Truth or Consequences

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work — which is by faith.

– 1 Timothy 1:3-4 

It sounds like something found deep in the jungles of Africa, the Amazon rainforest — or maybe even on another planet. It’s a carnivorous plant called the Venus fly trap, which grows wild in the bogs of North and South Carolina. 

Venus fly traps feast on flies and other insects, and their secret lies in their attractive colors and outstretched, nectar-scented pads. When an unsuspecting victim lands on the exotic plant, sensors prepare its trap to shut. But by intelligent design, it takes more than a single motion to spring the snare. It’s only after a second sensor is activated that the Venus fly trap grabs its prey within 0.1 seconds. Soon, powerful fluids fill the sprung trap, which dissolve the insect into usable nutrients. The cycle then resumes, with the plant re-opening its pads to repeat the lethal deception.

This illustrates an important lesson for Christ-followers: Although it might seem innocent at the time, we can suffer great harm from those who teach Scripture in ways that are inconsistent with God’s Word. That’s because false doctrine can lead Believers astray while misdirecting seekers from the biblical straight-and-narrow pathway toward salvation. Examples include pseudo-Christian tenets such as name-it-claim it, salvation by works, and legalism. One popular Atlanta-area pastor has also advocated unhitching the Old Testament from the Christian faith. And in recent years another familiar pastor/author has denied certain essential Christian beliefs. Declaring that “love wins” and that hell is just symbolic, he’s proclaimed that people worldwide will be saved in the end — even if they haven’t professed their faith Christ. Of course, Believers know through John 14:6 that Jesus disagrees:

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The threat from bad doctrine is nothing new to Christ-followers. About 2,000 years ago, the apostle Paul addressed some of the false teachings of his day that were both confusing and upsetting to early believers in Jesus:

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you,” Paul wrote in Galatians 1:8, “let them be under God’s curse!”

The good news is that God’s truth is near for those who seek it. And Christ-followers have open access to it through the Bible, prayer — and even wise counsel from fellow Believers. We should therefore have less trouble than others with telling right from wrong and discerning the traps of false doctrine. It’s a vital lesson that underscores the importance of biblical literacy.

If you hear or read something that seems inconsistent with Scripture, maybe it is. Check the Bible and ask a trusted Christian friend. And if the teaching is unbiblical, don’t follow it. But if it turns out to be legitimate, God could be using it to build your faith and help you become a bit more like our Savior … one passage at a time.

Can I Get a Witness?

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

– 1 John 4:14

According to AccuWeather, tourists recently flocked to Death Valley, CA, at the height of a heat wave to experience temperatures that neared 130 degrees. The official high on July 7, 2024, was 129 degrees at Death Valley National Park’s Furnace Creek Visitors Center. And that was followed by a week with afternoon temperatures in the upper 120s.

That’s in stark contrast to the brutally cold temperatures endured 247 years earlier in another famous valley. In December 1777, General George Washington’s Continental Army faced frigid, snowy conditions as it set up winter camp in Valley Forge, PA, during the Revolutionary War. The situation was grim for the 12,000-man rag-tag force. What’s more, Washington was under attack by members of Congress, who were criticizing his strategic choices and lack of success on the battlefield. Some even advocated his removal from command. With food, clothing, and ammunition in extremely short supply, Washington wrote: "… that unless some great and capital change suddenly takes place ... this Army must inevitably … starve, dissolve, or disperse…"

A great change would indeed take place. One Valley Forge resident testified that Washington was alone and on his knees in prayer in the woods. The tired general called aloud for God’s help — and not just with his army’s dire plight — but also for all of humanity and the world. The witness recalled that he was astonished at the power and earnestness of the general’s petition. “We never thought a man could be a soldier and a Christian,” he said. “But if there is one in the world, it is Washington.”

The rest, as they say, is history. In the darkness of Christmas night, Washington and his army crossed the ice-choked Delaware River to defeat the oblivious Hessian mercenaries hired by the British. The news of the Continental’s surprise victory spread quickly throughout the fledgling nation and soon revived the fading war effort. 

Although the eyes of America were on George Washington that snowy evening, he hadn’t sought an audience — except for One. But his sincere and humble prayers testified volumes about his fervent faith in his Creator’s ability to protect and save.

How about you and me? As Christ-followers, the world is watching us, too. Do our words and deeds each day testify to our faith in God’s ability to change the world and save souls? When we practice what we preach, it’s our faith in action that honors God. And when we seek to honor God, he seeks to honor us. As Psalm 35:28 proclaims:

My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long.

Family Matters

When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

– Acts 11:18

The Adoption Network reports that about 115,000 children are adopted each year in the United States, and 25% of them don’t share their adoptive parents’ race, culture, or ethnicity. Unfortunately, the adoption process can be stressful, tedious, and very expensive. Arrangements with the birthparents can fall through at the last minute, and agency fees, court costs, and other legal expenses can easily exceed tens of thousands of dollars. But for those whose hearts are set on a special child, no price is too high.

Scripture reveals that God is quite familiar with the adoption process, its struggles, and legalities. That’s because in a very real sense, he’s the adoptive parent of every Christ-follower. When we first put our faith in his son — Jesus — as our Savior, God acted legally on our behalf and paid all the related costs. The result? Our eternal salvation and adoption into God’s royal family:

“You did not choose me; I chose you,” Jesus explains through the apostle John’s gospel. “And I gave you this work: to go and produce fruit, fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you anything you ask for in my name.”

Before God became our Heavenly Father, we were spiritually dead. We had broken his laws, and our sinfulness had made us his enemies ... and him our Judge. But what’s so remarkable is that this same Judge has declared us not guilty. That’s because Christ paid the exorbitant price of our adoption through his death on the cross. For us then came a change of family, name, and home. And as God’s adopted children, it also meant an array of new privileges and responsibilities.

The implications are extraordinary. God — as our loving Father — is now approachable through prayer. He’s no longer some cold, impersonal being who’s only accessible through a priest. In fact, Jesus outraged the strict religious authorities of the day by referring to the Creator as Abba, which means Daddy in the Aramaic language. And he happens to be a Daddy who watches out for his kids!

Indeed, the Creator of our vast universe cares for us so much and knows us so intimately that he’s literally counted the hairs on our head. He’s also willing to pay any price to adopt us into his family. And for every Christ-follower, that’s exactly what he did to forever convey his name, protection, inheritance, and love. Because to him, family matters. 

 

Flavor of the Month

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.”

– Acts 10:34-35

There’s a popular notion that one’s choice of faith, whether it be Christianity, Islam, Judaism, or something else, is little different than one’s choice of ice cream. Whether it’s vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, or pistachio, the flavor really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. It’s all just a matter of personal preference and taste.

God’s message to us through the Bible, however, reveals that our choice is one of life or death. Author Philip Yancey wrote about an incident that reveals this crucial truth. Several decades ago, there was a conference held in England where theologians debated which belief was unique to Christianity. Other faiths held to the resurrection of the dead. And still others described their gods as coming to earth in human form. But after much heated discussion, C.S. Lewis — the noted author of Mere Christianity, The Chronicles of Narnia, and other Christian classics — wandered into the room.

"What's all the hubbub about?" he inquired. When his colleagues disclosed the contentious topic, Lewis was quick to reply:

"Oh ...That's easy," he said. "It's grace."

What’s grace ... and why does it matter? 

Grace is God's free gift of favor to undeserving people like you and me. There's nothing we can do to earn it. We just need to accept it, embrace it, and live it out with transformed lives through our faith in Jesus Christ. Moreover, it's with grace that we not only survive, but thrive. 

The saying goes that religion is all about working and doing things to please God, but Christianity is all about the great thing that God has already done for us. It’s also through religion that we might imagine God warning us: “Work hard and be good so that you can be saved.” But when we turn our lives over to Jesus in faith, his actual loving message turns things on its head: 

“You have been saved. Now go out and do good in my name.”

Regardless of popular opinion, our choices — particularly those involving faith — have consequences. We can either choose manmade religion, where we face exhaustion and frustration due to our guaranteed failure to achieve, or embrace a God-made relationship, where Jesus has already paid the price for our salvation. All we must do is accept his remarkably gracious invitation and let him live through us. And even more amazing is that it’s an invitation that’s open to everyone:

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock,” Jesus welcomes us through Revelation 3:20. “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”