Refiner's Fire

But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness. (Mal 3:2–3)

What is a refiner’s fire?

Gold melts at 1,948°F. In order to purify gold (or other similar metals), you must bring it to its melting point. At that temperature, the ore becomes liquid. Oxygen is introduced to oxidize impurities that oxidize more readily than the base metal. Those oxidized impurities rise to the surface, and the refiner skims them off, leaving a purer metal. It is very hot, and it is grueling work. The temperature must be carefully controlled: too cool and the metal will not liquefy; too hot and the ore can be damaged. But the outcome is remarkable.

Purified gold is malleable and can be hammered without cracking. Unpurified gold is brittle and harder to shape. Purified gold is stable and resists corrosion; unpurified gold tarnishes and corrodes. Purified gold is more valuable in sheer density than unpurified gold. Purified gold is essentially eternal, while unpurified gold degrades and loses luster.

Now, let’s do a little mental exercise. Imagine this gold ore is given a choice. “Would you prefer to go into that 2,000° oven or remain out here in the cool air?” What would it choose? “We’re planning to cook you and burn out all those impurities. Are you up for that?” What would it say? “It will make you better gold.” So—would the ore choose the fire or not?

If left up to us, we would choose the “comfortable temperatures” over and over. I know this because we complain so readily about God’s work in our lives. “It’s too hard.” “It’s excessive.” “It’s uncomfortable.” “Doesn’t God owe us a more pleasant existence?”

God knows better. He knows what impurities cling to us—impurities we neither see nor suspect. He knows what must be burned away for us to bear His likeness. He knows that righteousness is not formed in the “comfortable temperatures” we prefer but in the heat of His wise and loving discipline. And He knows that the fire He applies is never destructive for His people, only purifying.

The refiner does not abandon the crucible. He sits, watching, tending, adjusting, ensuring that the flame accomplishes its purpose without consuming the gold. So it is with God. His hand is steady. His eye is fixed. His purpose is sure. And when He has finished His work, what remains is not ruin but radiance—faith refined, character strengthened, and a life that can at last present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.

When Proximity Decimates Abstraction

When moral questions remain abstract, people often speak with great certainty. It is easy to denounce a category when the category has no face. But when the matter comes home—when a son or daughter stands before you with tears, fears, hopes, and a life unfolding—the abstraction collapses. What once seemed simple becomes personal, and proximity exposes what our principles were actually made of.

Scripture shows this pattern repeatedly. Jonah could thunder against Nineveh from a distance, but when God placed him among the very people he despised, his neat moral posture unraveled (Jon 4:1–11). Peter could cling to long held purity boundaries until the Lord confronted him with actual Gentiles whom God had received (Acts 10:34–35). The Pharisees could defend their interpretations of the law until Jesus placed a suffering person in front of them and asked whether mercy might be the deeper obedience (Matt 12:9–13). In each case, proximity revealed the heart.

Something similar happens when a parent who once spoke firmly against gay marriage discovers that their own child is gay. The issue is no longer “What do I think about that group?” but “What do I do with my own son or daughter?” And those two questions operate in different moral registers. The principle, as they understood it, suddenly collides with the covenantal bond of parenthood—a bond Scripture itself treats with gravity (Psa 103:13).

Often the shift is not the abandonment of conviction but the discovery that the conviction was never truly examined. Many moral stances are inherited rather than forged. They are cultural, not biblical; reflexive, not reflective. When proximity forces a reckoning, people realize that their earlier posture was shaped more by fear of the “other” than by love of neighbor (Lev 19:18; Luke 10:36–37). They begin to see that their principle was aimed at a category, not a person—and that God’s commands are always meant to be lived toward persons.

Proximity also awakens empathy. When a parent sees the cost their child has borne—the loneliness, the confusion, the courage—it becomes harder to speak in the old, detached way. The parent begins to understand why Scripture insists that truth must always be joined to steadfast love (Psa 85:10; Eph 4:15). Love does not erase moral discernment, but it does refine it. It forces us to ask whether our posture has been shaped by the heart of the Father, who runs toward prodigals rather than away from them (Luke 15:20).

In the end, the phenomenon is not about gay marriage per se (or divorce or addiction or mental illness or immigration, or single motherhood or sexual assault or …). It is about the human tendency to discover what we really believe only when someone we love requires us to apply it. Proximity reveals whether our principles were rooted in genuine biblical conviction or merely in cultural habit. It exposes whether we have been shaped more by fear or by the God whose mercy meets people where they are.

But ... What IS Marriage?

The classic line from the Cole Porter song is, “What is this thing called love?” Recently the discussion was, “What is this thing called marriage?

When Scripture speaks of sexual sin, it does so within a clear and consistent framework for what marriage actually is. The Bible never treats marriage as a private sentiment or an informal declaration between two individuals. Instead, it presents marriage as a public, covenantal union, established before God, witnessed by others, and sealed by the one flesh bond He Himself ordained.

From the beginning, marriage is framed as a covenant. Malachi reminds Israel that a man’s wife is “your companion and your wife by covenant” (Mal 2:14), and Proverbs speaks of the woman who “forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God” (Pro 2:17). A covenant is not a private arrangement; it is a binding, accountable commitment made in the open and under God’s authority. Throughout Scripture, marriage is always publicly acknowledged—families participate (Gen 24; Gen 29), witnesses stand by (Ruth 4:9–11), and the community recognizes the union as legitimate (Deu 22). Even when the cultural forms vary, the pattern remains: marriage is a public covenant, not a private improvisation.

The Bible also assumes that covenantal commitments are expressed and affirmed. We see declarations of intent (“I will go,” Gen 24:58), formal agreements (Gen 29:18–20), witnesses who ratify the union (Ruth 4:9–11), and blessings spoken over the couple (Ruth 4:11–12). None of these require a modern state license, but all of them demonstrate that marriage is never merely two people deciding, in private, that they are married. It is a union established with the knowledge and recognition of the community.

Sexual union then consummates the covenant. Genesis declares that “the two shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24), and Paul warns that sexual union itself carries covenantal weight: “Do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, ‘The two will become one flesh’” (1 Cor 6:16). But Scripture never treats sex as the thing that creates marriage. Rather, sex seals a covenant that already exists. Without the covenant, sexual union is not marriage; it is sin (Heb 13:4; 1 Thess 4:3–5).

Taken together, the biblical picture is unmistakable: marriage is a publicly recognized covenant between a man and a woman, established before witnesses, blessed by God, and sealed by the one flesh union He designed. That is why Scripture consistently treats sex outside of marriage as sin—because sexual union belongs to the covenant God instituted, not to private arrangements or personal declarations.

News Weakly - 9/12/2026

Good Faith
The U.S. sent envoys to Russia to negotiate an end to the war with Ukraine. Putin promised to stop attacks on Kyiv during the visit. Putin demonstrated his good faith by hitting multiple targets in Ukraine on the same day. Now, why wouldn’t anyone find this a sign of a reliable leader with whom they can negotiate?

Crazy
President Trump asked Republicans to “cheat like hell” in the midterm elections and promised to pay $5,000 to Republicans if they take both the House and the Senate in the midterms. Now, I think it was quite clear that it was tongue in cheek since Trump has no access to paying out government money like that, but it doesn’t look good. The fact that he said it is a monumental outrage to the other side also suggests TDS—Trump Derangement Syndrome. Here in Arizona we have a candidate running for Attorney General against Trump if you believe his ads. Just … crazy … on both sides.

Fight Fire With Fire
U.S. forces hit three Iranian tankers in response to an unprovoked missile attack on two U.S. Navy ships. Two were disabled and the third sank. See? We can sink to the level of the enemy if we really want to. (In case it's not clear, I'm just as dismayed about sinking civilian ships as I am about protesters blocking roads for people who aren't involved in the issues. Seems unnecessarily cruel.)

9/11 Remembered
This week we remembered 9/11 on its 25th anniversary. One story was about the families of people who lost loved ones in the attack starting a petition to ask New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani not to attend the 25th 9/11 remembrance ceremony. The story says there were over 23,000 signatures. Apparently, these people understand that “having Mamdani there would show a disrespect to our family members because of the people he supports.” Of course, as a sensitive and aware leader, he showed up anyway … out of deep respect, I’m sure.

We Never Run Out of Fake News
The Bee picked up on that story about Mamdani and showed a picture of him laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown hijacker. I didn't know they had one ... oh ... I see what you did there. On the Trump story, they reported that Trump promised that if the party defeated socialism in November, they'd each get an equal redistribution of weatlh from the government. A fine piece of satire. I think, though, my favorite Bee story this week is on artificial intelligence. The quote is from Jesus. He says, “Oh, your intelligent creations are trying to kill you? Interesting.” (The accompanying picture shows Jesus with a cross on his shoulder.)

Must be true; I read it on the internet.

Revisited

Glenn posted a comment on an earlier post of mine ... an update to his link. It brought the post back to mind and I thought it was worth repeating, not necessarily the post, but the position. So ... we're revisiting this post from May, 2011. The question is this: Is Scripture unclear on the topic of homosexual behavior?

When you look at Scripture itself—setting aside cultural debates, modern reinterpretations, and theological innovations—the biblical witness on homosexual sex is strikingly consistent. It is not vague, it is not scattered, and it is not ambivalent. Every time homosexual behavior is mentioned, it is prohibited. And every time Scripture affirms sexual expression, it is within the covenant of one man and one woman. There is no third category, no alternative pattern, and no exception.

The Old Testament is explicit. Leviticus describes male–male intercourse as a violation of God’s design (Lev 18:22; 20:13). These passages are not isolated purity laws; they appear in the middle of a moral code that includes prohibitions against adultery, incest, bestiality, and child sacrifice. The structure of the chapter makes it clear that the issue is moral, not ceremonial. Israel was not to imitate the sexual practices of the surrounding nations because those practices violated the created order God established in Genesis 2:24.

The narrative portions of Scripture reinforce the same pattern. When homosexual behavior appears in Genesis 19, it is presented as part of the moral collapse of Sodom. While the sin of Sodom is broader than sexual immorality, the text does not treat homosexual acts as neutral or permissible. They are part of the city’s rebellion against God’s design.

The New Testament continues this trajectory without softening it. Paul’s argument in Romans 1 is especially important because he ties homosexual behavior to a rejection of God’s created order. He describes same sex relations as “contrary to nature,” meaning contrary to the way God structured humanity from the beginning (Rom 1:26–27). This is not a cultural argument; it is a creational one. Paul is not appealing to Jewish custom or Roman law. He is appealing to Genesis.

In 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, Paul includes homosexual behavior in a list of sins that exclude people from the kingdom of God. The point is not that these sins are uniquely damning, but that they are incompatible with the new life Christ gives. The same pattern appears in 1 Timothy 1:10, where Paul again includes homosexual acts in a list of behaviors contrary to sound doctrine. In none of these passages does Paul treat homosexual sex as a morally neutral alternative. It is consistently placed in the category of sexual immorality.

And when Scripture affirms sexual expression, it does so exclusively within the covenant of one man and one woman. Jesus grounds marriage in creation—“male and female,” “the two shall become one flesh” (Matt 19:4–6). Paul echoes the same pattern in Ephesians 5:31–33, tying marriage to the mystery of Christ and the church. The biblical sexual ethic is not built on cultural norms but on creation itself. That is why it remains consistent across both Testaments.

So if you ask whether the Bible is unclear on this subject, the answer is straightforward: it is not unclear. The biblical material is uniform. Homosexual sex is always prohibited, never condoned, and never presented as an acceptable expression of sexuality. Scripture’s sexual ethic is rooted in creation, affirmed by Jesus, taught by Paul, and woven throughout the entire canon. Prior to the last half of the 20th century, neither Jewish nor Christian believers have questioned it. This new resistance is just that ... new. Whatever culture may say—and culture says many contradictory things—the biblical witness is coherent and consistent.

Sex and the Bible

When you look at Scripture with any degree of care, one thing becomes immediately apparent: the Bible is remarkably consistent on sexual morality. It is not vague, it is not fluid, and it is not culturally negotiable. From Genesis to Revelation, the biblical witness treats sexual ethics as a central concern, not a peripheral one. And when you compare that clarity with the mushy, shifting standards of modern culture, the contrast is hard to miss.

The biblical sexual ethic is simple enough to state in a sentence: sex belongs within the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman, and sex outside that covenant is sin. Scripture never wavers on that point. It begins in creation, where God joins Adam and Eve and declares that “the two shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24). Jesus later affirms that this was God’s intention “from the beginning” (Matt 19:4–6). Marriage is a covenant, and sex is the covenant sealing act. That is the pattern God established before sin ever entered the world.

From there, the rest of Scripture simply follows that design. The Law repeatedly prohibits sexual activity outside marriage—adultery, incest, homosexuality, bestiality, prostitution—not because God is arbitrary, but because these acts violate the covenantal structure He created. The prophets pick up the same theme, using sexual sin as the primary metaphor for Israel’s spiritual unfaithfulness. When Israel chases idols, God calls it adultery (Jeremiah 3; Hosea 1–3). That imagery only works because sexual fidelity is already understood as covenant fidelity.

The wisdom literature reinforces the point. Proverbs warns repeatedly about the dangers of sexual sin, and the Song of Solomon celebrates marital sexuality as something good, holy, and joyful. Then Jesus intensifies the ethic rather than relaxing it, insisting that lust itself is a violation of the heart (Matt 5:27–28) and grounding marriage firmly in creation. Paul follows suit, placing sexual sin at the top of multiple vice lists—1 Corinthians 6, Galatians 5, Ephesians 5, Colossians 3—and explaining that sexual immorality is uniquely destructive because it violates the body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:18–20). Even Revelation includes sexual immorality among the sins that mark final judgment (Rev 21:8; 22:15).

So if you ask whether the perception is real—that sexual sin is consistently treated as serious, that Scripture is clear and unwavering—the answer is yes. It is not your imagination. It is the biblical pattern. Sexual ethics are woven deeply into the fabric of covenant life, holiness, and human flourishing. Scripture treats sexual sin as spiritually weighty because sex itself is spiritually weighty. It is covenantal, identity forming, and symbolic of God’s relationship with His people. To violate sexual boundaries is to violate covenant boundaries, and Scripture never treats that lightly.

By contrast, modern culture has no such anchor. Its sexual morality is built on personal autonomy, emotional preference, and the thin reed of consent. It shifts with the winds of politics, psychology, and social pressure. It condemns some things and celebrates others without any coherent principle holding it all together. That is why it feels inconsistent—because it is. A morality built on cultural sentiment will always be fluid. A morality built on divine design will always be consistent.

In the end, Scripture’s clarity is not harsh; it is merciful. It gives us a stable, coherent sexual ethic rooted in creation and covenant, while culture offers a patchwork of shifting standards that cannot sustain themselves. This perception aligns with the biblical witness: God’s standards are clear, consistent, and good, while society’s standards are, at best, unstable and self contradictory.

Eschatology Made Easy

When I was growing up in the 60s and 70s, eschatology was all the rage. Eschatology, if you don’t know, is the term referring to the doctrine of the last days. In my day, the prevailing view was the pre-trib, pre-mil view. Right … plain as mud. It turns out this is a complex and muddled concept, and perhaps we need a program to figure out who all the players are.

In eschatology, there are four major categories. First, there is the Millennium. Revelation 20 talks about a thousand year reign of Christ. That is the millennium. The question is, when does that millennium occur? Second is the Tribulation. Scripture references a seven year period of intense difficulty—“tribulation.” The question here is when the Church is gathered relative to that Tribulation. Third is the kingdom question. When exactly is the kingdom? Now? Later? Is it historical, present, or future? And finally, the question of resurrection and judgment. How many resurrections are there, and how many judgments? It’s all so confusing.

For the Millennium question, there are three—technically four—major views. There is Premillennialism, Amillennialism, and Postmillennialism. That’s three. However, under the Premillennialism category there are two distinct versions: Historic Premillennialism and Dispensational Premillennialism. The issue here is when that thousand year rule occurs—or, more precisely, where we are in relation to that millennium. Premillennialists say the Millennium is still to come; we are currently “pre” millennium. Amillennialists say the Millennium is not a literal earthly reign. It is symbolic, and Christ reigns now from heaven. Postmillennialists—a major minority today—say the Millennium is now (not a literal 1,000 years), and Christ will return after a long era of gospel prosperity. That view was popular until the 20th century, when two world wars and several other conflicts put a dent in the “gospel prosperity” concept.

Then there is the Tribulation question. When, exactly, is the Church gathered? The most popular view is the pre-tribulation position, which teaches that there will be a “Rapture,” and God’s people will be taken up before the Tribulation. Others argue for mid tribulation at the 3½ year mark, when things turn ugly. The pre wrath view says the Church endures most of the Tribulation but is gathered just before God’s final wrath. Finally, the post tribulation view holds that the Church endures the Tribulation and that the Rapture and Second Coming are one event.

Kingdom theology is varied. Two Kingdom Theology distinguishes Christ’s spiritual kingdom from earthly civil authority. Theonomy argues that biblical civil law should govern society now. Christian Reconstructionism is a postmillennial movement emphasizing societal transformation under biblical law. Inaugurated Eschatology is the “already/not yet” kingdom framework (from folks like Ladd, Carson, and Moo). They argue for a hybrid where the kingdom is both present and ultimately yet to come. Finally, Realized Eschatology—typically associated with liberal theology—emphasizes the kingdom as fully present now.

Lastly, there is the question of the Resurrection of the saints and the Judgment. Amillennial and postmillennial systems lean toward a single resurrection and a single judgment. Premillennial systems prefer the two resurrections view, where there is a first resurrection and a final resurrection. A popular judgment concept is the Bema Seat Judgment, where believers’ works (not believers themselves) are evaluated. And, of course, there is the Great White Throne Judgment, where unbelievers are finally judged (Rev. 20:11–15).

And that is the general idea. After that, there are many positions, explanations, and nuances within these categories. I just wanted to lay out the terminology so you'd see what actually relates to what and how complex it is. I thought it was also interesting to see that the most popular view—Dispensational Premillennialism and its associated pre-tribulation Rapture—is actually a relatively new kid on the block. There was a historic premillennial view, but Darby in the 19th century popularized the pre-trib Rapture, and the whole thing took off. Now it’s considered the only possibility by many… of which I am not one. So when I hear someone teaching on eschatology, I become skeptical because I have to wonder how far they’ve gone in asking the right questions—especially when, in my opinion, it’s not clear enough to be dogmatic. In the end, my title, “Eschatology Made Easy,” isn’t a thing, is it?

The Crown Jewel

If a primary theme of Scripture (starting as early as Genesis 3:15) is the Gospel in all its facets, Paul’s epistle to the church at Rome stands out as the high point of that message. If that’s true, Romans 8 stands as the highest pinnacle of Paul’s gospel proclamation because here the righteousness of God—first announced in Romans 1:16–17—comes into full view. What Paul has argued in Romans 1–7 is now gathered into a single, sweeping vision of what God has done, is doing, and will surely complete for those who are in Christ. The chapter is not merely doctrinal; it is doxological. It is the lived experience of the gospel’s good news.

Paul begins with the thunderclap of grace: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). This is the righteousness of God expressed judicially. God has condemned sin—fully and finally—in the flesh of His Son (Rom 8:3). The Law’s righteous requirement, which we could never fulfill in the flesh (Rom 7:14–24), is now fulfilled in us as we walk according to the Spirit (Rom 8:4). Here the gospel reveals God as both just—He does not overlook sin—and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Rom 3:26). The righteousness of God is not an abstract attribute; it is His faithful action to deal with sin and to set sinners right.

Paul then turns to the Spirit’s work, showing that the righteousness of God is not only imputed but imparted. Those who live according to the flesh cannot please God (Rom 8:8), but those who belong to Christ are indwelt by the Spirit who gives life and righteousness (Rom 8:9–11). The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead now animates our mortal bodies. The gospel does not leave us forgiven yet unchanged; the righteousness of God is displayed in His commitment to transform those He justifies. The Spirit is the down payment of the new creation (cf. 2 Cor 5:17), and His presence is the guarantee that God’s righteous purpose will be completed.

This leads Paul to the theme of adoption. The righteousness of God is revealed not only in acquittal but in sonship. We are debtors—not to the flesh, but to God who has made us His children (Rom 8:12–14). The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, heirs of God, and fellow heirs with Christ (Rom 8:15–17). The gospel’s righteousness is relational: God does not merely spare us; He claims us. He does not merely forgive us; He forms us into the likeness of His Son. And because we are His children, suffering with Christ becomes the pathway to glory with Christ.

Paul then lifts our eyes to the horizon of hope. The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed (Rom 8:18). Creation itself, subjected to futility because of human sin (Gen 3:17–19), now waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God (Rom 8:19–22). The righteousness of God is cosmic in scope. He will liberate creation from its bondage to corruption and bring it into the freedom of the glory of His children. Even we, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan as we await the redemption of our bodies (Rom 8:23). The gospel’s righteousness is not merely personal; it is eschatological. It promises nothing less than the renewal of all things.

In our weakness, the Spirit continues His righteous ministry. We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Rom 8:26–27). God’s righteousness is expressed here as faithful presence. He ensures that our prayers, even when wordless, are aligned with His will. The Spirit’s intercession is the ongoing application of the gospel within us.

Paul then unveils the righteous purpose of God in salvation. “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good” (Rom 8:28). This is not vague optimism; it is the outworking of God’s eternal decree. Those whom He foreknew He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29). Those He predestined He called; those He called He justified; those He justified He glorified (Rom 8:30). Every link in this golden chain is forged by the righteousness of God. The gospel reveals a God who begins, sustains, and completes the salvation of His people.

Finally, Paul brings the chapter to its triumphant conclusion. If God is for us, who can be against us (Rom 8:31)? He did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all—this is the righteousness of God displayed in sacrificial love (Rom 8:32). Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies (Rom 8:33). Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died, was raised, and now intercedes for us (Rom 8:34). The righteousness of God is revealed in His unwavering commitment to keep His people. Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 8:35–39). The gospel ends not with human resolve but with divine triumph.

Romans 8 is the gospel at full strength. It has been called the Crown Jewel of Romans. It reveals the righteousness of God in judgment, in justification, in sanctification, in adoption, in hope, in intercession, in sovereign purpose, and in eternal security. It is the good news that God has acted in Christ, by the Spirit, to redeem His people and renew His world—and that nothing can overturn His righteous decree.

On Labor Day, 2026

We tend to think of work as a curse, something we endure rather than embrace. Scripture never speaks of it that way. Work is woven into the fabric of creation itself. Before sin ever entered the world, God assigned Adam meaningful labor. He placed him in the garden “to work it and keep it” (Gen 2:15). Stewardship, cultivation, creativity—these were part of humanity’s original dignity. Work only became burdensome when sin twisted the world and made labor painful and frustrating (Gen 3:17–19). The curse is not work; the curse is the futility that sin introduced into work.

Throughout Scripture, work remains a good gift from God. It is one of the primary ways we bear His image. In Genesis 1:26–28, God entrusts His world to human hands, calling us to fill the earth, subdue it, and exercise wise dominion. That is vocational language. Work is participation in God’s ongoing care for creation.

Scripture also presents work as worship. When God equips Bezalel in Exodus 31, He fills him with the Spirit for craftsmanship—for shaping gold, silver, bronze, and wood. Labor becomes Spirit empowered artistry. Paul tells believers to work “heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Col 3:23–24). Ordinary labor becomes an act of devotion, a way of honoring Christ in the rhythms of daily life.

Work is also a means of loving our neighbor. Proverbs ties diligence to wisdom and provision (Prov 10:4–5; 12:11). Paul tells the Ephesians that we work not merely to meet our own needs but “so that [we] may have something to share with anyone in need” (Eph 4:28). Work becomes generosity in motion.

The Psalms remind us that human labor is woven into God’s providential care for the world. Psalm 104 describes farmers, sailors, and laborers as instruments through which God feeds, sustains, and blesses His creation. Ecclesiastes says that enjoying one’s work is “the gift of God” (Eccl 3:12–13). Work is not a necessary evil; it is a divine kindness.

Even the New Testament’s teaching on calling affirms the goodness of work. Paul tells believers to remain faithful in whatever station they occupy (1 Cor 7:17–24). Romans 12 frames various forms of labor—leadership, service, mercy, administration—as expressions of spiritual gifting. Work is one of the places where grace becomes visible.

So on this Labor Day, let Scripture invite us to see work not as a burden but as a blessing. Work is part of God’s original design, a means of imaging Him, serving others, worshiping Christ, and participating in His care for creation. Sin may make work hard, but it does not make work bad. Work remains a sphere where God forms character, displays His faithfulness, and blesses others through us.

Be Still?

We know we’re “at war” in a biblical sense. “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” so, we’re commanded to put on the full armor of God (Eph 6:12-18). We are commanded to be vigilant and to fight. And to stand. And to “be still.” Wait … be still?

The biblical command to “be still” is far more than an invitation to quietness. It is the Lord’s call to lay down the frantic self reliance that so easily governs the human heart. When God says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psa 46:10), the command is not passive. The Hebrew carries the sense of loosening one’s grip, ceasing from striving, and yielding the field to the One who is already present and already sovereign.

Psalm 46 sets the scene: nations in uproar, kingdoms tottering, the bow broken and the spear shattered (Psa 46:6, 9). Into that noise, God speaks a word that cuts through the chaos: Stop. Let go. Recognize who stands among you. Stillness becomes the posture in which the soul can finally perceive the God who has been there all along—“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psa 46:1).

This stillness is not withdrawal from life. It is the reorientation of trust. When Israel stood pinned between Pharaoh’s army and the sea, Moses told them, “YHWH will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exo 14:14). Their stillness was not inactivity—it was faith. It was the refusal to run ahead of God or to attempt salvation by their own ingenuity. It was the acknowledgment that the battle belonged to the Lord, not to them.

Isaiah ties quietness to strength: “In repentance and rest you will be saved; in quietness and trust is your strength” (Isa 30:15). Stillness becomes the soil in which God grows peace, clarity, and stability. It is the disciplined pause that allows His action—not our anxiety—to define the moment. Even the psalmist’s personal testimony echoes this: “I have calmed and quieted my soul” (Psa 131:2), a stillness born of trust rather than circumstance.

In the end, the command to be still is God’s gracious interruption. It is His way of saying: Stop carrying what I have already taken up. Stop fighting battles I have already claimed. Stop trying to be your own refuge when I am standing in the midst of you. Stillness is the soul’s surrender to the God who is our refuge and strength, our ever present help in trouble (Psa 46:1).

News Weakly - 9/5/2026

Lost Lives
At least 1,000 people lost their lives this week in a flash flood in Nepal. Another 4,000 are still missing. It’s a tragic loss of life. The important thing we need to know, however, is that it’s due to our “climate crisis” and if we don’t do something, a lot more people are going to die. In that second story, they reference how global warming is causing GLOFs—large sections of glaciers that fall into lakes and cause catastrophic waves. The story itself points out, “To be clear, there was no GLOF involved in last week’s landslide,” but … be afraid … be very, very afraid. Sometimes I wonder about the news media as a terrorist organization.

Imperfect
In an unrelated but similar story, two people died in a flash flood in the Grand Canyon. One is still missing. Flash floods in Arizona are not uncommon and not entirely predictable. It can be clear and sunny and a storm miles away can drop rain that will run off and strike without warning. There are systems in place to try to detect flash floods and warn people, but, as it turns out, nothing is foolproof. You know there will be lawsuits over this because the imperfect turned out to be imperfect.

Not Necessarily Friendly Ads
The U.S. military has turned off advertising trackers on various devices such as phones and computers because of reports of enemies using commercially available tracking data to target American forces in the Middle East. Now, I know my phone is listening and feeding me ads, and I know it knows where I am, and it irritates me a lot. But when it gets people killed, it’s more than irritating. When commercialism and the safety of others collide, it can actually be deadly.

Not Your Normal TRUE News
After a jury has repeatedly reported they could not arrive at a unanimous decision on the Lindsay Clancy trial of a mother who admitted to killing her 3 children (actual story), the Bee reports that the State of Massachusetts has been declared incompetent by reason of insanity. It’s a silly story, of course, because sin rots the brain (Rom 1:21, 28), so it’s a lot bigger than the State of Massachusetts. In other news, the First United Methodist Church of Portland is now offering a mail-in attendance option for parishioners. They didn’t want to disenfranchise anyone just because they refused to attend worship. Finally, a woman in New York is praying that the Lord’s will be done here on earth … as long as it’s the same as her will. Actually, I don’t think that’s much of a story. It’s much more common than we care to admit.

Must be true; I read it on the internet.

The Watchfulness of Love

Romans 16 is, on the surface, a warm and affectionate chapter—a cascade of greetings, commendations, and personal notes. It reads like Paul is signing the yearbook of the Roman church. But then, almost as if he paused with the pen still in his hand, he adds a final pastoral warning. It is a true “P.S.”—the kind of thing a shepherd remembers at the last moment because he knows it matters.

“Now I urge you, brethren…” Paul’s tone shifts. The greetings were affectionate; this is urgent. He wants the church to be vigilant, not paranoid, but discerning. “Keep your eye on” those who cause dissensions and hindrances. The verb is watchful, intentional, alert. Paul is not talking about ordinary disagreements or personality friction. Churches have plenty of that, and Romans 14 has already taught us how to handle differences of conscience with charity and patience. Here, Paul is addressing something else entirely.

These dissensions and hindrances are “contrary to the teaching which you learned.” In other words, these are fractures created by people who introduce ideas, practices, or pressures that pull believers away from apostolic doctrine. The issue is not mere disagreement; it is deviation. It is not about preferences; it is about truth. Paul is concerned with those who fracture the unity of the church by undermining the gospel itself.

And Paul’s instruction is unambiguous: “turn away from them.” This is not the gentle accommodation of Romans 14. This is the firm boundary setting of pastoral protection. When someone’s influence consistently leads believers away from the apostolic teaching, the church must create distance. Not hostility, but clarity. Not aggression, but refusal to grant influence.

Paul then explains why. “For such men are slaves…”—and here he uses the language of Romans 6. Everyone serves something. These individuals do not serve the Lord Christ; they serve their own appetites. Their motivations are not Christ centered but self centered. Their ministry is not shaped by the cross but by craving—craving influence, craving admiration, craving control.

And their method is subtle: “smooth and flattering speech.” They do not disrupt the church with loud heresy but with persuasive charm. They deceive “the hearts of the unsuspecting”—those who are not watching, not discerning, not anchored deeply enough in the teaching they received.

Paul’s warning, then, is pastoral realism. The church is a place of love, welcome, and unity—but it must also be a place of vigilance. The gospel creates unity, but false teaching fractures it. The gospel builds up, but deceptive voices tear down. So Paul ends his letter with a shepherd’s final reminder: watch carefully, stay anchored, and do not grant influence to those who lead away from Christ.

Romans 16:17–18 is Paul’s insistence that love must be discerning, unity must be guarded, and doctrine must be protected. It is a fitting “P.S.” to a letter that has spent sixteen chapters unfolding the glory of the gospel. If the gospel is this precious, then the church must be careful about anything that threatens it.

The End of the Matter

Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me." For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. (Rom 15:1-7)

It’s seven verses near the very end of a 16-chapter letter written by Paul to a church he wasn’t particularly familiar with. The first 11 chapters are dense theology. Chapters 12-15 are mostly “orthopraxy”—how we should rightly act based on the theology he offered in the first 11 chapters. This text … is the end of that. He writes about offering our bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1) and how that “living sacrifice” looks a lot like love (Rom 12:9; Rom 13:8). Love looks like submitting to the authority that God has given (Rom 13:1) and surrendering our personal rights to keep from tripping them up (Rom 14:13).

Here, then, is the idea. We are not to primarily concern ourselves with pleasing ourselves—like the world does. We are to please our neighbor for his good and his edification—a life lived outwardly rather than inwardly. Jesus is our example of that. He “emptied Himself” (Php 2:7). Do that. Those are our primary marching orders. Die to self (Rom 8:13). Pursue the best for others. Love that way.

The result, Paul says, is this thing he calls the “same mind.” Now, that’s not “think alike.” That’s thinking in the same direction. What direction? He doesn’t leave us to guess. It is to with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—in everything we do (1 Cor 10:31).

It’s not a complicated set of instructions. Give yourself as a living sacrifice. Don’t worry most about your own interests, but for others. Most of all, pursue love. Not that warm feeling, but the eager pursuit of what’s best for others. In that, “the God who gives perseverance and encouragement” will give you what you need, not by your special effort, but by His working in you.

What Is This Thing Called "Lovingkindness"?

One of my favorite passages in Scripture is Lamentations 3. I like it for its gritty reality—it’s deep pain and the genuine hope God alone provides. It doesn't deny pain and doesn't absolve God, but it also provides important answers.

In that text, Jeremiah isn’t happy with God. Read through the first part (Lam 3:1-20). It’s almost startling in its agony directed at God. Jeremiah assigns all his suffering to God when he repeatedly says, “He has made …” Jeremiah digs the pit of despair deep and blames God. It looks like a losing proposition. And then, he turns.

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of YHWH never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. “YHWH is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.” (Lam 3:21-24)

Jeremiah hangs his hope on the “steadfast love of the Lord.” That in spite of his belief that God Himself brought about all his suffering. That term, “steadfast love,” is interesting. The Hebrew word is chesed. And it’s translated differently across various translations because it’s so hard to define.

It is translated “lovingkindness,” “steadfast love,” “faithful love,” and even “mercy” or “kindness” in various places and translations. It is, perhaps, the central term for God’s covenant character.

When Moses returned to the mountain to receive the stone tablets, God passed in front of him and declared who He was (Exo 34:6-7). God included His compassion and grace and such, but God repeated that He was “chesed”. In fact, He was “abounding in lovingkindness” and gives it to thousands.

Psalm 136 repeats the term over and over. There we read, “His chesed endures forever”—at the end of every verse.

It is personal and covenantal. It is never abstract kindness; it is relational. It is the foundation of God’s mercy (Psa 51:1) and kindness in suffering (Lam 3:22-23). It is grace and mercy and faithfulness and love and covenant loyalty.

It is, then, the reason that Jeremiah can declare, “My strength has perished, and so has my hope from YHWH.” (Lam 3:18) followed by “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. YHWH lovingkindness indeed never ceases, for His compassion never fails” (Lam 3:21-22).

It is the reason we, too, can have hope in the face of apparent hopelessness.

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

The question of why bad things happen to good people is not one Scripture treats as a philosophical riddle. Instead, the Bible presents suffering as the arena in which God accomplishes His deepest work in His people (e.g., Rom 5:3-5; James 1:2-4; 2 Cor 4:7-12; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Rom 8:35-37; 1 Peter 1:6-7; Heb 12:3-11; Php 3:10). We tend to assume that “good” means comfortable, predictable, and safe. Scripture insists that true good is far richer: knowing God rightly, trusting Him deeply, and being shaped into the likeness of Christ (Rom 8:28–29).

When we ask this question, we are usually reaching for something beneath it. We want to know whether God is good (Psa 119:68), whether He is present (Psa 46:1), whether He can be trusted when life wounds us (Psa 34:18–19). Scripture answers those concerns not with abstractions but with the steady witness that God is sovereign, purposeful, and unfailingly faithful even when His providence is severe (Lam 3:22–23).

That underlying question of the goodness of God is the question God has faced since the beginning. The serpent began with “Did God actually say …?”, but his real aim was to bring into question the goodness of God. He essentially told Eve, “God is holding out on you. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’” (Gen 3:5). And we all have asked that very same question at some point, especially when things don’t go the way we think they should. Why do bad things happen to good people?" But the truth is, the short answer to the question is simple. They don’t. There is no one good (Rom 3:10-12).

Not good enough? There is a longer answer.

The story of suffering begins in Genesis 3, where humanity’s rebellion fractures the world itself. Pain is not merely punishment; it is the fallout of broken relationship with the God who is life. Paul explains that creation itself now “groans” under the weight of that rupture (Rom 8:20–22). Yet God does not abandon His people in that brokenness. Throughout Scripture He uses trials to restore what sin has damaged. James teaches that suffering produces steadfastness and maturity (James 1:2–4). Paul says that tribulation produces endurance, character, and hope—and that hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Spirit (Rom 5:3–5). These are not God’s attempts to salvage a bad situation. They are His deliberate means of forming His people into Christ’s likeness.

And at the center of it all stands Christ Himself. God does not remain distant from suffering; He enters it. The worst thing that ever happened—the crucifixion of the Son of God (Acts 2:23)—became the best thing that ever happened: the reconciliation of sinners to their Maker (2 Cor 5:18–21). The cross is God’s own testimony that suffering is never wasted and never outside His redeeming hand.

We make a category mistake when we assume comfort is the measure of goodness. Scripture teaches that knowing God is the measure of goodness (Php 3:8), and anything that leads us into deeper fellowship with Him is ultimately for our good. Bad things happen to good people not because God is indifferent, but because He is doing something better than comfort. He is pursuing relationship (Jer 24:7). He is shaping character (Heb 12:10–11). He is producing eternal good, not temporary ease (2 Cor 4:16–18).

Suffering, then, is not evidence of God’s absence. More often than not, it is evidence of His pursuit.

The Obedience of Faith

Paul begins and ends his epistle to the church at Rome with an interesting phrase: “the obedience of faith” (Rom 1:5; Rom 16:26). He starts with the claim that he was called as an apostle “to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles” (Rom 1:5). He ends with the statement that the gospel brings about the obedience of faith (Rom 16:25-26). What is that?

Some think it refers to “obedience to the faith”—orthodoxy or works of some sort that cause or maintain faith. That’s manifestly foolish given Paul’s declaration that “’None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one’” (Rom 3:10-12). He’s abundantly clear that “By works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Rom 3:20). And, conversely, he states unequivocally, “We hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Rom 3:28). So … no … “the obedience of faith” is not about works that produce faith.

What, then? Instead, “the obedience of faith” refers to the exact opposite—obedience that faith produces. It is the whole-life response that the gospel creates—faith that bows, trust that yields, belief that submits. It is not faith plus obedience, nor obedience instead of faith, but faith as a form of obedience and obedience as the inevitable fruit of faith.

Some speak of coming to Christ and then doing nothing afterward. No growth. No sanctification. It cannot happen. John wrote, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments” (1 John 5:1-2). A living tree may grow quickly or slowly, but it cannot fail to grow. In Paul’s terms, when you come to Christ, you die with Him and rise to new life with Him (Rom 6:2-4). Change may be large or small, quick or slow, but it can never be nonexistent or it isn’t new life—it isn’t genuine faith.

We can backslide for a time (Gal 6:1) or be weak in faith (Rom 14:1), but the one who has come to Christ is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and He produces new life. This is how John can say, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9). That is, no one who is actually born of God has the ability to live a life of ongoing, habitual, unrepentant sin. That’s a pretty large “cannot” in that verse.

It is impossible to truly come to Christ in faith and remain unchanged, because saving faith is the Spirit created, Christ uniting, life transforming work of God that inevitably bears fruit in the believer’s life. So, what about you? Do you see God working in your life, or are you comfortable as you are?

When God Doesn't Play Along

It was one of those “feel good” movies on a “faith and family” streaming service. A little girl prays for people, and they’re healed. Then she says she saw Jesus—a reminder that looking to entertainment media for sound theology is never wise, though people keep trying. A theme runs through the story: she prays, and her brother’s team does not win. “Daddy, doesn’t God want his team to win?” Later, the crisis peaks and the little girl is dying. Her grandfather goes out to the lake and yells at God, “How could You take a soul like hers? If You have to take someone, take me!” Bad theology.

We seem to think God is a man just like us—that He wants what we want, that He thinks “good” is what we think is good. And if He doesn’t, then He must be wrong. Either He’s not able, not willing, or not caring enough. After all, our version of “good” is obviously the right one, and He had better explain Himself if He expects to remain in our good graces. If He doesn't see that, it's clear that we're much wiser than He is.

But you know that isn’t true. Step back from the moment and you can see it clearly: it is neither wise nor biblical to assume that we know what is best and that God must conform to our standards of good and bad, right and wrong, wise and foolish.

Paul defines sin as “falling short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). He tells us to do everything “to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). When he lists the blessings we have in Christ, he repeats that they are “to the praise of His glory” (Eph 1:3–14). Are you seeing the theme? Or consider Nadab and Abihu (Lev 10:1–3) or Uzzah (2 Sam 6:3–8), where God makes clear His opinion of those who disregard His holiness. God’s standard of “good” is “that which best reveals the glory of God,” and sometimes that is painful for human beings—and for the rest of creation.

So the question remains: is that acceptable to you? Will we, the creation, allow God, the Creator, to be God? Will we submit our version of “good” to His?

News Weakly - 8/29/2026

A Brutal Proof
A Montana man, Alan Smith, 44 years old, was asked by his parents to move out. So he showed up at a Sunday family dinner and shot 4 generations—grandmother, parents, sister, and his sister’s four children. His grandmother was in her 90’s and used a wheelchair, and the youngest victim was a 7-year-old girl. He set the house on fire and killed himself, demonstrating that sin rots the brain (Rom 1:21-22) and the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jer 17:9).

Too Little, Too Late?
Meta agreed to pay $17 billion and add “better child-safety measures” on Facebook and Instagram ... as if there is such a thing as “child-safety” on social media. The accusation was that they were using “addictive and harmful” algorithms that harmed youth mental health. Not like the poor parenting that allowed the youth to use the “addictive and harmful” products.

Missing the Point
An Air Force major was arrested. It is technically incorrect that he was arrested for calling for President Trump’s impeachment, but that’s the story. He was arrested for making “contemptuous remarks” about the president, disobedience to orders, and conduct unbecoming an officer. Keep in mind that members of the military have rules they have to follow that civilians don’t. For instance, members of the US military are prohibited by military law from participating in protests, marches, or political demonstrations while wearing their uniform. He disobeyed that rule. But I also think it’s worth noting that the military is insistent that its personnel must “respect the office, not necessarily the person who holds it.” This officer clearly missed that message.

Postpartum Abortion?
Lindsay Clancy admits she killed her three children. No question there. The defense claims she had some sort of breakdown—postpartum depression, “a period of insanity,” something—so she shouldn’t be held responsible. And hundreds of women agreed, protesting in her favor. “She needed help.” That may be true, but are we actually going to literally let her get away with murder? Does human life mean that little to us today? Oh, yeah, I guess so. A recent estimate indicates that nearly 2 billion people do not exist today because they were aborted. Well, so much for “made in the image of God.” Wait ... tell me again. Why is murder such an evil crime?

Political Tailgating
In case you haven’t heard, there is a new kid in town (so to speak)—the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). It’s a misnomer, of course, to call them “of America” when their platform is essentially the elimination of the Constitution, but that’s what they’re calling themselves. And they’re growing. Newsweek reported this week that a growing number of Republicans are in agreement with a growing number of the DSA policies, such as Medicare for all, higher taxes on billionaires, raising the minimum wage, and opposition to data centers. It’s a clear example of the Right following the Left at a distance, and it’s disconcerting.

Foolish Name Calling
President Trump decided this week that the really important issue in the world today is that there was a lake on the border of Canada and the US that bore the name “Lake Ontario.” So, he showed them a thing or two. He signed an executive order to rename it “Lake America.” Whew!! Another crisis averted. Look for lower prices in the grocery store and peace on Earth. Oh … wait … strike that. Just a petty action like “stealing” the Gulf of Mexico from Mexico by naming it the “Gulf of America.” This way, you see, he can rename everything and become emperor of the world … for a short while … in his own mind. No, I don’t mean that he actually thinks that. It’s just … silliness from someone I’d have hoped better from.

The Injustice System?
A while back, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth voiced concerns about a particular AI product that he felt might constitute a surveillance risk to the U.S. military. He blacklisted Anthropic, a company that offers an AI that Hegseth doesn't trust. Anthropic sued. Now a U.S. District Judge has ordered that the Department of Defense is not allowed to have that view and the court will decide who the DoD is allowed to trust or distrust. I cannot fathom how the court gets to decide who anyone chooses to use as a provider for products and/or services. Next we’ll have the Supreme Court telling us we all need to buy Chinese products? Is that really a function of US law?

Fake News to Brighten Your Day
Dolly Parton’s sad passing was universally mourned, it seems, so the Bee couldn’t let it go without mention. In one story a man attempts to honor her passing by actually working 9 to 5. “I don’t know if I can make it, but I’m going to try.” Touching. In another story, the Bee reports that the Apocalypse is clearly at hand as the last remaining universally beloved human being passes away. Now … that might be too close to the truth. In other news, President Trump officially classified liberal women as a “terrorist organization.” Sure, “fake news,” but not necessarily fake terror.

Must be true; I read it on the internet.

The Righteousness of God Revealed

Paul wrote that he wasn't ashamed of the gospel because "in it the righteousness of God is revealed." He goes on to give 11 chapters of how the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel. So ... I did a search and made a list ...

1. Righteous Wrath — Romans 1:18–32
God’s righteousness is first revealed in His wrath against human sin. His judgment is not arbitrary but morally necessary. The gospel shows that God is righteous because He does not ignore evil.

2. Impartial Judgment — Romans 2:1–16
God judges Jew and Gentile alike. His righteousness is displayed in His impartiality—He shows no favoritism, and His judgment accords with truth.

3. Faithfulness to His Covenant Promises — Romans 3:1–8
Israel’s unfaithfulness does not nullify God’s faithfulness. The gospel reveals God as righteous because He keeps His promises even when His people fail.

4. Universal Condemnation Leading to Universal Need — Romans 3:9–20
God’s righteousness is revealed in His truthful assessment of humanity: all are under sin. The gospel begins by leveling the ground—everyone needs the righteousness God gives.

5. Righteousness Apart from the Law — Romans 3:21–26
This is the theological center of Romans. God reveals His righteousness by providing a righteousness apart from the Law, grounded in Christ’s atoning death. God is righteous in justifying sinners because Christ’s blood satisfies justice.

6. Justification by Faith Alone — Romans 4
Abraham’s example shows that God’s righteousness is revealed in a salvation that rests on faith, not works. God justifies the ungodly in a way that upholds His justice and magnifies His grace.

7. Peace, Access, and Hope Through Christ — Romans 5:1–11
God’s righteousness is revealed in the blessings that flow from justification: peace with God, access to grace, and hope of glory. These gifts show His righteous generosity.

8. Christ as the Righteous Head of a New Humanity — Romans 5:12–21
Where Adam brought condemnation, Christ brings righteousness and life. God’s righteousness is revealed in His redemptive plan to create a new humanity in Christ.

9. Righteous Transformation, Not Merely Righteous Status — Romans 6
The gospel reveals God’s righteousness by producing actual holiness in His people. Those justified are also united to Christ in His death and resurrection, walking in newness of life.

10. Righteous Liberation from the Law’s Condemnation — Romans 7
God’s righteousness is revealed in freeing believers from the Law’s condemning power while honoring the Law’s goodness. The gospel does what the Law could not do.

11. The Righteous Life of the Spirit — Romans 8:1–17
The Spirit fulfills the Law’s righteous requirement in believers. God’s righteousness is revealed in giving His Spirit to empower obedience and assure adoption.

12. Righteous Assurance and Preservation — Romans 8:18–39
God’s righteousness is displayed in His unwavering commitment to bring His people to glory. Nothing can separate them from His love in Christ.

13. Righteous Sovereignty in Election — Romans 9
God’s righteousness is revealed in His sovereign freedom to show mercy. His choice of Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, and His mercy toward sinners displays His righteous purposes.

14. Righteous Patience Toward Israel — Romans 10
God’s righteousness is revealed in His ongoing offer of salvation to Israel despite their unbelief. He remains faithful, patient, and merciful.

15. Righteous Preservation of a Remnant — Romans 11:1–10
God’s righteousness is shown in preserving a faithful remnant within Israel, demonstrating His ongoing covenant fidelity.

16. Righteous Inclusion of the Gentiles — Romans 11:11–24
God’s righteousness is revealed in grafting Gentiles into the covenant people. Their inclusion magnifies His mercy and fulfills His promises.

17. Righteous Restoration of Israel — Romans 11:25–32
God’s righteousness is revealed in His future plan to save “all Israel.” His mercy toward both Jews and Gentiles displays His righteous, covenant-keeping character.

18. Righteous Glory in God’s Final Purpose — Romans 11:33–36
Paul concludes with worship: God’s righteousness is revealed in the depth, wisdom, and perfection of His saving plan.

Probably just a partial list, but maybe you can begin to see what he meant. In fact, the last chapters (Romans 12-16) are also about God's righteousness on display—on display in each of us. It is how we live out the righteousness He credits us with. It is about how we display His righteousness in our lives. And it's about how big the gospel becomes when viewed through the righteousness of the God who gave it to us.

God on Display

As I’ve been teaching through Romans these past few months, I’ve seen new things. It seems as if I always see new things like that. Something hit me that you probably all got right away, but I didn’t, and it was really enlightening.

In Romans 9, Paul writes about God’s sovereignty in election. God chose Jacob over Esau before either had done anything “in order that God's purpose of election might continue” (Rom 9:10-13). He says, “It does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy” (Rom 9:16). He says, “He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires” (Rom 9:18). Very clear. Very complete. Very jarring. It’s so jarring, in fact, that Paul feels the need to answer the obvious objection.

You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?" On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? (Rom 9:19-20)

Paul’s answer is “You don’t get to tell God what to do. You have no standing to complain.” He uses the analogy of the potter. “Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?” (Rom 9:21). And he describes two “vessels”—one type is “vessels of wrath prepared for destruction” and the other is “vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory” (Rom 9:22-24).

Paul explains that it is God’s will to demonstrate His power and wrath, and He intends to do so on the former vessels—the vessels of wrath. But He also chooses to show mercy to another group—vessels of mercy. Note that the latter are different from the former. The vessels of mercy are vessels that He prepared beforehand. They didn’t do it themselves. He did it. Nothing in them made them worthy of His mercy; He made them.

Here’s the part I missed before. Both are God’s design. Both are in place for God’s purpose. What purpose? To display Himself. In one case, we see His power and wrath. In the other, we see His mercy. This harkens back to Paul’s language in Romans 3 where he describes God as “just and the justifier” (Rom 3:26). It goes all the way back to Romans 1 where Paul says God made Himself evident to us (Rom 1:19).

We might think that people facing eternity in Hell is a bad thing, and, in a sense, it is. We might see that as a failure on God’s part. Some even consider it proof that He doesn’t exist, or, at least, that He’s not good. But there is a very real sense in which both the saved and the unsaved—the glorified and the damned—both serve God’s divine purpose of displaying His full glory. It’s not that those of us who go to heaven do a better job at it than those who don’t. No, God uses both to magnify Himself. He makes vessels for honorable use and for common use. What they have in common is that they’re all for His use.

And that is the point Paul presses home. God is not reacting to history; He is revealing Himself through it. In judgment we see His holiness and justice; in mercy we see His compassion and grace. Both the vessels of wrath and the vessels of mercy serve His purpose of displaying the fullness of His glory. And because His glory is the highest good, nothing in His sovereign design is wasted. Our task, then, is not to sit in judgment over His ways, but to bow in worship before the God who makes Himself known in all that He does.

Man's Inability and Culpability

In Philippians 2, Paul urges the believers to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Php 2:12). It’s a little daunting, actually. “Me? Work out my own salvation?” It’s serious enough for Paul to include “with fear and trembling.” And I might say, “But I can’t.” It’s a good thing, then, that the sentence doesn’t end there. Paul follows it immediately with a “for” statement. “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Php 2:13). Ah! There it is! So … yes, I have to work out my salvation, and, yes, it’s hard work—frightening, even—but I’m not doing it alone. Indeed, God is doing it in me. Notice that God offers two components: to will and to work. He gives us the ability and inclination to choose it, and He gives us the power to do it. These are the two necessary pieces of anything we do. Do I want to? Do I have the capacity? God fills in those two. I can get to work now. This is all to illustrate the answer to the problem that people have with God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Inability. Scripture is not vague on God’s Sovereignty. He isn’t “sort of sovereign.” He works all things after the counsel of His will. So whether by allowing or causing, everything that happens is according to the counsel of His will. We see this in Joseph’s “You intended it for evil, but God intended it for good” (Gen 50:20). You see it in Jesus’s “For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” (Luke 22:22). And elsewhere. God lays human responsibility and His sovereignty side by side and works all things together for good (Rom 8:28). It’s the other side that gets sticky. Equally clear in Scripture is Man’s Inability. We are “dead in sin” (Eph 2:1-3), born in sin (Psa 51:5), hostile to God (Rom 8:7). We can’t understand the things of God (1 Cor 2:14) and can’t even see the kingdom of God without a supernatural intervention (John 3:3). So, if that truly describes humans—incapable of choosing God—how can God hold them responsible? The problem is we’re misunderstanding “inability.” The inability isn’t the lack of capability; it’s the lack of volition. It is what we call “moral inability.” Let’s try a parallel and see if you can understand this. A man comes into my home, puts a gun in my hand, and says, “If you don’t shoot your wife, I’ll kill you.” It would be right and reasonable for me to answer, “I can’t.” What would I mean? Do I lack the muscle to pull that trigger? Is there something wrong with my hand or some obstacle between me and her? No. I do not have it in me to shoot my wife. I don’t have the willingness to choose to do that because it would violate my nature. It is only my own nature preventing me from doing it. My lack of inclination. In the same way, the one thing that prevents anyone from coming to Christ is not something external preventing them. They have the capacity to say, “Jesus is Lord” (Rom 10:9) and there certainly is sufficient evidence for God and the truth of His Word (Rom 1:19-20; Psa 19:1). The only thing preventing anyone from coming is their own refusal to do so, their moral inability to choose Him. They lack the will. The reason people don’t come to Him is that they choose not to and the only way that can be changed is to change their wills. Only God can do that. The point, then, is not that sinners lack the capacity to come to Christ, but that they lack the desire. Their inability is rooted in what they love, not in what they lack. And because the will is bound to the heart, only God can free it. He grants repentance, opens eyes, inclines affections, and creates a new nature that delights in Christ. When He does, the one who once said “I can’t” now says “I will,” and he comes freely, joyfully, and genuinely—because grace has made him willing.

The Great Giveaway

Paul tells us that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). Let’s reword it so we can see it clearly. God’s best “I love you” for us is seen in Christ dying on our behalf. Love is the essence of the gospel.

But love is more than that. In Romans 1, we see that God’s righteous wrath isn’t about our misdeeds; it’s about our relational failure toward Him (Rom 1:18-21). It’s not that we were bad little boys and girls; it’s that we refused to acknowledge Him. The initial problem, then, was a breakdown in love.

Beyond that, Scripture makes an amazing claim. God’s Word claims that love is the fulfillment of the law. Jesus said that loving God and loving our neighbor was the entire law (Matt 22:37-40). He told His disciples, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). See that? Not “If you love Me, keep My commandments,” but “you will keep My commandments.” Paul wrote that “love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom 13:8-10). He told Timothy, “The goal of our instruction is love” (1 Tim 1:5). He told the Galatian Christians, “The whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'” (Gal 5:14). James calls love “the royal law” (James 2:8), God’s “ultimate law.”

Therefore, the problem of sin between us and God and between us and our fellow human beings is a failure to love, and love is the fulfillment of the law.

But what does that love look like? Not our anemic “warm feelings” idea. We can see this at the outset when God demonstrates His love toward us by sending His Son to die for us. That’s not “warm feelings.” That’s sacrifice. Paul told the Philippians to share the same mind as Christ did “who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Php 2:6-7). Love, then, seeks the best interest of the loved one without regard to self. Love empties self in order to give to the loved ones the very best.

Thus, husbands are commanded to “love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Eph 5:25).

Our fundamental sin problem is relational. Our design is for love—loving God and loving His people. Love is setting ourselves aside in order to gain another’s best interest. That love fulfills the law. Self-sacrifice is our reasonable, spiritual service of worship (Rom 12:1). Dying to self in this way is only possible if we are counting on our God to supply all our needs (Php 4:19). It is, however, loving in the way that we are loved and in the way we are commanded to love.

Counterintuitive

We speak often of “free will,” and in many everyday senses the term is appropriate. We make real choices, we bear real responsibility, and Scripture never treats us as puppets. Yet the biblical witness consistently presses us to see that God’s sovereign influence reaches far deeper into human behavior than we tend to assume. Paul’s statement in Romans 14:4 is a striking example: “Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” The believer’s perseverance is not merely a matter of human resolve; it is grounded in the Lord’s active ability to make His servant stand. That theme is woven throughout Scripture.

Paul tells the Philippians to “work out your salvation” because it is God Himself at work “both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil 2:12-13). Obedience is not simply commanded; it is enabled. The writer of Hebrews prays that the God of peace would “equip you… working in us that which is pleasing in His sight” (Heb 13:20–21). Ezekiel goes further still, promising that God will put His Spirit within His people and “cause you to walk in My statutes” (Ezek 36:26–27). In other words, the very inclinations of the renewed heart are gifts of divine grace.

Faith itself is portrayed as God’s action. When Lydia heard Paul preach, Luke tells us that “the Lord opened her heart to respond” (Acts 16:14). Jesus teaches that no one comes to Him unless the Father draws him (John 6:44), and He tells Peter that his confession of Christ’s identity was not revealed by “flesh and blood” but by the Father (Matt 16:17). The human response is real, but its origin is divine.

Scripture also shows God restraining sin. He tells Abimelech, “I… kept you from sinning against Me” (Gen 20:6). David blesses the Lord for restraining him from bloodshed in his anger toward Nabal (1 Sam 25:32–34). Conversely, when God gives a people over to their stubborn hearts (Ps 81:12), the removal of restraint is itself an act of judgment. Restraint and release both belong to Him.

The hardening of the human heart is another sobering theme. Paul states plainly that God “has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires” (Rom 9:18). The Exodus narrative repeatedly attributes Pharaoh’s stubbornness to God’s hardening. John echoes Isaiah when he writes that God has “blinded their eyes and hardened their heart” (John 12:39–40). These are judicial acts, yet they reveal that even human resistance can fall under divine sovereignty.

Even the decisions of rulers are not autonomous. “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes” (Prov 21:1). God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to send Israel home (Ezra 1:1). Nebuchadnezzar learned the hard way that God “does according to His will… and no one can ward off His hand” (Dan 4:35). Human authority operates under a higher hand.

The wisdom literature often speaks of God’s direction of human steps. “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Prov 16:9). The psalmist says that the steps of a man “are established by the Lord” (Ps 37:23). Jeremiah confesses that “a man’s way is not in himself… nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps” (Jer 10:23). Our planning is real, but our path is God-governed.

Repentance itself is a divine gift. God exalted Christ “to grant repentance to Israel” (Acts 5:31). When the Gentiles believed, the church concluded that “God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18). Paul instructs Timothy that God may “grant repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim 2:25). Repentance is not merely a human turning; it is God’s gracious work.

Even our affections fall under His shaping hand. David prays, “Create in me a clean heart” (Ps 51:10). The psalmist asks God to “incline my heart to Your testimonies” (Ps 119:36). Paul prays that the Lord would “direct your hearts into the love of God” (2 Thess 3:5). Love, desire, and devotion are not self-generated; they are divinely directed.

Taken together, these passages present a consistent biblical picture. Human will is real, responsible, and meaningful. Yet it is never independent. God can incline, restrain, harden, renew, or redirect the human heart according to His purposes. Jude declares that God “is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy” (Jude 1:24). Like Romans 14:4, it fits squarely within this larger pattern: the believer stands because the Lord is able to make him stand. Our choices matter, but they unfold within the sovereign, gracious, and sometimes hidden work of God, who shapes His people for His glory.

A Tongue Lashing

In typical friendly interactions, it isn't unusual to hear good friends exchanging playful insults—saying things that, taken as sincere, would be cruel and hurtful. We even have a word for it: banter—the friendly exchange of teasing and insulting remarks. But it’s just in fun, right? We don’t take it personally, so it’s okay. Or is it? The Bible seems to disagree.

Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt 12:34). Words are diagnostic in that sense—they reveal the heart.

Paul wrote, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph 4:29). Note the various points. First, his command is all-encompassing. “No corrupting talk.” Second, the purpose: building up. Third, the motivation: give grace. Does our speech among friends reflect that?

Proverbs says that “rash words are like sword thrusts” (Pro 12:18). Not necessarily harsh words; rash words.

James compares the tongue to a ship’s rudder because our tongues can serve to direct us (James 3:4), for example, in terms of the direction of our relationships, our reputations, our hearts. Does our speech direct us toward godliness and love, or not?

David prays, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, YHWH, my rock and my redeemer” (Psa 19:14). Who are we trying to impress with our words, our banter?

Paul wrote, “Brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Php 4:8). That’s quite a list, but I’m looking, and it doesn’t seem to include “banter” as a place for our minds to dwell.

God’s Word puts a lot more emphasis on the tongue, the mouth, the way we speak than we seem to. Maybe we’re allowing, for the sake of fitting in, that which breaks God’s heart. Maybe we’re being conformed to this world without noticing. I know I do it myself. In my coherent moments, it bothers me. I need to practice the controls that James commands (James 3:1-12). I need to pray with David, “Set a guard, YHWH, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psa 141:3)

News Weakly - 8/22/2026

Paper Tiger?
In February, 2022, world superpower Russia attacked a small adjacent country, Ukraine. It should have been a slam dunk, but now, four years later, we’re still seeing news like Ukraine launching “one of the war’s largest drone attacks” while a Russian drone strike kills 15 in a mall. The war is obviously not over … not even close … but there is a serious question about the actual strength of that “world superpower Russia.”

Aftermath
Five years ago, then-president Biden yanked troops out of Afghanistan overnight, leaving something like $7 billion worth of military equipment and the Afghan people to fall under the Taliban. They promised to be nice, but Afghan women seem to have borne the brunt of the repercussions, losing all the freedom they were given with US protections. I’m sure they’re grateful to be free of all that freedom.

A Major Dilemma
In a critical case before SCOTUS, the justices allowed the president to continue work on a new ballroom for the White House. That’s because it’s an unprecedented constitutional question. Or … not. I’m scratching my head. Really? I mean … both sides. REALLY?

In Control
Two American Airline jets with the same designation were narrowly saved from a disaster by an alert air traffic controller in Phoenix. He kept alert and managed to keep both from colliding in the confusion. Seriously, would we expect some AI air traffic controller to do better?

Your Weakly Fake News
Trump is promising an “economic D-Day” for Iran, so thousands of accountants boarded landing craft for the economic invasion. Right? The Bee headline says, “A.I. Assistant Starting To Suspect Its Human Might Be A Bit Of A Moron.“ Given a lot of the news from News Weakly, the AI might be right. Finally, Trump has threatened to claim the Strait of Hormuz for the US. It turns out he only wants it to build a floating golf course. Did not see that coming. Makes sense.

Must be true; I read it on the internet.