September 20, 2022

How to Protect Yourself from Suicide

September 20, 2022

I’ve noticed that when it comes to suicide, there is a lot of advice out there for the loved ones of a person who is suicidal. They are given various options on what they can do to help prevent their loved one from commiting suicide. But, what about the person who is struggling with suicide? Are they helpless? Can’t they also be responsible for protecting themselves? I’m not saying they should be blamed for mental health issues; however, I also believe that it could be empowering to them if there were things they could do to help protect themselves as well.

While I haven’t struggled with suicidal thoughts myself, I have struggled with depression most of my adult life. And I know that when it comes to mental health there are good days and there are bad days. On the good days people often worry about what they may do on the bad days. Similarly, most people who struggle with suicidal impulses, have good days where they dread being the person they become and having the thoughts they have on the bad days. But, we aren’t limited to just sitting around waiting for and fearing the bad days. Just as I can do things on my good days to help prepare myself for the bad depression days, I have to believe that people with suicidal impulses can use their good days to put up some “safety nets” in order to prevent the worst on their bad days. So, I’ve collected a list of tips, tricks, and advice that could hopefully help people protect themselves from suicide, and here it is:

Develop a Safety Plan

List out warning signs which help you identify that you are starting to experience significant, severe thoughts of suicide.

Write out a safety plan and actively turn to it when the warning signs start to show.

Preventative Steps You Can Take:

Have a list of people to contact during a crisis.

Create this list by being honest with people and telling them about your struggles with suicidal thoughts. Ask them if they are willing and capable of being one of your accountability partners. Call or go to them when suicidal thoughts threaten to get the best of you.

Remind yourself that the feeling will pass.

It has before and always will. In contrast, acting on a temporary feeling has permanent consequences. Place notes or signs with this sentiment around your home, vehicle, and workspace, so they will be there when you need reminders.

Find someone or something to live for: a family member, a friend, or a pet, which depends on you staying alive to take care of them; or even a future goal to accomplish.

Sometimes it is simply easier to stay motivated; to keep living for the sake of people or animals that you love, than it is to stay living for yourself. And that’s okay. There is nothing wrong with staying alive because of the knowledge that you are needed. And if you aren’t certain you are needed at the moment, then, on your good days, find a way to make yourself needed, so you have that safety net and knowledge for the bad days.

On your good days work to sabotage your preferred suicide method, so when the bad days come it will be difficult to commit suicide.

Be honest with yourself about what your preferred method would be, and then limit your access to the things required to enact it. For example: unload guns, put dangerous things in a locked safe, take down any poles or hooks which can hold a lot of weight, have someone you trust be in charge of your meds-even over the counter ones like ibuprofen. Research shows that “method substitution”--choosing an alternate method when the original method is restricted--does not happen often. Put time and distance between yourself and your chosen method.

Learn that you aren’t alone. No one is completely happy in their lives or their bodies. Most people have struggled with negative thoughts, and many with suicidal thoughts.

You aren’t abnormal. All those other people found ways to survive it and continue to live in spite of it/after it. They are proof that this can be overcome and you can win this battle.

Figure out what kind of life you want and make a step by step plan for earning that life and work towards it.

A lot of people who have attempted suicide said that as they thought they were dying, they realized they didn’t actually want to die; they just wanted a different life. Starting a new life may seem hard or scary but it is a lot easier than suicide, and, if you think about it, what do you have to lose? Might as well try for a new life. Also, a step-by-step plan will give you a goal to focus on and each step completed will give you a feeling of success and accomplishment.

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,

for in you my soul takes refuge;

in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,

till the storms of destruction pass by.

I cry out to God Most High,

to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

He will send from heaven and save me;

he will put to shame him who tramples on me.

God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness.”

-Psalm 57:1-3 (ESV)

What Does the Bible Say to do When Life Starts to Crush Us?

* * *

It says to turn to God. He is our Savior from anything and everything. Ask Him for help, and trust that He will provide.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” - 1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV)

God loves you and made you in His image. You are worthy of a life filled with love and purpose.

If you struggle accepting this truth emotionally, you can find practical things to do that will encourage emotional acceptance of it: helping other people, spreading God’s Word, finding a job which adds value to society. Work to live your life according to God’s grander purpose and eventually you will be able to see how valuable your life is, not only to God, but also to the world around you.

Ask God for help and He will show up.

God will provide a way through the struggle but those provisions aren’t always miraculous occurrences or instant healing. Most of the time God provides quietly, in practical ways: like a phone call from a friend when you’re close to the edge, or an unexpected income source to pay for the bills accrued from going to therapy.

Even when you don’t know how to ask for help for yourself, the Holy Spirit knows what you need and is crying out to the Father on your behalf.

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” -Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)

Our world teaches us that the end goal of life is independence; but God wants us to accept our dependence on Him.

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” -1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

“But he (God) said to me (Paul), ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” -2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV)

These verses aren’t claiming that life won’t be harder than we can handle. They are specifically talking about overcoming the temptations which the world throws at us. But even for those temptations, we are not supposed to rely on ourselves to overcome them: it is God who “provides the way to escape”. God uses our weaknesses to show the world His strength in order to draw people to Him.

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” -Psalms 73:26 (ESV)

The best way to fight thoughts of sadness and even suicide is to regularly stay in the Word of God.

Find verses which remind you of God’s presence and power and of how much He loves you. Memorize them so you can repeat them to yourself in times of anguish. His promises will help you endure these times.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” -Psalms 34:18-19 (ESV)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:6- (NIV)

Also see: Psalms 16:8; Psalms 23:4; Psalms 55:22; Psalms 94:18; Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 11:28-30; Romans 15:13; 1 Cor. 1:3-4; 2 Cor. 4:16-18; 1 Peter 5:6-10

Do not try to go it alone.

If you feel suicidal thoughts start to invade your mind, seek professional help immediately!

Call your therapist and/or go to the Emergency Room.

There is no need to go it alone. God wants us to cry out to Him, to seek out godly counsel from others, and when necessary, to request medical help. We live in a sin-cursed world, which means our bodies are imperfect and sometimes things like hormones or brain chemistry can be off balance. God gave humans the intelligence necessary to understand science and create medical solutions. There is nothing inherently wrong with using helpful medications.

Remember, with medical solutions there is usually a period of trial and error, because everyone’s body is different and you need to find what works for you. If you try one method or medication and it doesn’t work, don’t give up. Try a different one until you find the right fit. Millions of people have had success with medical intervention; it could work for you as well.

Healing Takes Time

Contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Call: 1-800-273-8255

or chat online: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

You can download a free printout of this information by going to our “Free Material” Page and clicking on “Protect Yourself from Suicide (full page)” or for a shorter version: “What Does the Bible Say to do When Life Starts to Crush Us?”.

This series of blog posts titled, “Holding on to Reason”, is named after Amanda’s favorite C.S. Lewis quote: “Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.”

Click here for more stuff written by Amanda Hovseth.

Amanda Hovseth

August 9, 2022

Holding on to Reason

An Un-worthy Tool in God's Hands

Amanda Hovseth

August 9, 2022

Holding on to Reason

Over a year ago, I went to an art museum in Knoxville, Tennessee, with my mom and grandma. One of my grandmother’s friend’s sons (Richard Jolley) had a massive blown glass installment, so we went to see it in person. It was impressive.

Richard Jolley “Cycle of Life” Knoxville Museum of Art

After admiring the blown glass, we walked through the rest of the museum. There were a bunch of awe inspiring paintings. A few stretched from floor to ceiling with intricate details. Others seemed to morph as you moved closer or farther away from them. The talent displayed in that building was phenomenal.

**Marion Greenwood, The History of Tennessee, 1954-55, Oil on linen, Courtesy of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville**

Surprisingly, the flip side was also true. Right next to a painting of a young woman and her daughter which was full of gentle whimsy while still a clear image; was a simple white canvas with paint apparently inadvertently splashed across it. Of course, next to the splatter painting was an excessively garrulous elucidation of the painting and what it represented, written as an exhaustingly ostentatious, involuted, pronouncement. (See what I did there? And How exhausting that one sentence was to read? Imagine three massive paragraphs like that talking about paint splatters on a canvas and you’ll understand my point.)

Catherine Wiley, Untitled (Woman and Child in a Meadow), 1913.

All I could think was…the audacity!

It blew my mind that someone could set aside all of their responsibilities in life and focus entirely on painting for a year (information gathered from the description plaque), only to produce a work as simple and nonsensical as that, and then, instead of feeling like they wasted their time, think, “This is a masterpiece and it belongs in an art museum!”

But then it hit me… in a way… they were right. There it was, their “masterpiece” sitting in an art museum in the same room as paintings which required a type of talent, dedication, practice, and hard work that only the likes of Michelangelo could compare. Somehow, for some reason, the art world agrees that the splatter painting was in the same league as the rest.

I started to wonder if maybe it was me, not the artist, who was doing something wrong. Was I misunderstanding something about life which other people had grasped?

Maybe there was something I could learn from their audacity…?

A few days later I was relaying these sentiments to my friend Emily Havens and she said, “It sounds like you might be struggling with shame.”

I responded in confusion, “Shame? No, I don’t think so…I mean, I hardly ever get embarrassed by anything. Growing up with my dad (an incredibly embarrassing man in all the best ways) kind of worked that out of me.”

But then Emily explained that maybe I was misunderstanding what shame was and we decided to do a book study by Brené Brown on shame in order to dive deeper into the idea. (Brené Brown is today’s leading expert on shame.)

It turns out I was misunderstanding shame. Shame isn’t the same as embarrassment. Shame is the idea or belief that I am not worthy.

“Shame is that warm feeling that washes over us, making us feel small, flawed, and never good enough.” -Brené Brown

Based on that definition, yes, I was struggling with shame.

My painting skills aren’t perfect so I’m not worthy to have people see my paintings. My writing skills aren’t perfect so I’m not worthy to have people read what I write. I’m not perfect so I’m not worthy of having God choose to use me to advance His purpose in the world.

My fear to share my art and my writing stemmed from shame, and it has held me back in many important avenues in my life. I am behind on my path to reaching my full potential because of my shame. My shame appears to have even held me back on my walk with God.

In order to receive God’s gift of salvation, we have to be aware of how much we fall short. No one asks for help if they think they can do it themselves. So, it stands to reason that we, who have acknowledged our shortcomings and asked God for help, may struggle with feeling unworthy after salvation as well. Honestly, it’d be weird if we didn’t.

I was looking at myself in the hypothetical mirror and seeing all of the ways I fell short of God’s holiness. All the sins I struggle with, all the mistakes I’ve made—both willful and accidental. How little I actually know about the Bible, compared to how much I could know if I was more dedicated in my studies. If God were to look at all of His children, lined up on a bench, I couldn’t see any reason why He would choose to put me “into the game”. It was illogical to think He would want to use me to further His purpose on this earth.

But, God foresaw this as a struggle we would face and addressed it in His Word. The Bible makes it clear that after salvation, we are meant to walk confidently in who we are in Christ. We are meant to set our shame, our unworthiness, aside and view ourselves the way God now views us, which is exactly how He views Jesus.

“There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 (NLT)
“Since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.” Romans 8:17 (NLT)
“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 (NIV)

“Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39 (NIV)
“Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
“Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.” Ephesians 3:12 (NLT)
“He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” Colossians 1:13–14 (NLT)

It’s not about our abilities or worthiness, it has never been about that. It’s about Jesus’ abilities and worthiness.

God uses our lives to show how great He is. His power shines through our unworthiness. When I succeed, it is God succeeding, and my weakness makes that clear.

We are meant to act in faith in such a way that God will have to step in, in order for us to succeed. God gifts us with what we have and supplies what we lack.

For example, 2 Corinthians shows that when the Apostle Paul thought about getting prideful, God gave him a “thorn in the flesh” to reveal to Paul the truth of his weakness. Then God tells Paul that His grace is sufficient to cover Paul’s weaknesses.

2 Corinthians 12:6-10 (NIV) Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

When God’s grace steps in for our weaknesses, it turns people’s heads towards God by showing them how awesome He is.

So, if our usefulness to God isn’t based on how awesome we can be, but is in fact based on how awesome Jesus is; and Jesus’s awesomeness shines even greater through us when we are weak, then God can use me just as I am right now, flaws and all.

It doesn’t make sense for me to waste time with shame. I am not being judged on my worthiness, but on Jesus’ worthiness. So, if I allow shame to hold me back, it is like saying, Jesus isn’t worthy or Jesus isn’t capable.

If we have faith in God’s Word and that God never lies and always keeps His promises, then shame has no place in our walks with Him.

It is by faith we are saved; and it is also by faith that we live our lives as useful tools in God’s hands. I have faith that I am worthy to be used by God, because Jesus succeeds where I fail. He overflows where I lack. Jesus makes me worthy.

I am worthy because I am in Jesus and Jesus is worthy.

Unfortunately, believing this truth and cultivating the ability to live it out are two very different things.

Shame can hold us back from learning and growing. Shame keeps people from trying new things, for fear of making mistakes and looking foolish. But no one is an expert when they first start learning something new. If we want to avoid being bad at something, then we can’t ever try anything new. It’s a crippling mentality and only serves to hold us back.

So, here’s one practical approach I’ve been using in order to re-focus my mind on living out the Biblical truth that Christ makes me worthy:

When I notice an inadequacy in myself, I force myself to add on a positive caveat. For example:

The first book I ever wrote and had published: “Perspective: A Dark Tale of Hope”. I also drew the cover design myself. I battle shame in regards to this book every time it is brought up.

“My painting is not perfect, but it is still beautiful and will bring people joy if I share it.”
“My writing isn’t perfect, but it can still get across the point I am trying to convey, and that is what really matters.”
“I am not perfect, but God loves me anyway.”

These positive additions prevent shame from forcing me to hide from the world. And the more I step out into the world to do what God has called me to do, in spite of my weaknesses, the more God will step in, keeping His promises by showing His strength through me. Furthermore, the more I experience God moving in my life, the stronger my faith grows.

God wants us to thrive through the grace He lavishes on us.

Ephesians 1:3-23 (ESV):

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

Click here for more stuff written by Amanda Hovseth.

Amanda Hovseth

August 2, 2022

Holding on to Reason

Inflation- Christianity in an Unstable Economy

Amanda Hovseth

August 2, 2022

Holding on to Reason

When society becomes unstable and finances are no longer secure…

Where do you turn?

“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.” Psalm 61:2 (KJV) — *“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.”*
Psalm 61:2 (KJV)

God makes it clear that there is only one way to store up riches which cannot be lost, and it is to store them in Heaven for the life to come. In contrast, everything of the earth will eventually rot away and be lost.

Luke 12:29-34 (ESV) And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The kind of faith required to sleep easy while the world crumbles around us, takes a while to cultivate.

First, we need to read the Bible to get to know who God is and what promises He has made us. Then we grow our faith by acting accordingly, trusting God will not break character and will always keep His promises. The more we chose to act in faith, the more we will get to see God in action and the stronger our faith will become.

Eventually, as our minds get used to focusing on things above instead of on earthly things, we will begin to see the world through God’s perspective. Anxiety about the unstable changes in our world will fade, as we learn to trust God and it becomes clear that He does, indeed, love us and work all things for our ultimate good.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

You can download a free printout of this information by going to our “Free Material” Page and clicking on “Inflation: Treasures stored up in Heaven”.

This series of blog posts titled, “Holding on to Reason”, is named after Amanda’s favorite C.S. Lewis quote: “Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.”

Click here for more stuff written by Amanda Hovseth.

Amanda Hovseth

May 10, 2022

Holding on to Reason

How are People Meant to Pray?

Amanda Hovseth

May 10, 2022

Holding on to Reason

Pray Directly to God

Prayer is an amazing privilege. The fact that we can come to the Creator of the Universe, the Alpha and Omega, the all-seeing, all-powerful God and talk to Him as if talking to a loving parent is…truly mind blowing.

But it begs the question: why? Why is an all-powerful being willing to spend time listening to our problems?

The answer is simple, He loves us. God loves us, and He wants a relationship with us.

Prayer is an integral part of having a relationship with God; it is how we communicate with Him.

This relationship with God has been made possible through the work Jesus did on the cross.

Hebrews 10:1-23 (NLT) “The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.
But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, ‘You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—as is written about me in the Scriptures.’
First, Christ said, ‘You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them’ (though they are required by the law of Moses). Then he said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will.’ He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.

Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says, ‘This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.’ Then he says, ‘I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.’ And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.
And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.”

Pray Only to God

There are some belief systems which would try to tell us that we have to petition other beings to talk to God for us.

But why would we ask others to talk to God when God not only allows us to talk directly to Him, He wants to hear directly from us.

The God of the Bible is real, He hears, and He answers.

Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
1 John 5:14 (NIV) “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

When we pray it does not land at the feet of beings who cannot help or do not care to help. The Prophet Elijah demonstrated this difference between the God of the Bible and others when he challenged the Prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:20-40). And the Bible repeatedly talks about how foolish it is to pray to anything besides God, Himself.

Jeremiah 10:3-16 (ESV) “For the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.

There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might. Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you. They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction of idols is but wood! Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith; their clothing is violet and purple; they are all the work of skilled men. But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.
Thus shall you say to them: ‘The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.’ It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
Every man is stupid and without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish. Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob, for he is the one who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; the LORD of hosts is his name.”

Pray Openly and Honestly

Praying is just like communicating in any other relationship. It's as easy as thinking and talking.

Prayer not only gives God the opportunity to respond to us by answering prayers, but prayer also changes those who pray. It reminds us to think of God throughout the day, and when we are God-conscious as individuals, our behavior is different than if we rarely think about God.

Be open and honest, God already knows the secret parts of our hearts anyway. We need to talk with Him honestly, acknowledging the truth of what we think and feel in order to properly work through stuff with God. This builds a stronger relationship between us.

Don't worry about wording things perfectly in prayer. God will even help us with our weaknesses in prayer.

Romans 8:26-27 (ESV) “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

God won't misunderstand or pretend to misunderstand what it is we need and are asking for. God loves us and will help us in ways we cannot even think to pray for. He will answer our prayers by giving us what we need and what is best for us.

Luke 11:9-13 (ESV) “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

You can download a free printout of this information by going to our “Free Material” Page and clicking on “Prayer Tract”.

Click here for more stuff written by Amanda Hovseth.

Amanda Hovseth

May 3, 2022

Holding on to Reason

Running the Race Set Before Us

Amanda Hovseth

May 3, 2022

Holding on to Reason

The practice of disciplining oneself for the sake of athletics is often used as a metaphor in the Bible for how to be disciplined in our Christian lives.

Hebrews 12:1 (NLT) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

What is the race God has set before us?

If we read this verse in context it will answer this question:

Hebrews 12:2-4 (NLT) We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people, then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

Running becomes easier, both physically and mentally, the more consistently you do it. Disciplined runners are the most consistent in their training and, therefore, the most successful.

Verywell by Alison Czinkota (The 5 Love Languages)

It’s the same with relationships. They require hard work.

The more focus and energy you give towards your relationships and the more disciplined you are in maintaining them, the more rewarding the relationships become.

God desires a relationship with us, but our sinful natures made that relationship impossible. So, God made a plan: Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross mends the divide between us and God, allowing us to have a relationship with Him.

Romans 8:1-4 (ESV) There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

After accepting the free gift of Jesus’ payment on the cross for our sins, we are adopted into God’s family and nothing can separate us from God’s love ever again. God’s love becomes unconditional for us because all of the conditions have already been met through Jesus.

John 6:35-40 (ESV) Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Hebrews 2:9-15 (NIV) But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters…

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

Disciplined physical bodies are of some value but spiritual things last forever

1 Timothy 4:7-8 (ESV) …train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Our salvation and eternity with God in Heaven is secure no matter what we do after accepting Jesus’ payment for our sins because it is based purely on grace through Faith in Jesus. We are saved through grace (Romans 11:5-6; Ephesians 2:8-9) and we live our Christian lives through grace (Romans 6:14; 2 Peter 3:18).

Saved through grace:

Romans 11:5-6 (ESV) So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Christian lives are lived through grace:

Romans 6:14 (ESV) For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

2 Peter 3:18 (ESV) But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

But, once we have become part of God’s family, we can have a relationship with God. Spiritual Disciplines help us learn how to show love back to God through our relationship with Him.

In “The Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines” by David Mathis, he says:

“‘The essence of the Christian life,’ writes John Piper, ‘is learning to fight for joy in a way that does not replace grace.’ We cannot earn God’s grace or make it flow apart from his free gift. But we can position ourselves to go on getting as he keeps on giving. We can ‘fight to walk in the paths where he has promised his blessings.’ We can ready ourselves to remain receivers along his regular routes, sometimes called ‘the spiritual disciplines.’
Such practices need not be fancy or highfalutin. They are the stuff of everyday, basic Christianity--unimpressively mundane, but spectacularly potent by the Spirit. While there’s no final and complete list of such practices, the long tally of helpful habits can be clustered underneath three main principles: hearing God’s voice, having his ear, and belonging to his body. Or simply: word, prayer, and fellowship.”

Tips for the Disciplined Spiritual Life:

Hear His Voice (word):

Reading the Bible

**2 Timothy 2:15** (KJV)
*Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.*

Have His Ear (prayer):

**Ephesians 6:18** (NLT) *You must pray at all times as the Holy Spirit leads you to pray. Pray for the things that are needed. You must watch and keep on praying. Remember to pray for all Christians.*

Belong to His Body (fellowship):

**Hebrews 10:24-25** (NLT) Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

You can download a free printout of this information by going to our “Free Material” Page and clicking on “Running the Race”.

Click here for more things written by Amanda Hovseth.

Amanda Hovseth

April 12, 2022

Holding on to Reason

Historical Evidence for the Resurrection: Part 2- Appearances of Jesus after His crucifixion

Amanda Hovseth

April 12, 2022

Holding on to Reason

There is solid historical ground for the truth that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

“Inference to the Best Explanation”
A METHOD COMMONLY USED TODAY TO DETERMINE THE HISTORICITY OF AN EVENT.
William Lane Craig describes this as an approach where we, "begin with the evidence available to us and then infer what would, if true, provide the best explanation of that evidence." In other words, we ought to accept an event as historical if it gives the best explanation for the evidence surrounding it.

There are three Historical truths about the resurrection which are so strong that they are accepted by all serious historians, even non-Christians.

The tomb in which Jesus was buried was discovered empty by a group of women on the Sunday following the crucifixion.
Jesus' disciples had real experiences with one whom they believed was the risen Christ.
As a result of the preaching of these disciples, which had the resurrection at its center, the Christian church was established and grew.

Evidence for the Resurrection Appearances

There is evidence that Jesus’ disciples had real experiences with someone who they believed was Jesus risen from the dead. People don’t argue this fact because we have testimony from the disciples themselves saying they saw, touched, and ate with Jesus after He had been crucified.

There is a Christian creed in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 which was given to Paul way before 1 Cor. was written:

1 Corinthians 15:3–8 (NLT): passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter--and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers--at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.

It is generally agreed by critical scholars that Paul received this creed from Peter and James between 3-5 years after the crucifixion. Now, Peter and James are listed in this creed as having seen the risen Christ. Since they are the ones who gave this creed to Paul, this is therefore a statement of their own testimony. As the Jewish Scholar Pinchahs Lapide has said, this creed "may be considered the statement of eyewitnesses."

Their testimonies are also recorded in the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Of course, just because they claimed to have seen Jesus alive again after He was crucified and buried, doesn’t mean they actually did. There are three possible explanations:

1. They hallucinated

2. They were lying

3. They really saw the risen Christ

Did the disciples hallucinate?

First, the disciples record eating and drinking with Jesus, as well as touching him. This cannot be done with hallucinations. There is no physical nature to hallucinations.

Second, it is highly unlikely that they would all have had the same hallucination. Hallucinations are highly individual, and not group projections. Imagine, if I came in and said, “Wasn’t that a great dream I had last night?” Hallucinations, like dreams don’t transfer that way.

Third, the hallucination theory cannot explain the conversion of Paul, three years later. Was Paul, the persecutor of Christians, so hoping to see the resurrected Jesus that his mind invented an appearance as well?

Fourth, and perhaps most significantly, the hallucination theory does not explain the evidence for the empty tomb.

Were the disciples lying?

To make a decision on this, it’s important to note that each of the disciples suffered greatly throughout their lives in order to defend their claim that Jesus was the Messiah and that He had risen from the dead. They took these claims to their grave.

How the Disciples/Apostles of the Bible Died

Disclaimer: Other than Judas & John, these are not Scriptural. Some are historical; some passed down by Christian traditions and are consistent with how they would have been treated in their time.

Andrew (brother of Peter): Martyrdom by crucifixion (bound, not nailed, to an "X-shaped" cross) at Patræ, Achaia [southern Greece]. Hung alive for two days, exhorting spectators all the while.

Bartholomew (Nathaniel): Martyrdom by being skinned alive and crucified, head downward by the idolaters of Armenia (Western Asia near Turkey). The most travelled of the Disciples after Jesus death, Preached the Gospel in Mesopotamia [Iraq], Persia [Iran], Ethiopia, Arabia and India.

James the Greater (son of Zebedee / brother of John): Beheaded or stabbed with a sword by Herod Agrippa around 44 AD near Palestine and not far from where he was a local missionary to the Jews in Judea. His accuser was converted by James' courage & the two were beheaded together.

James the Lesser [son of Alphaeus]: Was first Bishop of Jerusalem Martyred in his early 90's by being thrown from a pinnacle of the Temple at Jerusalem , then stoned and head bashed in with club

John (The Beloved) (son of Zebedee / brother of James): Natural Death The only apostle who did not meet a martyrs death. Banished by Roman Emperor Domitian to Isle of Patmos where penned Revelation, the last book in the Bible. Was later freed & went to preach in Turkey and died at 100.

Jude (Thaddeus): Wrote Book of Jude. Martyred by being beaten with a club then crucified 72AD at city of Edessa [Turkey] while on a missionary trip that went to Persia (Iran).

Matthew (Levi): Martyred about 60 AD by being staked and speared to the ground. Preached the Gospel in Ethiopia (Africa) and was killed for questioning the morals of the king.

Simon Peter: Martyrdom by crucifixion at Rome by Nero. Crucified around 68 AD up-side-down at his request because he did consider himself worthy to be crucified like Jesus.

Philip: Said to have been tortured, impaled by iron hooks in his ankles and hung upside down to die. Preaching to death 54 AD in Heliopolis, Egypt. Preached in Phrygia which was in the Roman Province of Asia near Ephesus [Turkey].

Simon [The Canaanite]: Called "The Zealot" because he was associated with that sect. Thought to have ministered mostly in Jordan. Martyred by crucifixion in Britain in 74AD and then sawn in half.

Thomas [Didymus]: Martyred thrust through by spear in India .Preached the Gospel in Parthia [Iran] and in Kerala, [southern India] where yet today the Mar Thoma Church exists.

Mark (John Mark): Was dictated to writing the Book of Mark. Martyred - dragged to death.

Luke: The Physician. Wrote Luke and Acts. Was hanged on an olive tree

Paul meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus

Matthias [Disciple who filled the place of Judas Acts 1:20-26]: Was stoned and beheaded at Jerusalem.

Apostle Paul (Saul): Wrote half of the New Testament was beheaded by Emperor Nero at Rome

James (The half-brother of Jesus): Thrown 100 feet off a wall - done to him after he repeatedly refused to deny his faith in Jesus. He survived the fall and was beaten to death with clubs

*12 Men and a Carpenter Who Changed the World*, Wayne Pascall

Apologist Sean McDowell carefully states this position:

“The apostles spent between 1.5 to 3 years with Jesus during His public ministry, expecting Him to proclaim His kingdom on earth. Although disillusioned at His untimely death, they became the first witnesses of the risen Jesus and they endured persecution; many subsequently experienced martyrdom, signing their testimony, so to speak, in their own blood. The strength of their conviction, marked by their willingness to die, indicates that they did not fabricate these claims; rather, without exception, they actually believed Jesus to have risen from the dead. While in and of themselves these facts prove neither the truth of the resurrection in particular nor Christianity as a whole, they do demonstrate the apostles’ sincerity of belief, lending credibility to their claims about the veracity of the resurrection, which is fundamental to the case for Christianity.”

New Testament Scholar Craig Keener:

“People of course die regularly for values that are false; they do not, however, ordinarily die voluntarily for what they believe [or know] is false. Intentional deception by the disciples is thus implausible.”

The disciples were not lying and could not have been hallucinating. There is only one possible explanation left: the disciples believed that they had seen the risen Jesus because they really had seen the risen Jesus.

Information drawn from these sources:

- William Lane Craig's Reasonable Faith & The Son Rises

- J.P. Moreland's Scaling the Secular City

- Gary Habermas' The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus & Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?

- desiringgod.org/articles/historical-evidence-for-the-resurrection

You can download a free printout of this information by going to our “Free Material” Page and clicking on “Historical Evidence for the Resurrection: Appearances”.

Click here for more things written by Amanda Hovseth.

Amanda Hovseth

April 5, 2022

Holding on to Reason

Historical Evidence for the Resurrection: Part 1- The Empty Tomb

Amanda Hovseth

April 5, 2022

Holding on to Reason

There is solid historical ground for the truth that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

“Inference to the Best Explanation”
A method commonly used today to determine the historicity of an event.
William Lane Craig describes this as an approach where we, "begin with the evidence available to us and then infer what would, if true, provide the best explanation of that evidence." In other words, we ought to accept an event as historical if it gives the best explanation for the evidence surrounding it.

There are three Historical truths about the resurrection which are so strong that they are accepted by all serious historians, even non-Christians.

The tomb in which Jesus was buried was discovered empty by a group of women on the Sunday following the crucifixion.
Jesus' disciples had real experiences with one whom they believed was the risen Christ.
As a result of the preaching of these disciples, which had the resurrection at its center, the Christian church was established and grew.

Evidence for the Empty Tomb

FIRST: the resurrection was preached in the same city where Jesus had been buried shortly before. Jesus' disciples did not go to some obscure place where no one had heard of Jesus to begin preaching about the resurrection, but instead began preaching in Jerusalem, the very city where Jesus had died and been buried. They could not have done this if Jesus was still in his tomb--no one would have believed them.

SECOND: the earliest Jewish arguments against Christianity admit the empty tomb. In Matthew 28:11-15, there is a reference made to the Jew's attempt to refute Christianity by saying that the disciples stole the body. This is significant because it shows that the Jews did not deny the empty tomb. Instead, their "stolen body" theory admitted the significant truth that the tomb was in fact empty.

The Toledoth Jesu, a compilation of early Jewish writings, is another source acknowledging this. It acknowledges that the tomb was empty, and attempts to explain it away. Further, we have a record of a second century debate between a Christian and a Jew, in which a reference is made to the fact that the Jews claim the body was stolen. So it is pretty well established that the early Jews admitted the empty tomb. Remember that the Jewish leaders were opposed to Christianity. They were hostile witnesses. In acknowledging the empty tomb, they were admitting the reality of a fact that was certainly not in their favor.

THIRD: the empty tomb account in the gospel of Mark is based upon a source that originated within seven years of the event it narrates. This places the evidence for the empty tomb too early to be legendary, and makes it much more likely that it is accurate. What is the evidence for this? I will list two pieces. A German commentator on Mark, Rudolf Pesch, points out that this pre-Markan source never mentions the high priest by name. "This implies that Caiaphas, who we know was high priest at that time, was still high priest when the story began circulating." For "if it had been written after Caiaphas' term of office, his name would have had to have been used to distinguish him from the next high priest. But since Caiaphas was high priest from A.D. 18 to 37, this story began circulating no later than A.D. 37, within the first seven years after the events," as Michael Horton has summarized it. Furthermore, Pesch argues "that since Paul's traditions concerning the Last Supper [written in 56] (1 Cor 11) presuppose the Markan account, that implies that the Markan source goes right back to the early years" of Christianity (Craig). So the early source Mark used puts the testimony of the empty tomb too early to be legendary.

FOURTH: the empty tomb is supported by the historical reliability of the burial story. NT scholars agree that the burial story is one of the best established facts about Jesus. One reason for this is because of the inclusion of Joseph of Arimethea as the one who buried Christ. Joseph was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrein, a sort of Jewish supreme court. People of this ruling class were simply too well known for fictitious stories about them to be pulled off in this way. Also, if the burial account was legendary, one would expect to find conflicting traditions--which we don't have.

The burial account and empty tomb account have grammatical and linguistic ties, indicating that they are one continuous account. Therefore, if the burial account is accurate, the empty tomb is likely to be accurate as well. Further, if the burial account is accurate then everyone knew where Jesus was buried. This would have been decisive evidence to refute the early Christians who were preaching the resurrection--for if the tomb had not been empty, it would have been evident to all and the disciples would have been exposed as frauds at worst, or insane at best.

FIFTH: Jesus' tomb was never venerated as a shrine. This is striking because it was the 1st century custom to set up a shrine at the site of a holy man's bones. There were at least 50 such cites in Jesus' day. Since there was no such shrine for Jesus, it suggests that his bones weren't there.

SIXTH: Mark's account of the empty tomb is simple and shows no signs of legendary development. This is very apparent when we compare it with the gospel of Peter, a forgery from about 125. This legend has all of the Jewish leaders, Roman guards, and many people from the countryside gathered to watch the resurrection. Then three men come out of the tomb, with their heads reaching up to the clouds. Then a talking cross comes out of the tomb! This is what legend looks like, and we see none of that in Mark's account of the empty tomb--or anywhere else in the gospels for that matter!

SEVENTH: women discovered the tomb was empty. Why is this important? Because, the testimony of women in 1st century Jewish culture was considered worthless. As Craig says, "If the empty tomb story were a legend, then it is most likely that the male disciples would have been made the first to discover the empty tomb. The fact that despised women, whose testimony was deemed worthless, were the chief witnesses to the fact of the empty tomb can only be plausibly explained if, like it or not, they actually were the discoverers of the empty tomb."

There have been various theories used to explain away the empty tomb, such as that the body was stolen. But those theories are laughed at today by all serious scholars. In fact, they have been considered dead and refuted for almost a hundred years.

For example, the Jews or Romans had no motive to steal the body--they wanted to suppress Christianity, not encourage it by providing it with an empty tomb. The disciples would have had no motive, either. Their preaching on the resurrection got them beaten, killed, and persecuted. Why would they go through all of this for a deliberate lie? No serious scholars hold to any of these theories today.

The resurrection of Jesus is not just the best explanation for the empty tomb, it is the only explanation around!

What explanation, then, do the critics offer, you may ask? Craig tells us that, "They are self-confessedly without any explanation to offer. There is simply no plausible natural explanation today to account for Jesus' tomb being empty. If we deny the resurrection of Jesus, we are left with an inexplicable mystery."

Because of the strong evidence for the empty tomb, most recent scholars do not deny it.

D.H. Van Daalen has said, "It is extremely difficult to object to the empty tomb on historical grounds; those who deny it do so on the basis of theological or philosophical assumptions."
Jacob Kremer, who has specialized in the study of the resurrection and is a New Testament critic, has said "By far most exegetes hold firmly to the reliability of the biblical statements about the empty tomb" and he lists twenty-eight scholars to back up his fantastic claim.

The information for this blog post was drawn from these sources:

- William Lane Craig's Reasonable Faith and The Son Rises

- J.P. Moreland's Scaling the Secular City

- Gary Habermas' The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus and Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?

- desiringgod.org/articles/historical-evidence-for-the-resurrection

You can download a free printout of this information by going to our “Free Material” Page and clicking on “Historical Evidence for the Resurrection: Empty Tomb”.

Click here for more things written by Amanda Hovseth.

Amanda Hovseth

March 15, 2022

Holding on to Reason

Blind Faith: Is it Biblical?

Amanda Hovseth

March 15, 2022

Holding on to Reason

Hebrews 11:1 (ESV) Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

John 20:29 (NIV) Then Jesus told him (Thomas), “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 (ESV) So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Somewhere along the line in Christian history, someone took Hebrews 11:1, John 20:29, and 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, and simplified what they are saying to the phrase, “blind faith”.

Then society allowed this idea to morph into the belief that Christians have absolutely no logical reason to have faith in God, and blindly have no idea why they are doing anything, other than they “feel” it is right.

To be fair, some Christians do live as if God expects their faith to be blind. This allows them to be lazy in their studies of the Bible and results in choices that are made based on random whims. They use faith as an excuse to do whatever they want, no matter how random or illogical it may be, and act as if they deserve to have things happen in their favor just because they invoked the magic word, “faith”. But this version of “faith” isn’t Biblical.

If we look at Hebrews 11 in context, we see that, “the conviction of things not seen,” simply means that, when God says something will happen--even though we have not yet seen it happen because it is the future--we believe it will happen because God has already proven Himself faithful.

When Jesus is talking to Thomas, He is just stating the fact that there will be people who don’t get to see Jesus in the flesh during their lives on this earth, but they will still believe He did walk in the flesh.

And 2 Corinthians is speaking about the fact that we can’t be home with God until we leave our physical bodies; and therefore, can’t physically see Him.

We may be blind in the sense that we cannot see the future--or really even the past with our own eyes. We can’t always explain how things will specifically play out. But we aren’t supposed to be blind about who or what we have faith in. We are meant to use reason to determine what we chose to have faith in--the object of our faith

God makes it clear that He values reason and logic

Psychedelic Brain in Vivid Colors by Bruce Rolff

Proverbs 3:13 (ESV) Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding.

Hebrews 5:12–14 (ESV) For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Acts 17:11 (ESV) Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

James 1:5 (ESV) If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

John C. P. Smith from answersingenesis.org said:
“The very language of the Hebrew Old Testament reveals that our faith is intrinsically linked to truth. The two words for faith and truth—emunah and emet—are even sometimes translated interchangeably in different Bible versions. Both Hebrew words derive from the same root, aman, meaning ‘firmness, certainty, reliability.’ So rather than being nebulous, biblical faith—like truth—is sure and certain.…Some faith may be unwarranted, and no doubt this faith is blind. In contrast, the Christian faith is both reasonable and justified. It is founded firstly and primarily upon God’s consistent and reliable Word.”

Just because we can’t see Jesus with our own eyes, does not mean we don’t have logical reasons to believe the Biblical account of Jesus’ life and death. God left us a ton of archaeological, scientific, and historical reasons to have faith in Jesus.

(Recommended Reading: “The Case for Christ” and “The Case for Faith” by Lee Strobel; “The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus” by: Gary R. Habermas and Michael R. Licona)

And even though we can’t see the future and have to wait to see God’s promises come to fruition, we still have logical and rational reasons to have faith in who God is: in His character and that He always keeps His Word.

Faith is not supposed to be just a shot in the dark. We are meant to learn who God is by reading the Bible. We test what we learn there through our experiences with Him in our own lives, and our studies of things like history, science, and archaeology. Our faith in God is based on the collection of evidence found.

The Bible, as a whole, consistently shows us why we should have faith in God and that this faith is meant to be rooted in reason. It is full of examples of people who had the type of faith which God commends. We can examine what their faith looked like, so we know how to best put faith into practice in our own lives. Here are a few examples:

The Unclean Woman of Faith

Mark 5:24-34 (NIV) So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

(Also in Matthew 9:20-22 and Luke 8:43-48)

This story when read on it’s own doesn’t seem like much more than a quick little example of a miracle. But when the Bible is read in context, we learn there is more to it.

First thing we must understand about this story is that this woman is suffering through much more than just a health issue. According to the Jewish law, this specific health issue also makes her unclean. And when someone or something is unclean and it comes in contact with someone or something else, it makes that thing unclean too.

Leviticus 15:19-33 (NLT) “Whenever a woman has her menstrual period, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days. Anyone who touches her during that time will be unclean until evening…If a woman has a flow of blood for many days that is unrelated to her menstrual period, or if the blood continues beyond the normal period, she is ceremonially unclean. As during her menstrual period, the woman will be unclean as long as the discharge continues…”

So for twelve years this woman has been considered unclean within the Jewish community, which means she has been ostracized from her friends and family, expected to permanently separate herself from their society until the bleeding stops and she could be made clean again.

Since, their medicinal options obviously hadn’t helped her in twelve years, this woman had given up hope of ever having a normal life:

Mark 5:26 (NIV) She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.

That is, until Jesus came on the scene. This woman heard of the things Jesus had been doing, the Messianic prophecies He had been fulfilling, and she believed He was the promised Messiah. Which meant, she also believed He could heal her ailment.

But, it gets even more specific than that; Mark 5:28 informs us that she believed the only thing she needed to do was touch his garment. “...If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” (NIV)

This woman obviously had a pretty decent knowledge of the Scriptures, because she is putting her faith in one of the Messianic prophecies in Malachi:

Malachi 4:2 (ESV) But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

The Hebrew word for “wings” in this verse is "kanaph". Strong's Concordance, defines it as follows:

Kanaph (kaw-nawf); Noun Feminine, Strong #: 3671
Wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt
-Wing
-Extremity skirt, corner (of garment)
In other words, this verse is saying:

Malachi 4:2 (ESV) But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in the fringes of its robe. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

This woman knew Jesus was the solution to all of her problems. With one little touch, she could return to life with her family and friends and be made clean in the sight of God. The problem was, Jesus was going to be surrounded by a crowd of people which she wasn’t supposed to get close to because everyone she would come in contact with would become unclean. And yet, because of the crowd, she knew there was no way she would be able to get His attention to ask for healing, especially not from a distance.

It was a huge risk for her to venture into the crowd to touch Jesus’ cloak. But her knowledge of the Scriptures and of the fact that God’s prophecies always come true, led her to have such a strong faith that she took the risk. She pushed her way through the crowd and reached out to touch the edges of Jesus’ cloak.

And, the result?

Mark 5:29-34 (NIV) Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Her faith wasn’t just a random whim or feeling. She knew the Biblical prophecies about the coming Messiah and knew that Jesus had been fulfilling them. Walking into a crowd in her state was too dangerous to risk without being certain of who Jesus was. If she had been wrong, she would have made Jesus, Himself, unclean by touching Him. But she wasn’t wrong. Jesus was the promised Messiah. So, instead of her making Him unclean, power came from Him, through his wings, and He made her clean; just as He does for everyone who puts their faith in Him.

The Canaanite Woman of Faith

Matthew 15:21-28 (ESV) And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

In this story Jesus tests the Canaanite woman’s faith by testing her knowledge about what God had promised through the Jewish Messiah.

Jesus made the false claim that He was sent only to help the Jewish nation. But, the woman refused to accept that as an answer the Messiah would give. She was certain that God was not only the God of the Jews but also the God of the whole world. This shows she had knowledge of the Scriptures.

Isaiah 49:6 (ESV) he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV) The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 22:18 (NIV) “…and through your (Abraham’s) offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Psalm 100:1-3 (NIV) Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

The Canaanite Woman’s faith was grounded in the truth of God’s Word. She knew that the Scriptures prophesied that the coming Messiah would be sent to save the entire world, not just the Jewish nation. The Jewish nation wasn’t meant to be thought of as the only people God cared about, they were supposed to be a beacon pointing the entire world to God.

She had diligently done the work of studying the Scriptures. Her knowledge of them allowed her to be certain that God would keep His word. She was so confident in God and His promises that even when the promised Messiah, Himself, questioned her, she was able to stand firmly on God’s truth. And it led to Jesus proclaiming:

Matthew 15:28 (ESV) …“O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Abraham: the Father of Faith

Abraham is not only known as the Father of Israel, but also as the Father of Faith. So, since we are trying to figure out what Biblical faith is, it makes sense that we should look to him as an example.

Romans 4:16 (NIV) Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.

One of Abraham’s most famous faith stories takes place in Genesis 22 when God asks him to sacrifice his son—Isaac—and Abraham obeyed.

Some people in our culture love to get this story wrong, they will claim it means God supports child sacrifice. But, when Abraham’s life story as a whole is considered, it is clear that God was never planning on actually having Isaac killed. God was simply testing Abraham’s faith.

Genesis 22:1-2 (NLT) Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

The most obvious question after reading this passage is, “Why is it considered a test of faith for God to tell Abraham to sacrifice his son, and not a test of his blind obedience?”

To understand that, we need to understand the context.

First off, God had made Abraham promises which relied on Isaac being alive:

Genesis 15:4-5 (NLT) Then the LORD said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Genesis 21:1-3 (NLT) The LORD kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. And Abraham named their son Isaac.

Genesis 21:12b (NIV) …it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.

God promised Abraham he would have a multitude of descendants specifically through Isaac. Abraham knew God always keeps His promises and Isaac hadn’t had any children yet. So, Abraham reasoned that God needed Isaac alive.

Here is some insight into Abraham’s mindset on the issue:

Genesis 22:5-8 (NLT) On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.” So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?” “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.

As a child, I used to think maybe these statements Abraham made were lies in order to trick Isaac into being the sacrifice. But, after further studies, it has become obvious that Abraham is not lying, he actually believes what he is saying. His faith is so strong he knows both he and Isaac will be returning to the servants and that God will provide the offering. (Just as God does for the whole world by providing His own son, Jesus, as our sacrifice.)

And how did this story end?

Genesis 22:9-14 (NLT) When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”

“Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

The idea that Abraham was walking in faith is also confirmed in what is known as the “Chapter of Faith” in Hebrews when this story is referenced:

Hebrews 11: 17-19 (NLT) It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

Abraham didn’t know exactly what would happen when he put Isaac on the altar (he couldn’t yet physically see the outcome), but he knew that even if Isaac did die, God would bring him back to life. Abraham’s faith was strong, because he was firmly rooted in the knowledge that God always keeps His promises.

These are just three examples of what it looks like to put Biblical faith into practice, but the Bible is packed full of stories like these. Every single person who interacts properly with God in the Bible is doing so through faith. If we want to also live by faith, we should follow their examples.

Bible stories not only show us what it looks like to live by faith, but they also show us how God consistently acts in response to such faith. They are meant to build a foundation of knowledge in us about who God is and what type of character He has. Based on that knowledge which has been tested and proven over and over, we can know that when we put our faith in God, He will act according to His character and come through on His end.

Malachi 3:6 (ESV) For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

Deuteronomy 32:4 (ESV) The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

Psalm 9:10 (NLT) Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.

We haven't seen God but we’ve seen his handiwork and fingerprints in our lives and the world around us.

“And while faith doesn’t require external proof, it is entirely compatible with physical evidence. God may be invisible, but His qualities are clearly seen in nature.” -John C. P. Smith answersingenesis.org

Romans 1:20 ESV For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Biblical faith is belief put into action. It follows the evidence in order to determine what to believe in and how to act accordingly. Then it stands firm on the belief that the results will follow the logical path set forth by the evidence. For example, we can believe that a chair will do its job: “I have sat on this chair before and it held me up, so I believe it will hold me up again.” We have faith that the results will be the same as all the times before and we act in faith by actually sitting on it.

Biblical faith rests on the knowledge that God will stay true to who He is. We see who He is by reading the Bible and learning about how He has acted in the past. We also experience Him in our own lives over and over again. Faith gets stronger, every time God acts according to who He says He is. We can say, “I have faith because it works. Having faith in God in the past has proven to be wise, so it will be wise to do it again, and to keep doing it.”

In Summary:

We may be blind as to how God will keep His word, but not in that He will keep His word. Faith and reason are not contrary to one another, instead, they complement one another. Each helps the other to see clearly.

It’s also important to note that faith in God doesn’t mean life will be easy or that we will always get what we want. It means we trust that even when life is hard, God knows what He is doing and He has our best interests at heart.

Romans 8:28 (NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

“My faith is to rest not in the outcome which I think God should work out for me, my faith rests in who God is…the quietness of my heart is in the fruit of an absolute confidence in God.” -Elizabeth Elliot

“Faith is the art of holding on to what our reason has once accepted, in spite of our changing moods.” -C.S. Lewis
“Faith is not an instinct. It certainly is not a feeling--feelings don’t help much when you’re in the lions’ den or hanging on a wooden cross. Faith is not inferred from the happy way things work. It is an act of will, a choice, based on the unbreakable Word of a God who cannot lie, and who showed us what love and obedience and sacrifice mean, in the person of Jesus Christ.” -Elizabeth Elliot
“You ask me, ‘What’s the greatest act of faith?’ To me is to look in the mirror of God’s word, and see all my faults, all my sin, all my shortcomings and to believe that God loves me exactly as he says he does.” -Paul Washer

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Amanda Hovseth

February 22, 2022

Holding on to Reason

Analyzing Popular Sayings: "Follow Your Heart."

Amanda Hovseth

February 22, 2022

Holding on to Reason

“Following your heart” is a spiritual concept. It’s not talking about your literal physical heart that pumps blood, but an intangible abstraction representing our truest nature. “The heart” is who we are at the core of our being.

The advice to “follow your heart” has saturated our culture. It advises everyone that they should do whatever their emotional desires tell them.

But does this advice fit the reality we live in?

That all depends on whether or not the heart is a positive, trustworthy force.

Let’s take a look at what the Bible has to say about the heart:

At first glance, the Bible leaves us with a pretty grim image of what dwells at the cores of our beings. We are all born with a sin nature, which means we have the natural inclination to want to defy God’s design.

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Matthew 15:19 ESV For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

Numbers 15:39 NIV You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes.

Jeremiah 22:17 ESV But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.

Sin nature makes hearts evil and untrustworthy. Sometimes our hearts can be so misguided that following them is sabotaging our lives.

The heart also likes to play the blame game. Even when it’s our own fault that bad things happen, an unwise heart will refuse to take responsibility for its actions and will blame God for the natural consequences of our choices.

Proverbs 19:3 ESV When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.

Fortunately, this is not everything the Bible has to say about hearts. We may be born with a sin nature, but thanks to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross we can put that sin nature to death.

1 Peter 2:24 NASB and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

Romans 6:6 NASB knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

Galatians 5:24 NASB Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Just as faith in Christ’s death pays for our sins and brings us into God’s family, faith also gives us the ability to walk with God throughout this life. With God’s help, our hearts can be trained in wisdom, and cultivated into a more trustworthy and helpful force.

Psalm 51:10 ESV Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Proverbs 23:19 ESV Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way.

Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

Proverbs 4:23 ESV Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Ecclesiastes 10:2 ESV A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left.

Psalm 119:11 ESV I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Proverbs 28:26 ESV Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.

Psalm 19:14 ESV Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

When we turn to God and let Him guide our hearts in wisdom, he is able to help us through life and work all things for our good.

Romans 5:5 ESV And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 8:28 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Psalm 73:26 ESV My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 37:4 ESV Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

The Bible makes it clear that this world is plagued by sin. If we are honest with ourselves and really do the work of digging deep down into the choices we make and why we make them, it becomes obvious that at our core, we are sinful. Our very natures are tainted by sin. This means we can’t always trust what our hearts tell us. What we want for ourselves may be selfish and is often misguided.

This doesn't necessarily mean that everything we want is bad, it just means we should be wary of trusting our hearts blindly. If we seek out the guidance of the Holy Spirit and study the Bible to gain wisdom, we can make better choices.

Click here for more things written by Amanda Hovseth.

Amanda Hovseth

February 8, 2022

Holding on to Reason

Do I have to keep the Law to keep my Salvation? (Eternal Security and the Book of Galatians)

Amanda Hovseth

February 8, 2022

Holding on to Reason

“I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?”

— Galatians 3:2-3 NIV

Many Christians feel they have to consistently follow a to-do list like the Ten Commandments or God will take away their salvation. They live in constant fear that they will inevitably make a mistake and God will cast them away.

The Jewish Christians in Galatia were being tempted with this same mentality. They had grown up in the Jewish culture where they had to follow all the laws and traditions set in place in the Old Testament. And even though they had accepted Jesus as the Messiah, they were struggling with the idea that they no longer had to follow the Mosaic Law in order to be right with God.

In Galatians 1:6-9 Paul explains the reason he is writing to the churches of Galatia:

Galatians 1:6-9 (NIV) I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

These verses bring up two questions: What is the Gospel Paul preached? And, how were people perverting that Gospel?

What is the Gospel Paul preached?

The answer to this question is thoroughly illustrated in the Old Testament and repeated over and over again throughout the New Testament, but Paul also answers it in Galatians 2:15-16:

Galatians 2:15-16 (NIV) …a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

(For more information about the Gospel see: “How can I explain the Gospel to my friends?” and, “How does God decide if we’ve been good enough to get into Heaven?”)

How were people perverting the Gospel?

The Galatians were being told by false teachers that in order for the Gentiles to truly become and stay children of God, they would need to start following the Jewish traditions which include, but are not limited to, the Mosaic Law.

Let’s take a look at how God used Paul to address this issue:

Paul starts Galatians off by giving his credentials. He reminds them that he used to be one of the best at following the Jewish traditions and laws.

Galatians 1:13-14 NIV For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

There was nobody more zealous about Judaism than Paul, nobody with more bragging rights. But then Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus and everything changed (Acts 9:1-19; Acts 22:6-21; Acts 26:12-18). Paul was shown the truth of the Gospel that day and he accepted Jesus as the Messiah. Then God sent him into the world to preach among the Gentiles.

Acts 26: 15-18 NIV “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

In Galatians 2 Paul begins to address the Galatians’ desires to enforce their old traditions by using circumcision as an example from the Jewish covenants (Genesis 17:10-13). He explains that not even Titus (a Gentile and fellow preacher of the Gospel) had felt compelled to get circumcised (Galatians 2:3). Paul goes on to explain that the idea that Gentiles who had accepted Jesus as their Savior needed to also be circumcised, came from false teachers.

Galatians 2:4-5 NIV This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

Paul is saying that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross gives believers freedom from their sins and from the conviction of the Law. If they allowed themselves to be put back under the rules of the Law it would be like becoming slaves again.

Paul goes on to explain that forcing Gentiles to follow the Jewish Laws and being ashamed of them for not following the Laws, is hypocritical.

Galatians 2:11-14 NIV When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

Paul was claiming that the Jewish Christians knew that salvation comes through faith in Jesus and that they no longer had to follow the Law. Yet, they were still shamefully holding the Gentiles to the standard of the Law.

Galatians 2:15-16 NIV “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

This, of course, leads to the following question: “If we don’t enforce the Law, are we encouraging sin?” Paul foresees this question and explains:

Galatians 2: 17-21 NIV But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.

For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!

Does refusing to hold ourselves to the standard set by the Law make us sinners? No, we already were sinners, the Law simply pointed out our sin. It is impossible for humans to follow the Law perfectly, which means following the Law was never the path towards Salvation. The Law was only there to show us how far we had fallen and to convince us we needed help. The Law was set in place to lead us to Christ.

Furthermore, after the Law leads us to Christ, we are meant to be done with it. It has finished its job and cannot help us with our walks with God. We are meant to live our Christian lives by faith and grow in our walks with God through grace. The Law brings guilt and shame, but God wants us to use grace and faith to follow Him.

Galatians 3:1-14 NIV You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Our salvation and the lives which follow are BOTH accomplished through faith in Christ, not through works of the Law. Christ rescued us from the curse of the Law, He does not want us to bring that curse back into our relationship with Him. All He wants is our faith.

Paul explains further by pointing out in Galatians 3:15-22 that God’s promise to Abraham came before the Law anyway. And since it came before the Law it was not replaced by the Law and it is not dependent on the Law.

Galatians 3:17-18 NIV What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

God always keeps His promises, and nothing we do could cause God to break a promise. God is not so weak or feeble of character that we as humans can stop Him from keeping His word.

Galatians 3:23-29 NIV Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Just like Abraham before us, it is faith that makes us righteous. Being under the law made us slaves to the law, but Christ took our place by being born under the law and defeating the law. Jesus freed us from slavery and made us children of God.

Galatians 4:4-10 NIV But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

Once we accept Jesus’s payment for our sins we become adopted as children of God. Trying to obey the law after becoming saved through faith, is like inheriting a tax-exempt, amazing new home which you could have never afforded, but deciding to go sleep out on the streets again until you can earn enough money to buy the house for yourself. This would be foolish and prideful. Christians are children of God and God wants us to confidently live under the “roof” and security which He has provided. Why would anyone want to go back to how life was before becoming a child of God?

Jesus suffered and died so that we could be free. If we foolishly decide to keep trying to be made right with God by obeying the law, we need to understand that we will be made responsible for keeping the entire law, and that is impossible.

Galatians 5:1-6 NIV It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

We cannot rely on both Christ’s sacrifice, and on following the law. Grace cannot be earned, it is the unmerited and freely given favor of God. Trying to follow the law, is trying to earn God’s grace. It is illogical and foolish to try to earn something which, by its very nature, is given to those who are unable to earn it. If we insist on earning our own way to Heaven and to being sanctified we are turning down God’s grace, alienating ourselves from Christ. And without Christ, we will fail.

John 14:6 NIV Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

God’s grace, given to us through Christ’s sacrifice, is the only hope we have at being accepted by God and we attain this acceptance by faith, not by works.

Trying to follow the law doesn’t make anyone righteous, all it can do is point out how terrible we are. Jesus set us free from the guilt the law brings. We should live our lives basking in that freedom, grateful that we will not be judged by God for how inadequate we are at following the law.

Paul finishes up his letter to the Galatians by claiming the only reason people were insisting on following the law was so that they would look good outwardly to other humans. He says they were scared of being persecuted for relying on Christ’s sacrifice and just wanted to disguise themselves to look more like the world around them.

Galatians 6:12-15 NIV Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.

When the book of Galatians is read in context as one complete letter, it is obvious that God does not want Christians to place themselves back under the law. The law was fulfilled by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and its only job in the lives of Christians was to point us to Christ for salvation. Trying to follow the law after we have accepted Christ’s payment for our sins will only stunt our growth as Christians. We cannot grow in grace, faith, and love if we are living under fear, shame, and judgment.

1 John 4:18 NIV There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Hebrews 4:16 NIV Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Recommended Reading: “Disciplined by Grace” by J.F. Strombeck, “This insightful and practical book demonstrates that the Christian life is to be lived the same way it began at salvation―all by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.”

Click here for more things written by Amanda Hovseth.

Develop a Safety Plan

List out warning signs which help you identify that you are starting to experience significant, severe thoughts of suicide.

Write out a safety plan and actively turn to it when the warning signs start to show.

Preventative Steps You Can Take:

What Does the Bible Say to do When Life Starts to Crush Us?

Ask God for help and He will show up.

Our world teaches us that the end goal of life is independence; but God wants us to accept our dependence on Him.

The best way to fight thoughts of sadness and even suicide is to regularly stay in the Word of God.

Do not try to go it alone.

All I could think was…the audacity!

God wants us to thrive through the grace He lavishes on us.

When society becomes unstable and finances are no longer secure…

Where do you turn?

The kind of faith required to sleep easy while the world crumbles around us, takes a while to cultivate.

Pray Directly to God

This relationship with God has been made possible through the work Jesus did on the cross.

Pray Only to God

The God of the Bible is real, He hears, and He answers.

Pray Openly and Honestly

Don't worry about wording things perfectly in prayer. God will even help us with our weaknesses in prayer.

The practice of disciplining oneself for the sake of athletics is often used as a metaphor in the Bible for how to be disciplined in our Christian lives.

It’s the same with relationships. They require hard work.

Disciplined physical bodies are of some value but spiritual things last forever

Saved through grace:

Christian lives are lived through grace:

In “The Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines” by David Mathis, he says:

Tips for the Disciplined Spiritual Life:

Hear His Voice (word):

Have His Ear (prayer):

Belong to His Body (fellowship):

There is solid historical ground for the truth that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

“Inference to the Best Explanation”

A METHOD COMMONLY USED TODAY TO DETERMINE THE HISTORICITY OF AN EVENT.

There are three Historical truths about the resurrection which are so strong that they are accepted by all serious historians, even non-Christians.

Evidence for the Resurrection Appearances

Did the disciples hallucinate?

Were the disciples lying?

How the Disciples/Apostles of the Bible Died

Apologist Sean McDowell carefully states this position:

New Testament Scholar Craig Keener:

Information drawn from these sources:

There is solid historical ground for the truth that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

“Inference to the Best Explanation”

A method commonly used today to determine the historicity of an event.

There are three Historical truths about the resurrection which are so strong that they are accepted by all serious historians, even non-Christians.

Evidence for the Empty Tomb

The resurrection of Jesus is not just the best explanation for the empty tomb, it is the only explanation around!

Because of the strong evidence for the empty tomb, most recent scholars do not deny it.

The information for this blog post was drawn from these sources:

God makes it clear that He values reason and logic

The Unclean Woman of Faith

The Canaanite Woman of Faith

Abraham: the Father of Faith

In Summary:

Let’s take a look at what the Bible has to say about the heart:

What is the Gospel Paul preached?

How were people perverting the Gospel?

Let’s take a look at how God used Paul to address this issue:

God’s grace, given to us through Christ’s sacrifice, is the only hope we have at being accepted by God and we attain this acceptance by faith, not by works.