unanimous agreement in this regard, firmly complementarian in our convictions. To deny this is to deny the clear teaching of Scripture, its authority. God places equal value in women and men, and He gifts women for great service in the church, just not the office of elder.

Additionally, no historically reformed or conservative denomination has ever appointed female elders, and we’ve even seen the formation of entire new conservative denominations in response to the appointment of female elders.

Confessionally, chapter 6 of the 2000 BF&M reads, “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” Chapter 26.9 of the LBC also restricts the office to men.

Pretty clear, but what about deacons?

Of the Diaconate

Acts 6 seems to describe the formation of the diaconate. The Hellenistic widows are being left out of the daily distribution of food, so the Apostles appoint seven men to oversee the distribution ministry. The Apostles cannot conduct the ministry of the table, needing to reserve their efforts for the ministry of the Word and prayer. No definitive link exists between this account and the office of deacon, but it is certainly a hermeneutical leap that most interpreters, as well as the elders of the Way, readily make. The ministry of the seven, the ministry of deacons is to serve.

Creeds, Confessions, and the Diaconate

Starting here, we can make a point to set our expectations before going to Scripture. All of the confessions and creeds, including our own, are silent on the issue of female deacons. That is, this is not an issue of orthodoxy. As we’ll see, Scripture seems to make room for both points of view. Both points of view can be defended by Scripture and good and faithful Christians fall on either side of the issue.

My heart was grieved in noting several commentators whom I respect slandering those who would appoint female deacons with the charge of theological liberalism. It is not an issue to divide over, even within denominations. It is a tertiary issue for sure, in line with one’s view of eschatology or church polity. Important for sure, just not a measure of one’s orthodoxy.

What is defended in the confessions is Christian liberty, that is, the freedom to express the faith in ways that are not forbidden in Scripture. (Romans 14) What is condemned in the confessions is the binding of the conscience of the saints, laying upon them burdens and unscriptural restrictions. Per the confessions, the issue of female deacons would be one open to the interpretation of local congregations.

That being settled, let’s get to Scripture.

Scripture and the Diaconate

Two texts govern the discussion, a didactic (teaching) text from 1 Timothy 3:8-13 and a descriptive text from Romans 16:1-2.

1 Timothy 3:8-13

After giving the qualifications for eldership, Paul then gives the qualifications for a deacon. Initially, it has distinctive masculine wording. Verse 8, “Deacons likewise must be men of dignity.” Verse 10, “these men must also first be tested.” Verse 11 is where the confusion sets in. Paul writes:

“[Women/Wives] must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate,

faithful in all things.”

The word “likewise” introduces a new class of people. Is it women as in female deacons or is it wives as in the wives of deacons? Let’s consult the English translations.

The NASB ’95 and the NIV both render it “women”.

The ESV and the KJV translate it “Their wives”.

The CSB renders it only as “wives”.

The limitations of the Greek language contribute to the confusion. The word is γυναῖκας or gynaikas which can be translated as either wives or women. There is no separate word in the Greek for wives. Context must determine the rendering.

Two arguments from silence start to push the needle.

We can immediately dismiss the translation of “their wives” because the possessive pronoun “their” is not present in the Greek. The translators of the ESV and KJV made an interpretation instead of sticking to translation in adding the possessive pronoun. It is either “wives” or it is “women”. Adding the possessive pronoun is hermeneutically improper. It makes sense that Paul, if speaking of deacon’s wives, would include the possessive pronoun. If he just meant “wives”, well, which wives? All wives? Elder’s wives? Only deacon’s wives? The clearer translation is “women”.

The other argument from silence speaks to the context. Why would Paul stipulate requirements for the wife of a deacon and NOT for the wife of an elder? The office of elder is at least as prominent in the life of the church than the office of deacon if not more so. Yet, it makes no sense that Paul would place a requirement upon the wife of a deacon and not that of an elder. The only argument I’ve found to address this is that the nature of deacon ministry, serving and interacting with people, would naturally require a husband and wife to serve together in this capacity, thereby necessitating requirements for the wife. This argument falls woefully short. Surely the wife of an elder interacts with the people, maybe in a different capacity, but just as much as a deacon’s wife. It would make more sense if there were qualifications for an elder’s wife and NOT for a deacon’s wife, as the office of elder is the leader of the church. Shouldn’t the wives of the leaders of the church need to represent him and the church well? Paul’s silence on elder’s wives naturally yields the rendering of “women” for verse 11.

Follow the logical flow. Paul gives the qualifications for elders, men. Then gives the qualifications for deacons, as men, before stipulating, women also, here are the qualifications, before returning to address the deacons as men in verse 12. Opponents will point to the logical break in the flow of Paul’s thoughts in verse 11 to address women. Either way, there is a break in the flow, to address women or to address wives. Given the context, “women” is the more likely rendering.

Romans 16:1-2

Paul concludes his letter to the Romans with a series of greetings. He opens the section with:

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a [servant/deacon] of the church which is at Cenchrea; that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well.

Phoebe is a diakonos. It is a masculine noun. There is no feminine version of the noun. Is she a servant as in, all Christians are servants and Paul feels led to describe her as such or, is she a servant in the technical sense of the word, occupying the office of deacon in an official capacity. Grammatically, both renderings are possible, but as with the text in 1 Timothy, the literary context seems to push the needle toward the translation of “deacon”.

First, she is described as a diakonos “of the church which is at Cenchrea”. In every instance where diakonos is used in the non-technical sense—elsewhere, Paul describes himself as a diakonos—it is never applied to a specific church, only here. The addition of the modifying clause seems to indicate that she is acting in an official capacity representing her church, as in the office of deacon. Further, Paul describes her as ousan diakonos, “being” a deacon. Ousan is a feminine accusative present participle. This construct is used in three other places, always referring to someone being in an official capacity or office:

“Caiaphas, being high priest that year,” (John 11:49)

“Gallio, being proconsul of Achaia,” (Acts 18:12)

“you [Felix], being a judge to this nation,” (Acts 24:10)

The literary context presents a strong case for Phoebe being a deacon.

The historical context in verse 2 strengthens the case. What was Pheobe doing in her official capacity? She is described as a “helper” in verse 2, a prostatis. While “helper” is an adequate rendering of the word, Strongs describes it as “a woman set over others” or “a female guardian, protectress, patroness, caring for the affairs of others and aiding them with her resources”. It’s stronger than “helper”, implying more responsibility. She was perhaps a patron of Paul’s, funding his ministry and travels. Many commentators suspect her of being a courier for the actual letter to the Romans. In other words, she is likely performing duties in line with an official capacity i.e. that of a deacon.

Again, on its own merits, Romans 16:1-2 would hardly make the case, but when combined with the exegesis of 1 Timothy 3:11, a textual consensus begins to emerge, that of female deacons.

Argument of Authority

The major case against female deacons boils down to a position on authority. In the previous chapter, Paul writes to Timothy, “But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.” (1 Timothy 2:12) Proving that this is no cultural peculiarity, Paul grounds his argument in creation. “For it as Adam who was first created, and then Eve.” (v. 13) Thus, any office denotes authority, any official capacity, even the office of deacon. The office would certainly require handling finances, assigning roles, making judgement calls i.e. authority. Therefore, the argument goes, appointing women as deacons would clearly violate Paul’s command.

Yet, the context here is in terms of the teaching office and the public gathering. I’ve been taught by many women. I learn as much from my wife, maybe more than she learns from me when we study Scripture together. At informal church gatherings, we have wonderful Gospel conversations including men and women where I’ve learned much. I recall one occasion when a woman from our church, the wife of an elder, spoke at a funeral. To be clear, she spoke prophetically at a funeral, and I learned. To say that men cannot and should not learn from women is preposterous. Paul’s reference here is to the teaching office and the corporate gathering of the church.

A woman ought not teach or exercise authority in the corporate gathering whereby teaching is an exercise of authority. Immediately following this section, Paul delves into the qualifications for an elder, the teaching and leadership office of the church, reserved for men only. It is instructive that the major difference between the qualifications of an elder and a deacon is that an elder must be “able to teach”. (1 Timothy 3:2) The deacon has no requirement to be able to teach, which happens to be the singular vocation denied a woman in the gathering of the church.

Further, to say that a woman can NEVER exercise authority over a man in the church is also ludicrous. I guarantee you, maybe unless you are from the IFB, that women exercise authority over men in your church. Does a woman run your nursery; a common duty relegated frequently to the pastor’s wife? If so, then she likely expresses authority over men in the congregation in terms of scheduling, assigning slots, directing pick-up or drop-off procedures. In other words, authority. Our church accountant is a woman, making decisions about the handling of money. Authority. We see a similar authority in the home. Per Scripture and practice, the husband is the head of the home and his wife, but to say that the wife NEVER expresses any authority is likewise unreasonable. Even if it is something as mundane as telling her husband when dinner is or what time he needs to be ready for an event, this is an expression of authority in some ways. Now, as in the home, ultimate authority resides in Christ as delegated to the husband. In the church, Christ is the ultimate authority, delegating leadership to the elders, so any authority expressed by anyone must ultimately reside in the eldership of the church. As such, the nursery leader expresses the authority of the elders in running the nursery.

Scripture describes two offices, that of elders who teach and lead and deacons who serve. Though not prescribed for the church, adherence to this structure reserves true expression of authority through the teaching of God’s word to the men of the eldership. Most modern churches, particularly in our denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, have strayed from this type of organization. Many employ a board of deacons who functionally govern the church and exercise oversight, even over the pastor. In this model, clearly a female deacon would be expressing unbiblical authority.

Biblical church polity eliminates the issue of authority.

Church History and the Diaconate

By itself, it would not stand, but in conjunction with the textual evidence, church history strengthens the case.

Pliny the Younger was the governor of Bithynia a province of the Roman empire in what is now called Turkey. In A.D. 112, he wrote a letter to the Emperor Trajan who had appointed him to the job, seeking advice on how to deal with Christians who recanted their faith while under examination. In his letter, Pliny describes these Christians, including two women whom he describes as “ministrae” in the Latin, which is a likely translation of the Greek word, “diakonoi”. They were deacons.

“Accordingly, I judged it all the more necessary to find out what the truth was by torturing two female slaves who were called ‘deacons’. But I discovered nothing more than depraved and excessive superstition.”

Consider the dating of the letter, that the church in Bithynia certainly had direct apostolic ties.

Here is a quote from the third century Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, a guidebook written for church plants based on the teaching of the apostles:

“And let the deaconess be diligent in taking care of the women; but both of them ready to carry messages, to travel about, to minister, and to serve . . . Let every one therefore know his proper place, and discharge it diligently with one consent, with one mind, as knowing the reward of their ministration.”

The early church wrote a prayer for the installation of women deacons:

“O Eternal God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator of man and of woman, who didst replenish with the Spirit Miriam, and Deborah, and Anna, and Huldah; who didst not disdain that Thy only begotten Son should be born of a woman; who also in the tabernacle of the testimony, and in the temple, didst ordain women to be keepers of Thy holy gates,— do Thou now also look down upon this Thy servant, who is to be ordained to the office of a deaconess, and grant her Thy Holy Spirit, and ‘cleanse her from all filthiness of flesh and spirit,’ that she may worthily discharge the work which is committed to her to Thy glory, and the praise of Thy Christ, with whom glory and adoration be to Thee and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.”

John Calvin, in his commentary on Romans, considered Phoebe a deacon. The lack of grammatical agreement between Phoebe (feminine) and the word deacon/servant as a masculine noun swayed his assessment. He wrote of Paul’s mention of Phoebe that, “he commends her on account of her office [emphasis mine], for she performed a most honorable and a most holy function in the Church…” According to the footnote in Calvin’s commentary, Chrysostom, a patristic father, also considered Phoebe a deacon. Calvin wrote, “For deaconesses [emphasis mine] were created not to appease God with songs or unintelligible mumbling, not to live the rest of the time in idleness, but to discharge the public ministry of the church toward the poor and to strive with all zeal, constancy, and diligence in the task of love.”

Charles Spurgeon does not defend the office but states it as a matter of fact. He wrote that, “Deaconesses [emphasis mine], an office that most certainly was recognised in the apostolic churches,” and “It would be a great mercy if God gave us the privilege of having many sons who all preached the gospel, and many daughters who were all eminent in the church as teachers, deaconesses [emphasis mine], missionaries, and the like.”

Church Universal and the Diaconate

Numerous reputable pastors and theologians in our present-day affirm female deacons. These are conservative evangelicals who adhere to the absolute authority and inerrancy of Scripture, men such as John MacArthur, Tim Keller, Tom Schreiner, Mark Dever, and others. Again, by themselves, they would make no case, but in conjunction with the other factors, their stance is compelling.

One last factor, and here, we’ll stray briefly into opinion and conjecture, though we won’t dwell there long. When we look at the office and function of a deacon, to serve, and then we look at the gifting of women and ask, what is it that women do? Women are natural servants, naturally selfless. Women nurture. Women care for others. Men are, by nature, takers. Women are, by nature, givers. As such, we see a natural giftedness in the heart of a woman to serve in the office of deacon.

Community and the Diaconate

As such, the elders of the Way studied this issue first, in the community of the eldership, four men of our church commissioned by God to lead and to teach, and second, in the presence of our assembled body of congregants. After presenting all of the above factors and some great discussion involving, you guessed it, authority, our church collectively decided to affirm the Scriptural basis and allow for the appointment of female deacons, to the glory of God.

If Only One

You’re Suffering—A Different Look

By Katie Miller · 01 Dec 2023

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1:2

Suffer Well

Suffering is a grace, so why does “suffering grace” sound like such an oxymoron?

Recently, I heard someone tell a group of women that God does not call us to suffer, but this simply is not true. Do I need to dive into the latter life of Paul? Do I need to give a rundown of the life of Job? Suffering is experienced by the men and women of God all throughout Scripture – suffering that is not the direct result of his or her own sin, that is.

Verses 8 and 9 of Isaiah 55 tell us that God’s ways and God’s thoughts are higher than ours. His justice and fairness are so much higher than ours. His mercy and grace cannot be grasped. Every single breath that He allows us to take is a grace. Him allowing us to live and experience His common grace is more than we deserve. Understanding our place in relation to God and in relation to His sovereign plan is foundational to forming our belief about suffering and its necessary place in our lives, so let us start there.

Romans 9:21 says, “Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?” Paul is challenging the entire foundation of their thinking. Similarly, our presuppositions also cause us to think that we are owed something from the beginning, that we are entitled to a certain standard of treatment. Immediately before this question, in verse 20, Paul asks, “But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?” He quotes Isaiah 29:16 and 45:9 by asking, “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” To understand the role of suffering in our lives and its purpose in our sanctification, we must first challenge our presuppositions and bias.

The Creator may create His creation however He wills. He does not need our permission or approval. Yes, He provides us with many graces and, all of creation, with common graces, but if we deserved any of it, it would not be grace. Yes, He loves us and provides these graces in accordance with His love, but our measure of love is perverted by our presuppositions. Additionally, these graces and His love do not negate the fact that He does not have to consult us before acting.

Understanding Suffering

Suffering is not an injustice against us. Suffering is a grace that allows us to learn more, grow more, and become more like Him. When we view suffering as a trial, in light of James 1:2, we realize that suffering is not meant for us to feel defeated, depressed, and denied of some right. Suffering is meant for a higher purpose, to produce steadfastness.

If that is not enough, Paul stated earlier in Romans 5:3-5, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” In this instance, we see that not only does suffering produce perseverance, but suffering has a purpose on a much larger, long-term scale, to produce character and hope, to demonstrate God’s love pouring out on us, to remind us of the presence and the role of the Holy Spirit in our suffering and, ultimately, our sanctification.

Let’s look at Paul’s take on his suffering, i.e. his thorn in the flesh:

“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

It appears that Paul was on one of those spiritual highs. He had just seen surpassingly great revelations. Despite this, he still experienced his thorn, whatever it was. This is crucial to our full understanding of this passage. It did not matter that Paul was in fellowship with God. Whether he had been reading Scripture so many times per day or talking to God at designated times, Paul still experienced suffering. Suffering is not always a direct result from our sin or lack of fellowship with God. We do not need to immediately worry that we have displeased God or that we have lost or lack salvation because we are suffering. Paul even specifies that this suffering, for him, was “to keep [Him] from becoming conceited.”

From there, we see that Paul continues to talk to God through the suffering. He pleads with God to remove his thorn. It is normal for us to desire not to suffer. Even with Paul’s understanding that the suffering was for a purpose, he still did not desire to endure it.

But God, right? Even in the suffering, even in Paul’s fleshly desire, even in his pleading… God responds. “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” This is clear. Suffering grace is evidenced in the resulting testimony of your suffering. Look at Paul’s life. How could Paul continue to serve and minister in the middle of physical suffering and imprisonment? He could only do this through Christ, and Christ was better glorified through this suffering. Imagine the significance of Paul’s testimony because of His suffering.

“The ground is much more fertile in the valley.” It’s not Scripture, but it is a saying I have heard from many that proves to be true both literally and metaphorically. Are we not much quicker to seek His help when we are in need than we are to praise His name when times are good? Lessons are better taught, learned, and deeply instilled in tough times. Looking back at my own life, the moments of my most significant growth and sanctification were amid my own sufferings, while enduring my own personal thorns in the flesh. Imagine the weight of my own testimony because of my suffering.

I know that sometimes we experience suffering because of our sin, in that we have done something wrong that has placed us into a less-than-desirable circumstance. While I do acknowledge this kind of suffering and that God can and will use it for His glory, this is not the suffering I am referring to.

Consider the exact opposite situation. Remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar issued his decree that all, at the sound of music, should fall down and worship his image of gold. The king codified both the order and the sentencing when he issued this decree – bow down and worship or be thrown into a blazing furnace (Daniel 3:5-6). The three young men knew their fate if they disobeyed the king’s order. They knew there would be suffering in the form of a blazing furnace. In this instance, the men faced (potential) suffering because they made the right choice.

I say potential because, of course, God did save them from suffering. Not even a hair of their heads was singed, and there was no smell of fire on them (Daniel 3:27); however, Daniel 3:17-18 solidifies how our mindset should be when faced with suffering:

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Think about it. How much differently would we endure all types of suffering, of trials, of even temptations, if we approached it with this mindset? “Hey, my God is bigger than the pain I am about to endure. He is definitely going to get me through it, but even if that deliverance does not happen how others think it will, He is still bigger. He is still good. I will still happily endure the suffering, even if it leads to the demise of this temporary body.” What if we put ourselves into situations knowing that it could bring personal suffering in whatever form, be it as small as having to stray from our routine or be uncomfortable, in order to proclaim His glory and establish a witness before others? What if we proclaimed joy in the midst of our trials rather than weariness? Be still for a moment and seriously imagine the gravity of our testimonies if we endured with joy rather than complaints, if we stated with confidence that God is able to stop the suffering, but if He does not stop it, it does not negate His sovereignty.

A Final Consideration

Let us look back to the very beginning.

How do we view the fall of man set forth in Genesis 3? We probably do not consider this to be another grace, but allow me to challenge your perspective one more time. Adam and Eve knew no evil, so I like to cut them a little slack for eating the fruit. How could they have truly understood what God said? How could they really know the eternal impact that would result from their decision? Did they even understand what the difference between good and evil is or what death was like?

What about you?

Do you understand how others feel when they tell you about something they have been through, without having gone through it yourself, even when they use the most descriptive of language to describe it? Only to an extent, right? Only as they describe it. But, after you have experienced it yourself, it weighs much heavier. For example, after having my son, I gained a new sympathy for mothers that I did not truly understand before. I thought that I knew what it would be like, but I did not know.

When Adam and Eve took their bites, their eyes were opened. They now understood both good and evil. Although this is not necessarily suffering, this can still explain why God would allow sin, suffering, or other bad things to occur. How could we fully understand the goodness, sweetness, and love of God without experiencing the opposite? Having experienced suffering in the ways that God has allowed me to has made me love God more.

I only understand the enormity and the beauty of the mountaintop when I have been to the valley.

Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” In the middle of our suffering, He is the same. We can praise God in any and every circumstance, and we should. When we are in the middle of the storm, we can fix our eyes on Him, remembering that our suffering is for a purpose – remembering the persisting goodness of God.

If Only One

Church Hurt—a Pastor’s Wife’s Perspective

By Ami Smith · 23 Nov 2023

Hurt by the Church

I was cold, hungry, and so tired that I could barely stand up. I was also pregnant and homeless, and there were about 6 inches of snow on the ground when I pulled into the church's parking lot, desperately seeking some help.

The world had chewed me up and spit me out, and I was ready to give up. I had tried everything else; I had exhausted all other options. Even though I was far from a follower of Christ, this is where “good people” were, right? People who may help a young woman at the end of her rope…right?

The door was open, so I walked in quietly, not knowing what to expect. I headed into the small sanctuary, and the middle aisle seemed to be as long as an airport runway. Aware of every awkward glance and hesitation in surrounding conversations, I made my way to the pulpit, where there were a few people who seemed to be having some sort of conversation. It was not during a church service, so I did not assume I was interrupting anything. As I approached the ladies and gentlemen who were speaking to each other, the conversation slowly came to a halt while all eyes turned toward me.

“This is where good people are, this is where good people are,” I kept thinking to myself, trying to drown out my desire to turn and run away as fast as I could.

“Hello, young lady. What can we do for you?” the gentleman at the front asked me. As I slowly caught my breath, I said quietly, “I am pregnant, with no place to go. I am hungry, and I have nothing.”

“We don’t help people like you…”

Those words still ring so vividly in my mind. That one sentence drowned out every other sound in that room that I was so very aware of when I walked in. As a matter of fact, I don’t think I heard anything else after that for several minutes, at least not until I was a few miles down the road, barely seeing through the tears welling in my eyes and spilling onto my face.

“Never again,” I made a silent promise to myself. “I will never ask anyone else for anything.”

Church Hurt

Was this church hurt? No. No, it wasn’t. Not even close.

Thirty years later, I know now what church hurt looks like. It looks like being in the middle of a close congregation, where friendships are formed, and someone realizes that they believe a slightly different doctrine and decide that they no longer want to worship under the same roof with you.

It looks like people you have been doing life with together for years deciding one day that they are finished, they walk away, and you never see them again, not ever understanding the reason why.

It looks like the people who have been at weddings, births of children, funerals, etc. deciding that they would rather worship with strangers than worship with you.

It looks like the people you have trusted with your testimony, all of it…. you know, the parts that you don’t share… telling other people, slandering your name, and painting an unnecessary picture of who you once were… so that you carry the shame that Jesus said was no longer yours to carry.

It looks like your friend who is flirting with your husband.

It looks like your secrets are being shared with an unforgiving world.

It looks like your parenting style is being judged, your children are being criticized, and your motives are being questioned and judged.

It can also look like your most intimate conversations shared, your desires that are dearest to your heart mocked, and cliques that do not include you… ever.

And even worse than all of this is when it looks like your husband kneeling on the floor, head in his hands, begging God to divinely intervene on behalf of all the people who fall into the categories above.

It looks like trying to console your husband when you hear him crying out to God in the shower because he doesn’t understand why people he loves are choosing to leave the church with no explanation.

It looks like your children crying because no one wants to be their friend and they expect you to know why. It also looks like knowing why.

It looks like being left out, gossiped about, and nothing you do ever being enough.

It looks like always being last, even by your husband, because the flock comes first.

And sometimes it looks like me asking God why…Why do I have to be a pastor's wife?

I Would’ve Left

The fact is, if I was not the pastor's wife, I would have been one of the ones who left.

I am sure, I would have fallen into any of those categories above. I would have gossiped, I would have left someone out, and I would have betrayed someone.

I would have been the one to mock, slander, and make fun of someone.

I would have been the one who judged mercilessly and I would have been unforgiving.

It would have been me; it has been me.

Just because I happen to be the wife of the pastor at my place of worship, that does not mean I haven't been those people; it doesn't mean I am not that person. I am. I am she. I am the woman at the well. The only difference between those people and myself is…I have nowhere to go.

So, what is worse than being the person I mentioned above? Who gets mad at this or that and leaves without explanation, who slanders, gossips, and acts in ways that are not Christlike?

What is worse is being that person and not being able to leave.

What It Really Looks Like

God has done a mighty work in my heart.

He has shown me how much of a wretch I am, and He has brought to light the darkness of my own heart; however, He did not leave me there! He put me here, where I can be the constant… the one who will still be here for the ones who stay, or better yet, the ones who may come back.

I love my Heavenly Father more than anything in this world, and I seek to put a smile on His face. His word says He hates division and wants His children to be united, worshiping together in spirit and in truth.

The whole world is offended, and we are looking for the opportunity to offend and be offended. Offense is a tool that the enemy has thrown out like a pet owner throws a ball for their dog, and we have just taken it and run with it.

As a pastor's wife and someone who is absolutely in love with my Savior, I must stay, I must pray, I must forgive. I must push through my feelings or better yet set them aside.

Does “Church Hurt” affect me? Does it affect the next pastor's wife? Of course, it does, but it looks different for me. It looks like forgiving those who have betrayed me, who have lied to me, who have slandered me. It looks like seeing those who have hurt me and my family through the lens of Christ, the way he sees me.

Is it easy? No. Is it something I struggle with? Absolutely!! Yes! I am human.

But goodness is it worth it. I love the people who do choose to stay and those who have chosen to leave with an unbridled love. I am thankful that I cannot leave, and I am so grateful for those whom God has chosen to surround me with.

I am so very thankful that I have learned about mercy and grace in a way that not many get to, and although it is not easy, it is worth every tear that I have cried, every sleepless night, and every question of “Why?” that I have screamed out to my Lord.

"If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand." (Mark 3:25)

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it." (Ephesians 4:3)

Let me ask you a question. Where are you at with this? Have you ever been hurt by someone in the church? Have you been betrayed? Have you been the one who has slandered someone else and then left?

So, what does church hurt look like from a pastor’s wife's perspective?

It looks like love. It looks like grace and mercy even when it is undeserved. It looks like loving someone when it is hard and when I don’t feel like it… when it is a choice that is not “felt.”

We are one body, one church, one family made up of broken and flawed people like me. It looks like this…

If Only One

Israel vs. Hamas—an Effort at Lazy Reductionism

By Bradford Smith · 26 Oct 2023

I concede, it’s hard to be thoughtful when people are cutting off the heads of babies.

The Christian ought to see all things with a biblical worldview, through a biblical lens. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes, not so much. Emotionalism, nationalistic passions, tradition, misunderstandings, misinformation, ignorance, presuppositions, and countless other contributing factors cloud our judgement, skewing our perceptions.

On some subjects, dialogue is impossible.

I’m reminded of Colin Kaepernick.

His 2016 protests against police brutality toward people of color set off a firestorm of condemnation or praise. He was polarizing, galvanizing the nation into two clearly defined camps. You were either a Black Lives Matter liberal socialist or a Right-wing nazi fascist. No middle ground could exist.

I’d like to remind you of the facts, something few seemed particularly interested in at the time or even now. In the third preseason game, Kaepernick sat during the national anthem. When asked about it, he responded, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.”

Nate Boyer, an NFL football player and former Green Beret who served in both Afghanistan and Iraq, reached out to Kaepernick and advised him to kneel rather than sit for the anthem, as it would be more respectful. Kaepernick agreed and did exactly that for the 4th preseason game…with Boyer standing right beside him, hand over his heart. He kneeled, as a sign of respect, for a country that had strayed, in his mind, from what it ought to be.

You see, they met, talked, and sought mutual ground. Boyer commented, “I was showing that I support his right to do that, I support the message behind what he’s demonstrating for.” He didn’t agree with everything, “but there’s nothing wrong with feeling differently and believing different things. We can still work together to make this place better.”

Our Commander-in-Chief was not as compassionate. As the protests spread, President Trump weighed in. “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a b***h off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’” Later, he ordered Vice President Pence to leave an NFL game if they protested. They did. He did.

Again, no dialogue was possible. Well, does Kaepernick have a point…shut your mouth you liberal ****! Support the troops! Support the troops!

But what if…

What if President Trump had invited Kaepernick, maybe some others, to the White House and said, “You know, I don’t understand your perspective, I don’t see the issue the same as you, but you’re a fellow American citizen and I love you and if you have an issue, I have an issue. Let’s talk about it and figure this thing out.” Listen, it wasn’t until I had a black son that I finally began to see things from a different racial perspective. How do I know there are racial issues in America? I have a brother-in-Christ, in an interracial marriage, who assures me there are lingering racial issues in America, and, because I love him, I believe him.

But none of that generates any political capital and I understand this. Dialogue is simply not possible. It’s the same with a litany of issues. Issues like gun control. Or like Israel.

Whose side are you on?

Listen, we ought to support Israel.

Israel is a sovereign nation. We ought to support and defend the rights of every sovereign nation to exist free from threat. Israel is an island of representative democracy in the sea of autocracy that is the Middle East. Surrounded by tyrants and outright dictators, Israel reminds us of us, embodying Western culture and values. We share a common Judeo-Christian ethic, from our common religious heritage to our present liberal values, in the apolitical sense. The continued existence of Israel is inextricably intertwined with the existence and future of this nation.

We ought to condemn the evil deeds of Hamas.

And the assault on October 7th was clearly evil, outright wicked. Even President Biden got it right in naming it. Though the details of the assault are still coming out, what is clear is that Hamas gunmen breached the barrier around the Gaza Strip and went on a killing spree, targeting civilians and military alike, killing hundreds of Jewish citizens and taking dozens hostage. They attacked a music festival.

They cut the heads off babies.

Do I need to say that again? I can hardly fathom the hatred in the heart of a man to do such a deed. They raped. They killed. They terrorized. Mission accomplished. The assault was well-planned and audacious. Yet, after only a handful of days, Israel had retaken all territory and pushed the assaulters back into Gaza. Clearly, Hamas never had intentions of occupying Israeli land knowing they could never hold it. This was a sheer act of terror though Hamas’ desired end-state, other than the destruction of Israel, is unclear at this point.

Israel ought to defend itself. God ordained government to bear the sword on His behalf and Israel must respond with overwhelming force, which they’ve already initiated. They’ve begun bombing Gaza, toppling entire buildings, and by the latest count, have killed nearly a thousand Hamas fighters.

They’ve also killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians, children too.

Hamas utilizes civilians as human shields thereby forfeiting whatever laws of land warfare protections they may have had. Hamas does not play by the rules. Palestinian non-combatant blood is clearly on the hands of Hamas.

Even so, to suggest that the lens might be slightly askew is to risk widespread ire. Is it possible that the lens of “Israel good, Hamas bad” might be a bit too simplistic to adequately capture the necessary nuance of this highly complex situation?

Pray for Israel.

“Ways to pray for and help Israel,” came the email from Randy Davis, the President and Executive Director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. “Urgent need for Israel,” came the email from the local Baptist association. The Southern Baptists quickly mobilized their disaster relief apparatus as, according to them, “There is an urgent need for items for children in ISRAEL” including, “New or VERY gently used clothes for babies, infants & toddlers, diapers, and small toys for babies and children.”

Israel is a modern nation and though the Hamas assault was as surprising as it was vicious, it was also over after a few days, completely repelled, with Hamas not occupying any new territory, having retreated to the Gaza strip. It’s not like the German siege of Stalingrad that lasted months, decimated an entire large city, and killed tens of the thousands. Call me skeptical, but I’d think that the Israeli economy would still be able to generate the listed items.

The appeal had all the necessary ingredients to generate emotion. Babies had needs. Israeli babies had needs. Send what you can and pray for them. Another local ministry organized a prayer event for Israel. Social Media echoed the sentiments. Pray for Israel. Pray for the children of Israel.

I didn’t receive a single email or see a single post about praying for the people of Palestine, who are just as much image-bearers of God as the next man or woman, as any citizen of Israel.

Theology matters.

In our bastardized and sacralistic blend of politics and religion, particularly with the Republican party, we see a marriage between American exceptionalism and Christian Zionism. We’ll overlook for now the fact that the moment anything happens in Israel or the Middle East, even the heathen start harping about Armageddon. American Christianity has so swallowed the dispensationalism of Darby and Scofield that it bleeds Israeli blue and white.

As a former dyed-in-the-wool dispensationalist, I understand the appeal. I understand the biblical case. Once I learned to read the Bible like a Christian, to read the Old Testament through the lens of the New, I began to see what was there all along.

The nail in the coffin for my dispensationalism was Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, particularly Ephesians 2:11-22 and texts such as Romans 9:6. For Paul, there are exactly three groups of people: Jewish unbelievers, Gentile unbelievers, and the church. The church does not replace Israel. The church is Israel, in a newer and more fully developed way and any Old Testament promise that Israel could previously point to, the church must now claim, including the land promises, which find their fulfillment in the new heavens and new earth, established following the Second Coming of Christ. Even the Old Testament patriarchs looked beyond the land of Israel to a greater land.

The free pass afforded Israel is a direct result of the infusion of dispensational theology into the lifeblood of America. Again. Theology matters. As such, we must resolutely support Israel’s right, as a sovereign nation and our ally, to defend itself as we simultaneously deny Israel’s covenantal claim to the land. We ought to demand accountability for their wartime conduct, just like we would any other nation.

Is it possible?

Have you ever asked the question, how did we get here?

Why and how could people hold pro-Palestinian rallies and celebrate the slaughter of children and civilians? Why do Muslims across the globe rally in support of Hamas and Palestine?

When was the last time you read Al Jazeera? It’s interesting that over half of the world doesn’t necessarily see the issue through the same lens. Not that their lens is the correct lens, but it is certainly wise to seek to understand the ways of one’s adversaries. Again, the paradigm of “Israel good, Hamas bad” might just not capture the breadth of the issue.

Is it possible that Israel has acted unjustly toward Palestine on occasion or maybe even consistently? I’m not proposing that Israel is an apartheid state as many do, but I am proposing that they deal with the Palestinians, understandably so, in a heavy-handed manner. As of this writing, they’ve blockaded all of Gaza’s 2 million residents, informed them that an invasion is imminent and that they should leave, though they cannot because of the blockade. They’ve cut electricity and water to the strip. The healthcare system is collapsing, and thousands will likely perish in the coming invasion.

In Palestine and indeed, in the eyes of the Muslim world, this is just the latest string of injustices committed against the Palestinians since the creation of the state of Israel. Is there any validity to the claims? I don’t know, but what I do know is to even ask that question is to risk being branded an antisemite or even a terrorist sympathizer.

Are we any different?

Do you really think these men from Hamas are any different than you or me?

The stratification of sin is one of the primary indicators that one is NOT of Christ, that one is unredeemed, or is, in some way, struggling in the flesh. How natural it is, how easy, to look at the sins of another and to rank them, establish a sin Order of Merit list (OML), and then insert self into the appropriate place in the OML. “Well, I’m not as righteous as so-and-so, but I certainly am not as wicked as this other man. I’m not as righteous as say***checks notes***Donald Trump, but I am certainly not as wicked as Hamas, nor could I be.”

Paul, as he grew closer to Christ, referred to himself in increasingly humble terms, first as “the least of the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:9), then as “the least of all the saints” (Ephesians 3:8), and then as the chief of all sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Paul understood better than most the capacity for wickedness in the hearts of men, that all men possess the capacity for cruelty, to kill, to rape. He writes, “But by the grace of God I am what I am,” meaning, it is only by God’s grace that he was of Christ, redeemed from his previous life of sin.

Do you really think that there is no Hamas-level wickedness in our nation?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but we’ve had men murder schoolchildren. Kermit Gosnell ran an actual slaughterhouse, where he systematically, unsafely, and inhumanely murdered hundreds of children in the womb and even after birth. Our nation has systematically slaughtered over 60 million unborn children. We cater to perverted and disturbed men masquerading as women while suppressing the collective protesting voices of actual women—it’s instructive that I must stipulate. This is not to justify Hamas, only to cage our gyros.

The only thing missing in America is incorporation. Angry young men in the Gaza Strip with a 50% unemployment rate and no hope of progress or a future are systematically empowered by the false religion of Islam. Islam is the ultimate expression of the legalism in the hearts of men. Obey these rules or else, but Muhammed added the carrot in addition to the stick, offering the most faithful of Muslim men, the martyr, a heavenly expectation of infinite sexual pleasure. It is a demonically effective system. Wicked Americans are no less wicked than wicked Palestinians. It is the collectivization, the systemization of evil that is Islam that amplifies its effectiveness exponentially.

Wicked Americans find themselves restrained by the common grace of God. The widespread preaching of the Gospel, our collective Judeo-Christian ethic, and our biblically based laws all serve to restrain sin in a more effective manner than in the Gaza Strip. These restraints are weakening, fading.

Can Israel even “win”?

Hamas is Palestine. Palestine is Hamas.

Israel’s stated goal is to “destroy” Hamas. Members of Congress are calling for Hamas to be “dismantled”. Hamas must be “eradicated”. “It’s not the Palestinian people, it’s Hamas,” we’re told. It’s the same strategy George W. Bush ran with following 9/11, that of “Islam is a religion of peace” and our war is not against Muslims, but against those who’ve “high-jacked” this religion of peace. How did that work out in Afghanistan?

This sort of intellectual dishonesty may seem unavoidable, but it is also unhelpful.

The U.S. never had a chance to defeat the Taliban. The Taliban is Afghanistan. Afghanistan is the Taliban. The idea that we could separate the Taliban from the people of Afghanistan, impose Western ideals and democracy, and we would prevail was a fantasy. Western ideals run contrary to Islamic thought, and though the vast majority of Muslims are not terrorists, the vast majority of Muslims at least tacitly, if not outright, support groups like the Taliban, even Hamas, or at least their objectives if not their methods.

Palestinians elected Hamas to power in 2007, replacing the Palestinian Authority. They see, in Hamas, freedom fighters, their defenders. Hamas provides for them, offering services, all while painting Israel and the West as the wicked source of all Palestinian suffering. How on earth would you ever eradicate the advanced-stage cancer of Hamas without killing the host? I’m just not sure it’s possible. Mitigation maybe, but destruction? Again, how? This is the ever-present dilemma for Israel.

Is there any hope?

Biblically speaking, there will never be peace in the Middle East this side of the Second Coming of Christ. We should pray for peace, work for peace, elect politicians who will further these goals while defending and protecting innocent lives, all with the understanding that peace will elude us.

Biblically speaking, Israel is a lost nation, secular and godless. Irreligious, it is no more and no less lost than the Palestinian people, though some see in Scripture a mass salvation of the Jews prior to the return of Christ. I do not. Interestingly enough, the practicing Jews, the religious Jews share a legalistic burden with the Muslims, that of works-based salvation. In pre-conversion Saul, we see a perfect example of the religious zealotry exhibited by Hamas, the slaughter of the infidel.

The reality before us is a nation of unbelieving Jews battling a nation of unbelieving Gentiles.

Maybe no one will read this or maybe I’ll be branded a liberal, an anti-Semite. Please consider that I fought Hamas, well, not Hamas literally, but ISIS and Al-Qaeda and the Taliban for much of my adult life, who are all cut from the same Islamic fundamentalist cloth. If I weren’t so old with bad knees and blurry vision, I’d gladly suit up again to fight Hamas (not really, I’m done, but it sounded nice). These enemies of righteousness ought to be engaged and killed.

But maybe a more tempered approach from the Christian is in order. By all means, pray for Israel and their victory over the wickedness of Hamas. Pray for God’s justice upon wicked men who would commit such heinous atrocity. But most of all, pray for the salvation of Israel, the salvation of Palestine. The only hope for the situation, as with any context, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is one thing we can be sure of, but let us, above all, be more thoughtful in our consideration to truly see things from a biblical perspective.

If Only One

Something is Wrong with ‘What is a Woman?’

By Bradford Smith · 07 Sep 2023

Click one video and the algorithms do the rest. Right?

“Matt Walsh puts liberal lawmaker in his place.”

“Woke Pro-Choicer DESTROYED!!!”

“Charlie Kirk Takes on Liberal Kid”

“Woke Trans Liberal Gets Destroyed”

“Ben Shapiro destroys SJW!!!”

I sometimes wonder if my liberal friends—wait, I do have liberal friends don’t I—have the same issue. Who are the liberal Shapiros and Walshes and Petersons out there destroying smug capitalists and racist, white people? Who’s the white, liberal Candace Owens, equally as intelligent and abrasive, running circles around ill-prepared conservatives? Nevertheless, I digress.

In 2022, Matt Walsh and The Daily Wire released the documentary What is a Woman? whereby Walsh exposes the gender insanity sweeping our nation by asking the simple question, “What exactly is a woman?”

Here at last was the ultimate “gotcha”, the destruction of left-wing gender ideology with logic and reason. The film was very well done, and Walsh was as dry and engaging as usual. It was a fascinating piece of satire and commentary rolled into a singular work and as pleasing as it was to watch, I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing.

Something was dreadfully absent.

A confession.

I liked it. I must admit. I liked it greatly.

Similarly, I recall a November night in 2016 when I watched with awe as our nation elected Donald Trump president. I remember the moment, while watching it unfold, when it became apparent that he was probably going to win. I remember the liberals melting down and I must confess, it pleased me to see them melt down.

Rachel Maddow melting down. Don Lemon melting down. Cenk Uygur melting down. Van Jones ranting, “This was a white lash!” Was there anything more satisfying than the hosts of The View, Joy Behar and Whoopie Goldberg, lamenting Trump’s election, nearly in tears?

They made compilation videos of Hillary’s supporters crying as she conceded, screaming in the streets. Oddly satisfying. I am still amazed that anyone would put such stock in any political candidate, any person, man or woman, but seeing these liberals melt down satisfied me deeply…my flesh that is.

What is a Woman? scratched that very same itch.

Let’s be clear.

We ought to stand against this ideology and the gender insanity sweeping our nation.

We ought to ban biological men from competing against biological women. Lia Thomas ought to be ashamed. Fallon Fox ought to be ashamed. We ought to protect women’s only spaces. Artemis Langford ought to be expelled from the sorority. Anne Andres ought to be stripped of all records. These are all obvious and go without saying.

I look to the men of this nation. The men of this nation, the fathers of this nation, we have failed our daughters collectively. We ought to be ashamed of standing by as weak and perverted men have invaded the privacy of our daughters, robbed them of opportunity, in some cases hurt them, even scared them. They, our daughters, know this isn’t right, but our collective paternal silence in contrast to the strident cries of the world in support of this ideology must be confusing. At least some women such as Riley Gaines and the students from Kappa Kappa Gamma are starting to take a stand.

This is all so obvious, but it must be said.

The Tragedy of Artemis Langford.

The Christian ought to look deeper.

I am fascinated by a picture from the news of Artemis Langford, a biological man, who is a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. It is all so typically sorority-ish, a handful of pretty young girls, delightfully panning for the camera…except for the trollish presence of an obvious man, Artemis Langford.

I am fascinated and moved by the obvious brokenness. Here is a man who is so confused, so twisted, so broken that he has sought refuge with young women, denying who God made him to be. Is he merely a pervert seeking to be around a bunch of young college girls, or is he truly confused about who he is? Either way, the issue is that he is lost. Lostness is the issue.

Imagine being so sure of your confusion that you would mutilate your own body. Imagine being surrounded by legions of fawning counselors and therapists reassuring you in your decisions. Imagine a culture showering you in adulation and social capital, labeling you a hero, brave. Imagine the horror of waking up one day and looking in the mirror at the irreversible damage and thinking to yourself, “My God, what have I done?” Lostness.

Artemis Lanford is lost. Lia Thomas is lost. The others are lost, hopelessly lost apart from Christ and I simply find no prescription in Scripture for hating the lost. Quite the opposite in fact.

Herein lies the rub.

Christ gazes upon the lost and, “seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were…like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) Christ had compassion on them.

This is what was missing from What is a Woman? Compassion was missing. Here was nothing but scorn and disdain, reviling, and I simply find no prescription in the Bible for a Christian to have contempt for fellow image bearers of God.

Christ was missing from What is a Woman?

Again, brave men ought to confront the godlessness of gender ideology, with love and compassion, never forgetting that, but by the grace of God, there go I. (1 Corinthians 15:10) We ought to recall our own high treason against the King of kings before we look to the offense of another. Most of all, we ought to preach the Gospel to them, remembering that God does not rejoice in the death of the wicked. (Ezekiel 33:11)

As for me, I’ve already repented of my gleeful reveling, at least until the next election that is.

If Only One

The Gospel Famine of Contemporary Christian Music

By Bradford Smith · 10 Aug 2023

Distaste has become disdain. It’s official.

I liken beating up on Contemporary Chrisian Music (CCM) to roughing up your little brother. It’s easy, fun, just doesn’t accomplish much, might even get you in trouble. Then again, sometimes your little brother is so annoying, it practically demands a response.

I’m beyond that.

I love to sing God’s praises, with God’s people. There is no sweeter sound, but as I’ve wrestled with CCM, not wanting to be Pharisaical, I’ve become increasingly uncomfortable with it. Driving home from visiting my mother in Ohio the other day, as I was forced to listen to CCM for lack of options, it dawned on me why.

There is a near Gospel famine in CCM, or so I thought.

This is a bold declaration. I needed proof.

First Hints

I was at a recovery meeting several years ago. I’ve always loved the passionate worship of those in recovery. People at the end of their rope worship with a fervency I sometimes see lacking in church.

That night, the worship band struck up and began to sing. The people joined in. Hands raised. Eyes closed. They sang:

This is how I fight my battles.

They sang it again.

This is how I fight my battles.

It became a chant. Repeated. And then repeated again. Yet again. A chorus, repeated, and then repeated again. It was hypnotic. “Well, how do I fight my battles?” I mused. At some point, I opened my eyes and looked around. People had their eyes closed, arms raised, singing about how they fight their battles. “Am I in the twilight zone?”

Unfortunately, we never learned how to fight our battles, at least not on that night.

Other Issues

Okay, look, I’m willing to overlook a lot, and I have.

I’ve overlooked for years the rampant profiteering of the CCM industry. It’s an industry, a business, at the end of the day. The bottom line is their bottom line. All the CCM labels are owned by secular overlords who have no interest in Gospel clarity or Gospel proclamation. They cater to whatever sells, be it mildly heretical or outright damnable.

I’ve overlooked the feminization of the church, spear-headed by the CCM industry, effeminate men moaning into the microphone, or women singing their “Jesus is my boyfriend” lyrics. If you can replace the name of Jesus in a song with your crush’s name and it makes sense, that’s an issue.

I’ve looked past the hypnotic and mindless repetition, the loose theology, the fact that Christian music imitating secular music just isn’t well done. Sometimes it’s outright awful.

No longer do I consider it redeemable.

An Experiment

In the car, Juan and I did an experiment. “Let’s listen for the Gospel,” I told him as we tuned up our local CCM station. “We’ll give it an hour.” Juan dutifully took notes.

The very first song encouraged us to praise Him anywhere. Yes, we should. “Praise, give Him praise, give Him praise.” Okay…but why? “He is worthy. Yes, He is worthy of all of the praise.” I agree, but why? Nothing. There are “countless reasons” we are assured, with some vague references to faithfulness, blessings, promises, but no Gospel, the fundamental reason we ought to praise Him. Sigh.

Next up, the singer is suffering, with darkness echoing all around and everything crashing down, but in the midst of this, we have hope in God. He is writing a symphony that drowns out all these other things. Okay, perhaps truth there with some artistic license, but no Gospel. The song concluded with this stirring stanza:

Ooh-whoa, ooh-whoa, ooh-whoa, a symphony

The very next song encouraged us to have gratitude, that the singer only has this and nothing else to bring to God. Yes, but gratitude for what? We’re left with this exhortation:

So come on, my soul

Oh, don't you get shy on me

Lift up your song

'Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs

Get up and praise the Lord

I don’t even know what this means, asking my soul not to get shy on me? He wants us to sing louder, I reckon, what with a lion inside of our lungs and all.

We sang, “Man, I'm talking 'bout a big God, big God (big God).” We appealed to God, “Let Your fire fall and cast out all my fears, Let Your fire fall, Your love is all I feel.” I don’t really know what it means for God to let His fire fall. The language of judgement?

“Every song is picked by you!” the DJ boisterously interrupted. “You’re not making it any better,” I thought to myself.

We asked God to turn it around, a denial or at least a misunderstanding of God’s sovereignty, but nevertheless, no Gospel. “He is up to something!” though, so at least there’s that. The next song repeated ad nauseum, “You make me brave. You make me brave,” but then, “He made a way for all to enter in.” Was this it?!? But alas, we were left to wonder about this supposed way to enter in.

“This is how I thank the Lord, for saving me,” we sang. But how did He save us? Why did He save us? Why are we thanking Him?

And on it went, song after song, hinting at truths about God, truths certainly worthy of praising Him for, but missing something, missing teeth.

Admittedly, we got close.

I was reassured that, “the cross has made you flawless.” Yes, but how? And then, it was explained that we filthy wretches are wrapped up in righteousness, because of His unconditional love. On another, a creedal sounding declaration, an outright statement of belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, just no mention of why it matters, what it means. There were glimpses of the Gospel, hints, but shrouded in unclear language, hidden among silly metaphors, mindless repetition.

On a hunch, I tuned the radio over to the local bluegrass station and literally, the first words sung were, “On Golgotha He died for me, and I didn’t deserve it”. There it was! The next song was Amazing Grace, traditional mind you, no Chris Tomlin. Of course, the Gospel is there. The very next song was about the thief on the cross, that Jesus is the one who saves. The Gospel was blatant, explicit, certainly twangy. Though I love bluegrass, I spared Juan and tuned it back to the local CCM channel.

“Positive and encouraging,” the DJ declared. I was less than encouraged for sure.

The Verdict

The themes were at least consistent.

Be demonstrative. As you worship, as you praise, please raise up your hands. Please sing loudly. Don’t just stand there, for God’s sake. Much of it seemed to seek to incite an outward response, an overt expression, which lines up well with the rampant emotionalism of much modern evangelicalism.

Be victorious. God is with you. He will give you a breakthrough. Your hard times won’t last. I’ve heard modern Christianity described as Therapeutic Moralistic Deism, and I find this very appropriate. It certainly reflects in the music. God is fighting your battles for you.

Call upon the name of Jesus. Repeatedly, we are urged to invoke the name of Jesus. This is the source of our help, our victory. Almost mantra-like.

Our music displays our theology. It reveals it, as it teaches it.

Lamenting to my wife, who is my sounding board, she reminded me that even in my preaching, I sometimes preached about things other than the Gospel. I considered this and for sure, she was right, but all my preaching hopefully ended up on the Gospel, in some way. If it didn’t, then what was I doing in the first place?

I know I’m painting with some broad strokes. Granted, we listened for one hour and to be fair, I’m sure that the Gospel is present somewhere in Contemporary Christian Music, but during our experiment, it wasn’t. Instead, there was a complete absence of the Gospel, of the substitutionary atonement of Christ on the cross, His death in the place of guilty sinners, of justification by grace through faith, of the imputation of the righteousness of Christ to believers, the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, the true reasons we rejoice.

Instead of being confronted with my sin and my need for a Savior, I was confronted with frivolity and silliness, empty lyrics masked by catchy beats and polished production. At the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon—you young people and your rock n’ roll—I’ll just quietly change the station.

If Only One

Varying Degrees of Reward in Heaven—Works Smuggled In

By Bradford Smith · 28 Jul 2023

I’ve become increasingly unsettled with the idea of varying degrees of rewards for the believer in heaven.

What do men excel at but putting a burden upon themselves and others? This is what the legalist does, by his very nature. If you’ll just do, then you’ll merit the favor of God. Of course, we renounce works-based salvation and find our rest and joy in the blessed doctrine of justification by faith alone (Sola Fide as it were). Yet, we must be diligent in our attentiveness because works creep in. Legalism seeps into the gaps not firmly filled with the righteousness of Christ.

There exists a seemingly standard and widespread idea in the evangelical church that believers, though saved by faith through grace, will receive varying degrees of rewards in heaven based upon their work for the kingdom of God as believers. I heard a biblical teacher once proclaim that he couldn’t wait to earn a particular crown (reward) so that he could cast it at the feet of Jesus on that day.

Does this notion, varying degrees of rewards in heaven for believers, hold up under the scrutiny of Scripture?

In support of the idea, proponents point to the five crowns listed in Scripture, texts such as 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 which seem to unequivocally teach the idea, as well as texts that speak about people receiving the just due for their actions, either rewards or punishment, or others that reference the least or the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

The Five Crowns

1. The Imperishable Crown

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath [crown], but we an imperishable. (1 Corinthians 9:25)

Here, Paul applies his frequently used allegory of comparing Christians to athletes running a race to obtain a prize. Here though, he speaks about “every” athlete, that every Christian exercises self-control as they run the race and that they, Christians, do this as they run that they, Christians, may receive the imperishable crown.

The race motif reveals the differing economies. In God’s race, there is no first, second, or third place. There are those who finish the race, Christians, and those who do not, unbelievers. The imperishable crown is the reward, whatever it may be, that all believers obtain in their salvation and eternal glorification.

2. The Crown of Rejoicing

For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? (1 Thessalonians 2:19)

Paul longs to see his brothers in Thessalonica, in person. Satan hindered his previous efforts to visit. (v.18) Why is he so set on seeing them? Verse 19 answers the question. They, the Thessalonians, are his hope and joy, his crown of boasting before the Lord. In the following verse he amplifies, “For you are our glory and joy,” and we could add, his hope, his crown.

Paul’s affection for the persecuted but faithful church is evident in this address. He addresses others similarly. He refers to the church in Philippi as, “my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown.” (Philippians 4:1) This crown of rejoicing or crown of boasting is clearly not some future heavenly reward but that his dear brothers in Christ are this crown. They are his reward, presently.

3. The Crown of Righteousness

Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only me but also to all who have loved his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8)

Speaking of his own life, his own race coming to an end, Paul declares to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (v.7) This is an apt description of every believer approaching eternity. By definition, believers fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith.

Further, Paul caveats the declaration by saying “not only me, but also to all who have loved his appearing,” in other words, believers. The crown of righteousness is for every believer.

4. The Crown of Life

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12)

James, the Lord’s brother, gives believers yet another hope for future glory. Again, by definition, a believer will stand the test, will remain steadfast under trial. This is what believers do. Of course, we fail on occasion, of course we stumble, but our trajectory is persistence.

Further, James’ promise, God’s promise, is for “those who love him”, i.e. believers. The Crown of Life is for all believers.

5. The Crown of Glory

And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (1 Peter 5:4)

Here we have perhaps the most difficult passage to understand pertaining to the crowns. Peter’s offer is clearly addressed to elders. (v. 1) He gives them (elders) encouraging advice and then the offer of the “crown of glory” in verse 4 before switching to address those who are subject to the elders. (v. 5)

Yet, throughout the letter, we see Peter’s offer of eternal glory to all believers. In eternity, believers will be “filled with glory.” (1:8) Believers have “the Spirit of glory”. (4:14) Further, as we interpret Scripture with Scripture and we see that every other crown is either an eternal reward for every believer or doesn’t pertain at all i.e., the Crown of Rejoicing, then we may safely say the Crown of Glory is offered here specifically, to those who labor as elders, but is not reserved only for them, but is for all believers.

6. The Casting of Crowns

The twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, (Revelation 4:10)

This verse is often cited to demonstrate the crowns as rewards in heaven. As the elders fall before Jesus, whoever they are, they cast their crowns at his feet. In the same way, we believers, will fall before Jesus in heaven and forbid that we might have no crowns to cast at his feet. Therefore, we ought to earn our crowns, as the logic goes.

Yet, no description is given of anyone other than these elders doing this. Nowhere are believers prescribed to cast crowns at the feet of Jesus. What we see here is a surrender of earthly authority from the elders, likely representative of Israel and the Church. They have ceded all authority to Jesus, symbolically casting their crowns at his feet in honor of him. This symbolic display is spurred on by the worship of Jesus in heaven, “whenever” the four creatures give him glory and honor. (Revelation 4:9)

Revealed by Fire

11For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

Paul’s admonition to the church in Corinth contains perhaps the strongest suggestion of varying degrees of rewards in heaven for believers based upon what they do.

For believers, Christ is the foundation. (v. 11) No one disputes that. The believer is to build upon that foundation, to do good works. (v.12) Again, no one disputes that. The nature of the work varies, and Paul describes it as either “gold, silver, precious stones” as in, work that is valuable and will endure or “wood, hay, straw” or work that is lesser in value and will likely not endure. (v. 12) It is the coming of Christ, “the Day”, that will reveal which is which, as “the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.” (v. 13) Symbolically, the Second Coming of Christ will be like fire that reveals things that are eternal and things that are not eternal, as far as works accomplished by believer.

In this revealing, there are rewards for those whose work survives, that is those who built upon the foundation of Christ with “gold, silver, precious stones.” (v. 12) In other words, those who pursue eternal matters, their work will persist into eternity, and they will be amply rewarded for this.

On the other hand, are those whose work is burned up in the fire. They built with lesser materials, did not concern themselves with matters of eternity, and this work will be burned up and “he will suffer loss” that is, he will not receive a reward though “he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” (v. 15) Here we have the image of a believer regretfully entering eternity, entering heaven with the knowledge that nothing they did mattered in eternity, and that they receive no reward. God forbid such a thought.

For starters, I know of no man who only builds with “gold, silver, precious stones.” Likewise, I know of no believer, more importantly, nor does Scripture, who only builds with “wood, hay, straw”. What is universal is that all believers build upon the foundation of Christ, and we all know Christ’s admonition, “to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33) And yet, we all build imperfectly. Sometimes we do well and build well. Other times, as we wrestle with sin and self, we build poorly, focusing upon the wrong thing or transient and temporal things. With this in mind, everyone would have things burned up and everyone would have things endure and therefore all believers would receive a reward. No mention is made of a varying reward for surviving work.

Further, the “loss” mentioned in verse 15 that most apply to the “reward” of verse 14 is more appropriately applied to the “work” of verse 15 that is burned up. That is, the believer labors over something that is inconsequential, and, in the end, it is lost, it is burned up. He loses all the misplaced labor that he invested in temporal or transient work.

I see, in these verses, an admonition for believers, an encouragement to look ahead to the future revealing of that which is transient and that which is eternal and to seek to invest in things of eternity and that for believers, there exists a reward in heaven for exactly this.

Least or Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

Several times Jesus speaks of those who will be “least” or “greatest” in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19, 11:11, 18:4, Mark 9:34-35, Luke 9:48) This seems to indicate a potential ranking or ordering of Christians in heaven in the future.

We’ll start with Matthew 11:11 whereby Jesus, in discussing the greatness of John the Baptist, makes the comment that “the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.” (v. 11b) Notice first, the present tense, “is”. Jesus is speaking to a present reality, the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, time now. John the Baptist, as the greatest of all the prophets, still fell short in that he did not witness the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, nor the establishment of the church in Acts 2. The point that Jesus is making is quite the opposite, it is that all believers are equally greater than the greatest of any prophet, even John the Baptist with incomplete revelation. Believers know and believe the complete revelation of Jesus. I’m sure I’ll see John the Baptist in heaven one day, but not because of any sort of prophetic greatness on his behalf, and that is precisely Jesus’ point. John will definitely agree.

Once this is established, the other passages fall into line quite easily. The point from these is to upend man’s view of merit and what is meritorious and even the actual existence of man’s merit in God’s economy, not to establish a completely new system of merit that we must now grade ourselves upon. In the economy of God, Christ is the only merit, ever.

Jesus makes this exact point to the Apostles. On several occasions, they come to him seeking to know who will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus answers them, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3-4) Notice that the criteria for entering the kingdom of heaven, the faith of a child, is the exact same criteria for greatness.

To the Apostles, Jesus promises them, “you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19:28b) Again, there seems to be an inevitable ranking of Christians. Yet, writing to the struggling church in Corinth, Paul says, “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world…Do you not know that we [Christians] are to judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:2-3) Again, we see a leveling of the field in eternity, an elevation of all Christians.

In all of these situations, the heavenly rewards are synonymous with eternal life in heaven.

What of the warnings that Scripture seems to give about being judged based upon the deeds we perform or even the words we speak? (Romans 2:6, Revelation 22:12, Matthew 12:36, Luke 12:2-3) To this we must necessarily say, if you are in Christ, this is not for you. These verses drive us to intense thankfulness for Christ. Because of Christ, I will only be judged upon His merits, His perfect deeds, and perfect words. Now, we ought to do good deeds, speak edifying words, yet no Christian will ever stand in judgement for the deeds we do or don’t do, the words we speak or don’t speak. That would be a redemptive regression of the worst sort. As Blomberg writes, “The purpose of Christians’ standing before God’s bar of justice is to declare them acquitted, not to embarrass them before the entire cosmos for all their failing.” (167)

What is the fear of the legalist, but that if we don’t threaten the Christian accordingly, warn them, then they won’t do any deeds, they’ll speak only idle words. If the Gospel were not supernatural, this might be true, but because the Christian is indwelt of the Holy Spirit of God, they will necessarily do good works and speak good words, increasingly, but still imperfectly as they wrestle their persisting sin nature until glorification in death. Even the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30, Luke 19:11-27) provides not a contrast between faithful and rewarded Christians, but rather, a contrast between the conduct of the saved and the lost. The saved do things on behalf of the kingdom of God, are faithful with what God gives to them, while the lost squander the gifts and blessings of God.

It is no surprise then that proponents of varying degrees of rewards struggle to define the nature of the rewards, resorting to speculation. Is it an increased capacity for service, added responsibilities, higher degrees of bliss, an enriched relationship with Christ? And they must account somehow for awareness as in, others won’t be aware of your rewards, only you. But, if heaven is perfect, if Christ is perfect, then how would we find varying degrees of perfection? Logically, that doesn’t even make sense.

In all of this, I simply find no mandate for varying degrees of rewards in heaven. What we do find in Scripture is the exact opposite of this.

Refutation

Scripture provides two options for men, salvation by grace alone through faith (i.e. unmerited) or damnation by works. Apart from Christ, men live under the covenant of works which requires perfect, perpetual obedience to the law of God for salvation. What must man do to live? Obey the law. Love God and love people, perfectly. That’s it. That’s all one must do. Obviously, this is a crushing burden that no man save for Christ has ever borne. It is the Gospel that liberates man from the curse of the Law. Jesus’ perfect obedience to the Law, His perfect righteousness, is imputed to the believer, credited to his account. The believer is freed from the economy of merit, that great and unbearable burden. Do we really think God would then return to an economy of merit within His kingdom? As Paul writes, “the wages of sin is death”. (Romans 6:23a) The wages, the only thing we can earn with our works, is death. Thank God he goes on to clarify, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (verse 23b) Which makes perfect sense since we do see clear indications of varying degrees of wages in one arena, that is varying degrees of punishment in hell. (Luke 12:47-18, Matthew 10:15, 11:22, 24, Romans 5:13)

The lesson of the parable of the vineyard workers (Matthew 20:1-16) is that all believers are equal in the economy of God, even those who might have been saved much later in life, maybe even right before death, and had no opportunity to even work or earn a reward. Blomberg writes, “And when one reflects soberly on the vast gulf that separates even the most righteous of believers from God’s infinitely perfect standards it is hard to see how the difference among Christians that seem to loom so large in the life could figure significantly in God’s eternal reckoning. The differences in elevation between Mount Everest and the Mariana Trench seem negligible when viewed from Mars.” (162)

In Christ, God has granted to the believer “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 1:3) What has God withheld from His people, not one single thing. The believer can proclaim, “in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11) We look ahead to the final fulfillment of a promise made in eternity past, a promise of the very presence of Christ where we will know fully, just as we have been fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12) We will see His face and there will be no more darkness. We will reign forever with Him. We will worship Him, drink from the river of life, live in the heavenly city, bask in His glorious presence forevermore. No more death. No more crying. No more pain. No more sin. We have Christ! What greater reward could there possibly be?

The notion of varying degrees of rewards is works. That’s it. Nothing more. It is an attempt by men to smuggle works in the back door and it’s no wonder it’s such a prevalent teaching. The western church (all that I’m familiar with) imitates the world in so many other ways, it should come as no shock that we’d seek to imitate the world and its merit-based foundation within the church and a future in heaven. Again, consider the legalistic heart of all men. As the Gospel progressively destroys legalism, breaches barrier after barrier, man clings tighter and tighter to his works.

“No, no, I have to work to be saved.” Destroyed.

“God saved me based upon my foreseen faith.” Sigh.

“I must work to retain my salvation.” Excrement.

“I must work to make God happy.” Pure garbage.

“I must work to earn rewards in heaven.” Really?

What a devilish thought that the Lord might esteem some of His children more than others based upon the works they do when it is He that calls them to specific works in the first place. (Ephesians 2:10)

My dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, allow me to reassure you. Allow me to lift a burden from your shoulders. At the wedding feast of the Lamb, every table will be the head table. The thief on the cross will be just as esteemed as the Apostle Peter. The Lord Jesus loves you every bit as much as Martin Luther or Charles Spurgeon or pick a “great” man or woman of God, even as much as the Apostle Paul himself, who would no doubt resolutely agree. I pray you’ll find rest in this truth.

If Only One

Revival Fatigue—a Cold Take

By Bradford Smith · 07 Jul 2023

“REVIVAL IS COMING!” the poster trumpeted. Next month at [insert church name] featuring revivalist [insert revivalist name]. This would be a “city-wide” event. Come and join the “movement” we were encouraged.

I quickly scrolled on and then opened my email.

“National Day of Prayer!” was at the top of my inbox. “Save the date!” was the exhortation. “Pray that God would revive our land.” There it was again.

A few emails down, “Join us in prayer!” I was invited to gather at the courthouse to “pray for revival!” I sighed audibly.

I’ll quote John Coffey (like the drink only not spelled the same), “I’m tired boss.”

About Asbury

On February 8th, 2023, after a regularly scheduled chapel service at Asbury University in Kentucky, the students stayed behind in Hughes Auditorium to worship. Asbury President Kevin Brown sent out an email, “There’s worship happening in Hughes. You’re welcome to join.”

What followed was revival, for lack of a better word, a weeks-long worship service. Word spread like wildfire across social media. By February 18th, the hashtag “asburyrevival” had 63 million views on Tik Tok. People began to flock to Asbury to worship, to see, to be a part of what was happening. At some point, similar events began to occur at Samford University, Cedarville University, and University of the Cumberlands. Visitors spoke of worship, miracles, and healing, and lauded the hospitality of the school and the local community.

The gathering continued for 14 days with the auditorium frequently overflowing. Thousands of visitors flocked to the campus. Then, on February 24th, 16 days after starting, it was over, just like that.

The university canceled the revival.

Local law enforcement agencies and government, expressing concern over accommodating the sheer volume of visitors, pressed the university and the university responded. School administrators agreed to continue the revival online.

My First Revival

As a new convert in 2005, my wife and I poured ourselves and our family into the church. We were there literally every time the doors were open and sometimes when they weren’t. You can imagine our excitement when we saw that revival was coming.

Our church scheduled a revival.

For three or four weeknights, our church scheduled a worship service, to revive us, and you can bet we were there. I’m not sure if revival happened.

For starters, you’re talking three to four weeknights, for people with jobs, who might be worn out, whose kids have athletic events, or maybe who just want to chill and watch some Netflix. Our church was a large church, but to say that the revival was not well-attended was an understatement. It was summertime in Tennessee, hot and humid in the evenings. The air conditioners struggled to keep up. It was very tough to get too excited with my sweaty underwear steadily creeping up into my nether regions. I recall the desperate attempts of the worship leader and the impassioned appeals of the speaker to revive us, to amp us up, to get us going.

I don’t know if it worked or not.

Should this be something we pursue?

Revivalism and Emotionalism

Listen, I want God to stir up our hearts.

Sometimes, when preaching, I gaze out at the stoic faces of the people and wonder incredulously, “Did you people hear what I just said?” How can they not be overcome with joy and emotion at the amazing truths of the Gospel message? I do pray that God would stir up the hearts of His people.

Yet, what of this incessant call to revival, this desperate pursuit of revival? What about being gleefully poised for revival to “break out”?

Revival is steeped into the fabric of American Christianity. The First and Second Great Awakenings color our expectations. Images of crowded tent revivals—let’s abandon the church building and the stodgy traditions of men why don’t we—replete with mass salvations and overt emotional responses fascinate us. Maybe the problem is traditional Christianity, read boring. Maybe we need to “get back to” real Christianity. If only the Spirit would revive us.

We see some calls for revival in Scripture. The Psalmist declares, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” (Psalm 85:6) Throughout the Old Testament the theme of a return, the restoration of a remnant persists. God desires “to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isaiah 57:15)

Revivalists often cite 2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” It’s that simple. Humble yourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from your wicked ways, and He will forgive your sin and heal the land. That is, He will revive it!

The problem is that this verse is a promise made to Solomon in a dream about the nation of Israel, God’s old covenant people. Because we are Christians, we know that we cannot just pluck a verse directly from the Old Testament about Israel and apply it directly to today, to the church, or even to America. This verse is many things, but it is not a prescription for how to foment revival.

The New Testament offers little to no commentary on anything resembling revival. In the Epistles, God’s instructions to the church, we find no direction for the church to seek revival, to pursue revival. Now, if God desires to revive His church—and at some point, I’m not even sure what that means—then I will certainly rejoice over any move of the Spirit in the hearts of the people. What I’m talking about is not revival, but revivalism, that is, the incessant pursuit of revival whereby anything other than this is somehow deemed lesser.

Revivalism frequently couples with emotionalism, a dangerous pairing for the church. It becomes about generating fervor and excitement, things that are unsustainable. The burden is this, if you don’t feel a certain way, if you don’t get excited, if we don’t generate a certain intensity of emotion or passion, then we must be doing something wrong. The outward response matters. Are you singing loudly? Are you raising your hands? Did you come forward at an invitation? Did you cry? Etc.

The image of a hard-working husband and wife faithfully attending and serving a local church, quietly raising their children in the wisdom and instruction of the Lord, gently evangelizing their neighbors over the years just doesn’t generate the same level of excitement, does it?

I wonder about the aftermath of Asbury. Did anything of consequence, anything enduring come of it? Or, is it almost as if it never happened?

Ordinary Means, God’s Prescription

I’ve become an ordinary means man.

God has given us his prescription for revival, the Ordinary Means of Grace: the fellowship of the body, the ministry of the word, and the administration of the ordinances (baptism and communion) over time. This is God’s revealed plan for His people to be conformed into the image of Christ, to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, for lasting revival.

He tells us how to stir up the hearts of the people:

1. The Fellowship of the Body. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some.” (Hebrews 10:24-25a) This is the fellowship of the body, believers meeting together to stir up one another’s hearts, to encourage one another to love and good works. Revival.

2. The Ministry of the Word. “I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder,” Peter writes to discouraged Christians. (2 Peter 1:13) It is the ministry of the word that reminds us of who we are in Christ, who He made us to be, that encourages us in our walk. The Psalmist writes, “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul,” and “give me life [revive me] according to your word!” (Psalm 19:7, 119:25b) Revival.

3. Over time. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another,” Paul encourages us. (2 Corinthians 3:18a) Beholding Christ through these ordinary means assuredly transforms us into His image, one degree at a time, day by day. This is a precious and very great promise of God. Revival.

This issue is, it’s not dramatic, normally not sudden, not overtly emotional.

So, pray for revival as you feel led and maybe God will grant revival. However, let us also pray that the men and women of God live the Ordinary Means of Grace over time. This has always been God’s prescription for the church.

If Only One

Biblical Masculinity is Toxic Masculinity

By Bradford Smith · 10 Jun 2023

Has there been a culture as confused as ours?

Clarity

It’s a shame, but I’ve got to stipulate.

As much as I cling to truth and the language of truth, our culture demands clarification.

For example, I simply cannot speak of marriage lest you be confused. I must stipulate…biblical marriage between a man and a woman. Even the word “biblical” does not delineate decisively. Now, you and I know that the word “marriage” carries a biblical connotation—God ordained marriage after all—and excludes all but those between a man and a woman. Unfortunately, society no longer honors such clarity.

The concept of masculinity demands a similar stipulation.

We must delineate between masculinity and biblical masculinity though again, you and I know that apart from Christ, masculinity is meaningless. It rings hollow. It doesn’t exist. Christless masculinity is as meaningful as heteronormative or cisgender or pregnant persons or any of the litany of doublespeak that proliferates and masquerades as reality today.

So, for the sake of clarity, we must agree…

…biblical masculinity is toxic masculinity.

Godless Masculinity

Allow me to establish a term. Let us address godless masculinity.

In Christ, we find the ultimate exhibition of masculinity. Masculinity—biblical masculinity—demands Christ. He must exist for masculinity to even be a thing.

God in the flesh, Jesus is a man.

Let’s start there. Again, the present devolution necessitates that we affirm so simple an idea. In the common contemporary vernacular, He is a cisgender, biological male, one who gender identifies with the sex assigned at birth. He would be totally comfortable with He pronouns.

And in His humanity, His masculinity resonates. It affirms the goodness of masculinity, the rightness of masculinity, the necessity of masculinity.

The masculinity of Jesus resonates with tension, with contrast.

He is BOTH the glorified Christ of Revelation 1, the mere sight of whom drove John to fall to his face as if dead, AND the gentle rabbi to whom children were given. He is BOTH the awe-inducing Christ of Revelation 19, the King of kings and Lord or lords who will judge and make war as He treads the winepress of the wrath of a holy God upon His return, AND the compassionate healer who has mercy upon the masses, who weeps at their lostness.

He is gentle.

He will rule the nations with a rod of iron.

He is kind.

He will strike down His enemies.

He is love. He is mercy.

He demands obedience.

And He calls His sons to account, to be strong, to be courageous. He requires His sons to emulate Him, to love their wives as Christ loves the Church, to make disciples of their children, to demand justice, and pursue purity. He moves them to humility and mercy, to serve and to love, to love selflessly.

He calls them to act like men, to embrace their God-given masculinity and when they fail, which they will, to look to Him, to always look to Christ. This is just what men of God do.

Godless masculinity knows nothing of this.

It knows neither strength nor weakness. Godless masculinity is BOTH the cat-calling chauvinist AND the limp-wristed coward who concedes his role as the spiritual leader of the home and the church.

Godless masculinity is Matt Lauer AND Bradley Manning, a caricature of the humble servant, Jesus. Godless masculinity can never reconcile the overt and sinful bravado of faux masculinity with the effectively-neutered males of this present day. In response, culture necessarily and deliberately confuses biblical displays with gross perversions, labeling them both toxic in rejection of the perceived patriarchy.

Godless masculinity recoils at the real thing.

A godly man looking to Jesus, leading his wife and family in the way of the Lord is anathema, toxic rather, to that which is perishing.

Toxic to Godlessness

Men lead the general rebellion against God.

The most influential person in the life of a child is the father. A child’s future and his faith, or lack thereof, is largely attributable to what the father does or does not do, his presence or absence.

In our nation, fathers long ago walked from the church and failed to raise their sons in the way of the Lord. Predictably, when we became older, we departed from those ways. Each subsequent generation is more unchurched, more godless, drifting further from truth.

Ours is a rebellion of apathy, of passivity. It is a rebellion of abdication. We long ago ceded our God-given role as spiritual leaders of the home and the church. The resultant feminization of both, the home and the church, spelled doom for both institutions.

Masculinity spells death for godlessness.

By God’s design, legions of committed men, disciples themselves, make disciples of the nations, starting in their own homes.

Godly men love their wives as Christ loves the church, consuming them with the fire of their selfless and unconditional love. (Ephesians 5:25) Godly men wash their wives in the water of the Word, coming alongside them in pursuit of the Lord. (Ephesians 5:26) The resultant union testifies loud and clear to the Gospel of the risen Lord Jesus.

Godly men pour into their children, rearing them as disciples from their youngest days. Godly men discipline their sons and teach them to cherish women, to esteem them as the fairer sex. Godly men instill into their daughters a sense of worth independent of their looks or what they could offer a man. Godly men model what their daughters ought to look for in a future husband and how their sons ought to think, act, and speak.

Godly men look to Christ first and always.

Godly men lead their families.

Godly men lead the church.

Godly men stand firm against the flaming darts of the enemy, holding steadfast to the truth of Scripture, demanding righteousness from themselves and other men.

Godly men subordinate themselves to all of these pursuits and there is no greater threat to the world and its associated godlessness than masculinity…which is why Satan has labored so diligently in confusing the world as to what masculinity actually is.

This leads to an unnecessarily comfortable truth. Our nation and the church will only go as far as masculinity will carry them.

Toxic to Evil

The proliferation of evil speaks to a general emasculation.

Godly men do not stand idle as men harass women, as bullies do their thing, as people treat one another with hatred and disrespect. Replace the word “godly” with “good” and almost everyone would agree with this sentiment, even recent progressive movements that reject traditional notions of masculinity.

God forces us to expand the provision to a basis that would merit subsequent rejection by those same secular forces.

Godly men would never have required the overt sexualization forced upon our young women in the first place. We would’ve never convinced legions of women to find value from their looks, pressure them into premarital sex, and abandon them once they become pregnant. The widespread proliferation of single mothers and all of the affiliated affliction testifies to emasculation.

Abortion is a by-product of this emasculation, as is the destruction of gender norms in our society, even men standing flaccid as perverted men wearing dresses frolic with our children, or destroy our daughters in competitive sports.

Only good men, who by definition must be of Christ, can readily stand against the proliferation of such wickedness.

Symptoms no More

Apart from Christ, society may only treat symptoms, the proverbial band-aid on a sucking chest wound.

Meanwhile, women will continue to be abused and debased, babies will be murdered in the womb, more of our sons will walk from the faith, and our nation will continue its descent into the abyss.

My prayer is simple, for the men of this nation to turn to Christ, that God would grant us repentance. I pray that the LORD would raise up a generation of men who would claim all that He has set aside for them, that they would waive aside the clouds of confusion in repentance and boldly stand in allegiance with true righteousness, the righteousness found in Christ. This is the only way.

What are you afraid of?

If Only One

America and the Slow Death of Godless Democracy

By Bradford Smith · 19 May 2023

Watching our nation is like watching a car crash in slow motion.

I know it’s coming. It’s horrific. I can’t look away.

Seemingly every week, someone guns down a group of people in cold blood: family members, office workers, school children, disabled American veterans, mentally challenged adults. Whatever. I don’t even notice anymore.

Every week we slaughter another 10 to 12 thousand children in the womb. No big deal. And just when we think the insanity must end, someone invents a new pronoun or a new gender term amidst the prevailing gender insanity gripping the country. I’m pretty sure that heterosexuality itself might be on the Congressional chopping block at some point.

The Equality Act will inevitably pass rendering the sermon I preached just a few weeks ago illegal. The national debt is on the order of magnitude of trillions, but we don’t really care. I’m sure our grandkids will figure it out.

And it looks like the next election will possibly offer us voters the riveting choice between…Biden and Trump.

Like the little old lady that rear-ended me on Madison Street a couple of years ago, many Americans find themselves looking around, mouth agape, wondering just what happened. Where did it all go wrong?

Constitutional Context

Where Christ is preached, things are just better. That is a fact.

I spent an unfortunate amount of time in Iraq in days past, most of it in the largely Islamic majority and controlled areas. It was unpleasant.

Not only was it routinely 9000 degrees in the shades, but garbage littered the streets, puddles of raw sewage, swarms of filthy kids. Destroyed buildings remained destroyed, and you couldn’t go anywhere without an armored convoy because some ISIS psychopath(s) might just try to cut off your head or blow you up. Like I said, not pleasant. There were no Christians. None.

My very last trip to Iraq was to the northern city of Erbil with a sizeable Christian minority. You can imagine my surprise on my first day there when they took me out to eat, at a restaurant. No one tried to kill us! The streets were swept and clean for the most part. Whereas in the rest of the country, death prevailed. Here, life prevailed.

Where the Gospel is preached, things are just better. This is part of the common grace of God. The Constitution was written in the context of the Gospel.

Now, I’m not foolish enough to think the Founding Fathers were all Christians or really, that our nation was ever a Christian nation, whatever that even means. However, the Gospel was widely preached. Church was largely attended—at the center of every town was the City Hall and the local church. Everyone went and everyone heard the Gospel, and everyone understood basic Christian concepts and Christian morality and things were just…better.

This was the context of the framing of the Constitution. The framers likely never envisioned the colossal dechurching of the nation and the ensuing Constitutional chaos.

A Youthful Analogy

My first car was a little black 1991 Ford Escort. My parents handed me the keys trusting that I would remember my upbringing and not get into too much trouble. They had drilled into me, from my earliest days, their strict, conservative values, Christian values, just without Christ. My father was a strict disciplinarian and that resonated in my life, my conduct, certainly my behavior behind the wheel.

I never did anything that I thought might get me into trouble.

I drank underage at whoever’s house was foolish enough to go out of town for the weekend and leave their teenagers home alone. I smoked cigarettes sometimes, thinking I was cool, and routinely dipped snuff. But, I didn’t drink and drive. I certainly never did illegal drugs. I never snuck out of the house at night, or snuck girls into my home, as I was terrified of the opposite sex as it were.

I was a good kid for the most part, got good grades, and was responsible behind the wheel, all a function of the context of my upbringing. Call it common grace.

An American Analogy

America today is a juvenile delinquent with the keys to a supercharged Shelby Cobra. Before the sun sets, he’s got a case of Milwaukee’s Best in the trunk, a bag of weed in the glovebox, and his arm around the local floozy on his way to the street races down on Ward’s Road.

His morality is instant gratification, do what feels good now, and let’s not worry about the consequences shall we. If he doesn’t wrap his Mustang around a telephone pole, he’ll knock up his girlfriend, lose his license, maybe spend some time in the can before graduating to weapons charges or assault or something a little meatier.

It’s what he was taught, what was modeled for him, what he learned from a father in absentia and at the end of the day, the outcome is practically inevitable.

This is America today, absent the common grace of the preaching of the Gospel.

What does it all mean?

Maybe freedom without Christ doesn’t work. Maybe liberty without Christ can only lead to licentiousness. Maybe it’s just too much for us to handle.

Let’s briefly look at guns.

Okay, before you go all cold-dead-hands on me, I love guns as much as the next guy. I own a gun. I love the idea of the 2nd amendment and my ability to defend myself and my family. Yet, 2nd amendment advocates find themselves backed into an increasingly tighter corner by the ever-increasing gun violence. Yes, it is the person that kills, not the gun itself. Yes, Cain killed Abel with a rock. These are the facts.

Yet, maybe—scrunching up face, preparing for backlash—maybe we’ve lost the ability to handle the right to bear arms, at least as it currently exists, as a function of the prevailing godlessness of our nation. We’ve become like the kid with no moral compass handed the keys to a muscle car.

Never forget the language of the framers. They sought, with the Constitution, “to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,” and we’ve done exactly that, for a time. Who cannot look at the American experiment and see the stunning success of the Constitutional Republic, the rise of the most powerful nation-state ever imagined, and the long slow descent into chaos and disorder, as ushered in by the dechurching of our nation.

Maybe what we are seeing is the inevitable failing of a nation founded in the context of the Gospel, as it has abandoned the Gospel.

I have no answer. I see hope in the increasing ranks of homeschool kids who may one day lead a revival in our nation. I see hope in the purification of the persecuted church. The harder the church is pressed, the more it prospers. I dare you, Congress, to pass the legislation. But, I have no answers.

Jesus, the Gospel and its proclamation, that’s it and really, that’s all we need.

I love this country, well, what it used to be anyway. Yet, I ultimately find comfort in the firm knowledge that this nation will one day be little more than a footnote in the salvation history of man, Constitution and all.

If Only One

The Three Layers of Biblical Discipleship

By Bradford Smith · 23 Mar 2023

“Join a Sunday school class and read the book of John!”

That’s what they told me. I was newly saved and not really having been raised in the church, I had no idea what I ought to do now.

Most Christians don’t either when it comes to discipleship.

Every pastor will say they love the Great Commission but ask them how they actually go about making disciples of all the nations, and you’ll get a litany of answers. Many may know how, but the methodology displayed in the Bible runs contrary to modern church-building ideology. Others have no idea how to actually make disciples. I really didn’t either until just a few years ago.

I always thought discipleship was a couple of brothers getting together and going through a book. I survey Christians all of the time, “How has your discipleship experience been in the church?” and almost always, the answer is that it has been non-existent.

Many Christians struggle to even define what discipleship is.

Jesus knew. As our church began to explore the idea of actually doing the Great Commission, we turned to Scripture, to the greatest disciple-maker, Jesus, to see what we’d find, to ask the question, “What did the disciples do?” that we might then ask, “What do disciples do today?”

We found three men, Peter, James, and John, and determined that no men in the history of the church had received better discipleship than they. We saw three layers of discipleship as described below.

The First Layer

Matthew Chapter 4 describes the beginning of Jesus’ ministry as he “began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” (verse 17) He then calls his first disciples, Peter, James, and John, though parallel accounts indicate that Peter’s brother Andrew was actually called first.

Matthew records that Jesus began to travel around and teach in the synagogues and preach the Gospel to great crowds. He did other things. He healed the sick and cast out demons, but the “great crowds followed him from Galilee” to all the places he visited. (v. 25) Next, “seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him,” as he began to preach the Sermon on the Mount. (5:1)

What did his disciples do in all of this?

They were just there. They were present, listening, hearing.

They heard the preaching and proclamation of the Gospel message. They listened. They observed Jesus’ great compassion on the people. The Scripture doesn’t say that they did anything other than witness and hear. Surely, they did other things, the Bible just doesn’t record it. Elsewhere, we see similar accounts of Jesus preaching and teaching to the masses and always, his disciples are right there with the masses, hearing the word of God proclaimed by the Word of God, Jesus.

What ought a disciple do today? Assemble with the masses, the corporate gathering of the body. Whenever the body gathers, the disciple ought to be there. I cannot think of why a disciple would not want to be with the church body to worship, to pray, to receive the preached word of God.

Listen, I’ve attended church services out of sheer mechanical religious duty, but I’ve never left a church gathering and said, “that was a waste of time.” I’ve never been anything other than thoroughly edified by gathering corporately with the church body.

It’s one of the ordinary means of grace given to us as God’s recipe for transformation, for conforming into the image of Christ. And if I am leading a man in discipleship, I’ll gently lead him to the gathering, whenever and wherever that may be, that they may likewise benefit from this ordinary means of grace.

The Second Layer

After calling Matthew with a simple, “Follow me,” Jesus and his disciples went to Matthew’s home for a great feast where all three synoptics record the presence of sinners and even tax collectors. They reclined at the table with Jesus, joyously breaking bread together. And where were the disciples, Peter, James, and John? They were right there with them, right in the middle of it all.

And as some Pharisees and scribes take exception to the sinful company, they get to witness Jesus respond, teaching in essence. Jesus was always teaching. As we read about other frequent, smaller gatherings in homes, we know that Jesus taught them many great lessons over the dinner table, at feasts and other gatherings.

There’s something special and intimate about meeting in a home. There is the opportunity for the host to exercise a gift of hospitality. There is the opportunity for guests to receive hospitality and rejoice in one another’s presence, in opening up a home to one another.

There’s something special and intimate about sharing a meal together, the breaking of bread. Immediately after Pentecost and the foundation of the church, Luke records that the early church met daily in one another’s homes, breaking bread, studying the teachings of the apostles, enjoying true and intimate fellowship. (Acts 2:42-47)

On the night of the last supper, Jesus gathered with his disciples in someone’s home. He also added an element, the institution of the Lord’s Supper, one of two ordinances given the church that is likewise one of the ordinary means of grace. The Lord’s supper binds us together, unites us in fellowship, reminds us, and offers us an opportunity for repentance.

But in the home is where people begin to shed their outer shell, to be vulnerable and transparent, to establish real and lasting relationships. There is magic in the home gathering for sure and if your church does not have one, you ought to engage your leadership. If I’m in discipleship with a brother, I’m entreating him to be a part of our church’s homegroup ministry and if they don’t have one, we’re starting one.

The Third Layer

Scripture records an inner circle. You guessed it, Peter, James, and John.

On three occasions, Jesus deliberately takes the three aside: at the Mount of Transfiguration, at the raising of Jairus’ daughter from the dead, and as Jesus prayed in Gethsemane. Here, alone with the three, Jesus reveals something about himself by the miraculous and is especially intimate in his prayers.

In Gethsemane, he was “greatly distressed and troubled” as he prayed. (Mark 14:33) He chose the three to be with him during perhaps this fullest revelation of his humanity, contemplating his impending crucifixion.

In discipleship, we ought to have an inner circle, a core group, that meets together regularly outside of other church gatherings, be they home or corporate. Here is the fullest expression of intimacy, of transparency and vulnerability, of intentional time spent around the word of God, growing together in the word, iron sharpening iron.

At our church, we seek to imitate Jesus, groups of three disciples with a disciple-maker. We don’t always get that exactly right, but as I’ve surveyed those who’ve participated in this, they all attest to the greatest time of spiritual growth in their life when they were doing this.

The Result

Again, has anyone received better discipleship in the history of the church than the Apostles Peter, James, and John? Arguably Paul.

Did it work? Peter preached the very first sermon at Pentecost, took the Gospel to Cornelius the Gentile, wrote a few letters, and was a pillar of the church until he was crucified upside down around 68 A.D. John did some things. He cared for Jesus’ mother, wrote a Gospel, a few letters, the apocalypse, living until near the end of the 1st century. He too was a pillar of the church. James too, a pillar of the early church, was chosen to be one of the first Christian martyrs. (Acts 12:1-2)

Seems effective.

The Problem

It’s comprehensive. As I laid this out for a fairly new convert she remarked, “that’s a lot,” and it is, especially for those used to keeping their faith separate from their real life, like the bulk of western Christians. Churches talk about “doing life together” all the time. Well, this is what it looked like in the Bible, but once you buy in, once you start taking steps, at some point, it just becomes what you do.

It's inefficient. As I sat with a single brother in a discipleship meeting the other day, I thought to myself, “what a waste of time…from a secular perspective.” We could be doing so many other things to build the church en masse like VBS or youth groups or scheduling a revival. Yet, we see Jesus, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, focus his divine efforts upon a few and change the world in doing so. The problem is that you cannot mass-produce disciples despite the western church’s frantic efforts to do exactly that. It takes time, but it’s worth it for sure.

Which layer is most important? I’m convinced that each brings a vital aspect to the Christian’s walk. Lacking any of these, your walk will be likewise lacking. Once you get a glimpse of this though, and start to see people come alive in the faith through true discipleship, you’ll never do without. It is powerful indeed, truly transformational.

If Only One

Why the End of War Hurts but Doesn’t Have to

By Bradford Smith · 10 Mar 2023

Nearing the end of my army career (at least in my mind), my wife and I found ourselves in an unusual situation. She wanted me to stay in while I was more than ready to hang up my boots after 20 years. Normally, it is the wife who wants the man to retire and the man who is reluctant to walk away from what has defined his life for the better part of it. But not for us. As Ami lamented, “you’ll make a horrible civilian.”

“I love civilians. I married you didn’t I?” was my retort.

The Joe Paterno Syndrome

From 1966 to 2011, Joe Paterno roamed the sidelines as the head football coach of Penn State. Over the course of 46 years, Joe Paterno accumulated 409 wins, an FBS record that will likely stand forever. He defined Penn State football, and it came to define him until, in 2011, amidst the Jerry Sandusky pedophilia scandal, he lost it all. At the age of 84, the singular focus of his life was unceremoniously taken away. He never recovered. A mere 74 days after his firing, he succumbed to death from complications due to cancer treatments, his purpose in life gone.

Six months after his death, the university quietly removed the commemorative statue they’d erected in his honor a decade earlier. Penn State went about the business of forgetting all about Joe Paterno, just as the world does with each of us in death.

I swore I’d never be Joe Paterno.

It’s the Mission

I thought I’d miss the mission.

I loved the mission. I loved serving where I served. I loved preparing for battle. I was privileged to lead men into battle on occasion. Of course, there were parts of the Army I hated. I hated the non-warfighting business, especially rampant in the general-purpose forces. I hated Army PT. Absolutely horrible. What were those little synchronized step things supposed to accomplish? I hated reporting for an event an hour prior because the CSM said. I hated the direction of the Army toward the end of my tenure.

But I loved it.

I loved the mission. I had always wanted to be a soldier, always felt called to it before I even knew who or what might be calling me. I cherish my days serving and, in the mission, I found something worthwhile. I found purpose…until I didn’t.

It’s the Men

It really was the men.

I was privileged to serve for many years in the company of heroes, truly alongside great men of war, fire-breathers, pipe-hitters, warriors, patriots.

I used to fly with a dude in Iraq who would smoke cigarettes while flying, literally smoking cigarettes while doing gun runs, strafing enemy positions, slaying enemy combatants in droves. I remember coolly asking him if he’d like me to take the controls so he could finish.

One of the customers had one entire leg covered with tattoos, none on the other. The contrast was striking. At one point, he got his foot shot off on top of a desolate mountain but rejoiced that it was on the non-tattooed leg.

I watched a man literally nearly land his helicopter on the roof of a fleeing bad guy’s car in a cloud of dust in the early days of figuring out how to actually go about doing this. We’d practiced it for years but in reality, it was a little bit different.

There was the man who held his own throat together in the front seat of a helicopter after taking a round on infil until he could get to treatment. There was the man who took a round to his leg, but continued to fly the mission for several more hours. Another man took a round while in transit and immediately reversed course to engage whoever it was that shot him. “I’m pretty sure I got him,” he assured me a week later.

I love these men. They were my brothers. How could I ever live without them?

A Common Conundrum

As I walked through the door of retirement, I presently am watching several other men contemplate the same, leaving the military.

Many men struggle leaving the force. They lost the mission, their sense of purpose, that which drove them, and even more, they’ve lost their brothers, their comrades-in-arms. Many walk away grieving the loss and never fully recover.

They spend the rest of their days reminiscing, maybe at the local VFW over a beer or maybe on social media. They struggle to let go, to find a new identity. Nothing seems to satisfy, to hold a candle to what had been. How could it? Others succeed at least outwardly, but I suspect their outward success betrays inward turmoil. “Is this even worthy?”

A New Mission

At some point, every man is confronted with the question, “was it all worthwhile? Did I even matter at all?”

At some point, the military cuts everyone loose. Once they’ve gotten their pound of flesh, they send everyone packing. From the highest-ranking general to the lowest-ranking retiree—I’ve seen an E-6 make it to retirement—each must then ask, “what now?”

What if there was a better mission?

As honorable as serving our great nation is, it’s temporal, transient, and will ultimately be taken away. And there is no Fiddler’s Green where you might sit with other warriors of yore and reminisce over battles fought and won or lost. It doesn’t exist.

I found my life’s mission in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In 2005, He saved me. I heard the Gospel message, that God saves sinners through the shed blood of Christ on the cross, I repented of my sin and was redeemed. To be clear, I didn’t go looking for God, He found me, but then He did a work in me. He turned my life upside down, changing everything, but most of all, He changed me. I am a new creation in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t earn it. It was all grace and mercy, His grace and mercy. I cannot think of a single reason why God would love me, but He did, He does, enough to slay His own Son on my behalf, so that I might live.

In 2005, He saved me and I will forever proclaim the riches of His glorious grace.

Yes, He called me to preach, to the pastorate, but absent that call, I would still have an eternal purpose. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20a)

This is my eternal purpose. I bring my sons up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord and it brings me great joy to see them respond. I lead my wife, imperfectly of course, in pursuing Him, in following Him. I follow God in evangelizing the nations, starting right at home and in my own town.

From Him, I have life and in Him, I find life.

Do you know Him? Trust me, He has a better mission for you, an eternal call, an enduring purpose that can never be taken away.

True Brotherhood

And let me tell you about my brothers, my brothers-in-Christ.

Several years ago, I discovered love between men and once I did, I swore I would never live without it. Yes, I miss my comrades from the service, but my brothers, they are my brothers. They are the true firebreathers, the real pipe-hitters.

I have a brother, a man who God freed from alcohol and drug abuse, who now preaches the Gospel message as he raises his three daughters. Hero of the faith.

I have another brother who has renounced a comfortable life in our wealthy nation to minister to dirt-poor Peruvian school children. Fire-breathing minister.

And still another brother loves and has loved his wife as Christ loves the church, even as she stepped out for a period of time, running into the arms of affliction for a season. He never stopped loving her, never left, even when he would’ve been justified in doing so. Warrior for Christ.

These are my brothers. We have the same Father, and I would genuinely have died of despair over the last several years were it not for them and their love.

If you know Christ, who then are your brothers?

I miss exactly two things from my service. I miss the THOR-3 program. This was the insanely great physical conditioning program of my last unit, replete with strength and conditioning coaches and a world-class facility. Second, I miss the fact that if I picked up the phone, within a few minutes a bottle of 800mg Motrin would appear on my desk like magic. Outside of that, you can keep the deployments, the late nights, the early mornings, the aches and pains, I’ve got my sons, my wife, my church, my brothers, but most of all, I’ve got the Lord Jesus. What else could I ever need?

If Only One

Global Gospel Proclamation and the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:14)

By Bradford Smith · 24 Feb 2023

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:14

A woman rebuked Oprah using this verse from the Olivet Discourse once.

On the show, they were talking about spirituality, and Oprah, though she’s likely not the anti-Christ, is clearly an anti-Christ, the proponent of an ugly eclectic blend of universalism, new-age spirituality, and works-based righteousness. An indignant woman rose from the audience to challenge her. “There is one way and there is only one way and that is through Jesus!”

Oprah retorted incredulously, “If you’re somewhere on the planet and you never hear the name of Jesus, but yet you live with a loving heart, you lived as Jesus would’ve had you to live, you lived for the same purpose that Jesus came to the planet, to teach us all, but you are in some remote part of the earth and you never heard the name of Jesus, you cannot get to heaven, you think?” She couldn’t believe how short-sighted this woman must’ve been.

“Well, you know, Oprah,” the woman parried, “Jesus cannot come back until that Gospel is preached in the four corners of this earth! So?” with a questioning shrug. “Figure it out,” was her final exhortation accompanied by some scattered applause.

Online, Christians rejoiced at Oprah’s rebuke and at the clear promise, that the Gospel of Jesus Christ “will be proclaimed throughout the whole world”, and only then will Jesus return. What a great promise!

But what if that’s not what that verse means?

The Global Proclamation of the Gospel

If I only had this verse, this would be my only possible conclusion. If I plucked this verse from Matthew 24 and put it on a coffee cup or a wall-hanging, I would necessarily conclude that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be proclaimed globally, though I’d encounter difficulty actually defining what that means, but that this would be a necessary condition for the end to come, which is marked by the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

But, of course we must assess this verse in context and we must ask questions of the verse.

What does the “whole world” mean? How would we define that?

Which nations?

The end of what?

We’ve already discussed the overall context of the Discourse here. Recall that Jesus is responding to two questions asked by the disciples in verse 3:

“When will these things be?” referring to Jesus’ previous statement concerning the destruction of the Temple (verse 2), and

“What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Because they were Jewish, the disciples believed that the Temple would endure until the end of the age and Jesus’ return. Jesus corrects that mistaken notion. In verses 4-35, He answers the first question concerning the destruction of the Temple, but in verse 36, He changes tone and tense, “But concerning that [emphasis mine] day,” addressing the second question concerning His return and the end of the age. The rest of the Discourse answers that question, and one cannot help but notice the dissimilarity between the two sections. Concerning the destruction of the Temple, Jesus gives clear signs as a warning, but concerning His return, no signs are offered. The very absence of signs is what distinguishes the end of the age.

Birth Pains

Jesus’ answer concerning the first question can be further divided into sections. In verses 4-14, Jesus gives the signs leading up to the destruction, they are “the beginning of the birth pains.” (v. 8) I’ve heard that birth can be a painful process. Genesis 3:16 guarantees it! However, birth pains are not the actual pain of childbirth, they tell you that a birth is going to happen, and the closer you get to birth, the greater the pains become…or so I’ve been told. Verses 4-14 provide the indicators that the season is imminent for the destruction of the Temple.

Machin writes that every theologian is a historian. That being said, for this interpretation to hold true, we must be able to look at these verses and see them come to pass in the period after the death of Christ in A.D. 33 leading up to the final destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70.

First, notice that Jesus is addressing “you” as in, his present audience, the disciples. He’s not talking to you and me, but to them. (v. 4, 6, 9) Is there application for us? Certainly! But the clear meaning of the Scripture comes from Jesus’ message to them. “You, disciples, look for the following signs and know that the destruction of the Temple is coming. Don’t be surprised. Be ready!”

1. False Christs and False Prophets

Verses 5 and 11 speak of those who say, “I am the Christ,” and lead many astray. One only need to look to Scripture to validate this. The book of Acts covers a span of about 30 years which would cover from the death of Christ in A.D. 33 to the neighborhood of A.D. 60, just a few years before Rome’s conflict with Israel began in A.D. 66. Throughout Acts, Luke records several instances of exactly this:

A. “For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered.” (Acts 5:36-67)

B. “But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great’.” (Acts 8:9-10)

C. “When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.” (Acts 13:6-8)

D. “Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness” (Acts 21:38)

Likewise, the Epistles of Paul, Peter, John, even Jude, address the false teachers and various false prophets that arose after the death of Jesus seeking to lead the people astray.

2. Political Turmoil and Natural Disaster

Verses 6 and 7 describe “wars and rumors of war”, that “nation will rise against nation.” During this time, leading up the beginning of the First Jewish-Romans war in A.D. 66, the Jews lived in a nearly continuous state of rebellion against Rome. In A.D. 38, Caligula had his statue erected in a Jewish synagogue, resulting in widespread religious riots throughout the empire. In response, he had it erected in the Temple in Jerusalem, intensifying the riots. Only Caligula’s death the next year prevented the entire region from descending into total war.

In A.D. 46, a Jewish uprising led by two brothers lasted for nearly two years before being put down in 48, the brothers executed. Other uprisings in Caesarea, Scythopolis, Alexandria, and Damascus claimed tens of thousands of lives.

The Annals of Tacitus describe the turmoil of the day, citing conflict across the Roman empire. There were “disturbances in Germany,” “commotions in Africa,” “commotions in Thrace,” “insurrections in Gaul,” “intrigues among the Parthians,” “the war in Britain,” and “the war in Armenia.”[1]

Again, we return to the book of Acts to see widespread natural disaster during the timeframe 33 to 66 A.D. Agabus prophesied “a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius)” (Acts 11:28) And we see this come to pass as the widespread famine in the year 44 necessitates an extensive relief effort from the Christian community in Antioch, to send aid to Christians living in Judea. (Acts 11:29). Acts 16:26 records an earthquake.

At least three other famines occurred during the reign of Claudius. Earthquakes destroyed the cities of Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colossae in the year 60. Numerous other earthquakes were recorded from Crete to Rome.

Astronomical phenomena accompanied Luke’s parallel prophecy of “terrors and great sign from heaven.” (Luke 21:11) Halley’s Comet appeared in 66 along with other comets as recorded by the historian Josephus.

These are all still the birth pains as verses 6 and 8 make clear, signs of impending judgment. The end is not yet, but these signs accompany the approaching destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem.

3. Widespread Religious Persecution

Mark’s parallel passage records, “For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them,” and this is exactly what happens as recorded throughout the book of Acts. The Apostle Paul lived this reality as did the first martyr, Stephen, along with Peter and the other Apostles and early Christians. The mention of persecution before councils and in synagogues necessitates a pre-70 fulfillment as after the destruction of the Temple, the Jewish religious system ceased to exist.

Amidst persecution, many fall away, betraying one another, hating one another. (verse 10) Again, this is what is recorded. “All those in Asia have turned away from me.” (2 Timothy 1:15) “Demas has forsaken me.” (4:10) “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me.” (16)

The Whole World

Verse 14 serves as the culmination of the birth pains, the warning signs, that “this Gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world” and only then will the end come, i.e. the destruction of the Temple.

Does the “whole world”, the oikoumene, mean literally the entire planet? In light of the context of warning signs leading up to the destruction of the Temple, it is better to take it in context as applying to the entire known world, the Roman Empire.

Observe the same limited use elsewhere in Scripture. “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world (oikoumene) should be registered.” (Luke 2:1) Agabus prophesied a famine over “all the world (oikoumene).” (Acts 11:28) “For we have found this man [Paul] a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews through the world (oikoumen).” (Acts 24:5)

Jesus is prophesying that the Gospel must be proclaimed throughout the entire known world, the Roman Empire, prior to the destruction of the Temple, and once again, we see exactly this occur. Consider that within a generation of the death of Christ, a flourishing church existed in the very seat of persecution, the city of Rome. The church spread like wildfire across Asia Minor and Europe. Paul writes to the Colossians, “Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing.” (Colossians 1:5b-6) Here Paul uses the word kosmos for world, a much more expansive term than oikoumen. To the Roman church, Paul thanks God “because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.” (Romans 1:8) Later in the book, he writes “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” (10:18)

To summarize, in verses 4-10, Jesus is providing a list of signs for the disciples to look for as the destruction of the Temple draws near, culminating in the widespread preaching of the Gospel. These signs do not accompany the end, but only indicate that the end is coming, the end of the Temple along with Jerusalem and indeed, the entire Judean political-religious system.

This verse has nothing to do with the Second Coming of Christ. Clearly, had Oprah known her Bible she could have quickly refuted the woman’s less than thorough misapplication of Matthew 24:10.

What Then Must We Do

1) We must continually assess our biblical interpretation, as to the extent our presuppositions color our understanding. We must always ask, “What have I been taught that Scripture says?” and “Does it actually align with the text? What is the context?”

2) The Bible is clear in its mandate. We must “make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19) The Christian is to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth, starting right at home. These verses in the Olivet Discourse just don’t teach that.

[1]Storms 240.

If Only One

The Olivet Discourse and a Study in Context (Matthew 24)

By Bradford Smith · 01 Feb 2023

So, I decided to teach the book of Revelation.

Ami and I had been given purview over a college-aged Sunday school class with almost no oversight or guidance and so, in my wisdom as a fairly new Christian, I decided to teach the most controversial and difficult book in all of Scripture. Why not, right?

Now, how to go about this? I bought a John MacArthur commentary on Revelation and essentially taught the commentary to them. It’s John MacArthur, so it had to be right. MacArthur is nothing if not authoritative and I remember, in the back of my mind, as he is declaring with absolute conviction that this means that, and that symbolizes this, and so forth, I remember a small voice whispering, “How can he know that?”

But it’s John MacArthur.

Wars and Rumors of War

Ingrained tradition and teaching endures with a particularly stubborn persistence.

As one of the major texts concerning the Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ, the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24 presents familiar language concerning the event. And so we read of “wars and rumors of wars”, that “nation will rise against nation”, and of “birth pains”. The reader is confronted with the prophecy of false christs deceiving many, and persecution, of the abomination of desolation, and of the Great Tribulation. Jesus describes global and even cosmic events such as falling stars, the darkening of the sun and the moon, and most of all, his “coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (verse 30)

This must describe the Second Coming of Christ. It just has to.

But, what if it doesn’t?

The context is the key to biblical interpretation for any passage, much less the Olivet Discourse. I remember my surprise when a mentor of mine explained to me the context of the Discourse and the eureka moment when it all became clear, when the context drove me to interpretation rather than basing interpretation upon a predetermined framework, as is so tempting to do.

Context of the Discourse

For starters, Matthew 23 and 24 constitute a continuous interaction. The artificial break between the chapters divorces a key portion of the context from the Discourse itself in chapter 24.

Jesus spends much of the last week of His life in and around the Temple teaching to the crowds and the disciples. Sometimes the scribes, the Sadducees, and the Pharisees are present, sometimes even seeking to challenge Jesus on various issues. Chapter 23 constitutes Jesus’ most scathing critique of the religious leaders to date, to the crowds and the disciples, possibly with the leaders present. He utterly lambasts their religiosity, their legalism, their spiritual blindness. Over and over, he denounces them as “hypocrites!” or “blind guides”, even calling woe or judgment down upon them. He concludes the chapter with these astonishing words, “See, your house is left to you desolate,” referring to the Temple. (v. 38)

It is difficult for us today to fathom the shocking sentiment of this statement. To the Jew, the Temple was the very presence of God on earth, the place they went to seek God, to communicate with God, to hear from God, and Jesus tells them, it is no longer a place for Shekinah glory, but now is Ichabod, having been spiritually abandoned by the Lord. One can hardly imagine a more scathing rebuke of their entire worldview, their entire religious order.

Needless to say, as good Jews, the disciples were just as astonished as anyone. And as Jesus departs from the Temple, the disciples chase him down to seek some clarity. Verse 1 of chapter 24 records that they point out to him the Temple buildings that are standing, as if to ask, “Jesus, see this magnificent Temple. How can this be?”

Jesus responds, “You see all these…there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” (24:2) Jesus affirms that not only has the glory of the Lord departed from the Temple, but the Temple itself will be destroyed. Then, as a physical representation of God’s spiritual repudiation of the Temple and in fulfillment of Ezekiel 11:23, Jesus departs the Temple to the east, to the Mount of Olives.

The disciples still don’t understand, so they come to him privately on the Mount of Olives to clarify asking, “when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (v. 3) We must truly understand what they are asking before we can understand the entire Discourse. They essentially ask two questions. First, they ask when “these things” will be, as in, when will the Temple be destroyed. Second, they ask for the sign of his coming and of the end of the age. Because they are Jews, they mistakenly believe that the Temple will endure until the end of the age and Jesus’ coming, that these two events are simultaneous.

Jesus’ answer, which is what the Discourse is, reveals that these are two separate events divorced by time, that the destruction of the Temple, “these things”, will happen first and will be identified by various signs, while the end of the age is further in the future and will be imminent. The structure of the Discourse makes this clear.

Verses 4-35 answer the first question, when will the Temple be destroyed?

For starters, Jesus’ audience for these verses is “you” as in, the people he is addressing at that time, the disciples. Over and over, he addresses “you” as in “you will see” or “you will be hated” or “when you see” etc. (verses 4, 5, 9, 15, 20, 23, 25, 26, and 33) Verse 34 drives this point home, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” In order to somehow apply these verses to a future generation, now nearly 2000 years after the fact, one must somehow account for the targeted language throughout these verses culminating in verse 34. The word used for generation always means exactly that, generation. Some have postulated that it means “race” but that is simply not an intellectually honest rendering.

Honest commentators acknowledge the problem of the structure but have predetermined that verses 4-35 must somehow apply to a future time of judgment and tribulation. As such, it is better, as Guzik says, “to fit this promise into that framework.” I would respond that, it’s better to examine the Discourse in its original context.

Allow me to summarize. The disciples ask Jesus two questions: 1) when will the Temple be destroyed, and 2) what will be the sign of his coming and of the end of the age. Jesus answers question 1 in verses 4-35, telling them that within a generation, all of these things will come to pass…and that is exactly what happens! Culminating in the destruction of the Temple and the sacking of Jerusalem by Titus in A.D. 70, every single thing that Jesus prophesies in these verses can clearly be shown to have happened, though the extent of that discussion exceeds the scope of this short work concerning context. The point that Jesus makes is that they will see the destruction of the Temple coming. There will be signs…“But concerning that day [emphasis mine] and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” (verse 36)

Verse 36 constitutes a shift, a fulcrum, whereby Jesus pivots from answering the first question to the second, what will be the sign of his coming and of the end of the age, and for the rest of chapter 24 and all of 25 he does exactly this. And one cannot help but notice a shift in the nature of the description. Concerning the end of the age, we see imminence, that it will be entirely unexpected, as Jesus clearly teaches throughout this section.

Now, if these two sections were to somehow refer to the same event, I would be hard-pressed to understand how there could be both clear and unmistakable signs (v.4-35) and it yet be unexpected (v.24:36-25:46). The simple answer is that they clearly refer to two separate events and to seek to apply them to both is to do exactly what Guzik concedes they are guilty of, forcing things into a predetermined framework while neglecting the context.

What Then Must We Do

2) From these verses, we see that God takes sin serious, to even bring judgment against national Israel, but that in His faithfulness, He preserves His people through all matters. Ultimately, we must be awake and ready, for the day of the Lord will come upon us “like a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2)

If Only One

God, I Hate Marijuana

By Bradford Smith · 27 Jan 2023

I didn’t know the dude was stoned or I probably wouldn’t have approached him.

Arriving early to my lunchtime meeting, I looked around and noticed the man loitering at the bus stop on Madison, right in front of Lindo Veracruz, my favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint. I had about ten minutes, so I figured I’d chat with him, maybe share the Gospel, but at least get a Gospel card in his hand.

As I approached, about 5 feet out, it hit me, the distinctive and familiarly pungent aroma of weed. “Crap,” I thought to myself, but continued to approach hopefully. “Hello,” I offered up. He acknowledged my presence, but that was about it. He wasn’t there. I spoke for just a minute before offering a Gospel card which he blandly accepted, his eyes blank with nothingness. He was fried. I walked away.

Oh well, maybe he’ll read the card later.

I hate weed.

The Logic of Weed

“You like guns, right?” Trey asked me.

“I do,” I responded hesitantly. Where was this going?

“If the government doesn’t have the right to prevent you from having a gun, why should they be able to prevent you from having weed?”

Interesting.

Absent the Gospel, the logic pans out, sort of. Who am I hurting? What’s the big deal? Alcohol is legal and damages tons of people and causes people to damage tons of stuff. Marijuana is a plant. It’s natural. In fact, it’s beneficial to many, so why not legalize it on a national level and be done with it? Most states are moving this direction anyway if they haven’t already.

Weed Growing Up

I don’t remember ever seeing weed.

In the 80’s, we maintained a sharp distinction, or at least I thought we did. Jocks hung out with jocks and did jock stuff. Nerds rolled with nerds and did nerd stuff. I kind of straddled the jock/nerd divide or thought I did. The stoners though.

They wore their hair long and sported ripped up denim jackets and bad attitudes. And they smoked weed, lots of it. I was cordial with a handful of the stoners, but never close enough to be offered to partake of their weed nor would I have. I would’ve been too afraid of getting caught and getting in trouble.

You can imagine my chagrin when years later I discovered that there had been a distinct jock/stoner collaboration and that many of the jocks smoked weed in cahoots with the stoners. I felt betrayed!

Weed Everywhere

“Everyone smoked weed where I grew up,” my buddy Martin boasted. He was from Montana and coolly informed me that in the west, no one really drank. They smoked weed. He even smoked weed with his parents! And this was 20 years ago.

Nowadays, it’s everywhere. Everyone smokes weed. I’m a realist. Being a foster/adoptive parent will do that to you, quickly crushing any dreams of parental utopia. At some point, we began fostering teenagers and even housing teens who’d aged out of the system. We made a discovery that I still maintain. If allowed, they’ll all have sex and smoke weed. Experience is a great schoolmaster you see.

California legalized medical marijuana in 1996 and as of this writing, 39 states and the District of Columbia have legalized it. California again led the way for recreational use, legalizing it in 2016. Twenty other states along with the District of Columbia have followed suit, with several likely to follow in the months and years to come.

You can buy it about anywhere, I’m told. I smell it everywhere: at the gas station, behind the kid in line at the grocery store, literally sitting in traffic. And let’s just say that I don’t necessarily frequent what I would call “high usage” areas. It’s pervasive.

Per the National Institute on Drug Abuse, among people 12 or older, 18.7 percent (52.5 million people!) smoked weed in the last year. A striking 30.7 percent of seniors in high school make the same claim.

Kids and Weed

Smoke your weed if you like, but what about the kids?

We had a set of foster siblings for quite some time, taking them for periodic visits to their biological parents. I recall standing on their doorstep, literally smelling the weed through their front door.

At times, I’d walk into their home and the smoke would literally sting my eyes. I could smell it on myself even after leaving their home. And their kids, one an asthmatic, what of them? Every time the asthmatic girl would return from a visit, she’d cough and hack for days. We’d double her up on her meds for a few days to get her over the hump.

They also had a baby. I recall once, standing in their dingy living room, waiting to pick up the kids, and looking at this little baby, maybe 1-year-old, sitting in a little baby chair in a haze of marijuana smoke. This little baby, growing up breathing marijuana smoke daily, grieved my heart. “She doesn’t stand a chance,” I thought to myself.

The parents were oblivious, or so it seemed. I’m confident this is not an isolated condition to this particular family, seeing the vast proliferation of use.

Weed and the Gospel

I’m sure that weed is bad for you. For starters, it’s smoke in your lungs and I’m no Alfred Einstein, but that can’t be good.

It’s a gateway drug. We all know that. No one wakes up and says, “You know, I’d like to be a crackhead today.” It frequently starts with weed. Someone hands you a joint at a party. Someone hands you a joint laced with something at a party. I’ve heard that story too often to tell. And from what I’m told, weed today is different than weed from forty years ago, more potent, more addictive.

There are other harmful side effects.

But what about being fried, having your mind enslaved to a substance? I had a good friend of mine from high school get heavy into weed. I went to visit once, and I’m not sure he even knew I was there; he was so stoned.

What about the Gospel?

I think this is what I hate most about weed. It renders the user unable to hear, understand, or respond to the Gospel message, the words of life that literally are the power of God for salvation. (Romans 1:16) Paul writes, “how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:14b) Preach all you like, if that someone is stoned out of their mind, it will make little difference.

This is where my buddy’s logic begins to break down.

No one ever misunderstood or even missed the Gospel based upon their status as a gun owner.

The Culture of Weed

I get it. It’s cool. It’s trendy, even funny.

Snoop Dogg is stoned all the time. So is Willie Nelson, and everyone else. Are Cheech and Chong still around?

The scary thing is this. I am acquainted with some entire people groups whose entire lives revolve around weed. Entire families, entire cultures, entire groups. They are either stoned, getting stoned, planning on getting stoned, or recovering from getting stoned. It’s normative. It’s what they do.

When will they ever be able to hear and receive the Gospel message?

I just pray that somehow, in some way, God would penetrate their self-induced stupor, awaken them from their slumber, lift the veil, and reveal to them the depths of their depravity and the only hope found in the risen Lord Jesus and His atoning death on the cross at Calvary. I have no solution otherwise, no action step really. This is all just a sickening observation coupled with a strong hope in the God of all creation.

Until then, have another toke. Lost is lost, and it probably is more pleasant while stoned.

If Only One

The Gaiety of Men Loving Men

By Bradford Smith · 12 Jan 2023

I love a particular man…we’ll call him John.

It was love at first sight.

When I saw him, my soul was immediately knit to his, and I love him as my own soul.

I delight in him.

I choose him over others…to the shame of my mother’s nakedness.

And he loves me in an extraordinary way.

His love for me surpasses the love of women.

Men in Love

Based upon the above exchange, you’re probably thinking I’m gay. Right?

I know where the winds of culture presently blow, but you can say it. It’s okay. At the very least, these expressions of affection toward another man made you uncomfortable.

What if I told you these things after slaying the most feared warrior on the battlefield, cutting his head off with his own sword, and brandishing it for all to see, driving an entire enemy army to flee in terror? Would you still think I was gay?

See the tension?

I can think of few things more masculine than closing with and destroying the enemy in battle. David, a man after God’s own heart, was a warrior through and through. Born of the crucible of conflict, his triumph over Goliath introduced him to the nation, to the king, and to his best friend, Jonathan.

Their friendship—their love—ran deep and strong. I appropriated the above quotes concerning the man I love. These are all from David concerning Jonathan. Throughout David’s rise to power and amidst his conflict with Saul, Jonathan’s father, their love persisted. Following Jonathan’s death on the battlefield, David mourned and wept and fasted until evening. (1 Samuel 1:11)

David lived with passion.

He exuded intensity: intensity in his pursuit of God, intensity in battle, and intensity in his love for his friend. And in that love between men, his love for his friend, he found refuge, strength, solace, and comfort.

O’ that we might find the same.

Stoicism

It’s a question of fundamentals.

The pendulum of error in men loving men generally swings from one extreme to another.

On one hand, at some point, we began to equate masculinity with stoicism, the absence of affection and emotion. Maybe we should thank Josey Wales or John Wayne for propagating the strong, silent image of the American man.

I was raised, like many men my age I suspect, in a somewhat emotionally distant home. I recall my mother expressing affection toward me. She called me Pumpkin and loved on me when I was sick to the point where I became kind of a mama’s boy.

My relationship with my father was different. I don’t recall my father ever telling me he loved me. I don’t recall him ever expressing physical affection toward me or my brother. My brother and I have certainly never shared the sentiment with one another and I never recall embracing my brother. That would be just weird

I don’t recall ever telling my father that I loved him until literally a few months before his death. My father loved me. Of this much I am sure.

He worked very hard and always provided for our family. He was my biggest fan and my biggest cheerleader. He celebrated my successes with me and I loved making him proud. In his mind, I’m sure that this was the best way for him to express affection and love, through his actions.

But I grew up absent male affection, not even understanding it. It left a gaping hole in my heart that I never knew was missing.

For me, raised in this manner, overt displays of affection between men were, well…gay.

Perversion

Satan loves to high-jack godly things and wield them for evil.

He has done exactly this with love between men, on the opposite end of the spectrum from the stoic, man’s man of yesteryear.

Some misguided Christians claim that God will one day judge America because of homosexuality. Romans 1:18-32 tells us that He has already judged America.

At some point, we traded the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the created thing rather than the Creator even though, because of Creation, every person knows in their heart that there is a Creator and are therefore without excuse. Because of this, God has placed our nation under judgment and given us over to our sinful passions.

As such, men exchanged natural relations with women and were consumed with lust and passion for one another, committing shameless acts with other men. Though we know God’s righteous decree concerning such sin, we not only do them, but celebrate those who practice them.

As such, we receive the due penalty for this error, judgement.

The penalty is paid in the form of the debasement of society wrought by the homosexual lifestyle, a lifestyle characterized by debauchery, licentiousness, addiction, and violence.

Just as he perverted love between men, Satan likewise misappropriated the symbol of gay pride, the rainbow. God originally gave this as a symbol to the world of His righteousness, that He would never again judge the world with water. A symbol of God’s judgement and righteousness has become a symbol of unrepentant sin. Let that sink in.

For nearly 800 years, the word “gay” meant happy or lively or joyful. Only in the last century was it attributed to homosexuals to the point whereby the latter application usurped the former. I’ve never heard anyone use the word “gay” to mean anything other than homosexual unless it was used in a derogatory manner to disparage something or someone.

In every conceivable way—how it’s considered, our language, our culture, our symbols—the world has corrupted the notion of men loving men.

The Power of Men Loving Men

Men need to love men.

Most grown men I know have very few friends. Once a man gets a job, gets married, and has children, he has very little time for friends. Friendships tend to coalesce around shared mutual interests. We have golf buddies or workout partners or friends at work.

What we have are acquaintances, casual friends whose company we enjoy. What we lack are men we love, who love us, men with whom we share our deepest and maybe darkest feelings, fears, and failures, men with whom we can share our struggles and triumphs, men with whom we have knit our souls.

Absent this, most men lead a lonely existence.

Brotherhoods develop, certainly. I spent 22 years in the military, 14 of those in special operations and I’ve lived the bonds of brotherhood, alongside men who did lay their lives down for their fellow men. This is the exception though, and there is no reason love ought to be driven by shared occupational hazard.

We ought to deliberately love other men.

We ought to love them unashamed, unabashed, unperverted, and unconstrained.

We ought to hug and kiss our sons, teaching them how men love men.

My truculent 17-year-old son was sitting at our dining room table one day. I walked up and wrapped my arms as tightly around his head as I could and squeezed for all I was worth while rocking him back and forth. I then kissed him on the top of his head and told him, “I love you, son.”

He brushed off my awkward display of affection but smiled wryly in doing so.

Consider the power of men loving men, of men knit together at the soul. It’s only been in the last couple of years that I’ve come to understand this. I have brothers who love me, who pray for me, who hold me accountable, with whom I can share anything knowing that they will never forsake me. I am blessed with men that I love, that love me. I’ve only discovered this recently and it has truly changed my life for the better.

And so I proclaim…

I love a man named Eric…two actually, two men named Erik that is.

I also love a man named Scott. And Ron.

I love another man named Ken.

There are others.

Would you love another man as I do? You’ll be surprised by the power in such gaiety.

If Only One

Why You Won’t Keep Your Resolutions

By Bradford Smith · 30 Dec 2022

It’s just a crouton. Not that big of a deal, right? Well, maybe a few croutons. Ever since I’d made the unfortunate decision to get a check-up last year to discover that my A1C and my blood pressure were slightly out of tolerance, I’d been working on my diet a bit, trying to clean it up. And here I was with a salad. I loathe salad. Steak and potatoes are my thing, bread too, but salad must become my thing, or so I’ve been told. But what about the croutons?

Do I do what I ought and eat a crouton-less salad, thus rendering the offending dish even less appealing or…

Your Resolutions

The tendency is to focus on the things that we do.

This week, many of you will make New Year’s resolutions. You’ll resolve to exercise more, to lose weight, to quit smoking. You’ll be determined to get organized, earn a new skill or hobby, save more money. You’ll want to spend more time with family and friends, travel more, maybe {gasp} read a book.

You’ll fail. Statistically speaking, you’ll not only fail, you’ll fail sooner rather than later. Most people make it less than a month before giving way to temptation, falling back into old patterns, or even deliberately brushing off their commitments. It becomes too hard.

You just run out of willpower.

Behavior versus Belief

It’s a question of fundamentals.

Behavior is a function of belief. Conduct is a function of conviction. This is a distinctly biblical notion. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians perfectly demonstrates this. He pens three chapters concerning some of the deepest truths in all of Scripture, truths concerning predestination, election, salvation, eternal security etc., all truths about God, about our standing before Him, and how we might be reconciled to Him. He then says, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” (Ephesians 4:1) He then proceeds to tell these Ephesian Christians how they ought to behave as a function of what he just told them.

In other words, right belief always leads to right conduct and conversely, conduct is revelatory of what we actually believe. Conduct is symptomatic of belief.

Yet, conduct is almost always the focus.

The Law and the Gospel

You are a legalist at heart, just like me. You want a list. I want a list.

I’ve been reading the Puritans and most recently read Walter Marshall’s The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification. I want to be sanctified, like all Christians, and I sought a list of things that I ought to do to assist with my sanctification. To my surprise, it’s not until chapter 13 that Marshall gives us anything to do. The first 12 chapters, 231 pages out of 284 or 81%, focus upon the things that we believe, the things that we must know, if we are to ever do the things we ought to do.

Marshall knew what Paul knew, all law and no Gospel guarantees failure.

Just as often as we hear the preaching of a lawless Gospel, today we frequently hear preachers give us all law with very little Gospel, if any at all. To be clear, law is what God requires of us. Gospel is what God does for us. Ultimately, the law and the impossible demands of the law drive us to the Gospel, to Christ for salvation and for sanctification. We’re not antinomians, as Christ sends us back to the law for sanctification, but we never lose sight of the Gospel.

I heard a sermon recently that grieved my heart. The pastor concluded his exhortation, not with the Gospel, but with a list of things that the people needed to do. All law, no Gospel. I can imagine the believers in the crowd leaving with their spiritual rubric in hand. “If I just do x, y, and z then all will be well, I’ll be firmly in the center of God’s will.” I can also envision their despair when they ultimately fail that week, likely that very day.

“Try harder. Do better.” This is the message, but this message, all law and no Gospel, places an unbearable burden upon the shoulders of the believer, heaping up condemnation upon them when they fail, as they assuredly will.

Men and the Law

Men’s ministry seems to be the worst offender. To be fair, I’ve never really been a part of a women’s ministry, but the message to men is as consistent as it is predictable.

Quit being spiritually mediocre.

Quit being a spiritual slacker.

Stand up.

Take charge. Give it your all. Do your best. Seize the day and all that. Be a man, why don’t you? Attend a men’s conference, or a men’s breakfast, or a men’s retreat, or read a book directed toward men and you’ll inevitably hear this message of what you must do.

For the redeemed man, consider the burden. It’s all on your shoulders. The weight of the world, the future of the church, the future of your family, the nation, it all depends upon you, upon what you do, so do what you have to do, for the love of God! Whatever you do, don’t fail, don’t let God down, or your family, or the church.

Now, to be sure, the man ought to do things. We ought to pursue lives of purity and holiness. We ought to lead our families well in pursuing Christ. We ought to lead the church, just don’t leave me in condemnation when I fail, when I come up short. At least remind me that, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

But before you even get there, teach me the Gospel. Remind me of the Gospel. Remind me of who I am in Christ, that I am a Son of God. Teach me to rest in Christ, to cultivate the work of the Holy Spirit in my life and to let that lead me to right conduct, empowered of Christ, in response to the grace of God. This is the only way. “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit [emphasis mine] you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13)

When I finally got to Marshall’s list in chapter 13, I was (un)surprised to find it fairly pedestrian. I mean, this is not exactly a revolutionary list of things to do. Read the Bible. Meditate on the Bible. Hear the preaching of His word. Hold our conduct up the standards of Scripture. Practice the ordinances of communion and baptism. Pray. Have fellowship with the body of Christ under the headship of the local church. These are the ordinary means of grace, God’s recipe from the beginning to conform man into the image of Christ as it follows right belief, right knowledge about God.

The Real Question

Why then do so many men languish, content with spiritual mediocrity?

Maybe they need to be told again. What if we paired the message of what they ought to do with a Christian celebrity or a sports star? As an aside, whenever I see the conflation of sports and Christianity, the hair stands up on the back of my neck, but that’s for another time. But what if we told Christians what to do in another way? What if we yelled at them in seeking to convince them of the veracity of the things they ought to do?

The things we ought to do are really very simple, so why do so many struggle?

Here’s another take.

What if contentment with spiritual mediocrity is actually an indicator of unregeneracy rather than being lukewarm?

The Bible is clear. There’s really no such thing as a carnal Christian. A lukewarm Christian is an oxymoron. Certainly, Christians struggle, and everyone is at a different place in their spiritual walk, but what if we find ourselves preaching the message of “do” to those who “cannot”, the unredeemed? As the attractional model of the western church has populated the church pews with so many who do not practice the faith in any meaningful way whatsoever, this is the only possible conclusion.

“Try harder” or “repent and be saved”? Which is the more appropriate message? The law says, “do this and live,” and the church preaches this message to law-breakers who could never be law-keepers because they don’t know the law-maker.

The Gospel says, “The law-maker became the law-keeper, but then took our place and condemnation as though he were the law-breaker.” (Ferguson 178)

It is this sweetest of messages, the Gospel message that liberates us from the curse of the law, the things that we must do in order to be saved.

Me and My Croutons

Maybe you’re a man of exceptional will. I’ve known some. I’m not one of them. But maybe you could eat salad for a year, work out twice a day, and read a book every week while living well within your means. In the end, it doesn’t really matter.

Maybe you’re a Christian of exceptional will. Know this, you will never walk the walk God has called you to walk of your own power. And here’s the good news…Jesus already did it for you! You don’t have to, but your new nature in Christ desires to, and now, you have the Holy Spirit of God empowering you. It is no longer you who lives anyway, but Christ in you!

Yes, you ought to do things, but that’s not the point. What do you know? What do you believe? This is what matters most. And if you’re church is preaching you all law and no Gospel, then find another church. It’s that important.

As for me though, I still hate salad and yes, I ate the croutons…and a few slices of meat lovers pizza to boot. Don’t judge me.

I pray the Lord’s blessings upon you in the year to come!

If Only One

Youth Ministry Isn’t Working

By Bradford Smith · 15 Nov 2022

It was all fun and games until people started puking.

What had started out as a gross but routine youth game quickly deteriorated into chaos. It was a race, you see, competition is always prevalent in youth group games. The youth leader asked Ami and me to provide the game for the evening and so we mined all of our resources until we found the perfect game: a peeling-bananas-with-your-toes race. Perfect.

A young man and a young lady dutifully removed their shoes and socks to the delight of the rest of the group, thirty or so kids, and the race was on. It was a disgusting race, kind of the point. The bananas quickly became mush between the toes of the two participants, to their obvious chagrin. The others cheered wildly; I nearly threw up. The young man finished first, his feet and toes smeared with banana goo.

I don’t remember how the transition happened, but we had a gross kid. Every group surely has one, a kid who deliberately liked to gross out the girls. “And now they have to feed it to someone…with their toes!!!” someone shouted, and before I could muster anything, Jon was on his knees in front of the dude, eating squished-up bananas…from his toes.

I caught a quick glimpse and only saw banana goo, tongue, hairy toes, and I turned rapidly, swallowing down vomit. Squeals of delight yielded to cries of horror as kids began to turn and literally puke on the floor, and the more disgusted everyone became, the more vigorously Jon consumed the banana goo, spurred on to heights of heretofore unseen provocation. Legendary. One girl threw up so hard she burst a blood vessel in her eye.

I don’t remember how it ended.

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, (Proverbs 22:15a)

Is there anyone more foolish than a teenager?

I know it’s not fashionable to reference Bill Cosby today, but in the decades before it was known that he was a scoundrel, he became the comedic face of dads everywhere. I remember one particular bit where he referred lovingly to his children as “brain-dead people”. As a father to nine, I can attest to the moniker. “What were you thinking?” I’ve asked incredulously more times than I can remember.

I recall with much fondness the foolishness of my teenage years. I prioritized girls, though they terrified me, what people thought about me, how I looked, specifically my clothes and hair, and having fun. I did other things too like vandalism, underage drinking, and eating over a dozen tacos from Taco Bell in one sitting. And I was a good kid, graduating near the top of my class to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point.

If you have teenagers, you know what I’m talking about, but at the very least, you were a teenager at one point. Recall your own foolishness.

I also recall my foolishness while young in the faith, a new convert. I knew I was a sinner in need of a Savior and that Jesus had died on the cross for my sins. That was about it, but I believed it, and that was all I needed to be saved. “Read the book of John. Join a Sunday school class,” they told me.

What, other than convenience, might necessitate a marriage of the youth with the spiritual youth?

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 14:12)

The primary indicator that the church’s ministry to the youth isn’t working is that it isn’t working.

I don’t know if losing the youth spawned the colossal de-churching of America or if the de-churching lost the youth. Maybe it’s a little bit of both. Each subsequent generation in our nation is both larger and more unchurched than the previous generation. Generation Z is the largest and least religious generation ever.

And systemically, youth raised in the church and youth groups abandon the church once they leave home for college or the workplace. Research it for yourself. They almost all leave the church.

Yet, the youth are key to any future.

The Taliban knows this. Spawned from countless madrassas, Islamic schools in the Federally Administrated Tribal Area (FATA) of Pakistan, legions of wicked Imams continue to raise up young men steeped in fundamental Islam. Taliban is a Pashto word from Arabic meaning students. The godless leftists know this. That’s why they systematically inject their wicked ideology into the public school system, dominating the public library system and school boards, and bombarding our children with godless, racial and sexual indoctrination. The church knows it too.

It's the means that are at issue.

I didn’t consider it an issue when they asked Ami and me to teach the youth. We were new converts, having been saved less than a year when they gave us stewardship over a tenth-grade class. “Here is a study guide. Good luck!” The thought that this might not be a good idea didn’t occur to me, but we gave it our best effort for sure…with no oversight whatsoever. After a year or two, they moved us to the college-aged class. The pinnacle of my hubris came when I decided to teach the book of Revelation to the youth. At the time, I thought it went well, but looking back, no one checked to see what I was teaching or if I was even qualified and so I taught…the most difficult and misunderstood book in all of the Bible.

We later joined a church plant that had a pretty sizeable youth group, including a sizeable population of teen boys. I noticed the problem when the young men wanted to stay with the youth group, the children. They would graduate high school and then hang around the youth group.

The idea of going with the men just didn’t appeal to them.

Segregation is standard in most churches. Stroll into a contemporary church and they’ll likely direct you to a colorful and lively-looking children’s area where a friendly nursery worker will relieve you of your children. The babies and preschool-aged children to the nursery, the other children off to a children’s worship service. Can’t have them distracting you, and more importantly, others from the service. Perhaps they have a youth service. If not, they’ll have to endure “grown-up church” with you.

After the worship service, dispatch your teens over to the youth group and then head to your thirty-something married with kids Sunday school class, or your forty-something married with kids class, just past the singles class, across from the divorcée class, near the empty-nesters class, but certainly not in the nicest room in the entire facility, the Owls (old folks) class—gotta keep them happy since they have all of the time and all of the money.

Segregation is the order of the day.

Don’t forget about the Wednesday night youth group.

but the companion of fools will suffer harm. (Proverbs 13:20b)

It’s the model, not the execution.

What if we talked about it this way? Let’s assemble the most foolish people in the church (teenagers) and put them all together. Then, let’s assign the most inexperienced pastor oversight of them. What could go wrong?

In the 1940s, Jim Rayburn began to minister to youth in a local high school, starting what became known as Young Life. About the same time, the parachurch organization Youth for Christ began holding large rallies around the country. By the 1970s, the church realized a need to minister specifically to youth and began to hire youth pastors and establish youth groups, mimicking the parachurch organizations that had been doing this for several decades.

Fast forward half a century, and the youth group is firmly entrenched in American ecclesiology. Seminaries have youth ministry tracks. The youth pastor is a mainstay on most church staffs, whose presence in some way indicates that a church is “established”. And the youth group meeting is a part of church life.

Having served in three separate youth groups, I feel like I have a handle on what a youth group looks like. It must have a name, something edgy. The Gathering. Merge. Encounter. The Mix. The Foundry. The Movement. Our snarky students abruptly named ours Youth Group! Loud music, maybe concert lights usher the students into the gathering. Some youth ministries are even blessed to have their own building. Lots of games and other attractions. The youth group almost always starts with games of some kind. Teenagers are a hoot and super fun to interact with. The edgier and messier, the better the game. There will be praise and worship, hopefully student-led, but certainly emotional, followed by time for the youth pastor to give a message. I’ve seen anywhere from a ten-minute pseudo devotion to actual expository preaching. The youth group must have t-shirts and it must do stuff. It must go to camps, hold camps, participate in other events, go to concerts. The youth group is driven by activity. I used to despise youth camp because it almost always involved sleep deprivation.

Some issues:

1. Isolation. I find no biblical mandate to segregate the saints in any way, by age, life situation, etc., but that is the order of the day. What if we could all glean something from one another at different stations in life? What if we assembled together, babies and moms, old people, young people, teenagers, singles, and parents? Our teenagers need the wisdom and oversight of those who’ve gone before them. The older need the vitality and enthusiasm of the younger.

2. Attractional. Mimicking the western church in its entirety, the youth group is no exception in seeking to attract. Do whatever it takes to get them in the door and for the youth, it’s fun. Let’s make it as fun as possible. Whatever else you do, have fun for God’s sake. Have fun and then teach them about Christ. I’ve seen slip n’ slides (no two-piece bathing suits please), frisbee golf, shuffleboard, and all things in between. What could the outcome possibly be but a well-taught consumer-driven mindset? The Gospel itself is not enough. Whenever the fun ends, for whatever reason, they move on to something else, like clockwork.

3. Licentiousness. My family fostered for many years, lots of teenagers. At some point, we just began to assume that all teenagers will try to smoke weed and have sex. It’s what they do, or what they want to do if given the opportunity. Teenagers in a youth group are no different. They are great chameleons, putting on an aura of spirituality, when necessary, but otherwise content to put their hands right back down one another’s pants at the first available opportunity. What happens at youth camp stays at youth camp. And never mind the intense cliquishness of the average youth group, just like any other assembly of youth. How many young men or women harbor intense hatred of the church having been ostracized by a youth group?

4. Discipleship. A typical youth group sports a younger pastor, often the most junior or inexperienced, and a handful of faithful and committed adult volunteers. The kids usually outnumber the adults greatly. I’ve seen some youth pastors truly seek relationships with the kids outside of youth group, but the sheer volume coupled with disinterested parents makes it nearly impossible to effectively disciple the youth.

Don’t hear me faulting the youth pastor. A great friend of mine and mentor is a youth pastor. Of the ones I’ve known, almost all possess a deep-seated desire to minister in a meaningful way to the youth, to see them come to Christ, to truly have life change, and it does happen. It’s not as if there is no fruit, but they find themselves laboring in a model flawed at its very foundation.

5. Temptation. Perhaps most difficult to discuss, this is also perhaps the most damaging and important. Again, consider the context…lots of impressionable and hormonal young ladies and an energetic and vibrant young man leading the youth, a young man with authority, maybe charisma. I remember observing with horror a young youth leader accompanying young ladies from the youth group to the movies. Talk about a disaster waiting to happen. Talk about teeing up an easy shot for the enemy.

The LORD has made everything for its purpose. (Proverbs 16:4)

Our youth pastor left four years ago.

At the time, I was beside myself with worry. What would we do? But God, in His sovereignty, simply removed all of our teenagers. They all graduated at about the same time, and He didn’t send any more for several years.

Today, we have a thriving youth ministry in my estimation. They attend worship services with the adults. They participate in our Wednesday night Bible study. They come to our Friday night gatherings. Wherever the adults are, they are there. They are in small-group discipleship relationships with adults. We take them shooting with us—we’ve quite a few gun enthusiasts in the congregation—and include them in any other activity we do.

Not to impugn the work of legions of faithful youth pastors and volunteers. So many have been influential in my life, but again, it’s the model. For us—and I stress, this is what is right for us, our church— our youth ministry is inextricably a part of our overall ministry, indistinguishable from it.

It’s just ministry, and I don’t think I’d have it any other way.

If Only One

Church Hurt—the Worst Kind of Hurt

By Bradford Smith · 21 Jul 2022

My Church Hurt

(part 1)

“You’re not qualified to serve as an elder,” Jeff’s statement just kind of hung there. My heart seized up, my throat tightened, a sinking feeling wrenched the pit of my stomach.

“You’re not qualified, and we should both step down as elders, disband the church, and join Family Baptist Church, coming underneath the headship of their elders. I’ve spoken with a mentor, prayed about it, and Charity and I both feel like this would be for the best.”

Time froze. I didn’t know what to say. It was over. His matter-of-fact tone and neutral, almost pleasant expression betrayed the fact that this man, this brother of mine, was ripping my guts out of my chest and stomping them into the worn-out carpet of our dingy fellowship hall.

Without a word, I got up and walked away, into the sanctuary and fell to my face before the Lord and wept as if I had never wept before, bitter tears, tears of betrayal and despair. It was over. For only the second time in my life, I asked God to kill me, to call me home.

I don’t know how long I lay there, but God let me live. After a long time, I got up and walked outside to figure out what to do next.

Welcome to church hurt.

A Pervasive Hurt

If you’ve been in the church, you’ve likely been hurt by the church.

I talk to countless people who’ve been wounded by the church. Many have left the church altogether, confessing that the church drove them away by hurting them.

Someone said something hateful about you behind your back–gossip. Or Someone said something hateful to your face—reviling. Someone said something untrue about you–slander. Someone betrayed you. A close personal friend turned their back on you, sold you out to another.

Even worse, someone put their hands on you, wielding influence over you, sexually manipulating and maybe even sexually assaulting you. Maybe it happened to you as a teenager or an impressionable young adult, but it happened. You’re crushed and you can’t understand why God would allow this to happen and how someone in the church could ever do such a wicked deed.

Regrettably, I subjected my own daughter to church hurt. As adult converts, my wife and I jumped into church life with both feet. We were there literally every single time the door was open with our three daughters. Dutifully, we dispatched our oldest to the youth group, unbeknownst to us at the time, a haven for licentiousness. Our church was a gigantic Southern Baptist church with a moderately affluent membership. The youth group was as cliquey as it could’ve been. Our daughter had always been somewhat of a misfit, struggling to find her place, and the youth group wasn’t it. They ostracized her, talked bad about her, made her feel unwelcome. One particular time, I walked over to the youth building to find her literally sitting on the floor in the back of the room while the other gleeful youth frolicked about. Her exclusion was palpable and visible. Still, we sent her. She’s been distant from the church ever since and I hope that she can forgive me for forcing this church hurt upon her.

But you know what I’m talking about.

The Pain of Church Hurt

“Et tu, Brute,” Julius Caesar gasped as he lay dying, recognizing his assassin, his friend Brutus. “And you, Brutus,” or “even you, Brutus?” expressing the dismay at being betrayed by a dear friend. Though this quote is from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and there is no record of the historical Caesar uttering such a phrase, you understand the sentiment.

The church is beautiful, the tangible and visible expression of the collective individual salvation of men. The church is a grace, a blessing. The church is the hands and feet of Christ in the local community. It is the bride of Christ, magnificent in its splendor, breaching borders and boundaries, spanning cultures and continents.

I love my brothers-and-sisters-in-Christ and cannot imagine my life without the church. The church is to bear one another’s burdens, support one another, be there for one another. As Paul writes,

If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. (1 Corinthians 12:26)

But, it’s painful when it’s ugly.

When an enemy punches me in the face, it hurts, but I can manage. I expect it. When a brother punches me in the face, betrayal exacerbates the pain. This man should not be the one punching me in the face.

My Church Hurt (part 2)

I walked outside, still in a daze and did the only thing I could think of, I called my bride. And right there, in my hour of need, the Lord sent me the grace of the unconditional love and support of a great woman of God. “It’s over,” I groaned as she answered the phone.

“What? Baby, what are you talking about?”

“It’s over. I’m not qualified. Jeff said we should disband the church.”

“Baby, come home, right now. Come home. I tried to tell you about him. I knew it. Don’t listen to this nonsense. You are a great man of God, the leader of this church. Come home, and let’s talk.” So, I went. Her righteous indignation began to stir my spirit. Was there still hope?

We went immediately to see my mentor and home-church pastor who quickly cleared his schedule for us. An hour later, as we sat in his office, I asked him point-blank, “Brother, if I’m not qualified to lead this church, please, please tell me.” He assured me that he would.

It was my previous porn addiction, that was the issue. I had been a lifelong pornography addict, but the Lord had healed me from that addiction four years prior when, under the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I confessed it to my wife. He healed me through obedience to His word, and I will never stop proclaiming the glorious riches of His grace. I talk openly about it because it’s highly likely you are a consumer of pornography, and I want everyone to know that God is good, and that God heals, and that it is possible to not look at pornography.

I confessed it to the elders, fulling expecting and willing to be asked to step down. They didn’t. They chose to keep me on board. Should they have? I don’t know. Maybe not, but as my mentor pointed out in our meeting, “We don’t get to make that decision. They did!”

I had been obedient to the Spirit in confessing, had been granted true repentance, and yes, my wife and I were still, even four years later, wrestling with the impacts, but we were truly in new and uncharted territory, in a good way. Slowly, ever so slowly, I began to regain my senses. My grief began to fade, glimmers of hope emerged.

We headed home.

The very next day, I sat looking at my Bible—I had to preach in two days—and did the only thing I could think of, I prayed and then picked it up and began to go over my sermon, to preach, to the walls of my bedroom where I wrote all of my sermons at a little desk, and as I preached, the Holy Spirit of God stirred up a fire in the pit of my soul. I was a preacher of the word of God! A fallible and sinful preacher, but a preacher nonetheless, and no man could take that from me. My spirit soared.

I called Jeff and requested his presence at the church the next day where I officially removed him as an elder and informed him that we would not be disbanding the church any time soon and he was welcome to leave and join Family Baptist Church, but that I would continue to preach the Gospel message right where I was until the Lord saw fit to remove me.

He acknowledged, we prayed, and he announced that he and his family were leaving the church effective immediately.

A Survey of Hurt

I surveyed a social media group for pastors and church leaders. “What is the most hurtful thing a church member has done or said to you?” There were 184 responses, responses that left me numb.

- My daughter colored her hair purple one time. One of the ladies called her a slut.

- Last week, I was called an “evil coward who is unfit to lead the church” because I asked a small group of people to be more gracious in disagreement. That was followed up by a “millennial snowflake” jab.

- Pastor, could I give you some money for a suit? That way, you'd look like a real pastor.

- A family joined our church shortly after their 16-year-old son was killed in a car wreck. On the anniversary of his death the husband was so distraught that he killed himself. The first words of “comfort” the preacher said to the grieving wife were, “You know he’s in hell now,” She never came back.

- Maybe not most painful, but definitely hurt: after a revival meeting, an attendee (and former member) asking the revival preacher if he could come and be the preacher...while I'm standing right next to him.

- A deacon asked another deacon, "When do you think was the last time you heard a ‘spirit led’ sermon? Because I can tell you that you haven't heard one at this church for a while."

- I had a lady say, "Pastor, that was your best sermon yet. You know you get better and better every week. You know before you know it you won't be half bad." She was serious when she said it.

- “Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get more involved,” the head pastor’s wife at our former church told me while I was dealing with severe postpartum depression/anxiety that led to borderline psychosis.

- "There are plenty of dead churches around here looking for another corpse if you want to go somewhere else." - said after this person attacked my wife

- My 11-year-old son attempted suicide. When I reluctantly shared this with the deacon executive team, the vice-chairman said, “My wife and I knew there was something wrong with that brat.”

These were just a sampling of the more egregious responses, but they betrayed the collective heart of men seeking to minister to and care for those who hurt them greatly. Their grief was palpable. Every year, thousands of pastors walk away from ministry. Do you not think that wounds inflicted by the sheep contribute to the exodus of shepherds?

My Church Hurt (part 3)

Sunday was tough.

I summoned the men of the church before service and informed them of what had transpired. They were shocked. I’ll not soon forget the sight of Mr. Nigel, my bear-of-a-man deacon openly weeping at our brother’s departure.

I preached that day with a fire, a vigor that perhaps had been lacking. As service ended, I afforded Jeff the opportunity to address the congregation, reading a prepared and screened statement. I sat nearby at the ready, poised to pounce if he veered off script. I had a brachial stun to his carotid artery preplanned. He’d go down like tissue paper, I was sure. He stayed in bounds.

Afterward, our entire congregation gathered around him and his family, laid hands on him, and prayed the Lord’s hand of blessing upon him. He walked out that day—my brother, my friend, my co-laborer in the faith—he walked out, and I have not seen or heard from him since, over two years later.

He got in one last jab, over social media. No one else noticed, just me. That may have been what hurt most. I typed up a heated response…and in a moment of wisdom, deleted it.

Following the service, I fled to the playground outside the fellowship hall. I turned and beheld perhaps the most wondrous sight I’d ever seen, the congregation following me. Silently, they approached me and gathered around me and began to love on me as I wept, words of affirmation, the warmth of their embrace. They wept with me, grieving my grief, mourning that which had been broken. In that instant, the most beautiful moment of my ministerial life, God began to heal up the festering sore on my soul, the tears of the saints watering my dried-up spirit.

I am wrecked by His grace

Fallout

I love the sovereignty of God. I lived it through this church hurt.

You’ve been hurt, maybe you’re still living it, maybe you’re still in the whirlwind, head spinning, wondering when it’ll stop, when the pain will end. Dear brother, dear sister, know this. Every single thing that happens was decreed from before the foundation of the world to afford the believer two things: 1) the opportunity to bring glory to God and 2) the opportunity to become more like Christ.

Three things happened:

1. On a whim, I enrolled in a master’s level preaching course at Southern Seminary, some saw-sharpening. Here, the great expositors of God’s word from the past fanned my Gospel passions to heretofore unseen heights. I no longer maintain a single shred of doubt. I am one thing, a preacher of the word of God, and forever I’ll proclaim the riches of His glorious grace.

2. My wife and I truly cleaved. She ministered to me in my greatest hour of need and since this time, we’ve drawn ever closer. I can truly say that we share intimacy now. How do I know? She testified to that very fact just this year as we gave OUR testimony at a marriage event concerning my pornography addiction and the Lord’s grace in healing us.

3. My love and trust of the Lord grows without bounds. Our congregation continues to steadily grow, in spirit and in number. He has dispatched not one elder to replace Jeff, but five, along with three deacons, great men of God whom I love and cherish greatly.

He is faithful and true.

I wonder about Jeff sometimes. Does he ever think about me, our church? Does he miss us? Does he regret anything? At times, my heart yearns for justice, for vindication. I want him to know how wrong he was and how much he hurt me, but then I dismiss these feelings and offer up some prayers. I pray that he finds all that he is looking for. I used to fantasize about that brachial stun, if I ever saw him again, but now, I’d probably just give him a hug and tell him that I love him and missed him and that I pray the Lord has been good to him.

You see, I never would’ve chosen this hurt, but I can see His hand all over it, and often, pain is our greatest tutor.

If Only One

The Good Dude…the Worst Kind of Dude

By Bradford Smith · 21 Jul 2022

God’s ways are not our ways. Perhaps no one reveals this more than the good dude.

Awesome Everywhere

For nearly 27 years, the Army surrounded me with good dudes.

The military stratifies men revealing a stark dichotomy. The poorest performers I encountered often left me shaking my head and wondering, “Just where does a guy like this come from?” The best guys were just that, the best. Amazing men. Patriots. Heroes, truly.

With much affection, I recall the various good dudes I served with. My first Platoon Sergeant set the bar high. My first First Sergeant raised it higher. Various warrant officers set the standard for professional excellence and competence, when they showed up for work that is! I worked for some of the most motivated and intelligent officers that you can imagine. Peers of mine have already been promoted to general officer, deservedly so.

My tenure in special operations further elevated the standard.

My first commander in the regiment advised us that, if we didn’t do anything, took no action at all, the men would just go ahead and accomplish the mission, even without us. They were that good. They knew what to do, far more than me, and they just did it. They were self-motivated, self-starters, driven to perfection. How to lead such men?

Where else could I give a young officer purview over a handful of men and tens of millions of dollars of equipment and dispatch him around the globe to accomplish any number of missions with minimal oversight or guidance? These were all good dudes, committed to the most serious and challenging missions.

I sought to emulate them. Reputation means everything in the community.

“You know such and such?”

“Yep, good dude.”

A pipe-hitter. A trusted agent. A fire-and-forget kind of guy.

I put my life in their hands. They put their lives in mine as we went about the nation’s business. These were some of the finest men I’ve had the privilege to know. I miss them dearly.

2. Awesome Personified

I recall with much fondness, the greatest soldier I served alongside.

He was a man of integrity, a man of commitment, a man of honor. He was a good dude. If I still cussed, he’d be a good ****’n dude.

He loved his wife and she loved him. He loved their daughters and they loved him. Apart from the Army, he was the quintessential family man, loving and committed to his family and their well-being. They adored him.

At work, he was the picture of composure, unflappable in any circumstance. This man could make anything happen, accomplish anything, motivate men to accomplish anything. He loved the soldiers, and they knew it and they loved him for it.

In the years I knew him, he never once raised his voice in anger, didn’t have to. The men just knew to respond. He always, and I do mean always, did the right thing, no matter how great or how small. Walk past a piece of garbage on the ground? No way. Walk past a soldier not doing the right thing? No way.

He was absolutely committed to the defense of the nation and the care of soldiers. He sacrificed, never asking them to do that which he did not expect of himself. I’d follow this man through the very gates of hell.

He was a good dude.

And to my eternal and undying shame, I never once told this man about the risen Lord Jesus…

…why would I? He’s a good dude.

3. Not Awesome

It’s easy with dirtbags. They obviously need Jesus.

The blatantly wicked make it just as easy.

The woman celebrating her umpteenth abortion, exalting in the death of her own children at her own hand— this is obvious wickedness that must be condemned. She obviously needs Jesus. The man publicly celebrating his sexual perversion, demanding affirmation from everyone else and denouncing any form of disagreement—this is overt evil that must be condemned and confronted. This man definitely needs Jesus.

People living openly sinful lives, unabashedly and unashamedly, rejecting all things good and godly and mocking the things of God—they are clearly children of wrath who need, above all else, the Gospel of the risen Lord Jesus.

Liberal snowflakes who hate guns and America and want to take away your freedom of speech while aborting every baby, transferring all of your money to illegal immigrants, and forcing you to use a public restroom alongside drag queens while safely squirreled away in their college safe space—they need Jesus!

But what about the good dude?

The good dude, this man—he makes things just a bit tougher.

4. Awesome God

It’s really very easy.

There are no good dudes.

Both John and Paul remind us that we are either of Christ or we are not, and if we are not of Christ, we are of the world and our father is the Devil. (1 John 5:19, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 2:1-3, John 3:19) Isaiah tells us that our righteousness, our very best, is as a filthy rag in the eyes of the Lord, used menstrual garments at its most literal. (Isaiah 64:6) James tells us that if we’ve violated one of God’s laws, we are guilty of violating them all. (James 3:10) Paul teaches us that all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is no one righteous, not a single one. No one seeks after God, not one. (Romans 3)

In short, there are no good dudes.

I don’t know if my friend knew the Lord or not. He never once mentioned God. He never attended church that I knew of. His life bore no fruit of salvation in any way. He could’ve been a ‘closet Christian’, as if there were such a thing, but from every outward appearance, he did not know the Lord Jesus.

And I never took it upon myself to introduce him…

…he was just such a good dude.

5. Nothing is Awesome

I resolutely denounce works-based righteousness.

I’ll stand and declare the Gospel with all of its authority, with all of its teeth, that God saves men in spite of themselves and their wickedness. In eternity past, God set His affections on a people, and He is in the business of calling them to Him, and all that the Father has given to the Son, will be saved.

He does this in spite of their sin, in spite of their utter inability to save themselves, that no man may boast. He does this to His own glory.

My friend is a sinner…in need of a Savior.

Underneath his righteousness, rather, all of his righteous acts, resides a deeply flawed and sinful heart. He is dead in his sin, bound for eternal destruction. (Ephesians 2:1-3) His goodness won’t save him. His deeds won’t save him. The acclaim of men, that he is a good dude, will definitely not save him.

Only the grace of the Lord through the shed blood of Christ on the cross can save him. But how will he believe unless someone is to go and tell him these things? (Romans 10:14-17) My failure to witness to my friend reveals a measure of unbelief on my behalf. I know these things to be true. I know what the Bible says about works and righteousness yet…he’s just such a good dude!

God would never stand in judgement over a dude as good as this. Unfortunately, I know, in my heart of hearts, this not to be the case. Scripture well affirms that,

Hell is full of good dudes.

Are you yourself a good dude?

Let us vow to never let man’s idea of righteousness trump the universal need of all men, the need for salvation, no matter how ‘good’ they may be. I wonder if I still have my friends phone number…

If Only One

The Power of a Godly Father

By Bradford Smith · 28 May 2019

We’ve been duped, distracted. It’s a ruse, ancillary and sensational window-dressing. The culture wars on gender and abortion, the militant LGBT lobby, drag-queen children, Disney, Christian bakers, free speech (religious and otherwise), gun control—mere skirmishes to a broader conflict. There is a full-scale assault upon the bastion of a righteous nation, the godly father.

These issues distract and divide while dismissing biblical masculinity as an archaic concept, symbolic of a by-gone patriarchy. Meanwhile, our nation systematically castrates our men. We demonize masculinity, suppressing the slightest hints of masculine aggression in young boys. With few godly examples to emulate, young men go one of two routes, submit to being neutered and become a hollowed-out shell of a man maybe immersed in pornography or video games, or lash out in the oppression of women. These days, the cultural ideal for manhood has become the homosexual man, one who possesses the capacity but not the propensity to reproduce, to father.

You see, Satan knows all too well the power of a godly father.

1. Father to the Church

God calls godly men to lead His church. (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1) He commissions elders to lead, guide, shepherd, and protect His people. The church elder must be the husband of one wife, literally a one-woman-man. He must be of reputable character, and he must manage and lead his household well, his wife and his children. (1 Timothy 3:5) He must be a godly father. (God nowhere restricts single or childless men from service.)

That he manages his home well indicates how he might manage the household of God. If he cannot manage his own home, how can he be trusted with such a responsibility? As God likens His church to a household, godly men are the fathers of the Church.

Yet, most men sit content in their excess, as idle and flaccid caricatures of what God has called them to be. They flee the feminized Church in droves, leaving any practice of spirituality to their wives, further emasculating the Church. Entire denominations ignore the authority of Scripture and ordain female clergy. Women are left holding the bag, so to speak.

Sunday is my day to sleep in, or…

The game’s on, or…

I don’t really want to be preached at this morning…

This is not what God intended in His revealed will. God looks to godly men, to godly fathers, to lead His church in taking the Gospel to the nations. God dispatches godly fathers to lead the assault against the very gates of hell, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to set them free. (Matthew 16:18, Luke 4:18)

This is the power of a godly father.

2. Father to His Family

What a man does in his home is equally as important, if not more important than what he does in public, or in the church. The family is the building block of the church, the foundation of a godly nation. Few things indicate the condition of a nation more so than the state of its families.

And few things display the power of a godly father more than his role in the family. God entrusted the future of the Church to godly fathers, that they would minister to their families. This is a great Gospel issue and you may not evade this call.

Children inherit the faith of their parents. Really, they inherit the faith of their fathers. Dads, God is calling you to father. Men, God is calling you to father.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them. (Psalm 127:4-5)

The Lord has equipped us with two great weapons for this cutthroat spiritual battle. He has given us the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17) The Word of God is a weapon in the hand of a warrior. But He has filled our quiver with arrows, our children. Our sons, our children, are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. The Bible and our children—the weapons of a godly father. Would you put the sword of the Spirit into the hands of your sons?

This is the power of a godly father.

Reality confronts as most fathers abdicate the responsibility to make disciples of their sons, either leaving it to the Church or neglecting it altogether. This is a great Gospel issue. Most Christians convert before the age of 18. There are very few adult converts. If a young man leaves home before conversion, chances are he will die one day in his sin.

The religious practices of the father, above everything else, determine the future religious practices of the child. From a 1994 Swiss study, if a father does not go to church, no matter how faithful the wife’s devotion, only one child in 50 will become a regular worshipper.

Secular psychology concurs. From Freud, a child’s psychological representation of his father is intimately connected to his understanding of God. Once a child is disappointed in or loses respect for his earthly father, belief in a heavenly father becomes impossible. The younger a man, the more likely he is to have a poor relationship with his father. Though the correlation is not firmly established, the younger man is also less likely to believe in God.

Here is the power of a godly father, the power to make disciples of all the nations…starting with his own sons.

3. Father to the Fatherless

Let us consider those who have no father?

It is a fact that orphans suffer. System kids who ‘graduate’ the system at 18 not having been adopted have only despair awaiting. Statistically, most of them will fail at life. Incarceration, addiction, homelessness, poverty, children out of wedlock: this is the likely future of those never adopted. Every year, our nation generates thousands of new adults who will always struggle.

Those raised by a single mother struggle nearly as much. A disproportionate number of prisoners in our nation’s penal system come from single–mother homes. The presence of an active father yields better students, higher achievement, college, higher income, fewer mental and social issues. Yet, the ranks of the fatherless grows daily as more and more men walk, abandoning their responsibility to father. It is the children who suffer.

However, as dire as the social consequences of fatherlessness are, there is a vastly more pressing issue. Who will teach them about Christ? Each year we populate the ranks of adulthood with thousands of those least likely to ever believe. This is a great Gospel issue and in this, we see the potential power of a godly man. Perhaps God knew what He was doing when He ordained that a man leave his mother and father and ‘cleave’ to the woman in the bonds of marriage.

The orphans, the fatherless, they live desperate for the love and commitment of a godly father. Selflessly, thousands of godly fathers nationwide answer the call to stand in the gap and say, “I will be that man.”

This is the power of a godly father.

4. Father to the Nation

Our nation yearns desperately for the leadership of strong and steady men, men of God, committed men, serious in their faith and with their families. Our nation desperately needs godly fathers to step forward and declare that which God has ordained.

The godly father would never stand by as our nation silently slaughters our babies in the womb.

The godly father would never stand silent as orphans languish in their affliction.

The godly father could not tolerate our collective national drift from godliness.

Perhaps you or I could be that man. I pray that God would raise up a generation of such men, that He would show His power in the commitment of a legion of godly fathers.

If Only One

The Gospel

Books

Articles

Not Forgotten. Not Overlooked.

The Navigators and Other Things That Are Not the Church

The Navigators is not the church.

The chapel is not the church.

In-line with being a church man, I’ve become an ordinary means man.

None of these are the church.

What makes waiting so hard? Me.

Vacuuming the Red Carpet - a Paen for the Small Church Pastor

Grace for the Mind: The Christian and Mental Health Treatment

Sometimes the body needs support while the heart is being healed.

Breaking the Stigma-Struggling doesn’t make you less Christian- it makes you human.

Medication may steady the mind; Scripture transforms the heart.

Sin wounds the spirit and it rewires the brain.

My Final Word: Trust God, Seek Wisdom.

What does it mean to “sin willfully”? (Hebrews 10:26)

First Things

Context: To Whom

Context: For What Reason

Our Father

The Church: More Than a Building

The Condition of Man in the Eyes of a Holy God, the Mission of the Church, and Laity

Who is the Church? The Body of Christ, Laity and Clergy in Partnership.

What is the role of the Laity? The Call, The Command, The Commitment, and The Community.

What is the purpose of the Church?

We are the church.

The Burden of Bible Reading

No Burdens in Christ

The Bible, a Treasure

One Year?

More Important than Bible Reading?

To What End?

“If you love me, you’ll obey me,” - Not a Litmus Test, but a Promise

The Burden

A Foundation for Freedom

A Precious Promise

To the Christian wrestling with sin and shame…

…you are not alone.

…your struggle is not unique.

…there is no condemnation.

…ignore the lies of the devil.

…our sin ought to grieve us.

…God won’t let you go too far.

…God doesn’t delight in you any less.

…rejoice as you struggle.

The Red-Letter Bible and the Doctrine of the Trinity

Where’s the problem?

Who wrote the Bible anyway?

Divine Simplicity

Simplicity and the Trinity

Simplicity and the Work of God

Simplicity and the Bible

No Christian, God is Not Going to Judge You For Your Careless Words

Of Course, Context Matters

The Principle of the Matter

The Law and the Gospel

On That Day

Why Matthew 7:21-23 is not the Scariest Passage in the Bible

Which Bible Translation Should You Read?

The Best Translation

What Does God Want?

Avoid at All Cost

My Translation Journey

What About You?

It’s Okay Not to be Okay, Okay?

Are you okay?

I’m not okay.

And that’s okay.

Total Depravity and Why It Matters

Origins of Sin

Original Sin

A Heart Problem

What Do Sinners Do?

What Can Sinners Not Do?

What Can Sinners Do?

What Does It All Mean?

But God!

Suffer…to the Glory of God