Farewell Roe v. Wade

Child at 13 weeks

After nearly fifty years, and millions of murdered children, and countless attempts by pro-life organizations, Roe v. Wade has finally been overturned. This does not mean that abortion is suddenly illegal. What it means is that the individual states must now craft their own abortion laws. Writing for the majority, Justice Alito said, "‘We hold, [that] the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion.’ Justice Alito also said any state regulation of abortion is presumptively valid and, ‘must be sustained if there is a rational basis on which the legislature could have thought’ it was serving ‘legitimate state interests,’ including ‘respect for and preservation of prenatal life at all stages of development.’”

This is good news and bad news. The ruling does remove the wrongheaded assumption that the Constitutional right to privacy includes the right to murder unborn children. That’s good news. The bad news is that there will undoubtedly be states that find “a rational basis” for abortion that serves “legitimate state interests.” Convenience will still trump the sanctity of life in some people’s mind. If a state decides that it would be rational to end a pregnancy through abortion to preclude the possibility of having to pay for an unwanted child, legitimate state interests could be claimed.

What the overturn of Roe v. Wade did not do is clear up the underlying question of when human rights begin to apply to a fetus, the question being whether an unborn baby is truly human. As a Christian, there can be no question because the Bible repeatedly asserts that the life of every human being exists in God’s mind even before conception. Psalm 139 states this most clearly:

“Indeed you created my inward parts;

you wove me in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully

and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works,

and my soul knows it well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was created secretly,

and intricately woven

in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my embryo,

and in your book, they all were written—

days fashioned for me when there was not one of them.”

Even if we didn’t have the Bible to rely on, there is good, logical reason to believe human life begins at conception. The DNA in the sperm and egg are human DNA. The entity that issues from the fertilized egg can be nothing but human. There is no question there. Ignoring this, the courts have struggled for the last fifty years to decide whether there is a point of viability at which a fertilized egg becomes human. Viability is taken to mean the ability to exist outside the womb which is really a question of where a thing exists not what it is essentially.

One must ask how human-ness can be defined if DNA is ignored. Some believers wanting to preserve abortion rights have suggested that the unborn baby doesn’t become human until it takes a breath. They make the claim that Adam didn’t become human until God breathed the “breath of life” into him. That may have been the case for Adam, but there is no biblical evidence that God breathes life into every individual child that has been born since Adam. Rather, the method of procreation instituted by God at creation continues the miracle of life through natural means.

When developing in the womb, the unborn baby gets its life-giving oxygen from its mother’s blood. Once the baby’s umbilical cord is severed, the baby’s lungs take over the function of providing oxygen. This simple change in the source of oxygen does not signal a transition from not-human to human. A baby does not change physically when it takes its first breath. It is also true that every creature that exists on land breathes air; every creature is not therefore human. The breath of life argument doesn’t hold up.

Another argument for assigning human-ness at the point of conception might be called an argument from potentiality. A kernel of corn placed in the ground becomes a stalk of corn. A planted acorn becomes an oak tree. A fertilized chicken egg becomes a chicken. A fertilized cow ovum becomes a cow. Corn doesn’t produce oak trees; chicken eggs don’t hatch cows. A fertilized human egg cannot become anything but a human. The real argument today is whether all humans, including the unborn, have equal rights under the law.

Bioethicists are beginning to argue that despite the presence of human-ness, some classes of persons might justifiably be denied human rights. Unwanted or premature babies, mentally deficient children and adults, people debilitated by the process of aging can all be considered less than human and not deserving the rights granted to “fully human” beings. This is a very dangerous line to follow, but it has credibility among those people who are utilitarian or pragmatic in their philosophies. It can also be used in the “legitimate state interest” argument: a person who cannot contribute to society in any meaningful way should not be granted full human rights and become a burden to the state. Terminating those humans would be a benefit to the non-terminated humans. Unwanted pregnancies can be terminated for the good of society, so they say.

As of 2019 (the latest year with statistics since Roe v. Wade in 1973) there have been 63,459,781 aborted fetuses in the United States. Over 63 million human beings have been thrown in the trash. That is a national tragedy that underscores the shift in this country away from Judeo-Christian principles. Many state legislatures will find their own way to provide abortion rights similar to Roe v. Wade. As I have written previously, the decoupling of procreation from sex with the easy availability of birth control hastened the rise of promiscuity and placed the institution of marriage in second place behind physical gratification. The push to redefine gender and marriage further weakened the biblical institution.

We have good reason to celebrate the reversal of Roe v. Wade. Christians should not abandon the battle for the sanctity of life, however. The front lines have now been moved to the state legislatures making it more difficult in some ways. Instead of a single pro-life march on Washington, we will now need to approach lawmakers in every state that tries to reinstate abortion à la Roe v. Wade.  This is just one front in the culture war Christians should be engaged in. Although our true enemy is “spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies,” our enemy on the ground is apathy. Christians are no longer the majority in many areas. However, if we voted as a bloc, we could have significant influence on policy especially at the local level.

Say a prayer of thanks that the devouring lion of Roe v. Wade has been defanged. Stay on your knees, however, and continue praying that the one “looking for someone to devour” will be held back in other critical areas. Then get off your knees and do something. Saint Augustine is supposed to have said, “Pray like it all depends on God and work like it all depends on you.” That’s great advice.

Related posts: Whose War on Women?

When Being Right is Wrong

What I am about to write is autobiographical and confessional in nature. This is not the kind of thing I would normally publish broadly but more likely speak in confidence to close friends. I have chosen to make myself vulnerable because I have caused trouble in a public way, and I don’t know who I might need to apologize to beyond those who have spoken up. This exposure may also be helpful to someone who has had similar difficulties and could learn from my experience.

If you have not read my blog for long, you may want to read the following articles for background: OMG! It’s Me; Confidence Versus Arrogance; The Importance of Being Right. If you don’t have time to read them, I will simply say that they prove the issue at hand is not something new to me. It would seem to be almost as old as I am; I remember my mother telling me to watch my tone of voice after I had said something that she took as disrespectful. I hadn’t meant to be disrespectful, but apparently it sounded like I was. The fact that I can remember her exact words tells me that it was not a one-time occurrence. My wife has said the same thing to me as recently as last week, so the problem continues.

I remember having lunch with my pastor about thirty years ago discussing an issue with a fellow-believer at the church. I had not thought there was anything to be upset about, but an upset occurred. My pastor told me something that shocked me; he said that I intimidate people. To this day, my self-image is tender enough that I struggle to believe I have the kind of character that would intimidate anyone, but I still do. Any protestations of humility or deference are discounted as more of my raw hubris.

As a composition teacher, I always taught that your words cease to be yours once they are sent out and received by another. The receiver creates a perception of what your words mean, and that perception is reality to that person. Period. No amount of backpedaling or apology seems to change the mind of a person who is convinced he knows your intentions. Even after fifty years of marriage, my wife still occasionally assigns dark motives to me of which I am entirely innocent. It should come as no surprise that people who don’t know me well should do the same.

What am I to do? I suppose I could just shut my mouth, park my word processor, and never produce another word. Like that will ever happen! My problem is compounded by the fact that I am called and gifted as a teacher, a fact attested to by the Holy Spirit witness to my own spirit and the confirmation of the Body of Christ over many years. Because it would be a sin not to share my gift, shutting up is not an option. It’s all about when to speak and what to say. I have been accused of “teaching” people who were not interested. I thought my lesson was needed, but the “student” was not ready to hear it. Then there is the case of saying something that might be appropriate but coloring it with my tonal affliction and messing up the moment.

Regardless of tone or timing, my strongly held opinions intimidate those who hold opposing views, as was noted by my pastor years ago. This is where the question of arrogance versus confidence applies. If I am confident by reason of my study and the Spirit’s witness that a Scriptural principle can be applied to a situation, I need to take one more step and ask if the application and venue are appropriate. The fact that I may offend someone is not reason enough to keep silent. If that were the case, none of the biblical prophets would have said a word; they were always offending someone, as was Jesus Himself. My detractors might say that I am not Jesus or a prophet, so I should shut up. My apologies to them all, but my Editor is of a higher order.

During the 2020 election season, I frequently made my opinions known through blogs and responses on Facebook. I did not check with my Editor often enough. I paid the price in bruised and broken relationships. I seldom respond on Facebook anymore unless the offender is maligning God or His Word. I feel like David when he stood in front of Goliath and said, “You can’t talk about my God like that!” If God’s Word offends people, and I suffer the consequences, I am getting what Jesus promised: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” He is after all, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”

Another man I once admired said that if you are getting shot at from both sides, you are probably in the right place. That was certainly the case with Jesus. I often find myself in that position; I’m too liberal for the conservatives and too conservative for the liberals. In any case, I am too outspoken for the intimidated. Confidence or arrogance; faith or foolishness. Going forward, I am going to make the effort to say only what needs to be said and to say it with no malice of tone (as best I can). If you are one of the offended, please accept my apology and know that I bear malice toward no one, but I am resigned to the fact that some people will take offense no matter what I say. Thanks for listening.

Encounters With Eliphaz

Encounters With Eliphaz

In the last chapter of the book of Job, God chides Eliphaz, one of Job’s friends because, “you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” You may recall that the friends insisted that Job’s suffering was a result of his own sin. Job maintained throughout that he had lived righteously, and the judgment he was receiving from God was undeserved. As I have written previously, God corrected Job by asserting His sovereign right to do with His creation as He wished, without regard to their comfort. After Job’s friends finish their misguided advice, God expresses His anger at them for not speaking the truth.

God’s reprimand clearly confirms the message of the book by establishing Job’s innocence and God’s right as sovereign. What strikes me with His word to Eliphaz and company is that He expected them to know His truth. We don’t know for sure, but most Bible scholars think Job lived around the time of Abraham – during the patriarchal age – before any written scripture we know of. This is not the only instance of God expecting men to know His will. Cain was chided for not knowing how to properly approach God; then he killed his brother in a rage. Enoch obviously did what God wanted and was rewarded with a free trip to Heaven without dying first. Noah listened to God and built the ark according to God’s design. Abraham took off for parts unknown on the word of a God he obviously trusted.

Then we come to Job. God affirmed Job’s opinion and condemned the friends for expressing false opinions. Jesus had similar encounters with the religious leaders of His day; they should have recognized who He was, but they did not because as Jesus said, “You search the scriptures because you think that you have eternal life in them, and it is these that testify about me. And you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.” As is usually the case, ignorance is no excuse. Even though they had no written Scriptures we know of, Job’s friends were chastened by God for not speaking truthfully.

One has to wonder what God must be thinking about His people today. We have His Word in almost every known language, and many homes in this country have several copies, yet there is an alarming lack of Bible knowledge even among Christians. (See Merely Christian) Even worse, we have some people claiming to follow the Bible, but like the Jews of Jesus’ day, make their converts, “twice as much the son of hell as you are.” You don’t have to go to some crazy cult to find teachers who twist the Scripture to fit their own ideas of who God is and what He wants. Churches that used to be bastions of biblical integrity are now condoning all manner of unbiblical practices.

The worst part of all this is that when someone stands up for traditional biblical interpretation, he is likely to be mocked as a simpleton or shouted down as a politically incorrect hater. We shouldn’t be surprised. Jesus was mocked and killed as were many of the prophets before Him, and many of His true followers were martyred by the very church that should have welcomed them. When Martin Luther tried to correct the Roman church after he discovered the true meaning of salvation by grace through faith, he ran afoul of the leadership. When he was called to testify before church leaders, a friend warned him of the potential danger. Luther responded, “This is no time to think of safety. I must take care that the gospel is not brought into contempt by our fear to confess and seal our teaching with our blood.”

The true gospel is being brought into contempt these days. No one in this country has been asked to seal their teaching with their blood yet, but preachers have been jailed for sharing a traditional interpretation of the biblical position on homosexuality. Parents can be brought up on charges for using corporal punishment in a biblically sound manner. Merchants can be fined for standing on principle and refusing to support causes they find unbiblical. Teens can get birth control or gender altering drugs without parental approval. Elementary schools are indoctrinating students with the tenets of critical race theory that clearly trample the rights of Christian parents to educate their children as they see fit.

I would dearly love to hear God thunder the way He did to Eliphaz. I sometimes feel like the Psalmist who complains, “Why do the wicked prosper?” I long for the retribution promised the unrighteous: “Let them be shamed and abashed altogether who seek to take away my life. Let them be repulsed and humiliated who desire my harm.” We need to take Paul’s advice and put on the full armor of God. There’s an Eliphaz around every corner these days, and it may be up to us to put him in his place. Pray you are prepared.

Related posts: Paging Phineas Eleazer;  Make Me Be Good; The Importance of Being Right; Not Our Fathers’ God; I Don’t Believe in God

What About Men’s Attire?

I received a thoughtful reply to my last blog post, How to Watch TV (part 4). In that post I suggested that popular television programs are influencing our decisions about what is acceptable women’s attire. My reader suggested, based on her teen-aged daughter’s experience, that I might consider writing about men’s attire as well. Her implication was that girls will be just as easily tempted as boys by alluring attire on the opposite sex. Because my reader is of a younger generation than I, I suspect she may be experiencing a societal shift that is worth exploring.

A quick Google search retrieved thousands of mentions of shifting trends in female arousal and expectations regarding sexual relationships. Not all the “research” uses solid scientific methodology, but there is enough data to suggest that something is changing. I am less interested in the measurement of the change than the motivation for the change. I have to wonder if the dramatic sexualization of our society is socializing modern girls differently than previous generations. I know the teen sitcoms my daughter was fascinated with in the 1980’s made it seem as though boys were the main topic of interest to girls her age. My reading of history makes me think that was not always the case.

One reason to think that young girls in ages past didn’t spend much time fantasizing about boys is that they were usually married soon after puberty. As I have written previously, the freedom experienced by our teen-aged society is a recent phenomenon. It was not until the middle of the last century that young people had many years of freedom to explore their sexuality before getting married. While men in western culture were expected to get established in a career before marrying, when they did choose a bride at twenty- or thirty-something, she was likely to be between 14-16 years old. Upper class men, because of a more certain source of income often married younger to women closer to their own age.

We are barely three generations into a period when men and women are expected to finish high school and then learn a trade or go to college before thinking about marriage. This puts pressure on both men and women to find release for the sexual tension that is a normal, God-given condition. Society began telling teens consistently since the free-love Sixties that sex is just part of nature, so they should do what comes naturally. I have said before that I agree completely with Francis Fukuyama’s assertion that the decoupling of sex from procreation in the 1960’s was a watershed moment in human history. If sex doesn’t have to make babies, then women are freed from one of the strongest reasons to wait until a man makes a life-long commitment to her and the child. Sex can be experienced risk-free just for fun. Whoopee!

If sex is just about satisfying animal urges, and if the risk of pregnancy is removed either through birth control or abortion, and finally, if young women are going to spend years in post-pubescent longing, it does seem likely that their traditional, historical attitudes might change. This condition would also explain a shift from the traditional idea that only men were interested in casual sex without commitment. If you can believe Hollywood, women are just as likely to be promiscuous as men. Or put another way, just as likely to initiate the fall into sin.

It might be argued that for all of human history until the twentieth century, virtually all societies have been patriarchal. Men ran things, so men wrote the rules and the history from a decidedly male viewpoint. The Bible certainly reflects that situation, and although the New Testament does establish male headship in families as the Godly norm, Paul in particular makes it clear that in Christ, there are no gender inequalities. None of this precludes the real possibility that young women today might be exhibiting different attitudes toward sex than they had in the past. This situation also parallels the so-called feminization of males. As society is stridently insisting that there is no difference between the sexes, men are sliding into more traditionally feminine behaviors and attitudes while women are becoming more masculine.

I firmly believe that this situation is a clever plot by the enemy of our souls to disrupt the divine order God intended in the beginning. By blurring the lines between genders and even encouraging gender transitions, our enemy has tempted us to think in ways that do not reflect God’s perfect order for society. Family values based on Scriptural principles which were once almost universal in human society are now regarded as old fashioned and unnecessary.

While this may seem purely academic and unimportant to average Christians, it is anything but that. The family structure ordained by God in the Garden of Eden – man, woman, child – is elemental to human existence as creatures made in God’s image. God saw that Adam was not complete alone, so He completed him with Eve. This is emphasized by the declaration that a man and a woman become “one flesh” in marriage. The natural result of the “one flesh” union is children. Without this resulting completion, the human race would eventually cease to exist. “Be fruitful and multiply” was not an optional suggestion; it was mandatory.

The Apostle Paul adds emphasis to the uniqueness of male-female unions in 1 Corinthians 6. He warns the licentious believers that uniting with a prostitute (extra-marital sex) has spiritual implications affecting their relationship with Jesus Christ. This sin, he says, is like no other. I believe he makes this assertion because of the elemental nature of male-female bonding instituted in Genesis. It also distorts the purity of the male/female image bearing quality instituted at creation.

I realize that I have strayed far from the original question of men’s attire. I arrived here because the question of sexual temptation goes both ways. The way Christians present themselves in society, whether male or female, must maintain a standard that is supportive of God’s design. As I wrote at length in “Women’s Attire,” Paul’s instructions to Timothy encouraged “modesty” in women’s attire; the word might well be translated “orderliness.” Societal order is precisely what gets tossed aside when women or men behave in ways that causes temptation. Chaos is what happens when order is ignored. Chaos in God’s system of things is otherwise known as sin.

I will defer to the young mother who suggested men’s attire should be a subject of concern. She may be right that women are just as likely to be tempted by visual stimulation as men. The principle that is most important here (the WHAMM) is that parents must tell their children that society has completely fallen for the enemy’s scheme, and contrary to what they may see or hear, the proper place for sexual expression is always and only in marriage between a man and a woman. Parents might also try to limit their children’s exposure to societal pressure by censoring their media indulgence and providing wholesome, God-honoring means of entertainment.

There I go sounding like an old fuddy-duddy again. Measured by today’s standards, I may even sound like a fool to suggest such things. Then I remember what Paul said about being a fool in the eyes of the world for Christ's sake. I’ll take that.

How to Watch TV (Part 4)

I wrote a series of articles almost ten years ago recommending that believers reconsider their television viewing habits in light of biblical principles. (See below) More recently, I wrote again about the negative influence of Woke TV on Christian thinking. My attendance at my granddaughter’s graduation awards ceremony has brought me back to consideration of the moral condition of our society and television’s role in its formation. I used to spend most of my waking hours in the presence of teens and twenty-somethings as a teacher. I have been retired for several years, so some things surprised me when I revisited that world.

I am referring to teen girls’ fashion trends. Many of the young ladies were dressed in outfits that I never would have allowed my daughters to wear in any situation, least of all where they were required to prance across a stage in front of an audience. One example of the “little black dress” that every cosmopolitan thing must have was skin tight, barely long enough to cover her buttocks, and it stretched low enough below her clavicles to be somewhat suggestive. On a high school coed. At a graduation ceremony. I could only wonder what her parents were thinking when they allowed her out of the house. That dress looked exactly like something a “working girl” would wear on the street corner during business hours.

I have written at length about proper attire for Christian women (see below), so I will not belabor the facts here. My purpose in this installment is to question how or why we have allowed ourselves to sink to such a deplorable condition. The graduation ceremony I attended was at a school in a predominantly Christian, conservative part of our country. I suspect that the families represented had a higher percentage of church attendance than the average US population. This was not LA or Miami. If you think I am being too puritan or provincial, please read the articles linked below: Christian Cleavage and Women’s Attire. It is true that I am old, but my opinions are based on the old Book we are supposed to be using to inform our behavior.

It is my opinion that the state of our over-sexualized society can be directly attributed to the nature of the television programs we watch. I know that sexual sin can be traced all the way back to the earliest pages of the Scriptural record long before the airwaves were polluted by smut. I know that promiscuity and adultery are not new to the body of Christ. I know that I cannot expect biblical morals from non-believers, so their behavior shouldn’t surprise me.

The thing that seems different to me is the expectation and expression of sexuality prevalent among those whom I would consider conservative. I don’t watch much TV drama because it disgusts me. What little I have seen makes me wonder if real people are as promiscuous as those portrayed on the typical television program. Do real people crash into their apartment or a hospital linen closet ripping their clothes off and doing what they do standing against a wall? Perhaps my limited experience with today’s TV drama is missing the married version of conjugal bliss that speaks of love and tenderness. But when I think about it, I can’t recall a single episode depicting a married couple in the bedroom. Hmm.

I am pretty sure that the human brain is wired in such a way that if it records something happening in a morally neutral setting with no negative consequences time after time, it will eventually accept that action or condition as normal. I shudder to think that the sexual mores of people portrayed on television are normal. I recently read an article by A. W. Tozer in which he suggested that Christian behavior must not be judged by the standard “not as bad as,” but instead we should be measuring our behavior against a biblical standard. Using that standard, I wonder if we should be watching any TV drama at all. Certainly, no Christian mother should allow her daughter to appear in public dressed like a prostitute. Ever.

But they are. As I said in my previous articles, hours and hours of bathing in the sewer that is commercial television have numbed us to the searing debauchery which invades our homes electronically every night. I recommended ten years ago that if we didn’t just unplug the box, we should at least be very careful about what and how we watch it. I am even more convinced now that that is true.

There is only one reason a television drama is able to be produced: advertising revenue. What I am about to suggest is going to sound naïve or ridiculous to many. I will say it anyway. If enough offended religious viewers let the sponsors of raunchy programs know that they were offended by the depiction of immorality, the sponsors would reconsider their involvement. Because of the apathy of most American Christians, I am just cynical enough to expect that that will happen right after pigs fly over Hollywood and Vine.

I close with the words of Paul: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:

‘Wake up, sleeper,

    rise from the dead,

    and Christ will shine on you.’

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

Consider the Lord’s will regarding your TV viewing and how it affects your behavior. As I said several years ago, you don’t have to go as far as the Amish to make a biblical statement to a sinful world. At the very least we should prevent our daughters from looking like they are soliciting. My experience the other night makes me think we have graduated to something akin to Sodom and Gomorrah. And we know what happened to them.

Related Posts: Woke TV; How to Watch Television (1); How to Watch Television (2); How to Watch Television (3); Debating Christian Cleavage; Women’s Attire Again

I’m Not Afraid to Die

I was having a conversation with a friend recently about a person’s attitude when death comes calling. She believed that everyone would cling to life in hopes that death could be avoided as long as possible. She had recently lost a loved one, so her thoughts were deeply personal and based on her own ideas about death and the afterlife. When I told her that I would welcome death because it is the door to a better life, she told me I might think differently if I were the one facing a terminal diagnosis.

I think she is wrong; I hope she is wrong. I haven’t heard the grim reaper’s steps in the hall, but I have a deep, abiding faith in what Scripture teaches about life after death. I think it is an expression of that faith that allows me the confidence to say that I will welcome it when it comes knocking. This position touches a subject I have covered previously: Confidence versus Arrogance. When I express absolute confidence (aka faith) in the Word of God, it sounds arrogant to unbelievers and believers who have not yet accomplished the renewal of their minds recommended by Paul.

What are the Scriptures that should renew our mortal fear of death? The first that comes to my mind is Paul’s poetic echo of the prophets in 1 Corinthians. “Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” Because I no longer bear the penalty for my sin which was taken by Christ on the cross, I have confidence that the sting of death is gone, and it is replaced by my joyous victory over it.

So then, death becomes a stage in life, a life everlasting with great expectations of continued joy. While I don’t pretend to know exactly what or how the transformation from this life to the next will be, I have numerous Scriptural clues about it. For one, Jesus told His disciples just before His death and resurrection that He was going away to prepare a place for them where they would join Him later. The place Jesus referred to (His Father’s house) is in that realm or dimension where God is said to dwell, often called Heaven.

This raises a question about exactly what Heaven is or where Heaven is. Curiously, in naming the disciples’ future destination, Jesus used a word that might well be translated “hotel.” This tempts us to think that the place Jesus referred to is not our permanent eternal dwelling, but rather a waystation between life on this earth and life on the new earth which will be created in God’s good time. Whatever or wherever the place is, we get a sense that we will have a consciousness that we will carry from this life to the next; otherwise, Jesus would not have suggested that His disciples would be joining Him there. His subsequent death and resurrection revealed a new body that bore recognizable marks of the old but with capabilities that were new.

Although many people believe that Christians go to Heaven when they die, this is not exactly what the Bible says. When the word heaven is used, especially by Jesus, it is in the context of the “Kingdom of Heaven.” In those instances, Jesus was not referring to a far distant place, but rather to a condition of God’s sovereign rule. The rule of Heaven is a metonymy much like the modern reference to the authority of the “White House.” What’s in view is a matter of control or reign; it’s what Jesus taught His disciples to pray for: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” We are to pray that “Heaven” would have complete control over the events of our earthly existence. Jesus repeatedly said that the Kingdom of Heaven, the sovereign rule of God had already burst onto the earthly scene with His incarnation. He never suggested it was the place we go when we die.

The fact is the Bible says very little about where we go when we die. One of the most encouraging passages is Paul’s declaration that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Paul does not elaborate on where that presence is, but he is confident that he will share a relationship with the Lord he serves. Jesus seems to have hinted at this reality when on the cross He told the penitent thief, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” No description or explanation is given as to what or where “Paradise” might be. Suffice it to say that it will be more than pleasant, particularly if that is where Jesus dwells.

Some of the most detailed hints we get about the afterlife are in Paul’s long dissertation on the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. We learn there that at some point after death, we receive a different kind of body. We are not going to be resurrected with the same body we died with. Paul makes the point that when you bury a seed, the resulting growth is far different from the seed with characteristics and capabilities far surpassing the mere seed. That will be the case with our resurrection bodies.

We see hints of that in the body Jesus returned with after His death, resurrection, and ascension. He could pop in and out of rooms without bothering with doors; He could transit between the realm of God’s dwelling (Heaven?) and our earthly plane at will. He was recognized by His disciples even to the point of showing them the wounds caused by His crucifixion. The apostle John says that we don’t know precisely what form our bodies will take, but he says with confidence that we will be like Jesus because we will see Jesus as He is. We will have spiritual eyes enabled to see the spiritual bodies Paul says we get upon our resurrection.

This is not to suggest that our new bodies are not corporeal—physical in some sense. We are not to go the way of the Greek philosophers or the Gnostic Christians who believed flesh was evil, and our ultimate goal was to attain a spiritual existence devoid of the physical form in which we occupy space on earth. Paul assures us that we will be resurrected in a body; his point is that it will be a body of a different sort, though it will be recognizable as who we were.

When God created the earth and put humans on it, He declared that it was good. Sin stained that goodness, but God has promised to recreate it once again. That is why I am not afraid to die: I want to experience that Edenic perfection and intimate fellowship God intended for His children. The truth is I am looking forward to it. But I say with Paul that it is better that I remain on earth until my Lord is finished with me. The God who created everything and everyone has a family to gather; when it is complete, we are all going home. I am ready whenever He is.

To Know God’s Will

This is a sequel to “Why Do the Wicked Prosper?” If I was correct in my conclusion that material prosperity is not a sign of God’s approval or blessing, what measure can we use to ascertain God’s will? If we look at the record of Scripture, we cannot use pleasant circumstances as a clue. Daniel was apparently in God’s good graces when he was tossed into the lion’s den. Same for his three friends and the fiery furnace. Joseph spent several years in prison before being elevated to a position where he could save his family. Paul’s desire to preach the gospel in Rome was facilitated by an arrest and prison time. The record is clear; God sometimes uses unhappy times to accomplish His sovereign will.

Many Christians take comfort in the promise of Romans 8:27-28. As I have said before, the promise is often misunderstood. My translation of verse 28 reads like this: For we know that for those who love God and are being called to accomplish His purpose, all things work together for good. I put this unique twist on it because of the context. In verse 27, the Holy Spirit is said to intercede for believers “according to God.” Most translations add “the will of” God. The “will of” is drawn from the concept of God’s purpose, His will, found in verse 28. In other words, God’s will is the ultimate good toward which all things are working together. Daniel and Joseph and Paul went through some serious “not good” before the good purpose of God was realized. And yet, they were fully within the will of God.

So, if we cannot use material prosperity or pleasant circumstances to gauge whether we are within God’s will, what can we use? Are we doomed to wonder, perhaps until the next life whether we are pleasing God? I don’t believe so. Romans 12:2 assures us that we, “may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” In that context, Paul recommended a renewed mind and resistance to the world’s pressure as the path to knowing God’s will. This is the first and most reliable key. Revealed truth found primarily in the Scripture is the source of the renewed mind. Once we begin to think God’s thoughts after Him (as much as humanly possible), we can know His will.

Even an elementary knowledge of Scripture reveals much of God’s will for His people. We don’t have to wonder whether it’s okay to sleep with the neighbor’s wife, or if it’s okay to rob a bank to pay bills. (Exodus 20:14-15) We know that if we fail to care for those in need, we have violated the core command of God’s law. (Luke 10:30-37) We know that if we allow our anger to burst out in derisive or slanderous speech, we have invalidated our Christian faith. (James 1:26) We know that if we have vengeful thoughts or take action against those who we believe have wronged us, we are outside of God’s will. (Romans 12:19-20) In fact, we know that if we are insulted or persecuted, we are among the blessed of God. (Matthew 5:11-12)

I could go on, but I have made my point. There are hundreds if not thousands of direct expressions of God’s will for our lives. It is our duty to renew our minds with these clear commands before we set off wondering what God’s will is. It is also our responsibility to take these rules of conduct to heart and adjust our behavior accordingly. The Scripture warns that to know what is right and to not do it is sin. (James 4:17)

God has provided another source to help us know what He wants of us: our fellow believers. If a brother or sister discovers we have stepped out of God’s will, they are bound to steer us back to the path with a gentle spirit. (Galatians 6:1-2) If the wrong has been done against us, we must follow the pattern laid out by Jesus: first go to the one who wronged us and tell them we were hurt; then, if that is not well-accepted, take another mature believer with you, and try again. Then, if there is still no recognition or repentance, the whole church must be made aware. (Matthew 18:15-20) This kind of church discipline is rare today in our hypersensitive, politically correct society, but it is as much God’s will as any other command. We may never know how many wandering sheep may have been brought back into the fold if their fellow-believers had just followed this instruction.

What if there is no clear biblical precedent to follow? What if there are no mature believers willing to step in to help? In those cases, we make inferences from the what the Word of God teaches, and we do our best to apply them. Obviously, this is not foolproof. We may misapply Scripture. We may be ignorant of a principle that would be helpful. Our most reliable course of action is to first do nothing – nothing except pray. God has promised wisdom to those who ask. (James 1:5-8) If we step out to act without first waiting for God to speak, we have become the fool – the one who lives as if God doesn’t exist.

If after praying for guidance, we still don’t have a clear answer, it may be helpful to thoughtfully consider a potential course of action. After thinking about what to do, if there is no sense of resistance or correction in the spirit, it may be time to take the first step toward action. It has often been said that God will open and close doors as a way to guide His children. This is not ironclad either because the enemy is also able to manipulate worldly affairs to his advantage. This is when a keen sense of God’s Spirit within us is essential. We know that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17) In the context of that verse, Paul was talking about the veil being lifted so that we can see the truth. We need that unveiled view to know whether we are free to proceed.

If we decide to move one step at a time into our proposed course of action, the freedom of the Spirit should allow us to have the peace we are promised. Paul told the Philippians that if they made their request made known to God, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) I believe the Spirit-given peace will be made available even as we begin to consider what to do. If we set our minds to do something that would be contrary to God’s design, His Spirit will make us uncomfortable – remove the peace. When that happens, we must backtrack; wait again; pray again.

There have been too many times in my life when I have stepped out of God’s will because I didn’t bother to seek it. Often those incidents involved the purchase of a car or motorcycle. I have also said things in the heat of the moment that I soon wished I could retract. Lately, my problems have come from knowing what to say or not to say in a public forum (eg. Facebook) or in private conversation about a controversial issue. I’m getting better, but I still have a ways to go. I use the “peace test” to weigh my responses when I remember to do it, and it has served me well. I have also ignored it at times and paid the emotional penalty.

We can’t always know God’s will perfectly. Sometimes there is no Scripture, no mature friend, no inner witness. Even then, we do know that God has our back as the saying goes. He can take our worst failures and turn them into something that ultimately accomplishes His will. The Bible tells us to rejoice in trials because they make us better. (James 1:2-4) That is comforting, but it is not a license to screw up so we can learn. There are less painful ways to be educated than the school of hard knocks.