Everything??

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (2 Peter 1:2-4)

The Bible makes lots of claims, obviously, but some of them are of a grand, sweeping type. Like this one. Peter says that we should experience God's grace and peace in abundance. Why? Because God "has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness." Now, that He has granted us stuff is all well and good -- we buy that -- but this claim is much larger. He has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness. Everything?

Paul makes the same claim.

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Rom 8:32)

In this text, on the basis that God did not spare His own Son (which is an absolute certainty), we can be certain that God will "freely give us all things." What things? Paul lays them out in the subsequent verses (Rom 8:33-39) ("more than conquerors"). And Peter explains that "everything pertaining to life and godliness" is connected to making us "partakers of the divine nature" for the purpose of escaping "the corruption that is in the world by lust." The "all things" of Romans 8:32 and the "everything" of 2 Peter 1:3 have to do with forming believers into the image of His Son (Rom 8:39) in contrast to the world and its lusts.

The question, then, is pretty straightforward. You who have placed your faith in Christ, who call yourself "believers," whose only hope is in trusting Christ, who claim to believe God's Word -- do you? Do you believe the totality of that claim? Do you anticipate that God has granted you "everything pertaining to life and godliness." Do you count on God freely giving you all things? Or are you still scrabbling around, trying to scrape together what you need, to cobble together what's important, and stressing when it doesn't seem to come? Are you still muddling about in the world's lusts thinking you can get what you need? Or do you who believe ... actually believe? Because life is so sweet on the believing side of "everything."

A Different Culture of Death

According to the latest statistics, the current divorce rate in the U.S. is 6.2 per 1,000 people. In 2022, there were 673,989 divorces or annulments and 2,065,905 marriages. The average length of marriage prior to divorce is 8 years. (That is, of those who divorce, it lasts an average of 8 years.) We've been told that 50% of all marriages in the U.S. end in divorce. This isn't even close to accurate. Statistics show that, in a given year, the ratio of marriages to divorces in a given year are about 2:1, but that is a yearly snapshot that doesn't give a true picture. Using that method, in 2022 the divorce rate was roughly 33%. Beyond that, further studies suggest a vastly different number than the 50% standard. In a Census Bureau study in 2009, 20.5% of men and 22.4% of women reported ever being divorced. Currently more like 75% of those who marry stay married.

So, what about Christians? The reports have suggested that the divorce rate among Christians is nearly identical to non-Christians. Now, clearly, this shouldn't be. God hates divorce (Mal 2:16) and Jesus (you know, the "Christ" in "Christian" that Christians are supposed to follow) said, "What God has put together let no man separate" (Matt 19:6). Which begs the question ... is it that Christians are refusing to obey God, or is it that these may not be Christians we're talking about? The answer, of course, is "Yes." Christians sin. Period. But it shouldn't be "at the same rate" as the world, should it? And it turned out, when they took another look, the "Christians" who reported the same divorce rate as the world were not Bible-reading, church-going, Christ-following Christians. CINO's, then. Christians-In-Name-Only.

Still, divorce does occur among genuine Christians. All manner of sin occurs among genuine Christians. So I'm wondering. When we promise "Till death do us part," how are we defining "death"? "I don't feel good"? "I'm not exactly happy"? "I can do better"? Some Christians seem to have an extremely loose definition of "death" when they choose for any reason to divorce ... because Scripture doesn't seem to list any reason as a good one. Maybe one or two that are tolerable (e.g., Matt 19:8), but not one good reason. Which begs another question. Who are we trusting to give us the best for our lives? Ourselves? The people around us? Or God? If not God, what does that say about our faith ... in God?

What's Wrong With God?

Recently I shared (in comments) the information that my grandfather died (2007 -- not recently) rejecting Christ. A "brother in Christ" chose that opportunity of my revisiting that grief to tell me that God was a monster for failing to save my grandfather (which the "brother" took to mean that that God didn't exist). Now, who that was is irrelevant. The thought process is critical. You see, either we get to be the ones who determine the acceptable goodness and characteristics of God ... or He does. Unfortunately, the SOP -- the normal mode of operations for humans -- is the former, and it is a grave error.

Nebuchadnezzar, having endured a temporal judgment from God for his own arrogance, declared, "All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?'" (Dan 4:35). In our arrogance, of course, we correct Nebuchadnezzar. "Nope! We can!" When Paul wrote, "What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?" (Rom 9:22), he didn't find it questionable that God would will to demonstrate His wrath and make His power known on vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. That was a given. That was expected. The surprise was the twist in which God would show mercy. We've figured out today that Paul was wrong and God was wrong and the only way God could be good is if He saved everyone (à la Rob Bell's Love Wins) or, at least, tried ... although clearly if God tried and failed, that would make Him at the very least a failure. This is because we get to decide if God is good or not, not His Word. God declares, "That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am YHWH, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am YHWH who does all these" (Isa 45:6-7). We say, "Nope!" God said, "You thought that I was just like you" (Psa 50:21) and He is not, and we say, "Not the god I know." Oh, and that pesky doctrine of "election"? That's all over the Bible, from Abraham and the chosen people all the way into the New Testament. You have to work hard to avoid it. But humans do just that ... to their own peril.

One of the preeminent biblical characteristics of God is justice. God will not allow sin to go unpunished (Prov 11:21; Rom 6:7). From the start that meant death (Gen 2:16-17; Rom 6:23). Today's world demands a recount, as it were. God cannot be good if He punishes sin in the way Scripture says He will. God cannot be righteous if He doesn't at least try to save everyone. Scripture claims that He was willing to demonstrate His wrath and make His power known and the world cries, "No!!" Ironically, the world's demand seems to be -- instead of "justice for all" -- "mercy for all!" As a result, the world blasphemes God for His justice and His character, and that is a dangerous place to stand. No one can stop God from doing what God will do or decry His plans and actions. You can't reject the God revealed in the Bible -- "I don't like that god" -- and consider yourself a believer in biblical terms. If you reject the things that Jesus said (like "The poor you will always have with you" (John 12:8) or "I came to give my life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45), etc.) because they don't fit with your view, you can't be considered a Christ-follower. It is untenable that a genuine Christian would stand there in the face of all that Scripture says on who God is and who Jesus is. So I rest in the Being that Scripture defines as "God" and pray for the repentance and salvation of all who try to deface His glory.

Heavy Duty

We know the commands. We know the instructions. We have our Bibles. And so many of them are so clear as to not be avoidable. We may start to think of God as a cosmic killjoy. And we may start to obey out of duty rather than delight. So let's think about that for a moment.

Let's face it. Some of God's commands are not "warm and fuzzy." I mean, who looks forward to "die to self" (Matt 16:24; Col 3:5) or "think of others as more important than yourself" (Php 2:3) or the like? Like the proverbial "girls," we just wanna have fun. But, like good Christians, we might knuckle under and get to it because, after all, we love Jesus, right? And I would guess that obeying out of a sense of duty is better than not obeying at all. It just seems like when Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15), "duty" wasn't in view. Love was. And "I love you because it's my duty" doesn't seem very ... loving. The problem, of course, is faulty thinking on our part. We think X is fun and when God says "No X" He's saying, "No fun." We're quite wrong. X might be fun, but fun is not the issue. When God says, "No X" it's because X is bad for us. It's like complaining that God won't allow us to drink the Draino. That'd be fun. But, no, it wouldn't, and only our shortsightedness would ever make us think otherwise.

If we believe that God is love and we believe that God is good, then it follows unavoidably that the things He commands are not to stop us from having fun, but to direct us to the best things. He's helping us avoid the bad in favor of the best. He's doing us a grand favor, because if He was like too many parents today, He'd just step back and let us run amok ... to our own harm. So, instead of duty, perhaps we might say, "Thanks" and deeply appreciate Him showing the way to a more fulfilling, more abundant life. What do you think?

Which is Harder?

We know that we are commanded to "rejoice always" (1 Thess 5:16) and "in everything give thanks" (1 Thess 5:18) and, perhaps above all else, "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess 5:17). These commands can be difficult when we find ourselves in tough times. Rejoicing at the loss of a job or giving thanks in the death of a loved one or the like can be daunting -- nearly impossible.

I'm just wondering. When Paul spoke of being "content in whatever circumstances I am" (Php 4:11), do you think he was speaking of those hard times as well? Well, actually, he tells us. "I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need" (Php 4:12). Yes, both in difficult circumstances and in good times. But which do you think is harder? Is it harder to thank God when everything is going badly or when everything is going smoothly? Are we apt to pray when we're fully satiated or when we're in need? Are we equally grateful for bad times and good times?

I've often thought that being a Christian in a country that approves and embraces Christianity (while not actually being Christian) is a much more difficult place to be. It's easy to claim the name without living it. It's easy to call yourself a Christian and live like the devil. In our society, we're not even supposed to question that. We are inundated with "CINOs" -- Christians in name only. Sometimes I think that it's more real when we are being Christians in hostile areas. And sometimes I think it's harder to rejoice, to be thankful, to pray when everything is going good. Which doesn't speak well of us, does it?

He Loves You

I've heard it in word and song and conversation far too many times. "Jesus loves you just as you are." Now, I know that there is a sense that this is true, but the message is all wrong. That is, if Jesus loves me just the way I am, why change? Indeed, I'd better not. I'd move out of the "comfort zone" of the "me" He loves. No, no, I'll just sit here in my sin and failure and stew in order to be safely loved by Jesus.

That, of course, is ridiculous, but this is the message some receive ... just not from Scripture. Scripture tells us that He chose us to become conformed to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29), not stay as we are. Christians are people in transition, changing from within to be reflections of Him. It is the term, "sanctification," a process of becoming more holy, more like Christ. It's not even optional (1 John 3:9). The old is passing away; the new is coming (2 Cor 5:17).

In our modern "warm and fuzzy" version of "love," we have come to think that "God loves you" means "God thinks of you with warm affection." So when we read that God loves us without regard to our worthiness, we think He has warm affection for our unworthiness. It's not true. Grace is unmerited favor and He saves not for what we are, but on the basis of His Son. He does love us (not in a "warm and fuzzy" way), but has every expectation of forming us into His Son's image. Despite some of the Christian songs you might hear and even enjoy, Jesus is not our "boyfriend." Therefore, He loves us as we are, knowing what we will become. Don't get confused about that.

News Weakly - 7/20/2024

Missed
The news all week, of course, was largely around the assassination attempt on Trump, so that occupies a big space in today's entry. One staffer for Democrat Bernie Thompson asked that the next gunman get some practice so he doesn't miss. (She was fired.) We still don't know the motive, but a popular suggestion is that Biden and the Dems brought this about with their "threat to democracy" and "becoming a dictator" and comparisons to Hitler rhetoric which may have just prompted a patriot to try to save America from Trump. Trump urged his followers on Jan 6, 2021, to "fight" and he was accused of insurrection. Biden said he wanted to put Trump "in the bull's-eye." Could that have been taken as a call for violence? Putin thinks so. On the other hand, former Biden press secretary, Jen Pasaki, suggested that Republican rhetoric was to blame. The Atlantic offered an opinion piece titled, "The Gunman and the Would-Be Dictator." Nice. On Monday, two days after the attempt, the New York Times published a piece on how a "megalomaniac who will happily destroy American democracy" is at the door. Helpful rhetoric that will surely not incite further violence, right? A veteran sniper suggested that the kid who took the shot could not have gotten where he was without help. Somebody on the inside. Maybe. There are questions about how a guy could be sighted on the roof with a gun, reported minutes before the shooting, and none of the protection team responded. It's a mess, but, while Trump took a literal hit, some are suggesting that it just won Trump the White House or, at least, vastly improved his position. Unfortunately, given the known unreliability of both the media and government, we shouldn't expect real answers anytime soon.

No Surprise Here
Oh ... and Trump got the GOP nomination. Like we didn't expect that. Perhaps something from the RNC that was news was the Sikh prayer offered to "Vaheguru, our one true God." Does not bode well for the RNC.

California ... Again
Good ol' reliable California Governor Newsom signed into law that schools cannot tell parents their kids are going transgender. Or, to put it another way, "You have no rights to your children; they're ours." California schools will be required to indulge the fantasies of children as if they were reasonable and expect to be trusted. Quite a leap. On the other hand, are parents so disconnected that they can't tell? Both sides are sad. (And at least one California school district is suing over it.)

Missing the Point
I had to give this one its own entry. It is on the Trump assassination attempt, but in a different direction. Robin Abcarian from the LA Times says the real issue is "We are a nation ravaged by gun violence because we make little effort to limit the availability of weapons of war." Standard ideology ... but thoroughly mistaken not because we shouldn't limit availability of weapons (not my point), but because it fails to identify the real problem -- our current culture of death. We show it on TV and in movies and call it "entertainment." We encourage it in the abortion clinics. Too many voices after the incident said, "Don't miss next time" because we have jettisoned God's values, substituted our own, and can't figure out why humans are killing humans. "Must be that we have the means to do it." Nonsense. Humans are the problem, not the tools they use. (Same principle for the death of Anne Fundner's son of fentanyl overdose. Illegal aliens are not the problem; human nature is.)

Threat to Democracy
It's interesting, isn't it? Trump is a "threat to democracy" (I'm no Trump fan, but I'm not exactly clear on why he's a "threat to democracy"), but Biden hopes to reform the Supreme Court and abolish presidential immunity. The idea is if he can get enough liberal justices in there, they can reverse the decisions made under the latest justices ... which is exactly what they're complaining about from the latest justices. To put it another way, "If we can manipulate the Judicial Branch to work as we in the Executive Branch want it without the vote of the people, we will have undercut the entire Constitution, but we'll be in charge, won't we?" Who is a "threat to democracy" now?

Viable Vaccine
President Joe is "vaccinated and boosted" ... and has COVID. No reflection on Joe, but when a "vaccination" goes from "You'll never get it again" to providing scant protection from getting, spreading, and even dying from what it's supposed to protect against, one has to wonder. Mind you, Joe is in the "worst" category because of his age and Scripture compels us to pray for all who are in authority (1 Tim 2:1-2), so you know what to do.

Target Rich Environment
The Bee, of course, had a slew of pieces with this target rich environment. Like the one about J.D. Vance donning helmet and body armor in preparation to run with Trump. May not be a joke. Or how Vance was horrified to learn he had to use Truth Social now. Ouch! Or the story of CNN doing a piece on famous assassinations throughout history with headlines like "Lincoln nods off at play" and "JFK startled by loud popping noises." Typical. I suppose if we didn't try to laugh at it all, we'd cry.

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

Things I Can't Afford

There are lots of things in life I can't afford. I can't afford a boat or RV. Too much money for mere entertainment and amusement. Do you know the origin of the word, "amuse"? It is from Latin muser -- to think -- with an "a" at the front for "not." To amuse in its original form meant to divert attention, to delude, to entrap, to stop from thinking. I don't think I can afford much amusement of that type.

I can't afford to ignore my wife, to be a bad husband, to fail to love her. I certainly don't succeed all the time at avoiding those pitfalls, but when I fail, it costs me ... more than I can afford. In a similar vein, I can't afford to ignore my Lord, be a bad Christian, or fail to love Jesus. To fail in any of these is even more expensive. I don't have the resources for those expenses.

What really brought this line of thinking up was current events. We're all wondering about the political scene and where that's going to go. Will it be Biden or Trump ... or ...? Who will our representatives be in the House and Senate? What can we expect in the months and years to come? Or, consider the shooting of Trump. Where will the violence come next? What direction is this country heading politically, morally, socially, economically ... all of it? The one thing that I really cannot afford is to trust my world -- politicians, business people, law enforcement, voters, planners, movers, and shakers. No stability. No confidence. I cannot afford to be double-minded like that, claiming to count on my God to see me through all while worrying about everything in this crazy, mixed-up world (James 1:7-8). I cannot afford to trust anyone more than Christ. That would certainly cost me more than I have.

Misunderstandings

The line from the Animals' song was, "I'm just a soul whose intentions are good. O, Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood." When we're talking about the faith, however, that will be a given, won't it? Sharing with the world -- hostile to God (Rom 8:7) and blinded by Satan (2 Cor 4:4) -- it is a given. But even believer to believer, it seems like we will certainly be misunderstood.

My grandfather was a self-professed atheist who, every time he visited our home, heard the gospel in some form or another. Personal witnessing, Billy Graham crusades, even reading Evidence that Demands a Verdict -- both volumes. But he never budged. Then, when I was about 50 and we were visiting, he stopped us in the middle of a conversation. "Wait!" he said, "Are you saying that you get saved simply by believing in Christ???" I was stunned. How many times had he heard that ... without hearing? He figured all along it was the standard "be good enough and you'll get in" format and never heard any of the truth until that moment. Misunderstandings.

A believer I know came in contact with the doctrine of election and was outraged. "Well, if that's true," he said, "I'll just become a Hell's Angel because it doesn't matter what I think or want if He does the choosing." Mind you, election is not like that. God's choosing is not capricious or whimsical. God doesn't choose for no reason, but for His own purposes (Rom 8:29) and His own reasons (Rom 9:11) and not because we're so lovable or capable (1 Cor 1:26-27). "Well, if God denies others access to heaven simply because they're not chosen, that's not fair!" God denies no one access to heaven (John 3:16). All misunderstandings. (Note: Eventually, after my friend read more and heard more and thought it through more, he realized the truth and embraced it. Misunderstandings do not have to remain.)

"You Christians ... you operate on blind faith." That's a very common one, and we even hear it affirmed by Christians. It's not Scripture; it's a misunderstanding. Scripture refers to pistis -- to be persuaded by evidence or argument. Scripture affirms that we have reasons to believe. Credulity is the willingness to believe without evidence or reason. We're not called to that. Misunderstanding.

It is inevitable that unbelievers will misunderstand. We're told, "The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised" (1 Cor 2:14). On the other hand, among believers, we are all in various stages of sanctification and renewing the mind, so we will all have a varying level of understanding. As such, misunderstanding among believers will also be inevitable. Unbelievers will require intervention from God, but we who are born again should be careful to be slow to speak and swift to hear (James 1:19), seeking understanding and unity among brethren. We should always be willing to have our beliefs adjusted by God's Word. We all, in fact, need it.

The Importance of Forgiving

In Matthew 6 we have Jesus providing His disciples with a framework for prayer -- the famous "Lord's Prayer." Near the end of it we have this line: "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matt 6:12). When He finished, Jesus gave further explanation ... on this line only.

"For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." (Matt 6:14-15)

The text leaves me with a dilemma. We know we are not saved by works (Rom 3:20; Eph 2:8-9; Titus 3:5) but this text appears to say that those who don't forgive others cannot be forgiven by God. It appears to list a particular work -- forgiving others -- that prevents "saved by grace through faith" if not carried out. It goes along with that parable Jesus told about the unforgiving servant (Matt 18:23-35), where the unforgiving servant was handed over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed (Matt 18:35).

I've known Christians who have told me, "I will not forgive ..." "I will not forgive that guy who did that to my sister." "The Nazis killed my parents in the concentration camps. I'll never forgive them." "Me? Forgive him? Not gonna happen." Christians. So what can we conclude? Have they lost their salvation? Let's ask that a different way. Was Jesus mistaken when He said, "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand" (John 10:29)? "Well, Jesus," we would have to say, "almost no one." Of course, that can't be true. So, no, there is no lost salvation here. What, then? The failure -- refusal -- to forgive others here is equated with -- tied to -- God's refusal to forgive. It is not lost salvation, but it is serious. I think, though, I've found the solution. I've made sense of it.

In the story of Jesus and Simon, the Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50), Jesus explains to Simon why the sinful woman anointed His feet. He gives the example of a moneylender who has two debtors: one owed 500 denarii and the other owed 50. The moneylender forgives both. And Jesus asks Simon, "Which of them will love him more?" Jesus explained that the woman loved more because she was forgiven much, "but he who is forgiven little, loves little" (Luke 7:47). You see, when we come to Christ in faith, we are changed. We cannot come to Christ in faith and not change. Jesus pointed out "You will know them by their fruits" (Matt 7:16, 20) because we do what is in our nature to do (Luke 6:45). So, if we refuse to forgive, according to Jesus, we must not have been forgiven. So the lack of forgiveness is an indicator of an unforgiven person. The lack of forgiveness is not causal in the Father not forgiving; it is indicative. So how are you at forgiving others?

From Principled to Pragmatic

The Atlantic in 2016 offered a political commentary from Jonathan Merritt that claimed that "Trump-loving Christians" owed Bill Clinton an apology. His premise was that Christians refused Clinton forgiveness even though he asked for it, but offered it to Trump who didn't. "Character counts!" was the cry over Vince Foster's death, Paula Jones's harassment claims, and, of course, the Monica Lewinsky debacle to name a few. "Character counts!" they cried and, clearly, Mr. Clinton was lacking. Odd, then, that today's version is coming from the Dems. Kamala Harris threw out the very same line after Trump was recently convicted. Mind you, Biden has his character issues (think hair-sniffing just off the top of my head) (Yes, that was a joke -- "hair," "off the top of my head"), but most people are keenly aware of Trump's issues with his adultery, his questionable business dealings, his crude remarks about grabbing women in ... well, you know ... and so forth, so it's Trump's character in the spotlight.

It hurts to watch. The Atlantic (Jonathan Merritt) was right. Conservatives in general and Christians in particular have done a peculiar 180° spin on the issue of character. We held the high ground back then. Now we hold the pragmatic ground. The Left said, "It doesn't matter about his character. What matters is what he accomplishes." And I'm hearing the same from Christians today. What does it matter what kind of man he is if he gets it done? Well, I guess I get stuck on the last part of the question. Gets what done? He's certainly not going to restore a sense of decorum and cooperation to the Executive Branch. He's already indicated that he has no dog in the pro-life hunt. He has suggested that he'll "hunt down his opposition" (my words, not his). Is that what we want done? What I want done is to have a president I can trust, and he won't get that done. One who will defend life. That's not him. One who will defend my values. Not gonna happen. But, of course, I didn't expect it ... from him or any other current politician.

So now we've removed Dems and Republicans from the principled position -- "Character counts" -- and into the purely pragmatic. They wanted the political outcomes that they wanted, character notwithstanding. Now so do we. What do we want? Maybe what we want done is simply to prevent Biden from doing 4 more years of damage. Maybe all we want is someone -- anyone -- in the White House that is not our current president. Now, that could be just about anybody, but obviously it would require someone who could beat Biden in an election. So maybe, from a purely pragmatic view, it will be necessary to vote for a man without significant character in whom I have little trust or expectations just to keep Biden out of office. What kind of a miserable option is that? Clearly from a low (but not necessarily faulty) view of American politics. When I consider these things, I call to mind, as the hymn says,

This is my Father’s world.
Oh, let me ne'er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.

The Value of Integrity

What is integrity? You may not have noticed, but "integrity" carries a distinct resemblance to "integer." That's because they share a common root. Integrity comes from the Old French integrité which comes from Latin integritatem. It refers to "wholeness" or "completeness." Integer -- a whole number -- is the noun form of the Latin integritatem, and, voilà, you have a whole number. Integrity, then, refers to being "one," to being "whole." It is the state of being at one with your moral principles. Of course, that assumes that your moral principles are upright (because a thief who believes that stealing is good would be a man of integrity, otherwise). So, Scripture says, "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity" (Prov 11:3). God commended Job for holding fast his integrity after Satan took everything from him (Job 2:3). Solomon wrote, "He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out" (Prov 10:9) It is a good thing to live a life in sync with godly principles.

So ... why does it seem so rare? Almost everyone would admit that integrity is a quality, a good thing we should all have. And almost everyone would admit that they do not live as one with their values ... even among believers. Christians will admit that biblical principles of marriage, for instance, are a good way to operate a marriage, but Christians are often not good examples of "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord" or "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church." We all made vows at our weddings -- to love till death do us part -- but how many of us have folded on that? We can all see that Scripture says to submit to earthly authorities (Rom 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13-15), but how many of us make a practice of cheating on our taxes or unnecessary speeding? Here, let's do an easy one? Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). Are you a person who is remarkable as a one who openly loves other believers?

None of us are perfect. We get that. None of us have "arrived." Not even Paul (Php 3:12). But it ought to be our direction, our destination. We should be recognizing those areas where we fall short of it and work to change it by the power of the Holy Spirit in us. So why is it so many of us give a nod to "Yes, that's what it says" followed by a "but"? "Yes, but it doesn't apply to me." "Yes, but that's too hard." "Yes, but I don't like that." "Yes, that's what it says, but we love each other, so why shouldn't we sleep together?" And we go our merry way thinking we're fine. In that Proverbs 11 text above, the contrast was between "integrity" and "duplicity." Are we content with letting duplicity mark our lives instead of integrity -- the aim to align our lives with the values we hold? Are we satisified being double-minded?

What is God's Will for My Life?

I don't think there is a genuine believer who has not, at least once in their lives, asked that question. It's a reasonable question. First, it assumes you care about it. Someone who had no interest in following and serving God would have no interest in what His will was. Second, it assumes you would be willing to surrender your will to His. Good choice. And, third, it suggests you are actively pursuing a relationship with God rather than ... meandering, as it were. All good things. Is there any way, then, that we can know God's will for our lives? Of course there is.

First, the easy one. God's will for your life is revealed day by day in the events and choices that occur. That is, everything that has happened in the past was God's will for your life. We know this because we have a Sovereign God who does as He pleases (Psa 115:3; Psa 135:6). "No one can ward off His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?'" (Dan 4:35). If it happened, He intended it. Period. And that should provide some comfort. But what about our real question -- "What's next?" We're not left to guess. We have the Word. His Word is truth (John 17:17). What He says we should do. We often handle God's Word too lightly and then, when He says things like "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord" (Eph 5:23) we ask, "So, what does God want me to do in my marriage?" Or someone wants to know God's will about, say, drinking alcohol while ignoring fully, "Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph 5:18). We have an entire book breathed out by God (2 Tim 3:16-17) designed to equip us for "every good work" and ask, "So ... what is God's will for my life?" How about if we start there?

Of course, not everything is covered in God's Word. What job should I take? Who should I marry? Where should I live? While there is a lot in Scripture to inform these kinds of things (like not to marry an unbeliever (2 Cor 6:14) or taking a job forbidden by Scripture), not everything is covered, but we are not left without guidance. I find it most clearly in a single verse (which is repeated in a variety of places in Scripture): "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess 5:17). Oh, and look! That was from Scripture! But, seriously, we are not left blind here. We have Scripture. We have the Holy Spirit. We have prayer. We have fellow believers. We have lots of sources that, if we pay attention, can direct us along the paths of righteousness ... for His name's sake (Psa 23:3). As long as our aim is to follow Him, to submit to Him, to please Him, to pursue Him. Oh, look! God's will for your life!!

News Weakly - 7/13/2024

File Under "Crazy California"
California's ballot is ... interesting. Californians banned same-sex marriage in their constitution in 2008, but the court banned Californians from doing so, so now they want to change the current amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman to read "The right to marry is a fundamental right" where "marry" goes undefined and should, if logic was to be followed, soon include marrying your dog, your pillow, or 13 other people. They are voting on borrowing $10 billion on climate programs ... because they're already broke. They are voting on banning "forced labor in any form" ... which would (no kidding) include prisoners. I guess they'll have to be paid minimum wage and not required to work. They want to make repeat shoplifting a felony ... but won't arrest them if it's less than $1000. Makes perfect sense ... to someone somewhere. What we've come to expect from California, I suppose.

Journalistic Softball
A talk radio station in Pennsylvania landed an interview with Joe Biden last week. The host, as it turned out, agreed (without the station's knowledge) to ask only the questions provided by the Biden campaign. They fired her. No notion of holding the candidate accountable. No idea of asking what listeners might want to hear. No concern about trust. She just went with the softballs offered by the campaign. Oh, and, no, she had no bias ... obviously. The separation was "mutual." Because "We both know that was the wrong thing to do."

The Next Step in Lawfare
The Supreme Court granted that a president performing official acts is immune from criminal prosecution. So Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are working on legislation to strip the court's ruling and Trump's immunity. Because the goal of all legal and legislative action these days is to cut Donald Trump off at the knees. "We're going to make our opinions law to suit our preferences. Sure, maybe we'll have to rescind it when we do the same thing, but ..." Thanks, Mr. Schumer, for your service. If the Justice Department can't take down their opponents, perhaps they can make new laws that will.

Nothing To See Here
After successfully shutting down Elon Musk's exorbitant pay package from Tesla in court (effectively undercutting the concept of capitalism), lawyers asked for an exorbitant pay package. The case will be heard in court Monday. A single Tesla stockholder (with 9 shares of stock) filed suit against Musk's pay package and won. The lawyers demanded a $7 billion compensation in Tesla stock. "No, your pay is too much," they successfully argued in court, "but we should be allowed whatever we ask. You can't have the money Tesla wanted to pay you, but we should." Nope! No double standard here!

The Irony Is Strong With This One
New York is putting a constitutional amendment on their ballot for November. Termed an "equal rights" amendment, the aim is to secure abortion rights (read "no equal rights for unborn children") and protect "gender identity" and "gender expression" (read, "We don't care what your religious views are; you will follow our views on this" and "You will have to let your children choose their gender and you will pay for it."). It falls right in line with "Some are more equal than others."

Truth in Reporting
The headlines say that the House has passed a bill to ban noncitizens from voting in federal elections. The headlines are a lie. Noncitizens have not been able to legally vote in federal elections since 1996. Just to be clear. This law from the House is to require ID's that prove citizenship, not a ban on noncitizen voting (which was already in place). Don't be fooled by the hype ... from either side. We have a highly questionable source of information these days. It's called "the media" -- news, social, or otherwise.

From Bee to Shining Bee
Democrats, scrambling to bolster Biden's chances of election, are warning of a terrifying fascist state where government shrinks and people can afford groceries. "An unspeakable, horrifying hellscape," said Chuck Schumer. Meanwhile Obama is reassuring the nation that he's still running the country. In other news, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is blaming the spike in violent crimes on 19th century monks who invented gunpowder. Ah! It's so clear, now. And one observation from Genesius Times on the possible replacement of Biden with Kamala Harris story. The headline is "In order to save democracy we must replace the democratically-nominated candidate with someone no one voted for." Ah, those pesky Dems, eh?

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

Lexophile Humor

A friend sent this to me and it was worth it to pass it on to you. If you don't laugh, at least you'll have new insight into my character.

1. I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.
2. Police were called to a daycare where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
3. Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.
4. To write with a broken pencil is pointless.
5. The short fortune teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
6. A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
7. When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U.C.L.A.
8. The math professor went crazy with the blackboard. He did a number on it!
9. The professor discovered that her theory of earthquakes was on shaky ground.
10. The dead batteries were given out, free of charge.
11. A dentist and a manicurist fought tooth and nail.
12. A bicycle can't stand alone; it is just two-tired.
13. A will is a dead giveaway.
14. A backward poet writes inverse.
15. A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.
16. With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.
17. A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France, resulting in linoleum blownapart.
18. He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.
19. A calendar's days are numbered.
20. A boiled egg is hard to beat.
21. If you jump off a Paris bridge, you are in Seine.
22. When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.
23. Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.
24. Acupuncture: a jab well done.

And to round it out, seen at a restaurant the other day: "I dream of a day when chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned."

Confused

I saw a news piece the other day with two rather large women talking about their organization that helped young girls gain "positive body image" in their extreme obesity. And I thought, "Aren't we missing the point?" "Fat shaming," as it is known, is a bad thing, but does that require that we praise people for it? Is the remedy for fat shaming declaring that obese is beautiful? Apparently so.

We're a confused people. And not just "those people." Christians are confused. I spoke with a lovely young Christian woman who was deeply concerned about being overweight. Will her husband continue to love her? Will she have friends? Can God even use her? This lovely young woman wasn't an aberration. She was the norm. Most women today are deeply concerned about their appearance. So are men. Somehow, somewhere along the way, we got the notion that "the shape of my body determines my worth." It is, indeed, a lie from the heart of Satan. Right along with how much money we make, what the status of our job might be, and all these other superficial measures our society uses today, we've being lied to about worth. We've determined that humans in the womb are only of worth if the mother says so. We've decided that the more valuable people are the beautiful people, with an arbitrary measure of "beautiful" that varies over time. We think that warning someone that being extremely overweight (for instance) can be hazardous to their health is the equivalent of "shaming" and diminishes their value. This and so much surrounding it is a pack of lies from the father of lies, and we -- even we Christians -- buy into it blindly.

God has a different valuation method. First, our innate value is in the fact that we are made in His image (Gen 9:6). Nothing changes that fact. Not appearance, behavior, efforts, possessions, reputation ... nothing. Women, Scripture says, have true beauty when it is internal, when it is cultivated not in the external appearance, but in "the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious" (1 Peter 3:3-4). Now, maybe some men may disagree. Maybe some may prefer the external, but if they do, they are pursuing fleshly passions which, as we all know, satisfy no one and only "wage war against your soul" (1 Peter 2:11). Do you want to be precious? Be the person, in the heart, that God finds precious. Today's oversized women shouting to be valued because they are obese are missing the point. So are the slightly overweight who feel worthless. The point is that God values His creatures because we are made in His image, and He finds most precious the internal beauty that character brings. We could all learn a lesson there, I think.

Witnessing

I looked up "witnessing tools" the other day. I found "The Road to Emmaus - 15 Tips for Effective Witnessing" and Free Witnessing Tools and a free downloadable guide from Billy Graham's organization to equip you to witness. Just the beginning of the list. From Evangelism Explosion to the 4 Spiritual Laws, we've had a lot of help learning how to witness. One component that is critical is sharing your testimony. So The Gospel Coalition has "6 Principles for Sharing Your Testimony" and Cru (Don't get me started.) has an article on preparing your personal testimony. Nice.

Funny thing. It all seems so ... strange. You see, "witnessing" simply means telling what you've witnessed and your "testimony" is simply your written or spoken account of your experience with something. Now, obviously, when we "witness" in the Christianese version, we're sharing the gospel, but the biblical concept isn't very complicated. When Jesus told His disciples, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8), He wasn't thinking, "Well, after you've done a proper Evangelism Explosion course." There was no hint of some specialized training. He planned on them ... you know ... following the Holy Spirit and telling what they knew about Christ. Simple. Their "testimony" was "This is what we've seen and this is what He did and said and this is what we've experienced." Not that hard.

I'm not complaining about the programs. I'm not blowing them off. They have some good stuff. I just think that it's possible to turn basic "witnessing" into something other than "telling what you know" and your "testimony" into an unnecessary production when the real, honest, "here it is" approach would be most genuine and, likely, most effective. So why do these programs thrive? Is it because we're scared to follow the Holy Spirit? Is it because Jesus just hasn't done that much for us? Is it that only the best spun tales will work, and ours just isn't that good? Is it because Jesus just isn't that good? Perhaps we're stalling? Or perhaps we're more concerned about others' opinions about us than Christ's view of us. Maybe we might want to reconsider the hoops we jump through trying to get "my testimony" and "witnessing" right. It's just telling what you know. It's not that hard.

If God is Sovereign

The first rule of Fight Club, they tell me, is that you don't talk about Fight Club. Fiction is all well and good, but the first rule about Christianity is that you have to admit that you're a sinner in need of saving. If you aren't, you have no need of Jesus. It stands to reason, then, that we Christians will have an issue with sin. Paul did (Rom 7:21-24). Any believer who has any awareness of God, His righteousness, and our distance from that, will, at some point (or points), struggle with this problem. I am not who God intended me to be. I will always have the scars of who I am as opposed to who I should have been. It's a sickening feeling. It is impossible to stand next to "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt 5:48) knowing that we are not, never were, and won't be this side of heaven. Let's face it; we're a mess.

Most Christians, to some degree, suffer from this malady. We love God and we want to be what God wants us to be, but we are not and we are not happy about that. Like Isaiah, we will all, in some sense, utter a "Woe is me!" (Isa 6:5) Can God even use a wretch like me? So follow me for a minute thinking about if God is Sovereign. If God is actually Sovereign, then that means that He knew what you were when you met Him. It means He knew what you would be when you were born and could have insured that you remained without sin for your whole life in order for you to be what He intended you to be -- perfect. He did not. So, since He is Sovereign, it must be that He planned for your sin and expected to put you to use for His glory, sin and all. Fine piece of logic, perhaps, but does Scripture offer any support? Yes, it does. Peter, in his first sermon, told the Jews that Jesus was "delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men" (Acts 2:23). Now, certainly, murdering the sinless Son of God was a sin, but God used it. Scripture says that the Jews gathered against Jesus -- both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever God's hand and God's plan had predestined to take place (Acts 4:27-28). God planned and predestined sin for His purposes. He didn't cause it, but He certainly saw it coming and allowed it and used it for good. Does that absolve the sin? Not at all. Jesus told the disciples He would be betrayed. "For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!" (Luke 22:22). The betrayal was planned and "determined," but woe to the betrayer. That God can use sin for His glory does not absolve the sinner.

So we, sinners/saints, forgiven by God, have this reality within us. We are not and never have been precisely what God intended -- perfect. We bear within ourselves the scars and damage that all that sin has caused. Taken at face value, it can be quite ugly. But God ... I love that phrase ... loves us, knew in advance of our sin, and allowed it in order to accomplish His will and shape His people. Even in our sin, we are molded by God to be what He wants. So when we complain to God about the mess we've made of our lives, we are the pot saying to the Potter, "Why have You made me this way?" (Isa 29:16). We should, instead, marvel that God would allow us the sin we've done, forgive us for it, and use it to shape and mold us more into the image of His Son (Rom 8:28-29). While we long to "Go, and sin no more," we can be grateful that all our errors have not undone what a Sovereign God has planned. To those of you who are perfect, perhaps that's not a big deal, but for sinners like me, it's a great relief.

Temporary Housing

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:11-12)

I would imagine that most of us would nod and agree with this text ... without thinking much about it. I mean, sure, "abstain from fleshly lusts" ... we get it. Common message. We're on board. (Mostly.) But that's not what it says. Or, at least, not all it says. Note, first, the "beloved." This isn't some stern taskmaster demanding obedience. It is coming from the heart, coming from love. What it it? Peter had just explained that, while others trip over Christ (1 Peter 2:8), we are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession," and that our job is to "proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). Before Christ we were "not a people" but in Christ we are "God's people" (1 Peter 2:10). In this state of being, then, we are "aliens and strangers." We are not at home in this world. We are in the world but not of it. And while we are here, we are under His care (John 17:15).

Most of us don't really live this way, do we? Maybe we try to "abstain from fleshly lusts," but, really, who doesn't like a little pleasure in life? Who doesn't like fame and fortune, worldly pleasures, fun, comfort, you name it? So we "abstain from fleshly lusts" mostly ... but we dance at the edges, at least. A little now and then can't hurt. We're only human. And God says these fleshly lusts "wage war against the soul." Now, that can't be a good thing. So the very first place to look is who we are. We are not earthlings, so to speak. This world is not our home. Don't get too comfortable. We're not planning on staying. Keep your bags packed, as it were, because this is very temporary. Short term. We're going somewhere else ... for eternity.

That's where it starts for us. We're temporarily here, so, we need to guard our desires. Don't buy the cheesy commercials -- "You deserve a break today." We have better things to do. What, then? Remember why we're here, albeit temporarily. We're here to bring glory to God. We're here to show others how glorious our God is. We're here so that unbelievers may glorify God. So if we're guarding our desires away from fleshly lusts, we must be headed toward good deeds that glorify God. It's a full time task in a temporary existence. It's much bigger than "don't be bad." Instead, show how good God is because we're just passing through.

All We Have to Fear

I did a quick search in the King James Bible for the phrase, "fear not." There were more than 60 citations. Seems like something we should look at. "Fear not." Interestingly, our culture thrives on fear even while it militates against "terrorism." So much news, so many ads, so much of life is predicated on "be afraid; be very, very afraid." From "Use our product or you could suffer consequences" to "Don't eat that or you could die" (with the necessary follow on "Don't fail to eat that or you could die") to "They're out to get you" or "He'll destroy democracy" or ... you get the idea ... we function on fear. If there is no crisis, there is no motive force. It feels like the primary aim of our news media is precisely terrorism -- "Make the public afraid of the things we don't want them to like." Fear is an everyday component of our lives.

The message of Scripture, over against so much of what our world is telling us, is "Fear not." It isn't a message that there is nothing to fear. In fact, Scripture considers it a point of error that "There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Psa 36:1; Rom 3:18). That is, a primary sin of the natural human being is no fear ... of God. But when that fear of the wrath of a righteous God in comparison to our unrighteousness drives us to our knees, we receive peace with God (Rom 5:1). In that condition -- in the saving hands of our Lord Jesus -- we have no need of fear (Rom 8:31-39). "Fear not," is a glorious option for the believer, and only for the believer.

Jesus repeatedly told His disciples, "Fear not." The reason they didn't need to fear was simply that Jesus was there. Since we have the promise that He is always with us (Matt 28:20; Heb 13:5), it would follow that we, too, can "fear not." Which makes me consider our own approach to so much. Are we communicating crisis and fear to people (think politics, economics, societal woes, etc.) when we're supposed to be leading to the place where they can "fear not"?

News Weakly - 7/6/2024

I apologize up front. We've been traveling this week and keeping up with the news while on the road and visiting people has been "iffy" at best. Besides that, how much real news has happened this week?
________

Crazy
A judge ruled against a Biden administration rule that forbids discrimination on the basis of gender identity in healthcare. Not gender; gender identity. May I just say, "Duh!" If you cannot discriminate in healthcare on the basis of gender identity, then the transgender "woman" with a penis would be right for suing a doctor for refusing to do a pap smear (actually happened). When "I want" overrules reality, there is no end to the insanity that can ensue.

Never Say Die
The news has been all over the Trump/Biden debate all week. The primary story has remained, "Will he stay or will he go?" Democrats are saying that Joe should go while Joe vows to keep running despite eroding support. Democrat Representative Jared Golden has affirmed Trump will win and he's okay with it. Speculation puts Kamala Harris as Biden's replacement (Can they do that? Just assign whomever they wish?) complete with attack ads targeting a possible Harris run while news surfaces about Harris's election team considering a "white man" for her VP. So far, no good.

What a cute little BeeBee!
A little too close this time. The Bee's story is about how Democrats are leaning toward keeping Biden in the race because reprinting all those pre-filled ballots would be too much work. Ouch! More on politics, the headline reads, "'Trump will imprison his political opponents!' says the guy trying to imprison his political opponent." Is it satire when it's true?

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

We Are Gathered In the Sight of God ...

My wife and I have traveled to the wedding of a niece today. We are in attendance, not participants, but if I had to give a bride and groom (who claim Christ) pointers for the start of this marriage, what would I say?

Our society has lost the notion of marriage. We must not. Marriage is not a mere human tradition designed for our fun. It is a key institution conferred by God (Gen 2:24; Matt 19:4-6) as a permanent relationship (Matt 19:6) reflecting the relationship of Christ with the Church (Eph 5:31-32). It is not trivial. The author of Hebrews says, "Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge" (Heb 13:4). Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord (Eph 5:22-24). Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church -- give self up (Eph 5:25-27). In both cases -- wife and husband -- remember that your faith, your salvation, and your provision are not in your spouse, but in the Lord. A marriage of a man and a woman dedicated to the proposition that Christ is the center and provider for life can only result in what I call a "200% marriage." You won't each be giving 50% to this marriage. You can each give 100% because you're not counting on your spouse to provide for you all that Christ will provide (Rom 8:31-39).

Marriage is a grand relationship designed and powered by God. Done as God requires, it will be the most fulfilling relationship even in the midst of the most difficult times providing the highest joys in life. Beyond that, a marriage conducted as God commands will be a powerful testimony to God's provision and goodness and love and grace and mercy and more. It isn't a trivial relationship covered in warm feelings. It is so very much more. It is a lifelong commitment to the glory of God.

Haters

A passerby noticed smoke coming out of a window of the house he was walking by. He ran up to the door and went in to see if anyone was inside. The only person he saw was a young man with a match, lighting furniture on fire. Well, this fellow was a caring man, so he went over and gave him a book of matches so he could light more efficiently. You know, pyromania-affirming care. You don't, after all, want to suppress people in pursuing their personal pleasures, right?

We are in an upside down world. "What I want" is king and "what is right" is determined by it. If you seek to help someone toward "what is right" you're a hater. If you are concerned about their well-being, you're a hater. If you point out to an obese woman that her health would improve if she lost weight, she'd be angry at your "fat shaming." If you share the gospel with a homosexual, you're judgmental. Warning a person deep in sin that sin brings death and offering a better option is considered unkind and intolerant.

It is not hate to seek the best for people you care about. It is not love to encourage, like our fictional passerby, sin in others simply because they find fulfillment in it. In my fictional account above, no one would be confused about this, but our world demonstrates their hostility toward God by turning that all on its head in the arena of sin. Don't be that person.

A Short One

While traveling, we went by a church with the sign, "St. Paul's Methodist Church." Now, I happen to know that the Methodist church didn't start until the 18th century, so I was amused that they would link St. Paul to it. Like the discussion about KJV Only. "Well, if it was good enough for Paul and Silas, it's good enough for me."

Clearly, unbelievers are not the only ones guilty of not thinking straight.

This Is Only A Test

James wrote, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance" (James 1:2-3). Does it strike anyone as odd that James would think that the testing of your faith was a good thing? Do we think that testing our own faith is a good thing? I mean, shouldn't we just ... trust?

Testing is important. Jesus commended the church at Ephesus for testing those who called themselves apostles (Rev 2:2). Paul told the Corinthian believers to test themselves (2 Cor 13:5-6). So, how is this testing done? Well, going with James, it is by ... trial. Peter said that enduring trials was proof of faith (1 Peter 1:6-7). God promised that He would test His own people. How? "I have tested you in the furnace of affliction" (Isa 48:10). The author of Hebrews says that Abraham's faith was tested when he was told to sacrifice Isaac (Heb 11:17-19).

Testing is vital. Unfortunately, the test is ... fire. Discomfort. Pain. Crisis. The unwanted moments in life. How do you respond? That's a helpful question to ask yourself. If "fire" is God's choice of testing our faith, what does His testing say about your faith? Do you lean on Him the most when things are the worst, or do you give up or complain or get angry? We all encounter negative events. Scripture says they're for our benefit. Are you rejoicing? How are you doing on this test?