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The Dangers of Relying on Personal Experience
Personal experience is currently regarded as the primary means of knowledge and truth in our culture. Whether it is the current issues of racism or LGBT rights, or it is something like biblical interpretation; personal experience is regularly elevated as the controlling determiner of truth. Take for example the following claims of experience: “Systemic racism must exist because I have experienced it.” “You cannot judge a transgender individual because you don’t have his experience. You don’t know what it’s like for him.” “I have had the experience of speaking in tongues; therefore, Scripture has to be interpreted to allow for speaking in tongues.” Now at the outset, I freely acknowledge the value of personal experience. Scripture clearly expects wisdom to be possessed by the mature because of their many days of experience (Job 12:12). Also, many of the Psalms are based on a response to personal experience. Further, our personal…
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The Parable of the Rich Young Influencer
I was recently made aware of a forgotten text that has recently been discovered. It turns out that Jesus did indeed speak to contemporary issues about social media. It has been called the Parable of the Rich Young Influencer. Here is the text in full: And behold, a Gen Z young man came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The Gen Z young man said to him, “All these I have…
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Dying to Self in a ‘Me-First’ Culture: The Christian Counter-Narrative
I work with young adults on a weekly basis, and I am deeply concerned for the younger generation within the church. The next generation is being trained by the culture to live according to feelings and desires. Now feelings and desires are not inconsequential, but the Christian worldview is so much more holistic and purposeful. While the non-Christian culture promotes personal happiness and fulfillment as the ultimate pursuit, the Christian worldview understands the purpose of life is to glorify God through dying to self. All around us the culture promotes a world where the most important question is, “How does this make me feel?” We are always being fed the lie that life is all about pursuit of ease and comfort. Difficulty is to be avoided at all costs. Comfort and security are to be pursued at all costs. Our personal happiness is preeminent. We are told that unless we…
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7 Warnings about Social Media for the Christian
There are many reasons to believe that social media is here to stay. Social media provides an unhindered opportunity to connect with family and friends, or to keep an eye on the news, sports, and weather. It is estimated that by the year 2027, 5.85 billion people will be using social media. Social media is immensely popular among the younger generation, with 16-24 year-olds spending over three hours a day on social media. The Blessing of Social Media The ubiquitous nature of social media necessitates that Christians think critically about both the pros and cons of using social media platforms, as well as the consequences of frequent use. Many of the benefits of using social media as a Christian are evident. We can reach some with the gospel that we would otherwise be unable to impact. Further, we can share helpful resources which promote Christlikeness. We can also mutually edify…
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Self-Discipline and the Christian: From Forgotten Fruit to Spiritual Strength
We often view self-discipline as a characteristic of the hyper-productive CEO and entrepreneur. However, the Bible highlights self-discipline and self-control as key components of the Christian life which are essential. Discipline is imperative for the leader and lay Christian alike. Just how important is self-discipline to the Christian? Dr. Martyn-Lloyd Jones says this: I defy you to read the life of any saint that has ever adorned the life of the Church without seeing at once that the greatest characteristic in the life of that saint was discipline and order. Invariably it is the universal characteristic of all the outstanding men and women of God…. Obviously it is something that is thoroughly scriptural and absolutely essential. Jones, Spiritual Depression, 210. According to Martyn-Lloyd Jones, all the great men and women of God seem to be marked by self-discipline and order. Yet, despite the importance of this characteristic, it seems to me…
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Rethinking Political Anxiety: God isn’t Limited by Evil
Election season 2024 is ramping up in the United States, and thus Christians will be faced with many occasions to be anxious about who will be in charge of the nation. This is certainly not a phenomenon limited to Americans. It is a very human reaction to worry about who is in charge. It is also a good desire to want a good, just, and wise ruler. But as Christians, it is important to remember that God doesn’t need a Christian in the White House to accomplish what He wants to do. Or to put it another way, God can just as easily direct through unbelievers as believers. Our Desire for Righteous Rulers We rightfully desire righteous rulers. In fact, Proverbs 29:2 says that when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice! It is easy to see how justice can be administered by those who hold to God’s righteous…
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Dealing with Conflict Wisely as a Christian
Every relationship known to mankind has the potential for conflict. The reason for that is because conflict ultimately comes from the heart of each individual. Thank Adam and Eve for that. Granted, some conflicts can be minor, but sadly, some also can be major. The pressing issue in relationships is not if there is conflict, but rather how to deal with it so that only minor conflicts remain. Whether we are helping a friend, helping ourselves, or teaching a small group at church—we need to know how to deal with conflict and help others through it. Scripture gives important instruction on dealing with conflict, and there are a variety of applications from the text. For example, one of the best verses on dealing with conflict is Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Speaking with kindness is essential to avoid escalating conflict.…
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When the Lovingkindness of God Leads to Disobedience
We often rightly rejoice in the lovingkindness of God. We see His goodness all over the place. His love for us is what compels the believer to obedience (cf. 2 Cor 5:14). It should go without saying that the lovingkindness of God is one of the most powerful themes of the entire Bible. In fact, in the Old Testament, when God reveals His own character, He specifically zeroes in on His own compassion and lovingkindness as definitional characteristics He wants His people to know about. Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and…
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Jealousy is Not Always Wrong
Paul labels jealousy as a work of the flesh in Galatians 5:20, and we ought to view jealousy as a wicked sin. However, some people might assume jealousy is always a sin. But there are times jealousy is not a sin. Yes, you read that accurately—jealousy is not always a sin! In fact, jealousy can sometimes be good. If that surprises you, then we definitely need to look at the biblical evidence. A Deeper Look at the Concept of Jealousy We tend to think of jealousy (sometimes used as a synonym for envy) as wanting what someone else has or being resentful of them (and that is wrong). However, in biblical language the Hebrew and Greek words for jealousy are often synonymous for the idea of zeal. For example, in Psalm 69:10 the psalmist says, “Zeal for your house has consumed me.” Yet the same word can be used for…
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Does Jesus Want Christians to be Pacifists?
A pacifist believes that a Christian should not engage in violence. To the pacifist, Christ’s command to love one’s enemy prohibits them from acting in violence toward them (cf. Matt 5:44). After all, it is kind of hard to love your enemy while you are beating him up or killing him. To the consistent pacifist then, there is never any justification for aggressive self-defense or for fighting in wars. There are many modern examples of pacifism, some of them very extended in their treatment. Certain theological movements are marked by pacifism, such as Seventh Day Adventists. There are also variations, where some Christians are against forms of personal defense, while at the same time allowing for police or military involvement. As is typical of these articles, I don’t wish to write an exhaustive examination of the issue as much as I want to present a few considerations on the issue…