Truth has taken a lot of abuse, especially over the last century and a half. Beginning with Hegel’s musings and progressing through the relativism and tolerance of our age, truth is under fire.

Scientific methodology has progressed to a sophistication that renders man’s understanding truly astounding. In fact, man’s capability has such momentum—knowledge doubles every year…and IBM says knowledge will soon double every twelve hours—that truth derived via scientific methodology seems inevitable, and therefore dependable given enough time.

And that begs the question: What of truth can be known, and is there any such thing as absolute truth, that is, truth without doubt or question? Interject theology, and the question becomes: Can the absolute truth of God be known?

These are fair questions, and ones we should ponder. But asking the right question is only the beginning. Analyzing the question correctly is also essential, and this is where many stumble.

It will not consistently work to apply scientific methodology in our quest to determine the truth—or not—of God. To believe otherwise is an error in logic. God will not allow Himself to be figured out by man’s intellect. The Bible speaks of it this way: “Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Rm. 1:22).

Let’s be clear about our definitions. Science produces hypotheses, which in time progress to theories, and if proven predictable become laws. So, you have the laws of gravity and thermodynamics, and you have the theory of evolution, the theory of strings within quantum theory, and then you have the study of fields like archeology, medicine, and zoology.

But I asked at the beginning of my letter, “Are you a lover of the truth?” If you think about it, it would seem odd to ask, “Are you a lover of scientific methodology?” While there may be those who genuinely love methodologies, you generally appreciate or value a method and you love a person.

And that is precisely my point: Truth is a person, not a system, not facts or figures; not tenets, not methods, not results, and not the science of anything, including the science of religious study and methodology. Truth is an individual who was God but took on the form of a man. And who even though he was God, did not cling to that identity but humbled Himself to become one of us and thus render for us an accurate portrait of God’s true character (ref. Jn. 1, Phil. 2).

The person of Jesus Christ was not a law, a theory, or a hypothesis. He was truth incarnate.

Therefore, truth is not discerned in a test tube or a methodology such that it can be documented and repeated. Truth must be known in the heart through life in the same way marriage is known in the heart through living life together. Truth is not necessarily an experiment with predictable outcomes. By definition, truth is the heart of God continually demonstrating His determination to do what is right and best for those whom He loves.

I am a unique individual, as you are. God loves me differently in my uniqueness than He loves you in yours, but He loves us both absolutely and with unflinching love. This is the truth, the absolute truth applied.

In the same way you can cover your eyes and claim the sun did not rise, you can willfully blind yourself to the truth of Jesus Christ and claim He was other than what He claimed. However, this doesn’t change the fact of the sun rising nor the truth of Jesus Christ.

Jesus promised us an assistant to help us understand truth, that is, help us understand Him. He said, “When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth” (Jn. 16:13a).

Here is a fact, i.e. a law, that goes hand-in-hand with truth: Enmeshed in the fabric of our spiritual DNA is the Spirit that Jesus promised and commissioned with one, sole task: to tell us each and every one about the infinite scope of the Truth, Jesus Christ.

Notice the passage says, “He will guide you.” In other words, He will instruct, tutor, nurture, form, illuminate, and direct us in knowing the Truth. It is truth anchored in fact, or conversely, a law that points to truth.

As I consider these things, I am determined to pay attention to the teaching of the Spirit. How about you? After all, methodology is only as good as the mind behind it. Truth is as reliable as the person’s character who is synonymous with truth.

In the case of Christ, this truth is absolute.

The passage above from John goes ahead to say that the Spirit of truth will not speak a word on His own initiative, and that is a great standard for us as well. To live in utter, unreserved, and unblushing dependence upon Christ, who is the truth, means that in so doing I accurately represent Him to all who observe.

Herein is the method of our faith and relationship with Jesus—and herein is the similarity between the scientific method and Christianity. To be convinced of either, observation and consistency is key.

“We all live in a yellow submarine, / a yellow submarine.” Or, “Under the board walk, / down by the sea.”

We sang a song in church recently that stuck in my head: “All of You [God] is more than enough for me.”

About eighteen months ago my Heavenly Father posed a question and then left me to ponder: Christ alone, Pres, or Christ plus? He did not offer a great deal of commentary. It wasn’t necessary.

This wasn’t a hard question for me to understand. But, it has been challenging to appropriate.

Understanding that Christ is the only means to God—sola Christos, or Christ alone—is clear. Sadly, what is not so clear—at least in my practice—is the fleshly belief that I can add to my life with something of my own ability, and in so doing, enhance the Kingdom of God and perhaps my standing in God’s eyes.

I know the truth of this matter, but knowing the truth is not the challenge. Practicing the truth is the hard part.

Believing that Christ is life and life is Christ makes perfect sense, and I readily quote, “For me to live is Christ.” However, the temptation to declare, “Christ and Christ alone,” and then add to this declaration my success, my abilities, my recognition, my reputation, my contacts, etc. is at times overwhelming. Before I know it, it is no longer, “Christ alone;” it is “Christ plus.”

Paul penned a famous passage of Scripture in Philippians where he discusses fame, recognition, and entitlement and points out that he has every reason to boast based upon these achievements. But then he says, “Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ” (3:7-8).

Like Paul, I am tempted to think highly of my accomplishments, and when I succumb to this temptation—Christ plus my accomplishments—I embrace the enemy’s lie that I can enhance my worth to God beyond that achieved on my behalf through Jesus Christ. But interestingly, when I walk after the flesh in this fashion, instead of life’s inventory being filled with peace and contentment and joy, I find that discontent drops anchor.

Our English rendering, “rubbish” (v. 8), is nicely sanitized, perhaps so our sensibilities will not be offended, or the public reading of the Word will not leave us blushing. Brother Paul literally states that he considers those things he might contribute to Christ as, “the vilest of human excrement.” Somewhere along the way Paul’s word choice was translated, “rubbish.” Even though you may not know Greek, you grasp the accurate options. One word starts with the letter “s”, the other with the letter “d”.

Paul understood that anything he contributed to Christ was derived from his plethora of abilities to perform legalistically apart from Christ’s life. Stated again, he grasped, and stated emphatically, any gain based upon his credentials failed to endorse Christ and Christ alone as the source of life. As Paul considered this, he likened it to something our translators have determined is impermissible to write in a cultured letter written to mixed company including children.

And with that I am fixated upon this: Will it be Christ and Christ alone, in which He gives me all of Himself and His life, or will it be additional “rubbish” derived via my fleshly abilities to enhance life beyond Christ?

Sola Christos! Christ alone?

That Sunday—the ear worm stuck in my head, but I could not sing, “All of you is more than enough for all of me.” Instead, I stood entranced, listening to Father’s thorough voice, nurturing me toward understanding Christ’s absolute sufficiency and my absolute need. I sensed Him cutting through the intoxicating fog of my abilities, and somewhere in my inner recesses, His Spirit revealed my heart’s desire.

I realize this is a simple note in concept, but don’t stumble over it as I have for much of my life. If the enemy can entice us to endorse any supplement to the finished work of Christ, we thereby agree that Christ is less than sufficient.

The question stands. Christ alone, or Christ plus?

God has stated His terms. What are yours?

There is a healthy balance in TR’s words. Greatness is not hampered by difficult circumstances or tough issues. In fact, greatness would not be great unless there were monumental challenges to overcome. Victory would not be sweetly savored unless defeat had been stared in the eye.

Meeting challenges is inevitable. Jesus said so when He told the disciples, “In the world you will have tribulation.” But rather than launch into a discussion of how we are to deal with personal burdens, I want to spend the balance of this piece talking about our obligation to the greatest issue facing mankind.

Though TR wasn’t talking about Christianity in his Chicago speech, his words apply. “If we are to be a really great people, we must strive in good faith to play a great part in the world.” Our individual relationships with Christ are intensely personal on the one hand, but on the other, we are to be beacons of light to those around us. We are to be actively intervening on behalf of people against the enemy as he tries his best to ramrod them into the destitution of his agenda.

All around us there are people struggling with challenges spanning the gamut from individual, to national, to societal. The effects of mankind’s consistent decision to live independently of God are evident even though we posture and pose and erect façade’s to hide our poor state of affairs.

It makes no difference what the fleshly tactic of independence is. All flesh is sin and ultimately it renders its consequence.

What calling is more noble than to understand the magnitude of God’s work in Christ at the cross and share that with others?

As TR said, “We cannot avoid meeting great issues.” Indeed! This one affects us all and is the greatest issue in all of history. If we consistently intervene in the lives of those close to us with a lifestyle that exemplifies Christ’s victory, and if we look for opportunities to verbally reinforce this when given the opportunity, we address this great issue and affect the world greatly.

Does this call for us to boldly confront everyone with the reality of Christ’s work?

For some a bold testimony is reasonable. But for most of us, we seize the challenge before us with a lifestyle that consistently demonstrates Christ’s life, and every now and then, God calls upon us to speak a word on His behalf. More often than not Father asks us to lead by example and encourage by word.

In other words, the ability to articulate your victory in Christ as though you were going to make a presentation is not necessary. Your life, and our faith, are not a show. You must demonstrate Christ far more than you talk about Him.

TR said, “If we are to be a really great people, we must strive in good faith to play a great part in the world.” Peter said we are to be prepared to give an accounting of our hope. Paul told Timothy to be ready in all seasons. Jesus said we were to go into the hedges and highways and compel people to join us. In Acts, we are simply told, “Go!”

I can hear it now: The devil is asserting that these thoughts are legalistic because I am talking with you about matters of greatness, influence, and action.

Hogwash! Resist the devil and send him packing!

Our Heavenly Father has privileged us to join Him in changing the world. In the power of the Spirit we should dare great things! Together, we play a great part in the world.

Between Easter and Independence Day my internal rhythm invariably turns toward the cost of freedom. The thumping drub in my heart comes from everywhere.

Do you remember the final scene from the movie, Braveheart? How about the final scene in Christ’s crucifixion? Do the similarities strike you?

Let me refresh your memory. Braveheart is the Hollywood rendition of William Wallace, the Scotsman who led the catalytic uprising for freedom against the tyrannical, Edward, King of England. In the final scene, the executioner is disemboweling Wallace but grants him a moment to collect his strength and utter a final statement. Wallace summons his comportment and screams, “Freeeeeedommm!” It cost him his life.

The final scenes of Jesus Christ’s life are equally gruesome. Like the liberator of Scotland, the liberator of mankind summoned his reserve of strength and composure to utter words of freedom: “It is finished!” It cost him his life as well.

Freedom is precious.

It must be treasured and hallowed lest it become hollow and the entitlement of those with vague recollection.

Freedom is not easily obtained.

I have peered out upon the sea from the gun tubs on Pointe du Hoc. Strode the beaches of Normandy. I have retraced the steps of the 1956 Hungarian revolution. Stood in the squares that spawned the revolts against Communism. I have listened to the silent voices at Bull Run, Pea Ridge, and LookOutMountain. I have stared into the azure waters entombing the USS Arizona. I have climbed the tower of the NorthChurch.

Freedom is not easy!

Freedom is not cheap.

I have visited the American cemetery at Omaha Beach. Walked through the tombstones at Arlington. Touched the names at the Vietnam Memorial. Shaken a hand maimed by a grenade. Stood where King stood and dared to dream. Stared into an eye blinded by shrapnel. Witnessed the handing of a folded flag to a widow and heard the rifles fire their final salute. Prayed with women whose husbands and sons and daughters died fighting tyranny.

Freedom is costly!

Freedom is easily compromised.

Sacrifice, pain, loss, and wounds dim with time. They are even romanticized. Witness that we think little of wearing a cross around our neck, commemorative of our Savior to be sure, but symbolic of the most horrific torture and execution ever devised.

Freedom must be memorialized. But not just in our histories. Freedom must be enthroned in our heart! While our intellects and emotions play a part in properly valuing freedom, neither are capable of elevating it sufficiently beyond the ravages of time, entitlement, and diminished worth. Only the heart can care adequately for freedom—because invariably a heart was yielded so another heart could escape tyranny.

The Galatian Believers compromised their heart’s freedom with legalism. Angrily Paul wrote, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (5:1).

What does it matter if I tolerate a little legalism with grace? What difference does it make if I accommodate a bit of self-effort within my testimony? Is it essential that I comprehensively believe life is encapsulated in the declaration of, “Christ, and Christ alone?”

What would it matter if we did not celebrate Independence Day this year? What difference would it make if we concluded there were enough memorials in D.C. and that another honoring veterans of World War II was not necessary?

Why should it matter if we simply went to the lake on Memorial Day? Must we have school children memorize the Gettysburg Address and digest each of Lincoln’s words? Why should it matter if politicians use freedom’s fields for political purpose?

What would be the harm in our minds drifting during the quarterly taking of Communion on the church calendar? Why would it matter if Easter was diminished only to the symbol of a new set of clothes or Independence Day to hotdogs and beer?

Do these treasures of freedom matter? Of course they matter!

But. But, freedom is fragile.

Oppressors are constantly attempting to subject us to the yoke of bondage. If freedom is diminished, then those who died to procure it are at risk of having died in vain. If freedom is not treasured, then it is not worth fighting to recognize or elevate—either as a nation or as a Believer.

Freedom. It is won, but it is not impervious to diminishment.

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free!”

Here’s to the sacrifice. May you always live true to your freedom! And, may I also follow suit.

I ran across Isaiah 46:3-4 the other day. Even though I had marked it in my Bible, it was as though I had never seen it before. “Listen to Me, [Pres]…/ You who have been borne by Me from birth, / And have been carried from the womb; / Even to your old age, I am and shall be the same, / And even to your graying years I shall bear you! / I have done it, I have made you, and I shall carry you; / And I shall bear you, and I shall deliver you.”

That’s a pretty extensive list of personal vows.

Note that the Lord has had his hands under us from the moment we showed up in the delivery room. Even though you are reading this letter like a civilized, mature adult with all of your dignity wrapped around you, picture your face on the naked body of a newborn baby screaming about his predicament in life. Instead of the doctor’s hands catching you and your Mom’s and Dad’s arms enfolding you, imagine the hands of God supporting your head and back, wrapping you up in your first blanket, swaddling you, proud to be the One holding you.

For all the tenderness, strength, and commitment portrayed in the above paragraph, the Lord vows to be the same to you and me right through to old age. No disenchantment, bad days, mood swings, whims, or pettiness. He simply says, “I am and shall be the same.”

Just to be sure we hear Him right, He rephrases His last statement and says, “Even to your graying years I shall bear you!” The word “bear” implies that the load of us is heavy. But note that does not stop the Lord from making the vow anyway.

Here is my favorite line: “I have made you.” This isn’t a reference to forming our bodies during pregnancy. God is talking about character, person, and personality. He has overseen the process of us becoming who we are. Psalm 78:72 points out that God did this “according to the integrity of His heart” and with “skillful hands.”

As I retrace my spiritual history, I see the hand of God throughout the process, like the time I stood in a phone booth on El Camino Real in San Clemente, California and understood for the first time that it was God and God alone, not God and my parents, or God and the church. He was intent on being my God and proving Himself to me.

I heard from Him in no uncertain terms the day I cheated on my Senior Life Saving exam. Woe!

While reading The Letters of C.S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves, I experienced God as the Hound of Heaven. He pursued me in spite of all obstacles.

I could take you to a culvert running under a dirt road in northern Illinois where I sat and talked to the Lord about His will regarding my college education. I accepted His counsel and look back to see that He did indeed guide me with integrity and skill.

And on, and on I could go, recollecting how Father has made me. If you think about it, you’ll find that you have a similar history.

“I shall carry you.” This is anything but a simple vow. The word “carry” means to lift, to forgive, to look at with desire, to honor, to marry, to long for, to respect, to shield, and take as His own. Get the message?

God ends where He began and with what He reminded us of midway through the passage: “I’ll bear you,” even when you are heavy.

Run your fingers through your hair. Hold you head a little higher. Set your jaw and fix your eye. You are being borne by your Father Who made you.

You probably get tired of me telling you of the battle I wage against distrust of God. Nevertheless, I struggle to trust. I know it is irrational, circumstantial, and unbiblical. But, aren’t your struggles as well?

Two weeks ago, events lined up in a gauntlet of life that left me so stressed I was having chest pains. Yes, I know I should trust the Lord; I was trying! But therein lay much of the problem.

Suffice it to say I felt abandoned by God and hunted by the enemy. I was on the defensive with God and on the run from the devil, both of which, by the way, are losing propositions. I desperately wanted to hide out and hunker down, but not even a retreat to the garage eased the barrage. (When a man can’t hunker down in his garage, you know life is tough!)

Circumstances degenerated from bad to worse. Ten days later I was dazed and shell shocked. Finally, a break in the action occurred and I grabbed a couple of hours (you thought I was going to say, beers, didn’t you?) to sit down and process the previous day’s casualties, the most significant of which was God.

I had given up telling God what I thought of Him earlier in the week. It was clear my opinion was having little motivational effect getting Him to do what I felt was right. The conclusion appeared evident: God is supposed to be good, but from my vantage point His goodness is speculative and in jeopardy.

It is a therapeutic discipline for me to sit down and write since putting words to paper demands clear thinking and leaves little room for generalization and assumptions. As I began to form words into sentences and examine the presuppositions penned before me, I realized I had fallen into a familiar pit. Like Daniel, I was not devoured by the lions, but I sure had a lot of slobber on me.

For the umpteenth time I came face-to-face with my expectation that God should treat me differently because I am trying hard and doing a good job. Not only is He being unreasonable, it is not fair of Him to show such little regard for my yeoman effort to be good. If I am working so hard to be good, why should He not follow suit?

You may recall some earlier words of mine: “God is not fair, and we don’t want Him to be. If He is fair, then we will all wind up in hell.” Have you noticed that just because you write something down and believe it, doesn’t necessarily mean you will remember it when you need it the most?

I know God is not fair, neither is he predictable or safe. And I don’t want Him to be fair, predictable, and safe. But God is good, and I desperately need to know and believe this about Father God.

I had defined “good” using the term “fair,” and that was a critical mistake. Because I failed to define “good” correctly, and believed goodness to include fairness, I wound up with a perspective of God that rendered Him neither fair nor good. Oy vey!

God is not fair.

He is not safe.

He is not predictable.

But God is good.

I realized as I worked my way back over the battlefield, picking up the pieces of my composure and my theology, that I know a great deal about fairness, safety, and predictability. But, I don’t understand goodness nearly as I need to.

I dropped my perspective, ceased reconnoitering the battlefield, and voiced a new question: “Father, you have listened patiently to me berate and misjudge you and cast you in my own image. I apologize. Jesus said, ‘None is good except for God.’ I believe what He said. Father, would you help me understand your goodness?”

When the subject of God’s identity comes up, conflicting traits are attributed to Him with straight faces, nods of consent, and few questions. But the issue remains: Is God merciful or is He just? Loving or wrathful? Forgiving or vengeful? Holy or understanding? Is He jealous or is He longsuffering?

Depending on whose opinion you consider, God exhibits somewhere between two and 300 characteristics. Regardless of the number, each is absolute and raises the question: Can God really be all of these without contradiction?

The answer is, yes! It has to be. God must be all that He claims without contradiction.

We tolerate inconsistencies in each other with little notice until some high ideal is compromised. But when it comes to God, we need and expect Him to be true to Himself. Exactly. True. To Himself!

But while we must hold a clear conviction that God is exactly who He says He is, and believe with all our hearts that He is true to each trait characterizing Him, this does not mean we fully understand Him. This is a critical point. Knowing God to be who He says He is and understanding Him are two different matters.

When it comes down to it, God’s ways are beyond our full understanding (Is. 55:8-9). In fact, were it not for the revelation of God in the Scriptures, and His dealings with those who came before us, we would find God totally incomprehensible. Perhaps the biggest mystery is why God wants us to know Him at all.

James describes God as the Father of Lights with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow (ref. Jm. 1:17). In other words, there is no inconsistency in God. He is exactly as He claims. And there is nothing occluding the light of His truthfulness such that a shadow is cast upon who He is.

As I wrote in my previous note to you, we must take the Scriptural message about God for what it says versus projecting onto it what we feel it should say. I confess that I am tempted to conclude based upon my experience that God is not everything He claims. There is much about Him and about my life in Him that makes no sense to me; much that I wish was different. For example, why do I suffer physical pain all the time? If He heals those folks on TV, why doesn’t He heal me?

If I go to the Scriptures from my perspective of pain, I must rationalize them and compromise God to gain an understanding that suits my experience. On the other hand, if I come from the Scriptures and let them speak to me concerning my pain and my Heavenly Father’s understanding, my perspective on pain changes.

The first approach changes the Scripture and God’s reputation. The second approach changes me. Sure, I’m left with questions about God as Healer, but I gain understanding of Him as Transcendent. But just because God’s ways don’t make sense to me doesn’t mean His ways are contradictory.

John said Jesus was the realization of grace and truth, the explanation of God Himself (1:17-18). Hebrews goes a step further and says that Jesus is the exact representation of God (1:3).

So, if you want to understand God, understand Jesus. If you want to understand all 300 of the characteristics of God, understand these two absolutes of Christ Jesus: grace and truth.

The father of a gravely ill boy said to Jesus, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief,” and that is my heart as well. Note: The dad’s prayer begins with belief in the Lord’s character. Then he asks Him to help his unbelief. We should follow suit. Otherwise, we are destined to be tossed like corks on the stormy seas of doubt.

Some say God is two-faced, a web of contradictions, and they turn away to seek meaning based upon circumstantial evidence. But I cannot help believing that the mysteries of God are not only an invitation to know Him but to understand Him. Not fully, mind you. Rather, to understand Him better now than we did a moment ago.

I am troubled about the mishandling of Scripture and want to discuss my concern with you. Then, as this week of thoughts progresses, offer a few guidelines.

More and more questions are coming my way that have their origin in poor biblical practice. Mishandling Scripture ultimately leaves us vulnerable and the Scripture compromised.

We are finite and fallible folks with limited perspective and skewed perception. Additionally, we are engaged in a dangerous and stressful battle.

In other words, we are ill-equipped to accurately determine what is true and then find proof-texts of our belief in the Scripture for documentation. To do so is what theologians call, eisogesis, or bringing meaning into Scripture.

We are in desperate need of outside counsel from someone who understands our situation. Jesus—the living Word—is one well-equipped for this task (ref. Heb. 4:15-16). Our Heavenly Father has a broad view of history, so broad that nothing catches Him by surprise. He sees and knows it all. Scripture is His view, His value system, and by letting His “word of truth” speak to us we mine His perspective. Through the counsel of His Spirit we line our perspective up with His. This is called, exegesis, or bringing meaning out of Scripture.

Have you ever been the victim of a sound bite, a short phrase lifted out of a broader conversation? Sure you have, and when it happened you moaned in frustration, “That’s not what I said!”

How would you feel if you were God, had penned an incredible manuscript of thousands of words, and then someone grabbed a bite of it and ran off in their own direction claiming you authorized it?

We owe it to our Father, and to ourselves, to listen closely when someone speaks for God. If the context is lacking, God may be saying, “That’s not what I said!”

Isolated verses, obscure passages, hidden meanings, new revelations. These are flags you should not let fly in your heart until you have examined them against their context, the clear word of truth, the simple message of Scripture, and the age-old story of God’s redeeming love. The Bible is cohesive, start to finish, and carries the scarlet thread of redemption throughout. Anything short of this is heretical.

While the Bible is inspired and infallible, it is also ancient. It is not fair to impose modern requirements upon it and judge it against those standards. To expect the writers of the Scripture to adhere to modern scientific or historical standards and thought is narrow and presumptuous. Yet, this occurs all the time in media, classrooms, and critiques where the Bible is referenced.

A small fraction of what ancient history has to reveal has been discovered—perhaps 10%-15%. Of the artifacts uncovered archaeologically, only a small fraction of these has been fully evaluated.

Bluntly, there is a lot of ancient history awaiting discovery. Before you adopt a perspective that disparages Scripture based upon some piece of evidence, ask yourself if there might be additional information available yet.

Centuries of critics have sought to discount the record of Scripture. Centuries of critics, many brilliant, articulate, and highly educated, who professed themselves wise are dead. Scripture stands.

Another wave of aspiring skeptics are charging the Bible’s ramparts as you read these lines. Having witnessed the futility of their predecessor’s charges, like the charge of the Light Brigade, or like Pickett’s Charge, they trudge forward upon their fallen predecessors. They fail to consider that Scripture is proven to hold the high ground and have the advantage. Its statement of resolution has been challenged, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever” (Is. 40:8), but remains undaunted.

Be shrewd and discerning. The next time you hear an authoritative voice claim trumpery over divine writ, or claim an intellectual/scientific/archaeological/literary insight just realized that casts aspersion on Scripture, you might think twice before putting your money on the newcomer.

Pay close attention to who you pay close attention to. I am not the fountainhead of all truth, neither is your pastor, and neither is the person on the TV. Know the Book and know the person who is speaking to you about the Book. You are looking for consistency and reliability.

Neither Scripture nor the character of God contradict themselves or each other in the final analysis (ref. Jm. 1:17). Again, the best teacher is one who does not bring meaning into Scripture but gets meaning from the Scripture.

Finally, if the interpretation of the Scripture you are considering will not apply to all people throughout the world, you have missed the message. Jesus did not come to save America. He came to make an offer of salvation to those lost and in need, and that is every one of us regardless of our address on the planet.

Don’t forget that Satan quoted Scripture to Jesus while tempting Him. While Satan is a liar, he is also a deceiver. That means many of his lies are half-truths that contain an element of truth in them. Even when someone references the Bible, make certain the take-away points align with the balance of Scripture’s message.

The larger the tree felled by the critic’s axe, the more powerful the critic feels. I think sometimes the biblical critics fancy themselves gods because they disparage God’s Word.

When you encounter a biblical critic, ask yourself what is at stake. More often than not, it is the critic’s standing with those who are within reach of his voice. The critique isn’t about Scripture, per se, but about the critic’s perceived reputation. After all, God is not threatened. After centuries and decades of attack, He has yet to defend Himself, edit His Word, or adjust His message.

Those who are well-meaning, yet mishandle the Word of God, rarely do so deliberately. They simply make inadvertent errors, or ignorant judgments, like the ones we have been discussing. You don’t know what you don’t know. Thus Paul’s counsel to Timothy to study diligently (ref. 2 Tim. 2:15).

But whether deliberate misrepresentation or not, the consequences are the same, and I’m seeing the consequences of poor scholarship appear more frequently. This is why I am writing to you about this subject. Your view of Scripture, and Scripture’s veracity, hinges on “into” or “out of” when you consider God’s lines.

It should go without saying—but I won’t let it!—you must diligently call upon the Spirit of God to enlighten your examination of the Book. Many intellectuals have stumbled over the Scriptures while child-like faith is an invitation God cannot—will not—resist.

In a nutshell, all Scripture is inspired by God—who is without compromise—and it illuminates Jesus Christ who is unchanging (2 Tm. 3:16; Jm. 1:17; Heb. 13:8).

Before you conclude your reading of my blog, consider three words in the previous paragraph: “all,” “without compromise,” and “unchanging.” Remember that when you contemplate the biblical message, you are looking for consistency and reliability. There is a lot of these in “all,” “without compromise,” and “unchanging.”

When you think of the wealthiest person you know, or know of, that is only a miniscule representation of Jesus’ net worth. After all, everything is His.

All the wealth of the world is His to disperse as He sees fit. He is God, owns all there is, and privileges us to manage portions of His holdings.

I was flipping through a celebrity magazine while waiting to catch a flight home the other day. There were several pages with pictures of this famous person on a yacht, that couple with their new $238,000 sports car, and an aerial photo of one celeb’s new $20,000,000 house.

Not only did Jesus make it all, He owns it all.

Gates, Slim, Buffet, Walton. These are not the richest people in the world even though reported to be such. Though the $75 billion fortune of Bill and Melinda Gates is a larger stash than the money in the coffers of many countries, it is a small fraction of Christ’s net worth.

This said, how long has it been since you read 2 Corinthians 8:9? “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”

Christ expended everything in His quest to win our hearts.

As He sat in His glory, power, and opulence, considering the cost to invade the enemy’s stronghold and make a play to gain our allegiance, He determined that no cost was too great. Whatever His net worth was—even though well beyond our comprehension—He gambled it all in His invasion of this world, and in so doing became poor on our behalf.

As I consider this expenditure and place myself in His shoes, I doubt seriously that I would have made the same decision. Nevertheless, He spent it all. Though rich, He became poor. The Scripture defines this as grace, and as the recipients and beneficiaries of His wealth, we are reminded that we, “know the grace of our Lord Jesus.”

When Jesus announced His intention to the angels surrounding His throne, surely someone must have said, “What are you thinking?! This is lunacy. Why are you going to risk everything in a worthless investment? The folks down there don’t give a rip. Why would you condemn yourself to the poor house?”

I think His reply must have been, “I have a dream, a dream that one day my investment will fulfill my heart’s desire. I have a dream that I can live with people in celebration of a desperate redemption that paid off in grand fashion. I have a dream that if I make myself low enough, those I love will look down in their fallen condition, see me, and look up to my Father. I have a dream that my riches can be transferred to them, and that by my becoming poor, they will become rich. I have a dream that the wealth of my relationship with them will be the light illuminating all the moments of our eternity together. Yes, I have a dream. This is my dream.”

William Butler Yeats wrote in 1899, “Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths, / Enwrought with golden and silver light, / The blue and the dim and the dark cloths / Of night and light and the half-light, / I would spread the cloths under your feet: / But I, being poor, have only my dreams; / I have spread my dreams under your feet; / Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”

You are Christ’s dream, the individual for whom He gambled everything. His broken heart healed your broken heart. His life laid down made your life possible. His poverty rendered you rich.

You are the embodiment of His dream.

The enemy of God, the devil, Lucifer the fallen archangel tempts you to discount the price paid on your behalf. Should you agree with his deception, live in bondage to your old ways, submit yourself to the flesh, and languish in the destitution of your former bankruptcy, you discount the dream of Christ.

Tread softly, my friend. As the redeemed heirs of God we tread upon the dreams of Jesus the Christ, God incarnate, who dared to dream, gave all in order that we might have all, and who made it possible for us to dream as well.

As Christians, God declares certain characteristics true of us—whether we experience them practically or not. These declared aspects of our identity are unconditionally made by God simply because we are His children and are true whether we are babes in Christ or mature Believers. Just as we do not earn salvation, neither do we earn our identity.

Our experience of what is true about us is based upon our counting (reckoning) it true regardless of experience or emotion. In the ongoing process of believing and implementing what God declares about us, our spiritual transformation is experienced.

As a New Person IN CHRIST, I am…

I Am Accepted…

John 1:12       I am God’s child.

John 15:15     I am Christ’s friend

Rom 5:1         I have been justified.

I Cor 6:17      I am united with the Lord and I am one spirit with Him

I Cor 6:19-20     I have been bought with a price.  I belong to God.

I Cor 12:27    I am a member of Christ’s body.

II Cor 5:17     I am a new creation.

Gal 2:20         I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ in me. He is now my life.

Eph 1:1          I am a SAINT!

Col 1:14         I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.

Col 2:10         I am complete in Christ.

 I Am Secure…

Rom 8:12       I am forever free from condemnation.

Rom 8:28       I am assured that all things work together for good.

II Cor 1:21-22   I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God

Col 3:3           I have died and my life is hidden with Christ in God.

Phil 1:6          I know the work God began in me will be perfected

Phil 3:30        I am a citizen of heaven.

II Tim 1:7      I have not been given a spirit of fear, but a Spirit of power and love. I have a sound mind.

Heb 4:16        I can find grace and mercy in time of need. 

I Am Significant…

Rom 11:16     I am holy!

John 15:1,5    I am a branch of the true vine a channel of His life.

John 15:16     I have been chosen and appointed by Christ to bear fruit.

Acts 1:8         I am a personal witness of Christ.

Heb 2:11        Because I am sanctified and am one with Christ, He is not ashamed to call me His

I Pet 2:9-10    I am a part of the chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of God’s own possession.

I Cor 2:16      I have been given the mind of Christ

I Cor 3:16, 6:19     I am God’s temple, His Spirit (His Life) lives in me.

II Cor 6:1       I am God’s co-worker.

Eph 2:6          I am seated with Christ in Heavenly places.

Eph 2:10        I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ to do His work that He planned beforehand for me to do

Eph 3:12        I may approach God with boldness and confidence.

Phil 4:13        I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I John 3:1       God has bestowed a great love on me and called me

I am… His Child!