Growing up, our nightly bedtime routine was fixed and rarely ever changed. One thing my mom and dad incorporated was Scripture memory. No system. No rigorous repetitions. No flash cards. They just read a passage to me until we all remembered it over time. But one we spent a significant amount of time on was Proverbs 3:5-6.

This was my very first memory verse. I don’t remember much from my early childhood, but I do remember this. Therefore, like a friend I haven’t seen in a while, this verse will seem to be distant but then pay me a visit at just the right time. In every season of my life, it makes inroads into my thoughts:

As I grew up and sat with my own musings, I treated this verse like a mere formula for decision-making or “finding God’s will.”

“I don’t know what college to attend! Okay, okay. I just gotta trust the Lord with ALL my heart (check), lean NOT on my own understanding (check)… Viola! The heavens will open up, a divine Apple Maps pin will drop, and I will know what decision to make!”

But upon further reading, the passage is so powerful because of what it shows us about the character of an infinite God.

Trust in the LORD (Yahweh) with all your heart…

What does this line teach us about God other than that He indeed can be trusted? What a striking statement from the Biblical author! It’s a command, not a suggestion. But why such confidence?

The capital “LORD” is the transliteration of the word Adonai, which the Jewish writers would substitute for the divine name YHWH (Or Yahweh). Yahweh (or I AM) is the special covenant name of God. It was the name God revealed to Moses at the burning bush that was rife with redemptive underpinnings.

Moses asked for the name of the God who would send him to Pharaoh, whom he would audaciously command to let God’s people go. “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” (Exodus 3:14). God giving Moses His own name in this way suggests His self-sufficiency, self-existence (aseity), and faithfulness.

Do you see how this would be comforting to Moses while being commissioned to lead thousands of people out of slavery to the greatest earthly superpower with the greatest earthly leader, Pharaoh? Moses is thinking, “Who is this God who will go with me to Pharaoh?” Answer: The one who is—the infinite source of all life and being, the one who sustains and gives life to everyone and everything, including the big mean Pharaoh! Moses had the creator of all the universe on His side. You would almost feel bad for poor Pharaoh, for what created being is even remotely as strong as the great I AM?

Not only is the divine name a cause for God’s trustworthiness, but He acts in accordance with that name by fulfilling every one of His promises. Throughout Israel’s history, they were used to reading, “Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass” (Joshua 21:45).

For disciples of Jesus, this is even more comforting. As we read of promises, prophecies, and prefigurings of a messiah and deliverer who would come to crush the serpent’s head, we stand on their fulfillment.

“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him [Jesus]. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory” (2 Co 1:20–21).

Because God the Son came to us and provided infinite hope as the long-awaited prophet, priest, and king who died and rose again for the guilty, what else can we say in light of this? Trust in the LORD with all your heart. It’s the only logical conclusion.

Lean not on your own understanding…

What does this teach us about God other than that, in light of our weak and flawed understanding, He is the God of infinite understanding, wisdom, and knowledge?

God is the God whose greatness is unsearchable since His understanding is unsearchable (Psalm 145:3; Isaiah 40:28). In other words, his understanding is far above us. Our understanding has limits. His is utterly limitless.

God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, and as high as the heavens are above the earth, so are His thoughts above our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

In Christ, we have the storehouse of infinite wisdom since He is wisdom incarnate. Paul tells us that in Christ lie all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3).

Let me ask: why on earth would I lean on my own understanding? Why would there be any trust in my finite mind to understand God and life under the sun? Leaning on my understanding is like using a twig as my walking stick as I traverse the highest peaks—It’s going to break, and I’m going to fall. Thus, I go to the place where God has chosen to reveal His divine mind that I may think His thoughts after Him; I run to the inerrant Scriptures.

In all your ways acknowledge Him…

What does this teach us about God other than that He is worthy of our attention?

In all of our ways—every decision, every season of life, every twist and turn—we tend to acknowledge other opinions, stock our minds with worldly advice, and absorb what is seen.

The call to acknowledge God in all our ways is a call to fruitful contemplation of what is unseen:

Facing temptation? Turn your attention to God. Contemplate His power over sin.

Facing a tough decision? Turn your attention to God. Contemplate His wisdom and providence.

Facing difficult people? Turn your attention to God. Contemplate His love for you, a difficult person.

We tend to acknowledge everything on earth before the One who reigns for all eternity. Rather, in all your ways, acknowledge Him. Remember Him. Contemplate Him. He’s worthy of your attention.

He will make straight your paths.

This is where we mistakenly take the turn toward formula. If I do all the above, boom, God will just tell me my next step in life… right?

Well, actually, the immediate context does not speak of decision-making or finding God’s hidden will. Solomon is instructing his “son” in the good commandments of God. He desires for God’s “steadfast love and faithfulness” to never forsake him but rather be written on the tablet of his heart.

He’s essentially trying to shine a beam of light on a straight path in the midst of dark, crooked paths covered with thorns and thistles. God makes straight a path no matter what we face—it’s the way of His commandments. Trusting God with all our hearts in this context is the idea that, when all your senses see are crooked paths, faith sees the straight path in the midst of them.

Proverbs 3:5-6: A formula for finding God’s will? Unlikely. An antidote for anxiety in various circumstances? Absolutely.

For instance, that temptation smacking you in the face is seeking to bring you into a crooked path. But acknowledging God’s commandments in light of the trustworthiness of Christ carves the straight way of escape, helping you “fear the LORD and turn away from evil” (Proverbs 3:7).

That trial may be a cause for despair, but acknowledging the Lord Jesus who blazed the trail of suffering before you enables you to walk the straight path of submitting to His sovereignty (1 Peter 2:23).

That season of joy and celebration may bring with it the temptation to live independent of God. But acknowledging God will provide the straight path of continued dependence on Him, whose kindness cooled you down in the pool of joy while surrounded by the deserts of sorrow.

In all these things, therefore, the straight path that God makes for us is the straight path of His commandments. They guide us to enjoy Him when our hearts would rather wallow in sorrow and drown out the screams of our circumstances that seek to woo us onto the path of self-dependence.

“My son grew up in church, but now he needs to make his faith his own.”

“Look, I know your parents are Christians, but you can’t rely on their faith; you have to make their faith your own.”

Have you heard this sentiment? Parents, youth leaders, and pastors often say things like this to convey that every young person must personally place his or her faith in Christ or take initiative in spiritual matters.

If that’s all people mean, I agree theologically. But language matters, and I fear that this catchphrase has unintended effects: It perpetuates unbiblical ideas about the nature of salvation, appropriates the individualism of our culture, and promotes a subtle kind of legalism.

Salvation Belongs to the Lord

Strictly speaking, this language of making your faith your own isn’t biblical. The Bible’s testimony is that repentance is granted (2 Tim. 2:25), a new birth is necessary to see the kingdom (John 3:3), and this new birth comes from the will of God, not man (1:12–13). Additionally, faith is a gracious gift of God through Jesus (Eph. 2:8–9), the founder and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2); indeed, “salvation belongs to the LORD!” (Jonah 2:9).

The only place in Scripture we find language similar to “make your faith your own” is Philippians 3. Paul reflects on his former life in Judaism and explains that he’s no longer devoted to seeking righteousness by the law. His aim is to know Christ and experience the power of his resurrection. Paul says, “I press on to make it my own” (v. 12)—“it” being the knowledge of Christ and future resurrection (vv. 10–11).

Paul’s wording points to our participation in sanctification, not salvation. And even for sanctification, “make it your own” isn’t the consistent language of Scripture.

When we describe faith (and therefore, initial salvation) as something a child must take ownership of, the emphasis unintentionally shifts from receiving to producing. It takes the focus off what God has done and places it on what the child needs to do. In this way, a youth leader, pastor, or parent may inadvertently convey that the child contributes something to the process of salvation.

Discipleship Happens in Community

The idea of making your faith your own also evokes a distinctly American, Disneyesque individualism. Our culture pushes the narrative of the “self-made woman/man.” However, other people’s influence in our lives is real and powerful, and when it comes to the Christian life, that’s exactly what God intended.

Paul’s reflection on how Timothy’s faith was influenced by his mother is instructive for us:

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. . . . Continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:14–15)

Paul doesn’t commend Timothy for making his faith his own; he highlights how God used Eunice’s faithfulness in teaching Timothy the Word to bring Timothy to saving faith and develop his firm belief.

Similarly, I can look back and say I became a believer because of my parents (e.g., regular Scripture reading, praying with me nightly even into adulthood, regularly rehearsing the gospel with me). I wasn’t pursuing faith like a person stranded in the desert looking for water. Rather, the Lord used my parents’ faithful discipleship. We ought not to minimize the channels through which gospel seed is dispensed, and discipleship is cultivated, whether that’s through teaching from the pulpit or in the living room.

When we do, we risk misguiding not only children but also parents. When parents come to believe that their children need to make their faith their own, it can loosen the parents’ sense of responsibility for the ordinary work of discipleship.

The Bible teaches that seeds of faith can be planted and grown through means of teaching, modeling, and retelling God’s wondrous works—especially in the home (Deut. 6:6–7; Ps. 78:5–7; 2 Tim. 1:5; 3:14–15).

Christ Fulfilled the Law

I grew up thinking that to make my faith my own meant I had to forsake some sin before I could genuinely embrace Christ. Or perhaps I needed to prepare myself for conversion through manifesting enough emotion or an inner willingness to forsake all else. I felt I could have peace with God only when my performance was up to snuff.

While it’s right to call children and teens to forsake their sin, telling them to make their faith their own may create confusion about the relationship between the law and the gospel. The weight of the law is meant to drive our children to Christ, who perfectly fulfilled its requirements. Christ alone, received with the empty hands of faith, grants us his righteousness and then transforms our hearts.

Rather than calling kids to make their faith their own, let’s call them to respond to Christ, the author and finisher of their faith (Heb. 12:2). Once they find refuge in the comforts of the gospel, we can point them to the law as their guide and “kind advisor.”

Better Way

We rightly desire to see children in our homes and churches “work out [their] own salvation” (Phil. 2:12), and it’s good for us to encourage them to actively seek the Lord. But we need to be thoughtful in how we talk to them about it. And we need to talk to the Lord about it regularly. I’ve found these two prayers helpful.

First, for kids who have professed faith, I pray that their faith would be tested and nourished to full maturity. That’s how Peter speaks: “that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:7; emphasis added).

Second, if they’re not regenerated, I pray that Christ will make them his own. Our kids can then rightly pursue, by the Spirit, growth in knowledge of Christ and conformity to his image, as Paul pursued it: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Phil. 3:12; emphasis added).

No, our kids don’t need to make their faith their own, but we can pray that Christ’s truth prevails over unbelief and possesses their hearts, resulting in the knowledge of Christ coming to full flower.

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Enjoy chapter three of The Freed Will: Reforming Our Understanding of Free Will, entitled “Formed.”

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Enjoy chapter two of The Freed Will: Reforming Our Understanding of Free Will, entitled “Free but Dependent.” Chapter one is below if you missed it:

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Enjoy chapter one of The Freed Will: Reforming Our Understanding of Free Will, entitled “Who is Most Free?”

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I hope you enjoy this audio recording of the introduction to my latest book, The Freed Will: Reforming Our Understanding of Free Will, which is made available for FREE today. All subsequent chapters will be behind a paywall.

If you enjoyed today’s chapter, consider becoming a paid subscriber!1 If you upgrade your subscription, you can receive this entire audiobook for as little as $5/month, as opposed to the $15 for the physical book on Amazon (Pick up a physical copy here!). You can simply unsubscribe whenever you’d like or after you finish the audiobook. Additionally, a paid subscription will give you constant access to the audiobook to use as you see fit, and will encourage me to keep on writing!

Either way, I pray this book encourages you and causes you to enjoy Christ more deeply.

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Why the recent attention? Of course, it’s not just recently, but the nation-state of Israel seems to be a topic of conversation in every generation. And particularly for Christians in 21st-century America, this brings up questions like: Is Israel central to God’s prophetic and redemptive plan? Should Christians behave differently towards Israel than any other nation? Are there two distinct plans for Israel and the church? What is covenant theology? Is it replacement theology? Is replacement theology a real thing, or are Christians being warned about a bogeyman that doesn’t exist?

But I think at the heart of all these questions is this one: Will God be faithful to His promises and His people?

I had the privilege of interviewing Pastor Chris Gordon of Escondido United Reformed Church on the importance of Israel, the Church, and Covenant Theology. If you ever wondered who God’s chosen people truly are, this conversation is for you!

Feel free to listen/watch on Spotify and YouTube!

Also, feel free to listen/watch on Spotify and YouTube!

Welcome back to Theology Thursday!

Here is your bite-sized lesson in orthodox biblical doctrine in 3 simple steps:

ONE concept explained

TWO concise definitions that must be kept distinct

THREE Scripture passages to meditate on

Concept: God’s Covenant

When speaking of the Christian religion, we often emphasize a “relationship” with God. Do we realize what we’re saying? Think about it. How does that happen exactly? Last I checked, no creature can see Him and live to tell the tale, let alone dwell with Him. In the first verse of the Bible, we’re struck with an infinite gap. How can we know that we have a relationship or communion with the King of Creation? If the gap between creatures and the Creator looms large, what guarantees His promises to us, or any meaningful relationship, for that matter? The Bible answers this with one word: Covenant.

Covenant Theology teaches two things: 1) how God enters into a relationship with mankind, and 2) an interpretive framework (hermeneutic) that unites the entire story of Scripture, which details God’s relationship with man through the man Christ Jesus. A Covenant speaks of an agreement, a sworn oath, or a promise between two parties. When made by God, they are sovereignly imposed, congeal with “you will/I will” statements, are secured by divine sanctions or threats to ensure unbreakability, and are typically accompanied by physical signs (Rainbow, sacrifice, circumcision, baptism, communion, etc.). Most importantly, they reveal God’s faithfulness. The word "covenant” should point you to a God who never ceases to fulfill His oaths or promises to His people, though His people continually break theirs. What God says, He will do, and our relationship with Him, therefore, will be unbreakable.

Definitions/Distinctions:

Overarching Covenants: The Bible’s own superstructure or system for interpreting the whole redemptive story, which climaxes in Christ. More clearly taught in Paul’s letters, redemptive history can be categorized under the three overarching covenants: the Covenant of Works, the Covenant of Grace, and the Covenant of Redemption. These covenants span the entire Bible and help us conceptualize the unfolding plan of redemption through the other Biblical covenants.1

Historical Covenants: The covenants laid out explicitly in Scripture between God and various covenant heads or representatives. These include the covenants made with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and King David. These covenants serve to preserve the line of promise that brought us our Messiah, and unfold the one covenant of grace secured by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.

Passages:

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.’ Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, ‘Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations…’”

Genesis 17:1–4

“Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of [the] promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

Ephesians 2:11–12 (Emphasis mine)2

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”

Romans 5:12–17 (Emphasis mine)3

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*CORRECTION in the podcast: The Hebrew scholar who teaches at Westminster Theological Seminary is Jonathan GIBSON, not Jonathan Leeman.

I rehearse with my kids (almost) daily (especially when they seek to be sovereign over our home) that God is in charge of everything. Most agree with that statement. Christians often declare in hard situations, “God is in control!” But how far does his control extend? How pervasive is His care over His world? Is He in control of the natural and fleshly evil in my life? This is where many followers of Jesus start to squirm.

Thomas Boston once wrote, “Happy is the people whose God the Lord is: for all things shall work together for their good. They may sit secure in exercising faith upon God, come what will (193).”

How did he get to such a confident conclusion?

Boston Looks Back

Looking back at Boston’s life and the regular afflictions he would undergo, observe what he views as the source of his lot: “And here began more remarkably my bearing of the yoke of trial and affliction, the which lay on in my youth, has, in the wise disposal of holy providence…”

When reflecting on his mother’s death, he says, “…it pleased the Lord to remove my mother by death” (16).

When reflecting on his father’s recovery, he writes, “But it pleased the Lord that I was comforted in the recovery of my father sometime after” (16).

When he gets his first job working alongside a notary and hones his writing skills, he writes, “The favourable design of providence therein, then unknown to me, I now see, since it could not be but of some use to help me to the style of papers” (17).

Upon graduating from a school of theology, his deepest desire was to be licensed to preach through the Presbytery of Stirling, but “Considering the course of Providence,” he ended up being licensed to preach as an itinerate minister through the Presbytery of Dunse and Churnside, the place of his nativity (30).

Looking back on the first three major points of his life, from his birth to grammar school, grammar school to graduation, graduation to being licensed to preach, he summed up his life by saying,

“And looking on myself as a child of providence, and considering the manner of my education, I cannot but observe the kind conduct of that providence in carrying me through sundry states of life, and parts of the country, in that short time allotted for me, in the character of a student” (31–32).

He spoke of providence personified, comparing it to a father who raised and shaped him. This is precisely what Thomas Boston believed about his life—he was the product of the sovereign hand of God. Nothing, thought Boston, came about in His life apart from the Fatherly, meticulous providence of the author of all creation.

Boston’s Beliefs

As the sun rises, birds begin their songs as they fly over roofs, gardens, and trees. Have you ever seen one of them overtaxed over what they will eat? God’s constant care for them ensures they are not deprived of daily sustenance. Boston draws our attention to this as he opens his section on God’s Providence, commenting on the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father” (Matthew 10:29).

Boston comments,

“Sparrows are of a mean price and small value; and yet, for as mean as they are, God preserves them, guides and disposes of all things concerning them, so that one of them cannot fall to the ground by shot or any other way, without his sovereign ordering and disposal” (186).

He seeks to expound this doctrine from the scriptures and masterfully weaves together four aspects of God’s providence: Its reality, its object, its actions, its properties, and its everyday fruit.

To highlight only three aspects, we’ll look at how he understood its reality, its actions, and its fruit in everyday life.

The Reality of God’s Meticulous Providence

Boston takes an interesting turn to prove that there is a providence. After quoting very general Scriptural statements about God’s kingship and sovereignty (Psalm 103:19; Acts 17:28; Ephesians 1:11), he writes that providence can be seen in a “three-fold scripture-emblem.”

That three-fold emblem is first, Mount Moriah, “which upon occasion of the miraculous preservation of Isaac, and a ram to be put in his room in order to be sacrificed, was called Jehovah Jireh, i.e.. The Lord will provide, (Gen. 22:14)”

Second, “Jacob’s ladder, on which God appears managing all things, (Gen. 28).”

Third, “Ezekiel’s wheels, where there was a wheel in the middle of a wheel, denoting the agency of the first cause, and the superintending and directing providence of God, (Ezek. 1)” (186)

As a helpful and simple way to introduce this topic, Boston draws upon both kinds of God’s revelation, namely, God’s wisely ordered creation and the numerous fulfilled prophecies that would not have happened unless God’s meticulous providence was true. This leads to the actions that God takes in providence.

The Actions of God’s Meticulous Providence

This coin has two sides: Upholding (sustaining) and governing. Boston helps us sum up Providence with those two words alone.

God sustains all things. As the author of Hebrews puts it: “…He upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Heb 1:3). Boston notes, “This act of providence is so necessary, that nothing could subsist one moment without it” (188).

Here, most Christians find themselves resting in a comfortable place. It’s with the next action of Providence that most take issue: God doesn’t merely sustain all of creation and, therefore, all of history, but He governs it; He exercises control, seeing to it that end from the beginning becomes what it becomes (Isaiah 46:10). Here we find that distinction between God’s decree and His providence. God’s decree is the reality that everything that comes to pass in history originates in God as the primary cause of all things. He unchangeably and infallibly planned everything that came to pass or will come to pass. On the other hand, Providence is God’s execution of the decree; God’s decree is the blueprint, and providence is the building project.

Boston shows how this arises from the text of Scripture. We see not only God’s providence throughout history and over big events like the cross of Christ (Isaiah 46:10; Acts 4:27-28) but over small and seemingly insignificant chance circumstances: “Prov. 21:1 ‘The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will, Prov. 16:33 ‘The lot is cast into the lap: but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.’ Chap. 16:9 ‘A man’s heart deviseth his way; but the Lord directeth his steps’” (188).

A king’s heart, the outcome of a lot being cast (like the casting of dice), and man’s plans—at the end of the day, God is the one steering all of these things for His glorious ends.

As Boston quipped,

“God does not make man as the carpenter doth the ship, which afterwards sails without him; but he rules and guides him, sitting at the helm, to direct and order all his motions: so that whatever men do, they do nothing without him: not only in their good actions, where he gives grace, and excites it, working in them both to will and to do of his good pleasure: but also in their evil actions, wherein they are under the hand of Providence, but in a very different manner” (189; emphasis mine).

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Welcome back to Theology Thursday!

Here is your bite-sized lesson in orthodox biblical doctrine in 3 simple steps:

ONE concept explained

TWO concise definitions that must be kept distinct

THREE Scripture passages to meditate on

Concept: Divine Providence

God’s providence, His “purposeful sovereignty,”1 is the second way God executes the blueprint of His sovereign plan. The plan or decree of God takes place in eternity; providence takes place in history. You can sum up providence by using two words: upholding and governing. Providence is God’s external act of upholding and governing all of creation, including all humans and all of their actions. God doesn’t just let the world exist; He is its captain, guiding and steering it to the end goal for which all things were created: His glory displayed in the redemption of His people.

This means that even when things feel like they are out of control, they actually aren't. Even when it feels like God has forsaken you, He has not once departed from you; He has been upholding and governing all things that you may know and grow to be more dependent upon Him. Who can improve upon the description of providence laid out in the Heidelberg Catechism? “The almighty and everywhere present power of God; whereby, as it were by his hand, he upholds and governs heaven, earth, and all creatures; so that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea, and all things come, not by chance, but by his fatherly hand.”

Definitions/Distinctions:

First Cause: This refers to the order of causality in which the creator and the creature operate. Our creator God operates in the order of first causes, and man, as a creature, operates in the order of second causes. God is the first and distant cause of all things, since He decreed all that comes to pass before time began.

Second Causes (Concurrence): Humans are the secondary and immediate cause of what comes about in the world. Individuals act with intentionality, whether good or evil, and bring about certain effects so that God cannot be charged with wrong, though He ordained that it would come about as the first cause. God accomplishes His will, but rarely does He do so apart from ordained human means (Typically called “concurrence”). It’s not as though either God does it or man does it. Though mysterious, these two things are compatible. Man freely acts according to their deepest desires, but God providentially brings about His plan through those very actions.

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Genesis 50:20

“King Rehoboam spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the Lord might fulfill his word...”

2 Chronicles 10:14–15

“…for truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place.”

Acts 4:27–282

Introduction

The great chocolatier Willy Wonka is portrayed as a creator and an inventor. He creates wonders that one can only conceive by pure imagination. But to what end? It’s clear: love for chocolate takes logical priority over inventing. He became an inventor so that he could create chocolate. His act of inventing serves chocolate-making.

God is the creator; He is the fountain of all life and being. To what end? As the story of Scripture unfolds, a divine intent emerges:

God creates, not because He’s needy, but so that He might display His glory in the person and work of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let’s survey Genesis 1 from two angles to understand the narrator’s intent and, therefore, the chief end(s) of creation: 1) A cosmic temple-building project and 2) The stage for the redemptive drama.

Creation: Cosmic Temple-Building

Contextual Clues of a Cosmic Temple in Genesis 1-2

In Genesis 1-2, we see God crafting a “cosmic temple” for His own glory. A temple is a dwelling place for God—a place to house the glory encountered by and ascribed to Him by His creatures. Later, the Bible calls the temple the “house of the LORD” (1 Chronicles 22:2). Though the word “temple” is not present in Genesis 1-2, the concept is.

“Temple” may have hovered in a thought bubble above Moses’ head as he wrote Genesis 1 in the wilderness of Sinai, in the presence of a mobile temple called the Tabernacle, or the “Tent of Meeting.” Additionally, he wrote this in a surrounding pagan culture where temples housed pagan gods.

Therefore, to reveal God’s transcendence and secondarily, to write a true account that deflates the pagan creation myths of the day, he writes:

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…” (Genesis 1:1).

Moses’ God-centeredness is revealed to us in the first verses of the Bible. The ancient audience is to behold God, not necessarily the creatures He forms.

If we start with God, we reason our way down to the cosmos to see a Kingdom and a grand theatre that displays His character. All things are creatures that have their being only through Him and are, by definition, in submission to His rule.

As God speaks, all things come into existence. He desires to dwell with His creation, and He is the centerpiece of it all. Even the Sun is not the source of light at the beginning, but God Himself, revealing that the power of light rests in His very hand, not in a star.1

God is revealed as the self-existent, self-sufficient one who is Father, Son, and Spirit. Why else would He create other than to form others to encounter and enjoy His eternal glory?

God performs His act of creating through a rhythm of lighting, forming, lighting, and filling. This rhythm reveals God progressively moving from outer layers of space to the expanse He calls “heaven,” all the way to the inner layers of the earth itself, crafting a garden that would be the epicenter of His presence. This is revealed in the apex of all of His creation, mankind, as they are set in a Garden-temple:

“So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26–28).

Then on the seventh day, He “rested.” New Testament Scholar, G.K. Beale, points out that this is not a resting in the human sense of the word, but a ceasing that leads to God’s enjoyment and enthronement above all that He has made: “…this resting is unlike our modern conception of rest. God’s resting after six days entails his climactic enthronement as King over the cosmos (Gen 2:2; cf. 2 Chron 6:41; Is 66:1) since ‘it is connected to taking control in his role as sovereign ruler over the cosmos.’”2

This cues us in once again to the idea of a cosmic temple, since as you zoom into the most focused layer of creation—the Garden of Eden—we find God “walking” in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8). This speaks of God’s manifest presence.

God primarily dwells in a most holy place called the third heaven, but He dwells (in part) among His creatures, and thus, Eden is the temporal picture of that most holy place. Eden itself is the place from which God’s glory flows.

God and man, man and His maker, creator and creature: No separation, no need for mediation. Not yet. Only perfect communion. Adam and Eve were created to encounter, and encountered, they did.

Beale continues, “Why does God graciously construct a cosmic temple? He desires to rule and reign over the created order, but he also wants to dwell intimately with it.”3

Here, we find God ruling a temple to store the experience of His presence, delegating dominion to man to tend it. This is exactly what a temple would later be made for, the kind of landscape on which it would be located, and exactly what priests would be tasked with doing.

Subsequent Biblical authors concur as they read Genesis 1-2.

How the Rest of the Biblical Authors Read the Creation Narrative

The clarity you’re hoping for about now will come from later revelation.

The idea of creation as a cosmic temple comes about when we apply the principle that later revelation clarifies earlier revelation. Subsequent authors of Scripture write of a dwelling place for God, under the mediation of a priest, something necessary because of the separation between God and man caused by sin.

This dwelling place for God, the Tabernacle, was likely already made when Moses wrote,

“And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night…” (Genesis 1:14).

This language is used to describe the temple-builders as they construct the lampstands in the holy place. Beale comments:

The word lights in the creation narrative is peculiar, as the same term is applied to the lampstand in Israel’s tabernacle: “the lampstand that is for light with its accessories, lamps and oil for the light” (Ex 35:14; cf. 39:37; Num 4:9). The lights within the cosmos, therefore, function as cultic luminaries that shine throughout God’s cosmic temple, just as the lights on the lampstand illuminate the Holy Place of Israel’s temple…Several scholars have even compared the construction of Israel’s mobile tabernacle to the creation of the cosmos, concluding that God is indeed fashioning a cosmic temple in Genesis 1–2.4

Moreover, from the outer court to the Holy of Holies, each layer of God’s dwelling pointed to some aspect of God’s original creation—the furnishings, the curtains’ colors, the priest’s robes, etc.5 Thus, what can we conclude about the Biblical author’s understanding of creation? Genesis 1-2 was a narrative about a cosmic sanctuary and, most of all, its Builder.

This becomes even clearer when examining Eden itself. As noted above, Eden was the first temple, being the prototype of what the entire globe was to reflect by the work of Adam and his bride.

Adam, therefore, was the first earthly priest, since he was called to “work” and “keep” the garden, the same two Hebrew words used of the priests in Numbers 3:6-10.

Since the Temple of God was considered to be on God’s holy mountain (2 Chronicles 3:1), Ezekiel later calls the Garden of Eden a temple by referring to it as “The garden of God…the holy mount of God” containing “sanctuaries” (Ezek 28:13–14, 16, 18).

Ezekiel also prophesies a future temple with a river of life flowing from the sanctuary, meant to point the reader back to Eden, where the river flowed, giving life to the rest of creation.

Lastly, even the Psalmsists read the creation account and concluded,

“He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded forever” (Ps 78:69).

And in Psalm 148, the Psalmist commands that the LORD be praised, not just by humans, but by all of creation. From the sun and moon, to the waters above the heavens, to the cedar and fruit trees—all of creation is commanded to praise Yahweh, the Lord of life. What does this all mean? All of creation praises God simply by existing.

After all,

“The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).

Beale concludes:

“Why is it important that we understand Eden as a sanctuary created for God’s glory? This insight reveals two important points: God ultimately wants to dwell with the created order in all his fullness, and Adam and Eve play a critical role in accomplishing that goal.”6

Therefore, all of creation is God’s cosmic temple, Eden being the most holy place, which would be cultivated to escalate all of creation to its true consummation.

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Creation: The Stage for The Redemptive Drama

Not only is Genesis 1 about God building a temple for all His creation to draw near and have fellowship with Him, but it also concerns a God who made the world for consummation. Even before Adam and Eve sinned, the world was made “very good” but incomplete. God had a greater goal for creation, something better than the beginning, namely, glorification.

Hence, God’s six-day creation: He was setting up the week to consummate in a day of rest, which set up the trajectory for all creation to be brought to “a state of mature and permanent glory.”7 God created His cosmic temple in six days to bring it to an eternal sabbath (consummation) through the work of one man and his bride.

If the Sabbath day was spring training, the eternal sabbath is the full swing of the season. If the sabbath day was the dress rehearsal, the eternal sabbath is the true display. If the sabbath day was the temporary enjoyment of God’s unique presence, the eternal sabbath is the full enjoyment that never ends.

Adam, as the first priest of creation, was meant to spread the glory of Eden across the globe so that the glory of the Lord would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea:

“And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth’” (Genesis 1:28).

They were created for eternal glory; they were given a mission to take creation there, but Adam failed, forfeiting their right to the tree of life, a life they could have enjoyed and given to all of their offspring. Man fell from that glory to be obtained by their obedience (Romans 3:23) and landed in the pungent, entangling swamp of sin.

Who will bring redemption? Who will deliver our souls and all of creation from the curse of sin? Enter stage right, Jesus of Nazareth.

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…all things were created through him and for him.”

(Colossians 1:15–16).

Back up, read that again. All things were created through Him, and for Him.

God is weaving even the fall of man into His glorious Plan A, not fixing up a secondary Plan B. God’s decree for all of creation and history was always meant to reach its climax in the coming of the true temple of God, Jesus Christ, the lamb slain from the foundation of the world (John 2:19; Revelation 13:8).

Through one Man and His bride (the church), the mission of bringing all of creation to it’s consumate sabbath rest would be accomplished. He does so here and now spiritually, and later physically in a new heavens and a new earth. Thus, this glory is already seen dimly through Christ’s Word and Spirit through His church, but it is not yet fully realized.

Christ, by His life, death, and resurrection on behalf of guilty sinners, brings rest to our souls, and creates for Himself a people, a “bride,” a new temple, His new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Jesus’ work embodies, in some sense, the creation week. Jesus accomplishes His work through His active obedience and is then crucified on a Friday. He sleeps in the tomb through the Jewish sabbath, but then on the first day of a new week, He rises or enters His rest, inaugurating the new creation which guarantees, first, a spiritual then a physical, eternal rest for all true believers.

Now, through faith alone, the church becomes the temple of the living God. The church is the present foretaste of the eternal sabbath to come, when Christ gathers His people from every tribe and tongue into a new creation wherein righteousness dwells.

Through one man and his bride came sin and death. Through one Man and His bride comes redemption and life.

Conclusion

To what end did God create the world? To put it in the form of a catechism:

Q: What is the chief end of God’s creation?

A: God’s chief end is to glorify Himself through His creatures enjoying His Son in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit forever.

Through leaning into God’s intent in Genesis 1, we can live in this glorious cosmic temple, no longer looking around with wonder and dismay, being struck with a sense of purposelessness; we can step with both feet into the purpose of knowing, experiencing, and imaging the glory of our Creator.

That revelation of glory climaxes in the coming of the true temple, Jesus Christ, who builds a spiritual temple of God on earth—the Church—where mankind can, by the power of the Spirit, see and savor the glory of God anew, since,

“…you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

We respond worshipfully to the Savior, awaiting the day when He will come again to bring us back to His sinless cosmic temple. The new creation will be better than the first one—a temple without walls with glory that covers the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14).

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Welcome back to Theology Thursday!

This one takes a different shape, with a two-fold goal: to give you a (not-so) bite-sized lesson in Orthodox Biblical doctrine and to promote unity in the gospel amid secondary disagreements.

Concept: The “Days” of Genesis 1

Genesis 1 is essentially about three things: God, space, and time. Or to add a fourth, it’s about how God acts in space and time.1 The question we wrestle with is “What kind of time is it about?” Thankfully, Christianity wasn’t invented last Tuesday, so we’re not the first to think through this matter. In fact, it’s been answered by godly, orthodox Christians in slightly different ways throughout the centuries. Here are 7 (or 8) different orthodox views:

View #1: Instantaneous Time

This view teaches that God created the universe (as the name suggests) in an instant. The universe came into being all at once. The days of Genesis 1, then, are simply God’s method of revealing His creative work to us so we can understand it.

Most popular proponent: St. Augustine

View #2: Revelation Time

This view does not see the days as 24-hour, ordinary days, but merely what God said about what He made, so that the six days are merely the time God took to tell His creatures about creation. In other words, God made all things in a moment, but took six days to tell us.

Most popular proponent: PJ Wiseman

View #3: Indefinite Time (Day-age Theory)

This view teaches that the “days” of creation are not to be interpreted literally, but are figurative expressions of indefinite periods of time. Each “day” equals an age of potentially millions of years.

Most popular proponents: Ireneous; Basil; Origen; Thomas Aquinas; Timothy Keller; Sir William Dawson.

View #4: Gapped Time (Gap Theory or Theories)

This view holds that Genesis 1:2 indicates a gap of millions of years between the beginning of creation (Genesis 1:1) and the first day of creation (Genesis 1:3). After Genesis 1:1, Satan fell and was judged, causing a formless and void world, necessitating God to continue his work of cultivation and creation. Another variation of this view is that there are multiple time gaps in between the days as creation progressed. This is sometimes called “Intermittent time.” (That last line could point to a distinct view from the rest, but I lumped it with the gap theory due to the similarities)

Most popular proponents: Thomas Chalmers; C.I. Scofield; John C. Lennox

View #5: Framework Time (Framework Theory)

This interpretation sees the days of creation as arranged in a topical fashion rather than a chronological one. They are not six literal days that move successively, but Moses, in this view, intended to arrange certain creation days to correspond to other creation days.

Day 1 = Day 4 (Light—>Sun & Moon) Day 2 = Day 5 (Skies & Waters—>filling the sky with birds and sea with fish), etc. If there is any chronology in this view, it emphasizes six topically arranged days followed by one climactic day—the Sabbath.

Most popular proponent: Meredith Kline

View #6: Analogous Time

This interpretation sees the days of Creation as “days” from God’s perspective or “God-days.” God doesn’t have “days” like He doesn’t have an “arm,” etc., since He is immaterial and eternal, not bound by time. Thus, these are not ordinary, literal days, but God simply communicates the creation days to us analogically or in human terms so that we might understand them. The “days” in this view are anthropomorphisms (Attributing human attributes to God so that we would understand his works in the world).

Most popular proponent: W.T. Shed; Jack Collins

View #7: Literal Time (The traditional view)

This interpretation sees the “Days” of Genesis 1 as referring to ordinary, literal 24-hour days. This is the view I hold. Here are a few reasons.

First, I believe the Hebrew prose of Genesis 1 is historical prose. Hebrew Scholar, Jonathan Gibson, points out that, while this is likely “highly stylized Hebrew prose,” there are 55 wayyiqtol verbs (simple past tense verbs, e.g. “And God said…”) that appear continuously from Genesis 1:1-2:3 with no break that takes us off the mainline. This is a key feature of literal historical accounts. Therefore, we have a chronology of six consecutive days (day 1, followed by day 2, etc.) with no break in the narrative, leaving us with no possibility to insert gaps or dechronologize them. As Gibson points out, readers have virtually never dechronologized consecutive days with continuous wayyiqtol verbs since the beginning of the world, so let’s not attempt to do that now with Genesis 1. To do so would be a disservice to the text.

Second, the word “yom,” translated “day” in Genesis 1, is used elsewhere in historical narratives as referring to a literal 24-hour day, so it would be reasonable to conclude that yom in Genesis 1 refers to the same.

Third, later revelation clarifies that Genesis 1:1-2:3 speaks of the absolute beginning of history. The phrase “In the beginning” refers to the absolute beginning of creation and humanity. Jesus and the apostles speak of created things and place them at the “beginning”—Creation of the world (Matthew 24:21; 2 Peter 3:4), male and female in marriage (Matthew 19:4), the work of the devil (the serpent) as a liar and murderer (John 8:4).

In many a debate, there is a ditch on both sides: treating the Bible as a manual that speaks authoritatively on all things science.

While it’s right to see that science and Scripture are in total harmony, what if trying to get a scientific record from Genesis 1 is not the point? What if Genesis 1 is not the science manual God gave us to take down Darwinian Evolution and determine the exact age of the earth? These issues have been placed front and center in our modern minds, giving rise to a loss of the beauty Moses intended to communicate.

The Bible is not a science manual, so we ought not treat it like one. While it speaks accurately and inerrantly whenever it touches those subjects, the doctrine of the Bible’s sufficiency teaches us that the Bible is only sufficient for that for which it was given. That is, to reveal to us who God is and His work of redemption.

I hope to demonstrate this in my next post. I’ll continue my study on creation, and point out the intent of Moses when he wrote, and how later revelation clarifies the intent of the Divine Author when He inspired Genesis 1.

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Welcome back to Theology Thursday!

Here is your bite-sized lesson in orthodox biblical doctrine in 3 simple steps:

ONE concept explained

TWO concise definitions that must be kept distinct

THREE Scripture passages to meditate on

Concept: The Doctrine of Creation

The beauty of our world strikes us: The light breeze on our face, the sight of leaves hanging and falling, the push and pull of the ocean’s roar, the birds soaring through the air, the whale speeding through the deep. Most of all, we prioritize people with whom we share love, meals, embraces, friendships, and life-long vows. All of this has come solely from a Creator, a Creator who, with great precision and intelligence, designed the world by His very word, and all very good.

God is the eternal, uncaused first cause of all things. He created all things visible and invisible out of nothing (not building upon preexisting matter or “stuff”) in the space of six days, and on the seventh day, He rested. The creative decree of Father, Son, and Spirit emphasizes His transcendence: He is vastly above all His creatures. In fact, Christian Theology centers on the distinction between the Creator and the creature. It also emphasizes His self-existence or asiety. He depends upon nothing and no one for His existence. Rather, He is the fountain of all life and being. Lastly, it grounds the doctrine of revelation. Geerhardus Vos summarizes, “A God who by a self-conscious act of freedom brings the universe into existence cannot desire to do anything other than to reveal Himself directly in an unmistakable way to the world thus created.”1 Thankfully, in the person of Jesus, we behold the Creator who became flesh, dwelt among us, and infallibly revealed who God is. To behold Christ is to behold the Creator God.

(How are we to interpret the “days” of Genesis 1? Next week, we’ll explore the various views of creation that good, godly men and women have held throughout the centuries, and I will share my personal view and why I hold to it. For now, let’s not miss the point of Genesis 1, which is “Cosmic temple-building.” The Triune God is the Creator of all things, and thus, He is God, and we are not.)

Definitions/Distinctions:

Immanent Trinity (ad intra): Ad intra is a Latin phrase used to describe how Scripture reveals the inner life of the Triune God—God’s very essence—which none can fully comprehend except God alone. God is ontologically one essence and three persons. Thus, the acts of God ad intra (the personal relations that distinguish persons of the Trinity) are eternal, have no reference to anything outside of God, and cannot be bound by space, “days,” or time.

Economic Trinity (ad extra): Ad extra is a Latin phrase used to describe how Scripture reveals the Trinity’s external works in the world. God reveals Himself economically and externally in the acts of creation and providence. Thus, the acts of God ad extra happen in time and have reference to everything outside of God Himself, namely, to creatures, with whom God cannot be compared.

Passages:

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”

Genesis 1:1–3

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

What is man that You are mindful of him,

And the son of man that You visit him?”

Psalm 8:3–4 (NKJV)

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Colossians 1:15–17

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Welcome back to Theology Thursday!

Here is your bite-sized lesson in orthodox biblical doctrine in 3 simple steps:

ONE concept explained

TWO concise definitions that must be kept distinct

THREE Scripture passages to meditate on

Concept: Election or Predestination unto life

Believers in Jesus are described as many things. One is that they are chosen by God. The Doctrine of Election teaches that out of God’s sheer mercy, before there were ever stars in the sky or fish in the sea or humans on the earth—before time itself—God chose to save and adopt a multitude of guilty sinners with nothing about them serving as a condition or cause moving Him to do so. He chose His children merely out of His free grace and love, for His own glory. The Bible says this is according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, and for obedience to the Lord Jesus and sprinkling with His blood.

What comes to your mind when you read that? Some think of it like a black hole of mysteries that is to be avoided, while others treat it as a battering ram to beat down their opponents. But what should come to your mind? When Peter wrote to a group of struggling, persecuted, and suffering Christians, what did he want them to know as soon as they received his letter? “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s Elect…” (1 Peter 1:1 NIV). Our minds should ascend to God’s majestic plan of salvation, and we should be humbled as well as comforted. In light of our sinfulness, it’s a wonder that God would choose anyone at all. Additionally, we must marvel that one of the many reasons God won’t forsake us in our suffering is that long before there were stars in the heavens, He set His love on us. These may sound like sappy love song lyrics. But rather, this is a literal doctrinal truth to rejoice the heart.

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Definitions/Distinctions

Foreordination or Decree: This is an umbrella term that refers to what God determined before creation would take place in time and history. This refers generally to all that comes to pass, but it is tied to predestination, which includes (among other things) God’s election of His church.

Foreknowledge: In the Semitic world, to foreknow means to forelove. Adam knew Eve, which speaks of a deep, intimate relationship. When God’s sovereignty in salvation is attributed to the foreknowledge of God, this does not refer to mere events that God knows will happen; the object is people. God foreknows and set His distinguishing relational love on a specific people whom He has determined to show mercy.

Passages:

“To those who are elect exiles…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood…”

1 Peter 1:1–2

“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”

Ephesians 1:11

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

Romans 8:29–30

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We live in an unprecedented time, where all the problems of the world demand our constant attention and immediate judgment on social media. Through technology, we’re connected to events all over the nation and the world. Very quickly, people are polarized into those who are “for” and those who are “against” whatever controversy happens to be raging this week. We are expected to make a quick decision based on limited evidence and with limited impact upon our life or upon the lives of people near us. Some people seem to get a thrill out of the controversy and “taking a stand,” and making their voice heard, while others are exhausted by it all.

This raises an important question. Are we responsible for every controversy? And if we’re not responsible for it, should we even be weighing in? What things are our responsibility and what aren’t?

1. Moral proximity

This biblical principle teaches that you are responsible for problems that are closest to you, beginning in your family, then in your church, then in your local community, but the further out you get in terms of relationship, distance, and time, the less personally responsible you are.

This moral principle is partly based on a clear understanding of human nature. Human beings are limited creatures with limited powers. We are simply not capable of exercising responsibility over all the problems of the world. And to the degree that we try to do so, we do it very badly, and often make matters worse than had we not interfered at all. Therefore, the Bible teaches that we live within spheres of responsibility which correspond to our powers within those spheres.

Consider a few passages of Scripture that teach this principle of moral proximity.

1 Timothy 4:8 says, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for the members of his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” In other words, we are responsible first for our own family unit, and only after that, to our relatives in extended family.

Galatians 6:10 says, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Notice that we are to do good to everyone, if we have the opportunity to do so. But this is not commanding us to do good to people if we don’t have the opportunity. While we are to do good to all, the Bible says that we are especially to do good to other Christians. So, if we must choose between doing good to a non-Christian and a Christian, we must choose the Christian. This principle is further narrowed to one’s own local church, as illustrated by the “one another” passages which are directed to particular local churches.

Christ’s parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:35-37 illustrates the doctrine of moral proximity as well. When the Samaritan walked into physical proximity of the man beaten by robbers, he became responsible to do what he could to save his life. He had the power to do something; so, he did. Before the Samaritan was in moral proximity, he had no responsibility to do anything about the man beaten by robbers.

Jeremiah 29:7 says, “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare, you will find your welfare.” After our families and churches, we are responsible within our local municipalities to do good, and to look after the welfare of our neighbors.

The Westminster Larger Catechism, Q99, A5 says, “What God forbids is at no time to be done; what he commands, is always our duty, and yet every particular duty is not to be done at all times (Matt 12:7).” This implies that while we are to serve the poor, feed the hungry, and work for justice, we aren’t to do this all the time, but only according to our moral proximity and our station and calling in life.

2. Problems with ignoring moral proximity on social media

Problems arise when people don’t observe this biblical teaching about moral proximity. The Bible warns, “Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears” (Prov 26:17). That is, bad things tend to happen if we fail to observe moral proximity.

Negative repercussions

People who weigh in on every social media debate sometimes have a false sense of accomplishment. They think because they give their opinion on an issue, they are dealing a blow for justice. But in fact, they have done very little. Worse, they sometimes feel like they’ve done the right thing and even honored the Lord, when in fact, they have not.

On the flip side, some hear about injustices on social media, and they feel tremendous guilt that they can’t do more. They have a feeling that they should do something, but they don’t know what to do. Even after “speaking out,” they still feel anger and guilt because speaking out didn’t actually accomplish anything.

People who forget the doctrine of moral proximity have the weight of the whole world resting upon their shoulders when they have no real power to be able to do anything about it. They also often invest a tremendous amount of time and energy into problems they have no power to resolve. If they invested the same amount of time and effort into matters morally proximate to them, they could actually do much more good because they would have much more influence.

Gossip and slander

One of the problems with trying to “do justice” on social media is that good information is nearly always lacking. By its very nature, social media is reductionistic. It lacks context. It has become easier and more common for people to fabricate injustices just to create outrage. Misrepresentation abounds, not only from internet trolls, but from news agencies and official sources.

Well-meaning people see allegations of injustice on social media, and they feel outrage. They feel compelled to speak out publicly, and they might even condemn the accused in the name of justice. But the Scriptures give warning about hasty conclusions in controversies. The Bible frequently speaks of the need for two or three witnesses (Deut 19:15; Matt 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1), or two or three independent lines of evidence to establish a matter.

Scripture gives a strong warning against gossip and mob justice in Exodus 23:1-3, saying:

“You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.”

It’s far better to remain silent than to become a gossip or a slanderer. The word “Satan” means accuser. The word “Devil” means slanderer. Christians shouldn’t repeat a matter unless they have followed the biblical procedure for verification.

3. Faithfully discharging moral proximity

How then should we exercise our moral responsibility? We should invest most of our personal energy into our homes, our churches, our workplaces, and our local communities. Yes, we should be educated on national issues and try to vote wisely, but comparatively, our influence on national issues will ordinarily be quite small compared to our ability to influence things more locally. And certainly, there may be some controversies and matters of justice in which social media can be a useful mechanism. But Christians need to be careful to remember its dangers and limitations.

Author:

This article is from the blog of Pastor Tom Hicks (used with permission).

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Recently, I preached on The Great Commission. It’s the task given to the church to serve Christ by making disciples who are centered on His sufficiency. This presupposes the need for and beauty of the church—a covenant community of baptized believers under the preaching of the Word.

This all sounds great. And it is!

We neglect the community of believers to the detriment of our own souls and those around us. There is great joy to be found as you commit yourself to God’s people.

But wasn’t it the great American philosopher Mike Tyson who said, “Everyone’s got a plan until you get punched in the mouth”?

So what about when you’re wounded by the church?

Something I see and hear often is a reluctance to commit to God’s people because of the wounds we have received at the hands of other believers. I’m not just talking about those who are professing to be believers but are not true Christians. No, I’m talking about actual believers who hurt us.

This is a very real thing. Being in a family comes with its fair share of conflict and wounds. It would be enough to have the world, the flesh, and the devil to deal with, but when Christians hurt us, it’s a whole other level of overwhelming.

I fear that if we don’t deal with these hurts biblically, we toe the line between the two sins: bitterness or utter despondency.

Today, I want to draw your attention to a wounded disciple—Jeremiah. More than just a learner of God’s truth, he was a preacher of God’s truth. He was called by God to go to the southern kingdom of Judah and be a prophet who calls them to repentance. Jeremiah was set apart from his mother’s womb.

It was a beautiful yet difficult calling because along with the calling came the promise that everyone he preaches to will not listen and will not change.

Israel is in a horrible spot. God’s covenant people have rebelled by worshiping false gods. Though God had graciously given them the promised land, like Adam and Eve in the garden, Israel’s unfaithfulness will lead to them being kicked out of their paradise. Things have gotten so bad that God had already told Jeremiah to stop praying for them because they had reached a point of no return.

This increases Jeremiah’s hurt. He’s burdened. He’s despairing. He is hurt by his own people. And in Jeremiah 15, he pours it all out to His God.

Yet Jeremiah’s story is meant to point us to the greatest Prophet who would come to Israel, weep for them, be wounded, and yet establish the new covenant and accomplish the mission of renewing the heart.

The point we see in this passage is simple:

Though following Christ comes with temporary wounds and hardship, our Savior sustains us with eternal hope.

1. The Wounded Prophet

In chapter 15:15-21, Jeremiah reaches a breaking point.

First, he curses the day of his birth. He pronounces woe on his mother for giving birth to him because of his painful life.

He calls himself a man of strife and contention.

Second, we see that he is cursed by all. Literally, the whole land of Judah ridicules him and hates him for the message he is preaching. Later, they will throw him into a pit of mud because of their anger. Essentially, they try to kill him.

Yet even in this moment, God reminds Jeremiah of something essential: he is still under divine protection.

God assures him that He has been with him and has plans to preserve a remnant. But God also doubles down on the judgment that will come upon Judah. No one will stop the Babylonians. Bronze in Scripture often represents God’s judgment. Babylon will be a tool of that judgment.

2. The Complaint of a Wounded Prophet

Jeremiah pours out his heart to God.

“O LORD, You know.” (v15)

He declares that it is for God’s sake that he is suffering. He bears reproach—taunting and shame from others.

Then he appeals to his past faithfulness.

“God, I love your word! I’ve done nothing but steward this calling faithfully. I didn’t partake in their sinfulness. I’ve been a good guy. This can’t be happening to me.”

He blames God for his loneliness and anger. In other words: “So this is what I get for serving you?”

Then Jeremiah says something shocking. He calls God a deceitful brook (v18)—like a mirage in the desert that promises water but fails to deliver.

You are like a mirage to me, God.

When I read those words, I cringe. Here are two reasons why:

First, Jeremiah is a prophet who knows the true character of God. How can he accuse the faithful God of unfaithfulness? Who does He think He is?!

The second reason I cringe: his words remind me so much of my own. I have prayed like this. I’ve questioned God’s ways in the world and even in the church.

This is what it means to give into despondency. We are filled with self-pity and bitterness because of what others have done to us. We can even blame God.

How can we not relate?

God, I loved that pastor, and he treated me with contempt. How could you let that happen?

God, I loved that church member for years, and now they stab me in the back. How could you let this happen?

I remember receiving my first hate letter in ministry. I knew it was coming eventually. But I was bitter, hateful, and despondent. I wanted to quit the ministry right there.

In the midst of serving Christ, I saw a deep tendency in me to become bitter toward others or even toward God. And watch out, that bitterness can pollute the stream of ministry that flows out of you.

3. The Restoration of a Wounded Prophet

God responds to Jeremiah. Aren’t you glad that He doesn’t forsake His children even when they go off the rails? In the depths of our honesty, He retrieves us.

God’s cure for the wounded disciple comes in three ways: repentance, resistance, and reassurance.

Repentance

God begins with a surprising word:

“If you return…”

In other words: repent.

You might think, “But Jeremiah loves God! He’s a prophet no less!” Yet evidently, you can be far from God even when you’re serving Him.

Yes, others have hurt us. But God reminds us that vengeance belongs to Him. He calls us to repentance even when we’ve been wronged because there are areas of our character that need refining.

Our culture gives different advice. It tells us to wrong others in return, assert ourselves, or adopt a victim mentality. When we’re wronged, we often focus entirely on ourselves, and bitterness sets in.

But when we respond poorly, God lovingly calls us back to Himself.

Wounds only get worse when we keep picking at them, and bitterness stops the healing process.

When wronged, repentance is crucial because we are looking to Christ and His righteousness alone.

This provides the mindset shift needed for those who expected to never bear a cross in this life as followers of Jesus.

Amy Carmichael wrote:

“Have you no wound? No scar? Yes as the master shall the servant be and pierced are the feet that follow me. But you are whole! Could he have followed far who has no wound, no scar?”

When wounded, we conform to the Christ-pattern of death and resurrection; we share in His sufferings and glory. No one knows what it is to be wounded by His own people more than Jesus Christ.

He is the true weeping prophet. While He was wounded by His accusers, He cried out, “Father, forgive them.”

Because He forgave us when our sins nailed Him to the cross, we can walk in healing and forgiveness toward others.

Resistance

Next, God strengthens Jeremiah; namely, God strengthens his resistance.

God says he will become a “fortified wall of bronze”—impenetrable and mighty.

People will fight against him, but they will not prevail. He will be attacked but not broken.

By healing Jeremiah of his sin, God gives him a soft heart. By strengthening him, God gives him thick skin.

God wants to build you back up, Christian. If you’ve been broken down by sin or church hurt, God wants to restore you. He calls you to humble yourself to receive His strength.

Reassurance

Finally, God reassures Jeremiah with a promise:

“For I am with you to save you and deliver you…I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless” (Jeremiah 15:21).

Jeremiah might have asked why he had to endure these trials. God never answers that question. Instead, He answers the who question.

Remember Job. After asking “why?” again and again, God revealed His glory but never explained the reason.

“Job never got an answer to the ‘why?’ question, but he saw God—and that was enough.”1

You may never receive an answer to why you received certain wounds. But you always get God. And knowing He is with you will always be enough.

Paul said the same thing near the end of his life when many forsook him: “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me.”

God also reassures Jeremiah with the promise of deliverance. Jeremiah knew the stories of God delivering Joseph and rescuing Israel from Egypt. These promises strengthened his faith.

But we have an even greater assurance.

These themes of redemption and deliverance reach their climax in Jesus Christ, who was wounded to redeem us from sin, death, and hell.

One day Christ will return and make all things new. Every tear will be wiped away. No more pain. No more conflict. No more sin.

We will behold our Savior face to face and see the One who was both wounded more than any of us and sympathizes with all our weaknesses.

Final Encouragement

So have you been hurt, Christian? Have you been hurt by other disciples?

God wants to bring you back.
He wants to build you up.
He wants to bolster your faith.

He calls you to repentance, strengthens your resistance, and provides constant reassurance.

Though following Christ comes with temporal wounds and hardship, our Savior sustains us with eternal hope.2

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

How many of us have heard this verse? It’s one of those coffee-cup Bible verses—found on plaques, t-shirts, and memes. But it’s also one of the most misunderstood verses in Scripture.

This typically happens when we miss the various contexts in which a verse appears. We treat the Bible like our personal promise book to meet our felt needs. Instead of allowing Scripture to set the agenda, we bring our agenda to Scripture and bend it to our will. We desire personalized revelation rather than what God has always intended to communicate.

To faithfully understand this passage, let’s follow the pattern in the previous posts:

1. Its normal misunderstanding

2. Its surrounding context(s)

3. Its faithful applications

Its Normal Misunderstanding

This verse is often presented like this:

“If you train your child the right way, check all your biblical boxes, your child is guaranteed to walk with God. Sure, they might wander, but they’ll come back. After all, it says right here they will not depart.”

I’ve heard people tell struggling parents, “Don’t worry—what does the Bible promise you?”

If treated like this, the verse can be discouraging at best and utterly debilitating at worst. It can crush parents whose children walk away. It can make them doubt their labor and even doubt the Savior.

How did we get here?

It is likely because Proverbs is often treated like a book of fail-proof promises instead of what it actually is—a book of proverbs, short sayings and principles that lead us in the knowledge of God and man, two things which are part and parcel of true wisdom.

The Surrounding Context(s)

The Immediate Context

Proverbs 22 is a collection of short sayings from Solomon. If you read verses 1–6, you’ll notice there isn’t a tight argument tying everything together. We move from good reputations to riches and poverty to parenting.

What we’re seeing are principles—truisms—generally true statements about how the world works. These are not iron-clad guarantees. They illustrate God’s ideal design.

The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs is considered wisdom literature. It is an invitation to pursue a path of godly wisdom. The contrasts of lady folly and lady wisdom are instructive—those who follow folly walk toward destruction; those who follow wisdom walk toward life.

But Proverbs gives general principles, not promises. It shows the ideal. It does not always factor in life’s complexities, God’s providence, or the fallenness of the world.

Other wisdom books like Job and Ecclesiastes highlight those exceptions. Job shows a righteous man suffering. Ecclesiastes shows the complexities of life even when lived wisely. It’s as if Proverbs shows the ideal, and Ecclesiastes shows what’s real.

Here’s an illustration:
If I say, “If you put your key in the ignition and turn it, your car will start.”

What’s your first thought? “Well, yeah! That’s how things work!”

But is that a promise? No. The battery could be dead. The engine could fail. The statement is generally true—but not fail-proof.

So when Proverbs 22:6 says to train up a child, and they will not depart, we must understand it as God’s ideal—a general principle—not a guaranteed outcome.

This takes a weight off. It reveals wisdom in training our children. It gives a general expectation that parenting shaped by God’s Word normally leads to good outcomes. But it does not guarantee salvation. It does not guarantee moral success. It does not mean it all depends on you.

Using it like a vending machine verse—good parenting in, good kids out—is actually foolish. It can produce discouragement if your child departs, or pride if they don’t. And pride is just as dangerous.

This proverb—like all of Proverbs—should point us to a wisdom outside ourselves that we must depend upon.

The Story of Redemption

If we stay only at the level of “try harder, be wiser,” we might begin to think our Christian identity depends on how wisely we parent.

But zoom out.

Wisdom is not merely an abstract principle. Wisdom is a person.

Proverbs 8 describes wisdom present before the foundations of the earth. And 1 Corinthians 1:30 tells us that Christ became to us wisdom from God—righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

Christ is the Wisdom of God on display. He was wisdom in the beginning with God. He created all things. And the only wise God was treated like a fool on the cross and rose again to bring us into union with Himself.

The gospel is not: “Become a wise parent and you’ll be accepted.”
The gospel is: “You fool, look to Christ—wisdom incarnate—Who brings you back to your heavenly Father.”

Salvation and perseverance in godliness belong to the Lord.

So when we approach parenting, we do so not as people trying to secure God’s favor, but as people who already possess everything Christ is for sinners.

Faithful Applications

What can we learn from Proverbs as it relates to parenting? We learn three kinds of foolishness we must avoid:

1. To think it all depends on you.

2. To become passive and entrust training to someone else.

3. To not be trained in Scripture yourself.

Don’t entrust your child’s whole training to the government, the public school system, or other parents. And don’t assume Sunday is enough while neglecting their discipleship at home.

Children are a blessing from the Lord. There is no greater privilege than working with God in raising a human soul—thankfully, He equips us with the right means to do so.

Paul reminds Timothy of the sincere faith that dwelt in his mother and grandmother, and how, from childhood, he had been acquainted with the sacred writings, able to make him wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. So here are some principles for resting in Christ that lead to fostering family discipleship:

Pursuing Daily Rest

Family worship—read (Scripture or books that expound Scripture), pray, and sing for fifteen minutes a day. For my family and me, this typically happens right before bed.

If you are not discipling your children, the world will. If you’re not leading them to the green pastures of God’s Word, they will look for something lush outside of the home.

Pursuing Weekly Rest

Every family ought to pursue weekly worship on the Lord’s Day (Sunday) with the body of Christ and in the home.

Sunday is a gift—a weekly holiday given by God. Your children ought to see that the gathering of believers is not optional but necessary. They should see you sitting under gospel preaching, taking the Lord’s Supper, and practicing your gifts in the body of Christ.

I remember reading somewhere, “If you only attend church when it is convenient, you train your children to grow up to do the same thing.”

Men, God has called you to lead your family to a local church with qualified shepherds. The church is the safety we need in a hostile world.

Women, you have a vital role too—submitting, supporting, encouraging, and using your gifts for the flourishing of your husband and children in the body of Christ.

A Culture of Discipleship

Finally, avoid passivity in ordinary moments.

Build a culture of discipleship in the home where you don’t shy away from the random existential question that only appears just before the kids need to go to sleep…it’s hard, but we must embrace those moments!

Final Encouragement

Proverbs 22:6 is not a fail-proof promise, but a principle—something generally true in life.

Knowing this helps us look to Christ, the true Wisdom from God. It strengthens us when we are discouraged. It leads us to depend on Him for power and ongoing wisdom.

We do not put our hope in our parenting. But we do parent with hope.

We trust that the means of grace we lead our children to may do God’s work in His time—because this is what God has promised to bless.1