Tag: Bible

How to Best Love a Prodigal-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins- James 5:19-20 ESV

Love is an issue that doesn’t look particularly complex or messy on the surface, but it is.  Actions that look and feel loving sometimes aren’t and actions that appear harsh are sometimes the most loving course of action.  God’s love for humanity demonstrates this conundrum perfectly. God loves us more than anyone can even imagine (John 3:16, Romans 8:38-39). Nevertheless, God doesn’t always (ever) give anyone everything they want or think they need. God also frequently allows individuals to experience trouble, discomfort and hardship because struggles draw folks closer to Him and refine their character (Isaiah 48:10, James 1:1-3, Hebrews 12:5-7)

Like I said, it’s complex and messy.

The muddle promptly becomes messier when we are called to love a prodigal child. A prodigal can be defined as anyone who once knew God (or knew of God) and has since walked away from any pretense of a relationship with God. The Bible tells the story of a prodigal son who wandered far from God and estranged from his earthly father. 

Our world is full of prodigals. Many prodigals have also cut ties with their earthly parents.  This leaves parents wondering how to best love children who have wandered from home and left their parents brokenhearted by their choices. The biblical story of the prodigal son (Luke 11:15-32) is a story with more than one level and meaning. On one level it is a story about how God relates to people. It was intended to prepare the Jews (who represent the older brother) for God’s welcoming of the gentiles (who represent the younger brother) into His Kingdom through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus (Ephesians 2:1-22, Colossians 1:25-28, Galatians 3:28). On another level the story gives much needed guidance and wisdom as to how best love a wandering son or daughter.

We love a prodigal when we:

Understand the spiritual reality behind the child’s choice-

Most prodigals sever relationships with family for the same reason the prodigal son did. They want to live a life of sin. They know they cannot comfortably live a sinful life in front of the people who love them, so they do what the prodigal did. They make their choice to sever ties about the parent rather than their desire to live a sinful life.  (Luke 15:11-13). It’s critical parents of prodigals recognize that a child living in sin will avoid anyone whose presence sparks any kind of spiritual conviction. The choice to leave is not always all about the parent.  At least some of the choice is very much about the state of the child’s heart. 

Choose restraint-

One truly notable aspect of the prodigal account is the restraint of the father.  The man clearly loved his son. Nonetheless, he did not beg him to stay, nor did he send long letters or servants to plead with his son to return. He certainly did not endeavor to make his son’s life easier by sending him little gifts or monetary support.  Instead, the father let him go and prayed like crazy. He worked on himself and trusted God to do whatever hard thing needed to be done in the life of his child. His goal was not simply to reconnect with his son. He wanted his son back in right relationship with God because he understood that a right relationship with God is a healing force in all our earthly relationships. It is not wrong to attempt to connect with a wayward child. Adult children need to know they are loved unconditionally. That said, it is critical we trust the Lord and avoid using emotional appeals, money or gifts to lure them back into relationship. We must accept the reality that God may need to do some hard things in their life that simply cannot be done if mom and dad are “helping” too much or working too hard to win them back.  

Don’t affirm or celebrate anything God wouldn’t affirm or celebrate- 

Many of today’s prodigals demand their parents celebrate and affirm sinful lifestyle choices as a condition of continuing the relationship. This is wrong on many levels. It is critical parents do not allow their children to become idols (1st John 5:21). We cannot put their preferences before God and His commands (Exodus 20:3). Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to love someone without affirming their sinful choices. God does it all the time. 

Pray for them-

Refusing to forgive someone is a serious sin (Matthew 6:15, Matthew 18:21-35, Mark 11:25-26). Sadly, unforgiveness is at the heart of most estrangements. Furthermore, just like the prodigal in Luke 15 most prodigals are also tangled up in all sorts of other sins (1st Corinthians 6:9-11, Galatians 5:19, 2nd Timothy 3:1-5). Godly parents can best love a prodigal by praying fervently and often that the child “comes to their senses” and repent of their sins (Luke 15:17-19).

And finally, 

Keep growing- 

Waiting is never easy. Waiting for a prodigal is a whole new level of hard and the temptation to give into bitterness is real (Hebrews 12:15, Ephesians 4:31).  I am convinced God wants us to do what the father in the story did. The father trusted God do what needed to be done in his son. He never gave up hope and he never stopped praying for his child. I also believe (although the text doesn’t say it explicitly) that the father chose to grow as a believer and as a person while he waited. I suspect that hurting dad made a regular practice of examining his heart. Then he worked on the things he needed to work on and repented of the things he needed to repent of. It was his commitment to trusting, praying and spiritual growth that prepared him to welcome his son home with open arms, a soft heart and big party. 

Satan’s Best Schemes-Updated for the Next Generation

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So that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes- 2nd Corinthians 2:11 NASB 

A scheme can be defined as:

An underhanded plot or a plan, program or policy that is officially adopted and followed. 

 Satan has schemes (Ephesians 6:11, 2nd Corinthians 2:10-11, 1st Peter 5:8) and it certainly feels like he has a lot of them.  However, in reality, Satan really only has a short list of policies, programs, plans and plots. All his schemes are clever (in a terrible kind of a way) and cleverly designed to discourage people from getting into right relationship with God and/or keeping them from becoming all they were created to be. 

Although Satan’s schemes are relatively few in number, he has been refining and honing his strategies since the dawn of humanity (Genesis 3). As a result, he’s a pro at what he does. Satan’s best schemes are (and always have been) unforgiveness, distraction, distortion of God’s plan for sexuality, self-pity, division and idolatry.  There is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Nonetheless, in recent years Satan has updated how he presents his best schemes for the latest generation. Following are the newest twists on some of Satan’s old favorites:

Unforgiveness- 

Unforgiveness is a winner for Satan because unforgiveness is a spiritual poison that slowly destroys our souls and makes us unfit to do anything good or life-giving with our lives (Matthew 6:14-15, Matthew 18:21-35). Choosing not to forgive keeps us inwardly focused and trapped in a prison of bitterness and hate that severely limits our potential and turns us into an ugly distortion of what God intended us to be (Hebrews 12:15).  In recent years Satan kicked all this up a notch by rebranding unforgiveness and hate as a weird kind of self-care. Satan (and the people he uses) want us to believe forgiveness is weakness and broken relationships are an indicator of “good boundaries” and “self-respect”.  This lie has led an entire generation into believing that refusing to forgive is somehow healthy and will bring them peace. It’s a brilliant but entirely devastating strategy. 

Distraction- 

There is nothing Satan loves more than a good distraction. Distraction is designed to take our minds off pleasing God and loving the people in our lives (Matthew 22:34-40). Distraction from those two things allows all kind of chaos and sin to take root in our own lives and the lives of the people we love most, especially our children. At one time Satan was limited to distracting us with basic things that still mattered to some degree, like work and recreation. Since the invention of the smartphone now we are frequently distracted from the things that matter most and the things that used to distract us from the things that matter most. The result is lives wasted on futility and meaninglessness.  

Distortion of God’s plan for sexuality-

God’s design for sexuality is not complicated and has not evolved over time. It’s one man with one woman for a lifetime (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5, Ephesians 5:30-31). Satan has never been a fan of this plan because life-long fidelity and devotion will always produce good mental health, strong families and stable societies, and he hates those things.  However, in recent years Satan has put a new and clever spin on sexual deviancy by convincing folks that their sexual choices are not really choices at all but rather genetic and therefore unchangeable. This has led to all sorts of insanity including laws that forbid discussion about sin and how to get free of it. It’s also led to a lot of despair with people feeling trapped by behaviors they could get free of through a relationship with Jesus and some in-depth discipleship training.

Self-pity-

Satan has always adored self-pity because, if it’s allowed to fester, it embitters and ultimately turns the individual against God. When someone allows self-pity to take root, they cease taking responsibility for their own choices and blame God for every problem they have. Instead of looking to God for comfort and help they turn God into the source of all their misery and pain. This in turn makes them feel justified in turning to sin and substances (bitterness, cynicism, drugs alcohol, pornography, etc.)  to make themselves feel better. Self-pity went mainstream a few years back when the powers that be began elevating victimhood into a virtue. People have been taught that there is nobility in being a victim which makes the self-pity that goes hand-in-hand with victimhood a badge of honor rather than a spiritually dangerous indulgence (Ephesians 4:31, Acts 8:23).

Division- 

Satan has always treasured hatred and division. Division destroys friendships, churches and families (Jude 18-19, 2nd Timothy 3:1-5) Now that politics has become a religion to so many, even some Christians feel justified in dividing over the stupidest, most worldly, most temporal thing imaginable: politics. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad. 

Idolatry-  

Satan loves idolatry because whatever we worship quickly becomes our number one priority and we will do whatever that idol demands in order to please and appease it. Thanks to a clever crusade courtesy of Satan no one in the western world worships weird little statues anymore. Instead, people worship themselves. Which just happens to be the most dangerous form of idolatry of all. Mostly, because there is no end to the depravity, selfishness and evil that can dwell in the human heart. When a person is living entirely to please self, they can justify a lot of evil in the name of self-care, wellness, good mental health and self-actualization. 

We cannot stop Satan from scheming, but we can resist his schemes (James 4:7, Ephesians 6:13). We resist the schemes of the enemy with holy, righteous, God-honoring behavior and love for all people (Hebrew 12:14, Romans 12:1, John 13:34, 1st Corinthians 13, Romans 13:8).  Resisting Satan’s schemes empowers us to become all God created us to be and, in the process, we show a dying world the way to life.  

It’s a win-win. 

How to Prove Oneself a Fool-

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 Listen to advice and accept discipline, So that you may be wise the rest of your days- Proverbs 19:20 NASB

A friend and I have been reading through the book of Proverbs. Less than halfway through the book it is becoming painfully obvious that God has set a dividing line between the foolish and the wise. God calls His people to live a life of wisdom (Proverbs 4:5-7, James 1:5). He makes it clear in His word that only a fool refuses to listen to advice or receive correction (Proverbs 1:7 Proverbs 12:1, Proverbs 12:15, Proverbs 15:5).

It could be argued that there are a lot of fools in our culture.

 If I were looking for the most efficient way to get “cancelled” by the largest number of people or for the fast track to becoming a social pariah I would just offer advice and correction to everyone I met whether they asked for it or not. Even if the advice I gave was good (and it would be), no one would like me. There is simply no easier way to offend the average person in our culture than to offer unsolicited advice or correction. 

Nobody likes it. 

However, just because the average person dislikes something does not mean it’s necessarily wrong or bad. Listening to advice and hearing correction is a little bit like eating fruits and vegetables. It’s not the most enjoyable thing in the world and most folks would prefer to do something else or eat something else. It is true that an individual CAN go their whole adult life without listening to advice or eating vegetables. Nonetheless, sooner or later those choices will catch up to them (and their colon) in profoundly unpleasant ways. 

 I am not suggesting anyone should blindly FOLLOW every bit of advice they are given or agree with and then act on every word of correction they receive. Well-meaning people sometimes correct without knowing all the facts and people are wrong about all sorts of things. Moreover, some advice is just plain bad. To sort through this issue, we must understand the differences between following advice and listening to advice. Listening to advice is just a willingness to hear someone out.  It’s not a commitment to anything. It’s choosing to evaluate what we hear from others. Following advice is doing what we are told.  Listening to advice is a sign of wisdom and maturity. No one should blindly follow advice without taking some time to think and pray through what’s been said. 

God gave us brains. He expects them to be used. 

 All that being said, there are some serious consequences to living life on the wrong side of God’s divide. Some of those are:

We end up avoiding wise people-  

If we avoid advice, it will not be long before we are surrounded by fools or evil people who cheerfully tell us exactly what we want to hear. Truly wise people just kind of radiate wisdom. They can’t help it. To fools and those who are not accustomed to hearing wisdom spoken, wisdom sometimes sounds like an awful lot like advice even if the person speaking is not intending to give advice. If wise counsel annoys us, we will naturally steer clear of wise people (Proverbs 9:8-9). This is a huge problem because the Bible is very clear: we become like the people we spend time with (Proverbs 13:20, 1st Corinthians 15:33). 

We prove ourselves stupid- 

It is a rare thing for a stranger to attempt to correct a person. Correction is typically only offered by those who care most about our future happiness and success.  The consequences of refusing to at least hear out those who lovingly attempt to set us on a wiser path is that we prove ourselves to be hopelessly stupid (Proverbs 12:1, Ecclesiastes 10:3). 

We invite death into our lives-  

Refusing to hear advice or correction is just refusing an opportunity to gain wisdom (Proverbs 10:8) and snubbing wisdom is taking the fast track to death of one kind or another (Psalm 38:5, Proverbs 2, Proverbs 8:33-36, Proverbs 11:19, Proverbs 14:12). Sometimes the death that results in refusing wisdom is spiritual death, the death of opportunities or the death of relationships (Proverbs 14:1). Other times refusing wisdom results in actual death death. The easiest way to avoid the death of anything good in our lives is to love wisdom (Proverbs 12:28). One critical aspect of loving wisdom is hearing advice and evaluating any correction we are given. 

We stunt our growth-

Wisdom is the key to growth. It’s the key not just to spiritual growth but also all healthy growth in all areas of our lives. We cannot grow relationally, spiritually or in any other way without wisdom. Wisdom often comes through advice given by people (1st Corinthians 3:6-7). Anytime we willfully spurn correction or refuse to listen to wise counsel, we pretty much guarantee we will remain immature and ignorant in every area of our lives (1st Peter 2:2). 

And finally, 

We refuse Jesus-

Jesus is more than just the creator of the world or our savior and Lord. He is also the manifestation of all the wisdom in the universe (Luke 2:40, Colossians 2:1-3, 1st Corinthians 1:30, 1st Corinthians 2:6-8). Oftentimes Jesus speaks His wisdom through His people. Refusing to at least evaluate the wisdom other Christians have to offer is a form of refusing God when He speaks (Hebrews 12:25). However, making the choice to hear people out is a fast track to flourishing (Psalm 92:12-15).    

The Things (and People) that Cause Bitterness-

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A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the mother who bore him- Proverbs 17:25 NASB 

In my last post I wrote about bitterness and the trouble it causes. Choosing to entertain a bitter spirit is the fast track to a life of misery, distance from God, loss of spiritual purpose and broken relationships.  

Bitterness is bad.  

Really bad. 

This is why God straight-up commands Christians to avoid bitterness at all costs (Hebrews 12:15, Ephesians 4:30-31). 

As I reflected on the turmoil bitterness inevitably produces, I found myself making a mental list of the multitude of things that cause folks to become bitter. It occurred to me (kind of out of nowhere) that I have written a lot on what bitterness does, but precious little about what causes bitterness. Then it occurred to me (kind of out of nowhere) that if someone understood the causes of bitterness it could go a long way in preventing bitterness in the lives of a lot of people. 

I would call that a major spiritual win and there is nothing I love more than a major spiritual win.

Contrary to popular belief, the things that make people bitter do not always fly out of nowhere and smack us around. Sometimes they do (more on that later). However, there are also situations where bitterness is caused by our own choices and/or events that might have been avoided with a bit of foresight and a smidge of wisdom. The four things most likely to make a person bitter are:

Sin- 

Sin makes folks bitter. It just does. It does not matter if we are the ones sinning or we are the ones being sinned against. It doesn’t even matter if it the whole messy muddle was a mutual agreement to sin. Sin is the number one cause of human bitterness (Ecclesiastes 7:26). Sometimes, we are sinned against and there is little we can do to prevent feelings of bitterness. When this happens, we must ask God for the strength and power to forgive so fully that our bitterness dissolves. Forgiveness is hard, but it’s also essential because it is the only way to get free from the bondage of bitterness (Ephesians 4:31-32, Matthew 6:15). That being said, anytime we knowingly place ourselves in a sinful situation, we run a high risk of making ourselves bitter.  Bitterness is just the natural consequence of sin.  All sin has the potential to produce bitterness. However, the sins most likely to create bitterness are sexual in nature. This is because these sins have far-reaching, sometimes even generational consequences (Ecclesiastes 7:26, Proverbs 5:3-5, Isaiah 5:20). The best way to avoid bitterness is to make a commitment to stay away from all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, promiscuity and pornography. Nothing good will come from any of it. 

Totally foreseeable circumstances- 

 The best-known biblical admonition against bitterness begins with a “see to it” (Hebrews 12:15).  Anytime the New Testament begins some bit of instruction with a “see to it”, we are being told we have at least some agency in the situation (Luke 21:8, Colossians 2:8, Hebrews 12:25). Hebrews 12:15 is teaching that at least to some degree, some of the time, bitterness is avoidable. One critical aspect of preventing a bitter root is to avoid situations where we can look into the future and see there is a decent chance that we will become bitter towards the person or people involved if we don’t put an end to their antics quickly.  An example of this might be a woman offers to babysit her best friend’s child on Tuesday morning so her friend can run errands and get some “me time”.  In turn, the friend just assumes it’s okay to bring the child by EVERY Tuesday morning so she can run errands and get some “me time”. The woman who is taking advantage of the situation is obviously a source of bitterness. However, the kind-hearted woman who offered to babysit has an obligation to end the madness so that she does not become bitter towards her friend. Modern people call this “putting up boundaries”. It’s also bitterness prevention 101. 

Lack of wisdom and foresight- 

Wisdom is an undervalued commodity. Few people care about acquiring wisdom,  although everyone ought to. Wisdom is a protective force (Ecclesiastes 7:12, Proverbs 2:11-12, Proverbs 3:13-18). Wisdom provides safety, protection and it increases our odds of success in every arena. Wisdom also prevents bitterness. When a person is wise, they have foresight or prudence (Proverbs 1:3-5, Proverbs 8:12). Foresight gives people the ability to see around the corners of life (metaphorically speaking). This allows them to predict which situations or people will cause us them to become bitter. Anyone can get wisdom, all we have to do is ask for it (Proverbs 4:7, Proverbs 19:8, James 1:5-6).

And finally:

Evil people cause bitterness- 

Ultimately, evil people are also selfish people. Selfish people simply do not care about the hurt or turmoil they create. Consequently, evil people spread bitterness everywhere they go. Sadly, we live in a fallen world (Genesis 3, Romans 5:12), therefore avoiding evil people is not always a viable option (Matthew 18:7). However, we can choose to put evil people in the hands of God and trust Him to deal with them in His own way and time (Proverbs 3:5-6, 1st Peter 2:6). Choosing to trust God and believing in His goodness is the number one way to prevent bitterness.

The Four Kinds of Trouble Caused by Bitterness-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you- Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV

Bitterness is bad. 

Really bad. 

In every reference to the emotion of bitterness, the Bible either clearly identifies bitterness as a sin or as the direct consequence of sinful human choices (Ecclesiastes 7:26, Proverbs 5:3-5, Proverbs 17:25, Jeremiah 4:18). Christians are straight-up commanded not to be bitter (Ephesians 4:31, Hebrews 12:15). The writer of Hebrews warns that bitterness is especially problematic for Christians because it triggers a unique kind of “trouble” for believers (Hebrews 12:15). It’s not overstating facts to say bitterness is an exceptionally toxic spiritual poison.  When we allow bitterness to take root it produces a playground for the enemy of our souls (Ephesians 4:26-27, 1st Peter 5:8). It also defiles (ruins, taints, corrupts) both the bitter person and the people they love. 

Yikes. 

Bitterness produces a special kind of trouble, one that has the power to trip of even the best and brightest of God’s people. That trouble includes:

Hindering our ability to worship God-

One of the biggest spiritual issues with bitterness is that it profoundly impairs our ability to worship God. At the heart of all genuine worship is a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving (1st Chronicles 16:34, Psalm 107:7, Colossians 3:16). It is literally impossible to be grateful to God and bitter at the same time. It simply cannot be done; salt water and fresh water cannot come from the same source (James 3:10-12). A person can worship God or they can hang out in the bitter barn. No one can do both. Additionally, I have observed it is very common for bitter people to simply quit church altogether. This is because a bitter person struggles to worship God freely and worship is the primary reason Christians gather. If you are a Christian and worship holds no appeal to you, or worse yet annoys you, bitterness is likely an issue. 

Becoming bitter short-circuits the only good thing that can come out of a trial- 

It’s simply a fact that if we experience enough trials in rapid succession without processing them properly, trials will make us bitter (Ruth 1:1-21). However, it is also true that trials serve a valuable spiritual purpose (1st Peter 1:5-7, James 1:2-4). Trials refine us and help us to understand what’s important in life. Trials also give us a deeper and more profound longing for heaven, unless we allow ourselves to become bitter. If we become bitter due to trials all we get out of them is cynicism, broken relationships and lost spiritual opportunities. If a trial (or series of trials) has left you angry, reclusive or depressed bitterness may be to blame. 

Bitterness hinders our spiritual purpose- 

God could rapture His people off the planet as soon as they come to faith in Jesus. He’s fully capable and it would make things easier for us, but He doesn’t. Instead, God leaves us in our families, friend groups and communities for the specific purpose of being His faithful witnesses to a lost and dying world (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8). One of the chief objectives of salvation is to become as much like Jesus as we possibly can so that the unbelievers and skeptics around us see Jesus in us and want to know Him better (2nd Corinthians 3:18). Bitterness makes effective evangelism nearly impossible, partly because bitter people reflect God poorly.   

Bitter people make people bitter- 

I am convinced that with a few notable exceptions, bitter people don’t intend to make other people bitter, but they do. Bitter people spread bitterness like a bad cold because bitterness makes people entirely self-centered.  The constant self-focus leads the bitter person to do outlandishly thoughtless and just plain mean things to the people they care about most.  Sadly, the bitter person is so self-focused they are either blinded to what they are doing to others, or they feel justified in their behavior. When someone is routinely hurt or mistreated by someone being eaten alive by bitterness, they quickly become bitter themselves, this is how bitterness “defiles many”. 

Bitterness is never inevitable; it can always be avoided or dealt with. The best way to avoid bitterness (or deal with it effectively) is to routinely examine our lives (2nd Corinthians 13:5).   Ask yourself the following questions:

Do I become excessively angry at the sins or folly of others?

Do I lack grace? 

Do people annoy me for no reason? 

Do I have a pattern of cutting people out of my life? 

Do I routinely make bad decisions because I refuse to take advice from others?

All of the above are signs of a bitter spirit. 

Anger, resentment and irritation are the precursors to bitterness. Anytime we begin to feel those feelings on a regular basis, it’s a sign bitterness is beginning to take root in our hearts. The antidote to bitterness is honest prayer and a willingness to forgive those who hurt us (Matthew 18:21-35, Mark 11:25, Luke 6:37, Colossians 3:13). We must make a habit of sorting out our hurt, pain and disappointment with life and people before the Lord. Honest prayer is rarely a one and done when it comes to correcting a bitter spirit. We must be willing to take our feelings before God until our hearts soften, and we are walking in alignment with the God who forgives completely and loves without limits ( John 3:16, Acts 10:43, 1st John 3:1, Psalm 103:12)

How the Loss of One Truth Sent Western Culture Straight to Crazy Town-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us- 1st John 1:7b-10 NASB

Doctrinal teaching has fallen on hard times. 

Even many Christians are uninterested in learning the details of most doctrinal teachings. The attributes of God, redemption and justification by faith just don’t hold a lot of appeal these days. Although, perhaps, the doctrine that has fallen on the hardest of times is the doctrine of original sin. 

Nobody likes it.

Seriously. 

Even many Christians are uncomfortable with the whole concept. Original sin is a tough sell in a culture that is easily offended and obsessed with fairness.  Original sin is the belief that every human being is morally and ethically corrupted from the moment of conception by Adam and Eve’s choice to disobey God and eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3, Romans 5:12, Ecclesiastes 9:3, Psalm 14:2-3). The doctrine of original sin teaches all humans are sinners from conception (Romans 3:23, Psalm 51:1-5). This means human beings cannot rehabilitate or fix themselves (Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:3-7), we need God to do that for us. 

The above-mentioned gloominess aside, the criticalness of a doctrinal teaching is revealed by what happens when a person (or culture) stops believing it is true.  Most folks in the west stopped believing original sin was a reality about fifty years ago.  There are at least four ways the world has gone crazy town because we ditched the doctrine of original sin, including:

Criminals have become sympathetic victims rather than bad guys- 

Most western societies see criminals as victims and justice for actual victims of crime as unfair and unjust. Original sin teaches that all people (regardless of upbringing) have an inborn inclination towards evil. Conversely, most secular folks believe humans are born perfect and are corrupted by traumatic personal experiences or less-than-perfect parents. Christians believe even unredeemed people have a choice about whether they fully give into their sinful tendencies (Calvinists call this “common grace”). When a culture ceases to believe in original sin, bad behavior is no longer about choices it’s always about trauma and the whole notion of personal responsibility dies an ugly death. A criminal is not a criminal because they chose a life of crime, they are a criminal because of forces outside their control like poverty, abuse, suffering and neglect (Romans 2:5-8). The unintended consequence of this belief system is that our justice system often shows more compassion to lawbreakers than to law abiders (Isaiah 59:14-15). 

Parenting gets weird-

For generations parents have understood that kids are born with a tendency towards rebellion, bad behavior and disobedience (Proverbs 22:15, Ephesians 6:1). Even godless societies agreed it was the parent’s job to squash rebellion and steer children towards law-abiding behavior and decency. When parents stopped believing children were rebellious from birth all of sudden, they were forced to blame themselves and their own broken upbringing for the bad behavior of their kids. This has created a weird approach to childrearing where parents live in fear of traumatizing their children with any kind of discipline or even disapproval (Proverbs 13:24). As a result, children are oftentimes quite awful, and parents are unspeakably miserable when they should be enjoying one of the ultimate blessings of human existence (Psalm 127:3-5) 

Becoming our most authentic self suddenly seems like a great idea-

The death of original sin gave birth to the whole notion all people should do their best to “become my most authentic self”. This whole idea of finding our authentic self is unbelievably popular today. Nobody even questions whether this is something we ought to be doing. However, if one looks a little deeper at the fruit of this view it becomes clear that “being my most authentic self” is at the root of transgenderism, sexual deviancy, adultery, many divorces and most child neglect.  This is because as fallen beings our most authentic self is our sin nature. Consequently, our most authentic self is typically weird, sinful, selfish, vulgar and wants what it wants when it wants it (Ecclesiastes 6:1, Genesis 6:5). None of this nonsense should be celebrated or pursued. 

Everyone gets their own truth- 

Believing the lie that people are inherently flawless, logically leads to the belief that what each individual person thinks or believes is always right and true. Because no one wants to start calling people out for being wrong, we have instead conceded that everyone is entitled to their own individual truth. The truth each individual holds does not have to be provably true it just has to be believed by the individual. One does not have to be a rocket scientist to determine that eventually my “truth” will conflict with someone else’s “truth” at some point. This is when things get ugly because we all know deep down inside there cannot be multiple truths.

The fruit of denying the reality of original sin is clearly rotten. Sadly, we cannot force unbelievers to believe any Christian doctrine. However, as Christians we can see to it that we are walking in truth (John 8:32) and teaching truth to the next generation. When we walk in truth we instantly become the salt and light this world needs (Matthew 5:13-16)

What are the Fruits of Salvation?

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Those are the ones sown with seed on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much- Luke 8:15 NASB

Doctrinal controversies and theological disputes are not new to Christianity. Early Christians began hotly debating the finer points of the faith shortly after Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 15). Early believers argued endlessly over what role (if any) the Law of Moses should play in Christianity.  They also fought over the nature of Jesus, which holy days should be celebrated and whether there was secret knowledge certain Christians possessed that others did not (Colossians 2).   

Contemporary Christians still debate issues. However, we tend to argue over an entirely different set of controversies.  Contemporary Christians will throw down over things like the role of women in the church, spiritual gifts and Bible translations. But by far, the most contentious argument in the church today is over what role Christian fruit (or works) should play in the Christian life. 

The role works play in salvation is a settled issue. 

 All people are saved the same way. We are saved by God’s grace when we turn to Jesus in faith. Salvation is a gift. No one can earn salvation. No one, no matter how good they are is good enough to earn access to heaven. We are all just too dang sinful (Romans 3:23). Once we humbly accept the reality of our own unworthiness, Jesus mercifully cleanses us from all unrighteousness, and we begin our faith journey (1st John 1:8-10). 

However. 

Bearing fruit, sometimes called “works” post salvation is another issue altogether (Matthew 5:16, James 2:14-18, 1st Timothy 6:18-19). Some Christians believe that suggesting there should be any works post-salvation is nothing short of heresy and an insult to God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). These folks believe freedom in Christ (Galatians 5:1) means freedom from all rules, works and standards of behavior.  This group is well-intended, and not entirely wrong.  We cannot earn our salvation, nor do we have to “be good” to keep it.  If we had to be good to stay saved one would stay saved because we all fail daily. It’s an aspect of our human nature no one can escape. 

However. 

If expecting believers to “bear fruit” or do “works of righteousness” is heresy, then Jesus was a flaming heretic. 

Seriously. 

On numerous occasions Jesus straight-up commanded His followers to “bear fruit” (John 15:2, Mark 4:20, John 15:16) and do good works (Matthew 5:16, John 14:12). Matthew’s last recorded sermon of Jesus (Matthew 24:42-25:46) is really all about the importance of Christians bearing spiritual fruit. Matthew 24:42-25:46 also contains some rather alarming warnings concerning what happens when a follower of Jesus refuses to bear fruit.

 There are at least five kinds of fruit Christians are expected to produce. The first is: 

The fruit of repentance- 

Jesus called for repentance a lot (Matthew 4:17, Luke 5:31-32, Luke 13:1-5, Luke 15:7-10). He also chastised those who refused to repent (Matthew 7:21, Matthew 11:20, Matthew 12:41). Jesus did not forbid His forerunner (John the Baptist) from demanding repentance (Matthew 3:3-8, Luke 3:1-17). Repentance is not simply a change of behavior. Repentance is a process that begins with a change of thinking so dramatic it leads to behavioral transformation (Romans 12:1-2).  Coming to a place in our spiritual maturity where we agree with Jesus about right and wrong, is the first step in bringing our behavior into alignment with God’s will (1st Corinthians 6:9-11, Colossians 3, 1st Thessalonians 4:1-8, Ephesians 4:17-30). When we change our minds about sin we bear the fruit of repentance.

The fruit of obedience- 

Jesus is more than just our savior, He’s our Lord (Luke 14:27, John 13:13, Colossians 2:6, Psalm 86:11). Making Jesus our Lord means we put Him and His will for our lives above our own desires and even all earthly authorities (Exodus 20:3, Matthew 10:37-39, Philippians 2:9-11). When we choose devotion to Jesus above all else, we bear the fruit of obedience. 

The fruit of holiness- 

Contrary to popular doctrinal belief, holiness is not legalism. Holiness is the fruit of gratitude for our salvation. Believers in Jesus are called to be holy just as God is holy (Ephesians 1:4, 1st Peter 1:15-16). This does not mean we live a life of sinless perfection (we can’t). It does mean we choose to honor God by shunning intentional sin. When we do our best to live holy lives we bear the fruit of holiness.  

The fruit of love-

Christians are called to love all people all the time (John 13:34-35). This does not mean Christians should seek to be “nice” all the time. Biblical love is kind and compassionate, but it is also truthful about all things, even hard things. True biblical love always seeks the best for all people.  When we live and love by the standards set in 1stCorinthians 13, we bear the fruit of biblical love. 

The fruit of faith- 

Faith is the foundation of all things Christian, and bearing the fruit of faith is no easy thing. Faith is literally trusting God when it makes zero sense to do so. Faith is believing God will do what He said He would do when we aren’t seeing change. Because faith is hard, faith pleases God in ways that are almost impossible for the human mind to grasp (Hebrews 11). 

Truth-be-told seeking to bear spiritual fruit can easily drift into pride and spiritual smugness. The secret to avoiding spiritual pride is to remember that no one, no matter how good they are can do any of this in their own power. We simply do not have enough inherent goodness in us to pull it off.  The Holy Spirit is our guide and helper in every aspect of the Christian life (John 14:26, Hebrews 13:6). When we fully and completely submit our lives to God the Holy Spirit does the work in us. 

What to do when Life Literally Makes no Sense-

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Guard my soul and save me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.
Let integrity and uprightness protect me, For I wait for You- Psalm 25:20b-21 NASB

Anyone who lives in this sin-sick world for long enough will experience a season where literally nothing makes any sense at all (John 16:33, Ephesians 6:10-11).

 This is a universal reality. No one gets a pass.   

Sooner or later, it all goes south, sometimes all at once. Your health fails, a cherished spouse dies too soon. Someone you presumed was a friend or an ally turns on you. Your spouse is unfaithful. The kids you did your best to raise right, go terribly wrong. The job or business you believed would always provide is gone and your finances fall apart. 

Sigh.

These experiences are just the predictable outcome of life in a fallen world, even for Christians. It could even be argued that Christians experience these seasons with greater frequency than non-Christians. No one really understands the why of this reality. However, the book of Job seems to indicate that Satan delights in creating misery in the lives of those who love God and are called according to His purposes (Job 1:1-22, Romans 8:28-29). The book of First Peter tells us that although God is not the author of our misery, He does use trials, tribulations and heartbreak to “refine” us and make us more like Jesus (1st Peter 1:3-9, James 1:2-4, 2nd Corinthians 4:7-11). Because we live in a fallen world, surrounded by fallen people, we will all at some point, face the challenge of not just surviving a tough season with our faith intact but also coming out of it more like Jesus in every way. 

David is our go-to guy for surviving and even thriving through a confusing season. He experienced all sorts of spiritually perplexing situations. It appears that he was the least favored of his brothers for no obvious reason. He was anointed King over Israel and immediately began experiencing the exact opposite of a royal treatment. For at least a solid decade David was mistreated, persecuted and hunted down like an animal, all due to a lesser man’s jealousy. Later in life, his beloved son (Absolom) turned on him and attempted to take his kingdom.

In one sense, David wasn’t special, all Christians experience difficult and perplexing seasons.  Whether or not we survive will depend on our choices. Following are three things we can do when nothing makes sense. None are guaranteed to make your problems go away, however they will ensure your spiritual survival. It all starts with;

Doing what God puts in front of you to do-

For whatever reason, seasons that make no sense often coincide with a season of seeking God for wisdom and direction. In these times we want God to give us some clear and obvious “do this” or “don’t do this” kind of instruction. Sadly, God almost never gives anyone a clear to-do list. Instead, God gives us tasks and the ability to get them done (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Prior to taking the throne, God gave David men to lead, a family to raise and theology to work out in song. All these tasks served the purpose of equipping David for the larger task of leading a nation. God hasn’t changed. In tough times He gives us coworkers to influence, spouses to love, kids to raise for His glory, families to lead, and churches to run. Faithfully doing the task in front of us pleases God and prepares us for whatever’s next.  

Pray prayers of gratitude- 

Seasons where nothing makes sense are spiritually baffling, and if our confusion is not dealt with correctly it can lead to resentment, fear, bitterness and even unbelief (Hebrews 12:15). There is an anecdote to spiritual confusion. It’s prayer, specifically, prayers of gratitude that express faith in God’s goodness. David often vented his frustration to God in his Psalms (Psalm 35:11-26, Psalm 36:1-4, Psalm 54:1-3). However, even in his darkest moments David ALSO took time to express his gratitude to and faith in God (Psalm 35:27-28, Psalm 36:5-12, Psalm 37, Psalm 54:4-7).   It is not easy to express faith and gratitude when we are deep in the weeds of personal suffering. However, choosing to do so will guarantee that our soul prospers even in the darkest of times

Wait on the Lord with a Hebrews eleven perspective- 

 Even under the best of circumstances there are elements of life that are hard. Under the worst of circumstances life can challenge our belief in a good God (Hebrews 11:32-40). God understands this reality (Hebrews 14:15). Therefore, nothing pleases God more than when we choose to see Him as good even when life is hard. Seeing God as good amid horrendous circumstances is the essence of faith (Hebrews 11:1-2) and the fast track to flourishing through tough times.

Our goal should not be to just endure sorrow and suffering. Our spiritual goal should be to see our souls prosper even under persecution, pain and difficulties. David understood that suffering, especially for those who love God cannot be wrapped up neatly in a bow and explained easily. There is a mystery to it.  It is possible to “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” and still know deep in our soul that God is the good shepherd loving and protecting us through it all (Psalm 23:1-6).  

What Should Christians Expect from an Isaiah 5:20 Kind of a World?

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You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked- Psalm 97:10 NKJV

Isaiah 5:20 says this:

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter- NASB

So. 

Calling good evil and evil good is nothing new. It’s just something fallen, sinful people do. However, it could be argued that for the last 2000 years (give or take) this type of tomfoolery has been more the exception than the rule. At least in places where Christianity has been the dominant religion. Even those who weren’t Christians had some insight into right and wrong thanks to cultural Christianity and the intuitive understanding all humans have regarding right, wrong and the existence of God (Romans 1:18-20)

This is rapidly changing. 

Don’t get me wrong. There are still good people in this world. There are people who know God, love God and do their level best do what to obey God. There are also people who don’t know God whose consciences still function properly who are doing their best with what they do understand. Thankfully, there’s still enough cultural Christianity left in most Western countries for non-Christians to get worked up over the really big evils like murder and exploitation. That being said, a line has been crossed.  We are on the other side where a majority of average Joe’s and Jane’s believe evil is good and good is evil. 

This cultural sea change both brings both problems and opportunities for God’s people.  First the problems (I will get to the opportunities. I promise): 

You can live an exemplary Christian life and not be respected for it- 

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when living a good Christian life earned a person a certain level of admiration and credibility.  The average non-believer may not have necessarily wanted to serve and honor God with their own lives, but they respected and admired those who did. That ship has officially sailed. We are now in a place where choosing to live out Christian principles brings scorn and mockery rather than veneration and respect. This is discouraging (to say the least). It also makes Christian community more critical than ever. We need each other for encouragement and inspiration to keep on keeping on no matter what the culture does or says (Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 10:23-25)

Following one’s heart is an even worse idea than it once was- 

Humans have always had a predisposition towards following their own heart as opposed to God’s word. It’s just another part of the whole fallen nature thing (Genesis 6:5, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:10-18, Romans 7:18, 1stCorinthians 2:14). However, there was a time in the not-so-distant past when pretty much everyone agreed that following one’s heart was not okay if it led to things like: broken relationships, disrespecting or dishonoring parents, self-harm, abortion or denying the reality of one’s God-given gender. Again, that ship has sailed, following one’s heart wherever it leads (even if its straight to hell) is thought to be a good thing.  The outcome of this folly has been (and will continue to be) tragic beyond words.  

Good doctrine will get scarcer- 

Calling good evil and evil good does not always stop at the doors of the church. As the world becomes darker the tendency is for those in the pulpit is to soften the words of God to make them more palatable to those who prefer darkness to light (2nd Timothy 4:2-4). Still others will literally twist the Bible to say what they want it to say.  This sad state of affairs means Christians must commit to walking in step with the Holy Spirit and learn the Bible for themselves so that they are able to discern good doctrine from bad and lead others to right doctrinal thinking (Galatians 1:7-9, Hebrews 13:9).

Weird will become even more normal- 

There was a time when even non-Christian members of society agreed (for the most part) that certain things were simply weird and unacceptable. Folks kept unkind sentiments to themselves. Everyone agreed males should not have access to female spaces, women should not celebrate aborting their children, kids should be protected from sexual content, and no one should cut others out of their lives without a really good reason. All that is in the rear view now and it makes life harder for everyone (whether they realize it or not) but especially those who are standing on the sidelines trying desperately to be a voice of reason in an unreasonable time.

Admittedly, that’s a lot of bad news (sorry) but there is also some really good news too. 

God is still God and God is still good. He hasn’t abandoned His plan for mankind (John 3:16) just because times are tough and some folks appear to be going feral, just as He promised they would (2nd Peter 3:2-4, 2nd Timothy 3:1-5). The really good news in all of this is that God also promised to pour out His spirit on His people in the last days (Acts 2:16-18).  He will enable anyone who seeks Him the ability to shine brightly even in the darkest of places (Philippians 2:13-15) and He will bless them for doing so (Galatians 6:9, Hebrews 13:16). The greater contrast between those who call themselves believers and those who don’t means anyone who is looking to get free of the darkness will know exactly who to talk to. 

This is a very good thing that may even change things. 

Six Prayers Every Prodigal Desperately Needs Someone to Pray for Them-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

This is what the Lord says: “Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; For your work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord, “And they will return from the land of the enemy.  There is hope for your future,” declares the Lord, “And your children will return to their own territory- Jeremiah 31:16-17 NASB

Prodigal. 

In the Greek it means “wasteful”, “extravagant” or “reckless”. 

A prodigal is anyone who knows about God who has chosen to live their life apart from God. Spiritually speaking this type of living is extravagantly “reckless” and “wasteful”. Christians most commonly use the word prodigal to describe a child who grew up in a Christian home and has chosen to walk away from what they were taught (Luke 15:11-32). 

There are a lot of prodigals in this world (2nd Timothy 3:1-5). 

Some have chosen to ignore God and live their lives as if He doesn’t exist, others openly rebel against Him (Psalm 14:1). Sadly, a good number of prodigals have walked away from their families as well.  The reasons for the spiritual defection are varied. Some had negative experiences with church as children or young adults that soured them on Christianity. Some prodigals simply love sin more than they love God. Some had questions or concerns about Christianity that never got answered. Still others have been ensnared by a toxic therapy culture which encourages people to ditch anyone or anything (including God or the families that raised them) that does not make them feel great about every choice they make. 

To the people who love them a prodigal is a walking heartbreak. 

The most valuable thing anyone can do for a prodigal (child, sibling, friend or parent) is to pray for them. No one has ever been talked out of a life of sin, self-interest, or debauchery. Nonetheless many people have been prayed out of such things and into the kingdom of God (Romans 8:26, 1st Corinthians 6:9-11).  Sometimes family members find themselves at loss as to HOW to pray for their prodigal. The spiritual condition of a prodigal is precarious. They have willfully denied truth.  This choice will lead nowhere good without an intervention from the Holy Spirit. Therefore, hard prayers are very much in order. Following are five prayers every prodigal needs someone to pray for them daily. 

Pray they will weary of worldliness and sin-

When we choose not to follow God we always choose worldliness or sin of some sort. The thing about sin and worldliness is that they will never satisfy the soul, bring peace or deliver what they promised. Truth-be-told, worldliness and sin do the exact opposite, sin always leaves the sinner in turmoil and wanting more. Pray your prodigal will experience in their soul the emptiness of sin and weary of the life they have chosen. 

Pray their pride will be broken-

Anyone who looks around at the way this world was created and chooses to conclude there is no God is irrational and arrogant (Romans 1:18-20, Psalm 14:1).  Those who believe there is a God but also believe they do not need God or are above bowing their knee to God is bloated with pride (Proverbs 16:18). One or the other of these scenarios is a reality with all prodigals. Those who love a prodigal must pray that God will do what needs to be done to get their prodigal to a place where they set aside their pride and submit their life to the leadership of the God who made them (Luke 15:14-20).  

Pray they will be surrounded by people who know and love God-

Because of pride and/or shame few prodigals seek out their family members for advice or spiritual wisdom even when they want or need it. Therefore, it is critical every prodigal has at least one person in their life who loves Jesus. We must pray that God will surround our loved one with spirit-led Christians who will love them with the love of Jesus and speak truth to them. 

Pray deception will be lifted so they can see the truth- 

The goal of Satan is to blind people to the truth of God so that they will reject God (2nd Thessalonians 2:9-10, 1stPeter 5:8). Satan uses lies and deception to keep prodigals from seeing where their choices will eventually lead them. It is critical we pray that the any deception the enemy is using to divert or deceive our loved one will be lifted so that are capable of seeing spiritual and moral truth. 

Pray they will see the underbelly of whatever lifestyle they have chosen over God- 

Many prodigals leave what they have been taught about God to embrace a lifestyle that is contrary to biblical teaching. Those lifestyles are often centered around sexual immorality of one sort or another (promiscuity, adultery, homosexuality, transgenderism). All these lifestyles feel good (at least in the beginning) but they all have an ugly underbelly, a dark side that people need to see so they will want to break free of spiritual bondage that accompanies those choices.  Pray your loved one will have the eyes to see what’s wrong and icky with the life they have chosen.

And finally, 

Pray they will come to understand how deeply God loves them. I am convinced prodigals never really knew God or understood how much He loves them. If they did, they would never have walked away. Pray your prodigal will come to understand the depth of the love God has for them (Zephaniah 3:17, John 3:16, Romans 8:37-39, Ephesians 2:4-5) Knowledge and gut-level understanding of God’s love is total gamechanger in the life of a prodigal. 

Every. Single. Time.