The story of the Trojan horse derives from Greek mythology and tells of a great deception that brings about the destruction of the mighty city of Troy, believed to be invincible until its collective pride and arrogance, borne from its riches and power, exposed a fatal vulnerability.  As the story goes, Paris of Troy stole away the King of Sparta’s wife, sparking a decade long war by the Greeks who were attempting to retrieve and return Helen to her husband and punish Troy.  Mighty Troy’s walls and defenses proved impenetrable for the Greeks, so the Greeks abandoned their conventional efforts and devised a plan to trick Troy into inviting its enemy behind its walls.  The Greeks built a giant wooden horse, hid an elite group of warriors inside it, left the giant horse at the gates of Troy, and sailed away.  Troy mistook the horse as a victory gift left by the defeated and departing Greeks and pulled the horse inside the gates.  By cover of night, the Greeks turned their ships and sailed back to Troy where the warriors inside the Trojan horse were able to open Troy’s gates from the inside, allowing the Greeks to enter the city to destroy Troy.

The term “Trojan horse” has since come to describe a situation where an enemy employs deception and tricks their target into inviting them into a safe, secure, protected place.  Most recently, “Trojan horse” has been used to describe a class of malevolent computer programs, or malware, that trick the computer user into opening the gateway to their computer by clicking an email or advertisement that appears to be familiar and legitimate but is not.  Whether by way of computer malware or some other means, no one desires to be the victim of a “Trojan horse.” 

While there is some debate over the author to credit with writing the initial “Trojan horse” story, the true and original deceiver is Satan (Genesis 3).  You will recall from Genesis that God had instructed Adam specifically NOT to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or he would die:  

¹⁶ And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17, ESV).

Then Satan appeared in the form of a serpent and was described as “more crafty than any other beast,” intending to trick Eve (Genesis 3:1).  How did he deceive her?  He sowed doubt in the mind of Eve regarding God’s will for her by suggesting, perhaps, there was some misunderstanding or mistake, asserting persuasively that God would surely not condemn her to death for eating the fruit because it was delightful and would make her wise “like God” (Genesis 3:4-6).  After Eve ate the fruit, God confronted her, asking “What is this that you have done?”  (Genesis 3:13).  Eve explained: “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:13).

Notice that Satan did not threaten Eve or her husband, he did not scare her, he did not physically force the fruit down her throat.  Rather, he enticed her to rebel against God, to harm herself, to tempt her husband, to shame herself.  As one of our dear sisters aptly stated about Satan during a bible study in our home a few years ago: “That’s his job, that’s what he does!” 

Indeed, the Word of God describes Satan as:  presumptuous (Job 1:6, Matthew 4:5-6), puffed up (1 Timothy 3:6), powerful (Ephesians 2:2, 6:12), evil (1 John 2:13), cynical (Job 1:9, 2:4), crafty (Genesis 3:1, 2 Corinthians 11:3), deceitful (2 Corinthians 11:14, Ephesians 6:11), fierce and cruel (Luke 8:29; 9:39, 42, 1 Peter 5:8), and cowardly (James 4:7).  The Bible tells us that Satan perverts the Scripture (Psalm 91:11-12, Matthew 4:6), he works lying wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9), he ensnares the wicked (1 Timothy 3:7), he blinds their minds (2 Corinthians 4:4), and on and on.  The most succinct description of Satan comes from Jesus Christ, Himself, in response to questioning from Pharisees and Scribes at the Mount of Olives:

⁴² Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of My own accord, but He sent Me.  ⁴³ Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear My word.  ⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:42-44, ESV).

Paul would later call out imposter apostles at Corinth, exposing Satan’s modus operandi – his well-established method of deceit, the “go to” play in the Satan team playbook: 

¹³ For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.  ¹⁴ And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.  ¹⁵ So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.  Their end will correspond to their deeds. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15, ESV).

Underestimating Satan and our own Selfishness

I was blessed to grow up in a loving, intact, church-going family and, as long as I can remember, a key and primary focus of the churches I have attended, the sermons I have heard, and the lessons I have studied, has been to warn Christians against the trappings of the world that constantly threaten to, and all too often succeed in, enticing sinful thinking, words, and actions.  Pastors and religious leaders of various stripes warn Christians against the dabbling in, obsession with, pursuing and engaging sinfully in the trappings of money, power, fame, celebrity, sex, drugs, music, movies, social media, material possessions, and the like – the temptations of this world. 

Why?  The “world” is under the control of Satan (1 John 5:19).  Those who belong to Christ are not of this world, we have been called out of this world – and our citizenship is in Heaven (John 15:19; Philippians 3:20).  Pursuit and even capture of all that is in the world is of no gain if it causes us to forfeit our soul (Matthew 16:26).  For the Christian, worldly desires wage war against our very soul (1 Peter 2:11), because the Christian’s struggle is against the satanic forces that rule the world (Ephesians 6:12).  So, Jesus directs the Christian to deny himself the pursuit of the world, and instead take up his cross daily and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).  He commands that we not conform ourselves to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds through His Holy Scripture, that we may know the good and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2).

In contrast, those who depend upon the wisdom of the world, instead of the wisdom of God, will be made fools, as Paul admonished:

²⁰ Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? … ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. … ²⁷ But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; ²⁸ God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, ²⁹ so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (1 Corinthians 1:20, 25, 27-29, ESV).

Unfortunately, many leaders in the American Christian church who are otherwise accurate in their warning against embracing the world and appear sound in their theology and doctrinal understanding, have opened the church gates and welcomed in the world of false facts as if they were a gift from a defeated enemy.  They have pridefully and arrogantly grown comfortable and failed to recognize Satan’s deceptive scheme against them and the church using his age-old play – disguising himself as an angel of light.  In short, many pastors have become incapable of discerning fact from fiction in the simplest of current events and, even worse, many among them are actively engaged in promoting misinformation, encouraging their congregants to act on the misinformation, and participate in other sinful behavior.  The result – “Christians” behaving badly and unapologetically owning it!  God help us.

A Reminder:  A Pastor’s Responsibility to His Flock

Please understand, if my criticism seems harsh, we are well-beyond the crisis point for many of our brothers and sisters (and those under the false impression that they are Christians) because of the deception that has overtaken so many.  We must call Christian leaders to account regarding their lack of discernment.  Pastors must feed their flocks (teach the word to their members) and oversee their spiritual well-being (warn and protect them against false teaching):

¹ So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: ² shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; ³ not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. (1 Peter 5:1-3, ESV). 

And because of their great responsibilities, pastors/elders/teachers will be held to a higher standard: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1, ESV).  It is time to recognize that the current challenge of the American church is more than the proverbial “Satan goes to church every Sunday;” he was not satisfied to cause some local unpleasantness or upset the harmony and unity of the local saints every now and again.  He has manipulated and redirected the focus, the attitude, the behavior, the influence, and witness of the Christian faith in America in a broad sense by tickling the ears of church leadership, leading them away from factual realities bit by bit.

How has Satan done this?  Opinions differ, but today’s crisis began ramping up with the establishment of the “Christian Coalition” in 1987 to consolidate the “Christian” vote.  Coupled with the simultaneous explosion of cable television, talk radio, personal computer and mobile telephone technology, new and old forms of media were suddenly competing with each other for our attention.  Technological advances in a few short years put at our fingertips greater computing power than was used to take us to the moon, placing in the very palms of our hands the ability to perform complex work tasks, play video games, watch movies and sports, call, text, video chat, shop, and more, whether via mobile phones, tablets, or remote controls navigating big flat screen TV’s the size of entire walls.  Those advances gave the industries competing for our attention more information about us than had ever been shared before which, when combined with sophisticated algorithms, has shown itself to very effectively alter our behavior and understanding of the world around us by catering to what we see and hear.  The technology is so effective, millions are clinically addicted to accessing the information.

Pastors and church leaders diligently warned us about many of the temptations that would bombard us through this new technology – namely, obviously illicit images, music, communications, and other sinful entertainment and activity.  They even warned against an increasing relativism taking hold with individuals picking and choosing their own realities to live by, as content providers slid from providing mostly balanced facts, to partial facts, to partial facts laced with opinion, to opinion with some facts, and then to opinion framed as facts, as competition for viewers/users increased.  A great deal of time was spent by these leaders preaching on, writing books about, and warning that we were quickly moving to a society where every person lives according to their own “truth” and, if society treats truth as relative or in the eyes of the beholder, then morality is equally flimsy.  They rightly called out this age-old issue for man:  our desire to live by our own standards, rather than the standards God has called us to follow. 

Unfortunately, many church leaders failed to realize that they had already been caught in the same trap they were decrying and failed to warn their congregants.  They had been presented with all sorts of platforms promoting and providing content related to “Christian” and “family” and “conservative” values.  In short, the media platforms discovered that the niche “evangelical” market was a viable target for huge potential profit and many church leaders (and their unsuspecting congregants) consumed it with little critical thought.  But they weren’t only consuming “Christian” or “Christian-friendly” content; they were devouring more and more radical political opinion content depicted as news.  Church leaders and their congregants were also teaching the social media algorithms and content providers how to capture more and more of their attention, time, and money.  And, just like people whose primary interest is anti-Christian, they became enveloped in a bubble of information designed specifically to anticipate and trigger their emotions and then feed their consumption addiction – Christian candy, laced with hate and false or deceitfully incomplete information whose purpose is to cultivate devotion, not to God, but to the information platform or device or both.  And without any real appreciation of what they were caught up in, many “Christians” swallowed more and more of the content. 

The proof of the deception and manipulation is obvious, is it not?  Many of us have seen Christian family grow more and more angry and hateful and radical in their thinking, borne out in their language and behavior, which has grown decidedly less Christ-like, even as they become more convinced that they are righteous.  As I have previously written, and we have seen, God has exposed religious hypocrisy in the past year like never before in our lifetime.  Unfortunately, proper doctrine applied to a false reality is as aimless as blind devotion that lacks scriptural understanding.

The Prescription:  Godly Discernment

Discernment has been called wisdom’s first cousin.  Where wisdom is the skill to live a godly life through the knowledge and instruction of the Lord, discernment is the ability to discriminate between the godly and ungodly voices within the competing world views we encounter.  According to Proverbs, “wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning …” (Proverbs 10:13); “wisdom reposes in the hearts of the discerning …” (Proverbs 14:33); “the wise in heart are called discerning…” (Proverbs 16:21); “the heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out …” (Proverbs 18:15).  Likewise, Hosea makes it plain – to be discerning IS to walk in the ways of the Lord:

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them (Hosea 14:9, ESV).

Discernment is highly esteemed.  Though Joseph’s brothers had not, Egypt’s Pharaoh understood the value of Joseph’s gift of discernment and placed him in charge of all of Egypt:

³⁸ And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?" ³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are.  ⁴⁰ You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you."  ⁴¹ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt." (Genesis 41:38-41 ESV). 

When asked of God what he desired, Solomon responded, “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?" (1 Kings 3:9). God’s response is telling:

¹⁰ It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.  ¹¹ And God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, ¹² behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. (1 Kings 3:10-12, ESV).

Shortly thereafter, Solomon’s gift was on display when he discerned the identity of the true mother of a baby claimed by two women.  See 1 Kings 3:16-28.

A lack of discernment is devastatingly consequential.  Consider, for instance, that even while the evil spirits recognized and understood who Jesus Christ was, the religious establishment of his day could not.  Compare e.g., Mark 1:23-24 (demon recognizing Jesus as the “Holy One of God”) with Matthew 16:1-4 (Pharisees and Sadducees ask Jesus to prove His identity with a sign from heaven; Jesus points out that they can look at the sky and predict the weather but cannot discern “the signs of the times” - that their long-awaited Messiah stands immediately before them).  

As Christians, we thank God that, through His Spirit, He has granted us the ability to be spiritually discerning:

¹² Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.  ¹³ And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.  ¹⁴ The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:12-14, ESV).

But when we grieve God through our sin, whether by sins of commission or omission, our Spirit-powered discernment is disrupted.  In these circumstances, we typically do not develop a sort of biblical amnesia causing us to lose our Christian knowledge and vocabulary and thought and behavior in total.  It is much more subtle – we begin to apply our Christian knowledge in our own power, driven by our own selfish interests, rather than God’s will.  We can convince ourselves and certainly, those around us, that we are led by the Spirit when, in fact, we are no longer in submission to the Spirit. 

And there is nothing new under the sun.  Consider Paul’s letter to the churches at Galatia in which he urges Christians not to be led astray by those who would teach a false gospel.  They were being led by the flesh and lacked spiritual discernment.  What does Paul instruct?  Walk by the Spirit, be led by the Holy Spirit, live by the Spirit, keep in step with the Spirit, and in doing so, you will overcome power of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit will be increasing in you.  (Galatians 5:16-25; see also Ephesians 4:30, 5:18 [do not grieve the Spirit, walk in the Spirit]).     

Being Spirit led requires us to be actively on watch for the enemy, to be on guard, to be alert (1 Corinthians 16:13; Colossians 4:2; 1 Peter 4:7).  In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul puts it plainly and comprehensively when he says:

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit.  ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies [scriptures], ²¹ but test everything; hold fast what is good.  ²² Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-22, ESV).

Notice we are commanded to “test everything.”  The word “test” here denotes to prove, to examine, to discern.  And not so surprisingly, “everything” means all things, the sum of things, the totality, all, every.  We are commanded, therefore, to joyfully, prayerfully, thankfully, submit to the Spirit, stay in the Word of God, test everything to discern good from evil, holding on to the good, rejecting the evil.  

The Bottomline

Setting aside for a moment the enemy’s control of the lost, the enemy has taken the mind of many in the evangelical establishment as they have sought out and fed on an unending dose of ear tickling false facts that build themselves up and demonize everyone else.  Initially unable to distinguish fact from fiction, they are now often unwilling to do so.  They lack, and have abandoned the pursuit of, Godly discernment, happy to live and maintain their own “truth” over what in reality is genuinely true – the very thing they once warned against.   

God commands that we be discerning.  With godly discernment, we can identify and reject the evil things of the enemy which are so often disguised as good.  Without godly discernment, we will inevitably find ourselves enveloped in Satan’s web of deceit.  We must be on guard, testing EVERYTHING. This requires us to evaluate the sources of the information we digest, not taking for granted that it is sound simply because it’s wrapped in Christian or conservative imagery or labels.   We should depend more on the original source and not the talking heads or influencers paid to package and deliver it to us in a tempting and skewed fashion.  We must decipher news from opinion and spin.  We should evaluate whether there is more to the story.  And when we are unable to do the work to evaluate the veracity and validity of the information, we should be careful not to adopt and perpetuate it. 

We’ve all heard of the phrase “garbage in, garbage out.”  God is truth.  God calls us to live by the truth.  We must be led by His Spirit such that, by His power, we are able to discern and reject garbage before it gets in, whether that be biblical error (false doctrine, false interpretation), or factual error that would prevent us from applying God’s word to our lives accurately.  We will need to humble ourselves, be repentant, be diligent, be uncompromising, and lovingly call to account Christian leaders and Saints under deception.  May God grant us godly discernment.

We have seen the latest racial and political train wreck unfolding in slow motion over several years.  The temperature on the ever present, simmering hate and bigotry residing in the DNA of this country began to boil with the election of Barack Obama several years ago and has fueled the divisiveness and radicalization that led to the attempted coup at the Nation’s Capitol on January 6.  I could go on and on and on about the false Christianity standing arm in arm with white supremacy, drinking from the fire hose of right-wing propaganda media, conspiracy theories, and opportunistic politicians, but I would like to focus on something else, if I may. 

Throughout this terrible time in our country, where we have seen and experienced multiple health, economic, racial, and political trials seemingly unimaginable in their magnitude within the context of most of our lifetimes, God has been unveiling and revealing who we really are at heart.  He is exposing our real character, collective and individual, through the trials and tribulations He is permitting.  And while my point of emphasis has often been to highlight and warn about those whose true nature has been exposed by their false teaching, idol worship, bad fruit, and the like, God is also identifying those who do strive to walk by and in their faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I confess that, in my protector-driven pursuit to identify the wolves, I have not paid much attention to the sheep around them.  I am saddened that I have, at times, been willing to sacrifice the sheep near the wolves, rather than offering them a path back to the flock.  The fact is that if we watch closely, people will show us through their words and conduct whether they need Jesus, or whether they belong to the family of God, but may have traveled down the wrong path.  I must do better, and I encourage you to do the same, if you are struggling to exhibit love towards fellow brethren ensnared by the traps set by the evil one to engage in hurtful behavior.

My conviction came from a post on Facebook of all places.  I try to manage my time and involvement with social media – it is at sometimes work-related, family connecting, instructional, sports highlight indulging, enemy watching, and Christ sharing – but sometimes, it manages me.  Have you noticed that, when something really upsets or angers you, it can fuel you to pursue the issue further, become more upset or angry, and pursue it even further?  Of course, the algorithms and information bundled to push at you are built to entice and consume you – it’s a business after all and the more captivating the influencers and influence platforms, the greater the financial reward for the businesses.  It is like most technology in this world, useful for good and for evil.

In any event, on January 6, as the situation began developing around the Capitol, I made my way to a television, tuned in to a news channel, and saw a split screen.  On one side, I observed a former preacher turned Senator from Oklahoma at the podium in the constitutionally required joint session of Congress.  He was attempting to prevent the counting of duly certified election results from states whose black and brown populations had swung election results in favor of President-elect Biden.  On the other side of the screen, was coverage of the attempted coup taking place at that very moment in support of the effort of President Trump, the Oklahoma Senator, and others to overturn the election results.  There, the Christian flag waived alongside confederate flags and white supremacist symbols as domestic terrorists attacked the Capitol. 

Nearly immediately, I noticed a number of people on my social media accounts who self-identify as “Christian” and who have been rabid supporters of President Trump and the far right (including rejection of the election as “stolen”), pushing a narrative that the attack was orchestrated and being carried out by “ANTIFA” and “BLM.”  I suppose they panicked with the realization that their political movement, purportedly draped in God, country, the flag, “law and order,” and blue lives (I still have yet to see a blue person, by the way), was attacking all of those things, either in principle or physically, and in front of the eyes of the entire nation.  “ANTIFA” and “BLM” became their immediate scapegoat.  I watched in realtime as these “Christian” promoters of overturning the election posted feverishly to reassure each other that, no, this was not their movement – the “fake news media” was at it again and this was really the work of imposters from the left.  Some, I believe were naïve and distraught that their fingerprints were on this rebellion; others were seeking to absolve themselves of any connection or accountability for their association with domestic terrorism.  But they found immediate solace in their own reassurances that their enemies – “ANTIFA” and “BLM” were the real culprits.

In the days since then, much has come to light to confirm the nature of the attack and the identity of those groups who had a hand in it one way or another.  And it is clear that it is not over.  It would be comical if the attack were not so tragic and disgusting, but the greatest confirmation that it came from and was carried out by Trump supporters and sympathizers, has been the self coverage of the rebellion itself and all things related, captured by those involved.  They captured themselves and their fellow rioters on social media during the course of the attack, they identified themselves, their beliefs, their planning, their purpose, and all manner of other information, leaving no room for scapegoating.  In fact, the allegations by the self-identified “Christians” that other groups were to blame for the attack were demonstrably proving to be false as quickly as they were being posted and the information since then has only further solidified this.  

I was angry.  I’m tired of seeing “Christians” engaged in the politics of hate.  I’m tired of the brazen appropriation of Christ and Christianity by hypocrites and scoundrels and I’m saddened at the realization that so many people who “go to church” are lost.  I was really struggling with my own desire to unleash my emotions on these people, restrained only by the knowledge that my interaction and words needed to be salt and light.  I could not in that moment cultivate the words to respond appropriately and thought better of saying anything.  It was then that I saw a post pop up from a high school friend's wife, on the topic of the Capitol crisis.  She said:

“I have a confession to make. I haven’t been practicing these verses.

I had a LOVING, PRIVATE MESSAGE (those that care about speaking the truth in love to you will do it privately, not on a social media platform) from one of my daughters, who I won’t name (but she’s my first born). She tenderly pointed out to me that the photos I posted of what I thought were Antifa members storming the capital were actually Trump supporters. She had done some digging, and I hadn’t. She was being slow and careful to research and come to a conclusion. I had been hasty. As I read her message to me I felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit immediately, although it took all day to let it soak in deep. As I reflected I realized when I posted those photos I was caught up in anger, pride and I think some fear mixed in there if I’m really being honest. I just want to own it and repent publicly since my post yesterday was public.

I don’t want this post to turn into a debate no matter where you stand politically. It’s a post about having Godly sorrow over my sin. Might sound phony or religious, but it’s real and I’m feeling it in my heart as I type these words. 

Sincerely, 

A gal that’s been recently humbled ....again.”

The verses our sister referred to came from James, Chapter 1, and beginning at verse 19:

¹⁹ Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; ²⁰ for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. ²¹ Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. ²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. ²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. ²⁶ If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:19-27 ESV)

The words of the author’s post ministered to me in so many ways.  In this beautiful public display of genuine, Holy Spirit led and accomplished, Christ honoring words was one of those “sheep” who’d taken a wrong turn and who was finding her way back to the flock.  Obviously, she has been caught up, and probably resides mostly in, the bubble of white conservatism which, itself, is so tethered to the events and people leading to what occurred January 6.  Likely, as a result of negligent and biased reporting at best or intentional misinformation at worst, she became upset and determined to blame others, compounding the misinformation and sentiment.  But when confronted with contrary information from a daughter, she reconsidered the possible impact of her actions on her daughter and those who had or would see the post. 

In the midst of her confession, we see God on display in so many ways.  For instance, though she seemingly initially believed that the misinformation she shared was true, when confronted with the fact that she was mistaken, she desired to right the wrong she committed.  I think it says a great deal about her that she was willing to receive correction from anyone, much less a daughter.  She knew scripture, wanted to adhere to scripture, was sufficiently under control of the Holy Spirit to respond in humility upon learning she shared erroneous information, desired to model her faith to her family and the public by acknowledging her error – not simply erroneous information, but a failure to adhere to scripture in her use of social media to respond to the national events unfolding. 

Wow, that’s grown-up Christian behavior.  She found herself in a situation many of us have or will, and though she failed initially, she made sure to get things right.  In contrast, though I haven’t searched exhaustively and some besides her in the group of messages may have apologized, but I am unaware of any similar responses from the host of “Christians” who engaged in similar and much worse social media behavior regarding the same misinformation. 

The apology also stands in stark contrast to that Senator who regularly appears in some sort of hybrid elected official/preacher capacity in pulpits around the state each political season.  Upon being criticized for his attempt to cancel the certified election results from other states – a key component of the insurrection – he began to send out special newsletters attempting to cast himself as detached from it and as providing balanced information to his constituents to quell rumors.  Most appalling was the additional purported letter of apology to black Tulsans in which he suggested he had no idea that his posture opposing certification of votes was an overt attempt to cancel the votes of black and brown Americans in several states.  He referred to it as a “blind spot” as he attempted to save his position on the Tulsa Race Massacre Commission.  When compared with the apology of our sister above, the “apology” from the Senator reeks of a self-serving political attempt to avoid, rather than acknowledge and accept, responsibility for his behavior, rather than real sorrow and regret born out of a love of Christ and compassion for others.

As we continue to navigate these tumultuous times, let us recommit ourselves to the knowledge of the Word of God, to submitting ourselves to the control and conviction of the Holy Spirit, to maintaining a humble spirit, to accepting conviction when we fall, and responding with contrite and repentant hearts.  Let us have the courage to admit our failings and strive to honor our Lord in everything we think, say, and do. And let us remember in the midst of tense and troubling times, when our first instinct may be to lash out or join the social media frenzy, we should rather seek ways to honor God by being an example of Christlikeness, lighting the path for those who have lost their way or have not yet come to know Him.

As I’ve written before, the current reality depicts the state of American Christianity – a nationalistic, cultural movement for many, as opposed to a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior.  The crass, uncaring behavior of social Christians on the pandemic front has stained the genuine Christian faith, having appropriated Christian vocabulary and used it as a political sword, rather than a soothing salve for the soul.  Nowhere is that more apparent than Oklahoma, where we nearly have a church on every corner and pride ourselves on being the heart or buckle as it were, of America’s Bible Belt.  And yet, the collective selfishness of a largely Christian-claiming populous has boldly chosen self over others throughout the pandemic, leading us to the top of the national charts in per capita COVID-19 statistics – the bad numbers, the sad numbers, the “it didn’t have to be this way” numbers.

If there were ever a moment for Christians in America to put their faith on display, to exemplify the character of their Lord and Savior, it certainly would have been in the midst of this national (and global) tragedy.  Instead, it appears that the pandemic has shed light on the magnitude of false faith that exists here.  The human tragedy has exposed a devastating spiritual catastrophe – that many, if not a majority, of self-proclaimed “Christians” in this country, do not know Christ, and unless that changes, they will perish in eternity having misled themselves and those in their sphere of influence.

So, what are genuine Christians to do?  LEAD!  Lead with what matters most - not in political activity, not in advancement of constitutional rights and privileges, not for the flag, not with protests or anti-protest protests, not in conspiracy theories, not in mean memes, not in social media rants, not in the victim olympics, etc. – but with Christ!  I know what many of us are thinking:  “I’m no preacher,” “I don’t know my Bible well-enough,” “I’m not very good with words,” “I don’t have time to [fill in the blank here with anything in the service of God we are avoiding],” and on and on.  Those things may very well be true (or not), but if we genuinely belong to Jesus, we have the power of God within us through the Holy Spirit to lead with Christ, following His commands and putting Him on display for all the world to see.  And all God requires of us in our conduct with others is to practice the foundational Christian ethic that sums up the entirety of scripture:  to treat people the way that we would want them to treat us (Matthew 7:12, NASB). 

Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15, ESV).  Pretty straightforward, right?  Those who belong to Him strive to practice His commands.   Immediately thereafter, He promised us eternal empowerment to choose righteousness over sin, when he said, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth …,[i.e., the Holy Spirit]” John 14:16.  Jesus went on to elaborate that:  “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in Me, and I in you.  Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

Paul elaborated on the power and purpose of the Holy Spirt to the Church at Galatia:

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  ²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-25, ESV)

In short, according to the Word of God, genuine Christians have the desire and supernatural ability to follow the Word of God and keep His commandments.  And within the Word of God, Jesus sums up the entirety of the principles contained therein with this statement:  "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12, ESV).  This is an extension of the 2^nd Commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18, ESV).  As Paul explained,

⁹ For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.". ¹⁰ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.  (Romans 13:9-10, ESV).

In describing those who belong to God and those who do not, John said,

⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.  ⁹ In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.  ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  ¹² No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.  (1 John 4:7-12, ESV).

In fact, repeated throughout the New Testament is the principle that Christians love one another, which Jesus explained would distinguish Christians from the world,

³⁴“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."  (John 13:34-35, ESV). 

And while our priority as Christians is to look after one another within the body of Christ, which serves the dual role of witnessing to the world and fulfilling the work of the Church within it, Jesus’ command that we treat others as we wish to be treated, grounded in the 2^nd Commandment to love thy neighbor, extends beyond our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Recall that, when asked by a lawyer to define “neighbor,” Jesus shared the parable of the Good Samaritan in which a priest and a Levite bypassed an injured man on the roadway, but a Samaritan came to his aid.  This exchange between Jesus and the lawyer followed:

³⁶ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?". ³⁷ He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise."  (Luke 10:36-37, ESV).

Saints have a tremendous opportunity to distinguish true faith from the fake faith with our devotion to Jesus’ command that we treat others as we desire to be treated.  Apart from the Vine, we can do nothing, but if we are indeed branches grafted into the Vine, we will bear fruit (See John 15:5).  Moreover, whatever we do in word or deed, we must do it all in the name and furtherance of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:17).  And love, Christ’s self-sacrificing love, must be preeminent in fueling our conduct (1 Corinthians 13:1-13).

We must reclaim what it means to be a Christian from imposters by living out our faith through our commitment to the ethic our Lord and Savior called us to follow.  So as the pandemic rages, the vaccination effort lags, and fake Christians grab the headlines in devotion to self, may God, through His Spirit, empower genuine members of the faith to lead, to “go and do likewise,” to manifest the love of Christ as a fruit of the Spirit, to love thy neighbor as thyself, to treat others as we would have them treat us, and may the cause of Christ be advanced such that false faith and absent faith are exposed, so that conviction, repentance, and genuine commitment to Him may follow.

Please do not be mistaken by my words here – like the rest of us, John MacArthur is, and always has been, a sinner – a fallible, wretched, and unworthy man, saved not by his own might, but by the precious love of God and the blood of His Son, through the power of the Holy Spirit.  He is, therefore, far from perfect, despite the tremendous gift that God bestowed upon him.  MacArthur's devotion to God and commitment to proper exposition, along with his humble willingness to refine and correct himself at times, has made it easy for me to trust most often in his discernment and application of the Scriptures. 

But something has changed.  In some ways, it feels like it happened overnight, though that does not seem to be the case, as I reflect on the increasing number of times in recent years I have struggled to understand and agree with his application of the truth.  I must be clear here – there has only been one time before recent events, one very recent time, that I was concerned he was bending the scriptures to fit his own purpose.  Other times were easily explained away in my mind as unintentional misstatements or an innocent ignorance that often comes with our limited knowledge and ability to understand unfamiliar people, places, and circumstances.  And let’s face it, though appearing full of vitality and energy, Dr. MacArthur is 82 years old – an occasional misstep would be more than understandable, given that few people half his age could keep up with him.  

Unfortunately, however, MacArthur's behavior has reached a point where he has become a spiritual, and in some ways physical, danger to others, and the leadership of Grace Community Church appears unwilling or unable to come alongside their brother to address the matter.  Therefore, it is with substantial sadness that I warn us to use great caution in consuming anything from Dr. MacArthur, his church - Grace Community Church, or his seminary – the Master's Seminary, which goes beyond teaching and materials concerning the interpretation and study of God and the Scriptures.  I would avoid any such information from him or his ministries purporting to apply those truths to our world today, unless you are prepared to employ an active, critical, exacting mind to filter out the applications and conclusions and calls to action tainted by his focus on politics in the place of our God. 

The difficulty with consuming anything from MacArthur at this point, however, is that, unlike many other pastors and teachers whose errors or misapplications or poor analogies we can easily discern and reject, MacArthur is much more effective in joining his deep theological knowledge to his current political world view subtly and persuasively.  Add to this, the fact that many of us who have listened to him and read and used his materials over the years have a tendency to grant a benefit of doubt to his comments, rather than actively evaluate them in the manner of a Berean, potentially causing us to put our guards down and be more susceptible to his errors.

I recognize that my comments may be jarring.  Indeed, I have struggled for several weeks myself with a growing compulsion to speak out regarding the ever-increasing realization that John MacArthur is now driven more by his politics, than a biblical world view and a commitment to Christ-likeness.  I offer some key points that are illustrative of these concerns that have led me to this conclusion.  Others are free, certainly, to disagree or find fault here, but I share not to condemn the man, but rather to caution the brethren.

Silence Speaks Volumes

John MacArthur has preached and written extensively regarding the importance of truthfulness and integrity in every man – after all, lying and other forms of dishonesty are condemned by God.  MacArthur has condemned the lies and dishonesty of leaders as particularly offensive and destructive, expressing the following regarding, of all things, Presidential lies:   

“… as a nation and certainly across the world, we have been overexposed to the extensive pattern of deception and lying engaged in by our President.  Now to put it mildly, this is greatly disappointing to all of us who would have hoped that a man of character and a man of conviction and a man of integrity would have arisen to such a prominent and critical place of leadership. What we have come to find out, however, is that we have a man in the White House, who has for his life a habit in which he has engaged, and that habit is a habit of lying and deception and hypocrisy. Some of that evidence is known to all of us, and there is even other evidence that is known to some of us because of private conversations with people behind the scenes. Suffice it to say, everybody across the world now, to one degree or another, is aware that this is a leader who is a liar.  The extent of the lying is amazingly widespread. The President, on a number of occasions, has denied ever encouraging anyone else to lie. And yet in seeking the aid of everybody close to him to help him carry out the deception, he has brought all the people who touch his life into the potential category of joining him in the lie. His wife has lied for him; his friends, his cabinet, his White House staff, loyalists; the media has lied for him; congressmen have lied for him; senators have lied for him. He has lied and deceived, and he has embroiled all kinds of people in lied and deception.  When a ruler is given to lies, he will accumulate around him people who can tolerate lying.  A corrupt leader draws around him corrupt people. Allow lies and you will be tolerated and surrounded by liars.  It’s frightening to think about the possibility that the President might remain in office, and then to ask the question, what kind of people, given the knowledge of his deception and lies, would want to be a part of his staff.

Poignant words by MacArthur as we stand on the eve of an upcoming presidential election in which the incumbent has been documented to have told more than 20,000 lies since entering office.  Perhaps the only thing more astonishing than the record of lying by the President, however, is the fact that you will be hard pressed to find MacArthur condemn the current President for his predilection to lie virtually every time he opens his mouth.  You see, the words quoted above condemning the lies of a President were directed at President Bill Clinton, whom MacArthur rightly skewered for his ungodly behavior and attempted coverup of his conduct with Monica Lewinsky.  Is there another rational explanation besides political preference for a lack of similar condemnation of the unprecedented lies of the current President, versus the former, given the clear nature of the offense and the biblical standard? 

A similar hypocrisy seems apparent in the matter of same-sex marriage.  In October of 2009, responding to a then-recent statement by Barrack Obama that there would be a time when the United States would recognize gay marriage to be as admirable as traditional marriage, MacArthur declared Obama a non-Christian seeking to replace God with his own sovereignty, stating that this was “one more indicator that the man is literally committed to overturning everything this country has ever believed in and ever been built to affirm and accomplish.”  In short, President Obama has been the husband of one wife and supported gay marriage contrary to the biblical definition of marriage.  Interestingly, Donald Trump considers the matter of gay marriage “settled,” has had three wives, several acknowledged affairs, and has bragged about and been widely accused of sexually assaulting a number of other women.  In short, neither Obama, nor Trump seem committed to upholding the biblical definition of marriage, but their personal conduct in their own marriages could not be more different.  I struggle again from a biblical perspective to find a rational explanation for a condemnation of one and not the other, setting aside the hyperbolic question of whether either of them has been intent on “overturning everything this country has ever believed in …”.   

The point at which it became a concern to me that there was something more to this than MacArthur's occasional public inclination toward a certain political party, and rather that MacArthur was beginning to replace his commitment to God’s truth with a commitment to Republican politics, came with his sermon shortly before the 2016 Presidential election.  The beginning of the sermon is a masterful recount of biblical truths regarding government and Christian responsibility.  On applying those truths, however, he encouraged his congregation (and by extension, those listening) to vote to elect Donald Trump, not because of the man himself, but because, in MacArthur’s view, Republicans are more godly and the holder of the Office of President would have little ability, individually in his capacity as President, to alter much of anything.  MacArthur’s views and understanding about the power of the Office of the President apparently evolved or diminished in the years after the Clinton presidency such that truthfulness from the most powerful leader in the world mattered less than having the “more godly” party controlling the government.  As he put it, in casting his vote for Trump, and urging others to do so, he wasn’t voting for Trump, but rather for a “world view.” 

In addition to the important issue of marriage mentioned above, another important aspect of that “world view” is anti-abortion.  MacArthur has taught exhaustively and persuasively on God’s sovereign role in our conception, forming us even in the wombs of our mothers.  All life is from God and is precious, beginning at conception and continuing physically until our death.  Bear with me please as I explain my concern with MacArthur – I do not, in any sense, intend to diminish the importance of the protection for the unborn, but I do wish to have us consider the importance of “life” in the context of the born, in addition to the unborn. 

First, I offer some numbers for a perspective on abortion in America today.  Aside from Australia, North America and Europe reportedly have the lowest abortion rates worldwide (17 per 1000 women between age 15-49), less than half the rates of Asia, Africa, and South America.  Abortion in the United States in 2017 was half the total performed in 1990, down from 1,629,000 to 851,000, including a reduction of nearly 550,000 procedures for white women and 206,000 for black women.  Sadly, despite the reduction among black women, in a very recently realized phenomenon, abortions for black women now hover slightly above those of white women, even though the former represent a significantly smaller percentage of the overall population.  When we consider that each number represents a life, these figures are tragically overwhelming and yet, the numbers have decreased significantly.  In fact, in 2017, there were 53,000 fewer abortions than those performed in 1974, the year after the United States Supreme Court decided Roe v Wade.  The decrease has been steady, seemingly untethered to the recent tightening of laws regarding access around the country, and largely unaffected by President Trump’s flooding of the federal judicial vacancies with pro-birth judges, including two to the Supreme Court (which recently upheld Roe again), and now potentially an unprecedented third.

The problem with MacArthur’s position on abortion is the one that so many visible and influential, primarily white, Christian leaders have made, and their congregants have followed – that the abortion issue is the exclusive litmus test by which every politician will be judged worthy or not of support, regardless of his or her position on any number of other issues directly impacting life.  Pro birth is not the same as pro life.  A label does not transform you into something you are not. Hence the dilemma – life is precious in the womb and out of the womb; respecting one stage of life for all, while showing indifference or worse for the other stage is not a biblical world view.  As Tony Evans puts it, pro-life is from the womb to the tomb. 

Scripture is replete with commands for Christian love and compassion in word and deed for all mankind as we live out God’s truth, including to love our enemies and pray for them, share Christ, and to live lives that exemplify Him, exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit.  We are called to be ambassadors for Christ shining His light in a dark world.  Who among us will ever have the opportunity to model to, or share Christ with, an unborn child?  Silly question, obvious answer, right?  In fact, the Bible indicates that the unborn who die are heaven-bound.  But who among us will NOT have the opportunity to model and share Christ among and with those who make it beyond the womb?  We each have that opportunity daily.  Are we not then at odds with ourselves, and our commitment to Christ, when we simultaneously support politicians, laws, and policies concerned exclusively or nearly exclusively with the pre-birth aspect of the sanctity of human life?

The United States leads all countries in terms of immigrant children in detention.  In 2019 alone, we detained 70,000 children, the overwhelming numbers of which were fleeing for their lives.  It has recently been reported that 545 children are now orphaned by this policy because our government could not, or would not, keep track of the parents whose children they took.  It is reported that 100,000 Americans are shot by guns each year and 36,000 die, topped only by Brazil worldwide.  The United States has more than 2.1 million people in prison, the largest total and per capital figure in the world.  Nearly 28 million Americans have no health insurance.  Tax and social policy has shifted away from support and services for individuals and families in need, though there have been massive tax cuts for the most financially-fortunate, and huge government subsidies to prop up various corporate segments of the economy. 

This is not a political statement, nor an indication of support for particular systems – simply an observation of the blatant hypocrisy inherent in the use of a “pro-life” litmus test for political decisions with no interest in or accounting for the treatment of our fellow man who make it beyond the womb.  Politicians and religious leaders who are either like minded politically, shallow biblically, or both have over many years appropriated the entirety of the Christian faith to prop up a particular political party and candidates under the guise of being “pro-life” and, therefore, pro-Christian, regardless of their position on other issues.  Jesus was not a Republican or a Democrat and neither party aligns entirely with the Christian faith.  Determining which vote to cast that will most honor our God and Savior can, therefore, be very difficult.  But allowing ourselves to be a one-issue constituency, disregarding the consideration of all else, is not an accurate reflection of the God we serve – it allows the political system to define us, as opposed to our walk defining us.  And it is damaging to our witness to a lost world that sees professing Christians sold out to and dependent upon political expediency, as opposed to the God of the Universe.

Perceiving a growing hypocrisy in the application of the truth to political leaders – for instance, with regard to honesty and integrity, the importance of marriage, and the sanctity of life - I became concerned that MacArthur’s political proclivities were hindering at best, or driving at worst, his preaching and shepherding. Upon closer examination, statements I heard from MacArthur here and there in recent years that raised my eyebrows as less about the word of God and more about MacArthur's politics, have, in actuality, become an ever-increasing full-throated shift to a political agenda in place of a biblical one.  There was a time before, when MacArthur’s focus was on saving souls and preaching the truth, applying Gods principles equally among fallen men regardless of their politics, even if his politics shown through occasionally (as all of ours do from time to time).  Unfortunately, the hypocrisy has become manifest in MacArthur the way of so many other Christian leaders who have fully endorsed the appropriation of Christianity by politicians and the rhetoric of patriotism, all of which has combined itself into an idolatrous cult of “cultural Christian” Nationalism.  – to be Christian in their view is to be Republican, regardless of the candidate or particular issue, and no “real” Christian could ever vote as, or for, a Democrat.  What a terrible distraction from our Lord and our God!

MacArthur’s Credibility Succumbs to COVID-19

If there were any doubt before, recent days have shown the painful demise and compromise of the integrity of MacArthur - a tragic freefall of a once great champion of Christ.  Specifically, the growing self-aggrandizement, disdain for life, and racial rhetoric have been no more evident than in what God has lain bare for us to witness through this COVID-19 pandemic. 

Americans are living mostly in two separate worlds, with their understanding of “reality” shaped by the choices they have made in their news and social media consumption.  Choices have been a great tool of the devil (and foreign countries) as they have afforded us the ability to select the sights and sounds that interest us, that inflame our passions, that amplify our opinions, or shape them based upon our proclivities.  It has been sad to see how easily we are willing to turn off our brains, soak in what sounds good, and be carried away on the most bizarre conspiracy theories and rhetoric to the point that we no longer have a real grip on reality and are easily manipulated into the most reprehensible behavior towards others.  It has been strange and upsetting to see the strength of the grip on people who once thought and reasoned and spoke for themselves who can no longer do more than operate within the language construct of the particular news cult that controls them.  Simply put, money rules so clicks matter.  As a result, headlines are constructed to be tantalizing and stories salacious.  Narratives are structured as us versus them, depicting an ongoing premise of good versus evil, based not on truth, but on preferences and fears, targeting and cultivating the worst in our thoughts and behavior toward our fellow man, and a blind loyalty that supports “winning” by any means necessary.

It is against that backdrop that we found ourselves, along with the rest of the world, challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic in ways we could not imagine, including challenges to our ability to meet and worship together in person in the way in which we are accustomed.  In the beginning, as it became clear that practical and governmental health mandates would interrupt our usual worship routine, MacArthur took a mature biblical view, shepherding his flock towards prayer, compassion, patience, the sovereignty of God in all things, and maintaining our mission to share Christ with others.  It did not take long, however, for his countenance to change and what became clear was that he had either begun to fully-embrace right wing rhetoric as a result of his political views, or had become weak-minded, no longer able to discern fact from fiction.  

You can see the transition through the weekly updates MacArthur broadcast as the shutdown began and continued.  Within a few weeks he began to describe COVID-19 as the “deadly virus” as the “media” refers to it – as if the virus is not deadly, but rather characterized or mischaracterized that way by the “media.”  He began to speak openly about being weary and impatient about the inability to meet as usual, noting that the general public is growing impatient as well, as if a mostly non-believing public growing impatient makes a persuasive case for ending a health mandate designed to protect people. 

He then went on a rant regarding hydroxychloroquine about the same time that scientists around the world and in the United States began to caution against its use as an effective treatment for the virus.  Specifically, MacArthur railed that we had been lied to about the virus and treatment - hydroxychloroquine, in particular.  According to him, India at the time had very few cases and fewer deaths, though much more highly-populated than the U.S., because its citizens had consumed the drug for years as an anti-malaria drug and had built up an immunity protecting them against COVID-19.  Of course, a few weeks later, COVID-19 cases in India ran rampant, debunking the argument.  In fact, though the pandemic was slow to spread in India initially, it took off in June and now India has had over 6.2 million documented cases and nearly 100,000 deaths in the last four months. 

As his frustration grew, MacArthur shifted from a focus on God’s sovereignty in this time of COVID-19 and a persevering faith in His work and His timing in times of trouble, to openly questioning the existence of a pandemic at all, and the perceived persecution of himself and his flock.  The shift was, again, jarring, particularly with regard to his accompanying behavior. 

For instance, MacArthur has for several weeks now argued that there is no real pandemic, no real danger to the public, or to his church congregation, numbered in the thousands and meeting elbow to elbow, unmasked.  To support this, he suggests that 99.98% of Californians will not die from the virus if you consider the number of Californians who have died, compared with the state’s population.  This masterful slight of hand involved a calculation of the entire state’s population numbers of about 40 million and COVID-19 deaths at the time of 9,000.  Aside from ignoring the evidence of the dangers associated with COVID-19 around the world and in places like New York, he conveniently ignored the fact that Los Angeles County – where his church is located – accounted for more than half of those California deaths.

More troubling were his audacious statements on FOX News that he was aware of no member of his church of more than 6,000 people who had been ill with COVID-19, and the eleven or twelve “other” people he was familiar with who had it, experienced minor temporary symptoms.  What he failed to mention was that a pastor attending his annual Shepherd’s Conference earlier in the year had died from COVID-19 shortly after returning home.  MacArthur’s right hand man, Phil Johnson, had reported this at the time and the message was quickly removed, the explanation being that there was uncertainty about the cause of death and a desire to respect the family.  Shortly thereafter, the family confirmed that the pastor had, in fact, died from COVID-19.  

At the point that MacArthur determined his congregation would no longer adhere to local government health mandates, he published his reasoning, intertwined with a somewhat revised application of Romans 13 to the circumstances, mixed with a handful of irresponsible, if not outright erroneous, analogies to stir up emotion and support.  (For what it is worth, I've written a previous blog regarding Romans 13 and the pandemic mandates we are experiencing.) Without the application of independent thought, the piece would be persuasive, but upon close examination, it was everything MacArthur had stood against for decades in his commitment to expository preaching.

Specifically, MacArthur argued that the COVID-19 health mandates exceeded secular government’s authority, intruding into and violating the jurisdiction of the church, declaring that “Christ prohibits us from observing the restrictions they want to impose on our corporate worship services.”  He argued that this is a biblical mandate – NOT an argument based in a First Amendment right to worship freely – because the Bible stands above the Constitution in authority.  MacArthur went on to make sweeping accusations against other pastors for abdicating their responsibility to God to the degree they have led their congregations in a direction different from MacArthur on local health mandates. 

Much of MacArthur’s analysis is biblical and appropriate when applied to facts that warrant it.  The problem (and the real danger of a biblical scholar unwilling or unable to see and articulate facts objectively, as opposed to through his own political views), is MacArthur’s portrayal of his own circumstances.  MacArthur’s biblical argument is based upon the false premise that government has indefinitely forbidden/prohibited the worship of God as part of the health mandates.  If such were the case, perhaps he would have a point.  But in an irony of ironies, MacArthur cries wolf, embracing and employing the reasoning of society’s downtrodden he has so reviled and opposed in recent years -  the victim/oppression mentality.  (More on this later.)

He equates his church’s challenge with the temporary health mandates to underground churches in foreign countries that outlaw Christianity.  Consider the audacity of comparing people meeting and worshiping God under threat of execution with the inconveniences MacArthur and his church have endured during the pandemic.  He rails against the “persecution,” referring to and recounting a long history of government restrictions on churches.  He calls pastors and churches to rise up, join him and, elsewhere, to embrace their role as the original protesters (being “Protestants”) to fight systematic church oppression.

Under the health mandates, however, the worship of God is not prohibited, large church gatherings are not singled out among other large gatherings, and the restrictions are not permanent.  Is ministry altered – yes.  Is it more difficult to maintain cohesiveness as a church body – yes.  Are some churches able to adapt better than others or more or less impacted due to their size or giving – yes.  We will each have to answer for our effort and willingness to adapt to maintain our commitment and service to Christ during this period, and the church’s response to the pandemic is a witness to the world – are we faithless, delicate, self-centered, hypocritical, spoiled brats, or do we speak and act with the power and authority of the creator and savior of the world, loving our God with all our being, and our neighbors as ourselves, enduring with patience the current challenges? 

It is interesting to note that, while MacArthur’s statement regarding his church’s return to worship in violation of the health mandate indicates that Grace’s church elders are in full support of it, there is a separate addendum from the elders providing their own explanation for supporting the return to worship.  While similarly poor in its reasoning, the elders’ statement has a very different tone overall, taking a more practical approach to the need and desire to resume services.  Specifically, the elders explained that they voluntarily adhered to the original mandate as consistent with public health concerns and as a compassionate response by the church.  But after twenty weeks, lots of canceled activities, a need to commune corporately with church members in distress, and uncertainty regarding the length of the continuation of the restrictions, the elders were choosing to no longer adhere to them.  In short it seems, the elders had grown weary of, and impatient with, the mandate and its interruption of their church plans, so they were joining MacArthur in supporting the resumption of in-person services.  But perhaps the most telling statement by the elders in support of their position is the following, from which all of the foregoing reasoning flowed:  “It is apparent that those original projections of death were wrong and the virus is nowhere near as dangerous as originally feared.”  What a tragic and inexplicably callous statement in the face of the many deaths – now numbering more than 200,000 in this country alone and, as we speak, a spread of the COVID-19 virus among the very congregates at Grace who have followed the lead of their shepherd.

Upon return to service, this church of 7,000 or so members did not enforce or, apparently, even encourage the use of masks or social distancing.  Perhaps telling of the congregation’s adoption of MacArthur’s defiant attitude was the fact that MacArthur took to his website to urge church members not to mistreat other members who chose to wear a mask and assured those who were concerned with the need to wear a mask they would be permitted to do so.  MacArthur took to the airwaves, publicly declaring his intentions to violate the mandate, antagonizing public officials to take action.  He compared himself to the persecuted and imprisoned Paul, he repeated the description of Christians as the original peaceful protesters, and, he shifted his argument and began to rely on the First Amendment as the basis of his right to defy the mandate. 

At the initial service in violation of the mandate, MacArthur welcomed the thousands of attendees to a “peaceful protest” and then pulled off the ultimate “privileged” move of having the Los Angeles Police Department’s Chaplain attend and deliver the service’s opening prayer.  Over the weeks that followed, litigation ensued to enforce the health restrictions in the least intrusive manner possible.  MacArthur and his legal team, with ties to the Trump Administration, continued the victim of persecution theme, declaring a couple of procedural maneuvers as significant court victories of good over evil.  In particular, they argued that the church is being treated unfairly compared with other protest groups like the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Forgive me for a moment as I detour here.  That MacArthur has lost his shepherding compass and taken up a political agenda in its stead is evident in his blatant hypocrisy in which he maintains a not so subtle and growing contempt for social injustice, while utilizing the same construct to "protest" the alleged injustices against him and his church.  He has increasingly and effectively become critical and dismissive of the concerns and related efforts of racial minorities regarding institutional structures that often treat certain people unfairly.  MacArthur rejects critical race theory and the existence of systematic racism outright, suggesting that social justice is premised upon an evil foreign political construct that denies God.  According to MacArthur, social justice advocates desire to punish people for acts they did not partake in, take power and property from anyone who has such, giving it to those who have not, and creating an absolute uniform society that blunts the creativity and ingenuity that God has granted man.  A chief example of the evil of social justice according to MacArthur is the tearing down and removal of statues of historical figures – beautiful and glorious artworks representative of God’s amazing self in the workmanship of the artists.  Really?  Statues erected of often tyrannical figures for man to pay homage to must exist and remain to reflect God within our midst as a society?  

To the point, Germany maintains the relics of its concentration camps as a reminder of the atrocities committed in hopes that they not be repeated.  Germany does not permit statues of Hitler or other infamous Nazi leaders.  Ironically, Hitler’s inspiration for the swastika and the concentration camps came from his study of how early America dealt with its “Indian problem” – and primarily President Trump’s hero, Andrew Jackson, for whom countless works of art and statues have been erected and displayed.  What MacArthur decries as the action of godless people may just as easily be viewed as an effort to bring to an end the glorification and idol worship of a genocidal tyrant.  Likewise, the denial of historical and systematic realities in America that offer privilege and advantage to some and not to others is a level of ignorance or dishonesty that proves the existence of the privilege, itself, for who could deny such realities without consequence but one who enjoys the privilege.  Christian denial of this reality marks the continued separation of the saints on Sunday mornings and rejects a tremendous opportunity for the church to lead in racial reconciliation.

Another key point of MacArthur’s opposition of today’s efforts towards addressing inequality is his characterization of participants and their movements with a broad brush as lawless or immoral people who desire to blame history, and institutions, and other people for their problems, mischaracterizing themselves as victims of injustice.  His teaching of late on the issues of racial strife is pathetic:  He correctly points out in short order that God forbids partiality on our parts and then proceeds at great length to tear down the people and efforts fighting against unjust partiality.  MacArthur has whole-heartedly embraced the dog whistle theme of white supremacists harkening back to the racist "states' rights" and Klu Klux Klan heyday in the South – “law and order.”  Probably the most outrageous about his “law and order” coding is the fact that, as he has highlighted over the years, he spent time in the South during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s, so he has a clear understanding of the meaning and offensiveness of that term to people of color.  And let us not forget that this is all occurring in the midst of MacArthur’s open violation of the law with high profile involvement of law enforcement officials as he decries what he describes as the unjust victimization of himself and his congregation, which he notes is a lengthy history of systematic persecution.  Sound familiar?  This hypocrisy does not honor God and does great harm to the gospel of Christ as he aligns himself and his church along a specific political front, as opposed to consistency with the Bible.  

Back to the main topic, if you will.  As MacArthur became a conservative media hound and celebrity for his stance against the health mandate, President Trump took interest and urged him on.  In turn, MacArthur explained that he shared with the President that, from a biblical standpoint, Christians CANNOT vote democratic because there is no way a Christian can affirm “gross immorality,” and any “real, true believer is gonna be on your side in this election …”.  Yes, the once prolific and profound expositor of God’s word and gospel messenger told a serial liar, adulterer, fraudster, and chief provocateur of racial strife who is obviously unregenerate that “real” Christians support him and no “real” Christian could vote for the other party.  That MacArthur has chosen to place his own definition on, rank, and then prioritize the “gross immoralities” in which the political parties are aligned is an indication that MacArthur has lost his discernment and changed his priorities.  And if there were any doubt, where MacArthur described former President Obama as intending “to destroy everything this country was built on,” he has the following views with regard to the current President:

“You’ve never seen any Congress or Senate attempt to do to a President what this one continues to attempt to do to Trump without any evidence, and where they don’t have any evidence, they invent false evidence, coming out of the very systems that are supposed to protect justice.”

No objective person, regardless of their views of either, having paid any attention to the last two Presidents could reasonably conclude the foregoing.  Or shall I put it this way:  can you imagine President Obama doing any number of things that President Trump has done and the consequences be the same?  And I can’t imagine a greater indication of MacArthur’s political idolatry than for him to suggest to President Trump, whose walk indicates he is a lost man, that anyone not supportive of him is condemned to hell, thereby suggesting to Trump that God is wholly on his side, reaffirming his publicly stated position that he does not need personally to ask God for forgiveness.

Conclusion

For Christians, politics are not, and should never be, easy.  Men are sinners.  Political parties offer a mixture of moral and immoral platforms.  We must remember to whom we belong and owe our lives.  We must remember where our citizenship resides.  We must remember our calling as ambassadors for Christ.  We must not permit the trappings of the country’s political system distract or separate us from our foremost responsibility.  We must stand for what is biblical on all accounts, which will put us at odds at times with either or both political parties.  And let us consider the hard lesson in the tragic demise of John MacArthur’s testimony, having been swept away by his worldly political passions to the point of compromising and rationalizing his hypocritical views and actions.  Let us prayer for God’s deliverance of MacArthur from his current blindness, and that he may be restored and lead back those he has led astray.  And if that not be God’s will, let us pray that he blunt the actions of MacArthur and his followers that would further corrupt, misinform, lead astray, and divide.  And above all, let us examine ourselves and seek God’s face with regard to our own discernment, attitudes, and behavior, that we might glorify and not dishonor our God and Savior.

*MacArthur is expected in court in November to face contempt proceedings for his and his congregation's open violation of the health mandates and a prior court order enjoining him from engaging in such violations.  As reports of an outbreak among members of the congregation have unfolded, church leaders announced MacArthur would be taking a break from his ministry activities to refresh.     

Generally speaking, what is hypocrisy?

“Hypocrisy” connotes deceit and insincerity, literally referring to someone putting on a mask to act out a part – in other words, pretending to be someone they are not, deceiving others about themselves.  Isn’t that interesting?  Some would attempt to distinguish hypocrisy in such a way that implies it has no relation to lying.  Yet, the term “lying” in its most basic sense is described as not telling the truth.  In the biblical sense, lying occurs through falsehoods or deception.  So, hypocrisy then, masking one’s true self to deceive others, is most assuredly a form of lying. 

We each know we live in a world of hypocrisy that impacts nearly everything.  But we Christians do not belong to this world and must guard ourselves against actively engaging in or failing to call out hypocrisy (in love) when we see it in our ranks.  Otherwise, our witness for Christ suffers and we must remain humble, lest we fall. 

Jesus on Hypocrisy

The Bible is replete with examples of, and condemnation for, hypocritical people and behavior, but I’ve found the most jarring and illustrative to be the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 23.  There, He takes head on the blatant hypocrisy of the religious leaders of His day in seven “woes” declared against them.  While “woe” in certain contexts may refer to one’s own miserable condition or misfortune (“woe is me”), in the context of Matthew 23, it is an emphatic exclamation of judgment upon the enemies of God.  Time and time again there, Jesus declares, “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!”  He condemns them for not practicing what they preach, for burdening the people while being unwilling to lift a finger to help, for wearing elaborate garments and sitting in specials seats and engaging in all other manner of behavior to call attention to their perceived level of importance, pridefully elevating themselves above others. He further condemns them for being full of greed and self-indulgence, placing great value on incidental and material matters while neglecting “justice and mercy and faithfulness.”  (Oh, how that preaches at this moment in time!) Jesus illustrates the point with the cleansing of a cup and plate:  What use are they if only cleansed on the outside, but dirty on the inside?  Jesus' condemnation is anything but subtle, describing the leaders as “a brood of vipers,” and asking: “How are you to escape being sentenced to hell?”

In Matthew 7:1-5, we also see that Jesus condemns hypocritical, self-righteous judgment of others, telling us to take the metaphorical log out of our own eye, before telling someone else about the speck in theirs.  While this verse is often used by people to deflect or avoid righteous judgment of their bad behavior, Jesus' point is to condemn as hypocritical the judgments we make about others that derive from our own prideful sensibilities, rather than a godly desire to address sin.  Later in the chapter, He describes the hypocritical false prophets as wolves in sheep’s clothing, making the familiar point that “many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness'" (Matthew 7:22, ESV).  In Mark 7, Jesus elaborates on the issue of hypocrisy being a matter disguising the sinful motives of our heart with an external preoccupation of rituals and traditions.  There, again calling the leaders hypocrites, he quotes Isaiah, “'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men'” (Mark 7:6, see also Matthew 15:7-9, ESV).  In short, giving the appearance of godliness on the outside, they were more devoted to their own man-made legalistic rituals at heart. 

The Apostles on Hypocrisy

James, Paul, and Peter offer further instruction on hypocrisy.  James, for instance, warns against the hypocrisy of being merely a hearer of the word, and not a doer of the word, comparing the former to a person who sees himself in mirror and then walks away and forgets what he looks like (James 1:22-25).  James made plain the point that words mean little without action, and genuine Christians, though not saved by works, will be known for their true love of God by their enduring works of faith.  

In Galatians, Paul describes a situation in which he confronted Peter for being hypocritical and influencing Barnabas to act similarly.  Peter, having become a Christian, had put down the Jewish legalistic teachings on dietary restrictions and ate freely with Gentiles.  But when some other Jews arrived at Antioch, he separated himself from the Gentiles, pretending to be committed again to the food practices of Judaism.  Scripture says other Jews “acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy (Galatians 2:11-13).  Paul called him on it, saying:   "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?" (Galatians 2:14, ESV).  In other words, Peter, a Jew, could not embrace Christian liberty and fellowship with the Gentiles, only to then indicate by his later act of separating himself and other Jews from them, that the laws of Judaism were to be observed after all. 

Paul also warned Timothy that in later times professing Christians leaders would “depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons through the insincerity of liars (literally, “hypocritical lie-speakers”) who’s consciences are seared (1 Timothy 4:1, ESV).  These false teachers’ consciences are dulled to the point of uselessness because of their continual hypocrisy.

Ultimately, it would be Peter, initially challenged by Paul regarding his own hypocrisy, who would encourage believers in his first epistle to be holy, putting away “all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander” (1 Peter 2:1, ESV).

A Challenge to Christians

As Christians, we should be recovering hypocrites, having put off the old self, for the new self, born of Christ.  Hypocrisy unattended by our conscience, however, can grip and harden deceitfulness in us in ways more subtle than a lie and, therefore, it can be more difficult to root out of our lives once it has taken hold.  While an outright lie often arises at a specific point in time as means to evade a particular point of truth we hope to avoid, hypocrisy is often bound up with our sinful prejudices, jealousies, prideful ambition, and secret sins.  We have all known people, for instance, who “let slip” in private their true views about members of another race that they have hidden quite effectively in public.  We have seen the hateful backbiting by someone insanely jealous of another, while pretending to be a great friend.  The world is full of people who will pretend to be anyone or anything they believe will get them the fame or fortune they desire.  And who has not known of an outspoken defender of virtue or sobriety who, behind closed doors, was a regular purveyor of pornography or a heavy drinker.      

In fact, many things people stake their public identities on do not at all match their true self.  Today, we see in ever growing ways that groupthink influenced by choices in social media, news sites, music, and movies helps blind people to their hypocrisy.  Let’s face it, when we choose to cloak ourselves in like-minded bubbles that tickle our ears and feed our fears and insecurities, we insulate ourselves from exposure to the hypocrisy those outside of that bubble readily see in us.  Dare we consider the vile hate and outrage of people – many self-proclaimed Christians – over one man kneeling during the National Anthem, and contrast many of those same people’s silence over an officer kneeling on the throat of a man, killing him?  Really?!  A constitutionally protected protest of injustice is vilified, and a killing justified?!  Dare we also consider that a significant group of Americans today have very strong views about immigration to, and immigrants in, the United States – a country founded by immigrants on land not their own and built on the backs slaves?  Is the looting and destruction of businesses wrong, but the looting and displaying the contents of Indigenous people's graves okay?  Is it possible to be “pro-life” in relation of an unborn child and simultaneously support placing born children in cages?  Can you simultaneously tear down the alleged abhorrent behavior of the other guy’s politician, while ignoring, or blindly defending similar conduct from the one you support? Worse yet, do you accuse or ridicule other people for the things you do, projecting on to them condemnation that rightly belongs to you for such behavior?

Thus is the fallen world, but Christians should not be partakers of it.  We should have a burning passion against hypocrisy in ourselves that matches God’s despising of the same.  After all, as we constantly beat our flesh into submission, as Paul would say, we fight against the hypocrisy that resides with the rest of the sin in our fleshly bodies so that our Christian character may flourish in the power of the Holy Spirit.  We must be bold enough as Christians to exhibit our commitment to honesty so as not to be bound by blind allegiances that are of the world's choosing.  When we mimic the world, we damage our testimony for Christ, often aligning ourselves against the very people to whom we should be sharing Him.  We must not be a part of the charade, rather we must press on toward the mark, striving to be who God has called us to be in Him, putting away all hypocrisy.   

We all inherently know that our dishonesty is not good behavior.  No one appreciates being lied to or lied about.  In fact, there is nothing a prolific liar hates more than for someone to lie to them – ironic, isn’t it?  And hypocrisy is never far behind.  When we ask someone what they call a person who lies about them, they will declare with great indignation, “a liar!”  And yet, when confronted for lying, the same person will say, “I’m only human.” 

Exhibit A in society’s downward spiral is the explosive growth and acceptance of lying in virtually every venue.  Again, if any of us claims not to have lied, we prove the very point, right?  But the shame and embarrassment of being caught in a lie, and the negative consequences associated with being labeled a liar (like being ostracized), are less and less present. 

Today, people openly attack verifiable facts as false, creating widespread cynicism and doubt about the truth of virtually everything – even things others have seen with their own eyes and heard with their own ears.  As a result, we are left with “my truth” and “your truth,” and people choosing sides based on their own preferences and feelings, rather than the facts.  And, having chosen the side they desire to support, people will ridicule, name call, and fight strangers, friends, and family to protect their side’s story.

God is Truth and Commands Truthfulness

God is the author of truth, His Son is the embodiment of truth, and His Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 14:6-7, 15).  He is "holy, holy, holy" (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8, ESV).  Though we come out of the womb lying, God is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19).  Scripture tells us He never lies (Titus 1:2). In fact, it is impossible for Him to lie (Hebrews 6:18).  Thus, every word of God proves true (Proverbs 30:5, ESV).  And, as we know, His word commands us not to lie (Exodus 20:16; Leviticus 19:11; Matthew 19:18).  Because He is truth and His word is truth, Scripture warns: “Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and you be found a liar” Proverbs 30:6, ESV).

Satan is the Father of Lies

In contrast to Almighty God, Scripture tells us Satan “… does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44, ESV).  Remember when he lied to Eve about the consequences for eating from the tree in the garden, saying, “you will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4, ESV).  Or when he filled Ananias’ heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and hold back for himself money from a land sale (Acts 5:3).  Not only is Satan the “father of lies,” but those who have not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior are children of the devil, who follow his evil desires, for we all are born with a sin nature (Id.; Romans 5:12).

It should be no secret then that the person who denies Jesus Christ – truth embodied – is a liar (1 John 2:22).  And the person who professes to know Christ, but does not obey Him, is a liar (1 John 2:4).  Likewise, the person who proclaims he is a Christian, and yet does not love his Christian brothers and sisters, is a liar (1 John 4:20).

Truth or Consequences

The Word of God describes extensively the character of those who tell the truth and those who lie.  Scripture is also replete with verses describing the blessings associated with truthfulness and honesty, and the troubles that come with lies and fraud.  To begin with, God’s position on lying and truth telling is clear: “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight” (Proverbs 12:22; see Proverbs 6:17-19 ESV).  So is His description of the liar and the truth teller: “the righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame and disgrace” (Proverbs 13:5, ESV).  Plainly put, “a faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies” (Proverbs 14:5, ESV). 

Liars wreak havoc.  While a truthful witness saves lives by supporting justice, “the one who breathes out lies is deceitful” (Proverbs 14:25, ESV).  In fact, a lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin (Proverbs 26:28, ESV).  Liars are in the business of defrauding people and, as a result, are “an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 11:1, ESV).  Through their deceit, liars will threaten and damage a person’s reputation, economic well-being, and liberty the way a weapon wounds someone physically: “A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow (Proverbs 25:18, ESV).     

Those who enable or join in lies and deceit are equally guilty.  Hence, spreading a false report or conspiring with someone to be a “malicious witness” is forbidden (Exodus 23:1).  And entertaining the lies of another and giving ear to their “mischievous” tongue is evil (Proverbs 17:4).    

God’s judgment against unrepentant dishonesty is severe.  Liars will not escape punishment – they will perish (Proverbs 19:5, 9).  David declares, “You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man” (Psalm 5:6, ESV).   So, while truthful lips are said to endure, a lying tongue is fleeting (Proverbs 12:19).  And the “getting of treasures by a lying tongue” is considered “a snare of death” (Proverbs 21:6, ESV).  Certainly, no one desires to be poor, but liars are so detestable, Scripture says it is more favorable to be poor, than to be a liar (Proverbs 19:22).  When we consider the ultimate fate of the liar, we better appreciate the point: 

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death" (Revelation 21:8, ESV).

Recalibrating our Truth Compass and Recommitting to Honesty 

In the ever-increasing world of blatant lies and deceit, it is easy to wear down, to have our senses dulled, and to lose the sensitivity God desires that we maintain regarding truth and honesty.  Again, we should expect the unsaved to act that way.  But as Christians, we must constantly train and battle against the things that would weaken our spiritual compasses and threaten our testimonies.

Paul reminds us that we may have behaved as sinners before, engaging in dishonesty, but we should not lie to one another because we have “put off the old self with its practices” (Colossians 3:9).  Having put away “falsehood,” we are to speak truth to one another (Ephesians 4:25).  Likewise, Peter says: “put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander” (1 Peter 2:1, ESV).  So, in a world where people lie about lies and lying, it is important to renew our minds regarding God’s view of such conduct and recommit ourselves to letting our “yes” be yes, and our “no” be no (Matthew 5:37).

In Part 2 of Lies and Hypocrisy, we will take a closer look at one of the most destructive sins of dishonesty today that harms our witness for Christ and Christianity – hypocrisy.

My wife brought a social media post to my attention last week which stated:

“A government that labels Churches as non-essential in reaction to a pandemic and in the same breath labels abortion clinics, liquor stores, and marijuana dispensaries as essential … is no longer the government described in Romans 13.” 

From there, stringing various Bible verses together, the author tells his readers that wicked man is at the root of a government that is no longer good and just; therefore, Christians should not “conform to it,” meaning no longer adhere to government rules.  The point of the post, in short, is that good Christians are no longer bound by the command of Scripture to be subject to government – it is an implicit call for Christian rebellion against evil government.  And it could not be more wrong.

The post’s design is classic click-bait:  isolate a group – Christians; identify something they love – church; contrast it with things they typically oppose – immoral behavior; and identify as an enemy someone who appears to be a threat – government.  The goal is to simultaneously entice, anger, and cause you to comment or share the post.  The underlying intent may be to generate advertising income or followers, it may come from a genuine belief or feeling of the author, or it may have a more sinister design to influence conflict.  Most likely, it is a combination of those things.  Unfortunately, Christians all too often take the bait when we should put our feelings in check, in favor of engaging our brains in a critical and biblical analysis.  Let’s consider the biblical perspective on a Christian’s fundamental obligation to government.

Render To Caesar What Is Caesar’s

In Matthew 22:21, when asked whether the people should pay taxes to Rome, Jesus tells the Pharisees to look at the coin with Caesar’s likeness stamped on it and says:  "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:21, ESV).  In other words, respect the authority of the ruler of the kingdom in which you find yourself to raise taxes and, likewise, give honor to God in the things belonging to Him.  Jesus, being God, was obviously well aware when making this statement that all things belong to God and we are just stewards, so the concepts are not in conflict – part of our stewardship is to adhere to our governmental obligations concerning taxes.  And to be clear, the Roman government was corrupt, the tax system was corrupt, the tax collectors were among the most corrupt and most despised.  Days before the Jewish leadership’s plot to kill Jesus would unfold and be fulfilled at the hands of the Roman government who would execute Him, Jesus taught that we have a duty to submit to the authority of secular government. 

Obey God Rather Than Men

Contrast Jesus’ instructions regarding submitting to Rome’s taxing authority with the Apostles’ response to the Sanhedrin in Acts 5.  There, the Jewish council had imprisoned Peter and other Apostles for preaching the Gospel, God had divinely intervened, releasing them from prison, whereby they returned to the temple to continue sharing Jesus Christ.  The Apostles were brought before the high priest and Sanhedrin council who reminded them of the order not to preach the Gospel.  But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.”  (Acts 5:29, ESV).

Contradiction between Jesus and Peter?

Was Jesus wrong?  Of course not.  Were Peter and the apostles wrong?  No.  So how do we reconcile the two responses?  The distinction is pretty clear:  paying taxes, even to a corrupt government, was not a directive for Christians to reject or denounce Christ; the Sanhedrin order forbidding the Apostles from sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was in direct conflict with the fundamental command and primary mission for the Apostles (and, indeed, all Christians). 

Be Subject for the Lord’s Sake to Every Human Institution

Peter, himself, later affirmed the teaching of Jesus regarding our submission to governmental authority as he encouraged Christians in Rome who were under the brutal rule of the Emperor, Nero.  There is some debate about whether Peter’s letter was written shortly before or shortly after Rome burned in a massive fire that killed many, left many homeless, and devastated the city.  Many believed Nero was responsible for the fire and he, in turn, blamed the Christians and initiated a campaign of persecution against them.  In 1 Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, either shortly before, or in the midst of, Nero’s campaign of persecution, Peter wrote:

¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  ¹¹ Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.  ¹² Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.  ¹³ Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.  ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.  ¹⁶ Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.  ¹⁷ Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:10-17, ESV).

Governing Authorities:  Instituted by God

Peter’s instruction was also in keeping with Paul’s doctrinally rich letter to the same Christians a few years earlier.  For some perspective, consider that Paul was ultimately martyred just outside of Rome under Nero’s reign.  He explained:

¹ Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.  ² Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.  ³ For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, ⁴ for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.  ⁵ Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.  ⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.  ⁷ Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. (Romans 13:1-7. ESV).

Tough Teaching

When we honestly consider the government persecution and corresponding danger (to the point of death) that Jesus and early Christians were experiencing, coupled with the contemporaneous instruction of Jesus, Peter, and Paul, the premise behind the social media post – Christians are not bound to submit to evil government – seems pretty absurd.  What are we to make then, of various governmental entities categorizing churches as “non-essential” these days?  From a spiritual perspective, not much.  The designation is not a directive to prohibit Christians from exercising their faith, reading their Bibles, praying, worshipping corporately via alternative means, evangelizing, and the like.  Rather it is a TEMPORARY governmental designation in the midst of a public health crisis intended to limit the spread of a deadly illness among church attendees as they congregate.  Do we necessarily like the way the label sounds?  No.  Do we necessarily agree with other designations as “essential?”  No.  But is this the equivalent of the Sanhedrin putting Peter in jail for sharing the Gospel?  No. 

It is a tough lesson for American Christians.  We love our rights to worship and assemble and express our opinions about our government institutions and leaders.  For some of us, those institutions have enslaved, imprisoned, discriminated, and even committed acts of genocide against us.  There is something very tempting about laying blame for our unjust treatment or the ills of society at the feet of an unjust or immoral government and rationalizing that we are justified to resist its rule. 

But Scripture is clear:  “render to Caesar what is Caesar’s,” be subject to government institutions “for the Lord’s sake,” for God has instituted government institutions and “whoever resists them resists what God has appointed.”  (Note that there is nothing wrong, per se, with exercising our rights, like Paul did, for instance, when he initiated his right as a Roman citizen to appeal his imprisonment in Acts 25.)  Though our flesh may resist these words, particularly in the face of injustice, the Scripture resonates with our renewed spirit as we consider the circumstances facing our Lord and His Apostles when they gave these instructions.  The key is to remember that, to fulfill His perfect will, God has instituted the governments that reside over us – sometimes for blessing and sometimes for judgment.  He is the Potter, we are the clay, and He orders our steps.  He has made clear that it is His will that we honor and pray for the government institutions and leaders He has raised up.  It is not about us, or even about the government; it is about our God and what He desires of us.

In such an environment, it is easy for even mature Christians who finds themselves dwelling on their circumstances to grow disillusioned, become anxious, and lose their joy, when we should be shining our light in a dark world.  We must combat the temptations that would cause the most blessed people in the world – wretched sinners saved by Christ – to feel and behave like there is no hope.  A Christian’s ability to maintain his or her bearings in a hostile world requires training and perseverance.  Christ noted to the disciples who fell asleep instead of praying for Him, shortly before His betrayal at the hands of Judas, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41, ESV).  Amazingly, the Creator of the universe who would soon voluntarily give up His life for believers, keenly understood our battle with temptation, having fought and won the battle against it during His earthly ministry.  And He left us a perfect formula by example:  prayer and Scripture.  In short, He constantly communed with God the Father in prayer and, of course, had a lifetime devoted to studying, teaching, and employing the Scripture. 

His Apostles, under the superintendence of the Holy Spirit, counseled Christians to be on guard against temptations.  For instance, Paul tells us we must "keep alert with all perseverance," Ephesians 6:18, and Peter admonishes us:  “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8, ESV).  It is difficult to stay alert and be prepared to employ the Word of God to defeat the enemy, if our spiritual senses are dulled through our own neglect of prayer and Bible study.  As much as we struggle with it, the formula for keeping our spirit up and our light shining is simple:  pray and study the Word.  Maintain a practice of offering thanks to God for who He is and what He has done and cast your cares on Him (1 Thessalonians 5:18; Philippians 4:6; 1 Peter 5:7).  Renew your mind daily by spending focused time studying the Bible and it will transform you into someone capable of discerning and pursuing God’s will, rather than someone who finds themself conforming to the lost world around them (Romans 12:2).

As I noted above, Christians will persevere in the faith.   To be clear, we have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior – a gift, itself, from God (Ephesians 2:8-9) – and that saving faith leads to a life of faithful living, for “the righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38).  Faithful living is faith in action, motivated by and evidencing our love for Christ.  In times of difficulty, we can be tempted to allow our circumstances and feelings about those circumstances to control us and weaken our faithfulness.  The minor prophet Habakkuk found himself discouraged in a time of trouble, but through prayer and focusing his attention toward God, rather than his circumstances, he serves as a living testament to encourage us in our faith.

Habakkuk was living amongst the people of God from the Southern Kingdom of Judah, but the people were unfaithful to God, sinful, hypocritical, and wicked.  Habakkuk was distraught about their rebellion and God’s lack of intervention, calling out to God to intervene:  

²O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you "Violence!" and you will not save?  ³Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.  ⁴ So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted (Habakkuk 1:2-4, ESV).

God answered Habakkuk, but it wasn’t the answer he was hoping to receive.  God was not going to bring revival, wipe away the sins of the rebellious, remove or reform the wicked; instead, he was raising up an enemy, the Chaldeans, to exact judgment.  Scripture describes the Chaldeans as fierce horsemen warriors who were to be feared for their bitterness and violence, and their ability to destroy kingdoms and take captives.  And the god they worshipped was their own terrible, destructive might.  Habakkuk couldn’t understand.  The Chaldeans were far worse than the rebellious people of Judah.  Why would God use them to slaughter Judah, His covenant people?  Perhaps, some of us are asking a similar question now in the midst of the pandemic and corresponding turmoil we face.

What does Habakkuk do?  He continues to pray to God and he begins to be reminded of who God is – the theology of his God as laid out in Scripture:

¹²Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof.  ¹³You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, …” (Habakkuk 1:12 -13a, ESV).

He notes that God is eternal – He existed before the rebellion of Judah and the coming Chaldean onslaught, and He will be there after.  He is sovereign, able to ordain judgment.  He is holy and righteous, wholly separate from evil.  God is a rock, Habakkuk’s Rock!  In other words, Habakkuk is reaffirming what he knows to be true about God, and that truth becomes the bedrock foundation on which he can find his footing in the midst of the turmoil.  God then encourages Habakkuk, contrasting the sinful and rebellious people whose faith is in themselves, with the children of God:

"Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4, ESV).

Amazingly, nothing had changed about Habakkuk’s circumstances, except that he had called out to God in his distress and God had reminded him of who God is, giving Habakkuk a completely different perspective on his situation.  He knew God to be bigger than any particular point in time, in control of everything, a keeper of His promises, who never makes mistakes.  Habakkuk, now anchored and strengthened in his faith, embraced God, saying: 

¹⁷ Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, ¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. ¹⁹ GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places (Habakkuk 3:17-19, ESV).

So, when the circumstances of our world are turned upside down and we don’t understand them, we know we are able to trust God to be our strength.  When the things going on around us make us feel like we are on the edge of a cliff, when we are tempted to be anxious, to depend on our own strength, and to become discouraged and depressed, we can call upon the example of Habakkuk:  (1) cry out to God, (2) focus on who He is (through the Scripture), and (3) remember that we who belong to God possess an enduring faith and He is our strength.  And though we may find ourselves pitched on the rocky ledge of life, we can stand firm and strong as a mountain goat’s hooves safely and securely planted, unfazed by the perilous cliff on which we stand.

1. Take a spiritual inventory NOW!

         a. Do you belong to Jesus Christ, really?

Over the last few decades, our society’s view of Christianity has drifted further and further from the biblically-defined Christian.  Christianity is NOT based upon one’s Country of origin, patriotism, reverence for a flag or anthem, affiliation with a political party, church attendance, being a “good person,” having parents or grandparents or a spouse who is “religious.”  Unless you have personally acknowledged that you are a sinner (Rom.3:23), asked Jesus for His forgiveness (Rom. 10:9-10), and have committed yourself to a life of love for and obedience to Him in faith (Eph 2:8; Gal 2:20), you do not belong to Him.  If you truly love Him, you will obey Him (John 14:15), you will live sacrificially for Him (Rom. 12:1), and your life will bear the fruit of the Spirit:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).  If you realize that you have not committed your life to Christ, do so now,  acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a savior, that Christ died for your sins, that He was buried and raised from death, and that you commit your life to Him as your Lord and Savior.

          b. If you belong to Christ, take an honest assessment of His priority in your life.

              i. Have you neglected your prayer time? Christians are called to emulate our Savior.  Jesus prayed relentlessly.  And God’s Word tells us to pray in all circumstances, with a spirit of thanksgiving to Him for who He is and what He has done, for our brothers and sisters in Christ, for our leaders, for the lost, for our enemies.  We are called to give Him our worries, casting our cares on Him.  Faithful Christians are praying Christians.

            ii. Have you neglected your time in His Word? The study of God’s Word, like prayer, is a must for Christians.  Too few pastors teach from the Bible and too few Christians study it.  This has left many Christians as ill-prepared spiritually as we have been generally for this trial we face right now.  Like a baby who grows into a child, then a teenager, a young adult, etc., Christians are called to graduate from spiritual milk to meat, maturing in our faith.  The more we learn of God through the Word, as the Holy Spirit illuminates it, the more we understand the fullness of God, our wretchedness, and the magnitude of our undeserved gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.  As a result of our devotion to the Word (and prayer), our faithfulness, obedience, and Christ-likeness increases.  This is the responsibility and goal for every Christian – and it requires a commitment to time in His Word.

           iii. Have you failed to be a good steward of God’s blessings? During most of our lifetimes, there has not been a greater disruption to daily life in America than the current crisis.  Has God gotten your attention?  During this sobering time, many of us may be realizing that choices we’ve made about the use of our time, our talents, our bodies, and our money have not been God-honoring.  All good things come from God.  All we have we owe to Him.  As Christians, God has prepared good works for us to do and He gives us the means and ability to do them through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Perhaps, rather than scoffing at the gifted athlete who wastes his or her opportunity and shaking our head in disgust when we hear someone spent their rent money at the casino, we should reevaluate our own use of the gifts God has given us.

            iv. Have you been worshipping other gods? I listed a number of things above that many of us have allowed to replace our first love, Jesus Christ.  Americans, in particular, have serious issues with pride, selfishness, and a lack of Godly love.  We allow our passion for God to be replaced with everything from football to entertainment and politics.  We devote our time, energy and resources to things that are passing away, instead of things with eternal significance.  That is idol worship.  Consider whether it is time to reorder your priorities.

              v. Do you think, talk, and behave like the world, instead of Christ? We are in the world, but not of the world, if we belong to Christ.  If there is no discernible distinction between us and our unsaved friends and coworkers and classmates and the like, we are not practicing a life of obedience to Christ.

             vi. Repent and be forgiven. Christians, of course, are far from perfect, but we should be pursuing spiritual maturity.  Acknowledging Christ as our Lord, loving and serving our brothers and sisters in Christ, and practicing an obedient life are all outward manifestations of a Christian.  And that obedience includes regularly seeking God’s forgiveness for the sins we do commit, which He is faithful and just to forgive.  

2. Stand on the Word of God.

         a. Activate your spiritual protective gear – the armor of God. The personal protective equipment is vital to our health care professionals.  For Christians, the armor of God described in Ephesians 6 serves as our spiritual protection.  Our sword (our weapon as it were) in our spiritual battle during this trial is God’s Holy Word.  Satan temps us with fear and anxiety and doubt.  When we succumb, we lose our joy, our contentment, our faithfulness.  The Bible is our weapon against Satan’s lies and when we spend time in it with God, His truth and His perspective reign in our minds.  In trials, we need to fill our minds with the reality that almighty God reigns in good and bad times.  There is nothing more spiritually uplifting than surveying God’s work in the lives of His people throughout human history, like Noah and Abraham and Joseph and Moses and David and so many others.  Soaking our minds in the truth of God strengthens us so that we can stand firm in our faith and against the schemes of the devil.

           b. God is sovereign. As the Word reminds us, God is the eternal, almighty, creator of the universe who is in control.  For instance, in Romans 8:28, God tells us all things work together for good for those who love Him.  Man may think he is in control, or that his circumstances are in control, but what a relief that God is actually in charge.  And though we may not be able to see or understand His plan in its entirety, we know that God is not a liar – our faith and our trust is in Him.  In fact, Scripture continually tells us to rejoice even in our sufferings “…knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope …”.  The testing of our faith produces perseverance – it matures us in our faith.  When we pray and study God’s Word, the worry and doubt of the world are replaced with a peace that surpasses the circumstances we may face, and we are strengthened from within through the Holy Spirit to persevere.  Anyone who has ever surrendered their pain or anguish or fear to God in the midst of a trial and, as a result, experienced His supernatural peace can testify that He keeps His promises to us.  Knowing that, we can maintain a biblical perspective to give over to Him our worries and fears, rather than hold onto them, and He will grant us peace.

             c. Remember the Raven, Remember the Lillies. A year or so ago, we spent several weeks studying the topic of “anxiety-free living.”  We talked a great deal about how blessed even the very poor people of this Country are – not in relation to other Americans – but in comparison to other people around the world.  Many of us have lost any true sense of our needs versus our wants.  As a result, we have become obsessed with our own comfort, desiring and trusting more in the things that bring us comfort than the God who has blessed us to be able to have those things in the first place.  So, at a time when the everyday comforts we have grown to expect and rely on are threatened, it really tests our faith.  In my opinion, there is no more eloquent, convicting, and yet, encouraging Scripture for us than the words of Jesus, Himself, as He taught His disciples in Luke 12:22-31 (ESV):

²² And He [Jesus] said to His disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! ²⁵ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁶ If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸ But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. ³⁰ For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ Instead, seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

In short, do not be anxious, or worry, or fret.  Seek His kingdom, make it your priority to put Him first in your life.  Know that you are precious to Him who feeds the birds and clothes the flowers of the field.  And trust Him to meet your needs.  Anything else is a waste of time and dishonors God, indicating our doubt in His ability to fulfill His Word.  This is the promise of the God of the universe to you and I as believers – let’s trust Him to be who He says He is, and do what He does!

3. Let your light shine

         a. “All things work together for good, for those who love God.” Romans 8:28 is one of those verses that reminds Christians experiencing trials that, though we may not be able to see or understand what God is doing, or why He is allowing us to experience trouble, His ways are greater than our ways, and His purposes are ultimately for our good and His glory.  Anyone who has walked with the Lord through a trial can probably recall their inability during their tribulation to see or understand why God was allowing it, only at some point afterwards to realize that God was at work, accomplishing something great in the midst of the struggle.  Now, as we struggle with the physical and economic upheaval of a pandemic, and though we may not feel like it, we Christians know that God is at work for our good.

         b. We are God’s ambassadors and He has prepared good works for us to do. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 reminds Christians that we are new creations in Christ, and that we serve as His representatives to a lost world, like an ambassador to a foreign country, urging the unsaved to be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus.  Ephesians 2:10 describes Christians as God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.  Scripture reminds us who we are in Jesus and what our overarching aim in life should be, as we employ our talents and personalities and education and encounters in the world.  The fact that we are here now at this time is not an accident – God has a plan for us.

          c. Be the light God has called you to be. Before we were saved, we loved our sin.  Jesus delivered us from our darkness and we are now, according to Scripture, light in the Lord and lights of the world.  In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus said: 

 ¹⁴ "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  ¹⁵ Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

This is a time of great uncertainty, but for Christians, some things are certain.  We are the undeserved recipients of the greatest gift ever bestowed upon mankind – the gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus, our Lord. No thing and no one can separate us from Him.  He is in control and He promises to meet our needs.  We have the power of the Holy Spirit in us to guide and protect us.  And God placed us here at this time to be the light to a hopeless, fallen world.  What an awesome opportunity!  So, let’s make sure we are spiritually prepped – keep short account of our sins, pray and spend time in His word, practicing obedience, and be the light God called us to be.  Amen.