image of God

Speaking Out Biblically on Cultural Norms

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

The times we’re living in. They sure are crazy. I remember when it was acceptable to be a Christian and speak of it publicly without worry. I remember when it was acceptable to be conservative and speak of it without threat of losing friendships. I remember when it was acceptable to speak of politics with someone from the opposing party without being canceled. I remember when it was acceptable to speak out publicly about what you believed and what you opposed without fear of being ridiculed, insulted or fired from your job. But things are different now.

I’ve lived long enough to see when the tide started turning. And the noticeable turn seems to have begun with a presidential election that I won’t elaborate on. And then a global pandemic occurred, which caused an even quicker plummet into an abyss that we haven’t recovered from culturally or politically. Since that time, the cultural and political scenes have continued to disintegrate. And the church is caught somewhere in the middle of this conundrum.

Some may call it empathy when others agree or accept alternative lifestyles or choices. They call it loving others when we tamp down the resistance of some who don’t “seem to understand” the decisions by those who call themselves Christians but live otherwise. It’s been made clear that we must not resist. We must accept and agree with the culture that has moved directly in opposition to what Jesus taught. But when something is morally wrong, shouldn’t we as Christians oppose it? When something is ethically wrong, shouldn’t we say so? Or should we just clam up and watch?

Through this mess of a civilization we’re in, I’ve learned where I stand on many important issues. I’m still learning, but I’ve realized that as a Bible believing Christian, I need to make sure my stance is biblically sound. Because it would be very easy to side with the group that shouts the loudest and the longest. It would be easy to side with those who seek equity and social justice for all. It would be easy to side with those who announce their pronouns and acceptance of every alphabet group that shouts to be heard. But keep reading, and I’ll tell you why I don’t.

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Ephesians 4:15

I believe the Bible is the inerrant, inspired Word of God. I have chosen to use it as my guide to life. The Bible doesn’t spell out instructions or information about all of the issues we face today. There are many black and white areas we navigate, but there are many gray areas where we must study and pray for God’s wisdom. Biblical truth will lead us to a life that loves others and speaks the truth, even when it’s inconvenient or unwanted or unaccepted.

I am pro-life. I believe that in every stage of pregnancy, the new life is a human life. I believe everyone is made in the image of God. The life of the unborn baby should not be ended even if it was the result of someone else’s crime. A suspected or confirmed disability or health issue of the unborn should not be the reason a pregnancy is terminated. Abortion is not healthcare; it is the worst violation of the most basic human rights. The right to life. Someone dies as a result of every successful abortion. It is the termination of a life created by God. It is murder.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Psalms 139:13

There are six things the Lord hates— no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family. Proverbs 6:16-19

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Proverbs 31:8

The Bible tells us that God created man and woman, male and female. It does not speak one word about additional genders. Nowhere in the Word of God is there any mention of humans having the ability to move from male to female or vice versa. We are what we are. And when someone chooses to identify as the opposite sex, they are in contradiction to God’s will. No surgery or medication can change their God-given DNA. There is a false belief being taught today that says we can do as we please to our bodies without consequence, but the Bible teaches us to reject that teaching.

As a follower of Christ who has a biblical worldview, I cannot use someone’s preferred pronouns if they don’t align with the person’s created body. I cannot affirm what I know is not true. To do so would be to lie. Loving someone means hard truths are kindly spoken, even when I may be rejected for my beliefs.

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself. 1 Corinthians 6:19

We’re told today that truth is relative. We can create our “truth” to be whatever makes us happy. But God’s Word is the ultimate truth, and if the truth we create doesn’t align with biblical truth, it isn’t the truth. So when someone says that love is love, and that a romantic love relationship with someone of the same sex is biblical, as Christians we can’t agree. We can’t applaud the relationship as being Christian. Regardless of what we’re told by today’s culture, a biblical love relationship is found only between one man and one woman. God’s Word is clear even if we disagree with it. The truth doesn’t change just because we don’t believe it.

It is true that some people have a same sex attraction, but the Bible says that acting on that attraction is sinful. Just as it is sinful to engage in gluttony or addictive behavior, the same truth stands for same sex relationships. God calls us to sacrifice our wants in order to be obedient to his will and his calling for our lives. We can resist the temptations we face, regardless of what they are, if we stand fully on God’s Word, spend time in prayer and make ourselves accountable to others who are biblically grounded and trustworthy.

Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin. Leviticus 18:22

We can’t really tell how crooked our thinking is until we line it up with the straight edge of Scripture. ~Elisabeth Elliot

You can agree with me or not. That’s your choice. I’m not always right, and I certainly don’t know everything. I want to be able to stand before God on judgment day with a clear but trembling heart, knowing I’ve lived my life in accordance with the teachings of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray you do the same.

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes. Romans 1:16

I Am Not Magnificent

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

I am not magnificent. I am not perfect. I am only a speck of sand in the sea of life. I am but dust in the wind. I am a work in progress. I am small in a vast domain. I am insignificant in the vast universe. I am nothing on my own. I am but one of many made in the image of God.

I exist to be in fellowship with the One who created me. I exist to serve him and him alone. My identity is found in Christ alone. There is but one God. I am not God.

The God who created the earth created mankind to love and serve him. To be in fellowship with him. To know him. To honor him. To obey him. To bow to his authority.

I am loved. I am known. I am named. I am forgiven. Loved by my divine Creator. He knew me before I was born. When he created me in my mother’s womb, he planned for my existence. Without him, I would be nothing. With him, I am redeemed.

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Psalms 139:15-16

King Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us that life is meaningless. He was the wisest man on earth, and he had amassed a fortune. He had everything a man desired, and he still sought happiness and fulfillment. He says the key to a happy life is to find fulfillment in hard work and the enjoyment of food and drink. He knew that in spite of all his wisdom, he would end up in the grave just the same as the world’s worst fool would. He was just a man, an insignificant speck in the history of the world. He knew he was not magnificent.

So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. Ecclesiastes 3:12

For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:36

Namaan was the captain of the king’s army. He was a strong and capable leader and had led his army to great success on the battlefield. He made the king of his country a proud man. But Namaan had contracted the deadly disease of leprosy. Anyone who had leprosy became an outcast in society. They were forced to live outside the city limits. And Namaan was a proud wealthy man. He had also acquired a slave girl when his army had raided Israel.

This servant girl knew the God of the Israelites, and she knew a prophet who could perform miracles. She suggested to Namaan’s wife that he visit the prophet to be healed. Namaan found his way to the home of the prophet Elisha and asked to be healed, but Elisha didn’t even meet him at the door. Instead, he sent his servant to give the message to go dip in the Jordan river seven times. Then Namaan would be healed.

Namaan was insulted. It was humiliating to the proud man who was accustomed to being honored by others. Was he not good enough to be given a private audience with the prophet? And why should he even wade his toe in the waters of Israel, let alone dip his entire body in it seven times? Wouldn’t any other river be just as healing? This was a further attempt to humiliate the proud captain of the army. In a bid to cool Namaan’s anger, his officers began to reason with him. Finally, they made their way to the river where he dipped seven times. After exiting the water on the seventh dip, his skin was clear. He had been healed of leprosy.

You can read the story of Namaan in 2 Kings 5:1-19.

Namaan had many accomplishments under his belt. He had won many wars for his king and country. He was a mighty man of valor. He had wealth and favor. He had servants in his household. Due to his successes in battle, his name was common on the streets. He was a known man by the little people. And he thought himself so important that the prophet Elisha should attend to him in person. He thought himself too important to dip in a river in a foreign country.

Namaan was not magnificent. His background and social status did not make him any more favorable to God than anyone else’s status. He was an ordinary man who had been given favor by God to win the battles his country faced. But he needed God’s help to fight the physical battle of his life. He couldn’t defeat leprosy on his own.

There is no one who has ever lived or will ever live who is too important to bow before God Almighty, the Judge of all mankind. The Bible tells us that everyone will one day bow down to Him. Regardless of our station in life, we are not magnificent. We can’t create the God we want. He created us.

Spitting Image

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

Parents talk about their kids. They talk about how the child looks just like his father. He acts just like his grandfather. He walks like all the other men in the family. He’s as stubborn as his mother. He’s made in their image, because he has their DNA. They say this child of theirs is the spitting image of someone they dearly love. And they’re proud. They’re proud to see that the family genes show strong in the next generation. They’re happy the similarities are plainly obvious. They’re quick to point it out to anyone who will listen.

Who wouldn’t be proud? Who doesn’t want the strength of a gene pool to shine through in the upcoming generations?

I’ve been reading lately about how I’m made in the image of God. I come from a strong gene pool of spiritual perfection. I mean. How do you top that? But here’s the thing. You’re made in God’s image, too. Every single human being is made in the image of God. There’s no way around it. And we don’t have a choice.

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. Genesis 1:26

So what does that really mean?

When we were being formed in our mother’s womb, God was there. He was knitting us together in that nine month period. He planned the number of our days. He knew the course of our lives. From the moment of conception, he knew us. And he never forgets us. Just as God values each human life he creates, we too must value life. God made each of us unique and to fulfill a specific role on this earth. He created us with special gifts and talents that suit our personalities. He made our bodies to be complex, but each part works in sync with the next. Each organ and muscle, bone and ligament are needed. Our brains and each heartbeat are necessary for life to continue. Even those who are born with bodies that don’t work as planned or with minds that aren’t whole are designed by God for a special purpose. He knows and loves each and every one of us.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Psalms 139:13-16

God created us with a soul that communes with him. He knows our every thought and desire. He knows our dreams and plans. He knows when we want to please him and when we refuse to acknowledge his existence. God created our soul to live with him in eternity. But he gave us a mind and a will, so we can choose to live for or against him.

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

Oh. We can choose to ignore that we’re made in God’s image. People do that all the time. They decide to live in a way that dishonors him. They choose to make decisions that leave him out of their lives. They live as if they are God. But it doesn’t change the fact that they are made in his image. They too will stand in front of him one day and give an account of those decisions they’ve made.

God has invisible qualities. He can’t be seen with the human eye. But we can see evidence of him and his handiwork. His eternal power and divine character are known. But people choose not to believe. They choose not to know God.

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:20

Just as God rules over mankind, he made us to rule over the earth. We are to rule over every living creature. We have that God-given authority. There’s no need to abuse it, as some are in the habit of doing. We must be faithful in the work that we do. He created us with minds to think and plan and create. So let’s use those minds for good and not for evil.

To be made in God’s image means that I’m made to represent him. I must be willing to live within the limits that God placed on me, because He is God and I am not. I must do my work with excellence. In everything I do and say, I am representing Christ.

So, I have to ask myself. If I’m the spitting image of God, how well do I represent him? Do others see him in me? Am I an embarrassment or a joy? When others see me, do they see him? When I think of the words I’ve said today, are they words that Jesus would say? Has my attitude in the past day been the attitude of Jesus Christ? If I’ve misrepresented God, what must I do to become more like him?