Walk This Way

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. (Eph 4:1)

Paul urges the Ephesian Christians to "walk this way." (No reference to Aerosmith.) Why? Paul premises this command on what he said before. In chapter 3, Paul prayed for the Ephesian Christians (Eph 3:14-19). He asked that they would be rooted and grounded in love. He prayed that they could comprehend the vastness of the love of Christ "that surpasses knowledge" so that they would be filled with the fullness of God. In his grand sort of "amen" (Eph 3:20-21), he ends with how God "is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think." He follows that with, "I, therefore, urge you to walk ..." That's why. Now ... how?

"Walk in a manner worthy of the calling." Simple. Wait ... what? Well, in the first chapter, Paul prayed that they would have "the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might" (Eph 1:18-19). Paul is saying, "Walk that way." In chapter 2 Paul tells of how the Gentiles were once separated from God (Eph 2:11-12), but are now "brought near by the blood of Christ" (Eph 2:13) "that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two" (Eph 2:15). Paul is saying, "Walk that way." Paul is saying, "You have been invited ..." ("called") "... to a grand feast, as it were, built on God's hope, His glorious inheritance, and His immeasurable power. You've been called to be one new man. So ... walk like it."

He tells them what that looks like. It's a walk "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph 4:2-3). That makes perfect sense once you figure out the calling. It is "worthy" -- deserving, comparable, appropriate -- of the calling. So ... is your walk marked by those characteristics? Or do you need to be reminded to "walk this way"?

Rubber, Meet Road

We are really good at discussing possibilities. What about realities? We can discuss "Should a wife submit to her husband?" and see the Scriptures that say, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord" (Eph 5:22; 1 Peter 3:1), and it's not ambiguous. The question is not "possibilities," but "What will you do?" We read, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her", and it's not ambiguous. The question isn't "Should husbands love their wives sacrificially?" The question is "Will you do it?"

I was reminded of a Christian woman who married a Christian man. She divorced him for unknown reasons, but the suggestion was that he wanted to be a pastor and she didn't want to be a pastor's wife. Now ... the possibilities aren't ambiguous. When asked if there was any reason for divorce, Jesus replied, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matt 19:4-6). Or, in plain English, NO!! God says, "I hate divorce" (Mal 2:16). "Okay ... we got it!" Except ... we don't. We find excuses. We find exceptions. We find reasons why God doesn't hate it and Jesus wasn't exactly clear. We divorce. We fail to love. We fail to submit. For starters.

So we'll debate eternal security and election and whether or not Trump is a Christian. We'll discuss Creation vs Evolution. We'll try to figure out if Noah's flood was real or imagined. But ... will we ... obey? Will we do what is clear? Or will we figure out why we should be allowed ... to defy the Creator?

All We Need ... the Sequel

We already looked at the concept of love in its importance. There is another, essential aspect that we should examine. In Ephesians, Paul prays for the Christians there "to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being" (Eph 3:16). What, exactly, was Paul concerned about? That they would have the strength to ... know the love of Christ (Eph 3:17-19). And we go ... "Um ... okay, Paul ... that's pretty simple." And I don't think it's as simple as we think it is.

Paul wants us to be "rooted and grounded in love" (Eph 3:17). Since Christ said, "By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (Joh 13:35), we can see that being rooted and grounded in love is important. But what love? Certainly not the world's version. Paul is talking about the "love of Christ" but he says that this love "surpasses knowledge" (Eph 3:19). That is, it's much bigger than we realize. He indicates this when he says we need to comprehend "what is the breadth and length and height and depth" of this love (Eph 1:18). That word, "comprehend," is interesting. It means "to grasp," "to take to oneself." Paul wants us to get it and make it our own ... and we won't. We'll need supernatural strength for it. In fact, he says he wants us "to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge" (Eph 3:18). "Um ... Paul ... isn't that contradictory?" That's why we need supernatural power to get this.

I don't think we grasp the love of Christ. Imagine a guy in a rowboat on Lake Superior. In the middle, he can't see any shore. It's just ... vast. So he takes a cup and he dips it in the water and he tastes. He now knows more about Lake Superior than he did before. He has experienced it. But ... he doesn't know Lake Superior. We need to grasp the magnitude of Christ's love ... love beyond comprehension. It is laid hold of by means of the Spirit's work. It is accomplished "according to the power at work within us" (Eph 3:20). What power is that? It is the power of God "who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think." Good thing ... we can ask or think a lot. He can do more. And it is at work in us. To enable us to grasp the love. Because ... we don't. And we need to.

Glory Be

Ephesians is full of "the glory of God." We have an inheritance "so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory" (Eph 1:12). We were sealed in Him "to the praise of His glory" (Eph 1:13-14). Paul prays "that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being" (Eph 3:16). And, of course, throughout Scripture God's glory is critical. God says, "I am YHWH; that is My name; My glory I give to no other, nor My praise to carved idols" (Isa 42:8). Paul wrote, "All have sinned" and then further explained the problem ... "and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23). Paul told the Corinthians, "Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31). But ... what is this thing called "glory"?

In Scripture the glory of God refers to the manifestation of God's character and attributes that displays His ultimate magnificence and worth. Thus, God's glory is ... all that God is, pointing to His ultimate value. If that's true, perhaps you can see how important it is. It is God on display, God being praised for Himself. And, if you understand that, then you can also see that to "fall short of His glory" is catastrophic. The highest praiseworthy Being is not receiving His just due. We have failed to recognize and value God for what He truly is. That's not minor.

David wrote, "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Psa 19:1). And we miss it. We shortchange it. We minimize it. We conform it to our image and bend it to our will. And we think we're doing a good thing. Isaiah accuses us of declaring, "I will make myself like the Most High" (Isa 14:14). By minimizing God's glory, we attempt to bring Him down to our level. It's no wonder God is concerned about His glory. It's Him. He made all that is to display His glory and we try to cover it and call our efforts good. These things ought not be.

Every Good Gift

James wrote,

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. (James 1:16-18)

Why do you suppose he began with "Do not be deceived"? Could it be that ... we are often easily deceived? Perhaps. I do know that we are often deceived about where good things come from.

We are proud Americans. Okay, proud humans. We work hard, we earn our way, we get what we want. Good. We cherish the word, "deserve," because we think we do ... deserve all kinds of good things. We've got it coming. So when James says, "Do not be deceived," I think he's seeing it right. I think we think we earn and obtain good stuff all on our own. James says ... no. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above." "Every" is pretty all-inclusive. Your skills and talents, your friends and family, your job, your home, your spouse ... well, this will be a long list ... every good thing is from above. Without exception. Including the bad things. Because, after all, "We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Rom 8:28).

At this point, then, we might begin to see that we have, in fact, been deceived. Good things often come from our own hard work ... except Scripture disagrees. And bad things are from the devil ... except Scripture disagrees. And maybe ... just maybe ... we might realize we've been a tad ungrateful. Something to consider on this day that the Lord has made ... as a good gift.

News Weakly - 7/26/2025

The Other Constitution
A Mississippi judge has blocked a state ban on DEI programs for schools and universities. Apparently it's a matter of "constitutional rights." Because I've seen it, right there ... Article 8. "All teachers have the right to judge on the basis of race and sex and disability." Come on, Mississippi. Try to keep up!

Separate but Equal
I was surprised by this story. Apparently Minnesota Senator Nicole Mitchell is resigning. No, that's not the surprising story. The fact that she can resign is surprising, after her conviction of first-degree burglary. Shouldn't she have already been expelled? "Oh, no ... a senator that steals is 'business as usual' here in Minnesota." Sure, a conviction isn't common, but she's still an equal senator, right?

The Right to Piracy ... I mean, Privacy
A "KissCam" at a Coldplay concert caught a CEO and his "chief people officer" (I've never even heard of the term.) together. The public images forced the CEO to resign. Of course, it highlights the stupidity of moderns. "We demand privacy!!!" and then we surrender it right and left until there's almost nothing left. "Hey! Where's our privacy?" You mean, the stuff you surrendered to social media and the Internet?

Famous Last Words
Black Sabbath front man, Ozzy Osbourne, died. No one actually understood his last words. (Too soon?) Somehow, his passing doesn't evoke the same response as when John MacArthur died. I wonder why?

Like Father, Like Son?
Hunter Biden is blaming George Clooney (you read that right) for his father's failed reelection bid in 2024. Not the public. Not his father's record. Not his father's poor condition. Certainly not his own illegal activities. Clooney. "Why would anyone listen to an actor?" he complained. I don't know ... why would anyone listen to Hunter?

A Slow Fix
Mathematically, in order for the human race to continue, humans need to have a fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman. (That's 2 because two people produce a child and 0.1 because sometimes children die unexpectedly.) We've been complaining for decades now about saving the planet when the only actual way to "save the planet" is to eliminate humans, and now we have our solution. The U.S. fertility rate dropped to 1.6 in 2024 ... an all-time low. Why? They say it's because marriage is in disfavor and childbearing is in disfavor. Or, as some like to suggest ... sin. But, we're on our way, folks. We can eliminate the race and save the planet! Go, team!!

Your Best Source for Fake News
Under the category of "funny but inappropriate," the Bee has a headline about Uber offering riders their choice of a woman driver or a good driver. Come on, guys. You can do better. They're canceling Stephen Colbert, so he's been seen holding a cardboard sign that says, "Will Yell About Trump 4 Cash" on street corners. And one story is about Ozzy Osborne explaining to St. Peter that the whole "Satanism thing" was only a joke. Sad ... not funny. Finally, there's a story that Obama is arguing that he can't be charged with treason since he wasn't born in America. We knew it!

Must be true; I read it on the internet.

One the EPA Missed

This has been a pet project of mine for years. The organization is called TIS BAD. The acronym stands for The International Society to Ban All Dihydromonoxide. The aim of this society is to work for the ban of the dangerous chemical known as Dihydromonoxide.

This chemical is found in every industrial factory in the world. It is highly dangerous and extremely common. Here are some of the facts:

• Causes thousands of deaths every year from exposure worldwide.
• In its solid form, can cause serious tissue damage. Has resulted in loss of limb and life.
• In its gaseous form, can cause serious burns to unprotected skin.
• Overexposure can cause an imbalance of electrolytes in the body and may be fatal.
• It is the 2nd leading cause of injury-related death for children aged 1-14 years. Black children ages 5 through 19 years have death rates 2.5 times the rate of whites from this substance. Death rates were at least 3 times greater for males than for females.
• It is found in many other common substances. It is the primary component of acid rain. It has been found in a large variety of cancerous tumors. It is widely used in pesticides and other equally dangerous chemicals.
• It is hazardous to most natural substances. It can erode substances as hard as rock. Worldwide, it is responsible for massive erosion of the environment.
• Many U.S. factories dump untreated Dihydromonoxide into rivers and streams without regard for its effects on the environment.
• The government is fully aware of its dangers, but continues to support its general use in a wide range of applications, in many cases subsidizing its use.
• Currently, the U.S. Navy and virtually every military organization are conducting experiments using dihydromonoxide without regard to personnel or environment.

There is a system to keep track of hazardous materials. Each material has a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). Some of you may be familiar with it. Recently a chemist with whom I work pointed me to the MSDS for Dihydromonoxide. Here are a couple of entries from the MSDS, the official governmental record.

IV. FIRE & EXPLOSION DATA

Unusual Fire and Explosion Hazard: Rapid temperature rise of liquid can result in explosive vaporization, particularly if in a sealed container.

V. HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION

Inhalation
Acute overexposure: Inhalation can result in asphyxiation and is often fatal.

Skin Contact
Acute overexposure: Prolonged but constant contact with liquid may cause a mild dermatitis.
Chronic overexposure: Mild to severe dermatitis.

Ingestion
Acute overexposure: Excessive ingestion of liquid form can cause gastric distress and mild diarrhea.

VI. REACTIVITY DATA

Hazardous decomposition products: Hydrogen - Explosive gas Oxygen - Supports rapid combustion

Despite all these dangers, the government has done nothing to curtail its use, its availability, or its dumping. We are working toward the curtailing of the widespread use of this dangerous chemical with the aim of eventually banning it altogether. We would appreciate your support of this movement. Find a petition to ban it and sign up. Contact your representatives in government and urge them to take action. Can we really afford to continue to keep this dangerous chemical on hand without any controls? Act now!

All We Need

Jesus told His disciples to make disciples and teach them to observe all that He commanded (Matt 28:19-20). The Jews had 600 commands ... we just had Jesus's commands. So much easier, right? But we can't keep track. And that's okay. Jesus said that two commands ... one word ... summed up all commands. He quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 and then Leviticus 19:18. "Love the Lord your God" and "Love your neighbor." Then He said, "On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets" (Matt 22:37-40). So ... love is the command that encompasses all commands. It's funny, too. The world has a sense of it. Dionne Warwick sang, "What the world needs now is love, sweet love." The Beatles sang, "All we need is love" (and then they broke up). (Sorry ... an old line from a Larry Norman song.) Love is essential. But ... what kind? What is the standard of this "love"?

In the Bible, Jesus offered standards. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matt 22:37) and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt 22:39). Standards. Not "feel warmly toward." "With all that you are" when you are loving God and "like yourself" when you are loving your fellow humans. Paul expanded on that last one. "No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church" (Eph 5:29). So, the love we are supposed to have gives all and seeks to fill their needs. If you look at the description in 1 Corinthians 13, one theme arises (1 Cor 131:4-8). It is entirely outward facing. No thought for self. No "looking out for #1." It is completely devoid of self.

We have a further clarification as believers. Jesus updated the second command in the Upper Room. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35). "As I have loved you." That's our marching orders, our standard. Paul told husbands, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her" (Eph 5:25). Give self up. That's our standard. Love selflessly, not merely emotionally. Love with an outward view, not inward. Always seek their best, not just your own (Php 2:3-4). Like Jesus (Php 2:5-8). Easy, right? Just two commands. Okay ... not easy. A lifelong process. But ... it's not unclear. The only question is ... will we obey?

You Keep Using That Word

I love that line from The Princess Bride. You remember. Vizzini keeps seeing an antagonist pursuing him, saying, "Inconceivable!" "You keep using that word," Inigo Montoya says. "I do not think it means what you think it means." It's my favorite because ... it is so very practical. We are constantly using words that we don't really understand. Our world uses "tolerance" to mean "agree" rather than "allow something with which you disagree." We use "inclusive" to mean "exclude those who disagree" rather than "to include." It is most concerning when we're using them in important places.

Take "prosper," for instance. In Jeremiah we read, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares YHWH, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.'" (Jer 29:11). Instantly the Joel Osteens of this world latch onto that "prosper." "See? God plans to make you rich!" Except ... that's not what it means. You might be surprised to learn that the Hebrew behind that word is ... wait for it ... shalom. Yeah. Not "financial gain" or "better living." It is "peace," "welfare," "soundness." Not "prosper" as we would use it. "Thou shalt not kill" in Exodus (Exo 20:13) refers to murder, not general killing (as demonstrated in Genesis 9:6, for instance). "Repent" doesn't mean "feel sorry" as we often use it. The word means "to think differently" -- to change one's mind and turn from the current path. "Christ" is not Jesus's last name; it's His title as Messiah. "Faith" is not "belief" as in "I believe George Washington existed." It is "to become convinced (by argument)," a position that necessarily causes changes in practice and viewpoint. And on it goes.

The one that is the worst in my opinion is the one that is most important. We read in John, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Our world has so mashed "love" into a different mold that we can hardly grasp its true meaning. The text doesn't claim that God has a deep affection and warm feelings toward us. That's not the intent. We aren't commanded to "feel warmly" toward God or our neighbor. In fact, the King James translators used a different word in their translation of 1 Corinthians 13 because it isn't "love" as we use it in our emotional terminology. They used "charity." That one has shifted, too, but you can see it there -- a choice to be kind. An entirely outward concern for others. A self-sacrificing decision to seek the best for another. Not ... "Gee, I feel really tingly about you." That's not biblical love. But we keep using these words, applying modern meaning to older texts, and thinking we're getting it right. We should learn to be more careful so as not to miss what God is actually saying.

Uninspired

We know that all Scripture is inspired by God (2 Tim 3:16-17). God-breathed. Superintended by the Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21). Got it. It's the reason we refer to Scripture as "inerrant." Not because it's really well written. It's because God breathed it and God doesn't make mistakes. So we know that our Bibles contain the Word of God. Now, if you're paying attention, you will notice that you just heard the most popular weasel words that people use when they talk about Scripture as errant. "Scripture," they say, "contains the Word of God." The trick then is to determine which parts of Scripture do and which parts don't. I, however, didn't say that. I said our Bibles contain the Word of God. That's because it is absolutely certain that not everything in our Bibles is inspired Scripture.

"Like what?" Good question. First, English. No Hebrew or Greek texts contain English. Okay, okay, that's not a good example, but we do understand that there are difficulties in translation and we need to keep that in mind. How about something else? Punctuation. The writers of our Bibles did not use punctuation ... especially not English punctuation. So, for instance, Paul wrote,

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him (Eph 1:7-9)

Some translations leave "In all wisdom and insight" in verse 8 and some put it as the beginning of verse 9. Which is it? It doesn't change a lot, but that punctuation is not inspired. Here's my favorite pet peeve on the subject -- chapter breaks. Scripture does not come with chapter breaks. That was added after for our convenience. The problem is, it breaks things up that shouldn't be. Like Ephesians 2 that begins "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins" (Eph 2:1). Surely anyone can see that the sentence begins with "and," so the thought began previously. Breaking it up like this makes it easy to point to, but it breaks up the meaning. So we miss the point of Ephesians 2:1-7.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians that he was praying for them (Eph 1:15-23). He had three requests for them, the last one being that they would know experientially "what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe" (Eph 1:19). What power? The power that raised Christ from the dead and raised Him to the top (Eph 1:20-23). "And ..." That conjunction continues the thought. You were dead in your sins, and God "raised us with Him (Eph 2:6). The same power. The same surpassingly great power. But the chapter break tends to break up our reading, and we can miss that so easily. All Scripture is God breathed and inerrant. Don't let the parts that aren't in the originals throw you. Do your due diligence. Those are not inspired. Maybe just perspired.

Trust

Stop me if you've heard this.

Trust in YHWH with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. (Pro 3:5-6)

Not uncommon. I've even seen it on inspirational wall hangings and such. "Trust in the Lord." Yeah. Good. But ... there's so much more to it, isn't there?

Trust. Trust in the Lord. Trust with all your heart. That's actually a big commitment. There are lots of things we can trust in. People, things, ourselves. No, no. With all your heart, trust in the Lord. Doesn't leave room for all those other things. And that's just the start. "Do not lean on your own understanding." Now, come on. What else do we have to lean on? And why not? Well ... we've got a sin problem, and that makes things ... fuzzy. It makes us "futile" in our thinking (Rom 1:21). It gives us a "debased mind" (Rom 1:28). We have deceitful hearts (Jer 17:9) It requires an ongoing renewing of the mind (Rom 12:2). And, yet ... where do we go first? "Well, is God reliable? I don't know. Let's think about it." We evaluate God. How arrogant! "Yes, He's trustworthy here, but ... not so much over there." "Do not lean on your own understanding." Then, "In all your ways acknowledge Him" Not some ... all. And what is this "acknowledge Him" thing? Literally, it means to know Him. Like the psalmist says: "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth" (Psa 46:10). Know Him. Commit your works to Him (Psa 37:5; Prov 16:3). In New Testament terms, "Do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31).

It's a much bigger text than "Trust in the Lord." And the outcome is "He will make your paths straight." So here we are, muddling about, trying to figure this stuff out, and there He is saying, "Trust Me ... in everything." We can't seem to figure it out, but we're still pretty sure we can rely on our own understanding.

Obligations

"I pray the name of Jesus over you," the song says, and I'm trying to parse that to figure out what it means. "The name of Jesus" appears to be some magic incantation which, if properly applied can produce pleasant outcomes. Maybe "over" means "If I loft it properly, it will settle on your head." Of course, that's just me being silly, but I can't figure out where that comes from. Somehow someone has come to the conclusion that this phrase causes an obligation on God's part to do nice things. Or ... take the signs I've seen all my life. "Spiritual Revival this weekend!" It's odd that you can schedule a revival. Maybe they got a memo from the Spirit and He'll be showing up ... this weekend. Not next weekend ... just this one.

I'm sure by now you see I'm being a little tongue in cheek, but I believe there really is this notion in the minds of many ... most ... people that God has certain obligations to meet on our behalf. They're mad when He fails to meet them. We think a good God would be nice to us, so when we perceive something as not nice, we think God has failed to meet His obligations. We read that God's wrath is revealed from heaven against men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness and ungodliness (Rom 1:18) and we think, "That's not fair. God's not being fair." We read that God chooses some for salvation (e.g., Eph 1:4-6) and think, "He's supposed to choose all." We've made a serious miscalculation.

Scripture is clear. Christ is above all (Eph 1:21). All things are under His feet (Eph 1:22). Everything is from, through, and for Christ (Rom 11:36). His creation doesn't get the right to demand anything from Him because He is not obligated by His creation. We should probably get that straight in our own minds.

You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, "He did not make me"; or the thing formed say of Him who formed it, "He has no understanding"? (Isa 29:16)

News Weakly - 7/19/2025

A Passing
John MacArthur went to be with the Lord this week. No humor or sarcasm. He'll be missed, but he's with His Savior.

This Means War?
The news says that Russia intentionally struck a Polish-owned factory in the Ukraine. Read that again. Poland is a member of NATO. So Russia struck a NATO factory. Before we get our knickers in a twist, remember, they've done it before, including a Boeing plant in Kyiv. So let's hope cooler heads prevail and the media doesn't push a war between NATO and Russia.

In Stitches
The new movie, Lilo & Stitch, became the first 2025 movie to cross the $1 billion line. So? The movie is about a Hawaiian girl named Lilo who befriends ... an intergalactic fugitive. The creature is portrayed as a remorseless troublemaker who only Lilo likes. Which, of course, is a great role model for the kids who are watching and laughing. Because we can certainly expect Hollywood to give our kids quality role models, and Hollywood is pretty sure parents won't care.

Wait ... What??
The public believes the Epstein files implicate Trump, so ... Trump has called on the Department of Justice to ask a federal court to unseal the transcripts. Wait ... what? Doesn't seem like Trump believes it will hurt him. Strange.

They Have Tourists?
In a stunning move, North Korea has banned foreign tourists at their newly opened beach resort. Mind you, I didn't know tourists were allowed anywhere in North Korea ... or were stupid enough to go anyway, but ... oh, wait. Yeah, they'd be stupid enough.

Your Best Source for Fake News
Congressional Republicans are celebrating the passage of a spending bill that they proudly hail as "cutting $9 billion in spending" ... although the bill adds $3 trillion to the national debt. Hey ... that's not funny. True, but not funny. In the UK, Muslims are demanding the voting age be lowered to 13 so their wives can vote. Only seems fair. Finally, a terrifying new study has revealed that people are still getting vaccinated for COVID. Seriously. Terrifying. Mind you, the CDC claims it doesn't prevent it, you can still spread it, and you can still die from it, but ...

Must be true; I read it on the internet.

Good God

We Christians largely dislike the notion of "relativism." We much prefer absolutes. Here's the problem. There are things that are relative. Here's one: "good." "Oh, no," some will say, "There is absolute good and bad." True ... except ... the fact of the matter is "good" and "bad" are relative. To what they are relative is a key question.

Consider ... there is a good pizza, a good dog, and a good man. They are ... not the same. A man is not "good" because of his sauces and toppings. And a dog is not good as long as he treats his wife well. In fact, a man is a bad pizza by pizza standards. You get the idea. The issue of "good" is determined by the standard to which it is compared.

So, if "good" is relative, how do we avoid moral relativism? You have an absolute standard. So "good" is not determined by your standard versus my standard. It is determined by God. Scripture says, "God is love." That doesn't mean that love is God (as some have erroneously supposed). It means that God defines love. In the same sense, God is good (James 1:17; Mark 10:18). He is the standard (Matt 5:48). So "good" is defined by God and not by our meager ideas or preferences. We don't get to evaluate God on what is or isn't good. If we do, we make ourselves the standards ... and "good" becomes random.

Adoption

Is God in favor of adoption? Well ... yes ... He is. In Ephesians we read that God "predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will" (Eph 1:5). Paul actually talks about this "adoption" in multiple places. We "wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies" (Rom 8:23). He redeemed "those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons" (Gal 4:5). Nice ... except ... moot, right? I mean, aren't we all God's children?

Much of the world believes in "the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of Man." And, in the sense that He created all people, He is their "Father." But ... Scripture also paints a different picture. Jesus told some Jews who had believed in Him (John 8:31), " You are of your father the devil" (John 8:44). Huh. So ... there is some distinction between "Creator as everyone's father" and those who are "of your father, the devil." In John's Gospel, he writes,

But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13)

So ... clearly not everyone is included in the "children of God" category in this text. Only "all who did receive Him."

When we minimize these kinds of texts, we lose the impact of God's adoption of us. He "predestined us for adoption." He did it "according to the purpose of His will" and not because we're just so lovable. And that "purpose of His will" is "to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved" (Eph 1:6). That's much bigger than some fictional "universal fatherhood of God."

Who You Know

In Galatians Paul writes,

However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? (Gal 4:8-9)

The text is about being slaves to sin, and how we are no longer slaves, but "a son" (Gal 4:7). It's interesting to what Paul attributes that change. It's not what they did or what they believed. It is not even who they knew. It was coming to be known by God.

In what sense does he mean? In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of people who would come to Him calling Him "Lord" and talking about what they'd done for Him, and Jesus would say, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness" (Matt 7:23). "Never knew"? He's omniscient. In fact, He knew them as soon as they came to Him at the very least. No, this isn't "have knowledge of." It's more of the "biblical know" -- Having a relationship with. But Paul says it's not us knowing God. No, this saving relationship is initiated by God. This "being known by God" is God's doing. You find it in His choosing of us before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4). You find it in the "Golden Chain" (Rom 8:29-30), where the beginning is "those whom He foreknew" and continues without break to "glorified." It's instigated by God.

It's difficult for us humans to settle ourselves with "all and only Him." We had to contribute something, even it it's just "I know God." And we are supposed to have a saving relationship with Christ, but ... we must always remember that He establishes it, not us. He completes it; not us. And He guards it all along the way; not us. To me, that's a real relief.

Not By ... For

We all know the famous passage from Ephesians 2.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph 2:8-9)

We love it. That "gift of God." The "not as a result of works." Good stuff. It's largely this verse that drives the "Faith Alone" phrase. That phrase was aimed specifically at "faith apart from works." There are the antinomians -- those who claim there are no rules in Christendom -- based on this text. We know for a fact that we are saved by faith and not by works. And it's a good thing. We wouldn't meet the standard otherwise.

Here's the thing. Many of us can quote those two verses, but the very next verse seems to go unnoticed.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Eph 2:10)

For a minute, we're tempted to urge Paul to go back and check what he just wrote. Isn't it a contradiction? No. We are certainly saved "not of works," but it is equally certain that we are saved ... what's the phrase? ..."for good works." It's reminiscent of James who wrote, "Faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself" (James 2:17). We are saved by faith alone, but we are not saved by a faith that is alone. Saving faith changes you. That's what it says. "We are His workmanship." So expect changes. Expect God's working in you ... so you will do good works. Don't stop at "saved apart from works" when we're actually saved for good works.

Lazarus, Come Forth

Paul makes a startling claim. "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ..." (Eph 2:1)." Hang on, a minute, Paul. What do you mean, 'dead'? I mean, we're all alive, aren't we?" Well, of course, it's an easy answer -- spiritually dead. But ... is that an easy answer?

Most Christians nod at that, but they don't consider the claim. The claim is not "mostly dead." The claim is not "really sick." The word there is "dead." We're saying, "spiritually dead," but we're all still pretty sure that the natural human being has the capacity to come to Christ on his own. I hate to break it to you, but that's not "dead." That's not even "mostly dead." Paul claims, "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor 2:14). There's a "does not" and a "cannot," but we're all pretty sure it happens all the time. Paul says, "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot" (Rom 8:7). Another "does not" and "cannot." We're hostile to God. "Yes, sure, but we can still accept the gospel." Then ... we're not spiritually dead. And Paul is clear we are.

That's what makes Paul's "But God" so big in the following verses. "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ ..." (Eph 2:4-5). If we were actually spiritually dead, then God had to "make us alive" as a product of His love. Without it, we couldn't have anything to do with Him. While we were yet sinners. Dead. We like to think we contribute something to this. We don't. We contribute the same thing Lazarus did when Christ called him out of the grave. He came out of the grave and believed. I think, if we actually take God at His word, we'll find salvation an increasingly marvelous thing.

Who's It All About?

In Ephesians Paul lists blessings believers already have (Eph 1:3). In the list that follows, there are two repeated concepts. First, the phrase "in Him" in some form appears 7 times, because we are blessed "in Christ" and in Him everything is.

The other is "to the praise of His glory" in some form. It appears in Eph 1:12 and Eph 1:14, emphasizing that His glory is paramount. But the first time it appears is in verse 6. "He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved" (Eph 1:5-6). I'm sure you see the slight difference. This "praise of His glory" in this case is specific -- "the praise of His glorious grace." The glory of His grace receives praise by our adoption as sons.

Generally speaking, repetition in Scripture is for emphasis. (We do it, too.) Apparently Paul wants us to know that our blessings are found in Christ, so don't look elsewhere. Don't expect them in the world, in your work, in your spouse, anywhere but in Him. And, apparently, God's glory is important. He blesses us to the praise of His glory. Which makes our blessings not about us. It's all about Him.

News Weakly - 7/12/2025

Obstruction
Federal agents clashed with protesters in Southern California when ICE was doing a raid. It was an agricultural raid ... but the farm was apparently a marijuana farm. Governor Newsom called immigration enforcement "inhumane." I'm wondering why there aren't arrests for obstruction of justice if nothing else. And I'd be pleased to include Newsom in that sweep. I mean, if we can simply protest law enforcement operations at will, law is done. I'm pretty sure that's not what we want.

WaterFalls
Four "1-in-1,000-year storms" hit the U.S. this week. At least 120 are dead in flooding in Texas. New Mexico saw three people killed in flash floods. North Carolina got 12 inches in 24 hours. Chicago got 5 inches in 90 minutes. Death tolls are still being tallied. The question for you Christians is ... is God still on His throne? Important answer. Yes. Don't forget it.

No Birthright
A federal judge barred the Trump administration from enforcing his order limiting birthright citizenship. I mention it not in favor or opposition to Trump's position, but to point out, once again, that "King Trump" doesn't exist. The system is working.

Tariff, or Not Tariff? That is the Question
Trump warned he would charge a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods and the media causes a panic. Oh, and then it's Canada. Mind you, every president has imposed tariffs. (Why didn't they get their knickers in a twist when Biden or Obama did it?) Tariffs don't have nearly the impact that the common media warns about. And it's not likely the tariff will ever occur. When does the media get branded "a terrorist organization"?

Your Best Source for Fake News
After Musk's chatbot, Grok, posted an antisemitic tirade on X (actual story), Ilhan Omar announced her engagement to Grok. Republicans have unveiled their new debt plan. They're transferring the balance to a Capital One credit card with 0% intro APR. Wouldn't a 2% cash back plan be better? And I just had to laugh. One angry man just wants however many deportations it takes to not have to "Press 1 for English." I feel your pain ... well ... not really.

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

My Gospel

There are places in Scripture in which Paul refers to the gospel as "my gospel" (Rom 2:16; Rom 16:25; 2 Tim 2:8). Now, we know that there are not "other gospels" (Gal 1:6-7), so he's not talking about a different gospel. There is, however, some significance to "my gospel." So ... what is "the gospel"? Obviously, it's that God sent His Son to die on our behalf in order that we who believe can be saved apart from works. That's it ... in a nutshell ... but not completely.

The "good news" of the gospel begins there, but don't think that's it. For instance, Paul wrote about the "fruit of the Spirit" like love, joy, and peace (for starters) (Gal 5:22-23). That's good news. He asked, "He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with him graciously give us all things? (Rom 8:32). You see the connection, don't you? Because He gave His Son (the gospel), we can be confident He will "graciously give us all things," including being more than conquerors in tribulation (Rom 8:35-39). That's good news. To the Ephesian believers he wrote how God "has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" (Eph 1:3) and offered a list of blessings (Eph 1:4-14) along with hope, the riches of His glorious inheritance, and the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us (Eph 1:18-19). That's good news! He assured the Philippian believers that God would bring to completion the work He began (Php 1:6). That's good news. We know that He works all things together for good according to His purpose (Rom 8:28) and will certainly save those whom He foreknew (Rom 8:29-30). Good news! And, oh, the love. He prayed that God would give the strength to comprehend "the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge" (Eph 3:18-19). Such love! Truthfully, the list just gets longer and longer.

Imagine a door with a sign over it. You walk up and read it: "The Gospel." Huh. Nice. Good news. Right above the door handle is a note. "By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" (Eph 2:8). Nice! So, you open the door ... by faith ... and you've received the gospel. But ... inside is a warehouse of wondrous things, accessible only through this door. And now that you've entered it, you realize the sign, "The Gospel," meant something much bigger than "saved by grace through faith." Certainly no less than, but way, way bigger. When we grasp the magnitude of this "good news," it should overwhelm us. Or, as Paul points out, it should be "to the praise of His glorious grace" (Eph 1:6), ever larger and more magnificent as we explore it deeper, making "The Gospel" "My Gospel."

I'm Good

My mom is an amazing woman. First and foremost, she loves Jesus ... more than anything else. She has a reputation for a couple of things. One is, if you ask her, "How are you doing?" and she'll invariably answer, "I'm grateful." And she really is. A thoroughly biblical (1 Thess 5:18) and healthy outlook ... and a good conversation starter. But she has this other thing. If you ask someone in her earshot, "How are you?" and they answer, "I'm good," she'll interrupt. "No! No one is good." She is, of course, referring to the verses that say, "There is no one who does good, not even one" (Psa 14:3; Psa 53:3; Rom 3:12). Now, I argue with her. "Mom, you know that the 'good' of Romans 3 is not the 'good' they're saying. They're not claiming to be 'godly' or 'morally good'." But she still does it. Primarily, I think, because most of us do think we're at least somewhat "good," and it's important to remember the truth.

It bugs me, though. There's a song out by Matthew West called Truth Be Told. Matthew complains that people ask, "How are you?" and we answer, "I say, 'I'm fine, yeah, I'm fine, oh, I'm fine, hey, I'm fine', but I'm not. I'm broken." Like my mother, Matthew wants ... the truth. And the truth is ... we're not fine. We're broken. "And when it's out of control I say, 'It's under control', but it's not, And you know it." Matthew is right. We don't tell ourselves the truth. We don't tell others the truth. And Matthew rightly urges us to tell the truth of our failures and our problems to the One who already knows them. Hiding them doesn't help.

Chuck Girard wrote a song (I'm dating myself now) called Lay Your Burden Down. He urges us, as Matthew does ... as Scripture does ... to lay our burdens on Him (Php 4:6; 1 Peter 5:6-7). Covering them doesn't help. God does. I do want to point out, however, that "I'm fine" in answer to "How are you?" isn't necessarily a lie. Most people don't ask because they're asking. They ask as a form of greeting and understand "I'm fine" to be a form of acknowledgment. So my side question for you is, do you really care if they're "fine"? Or is the acknowledgment of the greeting sufficient?

Conjunction

Ephesians 2 starts with "And." Clearly Paul didn't have the same chapter breaks when he wrote his epistle. "And" is a conjunction. It joins two ideas. "But" is a conjunction that separates two ideas, but this "and" joins them. So ... to what does the "and" refer?

Paul didn't write with our chapter breaks, so here he is referring to what went before. The first chapter, after the introduction (Eph 1:1-3), is a listing of various blessing that God has already blessed us with (Eph 1:3-14). We're chosen for holiness, predestined for adoption, redeemed by His blood, privy to the mystery of all things summed up in Christ, an inheritance, and the seal of the Holy Spirit. Because of this, Paul prays for them (Eph 1:15-23).He wants them to know hope, and the riches of His inheritance, and the immeasurable greatness of His power. "And ..." Paul links all that wonderful stuff with the incredibly bad news: "You were dead in the trespasses and sins" (Eph 2:1-3). How does that make sense? Yes! When we see the bad news, the good news gets bigger. When we see how we were dead and are now blessed with those blessings, it gets bigger. When we understand that we were "following the prince of the power of the air" and then discover that His power is at work in us, it gets huge.

"And" is a conjunction that joins the blessings we've been given to the sin from which we've come. Together, it makes a massive picture of grace that we barely can even grasp. When, in verse 4, Paul writes, "But God," it becomes a really big "but." It's not merely contrasted with our sin condition. It also amplifies the blessings we've received. "When we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ" (Eph 2:5). In the first chapter, Paul pointed out that these blessings were "to the praise of His glorious grace" (Eph 1:6). Suddenly that unmerited favor becomes enormous, helped by a little conjunction.

The Truth

In the song, The Truth, Megan Woods points to the problem we humans have. The heart is deceitful (Jer 17:9). Specifically, in this case, we tell ourselves lies ... about ourselves.

Satan helps. Scripture calls him "the accuser of the brethren" (Rev 12:10), and he accuses us. He reminds of sins that God refuses to remember. He tells us of our failures, our shortcomings, our unfulfilled wishes. Oh ... he's good at it. He really is. But, in truth, natural man is "of your father, the devil" (John 8:44), so we've picked it up. We're pretty good at it. Whether we're lying about how good we are (and actually aren't) or lying about how awful we are (and actually aren't), we are not good at telling ourselves the truth about ourselves.

Megan Woods makes a critical error, however, in her song about "truth." (Ironic, isn't it?) She repeats a line. "He looks at me and wouldn't change a thing." Nice thought ... but ... false. The truth is, God's purpose in our lives is to conform us to the image of His Son (Rom 8:28-29). He is changing us. He loves us as we are ... and that's astounding ... but He wants something else for us ... something better. So don't buy that "feel good" stuff about "He wouldn't change a thing" ... because He is. And that's the truth.

Praying Big

Paul prays for the Ephesian Christians in the first chapter of Ephesians (Eph 1:15-23). It's an interesting prayer, both for his motivation and for its content. He starts, "For this reason." (Eph 1:15). What reason? Well, he's writing to "saints" who are "faithful in Christ Jesus" (Eph 1:1) He's writing to blessed saints (Eph 1:3). And those blessed saints are ... fully blessed (Eph 1:4-14). Chosen, predestined, redeemed, adopted, inheritors, sealed with the Spirit ... really, truly blessed. But there's more. "Because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints," (Eph 1:15) he adds. Their faith, proven by their love ... his other reason for this prayer.

What does Paul pray for this amazing group of people? Better health? Their felt needs? Their comfort? Funny ... no. Not a hint of anything like that. He prays that God would give them "the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him" (Eph 1:17). Why? To enlighten the eyes of their hearts (Eph 1:18). Why? So they could know things. What things? The hope to which He has called them, the riches of their inheritance, and "the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe" (Eph 1:18-19). All of this is premised on Christ's work in His resurrection (a good picture of the measure of this power) that raised Him to ... supremacy (Eph 1:20-23).

It's an interesting prayer, isn't it? Not the usual, "God bless Sally" or "Please, protect my family" or the like. It's not that those are bad or incorrect. Paul had higher things in mind. Paul wanted, above all, that their hearts would be enlightened enough to see the important things: hope, the glorious riches of their inheritance, and the power of God in their lives. And in ours. And, really, doesn't that encompass everything else? If we see those things clearly, doesn't that change our entire lives, outlook, perspective, motivation, confidence, daily existence? If I know the power with which God is working in my life, doesn't that change how I walk? If I see the hope, doesn't that change how I feel every day? If I recognize the supremacy of Christ, what does that do to every other meager daily problem? I think it's a prayer for all time, not just the Ephesians.

Holy and Blameless

We were chosen before the foundation of the world to be "holy and blameless before Him" (Eph 1:3). Paul uses the same phrase in Colossians when he says, "He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach" (Col 1:22). What is "holy" and "blameless" ... and has He succeeded?

"Holy" is hagios in Greek. It refers to "the sacred." We've kind of gotten away from that term, so what is "the sacred"? It refers to those things that are pure or consecrated. Holiness, then, is a position. It's "set apart," "other." It's a position that God puts us in ... set apart for Him. It's a positive -- "pure." "Blameless" is amōmos in Greek. It means most literally "without blemish" or "unblameable." It's a negative ... lacking blame. Now, we all are "blameable" in some sense, but that's not this. This is the notion that nothing is left. All our transgressions are addressed and paid. Which, of course, was the point of the Cross ... the "redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses" (Eph 1:7). Paid in full.

Has He succeeded? The reference (in both cases) is to being holy and blameless "before Him." That's critical. We may not see ourselves that way. We know what we've done. We know who we are. But He sees something different. He sees "Christ in me" (Col 1:27). He sees me "clothed with Christ" (Gal 3:27). "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor 5:21). In His "redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses" (Eph 1:7), we are wiped clean. And when He clothed us in Christ, we are made righteous ... perfectly. We need both. Positive -- perfectly righteous -- and negative -- forgiven. If the command is "you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt 5:48), it requires perfectly sinlessness and perfect righteousness. He did that in us.

News Weakly - 7/5/2025

Sick at Heart
A gunman in Idaho apparently started a brush fire in order to lure first responders to the scene so he could kill them. Police believe they found him later dead. I hope you see that "gun control" is not the issue here. It's the human heart.

Make Up Your Minds
A week or two ago the headlines were all about how the economy is declining and we're all gonna die. Okay, I made up that last part. Still, now we read how US job openings hit 7.8 million in May as "a continuing display of labor market resilience." So ... which is it? The economy is dying or it's resilient? Look, people, we're already past the concept of truth, so someone just tell me what to believe, okay?

Right ... No King
In January, Trump decided to require asylum-seekers to wait outside the country in order to gain entry for asylum. It isn't exactly humanitarian, but that's what he decreed. This week a federal judge blocked the administration from barring asylum seekers. It's not over, but I would like to point out to the Trump-haters that the system is working. The judicial system is doing its job of checks and balances on the executive branch. And all this "No King" stuff is nonsense.

Big and Beautiful?
Well, he did it. Trump got his "big, beautiful bill" passed. The horror of it is the permanent tax breaks and the requirement for people on Medicaid to work some, and tax breaks for the rich. Worst of all, it defunds Planned Parenthood, which means thousands of babies will be born. Of course, it doesn't really matter what's in it. Trump pushed it, so it's evil. Now, racism assumes that all white people are evil and sexism assumes that all males are evil, so what is it when they assume, "Trump did it, so it's evil"?

Your Best Source for Fake News
On Trump and the asylum issue, cold-hearted leftists who complain about the country are demanding that asylum-seekers be kept in the evil United States. Meanwhile, journalists are struggling to decide if they're going to compare Trump's bill to Jim Crow or the Holocaust. Apparently millions have died since it passed. It's a tragic day in America.

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

Whose Failing Now?

I was considering the blessings of Ephesians 1 and a thought occurred to me. Remember, Paul says He "has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" (Eph 1:3). Not "will bless us" or "might bless us." "Has blessed us." Done deal. So we have these spiritual blessings already. So, let's look.

Check some of these out. We're chosen in Him before the foundation of the world that we might be holy and blameless (Eph 1:3). We're predestined for adoption as sons (Eph 1:5). We have redemption through His blood (Eph 1:7). We have obtained an inheritance according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to His will (Eph 1:11). We have the guarantee of the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:14). That's not the entire list, but there is something in these that I've included that seem to prove an important doctrine. If these are true, is it evenly remotely possible that we might lose our salvation? If we did, He chose wrong, failed in His predestination, didn't provide sufficient redemption, withdrew our inheritance, and canceled the guarantee of His Spirit.

I know a lot of people who believe you can lose it. I can't seem to put "You can lose it" up against Scriptures like these (and so tightly compacted in this text) and say, "Yep! You might just lose it!" The failure in that case wouldn't be ours. It would be God's failure. And we know that's impossible. So, in the end, I have to believe in the perseverance of God for the saints.

Me, Myself, and I

According to Psychology Today, common causes for divorce include "lack of intimacy, lack of commitment, infidelity, and basic incompatibility." It seems like a varied list, but if you look, it has one thing at the core: "I'm not getting what I want." Isn't that interesting? No one seems to ask, "Is my spouse getting what he or she wants?" It seems like, if we could eliminate "I want" from the equation, marriages would never fail. Silly, I know, because "I want" is at the core of everything we do. Even our altruism is fueled by "It makes me feel good." The person that approaches from the perspective of "What can I give you?" is rare and often suspect.

It's telling, then, that all the biblical instructions on marriage are oriented against "I want." "Wives, submit." "Husbands, give up self." "Live with your wife in an understanding way." "The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does" (1 Cor 7:4). "How does that even work? I have my needs, and it's her/his job to meet them." So we see outrageous divorce statistics in a population whose primary leader stated, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matt 19:4-6). And we're unashamed.

It's not just marriage and divorce, of course. Every aspect of the Christian life is predicated on "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me" (Matt 16:24) with the assurance that "whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me" (Matt 10:38). It seems as if the center of sin is "I" and the aim of the Christian life is "death to 'I'," but we'll keep fighting it because we're all pretty sure God's real primary concern is the same as mine ... ME.

All Things

Back in 2001, I was attending a Bible-teaching church. The pastor was preaching through Ephesians. When that fateful Tuesday came, I listened to a week of nothing but horrible news of death and destruction. I was getting ready for church the following Sunday and thinking, "Oh, no ... more of that from the pulpit." And then I realized. "Today he's preaching on Ephesians 1:11. I can't wait!!"

Paul is not vague or obscure.

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. (Eph 1:10-12)

We have, in Christ, an inheritance. It isn't an inheritance based on merit. It's based on "the counsel of His will." There's that "predestined" word and it hinges precisely on God working "all things after the counsel of His will." What does "all things" mean? Do I really need to spell it out? What about that promotion you earned? That's part of "all things." How about that sad death in the family? That's part of "all things." Marital difficulties, wonderful blessings, physical trials, unimaginable peace, it all falls under "all things." It's a sweeping statement. God works all things after the counsel of His will. That's a claim without an exception.

On that Sunday after September 11, that's what I hoped to hear. Yes, it was tragic. Yes, it was painful. But ... be at ease. God works all things after the counsel of His will. Nothing happens that He doesn't allow. In a terrorist attack or in trial and tribulation, in Middle East unrest or in political and economical turmoil, and even in good times, we can say with the psalmist, "Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases" (Psa 115:3) "YHWH is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? YHWH is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psa 27:1)

Predestination

One of the blessings that God has already blessed us with in Ephesians is that "He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved" (Eph 1:5-6). Now, that's quite a blessing, but it needs to be explored.

First, what does He mean, "predestined"? Most of us think of predestination as the Doctrine of Election. But that was in verse 4, so this isn't the same thing. Biblically, what is "predestination"? Let's look at its use in Scripture. In Acts 4, the disciples spoke of Herod and Pontius Pilate and the Gentiles and the Jews doing "whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur (Acts 4:28). God predestined Jesus's murder. In Romans, Paul writes, "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren" (Rom 8:29).In 1 Cor 2:7, he speaks about "God's wisdom in a mystery" as being predestined. And in Eph 1:11, he speaks of us receiving an inheritance because we were "predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will." Note that these are not about who gets saved. I think the most comprehensive definition for "predestination" is "according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will." That is, biblical predestination if whatever happens at all. And that would include Election. David wrote, "In Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them" (Psa 139:16). Every day ordained ... that's biblical predestination.

So this blessing of ours is that in God's predestining all that occurs (which, by the way, is not "causing"). In this case, He predestined us to adoption as sons. Now, I know it's a happy thought that we're all God's children, and, in the sense that we're all God's creation, we are, but there is a special blessing found in God' predestining us to adoption. In John 1 we read, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12). This version of "children of God" isn't being created by Him. It is predicated on receiving Him. So there is a special category of people -- believers -- who have been destined in advance to be His children in a special sense. It is "according to the kind intention of His will" and it is "to the praise of the glory of His grace" so it isn't about us. It's about Him. I'm sorry if you don't like the notion of predestination, but it isn't an invention of Calvin. It's God's idea. Learn to love it.