Who are the “Sons of God” in Genesis 6?

By / Aug 23

In Genesis 6 Moses paints a picture of the human race falling into sin to such a significant degree that God is said to have “regretted” making mankind (Gen 6:6). The depths of sin that God witnessed among those who were created to bear his image (Gen 1:26–27) had “grieved him to his heart” (6:6). This picture of the sinfulness of mankind sets the stage for one of the most well-known stories in the Bible: the flood narrative.

As with most biblical stories, however, the various details are often debated. The particular debate I’m interested in here is concerned with how we identify the “sons of God” in Genesis 6.

Here is the passage:

When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. (Gen 6:1–4).

In this text Moses describes the multiplication of mankind on the face of the earth. This, after all, was the imperative given to Adam and Eve (cf. Gen 1:28). As humanity increases, there is a strange story of “sons of God” being attracted to the “daughters of man” (6:2). The situation (“sons of God” finding the women “attractive”) results in marriages (“they took as their wives”). But the question is, who are the “sons of God” that find these women “attractive” and then marry them?

There have been several answers provided in the history of interpretation. The two answers that I’m most interested in are the (a) Sethite view and (b) the Fallen Angels view.

The Sethite view understands the “sons of God” to be the descendants of Seth. The women (i.e. “daughters of man”) were not women in general but the offspring of Cain. The overarching point, then, is that the line of Seth is intermarrying with the line of Cain, the murderer of Abel. This, it is argued, helps explain the downfall of the human race into such degrees of sin that God is grieved and eventually unleashes the rains of judgment.

Another view understands the “sons of God” as angelic beings that have become sexually involved with women. These fallen angels are perhaps who Peter and Jude have in mind in various places (cf. 1 Pet 3:18–22; 2 Pet 2:4–10; Jude 5–7). Again, the overarching story aims to show the depth of sin that the human race had fallen into. Here, fallen angels, like their father the Devil before them (cf. Gen 3:1-7), helped lead all of mankind away from their Lord.

Admittedly, this position is not without problems and there are reputable biblical interpreters who take a different view (e.g. John Calvin). However, there are a number of persuasive arguments in favor of the fallen angel view:

  1. Though not determinative, this view seems to be the majority view of Christian history.
  2. Second Temple Judaism writers understood the passage as referring to angels.
  3. “Sons of God” is used to reference angelic beings in other parts of the Bible (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7).
  4. The specific phrase “sons of God” is not employed to reference God’s people in the Bible, though God’s people are called God’s sons in various places (e.g. Jer 3:19).
  5. Angelic beings are perhaps in view in Gen 6 according to NT passages (cf. 1 Pet 3:18–22; 2 Pet 2:4–10; Jude 5–7).
  6. In this view, the use of “man” (אָדָם) is employed consistently to reference the totality of mankind.

In my view, the fallen angel position makes the most sense of the flow of the narrative and the grammar of the text. It is the grammar of the text that has caught my eye most recently and is one reason I hesitate to take the Sethite view. Namely, Moses references “man” or “humankind” (אָדָם) eight different times in 6:1–7. The usage consistently aims to describe the entire human race, not one narrow slice of humanity.

Now, why does this present a problem for the Sethite view? Those who understand the “sons of God” to be descendants of Seth believe these men are marrying women who are in the line of Cain (“daughters of man”). Moses, according to this view, is showing what happens when the line of promise mixes with Cain’s line. Furthermore, this view means the usage of אָדָם in 6:2 and 6:4 is not a reference to all of humanity but narrows in on the line of Cain only.

Again, why is that a problem? I believe one reason this is a problematic reading is because Moses consistently used אָדָם (“man”) to refer to universal humanity in Genesis 6. His point is to show the universality of sin and therefore help readers make sense of the universal judgment of God that comes via the flood. To see, then, the use of אָדָם (“man”) in this flow of thought as limited to one slice of humanity (i.e., the descendants of Cain) would introduce an idea that seems out of place. It would require us to read the text this way: 

When [all of humanity] began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the [daughters of Cain] were attractive. And they took as their wives any [of the daughters of Cain] they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in [all of humanity] forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the [daughters of Cain] and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. The Lord saw that the wickedness of [all of humanity] was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made [all of humanity] on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out [all of humanity] whom I have created from the face of the land, [all of humanity] and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” (Gen 6:1–8).

Perhaps Moses is trying to show his readers that the intermarrying of the descendants of Seth and Cain led to a spiral downwards into such levels of sin that warranted the flood of God’s judgement. Yet, what clues would cause us to read אָדָם as narrowing in on the line of Cain when the passage consistently uses אָדָם to paint a picture of universal humanity? And universal human sin is the particular problem Moses is highlighting and the coming flood will deal with. It seems we would need more, or at least clearer, grammatical warrant to adopt a reading that understands two uses of אָדָם (“man”) in the middle of a narrative (6:2, 4) to move from universal (mankind) to a more narrow referent (line of Cain). Despite the biblical-theological reading that argues for the Sethite view, as theologically interesting as that reading may be, we must not jettison commitment to the grammar of a text.

Instead, it seems to me the best reading sees every use of אָדָם (“man”) as a reference to the totality of humankind. Thus, all the families of the earth are multiplying. The “sons of God” found women attractive and married them. These demonic forces (fallen angels) are involved in leading the totality of humanity away from God, just as the Serpent had led Adam and Eve to rebel. The whole human race has spiraled downward. Sin abounds. God is grieved. Judgment is coming. And it is coming to every slice of the human race for all have sinned (cf. Gen 6:7; Rom 3:23). Only God’s mercy allows Noah to escape via the ark he is commanded to prepare.

Admittedly, these questions are complex and the Sethite view is a plausible (and faithful) reading of the Genesis account. In the end, whether you see “sons of God” as descendants of Seth, fallen angels, or you take some other view, the overall point seems clear. Southern Seminary professor, Dr. Bill Cook, states the matter succinctly:

Of course, I may be wrong, and the Sethite interpretation may be correct after all. I certainly grant that the ancient view seems strange to our modern ears. But since Peter and Jude both appear to have held it, it seems to me the best interpretation of Genesis 6:1–4. Regardless of which interpretation is correct, though, the main point is plain: humanity was falling deeper and deeper into sin and running farther and farther away from God.

In light of the pervasiveness of human sin, the text sends us to our knees. We all, like mankind before us, have turned aside and gone our own way (Rom 3:12, 23). Therefore, we are humbled to the dust. 

And yet, Genesis 6 reminds us that though sin abounds, the grace of God abounds all the more. Noah builds an ark that saves all who take refuge within. Thousands of years later, God provides another ark of salvation. That latter ark is not a boat made of wood but a person who carries a wooden cross and dies a substitutionary-atoning death for all those who would turn from sin and trust in him. Thus, like those who found refuge in Noah’s ark and were saved from the waters of judgment, those who come to Jesus are brought through the waters of judgment and saved from wrath of God (cf. 1 Pet 3:18–22). 



3 Bewares for Returning Short-Term Summer Missionaries

By / Aug 18

Well, you’re back, and we all bless and thank God for it. God has taken your summer sacrifice of sharing the gospel and planting churches among the least, last, and lost and used it to advance His kingdom. That said, let’s not too quickly announce this summer is your spiritual peak!

I want to talk to you about the crouching tiger waiting to pounce as you re-enter family, church, and class life upon your return. It’s a pitfall I’ve seen in myself and in many others, time and time again, where upon returning from a short overseas trip, I fall prey to pride.

Pride, you could say, is really the poisonous garden in which all the other sins of anger, greed, malice, covetousness, lust, and the like grow.

Thus, hear the Word of the Lord to you, short-term summer missionary:

“Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

Maybe you need to read that two times.

The Fork in Your Road 

In God’s kind providence, I have had the privilege of studying the book of Proverbs in-depth for 10 years now. To really understand and apply any given individual proverb, you must understand its thematic-theological context (what an individual proverb means inside the literary whole of the book itself). This positions the reader of Proverbs not to interpret Proverbs in a topical fashion (which is suboptimal), but rather as God intended.

Proverbs, as an inerrant and God-delivered book, is controlled by one master metaphor which could be summed up in the phrase: “Life comes at us as a series of decisions between two different ways.” You could call this the two ways theme in Proverbs. It controls and informs the whole composition of Proverbs, as well as the individual proverbs and sections.

In essence, with every penny spent, you are choosing between wisdom and foolishness, righteousness and wickedness. Every friendship is a decision between wisdom and foolishness, or righteousness vs. wickedness. Every piece of counsel either accepted or rejected is a decision ultimately between a path of wisdom or foolishness, righteousness or wickedness. Every sexual thought or encounter is not isolated, but rather an investment in either a wise or foolish, righteous or wicked path.

God in Proverbs, then, wants to say to you, “To be alive is to be on a path—one of two paths, and that reality in my created world is irrevocable.”

As a short-term, summer missionary, you are at a fork in the road. Are you going to choose the wicked path of pride that leads to death (death of something!), or the path of humility that leads to life Himself—the Son of God?

Proverbs 16:17 warns us to beware the path of pride. It is a warning. You will immobilize yourself for God’s glory and your sanctification if you pursue the path of pride.

In that spirit, I have three warnings for you:

1. First, beware of the prideful path of spiritual complacency

After a big win or accomplishment, there is this strange pattern that seems to occur: complacency.

The children of Israel became Olympic-level grumblers and complainers after they crossed the Red Sea. They weren’t even the ones who accomplished the feat, and yet they fell into complacency (Exodus 16).

Elijah, after slaying 500 Prophets of Baal, embarrassingly fled in fear and trembling from the pagan witch queen Jezebel. God was for him, so who could’ve been against him (Romans 8:31)? And yet Elijah fell into fear of man and complacency (1 Kings 18-19).

There is a pattern. After big wins, we have to watch out for complacency. Your sacrifice overseas was a big win. Beware the pattern of “blowing it” by becoming complacent.

You’ll know you’ve fallen into spiritual complacency when your Bible reading seems drab and the Son of God seems boring in comparison to the adventures you had overseas. You’ll know you’ve fallen into complacency when the stateside souls of lost men seem trivial to you.

The cure for spiritual complacency is more Bible! More prayer! More dreaming and eventual execution of Great Commission plans.

You don’t need less spiritual nourishment, you need more. Maybe, just to taunt the devil and inflict a blow on the kingdom of darkness, decide to sit down for 10 hours and read John straight through. Beg God to make Himself precious and beautiful to you again. Likewise, go to a local coffee shop and resolve not to leave until you’ve had a meaningful conversation with a lost person. Maybe it’s time to learn Hebrew or Greek or the dialect of the people group you plan to go to next.

It’s time to share the gospel, friend. It’s time to train and then go back out again. It is not time for complacency.

2. Second, beware of the prideful path of spiritual elitism

Upon your return, you don’t want to become the freak-summer-missionary version of what Paul articulates in Philippians 3 about his pre-Christian self.

I re-wrote Philippians 3 as if Pharisee Paul had been a freak-short-term-summer-missionary-Paul instead. à la Philippians 3:4–8:

“…though I myself have reason for confidence in my short-term missionary accomplishments and also my completion of mission work…If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in his short-term missionary work, I have more: sent out from an elite American sending agency after a few weeks of training, I am of the people of Evangelicals, of the tribe of Baptists/Presbyterian/Charismatics, as to a foot soldier in the army of God I am of a missionary rank; as to hard places, mine was the hardest, in the 10/40 window even! When I evangelized, I was nearly persecuted! As to the law of Bible-reading while overseas, a blameless Quiet Timer.”

Stings a little bit, eh?! Like looking in the mirror a bit?

But Paul knew his true status in Christ when he wrote:

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:7-8)

You’ll know when you’ve fallen into spiritual elitism when you start expecting people to note or acknowledge your sacrifice. You’ll want your lowly hearers not so much to grovel in your presence on account of your sacrifice, but you would like them to accentuate your kingdom status just a bit.

You’ll know you’ve fallen to spiritual elitism when you like to say things like: “You know, that reminds me of the time this last Summer when I was sharing the gospel on the moon with the aliens there…”

You’ll know if you’ve fallen to spiritual elitism when you are more willing to share the gospel in your hard-to-reach place than you are in your own hometown. If that is you, you have fallen into the trap of spiritual pride. You are nurturing thoughts of pride in your heart that you are not a normal church member, but rather something of a Navy Seal in the Kingdom of God. How tragic.

The cure for such spiritual elitism is to follow Jesus’ humility in Matthew 9, where Jesus sees the people disheartened and helpless, and did not shoo them away as sinful fools, but instead healed them. He took time to condescend to them and taught them. He was compassionate toward them and preached life to them. You, precious saint, ought to engage with family, friends, and church members in their ignorance of the global gospel need. Don’t shame them. It’s a losing strategy anyway.

God doesn’t only care for those overseas, after all, for there is no such thing as “overseas” to Him. All seas, souls, and lands are His, and He cares greatly for all peoples. So don’t take up the mantle of elitism thinking you’re in a different category than other Christians.

3. Third, beware of the prideful path of godless nostalgia

Lastly, beware the temptation and tendency to drift into godless nostalgia. Let me illustrate: nobody wants to be that 48-year-old guy who is still talking about how his team barely missed the playoffs in high school, and if they’d made the playoffs, they’d surely have won the championship and he would’ve been the MVP of the game. How embarrassing!

Here’s the point: Your summer deployment and short-term missions sacrifice was real and important, but it ought not be your spiritual peak. If it is, you’ve probably fallen into the pride of godless nostalgia. Pride metastasizes—then we often fall unawares, only able to see how far we fell years later.

The cure for prideful nostalgia is, by God’s grace, to dream a new dream! And not just dream a new dream, but execute it. Get to work taking that next hill, be it stateside, overseas, or in the realm of personal holiness.

God the Son had every reason—literally every reason—in the universe (because he made it) to be prideful. And yet instead, He assumed flesh and died in the stead of sinners like you and me.

Not once did Christ walk the path of pride—not once. He ought to be worshiped and adored for this. Ask him to allow you the strength, vision, and fortitude to follow Him out of the death clutches of your pride.

Beware the prideful path of spiritual complacency, elitism, and nostalgia. By God’s Grace, our Triune God sent you and sustained you and has brought you back stateside. Your family, friends, and local church are not there to slow you down in pursuit of the Great Commission, friend. God more likely has placed them in your life to sanctify you. Now, go plan your next short-term mission trip.



A Gospel for the Broken

By / Aug 17

In the past week, I’ve walked with a friend through a miscarriage, listened to a heroin addict explain that he shoots up because his brother was shot in front of him, and sat with a friend confessing sin and sharing how the consequences will affect their life.

Though I’ve not experienced their specific pain, I also feel the brokenness of the world in my bones. The aches in my heart and body remind me that not all is as it should be in this world. Every broken promise and early goodbye leave another scar, another fear to fight.

The world handles this brokenness in a number of ways: denial, self-help, seeking anything to fill the void or heal the wounds. It’s taken me almost a decade of being a Christian to realize that just because I am a believer doesn’t make me immune to doing these same things with more spiritual language.

For example, being so focused on dwelling with Jesus in heaven that I do not share Jesus with this suffering world. Covering guilt and shame with my attempt at good works rather than looking to the finished work of Christ on the cross. Pretending pain isn’t real instead of embracing what it means to be “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.”

After four years of walking through a hard season, I’ve discovered the emptiness of my pursuits. My best intentions and “solutions” to brokenness in and around me don’t work. But reading the pages of Scripture has given me a better word:

You can love Jesus with your whole heart and still be sad.
You can love Jesus with your whole heart and still lose people and things you love.
You can love Jesus with your whole heart and still make mistakes.
You can love Jesus with your whole heart and still suffer.
You can love Jesus with your whole heart, and it can still be broken. You can still be broken.

But here is the beautiful thing: Jesus died for the broken. He says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:28-29). The pain I see in the eyes of those around me is not unseen by Jesus. The same can be said of the aches and scars you carry.

Not one moment in our lives—not one decision, mistake, change, or loss—happens apart from God’s intention. As difficult as this may be to believe when faced with evil or hardship, we need only look to the gospel to know it is true.

When Jesus died, he was a 33-year-old single man who “had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2b). He was despised, rejected, and mocked. His formal ministry started at 30 and took place over 3 years before ending with him being led like a lamb to slaughter. No worldly eyes would look upon such a life as “successful.” How would we treat such a man if he showed up on a seminary campus?

Yet this is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. And this was God’s plan all along, prophesied in Isaiah 53:10:

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days.
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

The worst moment in all of history was ordained by God as part of his plan of redemption. This should be comforting to us as we walk through the worst moments of our lives.

God’s Word says, “This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Jesus was displayed on the cross—an instrument of torture, shame, and death—only for a moment, but he will reign on his throne in glory for all eternity.

Believer, God’s plan for your life is better than anything you could have expected because what is broken will not only be restored but redeemed. No matter what you lose in this life, if you have Christ, you have gained all. Take heart: we can acknowledge the sadness of the world without forsaking the beauty of the gospel because ours is a gospel for the broken.



Serve the Lord with Gladness

By / Aug 16

It was late. My car was quiet. My children had fallen asleep on the drive home from church. Wednesday night church. But it could have been any night; we were there any time the doors were open. I was driving around aimlessly, praying, crying– discouraged. Years later, I can’t even remember what made me so upset other than that I was exhausted. Exhausted from serving. Exhausted from wondering when it was my turn to be served. Honestly? I was ready to quit. 

As I drove around my neighborhood, my car lights hit a church sign with the exact words I needed: “Serve the Lord with gladness.” I read the sign, cried some more, and drove home with a new attitude. My motivation in serving was wrong. In my mind, the people around me were the problem, but in reality, it was my heart. I was working hard but not with gladness, and I hadn’t been glad in a while. My pride was evident; my boundaries were non-existent. I needed to find the right motivation in my service to the church if I was going to continue without burning out.  

The scripture from the church sign had come from Psalm 100: “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” (‭‭Psalm‬ ‭100:1-3). 

Anyone who knows me knows I am obsessed with Psalm-singing. I sang this Psalm many times without applying the truths from it. Psalm 100 gives us guidance not only in our attitude when we walk into corporate worship each Sunday but into our service to the church as a whole. Because the Lord God made us we should serve him– and not merely out of obligation but out of love and devotion because we are his people who he has chosen!

As the Psalm reminds us, he guides and protects us as a gentle shepherd. Jesus has laid down his very life for us, his sheep. When we look to Jesus we see the standard for both service and humility. When we compare ourselves to others instead of Christ we are quick to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. If Jesus is our standard then we will be much more likely to live a life of loving, joy-filled, self-sacrifice.

Our ambition is to be pleasing to the one we are ultimately serving, King Jesus. Why are you scrubbing toilets? Or painting on a church work day? Why choose to teach Sunday school, preach the Word, or play guitar? It should be an easy answer. To please King Jesus. Everything we do in our service to the local church must be for King Jesus which is impossible when we are prideful. 

Having the right motivation changes our attitude when we aren’t feeling glad about serving. We will be cheerful in even the most mundane tasks when we remember who we are ultimately serving. When we lack joy in service we should check ourselves. Are we truly aiming to please Jesus? Are we thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought? Are we letting comparison kill our joy? Are our desires aligned with the desires of Jesus?

Having the right motivation changes our attitude about results. We no longer need the validation of numerical growth and visible fruit when our aim is simply pleasing King Jesus. Seeing the fruits of your labor can be so encouraging, but a lack of fruit is not necessarily evidence of failure in ministry if your ambition is faithfulness to Jesus. 

Having the right motivation changes our attitude when we are criticized. We no longer need the validation of people when we can be confident we are being obedient to King Jesus. Criticism can be constructive and expose blind spots. We should be open to feedback and consider if that criticism holds truth instead, we often let negative feedback take hold of us, and let it take our eyes away from pleasing Christ. If criticism triggers a feeling of under-appreciation, that’s pride sneaking into your heart. Perhaps criticism makes you decide to quit serving? Pride again. 

Having the right motivation encourages healthy boundaries. We no longer need to say yes to everything because we know Jesus himself rested— and he’s the servant we model ourselves after. We also don’t avoid doing less desirable acts of service because we know Jesus took the form of a servant and washed feet. Whether you’re the type of person who says yes to everything, the kind who avoids serving in less desirable ways, or if you just don’t know where to serve, our goal is the same: aim to please King Jesus. 

There have been plenty of days since that late Wednesday night drive where I’ve had to remind myself of my ambition and refocus back on Christ. Whether you struggle with burnout, criticism, or laziness in your service to the church we all need to get our motivation right in order to work heartily for the Lord and not men. We can rest in the finished work of Christ and work hard until he returns. 



Is Your Gospel an Urban Legend?

By / Aug 15

When our children were itty-bitty we made believe that Santa Claus was real. The excitement for Christmas morning always built up, as our girls couldn’t wait to see what gifts jolly ol’ Saint Nick was going to bring them. Then this illusion came crashing down when we informed them one day that Santa Claus, in fact, was not a real person. The whole thing: made up.

Except nothing came crashing down, really. Our youngest feigned a bit of surprise, but our oldest was unmoved, and both of our girls basically accepted the news with about as much weeping and gnashing of teeth as you might give the news that your favorite coffee drink had gone up $0.50. It’s a little disappointing, but nothing to get bent out of shape over. (The assurance that they’d still get presents on Christmas morning probably didn’t hurt.)

I’ve heard from many anti-Santa Claus people that you shouldn’t play Santa with your kids because of the way it can affect their Christian worldview, the way it can plant seeds of doubt and disillusionment, hurt over what else you might be deceiving them about, once they learn of Santa’s mythological status. And I sympathize with this concern. But I think the reason our girls weren’t sent spiraling into some crisis of unbelieving despair was precisely because Santa was not our worldview. We barely talked about him. We only brought him up around Christmas time, and we never used him as a guilt-trip or ascribed god-like qualities to him (for example, “You better be good, because Santa is watching you and he won’t bring you any presents”).

I imagine that it was not too difficult, even when our girls sort of believed Santa was a real person, to separate the importance of Santa from Jesus because our familial life didn’t revolve around Santa. We didn’t read every day about Santa or discuss how Santa would want us to treat our friends at school. We didn’t talk about the importance of Santa for our everyday life. Dad didn’t write books about Santa or preach on Sundays about Santa. When we sinned against our kids, we didn’t come to them for forgiveness out of a desire to make Santa look beautiful. We didn’t tuck them in with prayers to Santa. And the community of faith we raise our kids in isn’t devoted to Santa. In the grand scheme of things, learning Santa wasn’t real was not a huge deal.

In fact, our oldest daughter confessed she’d already begun to suspect Santa wasn’t real precisely because even though we talked about him bringing presents on Christmas morning, we didn’t really act like he was real otherwise.

And if you’re wondering what any of that has to do with the gospel, here it is:

If you talk a big game about “the gospel,” but don’t live like it’s true, the people you do life with will begin to suspect you don’t actually believe it. Worse yet, they may begin to disbelieve it themselves.

Consider these examples:

— Children grow up in a home where grace is articulated, perhaps even frequently, and yet the dominant culture of the home is one of law. The demeanor and the discipline of the parents reflects more a concern about behavioral compliance, not heart transformation. The rules and the expectations outside the home carry the chief concern of looking like a nice, tidy Christian family, an example to others, inordinately preoccupied with reputation and impression. There are more rules than necessary, and most of them seem to function less to train the kids up with godliness and more to make the parents’ lives more comfortable and convenient. The talk is gospel, but the climate is legalism. What happens to these kids? They grow up hearing about the gospel the same way they hear about a fairytale land. They hope it’s true, but all evidence seems to suggest it’s not.

— A married couple does all the right religious things but treat each other behind closed doors according to self-centered expectations and desires. They both know the gospel. But one spouse withholds affection and kindness from the other. The other, in turn, becomes overly needy, pouty. They are each making unreasonable demands of the other, one in coldness and the other in desperation. They can talk grace all the live-long day, but the culture of their marriage is law. After a while, the gospel begins to seem less real. Enough people talk about it that it has the appearance of truth, but the power of it is unfelt, unseen. The climate of their home is legal, and the gospel starts to sound like a rumor, some kind of urban legend.

— A church plasters the word ‘grace’ everywhere, but the substance of that word has not quite sunk down into the bloodstream. The pastor preaches on the gospel. The people read a lot of gospely books. They brand all their programming and resources with the word “gospel” and “grace.” And the message starts to attract messy people, sinners of all kinds, because that’s what happens when a message of grace is faithfully proclaimed. But the members aren’t really welcoming. They really treasure their own comfort. They value their preferences. They want their church to grow—until it does. And then it changes and change is disruptive, inconvenient. An “us vs. them” mentality creeps in, and eventually the new people start to creep away. Why?

The message of grace requires a culture of grace to make it look credible. In other words, you can un-say with your life what you’re saying with your mouth.

Tim Keller talks about what happens when the gospel is on audio but the world is on video. It is hard for the message to compete if everything around us is screaming the exact opposite.

So how about you? Is your gospel credible? Do you talk a big game about it but treat others like that’s all it is—a game?

Does your gospel sound like an urban legend? Something you like to repeat but doesn’t quite sound true? Is it just a curiosity to you, a message of interest but not of impact?

Would those you’re in relationship with struggle to believe the good news of grace because of the way you treat them? Do you make grace look true with your life? Or do you give your kids, your spouse, your brothers and sisters at church, your lost neighbors and co-workers reasons to doubt this message?

Do you tempt people to disbelieve with your posture what you tell them to believe with your mouth? A message of grace without a manner of grace is a message disbelieved.



Sowers Not Inspectors

By / Aug 12

When I was a child there were certain times of the year that I knew would contain specific events that could be counted on like clockwork. One of these events was the planting of oat patches by hand every summer as we prepared for deer hunting season. Every year the ground would be broken and we would then scatter the seed by hand. To scatter the seed my dad would give me a bucket filled with seed, and I would reach into the bucket, grab the seed, and throw it onto the ground in front of me from right to left in a sweeping motion while slowly walking through the field.

In this very inexact process undoubtedly some of the seed ended up laying on top of rocks, some outside the edges of the field, and some exactly where it needed to be, but my job was not to ensure that every seed was perfectly placed for maximum growth and viability but that the seed was adequately scattered so the seeds that did reach good soil would grow and prove fruitful for the upcoming hunting season.

Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 13:1-9 about a sower who goes into his field and sows seed. Some of the seeds fall along the path, some on rocky ground, some among the thorns, and some reach good soil with only the seed falling along the good soil bearing a harvest. Jesus then explains in verses 18-23 that the seed is the word of the kingdom or the Gospel and the seeds that fell along the path, rocky ground, and thorns are snatched away by the adversary, persecution or tribulation, and the cares of life or the deceitfulness of riches, while the seed which falls on good soil bears a fruitful harvest because the Gospel is received and believed. 

For most this may be a familiar parable that we can almost quote without any need for reference or refreshing as we have read, taught, or heard it preached many times, but there is an application of the text that we may overlook due to our lack of understanding planting by hand practices.

The sowers’ job was not to inspect the soil before sowing the seed, the sowers’ job was simply to scatter the seed and ensure that the ground was adequately covered to ensure as great a harvest as possible. The sower knew that not every seed would grow, and that birds and environmental factors would make some of the planting process void but if there was to be any harvest the seed had to be scattered anyway.   

Similarly, Jesus has left His church to scatter the seed of the Gospel in this world knowing that the seed will fall on many who will not receive it, remain in it, or bear fruit that lasts. My fear is that somewhere along the way we have traded the duty of sowing the seed for that of inspecting the soil. Instead of covering our families, friends, and communities with the Gospel, we look for ways to excuse ourselves from the task because the person is not ready, the soil is not right.

We may look at someone’s life and think “they have so much going on that if I sow the seed here it will be like sowing in thorns”, or “this person clearly is hardened to spiritual truths right now and due to circumstances in their lives it would be like sowing the seed along the path as the adversary will just snatch it away before it has a chance”, or “if I sow the seed in this person’s life it would be like sowing on rocky ground because they lack depth and never commit to anything for any real length of time.”  

When we make excuses, we end up not sowing any seed because we find a reason to alleviate ourselves of the responsibility to spread the Word. However, this is our folly because grass can grow through the crack in the sidewalk, some seeds can grow with almost no depth of soil, birds do not always get every seed that has been scattered, and trees can grow even amid thorns and thistles.

Therefore, no matter what we may judge a person’s life to look like on the outside, we must be faithful to plant the seed of the Gospel and allow God to decide whether the soil is adequate for growth, because the truth of the matter is that your assessment may be completely off track as you may not be able to see what God has been doing in a person’s life leading up to your faithful sowing of the Gospel.

Brothers and sisters, we are not called to inspect before sowing but to faithfully sow ensuring complete coverage of the soil around us with the Gospel and leave the results up to God as He and He alone can cause the seed planted to germinate, grow, and bear lasting fruit. Therefore, let us be a people who are busy faithfully sowing the seed of the Gospel allowing God to use our faithful sowing as He sees fit.  



More Than Eggheads in Ivory Towers: Three Reasons Why I Study Theology

By / Jul 15

“The love of God is a delightful and affectionate sense of the divine perfections, which makes the soul resign and sacrifice itself wholly unto him.” [1]

“Why would you study theology? The disciples didn’t have a theology degree, did they? What’s the point?”

Ever since I first considered seminary, I’ve encountered this question on more than one occasion. Sometimes, friends ask out of genuine curiosity. More often than not though, the question is posed as an accusation, as if they’re trying to discover my pomp and ego.

Over the years, I’ve tried to refine and develop my answer. And since the question recently came up again in my own life, I wanted to detail my typical response and give three reasons I choose to study theology. In so doing, I hope you’ll be encouraged to consider why you study theology or might consider taking up the pursuit.

1. Study Theology to Enjoy God

At its core, Christianity is not a how-to religion, but a faith centered on knowing God and all things in relation to God.

Typically, when people refer to theology as an unnecessary pursuit, they aren’t thinking of this definition. They are thinking of the theology done by eggheads in ivory towers away from the real concerns of real people with real lives. In this way, I would agree with them! The image of Humpty Dumpty should be seared into the minds of every theology student. Take heed, lest we make the great fall! Theology must connect real people with real lives to a real God. Knowing God is the goal of theology.

I’ve found that the more I know God, the more I relax in this life. As Thaddeus Williams recently said, “The more often we remind ourselves of the size and splendor of the God we’re serving, the less seriously we take ourselves.”

Every true bit of theology should cause our souls, as Henry Scougal put it, to resign and resolve wholly to Christ. We resign to all other pursuits for identity and righteousness in this life, and we resolve to follow Him and Him alone for the rest of our lives. This is what true theology should accomplish for our souls. 

As we saturate our studies in the grace of Jesus, the love of God, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, and so much more, we can handle anything this life throws our way.

Theology teaches me not only to know God, but to enjoy life with him now.

2. Study Theology to Be Transformed

 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.”

If we want to experience change in our lives, we must know God. If this is true, then to experience change in our lives, we must study theology. Humbly, yes. But we must not neglect looking to Christ to be transformed. 

According to this verse and others, believers are transformed into God’s likeness as we behold God’s glory. Beholding is the means to becoming.

I would argue that virtually every command we’re given in Scripture is rooted in God’s character. God didn’t make it complicated. We simply look at Him and act accordingly. For example:

  • “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)
  • “Forgive one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
  • “Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7)

We look at how God acts, and act like Him. In theology, we call these communicable attributes- or the specific attributes of God that we should imitate.  

We may not need the term, but we need the idea. Here, theology shows me that you can’t truly look at God in His glory and be unaffected. We will change one way or another. The same sun that melts the ice, hardens the clay. The same is true of human hearts.

 If you desire change in your life, look to Christ. Study theology to be transformed.

3. Study Theology to Make Disciples

In other words, study theology to share theology. In making disciples, we are teaching others to love the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. How can we do that apart from knowing who He is and what He’s like?

We must know Him truly if we are to teach others to love Him deeply. And as we teach others to behold God’s excellencies and beauty, they also enjoy Him and the whole earth will be filled with the glory of God.

We must, as Paul says, impart theology to Timothy’s who will teach faithful men who will teach others also. But we impart theology so others may love and enjoy God.

C.S. Lewis famously said, “We delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.” 

This remains true of theology. We have not fully enjoyed the theology we study until we share it with others, until we can’t help but share Him with others! The glories of God’s goodness, the delight in the doctrine of double imputation, were meant to be shouted from the mountaintops! Granted, these doctrines are impossible to fully comprehend, but as we begin to see who He is and what He’s done, we will experience a joy we’ll have forever as we express that to others in making disciples for the glory of God and the good of others. 

Theology for Life

So, there it is. My common answers for why I choose to study theology. Studying theology changes my life. Studying theology makes my life better. I’m tempted to caveat my answer here with descriptions of the temptations toward pride in theology, the difference between a humble knowledge and puffed-up knowledge, and the duty for theological kindness. As much as those things are true, and more caveats as well, I’d rather leave this post where it’s at and end on a positive note.

There are so many good reasons to study theology. If a degree from a seminary will work in line with these purposes, then I’m all for it. Do we need seminary? Certainly not. The disciples didn’t get a PhD, right? But can seminary be a faithful way to cultivate worship in our hearts and help teach us how to do that for others as well? It was for me. And continues to be so.  

If my PhD journey can be used to help me enjoy God, be transformed into His image, and make disciples, then it will accomplish its purpose. And I believe it can.

[1] Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man.



Remembering Gospel Truths Amidst Evil

By / Jul 14

Mass shootings are no longer rare events in our nation.  Many will remember the shootings at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, Virginia Technical University on April 7, 2007, Sandy Hook Elementary on December 14, 2012, or at Parkland High School only 4 years ago.  When these events occurred, there was shock among many in our nation.  Questions such as, “How could something like this happen?” or “Who could do something like this?” filled our minds.  But now, we look back and think of the shootings in Buffalo, NY, Uvalde, TX, Highland Park, IL, the mass shootings that occurred over the weekend of June 4th-5th, and it is becoming commonplace.  

As we continue to hear about these sorts of atrocities, we must not become numb to what is happening across the country.  It is easy to blame others, call for new gun regulations, and examine our mental health structure as these events continue to happen.  These discussions need to take place.  But before we move straight to solutions, we must realize that those involved are real people.  They are sons and daughters of men and women like you and me.  Families are connected to these victims and many are hurting.  As we reflect on these types of events, let us never separate ourselves from the connection that we have with other human beings before we come up with an explanation or a solution.  Instead, let us consider how we ought to process these sorts of events as Christians before an unbelieving world.  

Evil is Real

First, as Christians, let us remember that evil is real.  Though most of us recoil in horror at the thought that anyone would ever be able to even think about killing someone, there are others who have given into the wicked tendencies of their hearts to commit such atrocities.  With sin entering the world through our first parents, we see murder as early as Genesis 4 with the story of Cain and Abel.  Since this murder, we have seen countless acts of evil occur throughout human history and we see no signs of it letting up.  As men and women allow their consciences to be seared to the truth (1 Tim. 4:2), we see that God gives them over to a depraved mind (Rom. 1:28).  So, we rightly call these events evil, as what occurs comes as a result of the continued suppression of the reality and truth of who our God is.  

Sin is Irrational

Second, as Christians, let us remember that sin is irrational.  This kind of evil is inexplicable and beyond our understanding.  According to the Department of Homeland Security, many of these mass shooters open fire due to “personal grievances, reactions to current events, and adherence to violent extremist ideologies.”  Whatever the reason, to open fire on a group of innocent people is irrational.  But at its core, all sin is irrational.  Consider what James 1:14-15 says, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”  For many perpetrators, the desire to enact “justice” as a form of payback for “injustice” is a rational thought.  Many of us long for justice for our own misfortunes.  But this desire is not rational at all. After it was conceived, it brought forth sin, and the sin, at its fullest, brought about death. Let us never find ourselves entrapped by the lusts of our sinful desires, because sin, though irrational, has a way of presenting itself as the best solution to us for our problems.  

Jesus is Our Only Hope

Third, as Christians, let us remember that Jesus is our only hope.  On the surface of it, that statement might appear to be a little trite.  But it isn’t.  It’s true.  Jesus is our only hope.  In the conversation of life and death and sin and evil, Jesus must be the focal point.  Jesus came to live, die and rise again so that we would be forgiven, but also so that as Paul says in Romans 6:6, “we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”  Ultimately it was the enslaving power of sin that led to these evil acts.  But then, in addition to this, Jesus provides us with the only hope we can have beyond the grave for these many victims.  For all who are in Christ will one day be resurrected to new life, with all justice finally served and all tears and heartaches wiped away.  When Jesus is the focal point of our conversation on tragedy, we have the confidence to cry out, “Come Lord Jesus,” as we trust in a savior who has overcome the world. 

Let us weep as we mourn the loss of human life.  Though many of us may not know these victims personally, they were people with hopes and dreams and families and friends just like you and me.  Let us pray for those connected with these mass shootings.  Pray that the love of Jesus Christ and the comfort that can only come from His gospel would be proclaimed.  But also pray for churches in the area of these shootings as they seek to minister Christ in the face of such events.  Beyond this, let these events remind us that this world is not our home.  We live in a place where evil runs rampant and sin dwells in the hearts of many.  We are mere sojourners passing through this world, proclaiming the hope of the world to come, with our eyes fixed on Jesus.



In the Depths? Help from Jonah 2

By / Jul 12

A single image, from my first few visits to London, is impressed on my mind: the view from the top of an escalator in the larger Underground Tube stations. I remember standing looking at this enormous moving stairway, tilted at a frightening angle, inching slowly but steadily into the depths of London’s underground. Imagine gazing at hundreds of people on this downward trajectory into the belly of London.

This image of downward motion is one which is created by the book of Jonah in the first two chapters. Initially, Jonah goes down to the port of Joppa (1:3). Once aboard a ship, Jonah goes down to the inner part and lies down (1:5). Jonah is then thrown from the deck down into the raging sea (1:15). In chapter 2 Jonah then recalls being thrown down into the sea (2:3), where he then sinks down (2:3, 5)—finally sinking down to the sea floor (2:6). 

For two entire chapters Jonah has been moving downward. In chapter 2, we therefore find him in the depths. But from those depths Jonah shares four truths that might encourage those of us who are likewise in the depths.

Truth #1 – God is Sovereign

We should be amazed at the sovereignty of God in the story of Jonah. It is stated explicitly in 1:17 as it is noted that the LORD ‘appointed’ a fish to swallow Jonah—it isn’t a chance happening, it isn’t a stroke of good fortune—God has orchestrated it. Not only does the fish swallow Jonah, but at God’s command he spits him out again (2:10). It isn’t just the fish that is under God’s control, however, it is also the waves. In 1:4 we are told that the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea to create in the storm. But, in chapter 2 Jonah himself acknowledges it is God’s doing (v. 3): ‘your waves and your billows’. God is sovereign. There can be no doubt about it. All these circumstances—both the waves and the fish—it is all at God’s beck and call.

In the depths Jonah is careful to encourage us to remember God is sovereign. No matter what we face we can face it with confidence because God is in control of all things. When we feel we are drowning in life, God can send a ‘fish’ to rescue us. We must trust our God; no, we can trust our God.

Truth #2 – God Answers Prayer

Jonah asserts this truth before he even gives us the content of his prayer (2:1–2). Even from the depths God hears and answers prayer. Jonah’s situation was desperate. He is struggling to keep his head above water in verse 3, by verse 5 the seaweed is pulling him under and so in verse 6 he has reached the sea floor—alternatively known as death. This prophet of the LORD, who thought he could escape God’s call on his life, is facing the end of his life. It is here, for the very first time in the book, that Jonah calls out to God.

The sad reality is that sometimes we must be brought to the end of ourselves before we seek God. Often it is only in the most desperate of circumstances that we will cry out to God. How is this supposed to be encouraging? Because when we do, God hears and answers. This is Jonah’s testimony (2:2, 7). Cry out to God, speak to him, tell him how you feel and watch as he answers.

This comes with a warning though, because often the answer is not quite what we would expect. Consider Jonah, in the gut of a great fish he thanked God for deliverance! Nonetheless, it was an answer to prayer.

Truth #3 – You’re Not the First

This is more of an implicit truth than an explicit one. But here we have Jonah—a prophet of the LORD commissioned with God’s message—and he is in the depths. We could also consider Elijah, Job, and Jesus himself in the Garden of Gethsemane. They all experienced the depths. In Spurgeon’s Sorrows Zack Eswine writes: 

After citing historical examples such as Martin Luther, Isaac Newton, and William Cowper, then Biblical examples such as Job, King David, Elijah or our Lord Jesus, Charles [Spurgeon] will inevitably say: ‘You are not the first child of God who has been depressed or troubled.’ Even ‘among the noblest of men and women who ever lived, there has been much of this kind of thing…Do not, therefore, think that you are quite alone in your sorrow.’ (pg. 37)

Do not despair simply because you, as a Christian in particular, are in the depths. History teaches us that many have walked that road before, many will walk it afterward, and undoubtedly there are many there with us in our depths. Moreover, God will not leave us alone in the depths (Josh. 1:5; Heb. 13:5). 

Truth #4 – Salvation is From God

It is in the depths that Jonah confesses that salvation belongs to God alone (2:8-9). Idols are vanity, says Jonah. But Jonah doesn’t worship an idol—his is the living God and so with thanksgiving, sacrifice and vows Jonah will proclaim that salvation belongs to the LORD. We should not miss the clear echo of the end of chapter 1 here. The sailors at the end of chapter 1 forsook idols, worshipped Yahweh, and made sacrifices and vows. Sadly, it took Jonah to descend to the depths before he could follow the example of the sailors.

As one commentator writes, ‘The fish stands for the amazing grace of Yahweh, which came down to where [Jonah] was and lifted him to new life’ (Allen, Jonah, NICOT, pg. 213). Because of God’s salvation Jonah’s direction changed. At the end of verse 6, instead of continuing downward, the LORD lifted—brought up—Jonah. Salvation is from God.

In the Old Testament, the word salvation refers to both physical and spiritual deliverance. But as we read the Bible in its entirety, we soon come to see that all physical deliverance is simply an illustration of the great spiritual deliverance that God offers in his son Jesus. In the depths, as Christians, we must never forget that it is in Christ alone our hope is found—for there alone is sin dealt with. 

A Fresh Start

Chapter 2 ends with the fish spitting Jonah out onto dry land—salvation is complete. Jonah is alive and on dry land. One commentator jokes that the disobedient prophet is so revolting that even the fish can’t stomach him for long. But something much more beautiful is taking place here than simply a great fish being ill on the beach. Chapter 2 is finishing where the story of Jonah began: with the prophet on the dry land and knowing where God would have him. Here is Jonah’s fresh start. 

Each time we find ourselves sinking into the depths we must remind ourselves that God is sovereign, in his sovereignty he answers prayers, we are not the first to experience this and salvation always belongs to the LORD. In remembering these things, however, we too have the hope of a fresh start.



Human Cruelty and the Compassion of God

By / Jun 27

This summer, I finally decided to open a book my mom gifted me last year called Where the Crawdads Sing. Since it is one of the best-selling books of all time and has a theater debut in July, it went from the bottom of my bookshelf to the top of my summer fiction reading list.

My hesitancy in exploring the narrative sooner came from a warning I received about how heartbreaking the journey would be. Without going into detail, these cautions were not unfounded. Yet, as I read the life of marsh-dwelling protagonist Kya, coming face-to-face with the reality of human depravity filled me anew with care for those in this broken world who do not know Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:28-32 tells us this about the unrighteous:

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They are filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Before the Lord saved me, stories of horrific things around the world were almost unbearable. It was hard to want to live in a world where so much evil exists.

But this passage is not just speaking to an outside world: it speaks to our state without the grace of God. This passage isn’t just calling out the person or group of people who may come to your mind when you think “evil,” “boastful,” or “ruthless.” Without God’s work, this is you. This is me. This is the culture of death that we daily exist in.

It may sound harsh, but watch how quickly the veneer of love, grace, and patience disappears when our idols are jeopardized. In writing to the early churches, James exhorts fellow believers:

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions (4:1-3).

People with good intentions (myself included) can end up defending themselves rather than listening to the pains of another. Those who claim to be passionate about truth can resort to weaponizing God’s Word to prove a point rather than guiding to living water. Even the brief haughty response given at a slight inconvenience reveals the selfishness of our nature. We don’t want to admit it, but we can be cruel.

Blessedly, one of the few things more overwhelming than human cruelty is the compassion of God.

This is important for me to remember not only as I flip through the pages of Where the Crawdads Sing, but also as I experience cruelty against me or observe it festering in the world. One of the best places to go to recall God’s compassion, even on the darkest of nights, is his Word.

God’s Word comforts those in affliction while also instructing us when we are tempted to go our own way:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I will hope in him.’” (Lamentations 3:22-24).

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:12-14).

Living in the grace of God is not a guarantee—it is a gift.

Though salvation is guaranteed secure through Jesus, we can’t assume that confession of a surrendered life means living a life submitted to the gospel—for us or anyone else. To “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,” and “run with endurance the race that is set before us,” as commanded in Hebrews 12:1 means acknowledging that pursuing righteousness is a daily decision.

If you confess Christ as Lord, I implore you to keep going. Even when waves of hatred threaten to drown you, remain steadfast in Jesus. When you grow weary of doing good, cast yourself upon your never-changing God. Remember when you come face-to-face with human cruelty, you have a God who showers compassion upon you and upon this hurting world through the mercy of his Son. Recall that by the power of the Holy Spirit:

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).

If you have experienced the compassion of God, you can show the compassion of God.

Let us consider how we may reach out our hands to the hurting and guide them toward God’s goodness today.