A Helluva Situation

Perhaps the most difficult doctrine in the Christian faith is that of Hell. I can think of no other issue that has divided believers into more factions; as well as, non-believers. It is tricky at best, though I do think it is laid out as a very real doctrine in the pages of scripture. Jesus speaks of Hell (or a similar place of torment) more than anyone else in the New Testament. We can be sure if Christ spoke of Hell, it is a subject that needs to be addressed. 

How we perceive hell can dramatically affect our views of Christ, and more importantly his Sacrifice: the Heart of Christianity. 

As Christians, we understand that we are sinful. Since Adam and Eve first gave in to temptation in the garden, sin as been a part of the world. God cursed them, and the earth because of sin, and death entered into the equation where it had otherwise not been present. The “Fall” of man is the foundation for Christian belief. 

We are told that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We are born into it via our direct human relation with our original father who fell.  The entire Old Testament is a preview of God’s ultimate redemption plan through Christ, which we see played out in the Gospels. 

As humans, we needed a perfect sacrifice to substitute for God’s wrath. Now, before everyone gets all off put by that statement, be very aware, that God’s justice requires that He punish that which does not meet His standard of righteousness. After the fall, humans had no hope of redemption in themselves. The Old Testament sacrificial system was merely to cover sin in order that God might dwell among them. Sin was never actually eliminated.

So, God in his infinite mercy, decides to enter the human scene to live a perfect life and die a perfect sacrifice to atone for our sin. He never loses his divinity, but rather enters as both fully God and fully man in the form of Christ.

We are told in John that Christ and the Holy Spirit have always been part of the triune God nature. Each part of the trinity was present when the worlds were formed, and from eternity to eternity. God steps into the scene as the second part of the trinity (son) to atone for us, that we might have eternal life.

Make no mistake though. Christ took on the full measure of God’s wrath against sin. All sin past, present and future for everyone who lived, is living, and will live. This is why Christ cries out on the cross, “Abba Father, why have you forsaken me?” God had to turn his back on Christ for his wrath to be fully poured out. 

Because of Christ’s divine nature, his sacrifice eliminated our sin once and for all. The stipulation, is that we must believe this to be saved from God’s wrath. Apart from Christ, we are still under that wrath. No matter how loving you paint God, we are sinners deserving of divine justice. 

If a man rapes a woman we don’t ignore that and let him off scott free because up until that point he was a “good person,” or because he donated money to an orphanage once. There is an inherent desire for justice in our nature. This comes from our being created after the image of God. 

God’s attributes are fully love, fully just, fully holy, etc... A holy God cannot tolerate sin and unholiness or it would negate his nature. Because God is perfect in all aspects, this is simply not possible.

Enter Hell. 

Hell is said to be the place originally created for the Devil and his angels. That means had we not fallen, it would never have been a place humans would have dealt with. Because of our failure; however, hell became the destination for the unsaved/lost souls of the world, who cannot atone for themselves apart from Christ, and are wholly unrighteous to stand before a Holy and Just creator.

People find that mean. That is people ascribing our morality to God instead of accepting his standard of morality for us. It’s the most arrogant thing a human can do. God is not subject to our morality, but we (as created beings) are subject to His.

Views of Hell

Because of the tendency for the doctrine of Hell to be quite repulsive to our sinful human minds, many views have popped up over the years to try to explain it. Let us acknowledge at least that Christ spoke of Hell as a literal place. The details of torment, punishment, or the actual nature are less obviously discerned (though some inference can still be made).

We do learn in Christ’s story of the rich man and Lazarus, that hell is a place of extreme thirst/regret/punishment, that is also separated by a great chasm from the righteous dead. 

It is important to note at this point, that currently no one is in Heaven or Hell as they will eventually be, but are rather in a place of paradise or torment (hades) awaiting final judgment. Christ told the thief on the cross that he would be with him that day in Paradise. We can infer then that after death, the soul goes to one of two places awaiting the final resurrection and judgment at the end of days. 

The purpose of the rest of this writing will be to address a common view of Hell that has popped up recently and caused quite a bit of controversy among Bible-believing Christians. 

In his book, “Love Wins,” Rob Bell allegedly sets up a view of Hell that involves Salvation for everyone eventually, after a time from Hell. I say allegedly because I have not read the book, and can only infer it’s content from the media. I do know he suggests  Universalistic viewpoints within.

The Universalist view is related to our very human view that God is solely love, and a loving God would not send people to a place of torment. This view fails to account for God’s nature of justice and holiness, in favor of a more fluffy, politically correct version of God, and also assumes that God “Sends” people to Hell, which is not the case. We choose Hell for ourselves.

While I have not read the book, I won’t sit around crying heresy anymore as I first did upon its release. I will address what I find to be the fatal flaw in this view of hell (based on personal opinion/theory of the implication of such a view).

Salvation from Torment for EVERYONE

The inherent problem with a Hell in which everyone is eventually released is that it negates the cross.

Since Christ died the substitutionary death on the cross to keep those who believe upon him out of God’s wrath, what was the point if everyone will eventually be saved from it anyway?

Without the cross and it’s significance, Christianity becomes just another religion of philosophy and good thoughts. Without the rather inclusive nature of Christianity, Jesus would have had no reason to die for our sins. If all sins are eventually overlooked after a time of penance (purgatory) or passing time (universalism), what was the point of the cross? 

As sinful creatures, God is not indebted to us, and owes us nothing. His sacrifice for us with Christ on the cross was done out of pure mercy. There was nothing we could have done for ourselves and there still is nothing.

The Universalist view is considered heretical because it denies the very foundation of the Christian faith. Sure it makes us feel better. It allows our morality to be put in place of God’s. We become the judges who decide which sins deserve eternal torment, and which sins are bad, but not damning. 

While the world points to Christians as intolerant and arrogant, a worldview in which we place ourselves higher than God, is the ultimate in human arrogance. 

This is why eastern philosophies and new age thought are wholly incompatible with a Christian worldview. Christians have gotten off track lately by allowing eastern meditation and yoga practices into the faith, and are paying the price in a falling out that is occurring in the church. 

We now have worldly Christians holding a nonsensical view of Christ. He becomes just a good teacher, in line with Mohammed and Confucius and Buddha, but certainly not unique or divine. This is a flat out denial of Christ’s own words when he called himself God and said he was the only way to the Father. Seems like a waste of breath if it weren’t true, or at the very least would paint him as a liar. 

IF there were many paths to God, then Christ was lying (or misinformed) and therefore not credible. Paul addresses this in his Epistles in more detail. If the cross was not significant we should eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die (paraphrase).

He implies with that statement that without the cross there is no meaning to this life. We might as well follow the hedonistic lifestyle of pleasure in the present and not worry for tomorrow. As great as that will sound to some people, it just puts us further away from God, and gives us even less excuse on the day that we stand before him in holy judgment. 

Believers in Christ will have their works tested for certain, but we are not judged on our eternal destination.

Some will say that Christians need not argue about the nature of Hell because they won’t be going there anyway. But the nature of Hell speaks to the nature of our wonderful creator. Without the conviction of the Holy Spirit it will appear foolish to some, but to us it proves that God was so loving that he chose instead of auto-condemning us to enter into human history and save those of us who would listen. 

God could have annihilated us (as some believe he will do to those in hell), but he loves us too much for that. God is our father. A father at times chastises his children so they grow and mature. We don’t consider our earthly fathers mean when they punish us for wrongdoing. If we do, it certainly passes as we become fathers ourselves and realize how it helped us grow. 

Sometimes hindsight is 20/20. 

While I find the doctrine of universal salvation from hell incompatible with the Bible, I do understand that Christians, secure in their salvation, need not split over this. It is not a salvation issue to someone who already believes. 

To those new to the faith; however, it can be detrimental to their growth and sanctification. Paul says we should not create stumbling blocks for our Christian brothers and sisters. The belief in universal salvation from Hell also negates accountability. If I am ultimately going to be saved from eternal torment (irony intended), why not just behave however I choose? I can still love Jesus the hippie and his “mindset,” but just ignore that harder aspects of Christianity and live how I want. 

Am I the only one that understand this is the implication of Universalism. We can refrain from using words like heretical if it makes people feel better, but the ultimate truth to this is that it negates the entire Christian faith. It makes us Buddhists and Hindus in an endless cycle of pointless existence that leads to a mysterious beyond from which we will ultimately be rescued.

Christianity is inclusive because Christ said it was inclusive. Some Christians may go about explaining it in a negative light  (like Westboro Baptist), but real Christians will not act like that. We understand that apart form Christ we will be condemned, but for those in Christ, there is no condemnation (Paul). 

If people are so worried about making it to Heaven, why can’t they accept the requirements of that? God is not going to send anyone to Hell, people are sending themselves. Everyone will hear the gospel in one form or another. Romans tells us that nature testifies to God, and those who seek him will find him.

There are even examples of God intervening supernaturally to bring people to him (Muslims through dreams).

As Christians we need to acknowledge that without a doctrine of Hell, there is no doctrine of salvation. What would we be saved from? God’s wrath dictates our need for salvation, and in his love he sent Christ to atone for us and to bear that wrath for us. It’s a simple act of belief that has eternally significant implications. 

Wake up Little Churchy from "What I Believe"

*This post was originally written a few days back, prior to seeing a comment on Facebook that sparked my desire to go ahead and post it. I do not mean it to be condemning, but I do mean it to be an honest reflection of my perception of a church family that I love, but about whom I am worried. The excerpt is taken from my ongoing writing, "What I Believe."*

A Wake up Call to the Church

...As I mentioned, I was raised Methodist, and as a kid/youth/young adult enjoyed every minute of it. After all, church to me was just the place I got to hang out with Gary and other friends. As a teenager, it was the place to meet girls and do fun activities. It wasn’t until college that I realized I had really taken no great spiritual insight from my time there. I called myself Christian, but knew deep down that zoning out through sermons and occasionally praying at devotionals was not enough to be a Christian. 

The Methodist church, or this one anyway, was not too keen to focus on the big issues like salvation. I’m sure they believed it, but shied away from specific terms for it. You’ll never hear the word “saved” in a Methodist church. 

In college, I attended my first non-denominational church and realized what it was like to worship in music, hear a great message, and not get caught up in all of the hullabaloo of rise, kneel, sit, repeat after me. There is something to be said for church tradition, but the order of worship, and the joy with which I’m sure everyone recited the Lord’s prayer, was not enough to convince me of a true spirit of salvation within the Methodist church. 

Don’t get me wrong, there were great Christian people there. There was also a large number of older individuals who resisted any change, and focused more on budget planning than Christ. I know those things are important to maintain a church, but when you attend church primarily for the staff meetings, and not to connect with God, something is a bit off. 

I took a lot of great insight from my time there. I still love a lot of people there who are doing great work for the kingdom. I was a bit put off when the first pastor to arrive with a mind for change in years was initially treated badly. The problem was always a lack of desire to change within the church. Each and every Sunday, the same people in the same seats heard the same message of doing good mission works, and how someday we’d all get to Heaven if we just kept coming on Sundays. 

The Pastor who came in, had an air of charisma about him that the church desperately needed. He had an agenda to wake them up. He spoke more of salvation than previous pastors, and had relevant messages (at least for the ones I heard while visiting). Still, his ideas for waking up the sleepy church seemed largely ignored. I pray that now whoever leads currently, will put some fire in their britches and bring their minds to God. 

If it sounds harsh, it is only because I feel it’s time to be honest. I am not an expert Bible scholar, or a seminary trained Pastor, but I can certainly recognize a sleeping church when I see one. Mainly because I’ve been part of a living church since then, and the difference is huge. 

A church on fire for Christ, is focused on Christ and getting people to Christ. I can count the number of sermons that I remember from the Methodist church on one hand, and most of that is due to their controversial nature. Controversial in the sense that it is the type of place where solid foundational Christian doctrine can be pushed aside in favor of not hurting feelings or seeming intolerant.

It is a disease that permeates churches these days. A disease that says, your truth is ok with me because absolute truth stings to hear. Last I checked, especially for believers in Christ, there is ONE Absolute truth. There is not room for picking and choosing which aspects of Christ you like. There is one sovereign God, in three persons, whose wrath required a sacrifice, and whose sacrifice was met, in Christ (both fully God and man), who took the wrath upon himself, that we might be saved from it. 

Christ was a nice guy while on earth, I’ll give you that. But he was also God, which means he had the same holy, righteous, just attributes along with his love. To call him a great moral teacher and nothing more is to spit in the face of God. To say Jesus would tolerate certain sins because he loved everyone, is to deny half of God’s attributes; namely justice and holiness. 

The Methodists do not deny these things, but they also do not always stand up against those who would deny them. And it isn’t just Methodism. It’s all of the major denominations. Church leaders want to know why this generation is straying from denomination in favor of non-denomination. It’s because the focus was always supposed to be on Christ and the Bible as the inerrant Word of God. The extras were added to help with memory before written word was as common. The Catholic church played a big part in starting dogma based only on their desire to control the masses, not on early church practices. Look back to the New Testament letters and show me where it says that good works are enough for Heaven. While James does touch on this in his letter, when taken in proper context, he is simply saying that out of salvation comes a desire for works, and faith in Christ without those subsequent works is a dead faith. He agrees with Paul that it is by grace that we are saved, through faith, not of works. 

Sure we are supposed to do mission work. Sure we are supposed to tithe. But would it not be more helpful in today’s anti-Christian climate, to train our congregations Biblically? Would it not help to train to a degree in apologetics? Would it not help to teach the essential doctrines, and to inform that salvation is more than just that prayer you said that one time? IT involves Sanctification, an ongoing process of repentance and desire to be righteous and Christ-like. We cannot be perfect, but we are to strive for perfection. 

In Sanctification, we cannot allow Christians' “pet sins” to continue without rebuke. The church can allow as many unwed teen mothers, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, thieves etc... as they want, but they had better be calling sin what it is, and working with those people to be sanctified in their salvation, albeit through love and discernment. Yes, Christ loves everyone, but Christ must also judge everyone someday, based on their response to His Gospel. We cannot have pastors who are gay, and priests who molest children without rebuke. Those called to shepherd the flock, are called to live an example to others. By allowing sin to permeate the pastoral ministries, we allow it to permeate the body. As Paul says, A little leaven makes a change in all the mass.

The reason many people are starting their own home Bible studies, and their own churches, is because they see Christ as the central theme of our lives. Looking past all of the man made rules (Created to satisfy our own power struggles), they see that at the heart of Christianity is the Bible, and Christ. The truth of Christ, not the fluffy liberal/secular view.

John’s gospel begins by telling us that Christ is God and was with God at the formation of the worlds. He is eternally God as the second part of the Trinity. His time on earth was to rescue us from the sin brought about by Lucifer’s fall. God knew before the formation of the worlds how this would play out, and the plan was in place before the creation of any angels or men. Christ came as God and man, because only a substitutionary death can pay the penalty for sin against a holy and just God. His love can only be manifest in part with his justice and holiness, and our sin separated us from Him. But, loving us, he sent his son to die in our place. He became man, while maintaining his divine nature, to accept the wrath upon himself, to rid us of our sin once and for all. We must only believe on the sacrifice, and live our lives in repentance and desire for righteousness. Now if I had only learned that growing up in the Methodist church instead of through the various resources, podcasts, non-denom churches, and fellow believers, I wouldn't see an issue.

The churches I was raised in, have fallen asleep. I go back to visit and see everything the same as I left it. More empty seats tell me that a split occurred, or that there was no value coming from it. Those who have remained, try to keep it afloat, but without a serious change in mindset, there is little anyone can do.

To my brethren in that church, I urge you to put away the desire to please man with your words, and to shift the focus to pleasing God. Don’t be afraid of salvation, but embrace it as your only means ending the separation with God that we are all born into. There are great people there with hearts on fire for God, but they cannot make changes because of the bureaucracy that has set itself up. A government body instead of Christ’s body. If the denominational churches want growth, they must turn back to Christ and the Bible. They must stop allowing known sin to go without rebuke. They must stop trying to please man, and seek to please God. 

Do not be like Laodicean church in Revealation, who was lukewarm, and spit from Christ’s mouth. Choose Hot or Cold, but choose soon. Our world is working towards its last days. Choose to be on Fire for Christ, or turn away completely in coldness. The choice is still yours, but do not pretend that being warm, in the middle, afraid to take sides, will save you someday.

It is time to wake up churches. Go back to the Word. Call sin what it is, and call to repentance in love. Do not hate the sinner, but do not ignore the sin. We are all equally depraved without Christ.  

Belief in a Family of Unbelief from "What I Believe"

Excerpt From, "What I Believe," (unpublished/unfinished) by Chris Byers

I was accused once of having always been raised in the church, and therefore predispositioned to Christianity without the ability to choose for myself. The fact is, I’m not entirely sure anyone in my family was really ever considering faithful church-going until the first kids were born. 

Granted, church-going is not necessarily the same as being a believer in Christ. I’m almost certain, at least initially, many in my family were attending church based on the 1950s mindset of, “it’s just what you do on Sundays.” 

As I mentioned before, my first church attendance was in the Presbyterian church (Though I sang in the Nazarene before). I finally asked my mom the other day, why they had chosen that church, and why they had traded that in time for the Methodist church.

You see, doctrinally, they are somewhat different. Presbyterians fall into the reformed theology camp after John Calvin, while Methodists trace back to Arminianism. The Calvin vs Arminian debate is something I’ll save for another section, but suffice to say, the transition is fairly huge doctrinally. 

Now don’t get me wrong, my mother is the one member of my immediate family that I know for sure understands what it really means to be a believer in Christ. Sure she, like all of us, gets misguided sometimes, but I know in my heart, her foundation is solid (just as her mother’s before her). Her response was just about what I had expected.

According to her, she and my dad decided it would be best to be married in a church environment, and since they had not previously been regular attendees (not in many years anyway), they found that church that did not require membership, or some other predetermined criteria to marry. Once my brother and I were born, it was natural to want to raise us in a church environment. Also, my preschool was part of the Presbyterian church we attended...so convenience.

I still would like to hear my dad’s version of the same story and compile all the facts about the transition, but for now, this will suffice. When I met my friend Gary (from the post “Godfinger”) his family was attending the First United Methodist Church. Since I was out of preschool at that time, and my parents had began to feel left out among the doctors and lawyers of the Presbyterian church, they initiated a switch the Methodism. 

Adulthood

As evidenced by the previous section (of "What I Believe"-not yet posted) on sleeping churches, my Methodist church raising was not ideal. But, in some ways I think that actually propelled me closer to God over time.

When Juliet got to the states, and we began our life together, we sat back and began discussing our faith more in depth. She too was raised Methodist, but it was not the same kind of Methodist upbringing I had. Her mother was a believer to the point of alienating her children at times (though unintentional I'm sure). Her strict rules seemed harsh to Juliet and her siblings growing up. Now a married woman, Juliet reflected back on just how great the upbringing had actually been.

For one thing, her mother was aware of the more spiritual aspects of the faith. She had studied spiritual warfare (something you most definitely will not hear discussed in Methodism), and Juliet’s insight into the subject lent a new dimension to our faith walk. I, on the other hand, was more prone to studying and teaching, so I explained Bible stories, and doctrinal things to her in more depth.

That winning combination of our faiths was not initially realized. We struggled to attend church in the first years of our marriage. We still went out with friends and partied. I had my cover band, so there were the gigs and after parties. We were never too crazy or anything, but we certainly weren’t focused on developing our faith.

After a house warming party in Austin in 2009 (2010?), we stumbled onto Jubilee Christian center, and our faith was never the same.

Neither of us had experienced a spirit-filled church before this. It was a wonderful Pastor and his Wife who led, and the congregation was multicultural and multi-class. This was a far cry from the upper middle class white congregations of my youth (in which a minority person would be accepted, but likely feel segregated based on the lack of diversity within).

Fast forward a year or two and we had begun actively sharing our faith. We realized that the highest purpose in our lives (and everyone’s lives) is to serve Christ. We realized our depravity without Christ, and our need for a marriage whose foundation was in Christ. And that’s where the troubles began.

It is often said that the closer you get to God, the more Satan tries to attack. This is the explanation for the high rate of preacher’s kids becoming hell raisers. In our case, we were in a job surrounded by unbelievers, and were at the same time experiencing backlash from our vocalizing of faith in our circles of friends and family.

It happened to me first, when my best friends of the past began to call me out for witnessing on Facebook and in person. Debates over what I said were initiated, posts were assumed to be directed at certain people (which never was the case), and general discord was sown. 

What initiated with friends soon leaked into family. I’ve always said the downside of Facebook is that everyone (myself included) feels safe to express all feelings, both political and spiritual, where they may have been reserved about doing so in person under normal circumstances.

I have been called out about a stance against sin, a stance against the religion of evolution, and numerous other things. I have seen family members encourage tolerance in favor of truth. The “let’s all just get along” attitude is a Byers mantra. 

The problem with this is that Juliet and I have no intention of losing sight of Christ. We desperately long for our families and friends to know what we know, and understand what we have come to understand. Both of us have “worldly” Christians and nonbelievers in our families. Facebook just makes it easier to debate/attack each other.

What I find more uncomfortable is the silence. I know that when she and I enter a room of family or friends, they are remembering the posts they disagreed with. They are considering whether or not we are still normal people, or if we’ve been brainwashed by our faith. I could list the stance of each family member and my assumption as to where they stand on the issue of Juliet and my faith, and probably be 95% accurate. The silence says everything. 


I know my family and friends find other things with which to occupy their lives. They fall on the faith in times of need, but for day-to-day it takes a backseat to activities, and the stresses of work. If only the world realized the comfort in approaching those aspects of life which we dread, with a Christ-focused mindset.

Don't get me wrong. My family is a blessing to me. But, while most are generally receptive to tolerating religious viewpoints, I would not be completely off base in my general assertion that religion, and specifically Christianity, makes a good majority of my family (and friends for that matter) uncomfortable.

How can something so inherently wonderful (gospel=good news), be so actively avoided? I don't know, and that frustrates me.

I wish my whole family was receptive to the message. How great it would be to not be afraid of certain conversations? How wonderful not to worry that those I love do not know Christ? They must see it as foolishness, or at best a great faith that, "works well for you but not for me." They see us wasting time worrying about something that is not relevant to them. 

Only a handful of friends and family have been directly supportive of our faith. Some have casually accepted it. Others have argued against it. The rest, are indifferent or not sure what to think. 

The Bible tells us that following Christ may cause friends and family to turn against us. It’s a sad truth, that could easily be avoided if the truth of the cross could break through the barriers that currently hold it back in our sinful generation. My prayer is that all of my immediate and extended family could come to know Christ. Not the Christ that the world presents, but the real Christ of the Bible. The Christ to whom we owe everything, and without whom we can never stand before a just and holy God.

In the end, I am told all I can do is pray. And so, my prayers continue. I know that my timeline for an answer to this issue is not the same as God's. I know that He works everything together for good for those who love HIm. It's a trial to overcome. A test of patience in an otherwise blessed existence. An existence of unmerited favor through mercy and grace to a lowly sinner who longs to see family and friends saved.

Picketing Our "Pet Sins"

The Big Issue

There is a lot of talk in the news this election year about the big issues. I generally don't  pay that much attention, as I don't really expect any significant changes to ever take place. 

There is one issue that seems to take center stage; however, amongst Christians. I submit that there may be more to the issue of same-sex union from a Christian perspective than what many have considered, and that by not exploring it fully, we set ourselves up for hypocrisy. 

I won't sit around debating whether or not I think the Bible condemns this practice. In general, I would say it does. The Bible condemns a lot of sin, and it is important Christians do not lose sight of this fact. I hope that this post will focus more on the "sin for what it is" aspect of the topic, than just sitting around complaining about same-sex union the whole time, which is not my intention in writing this. My intention, rather, is a call to Christians to practice what we preach, and approach those outside of the faith with the love of Christ, first and foremost. It is for us to be salt and light to the world, so they'll know we are Christians by how we live and treat others, not by how many causes we rally against politically.

Some Background

Beginning in Genesis, God sets the stage for marriage with the first union between Adam and Eve. He tells them to be fruitful and multiply. God establishes the union of two people, physically, spiritually and mentally. The idea is that it is a lifelong commitment. 

Fast forward to after the fall, and the world is completely and utterly depraved. God sends the flood against all but one righteous man and his family, and begins fresh. 

Then, when the world is completely depraved and in idolatry again, God sovereignly elects a man out of that idolatry, Abram, to begin a nation that will be set apart for God, and through whom the world's savior will eventually come, erasing the trouble Satan caused in the garden.

Abram's nephew Lot has the first Biblically acknowledged encounter of men wanting to rape other men, when God's angels come to visit him and his family. The men of the city mob Lot's house, demanding they be allowed to "know" these strangers (angels) whom he is entertaining. 

Historically,  from my reading of other sources, this was common practice in certain cities, and after some battles of the day. The ultimate insult to your enemy was raping him (source check). 

I think we can see that while that act itself is abominable in God's eyes, it is not this specific story that should be solely used as a proclamation against the homosexual lifestyle. 

The New Testament View

When we get to the time after Christ's resurrection, we get a little more insight into the subject from Paul in his writings. In Romans Chapter 1 starting in Verse 26, Paul says this: 

26 For this reason God gave them up to evil passions, and their women were changing the natural use into one which is unnatural:

27 And in the same way the men gave up the natural use of the woman and were burning in their desire for one another, men doing shame with men, and getting in their bodies the right reward of their evil-doing.

28 And because they had not the mind to keep God in their knowledge, God gave them up to an evil mind, to do those things which are not right;

Verse 26 refers to women changing natural sexuality into that which is unnatural. Verse  27 elaborates saying that the men were giving up the natural use of women in favor of sexual encounters with other men, and were "burning with desire for one another."

Biblically we infer that the "natural use" is that which God had intended from the start: Man with woman. 

Genesis tells us he created them Male and Female. Just looking at our bodies, we see the design inherent is suited to a male and female partnership. Paul covers this topic elsewhere in 1 Corinthians chapter 6, starting at verse 9:

9 Have you not knowledge that evil-doers will have no part in the kingdom of God? Have no false ideas about this: no one who goes after the desires of the flesh, or gives worship to images, or is untrue when married, or is less than a man, or makes a wrong use of men,

10 Or is a thief, or the worse for drink, or makes use of strong language, or takes by force what is not his, will have any part in the kingdom of God.

It is these verses I would like to look at closer.

Check out that list Paul gives. The first thing mentioned is "one who goes after the desires of the flesh." Before mentioning the act of making "wrong use of men," Paul mentions four other sins that keep people from the Kingdom of God.

It's the first one that this post is really about. If you've made it this far, welcome to the gist.

The primary sin that homosexuality derives from is the "giving into fleshly desires." It is the all encompassing sin of sexual deviance. And it's not just same-sex couples that Christians need to be concerning themselves about. 

If we as Christians are going to attack same-sex couples on the grounds that it is unnatural, we must also remember that any sex outside of the confines of God-given marriage, is technically just as  Biblically unnatural. It is helpful also to remember that all sin is equal in the eyes of a sovereign creator to whom sin is an abomination.

I may disagree with the homosexual lifestyle, but it is hypocritical of me as a Christian if I do not also disprove of all other sin. To focus and dwell on one specifically serves only to appear judgmental. 

Now some will say it is judgmental to suggest homosexual lifestyles are wrong, and to each his own. That gets more into subjective vs. absolute truth (a topic for another day). An individual, Christian or not, in sin, will always feel judged by someone rebuking them. We cannot get around it.

Where we get problems is when Christians who are clearly also in sin, begin to focus on specific sins, and condemnation thereof, rather than seeing their own. It goes back to pulling the plank out of our own eye before removing our neighbor's splinter. 

SideBar: Rebuking the Flock

Now, this does not mean as Christians that we just ignore blatant sin outright. It does mean we are called, as Paul mentions, to rebuke our Christian brothers and sisters in the name of spiritual growth and development. 

Paul's point is that a little leaven makes a change to all of the mass. A Christian living sinfully has the potential to draw other Christians towards their sin if not properly rebuked.

1 Corinthians 5:12 is a verse often taken out of context and used against Christians who are being judgmental. 

12 For it is no business of mine to be judging those who are outside; but it is yours to be judging those who are among you;

13 As for those who are outside, God is their judge. So put away the evil man from among you.

The context of this verse is in regards to the brother in Christ who is sleeping with his stepmom (a clear fleshly sin). The church in Corinth failed to rebuke him, and was simply tolerating this open sin (likely cursing sins of others in the meantime). Paul says, it is our responsibility to rebuke those brothers and sisters in our midst who are involved in obvious sin that could be detrimental to the body as a whole. It is not our job, he says, to dwell on judging those in sin outside of the body of the church. According to Paul's letter, God will be their judge.

As Christians we are called to be salt and light to the world. Our lives are to be examples. How then can we rightly sit back condemning certain sins, while still participating in our own?

Pet Sin Picketing or Your Sin = My Sin = Sin

The sin of fornication is not only related to same-sex couples. Any couple physically involved outside the context of Bible-based marriage could be said to be fornicating. A Christian couple who lives together while engaged or dating, or foregoes marriage altogether, is in just as much sin as the same-sex couple down the block hoping to marry. 

While I don't believe the same-sex lifestyle is to be condoned, I also don't believe it is really an issue most Christians should be actively fighting on the basis of politics. The ruler of this world doesn't care that you disapprove. He uses your disapproval to paint Christians as judgmental and intolerant. 


Yes, we disagree with same-sex marriage. But that disagreement is based on our Biblical understanding of marriage. 

Applying that same Biblical understanding of marriage, we should technically also be picketing the houses of Christian couples living in sin, or Christian couples who meet together to fornicate in the name of love. 

The potential for hypocrisy and giving Christians a bad name is huge when we involve ourselves in the morality of the political climate of our country. It is out of our hands. God ultimately has control of the leaders that he sovereignly knows will be appointed. If he chooses to allow Satan to influence them, we can't do a darn thing about it but PRAY. 

I am of the impression that Satan probably LOVES the fact that Christians have taken to “gay-bashing” because it serves his purpose of painting the faith as something illegitimate. What better way to make us look bad than to point out that the very sin we are judging is exactly as bad as the current sin we are committing.

Have you lied today? Have you taken the company stapler home without asking? Have you been angry with someone? Have you not forgiven someone today? 

Have you moved in with your significant other (engaged or not)? Have you had sex outside of marriage? Have you looked at pornography? Have you gossiped? 

The point of this is that while I personally would vote against same-sex marriage, it is not because I am homophobic or intolerant or whatever other color someone wants to paint me. It's because I understand that from my worldview, SIN as a whole is what we are called to stand firmly against, and same-sex marriage like many other things falls into that realm.

However, if Christians are picking "pet sins" to rally against, they are  missing the point of the Sin issue in general, and by relation, Christ's atonement. 

Christ didn't die so that Adam and Steve wouldn't get married. Christ didn't die so that Christians could rally against same-sex couples, Muslims or any other people. 

Christ died and accepted it ALL upon himself as SIN. It was all equal in God's eyes. 

I may not support same-sex marriage, but that doesn't mean I don't care about those individuals learning about Christ, just as much as I desire that everyone could know Christ. I don't support abortion, but I'm not going to attack a woman who has had one, in the name of the Bible. Christians should be implementing discernment and prayer on these issues. 

Now, it should be clarified that in the confines of the church there is no room for Pastors and elders to be involved in these types of behaviors. Someone called by God should not desecrate that calling by actively promoting sin of any kind. Ultimately they will have more to answer for in the end if they lead the flock astray with non-Biblical lifestyles. 

What Should we do? 

The WORLD supports all lifestyles, and the only way we are going to be able to change anything as Christians is to stop rallying against those people in hatred. Without resorting to the cliche of hate the sin, love the sinner, let's just acknowledge that I'm probably involved in just as much sin as "Adam and Steve," or "Eve and Eva" on any given day. 

Christians DO need to confront other Christians about obvious sin, in love and understanding, but with firmness of conviction as well. Praying about our own personal sin prior to ever attempting this is absolutely essential as well.

I do think the world is too tolerant. But I think Christians are beginning to paint themselves in a hypocritical light by fighting against certain sins, while actively engaging in others.

In Conclusion: 

If you are sexually involved or living with someone who isn't your spouse, the Bible calls it sin. If you are involved in a same-sex relationship or seeking to make that relationship official with marriage, the Bible still calls it sin. If you don't forgive someone who has wronged you, it's sin. If you deceive others and gossip, it's sin. 

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23

There is only one remedy to the sin that pervades our world. Jesus Christ. He accepted God's wrath on our behalf, so that believing in him, we might have forgiveness of sin, and be saved from that same wrath. We are saved by grace from the wrath of a sovereign and holy God, who being perfectly righteous will not tolerate sin.

Let our focus as Christians then be to bring all about to Christ, through repentance and love, not to picket every pet cause we are against in anger and hate. 

I'll close in prayer:

Father, we acknowledge that we have all sinned and fallen short of your glory. We accept that nothing we can do of ourselves can ever redeem us from that sin. Help us as Christians to always be mindful of our place in the world, and our calling to be salt and light to a world in darkness. Let us present ourselves with firmness of conviction of your Word, but always done in the name of love, not hate. Help us to not be hypocritical by condemning the sin of another without first acknowledging our own failures and sins. Help our country to recognize your truth and morality, but allows us the comfort of knowing that you are in absolute control. The leaders elected answer only to you in the end, and you will bring about any evil for good, if not right away, then someday when every knee bows to confess that you are God. Thank you for forgiving us by the grace of your mercy, and by the blood of your sacrifice. Though we are not worthy of such a gift, we accept it openly and thankfully. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Be blessed my friends :)

Vocation Station

As I was looking back on my accomplishments in college, I stumbled onto some of the videos I did for my video production class. I remember going to college and majoring in Broadcast Journalism because I knew I could work with audio/video production (my interest). The last two years at OSU were the best because I finally got to have classes that involved this type of creation. 

Career-wise, I'm not sure I ever expected it to go too far. The ability was there, but I think in regards to production, my creativity was always lacking a bit. My best work was done on teams (though my ideas seemed to get picked up often). 

I was thinking that in the 4 years since graduating, this form of career path has drastically changed. Now anyone can edit and post a video online (sometimes in professional quality). I learned that an iPod Touch can take HD video comparable to the HD Camcorders we used in class when edited properly in post-production.

I think this was always a hobby that I wanted to turn into a career, but I never really knew how to get into that field. It wasn't particularly glamorous as a field, but sitting around editing video seemed fun. 

Now that I am happy at my current job (that is slightly related), I realize I'm not sure what my "dream job" would be. Lately, I could see it involving music performance, professional writing, managing for a good company, owning business, editing video/audio, working in radio, or even some type of ministry. 

The guy that I worked with some projects on in those classes has gone on to form his own company based on animated videos that demonstrate in a short burst what a client's company is all about. It's actually quite impressive, and a part of me wishes I had thought to take a similar route. 

*Check it out here: http://www.explainify.com *

I know in life now that I am to use my talents in whatever I do to glorify God. I can pick and choose the ways that could apply to each potential dream job, but ultimately, it won't be entirely up to me. 

As I sit back and watch these videos, I'm reminded of a fun time of creativity. I think the knowledge gained in College is still valuable, and the degree will come in handy in some form. Right now I am a great position that I have no intention of leaving, and actually plan on climbing the ladder as high as I can take it. 

Does part of me still want to perform music or write novels or edit videos? Yes. But that part is reserved for my free time. 

I did not intend any great insight here (and was likely just filling space to show off these videos). Regardless, vocation can be a funny thing. May we all be privileged to fulfill our God-given callings.

Check out my videos below:

Roxanne: A re-do of the classic sting video with Don Fahrny as main character, and my former band "the Huntsmen" filling in as the lip syncing band..

Guitar Stalker: My brainchild about the guitarist whose relationship advice is to pursue the girl and woo her with music...his misguided attempt results in a more stalker-like situation. 

Charlie's Discount Drug Commercial: A quick promo for a drugstore. The premise is they know all their customers by name, and know them so well, that Don's outlandish behavior does not even phase them as they are used to it.

Here I am, Stuck

Note: I will leave the original post, but it should be noted that as soon as I finished typing, Juliet got some good news from her family, and put some other things in perspective. Proof yet again, that even in our weakness, God is our strength. I will leave the original because it was an honest reflection, but for now, things are looking up.

Maybe it's the lack of caffeine and delicious food talking, but I'm feeling stuck. I'm not sure how to define it, other than, I just don't know how to move forward.

Juliet and I have been so blessed lately, and I am thankful for it all. But sometimes I see our checkbook, and I see how much we pay each month for bills and debt, and I dream of what it might have been like to do things different.

With what we make together now we could be riding high, and yet we have so little between checks. We splurged a little for the first time in over six months this past weekend for our anniversary. Otherwise, it's an endless cycle of paying debts that seem to never want to disappear.

I dream of a miraculous erasing of all the debt, and then realize we probably couldn't handle that even if it did occur. We have matured with our money this year, but are still far off from being totally responsible.

We decided to do this 21 days of eating better and not eating out. We are planning meals, and generally eating better. But the cost is my sanity as my lack of caffeine and sweets is putting me in a rather grumpy mood.

Perhaps this is the reason for the mood of the post. I do not wish to ever appear ungrateful for all we have. It is all of God, not ourselves, because if it had been us, we'd be on the streets. God has blessed us directly and through others, but I feel like I haven't given enough back.

I spent countless hours studying and learning early in the year, up until recently, but I don't know for what. In my mind I want to be ready to defend my faith, but when the most common naysayers are relatives or friends, whatever defense I have will hardly break through the barrier.

Relatives and friends know us. They know our secrets and watched us grow. Perhaps that is what is so difficult in trying to witness to them.

I know some understand where Juliet and I are coming from. But if I were to take a poll, many more would be on the opposite side of us. I feel time is running out to reach people. And that statement alone is probably making people think I'm crazy to place so much importance on what they would define as a "religion."

What no one gets, is that it's not a "religion," It's a relationship. God reaches out to us. We cannot do anything to earn his love. Our good works do not propel us further up the mountain of faith. We simply acknowledge that without that gift, we would be nothing.

Juliet and I talk often about how our families must perceive us. Her immediate family at least understands where we are coming from completely. Mine seems split, and even those on our side can shy away if we get too preachy or "intolerant" of other beliefs.

I don't blame them. Christianity is not a "fun" faith. Christ himself said it would be hard, and that even our own families would be against us. It's not that they don't love us. It's that they don't understand how we can place so much value on something intangible. It certainly hasn't erased our monetary debt. We still go to work and pay bills like everyone else. We still get sick and have problems. We still argue over stupid things. Christianity isn't always a feel good faith.

But oh, there are so many times that it can feel great. The knowledge that as imperfect as I am, someone stepped in and forgave me. For all I had done, am doing, or will do. It's not a cop out religion. It's not an excuse to do wrong, knowing we are forgiven.

The splits in the Christian faith have caused many on the outside to look in and only see hypocritical, immoral people at times. I tell them, that's why we are here. Without Christ we are nothing.

I feel sad this past week. I don't know if it's my friends' and relatives' lack of faith. I don't' know if it's the lack of monetary flexibility. I don't know if it's just me wishing I had one more "Monster" drink. I can't figure it out. I brainstormed with Juliet. I don't know what I am supposed to be accomplishing. I am paid well and love my job, but I don't know why I'm there and how I deserved such a blessed position. I don't understand why every check is gone before Friday is over.

I do understand that in reality there should be nothing more important than our walk with Christ. I don't know how to stay in active pursuit with so many distractions around. I do want to use my talents. I don't know how to use them.

I don't know the purpose of this blog. Maybe so that those who normally see the writer of strong faith-based statements can struggle sometimes too. I'm not looking for a pity party. I have my God and I know it will all be fine. I just think the more book knowledge I gain, the less I focus on my relationship with God. And the more I focus on my relationship, the more distracted I get by outside influence. It's just irritating to be honest. I suppose if this is our greatest struggle then we can be thankful. I know there are Christians in the world with much bigger problems than that.

I hear prosperity preaching and I believe it to a degree. It certainly inspired us to get back into our faith. Now I feel like we are growing beyond that happy Christian prosperity message and need more of the teaching that should go with it. To remember that while God loves us and will prosper us, He is also holy and we truly only deserve death. It's simply by his grace that I can even write this. It's by God's grace that anyone even wakes up in the morning. By His grace the sun rises and sets on the just and unjust.

Maybe I feel bad because we had to cut into our tithe to pay some extra bills (or eat our and waste it, I can't remember). Regardless, I feel indebted to God because we were doing very well at putting Him first in our finances, and then failed for a time.

It's easy for most to believe that if we are sinning or not being faithful, God will make bad things happen. The Book of Job points out that is far from the truth. There is no condemnation for those in Christ.

Christianity is just so simple to understand at it's heart that I get irritated sometimes at the naysayers. I don't know if it's their arrogance, or misguided sense of "Making the world right through works, instead of Christ," that gets me more. It simply makes Christians look stupid. It makes us look simple minded. If all we needed to do was hold hands in a big circle and save the environment, then who would bother with the struggles that come with Christianity.

It's about so much more. There is no peace apart from God. We are kidding ourselves to think otherwise. And yes, sometimes it makes me upset. In the midst of trying my hardest to be the best Christian, husband, son, man that I can be, I cannot believe people will question it.

What is it to anyone if I believe in creation over evolution? What is it to anyone if I don't approve of certain lifestyles, or decisions?

I just want to live in a way that I don't have to debate or defend my faith. I want to let it show through my actions. I know in Peter's epistle we are told to always be ready to defend the faith. I suppose all the reading and studying will take care of that for me. But what good is all of the knowledge if there is no heart? What good is it for me to know that info, if I can't use it for something more?

What is the something more? That's my question. Maybe it's the lack of caffeine talking and delicious food talking, but I feel stuck.

Just Like Starting Over

As Juliet and I completed our 5th anniversary weekend in Oklahoma, we were discussing on the way back how great it would have been to have started our marriage without going into debt.

As a young married couple, we initially had just one credit card. We used it to buy groceries and then promptly paid it off each paycheck. It allowed more freedom in our grocery selection as we weren't always trying to stretch $20 for the week.

As we continued using it responsibly, I'm sure something whispered in our ear that it would be nice to buy each other something once in awhile. Then our first Christmas as a married couple came (Or maybe this was Christmas #2 can't remember) and we were now adults who needed to buy gifts for others, not just receive them ourselves.

Well Mr. Credit Card was right there along the way, assisting in gift selection, and whispering in our ears that it would be easy to pay things off in time.

Christmas now had come and gone, and we were still spending a little here, and a little there. Our grocery supplement credit card, had now brought us with open arms into the world of debt. This one card was not a huge burden, but for a couple struggling as it was to have any leftover after bills, it provided a way to get what we wanted, despite living on a limited budget.

We used it here and there, and most everywhere, until finally one day, we realized we were running out of room on that one little card, and might need another. And so, as things go, we got another card (this time with a higher limit), and continued along our merry little way.

When we moved to Austin, it was a spur of the moment thing, and even though we knew I had a job, and that Juliet would have one, we didn't adjust mentally for the cost of living increase. During our first months in Austin, the two credit cards allowed us to not starve, and covered moving costs (though I imagine we still technically owe some moving expenses to family from that trip.)

It has been a worthwhile move coming to Austin, but the transition proved dramatic and we gradually began accumulating more cards, to offset our budget deficit and in all honesty, to be able to have some stuff of our own.

So the retail stores were generous with their card offerings, and a few Christmases further on, we needed some extra for gifts. The cycle repeated until right about January of this year.

We had numerous cards we were trying to pay off, and finally got them consolidated down to an easy monthly payment, that covers our minimums and does not ding our credit.
Since eliminating cards, we have been able to legitiately purchase what is needed, on money we actually have, instead of credit.

Still, I would love to have all of that debt eliminated in one fell swoop. My mom whose house finally sold is in that position, and to a degree I envy the potential freedom she will soon experience. Freedom from debt.

Of course as former debtors, the last thing we want to do is fall right back into the trap of amassing more debt. It's one thing to amass debt to God as Christians, which is totally and forever covered in Christ. Monetary debt rarely affords us more than one chance to just start fresh.

As we chip away slowly at something that was our own doing; however, we do learn the lesson of consequence. Our consequence is thankfully nothing more than wasting most of our paychecks on debt when we could be saving for the future, or some other worthwhile venture. While living without using credit has been freeing, there is still some discipline that needs to be involved.

In the Old Testament, every 7 years, debts were forgiven of debtors as part of their system of governing. I hope that those forgiven of debt would then use that freedom to start fresh.
It is tempting I suppose to finally have freedom, and not use it on the same pitfalls as before. Staying in for dinner instead of eating out. Saving for vacation instead of cutting it close to the bank.
Our stubbornness as humans would have us often repeating the same mistakes. I think that by paying our debt down slowly, we are learning better money management and budgeting techniques, and realizing the drastic effect it can have on finances.

Our one little grocery card turned into a mountain of debt, with only a few scattered obejects to show for it. More than those objects, much of it went to intangibles like food.

I think for now we will be content with our little mountain, gradually chipping away, until we are finally free to start anew. I think by then we'll appreciate that freedom enough to not waste it by going into more debt.

Either that or we'll win the lottery and pay it all at once....wishful thinking doesn't balance checkbooks though.