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Your 3 Greatest Sins

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What are your three greatest sins? Do you know?

If you had to tell someone right now about your three greatest weaknesses, your three greatest sins, what would you say?

This is not a hypothetical question. I once got asked this very question in an interview. During the interview, they asked me what I thought were my 3 greatest strengths. I told them that I thought I was analytical, creative, and a disciplined student of Scripture. (The interview was for a ministry position).

We talked about some of these strengths of mine for a few minutes, then they asked what I thought were my three greatest sins.

Gulp!

greatest sinsI have done some doozies in my life, but I barely knew the two people who were interviewing me, and there was no way I was going to share some of the worst things I have ever done!

So I asked for some clarification. I said, “Do you really want to know the three greatest sins I have ever committed?”

They clarified that no, they didn’t really want the dirty little secrets or the deepest, darkest betrayals. Instead, when they wanted to know my three greatest sins, what they really wanted was three areas of my life in which I constantly struggled with sin.

Frankly, that was easy. I think that if someone is in a growing relationship with Jesus, they are pretty in tune to the areas in which they constantly struggle. This interview of mine was years and years ago, but I am pretty sure the greatest sins I struggled with then are the same sins I struggle with today. I deal with pride, judgmentalism, and selfishness. I think I am better than I am. I am critical of other people not being better than they are. And I primarily think of myself and my needs.

There are numerous other areas of sin as well, but these are some that I constantly struggle with.

Oh… I didn’t get the job… maybe I was too honest about my sins.

A few years ago, however, I was interviewing a man for a position at the place where I did get a job. He and I were having a decent conversation, and I decided to ask him the questions which I had been asked. I asked him about his greatest strengths. He had many that he could list. Then I asked him about his three greatest sins or his three greatest areas of weakness. Here is what he said:

  • I love people too much, and this sometimes causes me to not care of myself as much as I should. 
  • I serve people too much, so that I sometimes neglect my own needs.
  • I love the Bible too much, and this causes me to stay up late at night reading the Bible and memorizing Scripture.

I just about broke out laughing! These weren’t sins! These were just three more good things.

But I now knew at least two of his greatest sins: pride and lying. Ha! Of course, maybe I am just saying that because of my own pride and judgmentalism.

Anyway…. if you have the courage (or you can leave an anonymous comment), write about some of your greatest strengths and weaknesses in the comments below. But remember, I am not a priest, so I cannot offer forgiveness! Only God does that.

God Cannot Look Upon Sin?

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God Cannot Look Upon Sin?Have you ever heard someone say that God cannot look upon sin? I have, and a reader recently sent in this question:

It has been told to me that God cannot look upon evil, so why does the beginning of the book of Job portray God and satan conversing?

I have written about this before as part of the book I am writing on the goodness of God and the problem of violent portrayals of God in the Old Testament. Regarding this question of whether or not God can look upon sin or be near evil, I wrote this:

Sometimes we get this crooked view of God where He cannot look upon sin or be near sin because sin would somehow taint His holiness. Such a view gives sin way too much power and gives God way too little.

God is not like a pristine white couch upon which no one can sit for fear of it getting soiled. No, sin cannot be in the presence of God because whenever God draws near to sin, the raging inferno of His love and holiness washes all sin away. God can no more be tainted by sin than the ocean could be dyed red with a single drop of food coloring.

This is why God takes all sin upon Himself in Jesus and in the Old Testament.

Sin crushes, enslaves, and destroys humanity, but it vanishes away into nothingness at the smallest touch of God’s blazing holiness.

God Cannot Look Upon Sin (Habakkuk 1:13)?

This idea that God cannot look upon sin or see evil probably comes from Habakkuk 1:13. In one translation, for example, it says this:

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong (NIV).

Ironically, the text then goes on to say that God does in fact tolerate wickedness and evil. Habakkuk is a book where the prophet asks numerous questions to God such as this one. The prophet Habakkuk looks around him at what is going on in the world and has trouble reconciling it with what He knows about God, and so He asks a whole series of challenging questions about God’s behavior and actions. Habakkuk 1:13 is one of those questions… the first one actually.

Habakkuk does not believe that God cannot actually see evil. No, Habakkuk knows that God sees everything that goes on in the world. From the very beginning, God saw that Adam and had sinned, and He saw when Cain killed His brother Abel, and He saw when the people on the earth became so wicked that a flood was going to destroy them all. We could go on and on throughout the Bible to see that God both knows the evil that is going on in the world, and He sees it. God sees every bit of evil in this world.

So to say that God cannot look upon sin is not accurate biblically, and is not what Habakkuk 1:13 teaches. Instead, it seems that what Habakkuk is saying is that God, by not seeming to do anything about evil, appears to be looking upon evil with approval. But we know that God does not look upon evil in approval; He disapproves it. So how then is it that the treacherous seem to be in God’s favor, and the wicked seem to win at everything? This is what Habakkuk is asking.

And if we look around in the world, we often have the same question. Why do the wicked prosper? Why do the treacherous thrive? (Jeremiah 12:1). Job asked a similar question as well in Job 21:7.

God Can Be in the Presence of Sin

Which brings us back to the specific question that was sent in. Obviously, if God cannot look upon sin or evil then God should not have been able to look upon satan, or even allow satan to enter His presence. But according to Job 1, God does both.

This dilemma goes away when we realize that it is not true that God cannot look upon sin and evil.

In fact, far from averting His gaze or blinding His eyes to all the sin and evil that goes on in the world, God dives right into the thick of it. He finds the vilest places, the most terrible times, and the evilest situations, and jumps in there.

Why?

Because He loves us too much to leave us in the darkness of sin, and because the light shines brightest in the darkest of areas.

Look at it this way: To say that God cannot look upon sin or be in the presence of evil is to deny that Jesus was fully God. Did Jesus come to this earth? Of course! Did He ignore sin and keep Himself away from all who were sinners! Far from it! Rather, He sought out the sinners. He hung around the prostitutes and tax collectors. He laid hands on the lepers and showed love to adulterers.

And on the cross, Jesus took our sin upon Himself. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says He became sin for us! He took the curse upon Himself (Galatians 3:13).

Jesus took our sin on the crossAnd if Jesus reveals God to us, then we can assume that God also likes to hang out with sinners and show love to the wicked. To say that God cannot look upon sin is to say that sin can defeat and defile God; that sin is more powerful than the righteous holiness of God! May it never be! God is not so weak and powerless!

So when satan comes into the presence of God in Job 1, God is not threatened by satan. God sees satan, talks with satan, and even agrees to let satan have his way with Job (which I actually have some major problems with, but that is a topic for a different post).

So don’t say God cannot look upon sin.

Instead, be grateful and thankful that God can look upon sin, and in fact, looks upon it every second of every day, and not just looks upon it, but decides to do something about it.

It is only because God can look upon sin that He sent His son Jesus Christ to do something about sin, and it is only because God can be near sin that He is able to be with each one of us in the midst of our sin and filth. 

God loves us so much, He is willing to walk with us and be near us through the worst of our sins. 

How to Host a Block Party for your Neighbors

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Do you want to get to know your neighbors better? Try throwing an end of Summer block party! Here are some suggestions from Sam Riviera about how to do this:

Get Help for Your Block Party

Our street had not had a block party for over twenty years. My wife and I appeared to be the only ones who had an interest in having a party for the entire street (which is one block long). In the past two or three years, however, at least half a dozen of the new families who have moved onto the block expressed an interest in getting to know their neighbors, and thought a block party was a good idea.

block partyMy wife and I decided we would organize a Fourth of July block party. When we mentioned our plans to several of our neighbors, two couples offered to help us. Within a few days, additional neighbors began asking questions about the date, time and other details.

We settled on July 3rd for the party. In early June, we handed out “Save the Date” fliers to everyone on the street and to a few people on adjoining streets. The last weekend of June we handed out a second flier that gave additional details, served as reminders and asked those who planned to attend to RSVP so we would know how many supplies, ice cream and so on to buy.

It is near the end of the summer, but you could easily do an end of summer party, or even a Labor Day party over the first weekend in September.

What Time Does The Block Party Start?

We placed several large grills on our front sidewalk, and set up tables, chairs and shade canopies on the yards and driveways of two houses across the street from our house. Lawn chairs were set up on a shaded lawn, and food serving tables were set up under another shade tree. Set-up was scheduled to start at 2:00 and the party at 4:00, with build-your-own ice cream sundaes and brownies at 6:00.

Over a dozen people arrived around 2:00 to help set up, and the party started. Some of the set-up people knew each other and some did not. When the set-up was finished, no one went home, but instead sat in the shade and talked, and more people came when they saw the tents and people. Some people left early and some came late, but the party finally ended at dusk, then continued for several of us in our family room.

Who Is That Person?

In total almost sixty people joined us. No one knew everyone (o.k., my wife and I did, but there was one couple we knew only slightly), but most people knew almost everyone else by the end of the party. (We used name tags on which everyone wrote their first name, then placed the tag on their shirt.) I kept busy making sure that everything was running smoothly, and then kept busy dipping ice cream. Almost every moment I wasn’t working with the food and supplies, people were asking me questions about each other (such as “Which house does that couple over there live in?”)

When Can We Do This Again?

Almost everyone asked if we could do it again. Several people asked if we could do it twice a year. (In later posts, I will give detailed plans for a neighborhood Halloween party that can be held on driveways.) Almost everyone said they were glad to meet neighbors who they had not known or had barely known prior to the party. Many commented that they felt the event was a “real community builder.”

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

block partyI told Jeremy I would report on the good, the bad and the ugly. To the best of our knowledge, there was no bad or ugly. Everyone got along. No one was left out. (My wife and I made sure that new people and shy people were introduced, included and seated with friendly people.) Yes, we do have a person on the street who has offended many neighbors. Several people took me to the side and asked “Was ______ invited?” I replied that (s)he was. They replied “Good!” and indicated that it was too bad the person chose not to attend.

Marshmallow Creme and Maraschino Cherries

After stacks of paper supplies, several gallons of ice cream, and tons of marshmallow creme, maraschino cherries, chocolate toppings and assorted other toppings later, the party is over, but the relationships are deepening for some, improving for others and just getting started for yet others.

Is there a reason we do all this work? Is there a reason to get to know our neighbors and help them to get to know each other? We feel there is, and the next post will give some real life examples from our neighborhood.

Have you ever hosted a block party? Tell us about it in the comments below! If you host a block party at the end of summer or for Labor day, tell us what you did and how it went!

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What Sport is This?

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I often try to post something fun and lighthearted on Sundays. I recently saw this crazy little video of a sport I have never seen before.

What sport is this?

I would love to see what happens to the guys who don’t make it across the river!

Once Saved, Always Saved?

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I sometimes get asked if I believe in “Once Saved, Always Saved.” One reader recently sent in this question:

Can a Christian lose their salvation?

The old saying is once saved, always saved.

I have two ways of answering this question, both of which are stated below.

1. Why I do NOT Believe “Once Saved, Always Saved”

The reason there is so much debate over this statement is because of the word “saved.” As I have written about on numerous times previously, the word “saved” (and other related words such as “save” and “salvation”) are used in a variety of ways in the Bible. When you do a study of the ways these words are used, it quickly becomes obvious that the vast majority of them have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with anything related to gaining or keeping eternal life.

once saved, always savedSo, for example, the word “saved” might refer to being delivered from one’s enemies, or getting healed from a sickness, or being rescued from drowning at sea. Obviously, these words are not related to gaining or keeping eternal life. I would guess that the majority of times the words saved, save, salvation, etc., are used in Scripture, they are used in this way (e.g., Matt 8:25; Acts 27:31).

Another percentage of words refers to various ideas that are related to eternal life, but are not eternal life themselves. Often, the words in these contexts refer to some aspect of sanctification, or maybe getting rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ, or some other related idea (cf. 1 Cor 3:15).

Finally, there is a tiny fraction (I would say less than 1%) of uses where the term probably does refer to receiving eternal life, though even in these contexts, the actual meaning of the word is debatable.

In Acts 16:30-31, for example, the Philippian jailer asks Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They answer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” On the one hand, it seems that the jailer might have been asking about how to receive eternal life. But frankly, at this time, that may not have been the primary question on his mind. At that time, if a jailer let prisoners escape, the jailer would be tortured and killed. Maybe the jailer was not asking how to get eternal life, but how to be delivered (saved) from being killed by the authorities. This reading is possible. I am not sure how the jailer meant his question, and so don’t mind reading it either way. Besides, whatever he meant by it, Paul and Silas answer the most important question, which is how to receive eternal life: believe in Jesus for it.

There are a few other examples of places where the word “saved” could be understood as eternal life, or could be understood as referring to something else (Eph 2:1-10 is one), but these examples are less than 1% of the uses in the Bible.

But here is what happens. Most church-going people assume that the word “saved” almost always means “get forgiveness of sins so you can go to heaven when you die” even though it rarely means that. So when they come across a passage like 1 Corinthians 15:2 where Paul says the Corinthians will be saved only if they hold fast to the word that was preached to them. And people say, “See? If you don’t hold fast, then you aren’t saved? See? Once saved, always saved is false!”

Right. But what does the word “saved” mean in this context? Is Paul really talking about the concept of “forgiveness of sins, escaping hell, going to heaven when you die?” No, he is not. Paul is using the word “saved” in the same way he uses it in 1 Corinthians 3:15. The word “saved” in 1 Corinthians refers to reward and honor at the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is something Christians can lose.

So the question, “Do you believe in ‘Once Saved, Always Saved?’ is a trick question. There are numerous verses in the Bible which indicate that there are some things in our Christian life which can be lost, and these texts use the word “saved” to talk about how to be saved from losing these things.

So do I believe in “Once Saved, Always Saved?” No. I do not. This slogan is unclear, imprecise, and does not fit with many Scriptures which indicate that there are many spiritual blessings in the Christian life that can be lost.

2. Why I believe “Once Saved, Always Saved”

Of course, after saying what I have said above about “Once Saved, Always Saved” I always try to then answer the question that people are really asking. When people ask if I believe in “Once Saved, Always Saved” what they are really asking is if I believe that eternal life can be lost. That is, do I believe in eternal security?

And the answer to that is a resounding Yes!

outrageous graceOnce you see the difference in Scripture between the word “saved” and the terms “eternal life” or “everlasting life” or even something like “justification” you begin to see that while there are numerous verses which talk about saving something that can  be lost, there is not a single verse in the Bible which talks about losing eternal life, losing everlasting life, or losing our justification. All of these gifts of God, once given, are never revoked or taken back.

There is no place in the Bible that talks about getting unjustified, unsealed, unregenerated, unindwelled, unbaptized by the Spirit, or any such thing.

If everlasting life can be lost, it has the wrong name.

Yes, I know there are difficult verses in the Bible, and troubling passages (Hebrews 6 and Hebrews 10 for example), but with a basic framework understanding of what Jesus teaches about eternal life being given freely to everyone and anyone who believes in Him for it, and that since Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners there is no sin that can take away the benefits of His death from us, and dozens of other Scriptures which talk about God’s infinite, unmerited, outrageous, scandalous grace, the clear teaching of Scripture seems to be that once God gives eternal life to someone, they have it eternally.

Yes, yes, there are people who might abuse this idea. Yes, there are people who think they have eternal life, but don’t. Yes, there are lots of false ideas out there about what eternal life is and how to get it. I am not talking about any of that. All I am saying is that according to Scripture, if a person has eternal life, then they have eternal life eternally. They shall never perish!

So do I believe in Once Saved, Always Saved? You tell me! What are your thoughts about the saying, “Once Saved, Always Saved”?

What is Prayer?

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what is prayerA reader recently sent in this question:

What is a prayer?

Now that is a concise question! Ha! Of course, it cannot be answered so concisely…but I will try.

What is prayer?

what is prayer
Why do we think this is what prayer looks like?

We can always begin by defining prayer according to the standard English, Greek, and Hebrew dictionaries, but I think that the person who asks “What is prayer?” is not so much looking for the dictionary definition of prayer, but rather, how to pray, and how to see answers to prayer.

So in trying to answer the question, “What is prayer?” I think the simplest and most practical answer is best.

You see, most people learn about prayer by listening to others pray, and this often leads to some very bad prayer habits and practices. Most people, when they pray, seem to think that prayer requires a spiritual tone of voice, a new set of words, a sing-songy cadence and rhythm, and maybe even the repetition of certain words or phrases.

So it is not uncommon to hear people pray this way::

Father God in heaven, holy art thou above all things, and thy name, Father God, is worthy to be praised, Father God.  Hallelujah! Praise Jeeeezus! Can I hear an Amen?

Oh, Father God, Lord God, Holy Jesus, we come before you today, as your children, Father God, to beseech you with our many needs, Father God. But before we do so, oh Holy Father in Heaven, we ask thee to forgive us for our many sins. We have failed thee in so many ways, Father God, so that as the prophet Isaiah says, all our righteous works are as filthy rags before thee, Father God! And so we thank thee for sending thy holy Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord of the universe and the master of all, the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world, to die for our sins on that wretched cross, oh holy Father God, – Hallalejujah! – praise Jesus – so that we might be forgiven of our many trespasses against you, Father God…

And the prayer goes on this way for many minutes. What is prayer? Not this. The person doing the praying will often work himself up into a bit of a frenzy, until he is shouting and shaking, and people who are listening are nodding their heads, shouting “AMEN!” “HALLELUJAH!” “PRAISE JESUS!” and so on.

This may not be your practice in praying, but it is a common practice and illustrates that when it comes to the question of “What is prayer?” we often learn what prayer is not by thinking about prayer or learning from Scripture what prayer is, but rather learning by watching and listening to others pray, and frankly, we learn some very bad practices this way.

What is prayer?Even if you do not pray the way I have written above, listen to yourself pray sometime, and ask yourself, “Where did I learn how to pray this way?” Why am I saying these certain words? Why am I changing my voice? Why am I bowing my head and folding my hands? Why am I closing my eyes? Why do I pray to Jesus, or to the Holy Spirit? Why do I repeat this certain phrase over and over, or use those certain words?

So when it comes to asking, “What is prayer?” I like to tell people that prayer is nothing more than talking to God as you would talk to a spouse or a friend. Of course, although I have said it is “nothing more” than that, prayer is certainly nothing less! Think about it! The fact that we can talk to God as a man would talk to a friend! There is no idea more shocking, more amazing!

People are often jealous that Moses spoke to God as a man speaks to a friend, but the fact of the matter is that Jesus has enabled all people to speak to God in this way! We do not need a priestly mediator, or special words, or a holy language, or a spiritual frenzy in order for God to pay attention to us. All of that is religious prayer, which is not the kind of prayer God wants.

I think sometimes God sighs at our religious prayers. He rolls his eyes as we go on and on and on.

He is always paying attention to us, and is with us throughout the day, going where we go, doing what we do, and hanging out with us as we eat, as we work, as we drive. This means that we can talk to him as a man speaks to a friend.

What is prayer? It is simply telling God what is going on and keeping him the in the loop on your life. Are you angry? Tell God. Are you sad? Let him know! Did you just sin? Yeah, he saw it, and he is not mad about it, but he does want to talk to you about it. Did you see something beautiful or experience something joyful? Thanks him! Are there needs and concerns? Ask him for advice or help.

What is prayer? It is simply talking to God in a normal way, just as we talk to anybody else.

What this means it that if you are asking “What is prayer?” you don’t really need to read books on prayer. You don’t need to be taught how to pray. You don’t need to attend prayer training seminars. You don’t need to learn a prayer language. You don’t need to memorize lots of Scripture in order to pray. If you know how to talk, you can pray! Just imagine God sitting next to you, and talk to him as you would talk to anyone else!

Do you want to pray like never before?

Do you what to talk to God like you talk to a friend? Do you want to see more answers to prayer?

If you have these (and other) questions about prayer, let me send you some teaching and instruction about prayer to your email inbox. You will receive one or two per week, absolutely free. Fill out the form below to get started.

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Tell God Your Blasphemous Thoughts

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A reader recently sent in the following question about blasphemous thoughts and the unforgivable sin.

I got your book on the unforgivable sin. What advice can you give for those who suffer with blasphemous thoughts? I have not said anything but they are still upsetting. I am going through a lot of stress right now. I have been having this issue about 2 years now. Any advice is appreciated. I was told just not to accept them (or cry-which I have done). God bless you.

I am glad you got the book. There is so much more I could have said about the unforgivable sin in that little book. This is one of the questions I should have dealt with in more detail.

What is a Blasphemous Thought?

First off, I am not sure what you might consider a “blasphemous thought.” As I have had hundreds of personal and online conversations about the unforgivable sin over the years, I find that lots of people have some sort of idea about what constitutes blasphemous thoughts or actions, but which are not really blasphemous at all. The reason most people have these ideas is because they heard a sermon, read a book, or had a pastor tell them that certain actions or thoughts were blasphemous. But when we really look at the what blasphemy is,  we find that most of these sermons, books, and pastors were simply misinformed or were trying to control other people to act or behave a certain way.

So, to take an extreme case as an example… I have sometimes talked with people who say that they were told that it was blasphemy to question something their pastor taught. They were told that the pastor is “the Lord’s anointed.” Often the pastor will quote Psalm 105:15 as a way of showing that to touch, harm, or question “the Lord’s anointed” is some sort of affront to God. Therefore, to question or challenge the pastor is considered to be some sort of blasphemous challenge to God Himself.

This is an extreme example, to be sure, but it does happen (more than we realize!). But a moment’s reflection reveals that in these cases, the pastor is usually just trying to control people to conform to his own desires, wishes, and commands.

However, I would say that easily 95% of the teaching out there about the “sin of blasphemy” falls into this same category. Usually, what is being taught as blasphemous is not blasphemous at all! Sure, those certain behaviors or actions might be sinful, but there is a vast ocean of difference between sinful thoughts or actions and blasphemous thoughts or actions.

But here’s the thing… I am just going to go out on a limb and guess at what blasphemous thoughts you might be having. Though there is a whole variety of things that people think qualify as blasphemous thoughts or actions, in my experience, there is one main thing that people think is a blasphemous thought.

And it is this… when most people think they have thought or said something blasphemous, it is because they thought or said these words:

F*** you, God! I hate you!

Probably there is not much worse that could be said toward God, and I hesitate even putting such a thing on this blog. If anything qualifies as a blasphemous thought, this is probably it. (Though even here, nowhere does the Bible say that such a statement is blasphemous. In Matthew 12:31-32, when Jesus accuses the Pharisees of being close to committing the unforgivable sin, this is not what the Pharisees were saying, and is not even close to anything they ever would have said…)

So the statement above is not a blasphemous thought, but is still pretty bad, but I wrote it out for a purpose.

If you are saying or thinking these sorts of things toward God, there are two things God wants to say to you in return.

God Wants You to Know He Loves You

The first thing God wants to say to you is this:

Oh yeah? So you hate me, huh? Well guess what?

I love you.

Yeah, that’s right.

I. Love. You.

No matter what, I love you.

No matter what you say or do, no matter what you think, no matter how hurtful your words or thoughts, I will love you forever. My love for you will never change, will never diminish, will never fade away.

Say what you will. Do what you will. I forgive you for all of it, because I love you.

love of GodHow do we know God says this to us, no matter what we say to Him?

Because the Bible tells us over and over that He loves us no matter what. While we were yet sinners, God sent His Son Jesus to die for us (John 3:16; Rom 5:8). Love is the essence of who God is (1 John 4:8). Before you were ever born, God knew every sin you would ever commit, every word you would ever say, and all “blasphemous thoughts” you would ever say or think. And He sent Jesus to die for you anyway! Why? Because He loves you!

More than anything else, God wants to let you know that He loves you and will always love you.

The God you Hate… God Hates Too

But the second thing God would want to say to you in response for any angry or hateful thought you might have about Him is this:

Hey, I understand. In fact, the god you claim to hate is the god I hate too.

The only reason you are having those thoughts or thinking those words is because you thought I was a certain type of god, and I have not turned out to be that way. Your life is going in directions you didn’t think it would go, horrible things have happened to you in life, and you think I did these things to you. Someone told you some wrong things about me. Someone told you that I caused those bad things to happen to you. This is not true.

If I had done those horrible things to you, you would have every right to resent and hate me.

But I didn’t send this pain, tragedy, hardship, or evil into your life. I would never do that.

Remember what I told you before? I love you!

I might discipline you out of love, but when I do, I will make it clear to you what I am doing, and why.

All those evil things that happen to you are only because the world is full of sin, and the enemy is out to steal, kill, and destroy. I never steal, kill, or destroy.

Bad things happen in this world, and I am so sorry you have to experience them.

When these bad things happen, my role, my job, my task, is to do what I can to love you through them, to be with you in the pain, to suffer alongside you. This is one reason I sent Jesus. It is also why I sent the Holy Spirit.

I am not a god who sends suffering into your life; I am the God who suffers with you in life.

I am not a god who sends pain so you cry; I am a God who cries with you in your pain.

And regarding what you thought before… you know, those words you said in your head. Thank you for saying them.

Really.

Many people either try to deny the painful experiences they are facing, or they clam up about their pain and refuse to talk to me about it. But not you. You are honest about your pain and are willing to talk to me about it.

Even though your words are hurtful, they show that you continue to want to talk to me and have a relationship with me. Most people just give me the silent treatment. But you haven’t done that. You continue to want to talk. I want that too.

Telling me you hate me isn’t blasphemy; it’s honesty. It is how you feel. And I am glad you came to me in your pain.

So let me begin by showing you who I really am…

I am not sure if this exactly answers the question that was sent in to me, but in my years of experience as a pastor, author, and blogger, I have found that most people who have fears about blasphemous thoughts and blasphemous words, usually have one of two things going on in their life (and often both). People who think they have committed the unforgivable sin usually have a religious leader who is trying to control them, or warped and dangerous ideas about who God is and what God is like.

Once we can see that God is not like the angry, fire-hurling deity that is often taught in some churches and by some pastors, but instead looks remarkably like Jesus who loved, accepted, and forgave everybody, it is then that we begin to see how much God loves us, and that no matter what we say or do, His love for us will never change, never waver, never diminish.

It is not a blasphemous thought to think that you hate God.

If you think you hate God, go talk to Him about what you are feeling, and why you feel that way.

He loves to have these open and honest conversations with us about who He truly is and how much He truly loves us… no matter what.

Only once we see the love of God, will the thoughts of anger and resentment toward God begin to disappear. So if you are having blasphemous thoughts or ideas toward God, don’t feel bad about them or fear that such thoughts will make God stop loving you. Instead, take those thoughts to God, and say, “God? Do you see what think about you?” Then sit and listen to see what God says in return.

The last thing God wants is for us to shut ourselves off from Him. So if we are having blasphemous thoughts toward God, the best thing we can do is talk to God about them, so that He can show us how much He loves us, and how the God we think we hate is not actually the God He truly is.

Should Pastors Get Paid to Preach the Gospel?

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preach the gospel for moneyIn years past I have written about what the Bible says about getting paid to pastor, and especially getting paid to preach the gospel (Look on this page, under the “Pastoral Pay” section). Recently, a reader sent in the following question:

I need help responding when someone quotes 1 Corinthians 9:14. Especially when they use the ESV & NKJV.

“In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.”

Specifically, that getting one’s living from the gospel is a “commanded” practice.

I understand that it is also translated “directed,” however, once “commanded” is interjected into the debate, it’s tough to respond.

My thoughts are: If “commanded” is the correct translation, then did Paul blatantly disobey the Lord’s command? And why would Paul say he would rather “die” than to even give the perception that he materially benefited from preaching?

Any thoughts on the issue would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Neil

I must admit that although I have finished a rough draft of a commentary on 1 Corinthians, I have never before considered this question Neil brought up. By one way of reading 1 Corinthians 9:14, Paul does appear to be saying that Jesus commanded that certain people should get paid to preach the gospel.

There are multiple ways of explaining and understanding this text, and I will present a few below, but would love for you opinion as well on what 1 Corinthians 9:14 means when Paul says that the Lord commanded that those who preach their gospel should get their living by the gospel.

Maybe the Command is not for the Preacher but for the Hearer

When Neil initially sent this question in to me, I responded this way:

First, I did some quick study of the Greek in the text, and decided that the various translations are fine. Though there are some verses in various translations that are horrid, this is not one of them.

So I then decided that maybe the command was not primarily for the one preaching the gospel, but for those who were receiving the benefit from the teacher. That is, the command is for the hearers. They were expected to provide for the one doing the teaching. If the one doing the teacher turned down the aid, that was fine, as Paul did. In the context, he says that although it was his right to receive financial help from the Corinthians believers, he turned it down so as not to hinder the gospel (1 Cor 9:12).

This is the answer I sent to Neil, and while I think there is truth to this idea (that the responsibility is on the hearer to offer support rather than on the teacher to demand it), I do not think that this is what Paul is saying. It does not seem that we can get my interpretation to fit the text. Note that the command is clearly to the one preaching the gospel, not to the ones hearing it. Although… the context is directed toward the hearers, so maybe my take is somewhat justified…

So what other options are there?

The Command is for Apostles who Preach the Gospel

preach for moneyNeil forwarded me an email that he got back from Alan Knox, who gave a much better (and more thorough) answer than I did. His answer actually considers the context and where Jesus might have given the command that Paul is referring to.

Hopefully Alan does not mind if I include here what he wrote…

My suggestion would be to consider the context… who is Paul writing about? As I see it, there are two options:

1) Paul is referring to anyone who “proclaims the gospel.” Of course, that would mean that he was referring to every believer who ever shares the gospel, and that all of them “should get their living by the gospel.”

or

2) Paul is referring to a specific group who “proclaim the gospel.” But which group. Again, I see two options: A) Paul specifies the group in the context of this passage, or B) We can choose the group. The B) option is not very palatable to me, which only leaves A). And, the first part of 1 Corinthians 9 tells us that Paul is talking about people who travel to proclaim the gospel, i.e., apostles.

So, by focusing on the “who,” you don’t even have to worry as much about what “commanded” means or what “should get their living by the gospel” means.

By the way, I think that Paul is talking about receiving hospitality, which Jesus “commanded” to apostles in Matthew 10 and Luke 10. So, the “command” was not to people giving the support, but to people receiving the support (that is, hospitality).

Neil followed up with some further comments of his own on how Paul reacted to that “commandment” in the second half of 1 Corinthians 9.

Reading only the first half of 1 Corinthians 9, it could be argued that Paul taught and endorsed that pastors have a right to receive a salary. But that would be taking Paul completely out of context on this issue. In reading the entire chapter in context, Paul went much further, by word and deed, as an example to clearly demonstrate that he believed one’s personal right to compensation for preaching the gospel ends where the gospel of Christ begins. Specifically, Paul explained in the second half of the chapter that exercising that right would not only “hinder” the gospel, but also be a financial “burden” on the Church.

So examining Paul’s words and actions on the issue in full context, it’s obvious that Paul wanted no part of anything, including the exercising of one’s personal rights that could possibly harm the gospel message and be a financial burden on the church. And for those who point to 1 Corinthians 9:14 and say, “the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel,” the word “commanded” is also translated, “directed” in many prominent translations. Not to mention that if the Lord did in fact command it, then the man He personally ordained as an Apostle and minister of the gospel decided to make the Lord’s command just an option. It couldn’t be sensibly argued that this is the case.

To be clear, in the second half of chapter 9, Paul puts the compensation issue from the first half of the chapter in context, focusing on pastors having to endure all things in complete submission to the gospel, not accommodating a pastor’s personal right to reap material benefits and make a living from the gospel.

I believe Neil is right on target when he says that “one’s personal right to compensation for preaching the gospel ends where the gospel of Christ begins.”

I have written previously about what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:9 where he says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain.” Among other things, I wrote this:

1 Corinthians 9 cannot be used by pastors to defend the practice of receiving a salary. It is talking about traveling missionaries and apostolic leaders who have left their home and jobs to teach and support other Christians in other towns. Since they will typically only be in a city or town for a few weeks or months, they are dependent upon the hospitality of the people in that city or town. Ideally, even these spiritual leaders should have “travelling professions” if possible, so like Paul, they do not have to depend on the financial aid of other people either.

In other words, there are a lot of critical cultural, historical, and biblical background material that must be considered to properly understand, interpret, and apply Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 9:14 that those who preach the gospel should get their living from the gospel. We need to understand the role of hospitality in the Hebrew and Roman culture and economy, we need to understand the law in Deuteronomy about borrowing a neighbors oxen, we need to understand the the role and purpose of apostles, and above all, we need to properly understand the full scope of the gospel.

The bottom line is this: If a pastor quotes 1 Corinthians 9:14 as a way to demand that the people he minister to should pay his salary, he is using 1 Corinthians 9:14 in exactly the opposite way that Paul was using it. Paul writes 1 Corinthians 9:14 in the context of explaining why he does not take money from the people he serves. 

Don’t misunderstand. I am not saying it is a sin for pastors to take a salary. All I am saying is that 1 Corinthians 9:14 cannot be used to defend the practice. Taking a salary as a pastor is a choice, and deciding to not take a salary is also a choice. Each person must decide for themselves which way of living will be of most benefit to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to the people whom they seek to serve.

So what do you think about 1 Corinthians 9:14? Have you ever had a pastor tell you that it is God’s command that you support him to preach the gospel? Weigh in below, and if you have written about this on your own blog, include a link in the comment section. 

Loving Neighbors without an Agenda

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As we have looked at getting to know our neighbors, building relationships with them and then getting to know them even better and helping them to get to know each other better through group events (Get all these posts in your email inbox by signing up below), perhaps you have wondered why we do this.

Loving Neighbors

Are we networking, finding people who have something we need or who may buy something we’re selling?

Maybe we are building relationships so we can convince people to accept Jesus or attend our church?

Another possibility is that since most people want to live in a friendly neighborhood, maybe we are building relationships with our neighbors to improve the value of our property?

Or are we just looking for friends?

None of these are really our reason.

We try to get to know our neighbors, whether they live on our block, three streets over, in the next neighborhood or across town because as followers of Jesus we try to unconditionally love everyone who crosses our path.

But shouldn’t we try to get our neighbors to attend our church or accept Jesus (or both)?

Hmmm… Consider a parable Jesus told. We usually call it the “Parable of the Good Samaritan,” though it might be better to call it the “Parable of the Beaten Man Lying By the Side of the Road.”

Is the parable about Samaritans, people in need, religious people who are too busy with their religion to help people in need, or what?

Is it possible that one lesson Jesus is teaching us is that our neighbor can be anyone who crosses our path (or whose path we cross)?

Might another lesson be that we should help and love people lavishly, with no expectation of getting anything in return? Could it be that Jesus is teaching us to love other people simply because they are our neighbors?

But how can we love whoever crosses our path, with absolutely no agenda? Is that possible?

It is possible. We think this is what Jesus is talking about in “love your neighbor as yourself” and in the story we call the “Parable of the Good Samaritan.”

But shouldn’t we tell people about Jesus?

We love them first and tell them about Jesus when they ask.

Many do ask, but not all. Most people we know have figured out that we follow Jesus. Sooner or later they ask us about it, when they’re ready to talk about it.

We do not love people so that we can tell them about Jesus. We love them so that they can ask us about Jesus.

And maybe they will not ever ask us about Jesus. That’s okay. We love them still, unconditionally, with no strings attached and no hidden agenda.

My job is to love people like Jesus; God’s job is to draw them to Jesus.

Many years ago a couple we slightly knew invited us to their house for “dessert,” which turned out to be a high pressure sales presentation for a multilevel marketing company. We felt tricked. Even though we have received many subsequent invitations from other people we know for similar presentations (always disguised as something else), we could smell those a long way off, like dead fish, and we have never been “tricked” again.

So it goes with most attempts to “win people to Jesus” (which usually means getting them to attend our church). Most people can smell “fake friendship” a long way off and avoid these people like they avoid dead fish.

Smelling like Jesus, however, smells like loving our neighbor, loving them lavishly for the pure and simple reason that we are the kind of person who does this, loving them with absolutely no agenda attached.

That is a sweet smell, a pleasant aroma, both to our neighbor and to Jesus.

Do you want to win people to Jesus? Simply love them like Jesus, with no agenda whatsoever.

What experiences have you had in loving other people like Jesus? Share an example in the comments below of how you showed lavish love on someone whose path you crossed, with no strings attached.

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When you Tell Your Pastor You are Switching Churches

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exit interview switching churchesI discovered this video over at The Christian Monist. It shows what happens when you tell your pastor you are switching churches.

Clearly… if you are switching churches it can only mean that you are a backslider, have fallen away from the faith, are living in sin, and have become carnal.

Switching Churches Video

After you watch it, use the share buttons above to invite your friends to watch it also!

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