There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
“You should be ashamed of yourself not standing up,” Trump shouted at Democrats who refused to stand to show their support for the American people over illegal aliens. Earlier, they had refused to stand to honor the family of 16-year-old high school cheerleader Lizbeth Medina, who was brutally murdered by an illegal alien. They clearly hate Trump so much that they allow it to cloud their judgment and back reckless policies to spite him.
It was one thing when they all decided they loved autism because RFK Jr. said he was trying to find a way to prevent it. But in the case of their support for illegal aliens and lawlessness, it is counterintuitive, almost Darwinian, that they are against defending the border and keeping order on our streets.
At the State of the Union address, President Trump spoke for nearly two hours, and it was one of the most exciting and engaging events of the year, right up there with the Turning Point USA halftime show. Similar to last year’s Charlie Kirk memorial, it was patriotic, positive, energizing, and mentioned God liberally. At multiple times, Republicans in Congress erupted in applause, standing ovations, and chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!”
Before it even started, mainstream media were running articles “debunking” the lies they claimed Trump was going to tell. All day on Twitter, Democrat lawmakers were posting that they were boycotting the event.
Oddly, one congressman after another posted, “I would rather stick a pin in my eye,” or “I would rather get poked in the eye.” It was as if they had a meeting the day before and coordinated their response: “Make sure to say something about sticking something in your eye. That’ll stop the ICE deportations.”
Congressional Democrats who boycotted President Trump’s State of the Union speech gathered at a rally outside the Capitol, accusing him of dividing the country and harming Americans through his immigration, health care, and economic policies. While Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia delivered the formal Democratic response, dozens of lawmakers participated in a counterevent on the National Mall called the “People’s State of the Union.”
They criticized the economy, ICE deportations, government firings, and the self-defense shooting of Renee Good. They also brought up victims of Jeffrey Epstein, even though no Republicans are supporting or defending Jeffrey Epstein. Meanwhile, Democrats are shielding violent criminals and illegal aliens and opposing law enforcement.
Meanwhile, inside the State of the Union address, President Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to two soldiers. One was recognized for his heroism in capturing Venezuelan President Maduro despite being wounded. The other was a three-war veteran of World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam whose heroism had been classified until recently. Republicans erupted in cheers for the two men, who deserved the accolades and praise they received.
Trump brought out victims and families of victims attacked by illegal aliens, in many cases repeat offenders who had been released on no-cash bail. Republicans stood and showed their support. Democrats either refused to stand or shouted and heckled the president.
President Trump said, “We can never forget that many in this room not only allowed the border invasion to happen before I got involved, but indeed, they would do it all over again if they ever had the chance.” He warned that if they were elected, “they would open up those borders to some of the worst criminals anywhere in the world.”
He added, “The only thing standing between Americans and a wide-open border right now is President Donald J. Trump and our great Republican patriots in Congress.” He also said that Democrats in the chamber had cut off all funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
President Trump said Democrats had “instituted another Democrat shutdown,” claiming the first one cost the country two points of GDP and suggesting that “probably made them quite happy actually.” He said they had now closed the agency responsible for protecting Americans from “terrorists and murderers.”
He declared, “Tonight, I’m demanding the full and immediate restoration of all funding for border security and homeland security of the United States,” and added that funding was also needed “for helping people clean up their snow.” He said there was no money because of the Democrats, that “nobody’s getting paid,” and called it “a shame,” referencing a large snowstorm affecting the country.
Trump said one of the benefits of the State of the Union is that Americans can see clearly what their representatives believe. He then invited every legislator to join his administration in reaffirming what he called a fundamental principle: “The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens,” urging those who agreed to stand and show their support.
All of the Republicans stood, but no Democrats did. At that moment, it became clear that Democrats hate the nation.
President Trump admonished them, saying, “Isn’t that a shame? You should be ashamed of yourself not standing up. You should be ashamed of yourself.” He then called on them to “end deadly sanctuary cities that protect the criminals and enact serious penalties for public officials who block the removal of criminal aliens.” He said that in many cases those being protected were “drug lords, murderers all over our country,” and accused officials of blocking their removal. He repeated, “And you should be ashamed of yourself.”
The president ended by urging Congress to pass the SAVE Act, which he said was one more opportunity to show common sense in government.
Most people don’t realize this, but an apocalyptic war with Iran would be a major turning point in the history of the world. Once the missiles start flying, nothing will ever be the same again. As you will see below, AI models are telling us when they think that moment will arrive. The only way that war can be averted is if a diplomatic solution can be found. That is why the negotiations that will be held in Geneva on Thursday are so important…
The mood in Tehran on the eve of the third round of talks with Washington appears to be a mix of guarded hope and tightening anxiety.
Negotiators are set to meet in Geneva on Thursday in discussions that could prove decisive, particularly if reports are accurate that Washington has set informal deadlines for progress.
Public messaging inside Iran reflects both anticipation and unease as officials brace for what could be a pivotal round.
Many experts believe that if this round of talks does not produce results, it will be the last round of talks.
In other words, the deadline for Iran to make significant concessions has arrived.
During the State of the Union address, President Trump made it abundantly clear that he will never permit Iran to have nuclear weapons…
“My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon,” he said, to loud applause from both Republicans and Democrats in a rare moment of unity.
In a deeply divided Congress, Iran’s nuclear program remains one of the few issues capable of producing bipartisan agreement. Lawmakers across the political spectrum have long argued that a nuclear-armed Iran would destabilize the Middle East and threaten U.S. allies.
“We can’t let the craziest and worst regime in the world have nuclear weapons. That’s what the president has set as our goal. He is going to try and accomplish that diplomatically, but he has a number of other tools at his disposal to ensure this doesn’t happen. He has shown willingness to use them and I hope the Iranians take it seriously in the negotiations tomorrow,” Vice President Vance told Fox News on Wednesday.
Of course that isn’t the only thing that the Trump administration wants.
The Iranians must also agree to limits on their ballistic missile program and they must stop supporting terrorist proxies throughout the Middle East. Unfortunately, the Iranians have already categorically rejected those terms…
Washington wants Iran to stop enriching uranium, reduce its stockpiles of highly enriched material and address concerns about missiles and regional activity. Tehran rejects those terms, saying it has the right to peaceful nuclear energy and that other issues should not be part of the talks.
However, recent satellite imagery, published last week by Reuters, show that Iran has been quietly repairing and fortifying key facilities, suggesting Tehran is preparing for conflict even as diplomacy continues.
Analysts reviewing commercial satellite imagery from Planet Labs and other providers say Iran has been rebuilding and reinforcing key nuclear sites, including Natanz and Isfahan. New roofs and cover structures appear to shield damaged facilities, possibly to hide activity and protect surviving equipment or enriched uranium from further strikes. Some tunnel entrances have been strengthened, and missile bases hit in previous attacks show signs of repair.
I don’t see how a deal is possible.
I really don’t.
So war is coming.
The Jerusalem Post asked four different AI models when an attack on Iran would begin, and the answers that the AI models produced were very interesting.
Its most likely scenario, carrying roughly 40% to 45% odds, was a limited strike on Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure followed by a pause and renewed diplomatic pressure. It flagged early-to-mid March 2026 as the highest-risk window.
After another prompt, it narrowed further: Saturday, March 7 or Sunday, March 8, 2026.
In my personal opinion, this would make sense because in the past we have seen other military operations begin on a weekend when less people are paying attention.
In a later deep-research run, it got considerably more specific: Gemini shifted from triggers to timing and said that after weighing tactical, diplomatic, historical, and logistical factors, the “exact window” for the start of a US attack would fall between the evening of March 4, 2026, and the evening of March 6, 2026.
Grok seems to believe that a military operation could commence even sooner.
When asked, it predicted a date of February 28th…
Grok gave the clearest date in our original run. It predicted a limited US strike on February 28, 2026, tied to the outcome of the Geneva talks.
A later check using Grok’s 4.20 beta mode, described by the user as running four agents simultaneously, changed the tone but kept the same answer.
This would make sense if President Trump loses all patience with Iran after the upcoming talks in Geneva.
In such a scenario, I don’t think that a military operation would begin on Thursday, February 26th.
But the window of time from the evening of Friday, February 27th to the evening of Sunday, March 1st could be a period of time that war planners in Washington find very appealing.
Of course it all depends on Trump.
He is the one that is going to have the final say on pulling the trigger.
In the earlier run, ChatGPT worked through an extended reasoning process and landed on Sunday, March 1, 2026 (Israel time), with a danger window running through March 6.
After a much longer deep-research pass, it changed the date. Its updated answer was Tuesday, March 3, 2026 (US time), noting that in Israel time this could show up as late Tuesday night or early Wednesday, March 4.
The 12 Day War was not about regime change, and so the Iranians held back to a very large degree.
But if the U.S. conducts a major military operation this time round, the Iranians clearly understand that regime change will be the goal, and they will hit us with everything in their arsenal.
Here is something you can bank on: If you meet these two conditions, you can be certain of this outcome: One, if you are on Facebook, and two, if you are an outspoken conservative and Christian, somewhere along the line there will be a clash. You will find yourself in FB jail for days, weeks or months. And you may well find yourself permanently dumped from their site.
I know all about this, since I have been through it all. And now it seems I am well and truly history as far as FB is concerned. I have been given the boot and I am now seen as their permanent enemy, never to be platformed again. Before recounting my latest and final run in with them, let me mention why I have stayed there for so long.
The sort of ministry I am involved in, especially so in more recent years, is an internet-based ministry. In just over a month CultureWatch will be 20 years old. I seek to pen a new piece or two daily, and then I use various social media platforms, not just to share those articles, but to engage in all sorts of things, from proclaiming the gospel to engaging in the culture wars.
As I keep saying, truth is important, and we must do all we can to get it out far and wide. And using some of the modern means of doing this is a good way to proceed. Yes, you can use social media to post your cat pictures or tell us what you had for breakfast, but please use it for Christ and the Kingdom as well.
Thus I have been on most of the social media platforms: Gab, Telegram, Minds, MeWe, Twitter (now X), Substack, Parlor and Rumble. But by far, the one that I have had the most friends and interactions with was Facebook. But our relationship, which has never been very pretty, is now kaput.
In addition to all the shorter prison sentences they imposed on me, they booted my off 5 years ago and closed my account. Years of material that I posted there was lost in an instant, and I lost over 4000 friends as well. At the time I said this in part about my banishment:
If you know anything about Communism and Nazism, you will know that individuals, families and even entire groups of people simply vanished. They were erased. They were obliterated – literally and figuratively. They were not only snatched away from their own homes in the middle of the night by the authorities, but everything about them would also often be eradicated as well.
Their history, their memory, their work, their output: they were simply airbrushed out of history. Politically incorrect ideas – and those who held them – were wiped out overnight. . . . It seems I have just been obliterated from Fascistbook. Tyranny did not end with the end of the Cold War. It continues in the West, especially with the Tech Giants. I am the latest victim of the biggest and baddest: Facebook.
As we all know by now, Facebook is a far-left thought-control group. It cannot stand truth, and only leftist groupthink is allowed. Anyone who dares to offer a contrary point of view will very quickly find themselves being dealt with by the FB apparatchiks. https://billmuehlenberg.com/2021/05/27/erased/
It was during this time that I started getting on some of those other platforms. Some months after that first exile, I got back on again with a new account and a somewhat different name. That seemed to more or less go OK for some years, but they booted me off again last night, and I lost all my posts, friends and contacts once again.
No reason at all was given for this – no mention of my crimes and misdemeanours, no word of my sins that must be atoned for – no nothing. I suspect one of my FB “friends” did not like my posts and reported me. And I am pretty sure my first ejection from FB was also due to some FBer. Hmm, who needs friends like these, especially if they claim to be Christians!
So with the help of a friend, I just tried to get back on this morning with a new third account. I would have to start all over from scratch, and rebuild my page. However, that only lasted for about 30 minutes. Then they dumped me again. So I am beginning to get the message: they hate my very presence there. Well, the feeling is mutual.
Last night in prayer I told God that if he wanted me to continue CultureWatch I certainly will, but losing FB means a major part of my ministry outreach has disappeared. My computer guy said that the best bet is to be on X. My first computer guy had actually put me on there when CultureWatch began.
He arranged things so that every time I penned a new piece, it would automatically appear on my page there. So I have been on there for years, but I never really used it. I just looked, and it seems I have around 1650 followers there, but I have never followed anyone! Oops. So now I am busily rectifying that by following everyone I might know and want to connect or reconnect with.
Please help
With all this by way of background, can I ask you to do me three favours?
One. If you are on FB and were mutual friends with me, can you tell your contacts that I am now gone forever from FB? And tell folks that I am sorry to have lost them, but this it beyond my control. Please try to stay in touch with me in other ways.
Two. Will you please join with me on X? You can use this to find me: https://x.com/BillMuehlenberg
I am still trying to figure out how X works, but I think if you just press the ‘follow’ button, that is all you need to do.
And then I will follow you as well. The truth is, Elon Musk (who owns X) is much more open to free speech than Zuckerberg ever was. So please meet me there.
Three. Please pray. At root this really is a case of spiritual warfare. The secular leftists at FB do not want me and others to share Christian conservative truth, so the enemy is trying to silence me big time – at least at FB certainly. And remember that even my CultureWatch website is not immune from satanic attack, and it might be permanently pulled down one day as well.
Many thanks for your help and support and prayers.
Total lunar eclipse on March 3, 2026, fully visible from eastern Asia to western Americas A total lunar eclipse will occur at 11:33 UTC on March 3, 2026, with totality lasting 58 minutes and 19 seconds and full visibility across East Asia, Australia, the Pacific region, and western North America. This is the only total lunar eclipse of 2026. The next total lunar eclipse is scheduled for December 31, 2028.
At least 30 dead and 39 missing after extreme rainfall causes severe flooding and landslides in Minas Gerais, Brazil Severe flooding and landslides struck the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais between February 23 and 24, following extreme rainfall that exceeded three times the monthly average. At least 30 people died, 39 remain missing, and more than 3,000 were displaced as torrential downpours caused the Paraibuna River to overflow in Juiz de Fora and inundate parts of Ubá.
“Regime Must Be Relegated to Dustbin of History”: Florida Congressman Erupts After Cuba Attacks U.S. Speedboat Florida Republican Rep. Gimenez blasted the Cuban regime shortly after news that Cuban border guards fired on and killed 4 people and injured 6 on a U.S.-linked speedboat off Cuba’s north coast. “The dictatorship in Cuba just attacked a boat from Florida & murdered those on board,” Gimenez wrote, adding, “This regime must be relegated to the dust bin of history!”
Trump Claims Iran Developing Missiles to Hit US, Contradicting Intel Reports With nuclear talks hanging in the balance, and the potential for yet another US war of choice in the Middle East, President Trump escalated the rhetoric, warning that Iran is moving beyond just regional missile capabilities and setting its sights farther west by developing missiles capable of hitting the United States.
The Deadline Has Arrived, and AI Models Are Giving Their Predictions for When the U.S. Will Attack Iran An apocalyptic war with Iran would be a major turning point in the history of the world. Once missiles start flying, nothing will ever be the same. AI models are telling us when they think that moment will arrive. The only way war can be averted is if a diplomatic solution can be found. That’s why negotiations that will be held in Geneva on Thursday are so important.
Horrific New Data Reveals Thousands of Children Mutilated Under Biden Regime New revelations from Stop the Harm Database expose: between 2019-2023, thousands of US children were subjected to life-altering surgeries, hormone treatments, & puberty blockers in the name of transgender ideology. In total, 13,994 minors endured some form of sex change treatment, while a shocking 62,682 prescriptions for these interventions were written for kids.
UK’s Reddit Fine Forces Users Into Mass Biometric Surveillance The Information Commissioner’s Office fined Reddit £14.47 ($19.56) million for failing to properly verify ages of children using the platform…. The UK’s data protection regulator says it’s protecting children. What it’s actually building is a mandatory identity verification system that turns anonymous internet use into a surveillance exercise for every adult in the country.
Iran hasn’t stopped pursuing nuclear weapons, Trump says at State of the Union The president told the assembled members of Congress, the Supreme Court, the U.S. military, and his administration that the United States warned Iran not to attempt to rebuild its weapons programs after Operation Midnight Hammer in June. “We wiped it out, and they want to start all over again, and are at this moment again, pursuing their sinister ambitions,” Trump said.
Peak tensions in Middle East: US stations advanced stealth aircraft in Israel As part of a broad deployment by the United States military in the Middle East, advanced fighter jets have been stationed in Israel. According to the information provided, the US has deployed a squadron of approximately 12 F-22 Raptor aircraft to Israel as part of preparations for a potential strike on Iran.
Yes, It is Snowing in New York A “Blizzard” Gives Mayor Mamdani Pretext for “Climate Lockdown.” In spite of the fact that receiving up to 2 feet of snow in winter in New York City is entirely normal, headlines drumming up hysteria have prepared the way for what’s unfolding now via City Hall, and via still-new-on-the-job Marxist-Islamist Mayor Mamdani. A pure Marxist-Islamist rights takeover; a trial run.
Canada is Killing People in Assisted Suicide the Same Day They Request It Canadians are having their lives ended by assisted dying the same day requests are made, adding to fears that wrongful deaths may be occurring. This should serve as warnings of what may happen in England and Wales if the assisted suicide Bill is made law and starts down the path towards a progressively more expansive assisted suicide regime. It cannot be allowed.
More Christians Killed in Nigeria as Media and Democrats Deny Genocide If mainstream media and American Democrats and liberals are correct that the mass killing of Christians in Nigeria is merely a conflict over grazing land rather than a genocide, then why are so many Christians not only being killed but also abducted? Abduction has never been a defining feature of disputes between herders and farmers in other countries.
Salt of the Earth and Light of the World (5:13–16)
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (5:13–16)
In these four verses the Lord summarizes the function of believers in the world. Reduced to one word, that function is influence. Whoever lives according to the Beatitudes is going to function in the world as salt and light. Christian character consciously or unconsciously affects other people for better or for worse. As John Donne reminds us, “No man is an island.” An ancient Greek myth tells of a goddess who came to earth unseen but whose presence was always known by the blessings she left behind in her pathway. Trees burned by forest fires sprouted new leaves, and violets sprang up in her footprints. As she passed a stagnant pool its water became fresh, and parched fields turned green as she walked through them. Hills and valleys blossomed with new life and beauty wherever she went. Another Greek story tells of a princess sent as a present to a king. She was as beautiful as Aphrodite and her breath was as sweet as perfume. But she carried with her the contagion of death and decay. From infancy she had fed on nothing but poison and became so permeated with it that she poisoned the very atmosphere around her. Her breath would kill a swarm of insects; she would pick a flower and it would wither. A bird flying too close would fall dead at her feet. Andrew Murray lived an exceptionally holy life. Among those on whom his influence was the greatest were his children and grandchildren. Five of his six sons became ministers of the gospel and four of his daughters became minister’s wives. Ten grandsons became ministers and thirteen grandchildren became missionaries. Woodrow Wilson told the story of being in a barbershop one time. “I was sitting in a barber chair when I became aware that a powerful personality had entered the room. A man had come quietly in upon the same errand as myself to have his hair cut and sat in the chair next to me. Every word the man uttered, though it was not in the least didactic, showed a personal interest in the man who was serving him. And before I got through with what was being done to me I was aware I had attended an evangelistic service, because Mr. D. L. Moody was in that chair. I purposely lingered in the room after he had left and noted the singular affect that his visit had brought upon the barber shop. They talked in undertones. They did not know his name, but they knew something had elevated their thoughts, and I felt that I left that place as I should have left a place of worship.” Many years ago Elihu Burrit wrote, “No human being can come into this world without increasing or diminishing the sum total of human happiness, not only of the present but of every subsequent age of humanity. No one can detach himself from this connection. There in no sequestered spot in the universe, no dark niche along the disc of nonexistence to which he can retreat from his relations with others, where he can withdraw the influence of his existence upon the moral destiny of the world. Everywhere his presence or absence will be felt. Everywhere he will have companions who will be better or worse because of him. It is an old saying, and one of the fearful and fathomless statements of import, that we are forming characters for eternity. Forming characters? Whose? Our own or others? Both. And in that momentous fact lies the peril and responsibility of our existence. Who is sufficient for the thought? Thousands of my fellow beings will yearly enter eternity with characters differing from those they would have carried thither had I never lived. The sunlight of that world will reveal my finger marks in their primary formations and in their successive strata of thought and life.” In Matthew 5:13–16 Jesus talks about the influence of His people on the world for God and for good. In His high priestly prayer Jesus said to His Father, “I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.… As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (John 17:15–16, 18). John wrote, “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world” (1 John 2:15). Christ’s kingdom people are not to reflect the world but they are to influence the world; they are to be in it but not of it. When we live the life of the Beatitudes some people will respond favorably and be saved, whereas others will ridicule and persecute us. In the words of Paul, we will manifest “the sweet aroma of the knowledge of [Christ] in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life” (2 Cor. 2:14–16). In either case our lives have profound effects, and even persecution is not to alter our function in the world. We “are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). Though Jesus was speaking before a great multitude of people on the hillside, His teaching about kingdom life was primarily for His disciples, for those who believed in Him. His concern was for the all of the multitude, and in hearing His teaching on godly living many of them may have been drawn to faith. But the principles He teaches here are appropriate only for believers, for they are impossible to follow apart from the power of God’s own Spirit. Here is a mandate for Christians to influence the world. The Beatitudes are not to be lived in isolation or only among fellow believers, but everywhere we go. God’s only witnesses are His children, and the world has no other way of knowing of Him except through the testimony of what we are. The figures of salt and light emphasize different characteristics of influence, but their basic purpose is the same. They will both be studied from the aspects of the presupposition of the world’s corruption and darkness, the plan for believers’ godly dominion in the world, the problem of the danger of failure, and the purpose of glorifying God.
THE PRESUPPOSITION: CORRUPTION AND DARKNESS
The world needs salt because it is corrupt and it needs light because it is dark. G. Campbell Morgan said, “Jesus, looking out over the multitudes of His day, saw the corruption, the disintegration of life at every point, its breakup, its spoliation; and, because of His love of the multitudes, He knew the thing that they needed most was salt in order that the corruption should be arrested. He saw them also wrapped in gloom, sitting in darkness, groping amid mists and fogs. He knew that they needed, above everything else, … light” (The Gospel According to Matthew [New York: Revell, 1929], p. 46). The biblical world view is that the world is corrupted and decayed, that it is dark and darkening. “Evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived,” Paul warns (2 Tim. 3:13). The world cannot do anything but get worse, because it has no inherent goodness to build on, no inherent spiritual and moral life in which it can grow. Year after year the system of evil accumulates a deeper darkness. A college student told me his professor had recently told the class that marriage was on the decline because man was evolving to a higher level. Marriage was something that man needed only at the lower stages of his evolutionary development. Now that man had ascended farther up the evolutionary scale, marriage was falling off just as his prehensile tail had done millions of years ago. Any person who knows the history of mankind, even the history of the past hundred years, and thinks that man is evolving upward is “deceiving and being deceived,” just as Paul said. Man has increased in scientific, medical, historical, educational, psychological, and technological knowledge to an astounding degree. But he has not changed his own basic nature and he has not improved society. Man’s knowledge has greatly improved, but his morals have progressively degenerated. His confidence has increased, but his peace of mind has diminished. His accomplishments have increased, but his sense of purpose and meaning have all but disappeared. Instead of improving the moral and spiritual quality of his life, man’s discoveries and accomplishments have simply provided ways for him to express and promote his depravity faster and more destructively. Modern man has simply invented more ways to corrupt and destroy himself. Many philosophers, poets, and religious leaders at the end of the last century had great optimism about man’s having come of age, about his inevitable moral and social improvement. They believed that Utopia was around the corner and that man was getting better and better in every way. The golden age of mankind was near. Wars would be a bad memory, crime and violence would disappear, ignorance would be gone, and disease would be eradicated. Peace and brotherhood would reign completely and universally. Few people today hold to such blind, unrealistic ideas. It was not many generations after the Fall that “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). Because wickedness was so great, God destroyed every person but eight—and they were far from perfect. A few generations after that, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah became so rotten from the offspring of those eight that God destroyed them with fire and brimstone. Another day of judgment is coming when God will again rain fire on earth, but that destruction will be a holocaust such as men have never dreamed of. “The present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men … the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up” (2 Pet. 3:7, 10). Man is infected with the deadly virus of sin, which has no cure apart from God. Yet unlike their attitude toward physical diseases, most men do not want their sin cured. They love their decadence and they hate God’s righteousness (cf. John 3:19–21). They love their own way and they hate God’s. Man’s knowledge is increasing by quantum leaps, but his increased knowledge is mechanical knowledge, inanimate knowledge, lifeless knowledge, knowledge that has no bearing on the inner man (cf. 2 Tim. 3:7). His knowledge does not retard his corruption but rather is used to intensify and defend it. Bertrand Russell devoted most of his 96 years to the study of philosophy. Yet at the end of his life he acknowledged that philosophy proved to be a washout, and had taken him nowhere. Nothing he had thought or had heard that other philosophers had thought had changed the world for the better. He felt that the basic causes of man’s problems, not to mention the solutions, had evaded the best minds of every age including his own. Some scientists have proposed that by surgery or careful electronic stimulation of the brain, a person’s bad impulses can be eradicated, leaving only the better part of his nature. Others propose that the ideal, crime-free, problem-free person will be developed by genetic engineering. But every part of every man is corrupt. He has no inherent, naturally good traits that can be isolated from the bad. His total nature is depraved. David knew that he was sinful from the moment of his conception. “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Ps. 51:5). There is no good part in man from which a better can be constructed or from which his corrupt part can be isolated. Isaiah said, “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint” (Isa. 1:5), and Jeremiah labeled the heart as “more deceitful than all else” and as “desperately sick” (Jer. 17:9). We go on from war to greater war, from crime to greater crime, from immorality to greater immorality, from perversion to greater perversion. The spiral is downward, not upward (see Rom. 1:18–32). Despair and pessimism reign in our day, because the honest person knows that man has not been able to retard his descent. He hopes that he can just live out his own life before someone pushes the button that blows mankind into oblivion. A leading news magazine reported a few years ago that Americans tend to see themselves as potential saints rather than real-life sinners. Another leading magazine reported, “Today’s young radicals in particular are almost painfully sensitive to … wrongs of their society, and they denounce them violently. But at the same time they are typically American in that they fail to place evil in its historic and human perspective. To them evil is not an irreducible component of man; it is not an inescapable fact of life, but something committed by the older generation, attributable to a particular class or the establishment and eradicable through love or revolution” (Time, 5 December 1969). Just as every person is affected by the sin problem, every person also contributes to the sin problem.
THE PLAN: THE DOMINION OF HIS DISCIPLES
The church cannot accept the world’s self-centeredness, easy solutions, immorality, amorality, and materialism. We are called to minister to the world while being separated from its standards and ways. Sadly, however, the church today is more influenced by the world than the world is influenced by the church. In both verse 13 and verse 14 the pronoun you is emphatic. The idea is, “You are the only salt of the earth” and “You are the only light of the world.” The world’s corruption will not be retarded and its darkness will not be illumined unless God’s people are its salt and light. The very ones who are despised by the world and persecuted by the world are the world’s only hope. The you in both verses is also plural. It is His whole body, the church, that is called to be the world’s salt and light. Each grain of salt has its limited influence, but it is only as the church collectively is scattered in the world that change will come. One ray of light will accomplish little, but when joined with other rays a great light is created. Some years ago a magazine carried a series of pictures that graphically depicted a tragic story. The first picture was of a vast wheat field in western Kansas. The second showed a distressed mother sitting in a farmhouse in the center of the field of wheat. The accompanying story explained that her four-year-old son had wandered away from the house and into the field when she was not looking. The mother and father looked and looked all day but the little fellow was too short to see or be seen over the wheat. The third picture showed dozens of friends and neighbors who had heard of the boy’s plight and who had joined hands the next morning to make a long human chain as they walked through the field searching. The final picture was of the heartbroken father holding his lifeless son who had been found too late and had died of exposure. The caption underneath read, “O God, if only we had joined hands sooner.” The world is full of lost souls who cannot see their way above the distractions and barriers of the world and cannot find their way to the Father’s house until Christians join together as salt and light and sweep through the world in search of them. Our work is not simply as individual grains of salt or as individual rays of light but as the whole church of Jesus Christ. Are stresses being rather than doing. Jesus is stating a fact, not giving a command or request. Salt and light represent what Christians are. The only question, as Jesus goes on to say, is whether or not we are tasteful salt and effective light. The very fact that we belong to Jesus Christ makes us His salt and light in the world. Christ is the source of our savor and of our light. He is “the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man” (John 1:9). “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world,” He said (John 9:5). But now that He has left the world His light comes to the world through those whom He has enlightened. We shine forth the reflected light of Christ. “You were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord,” Paul tells us; “walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8). “For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col. 1:13). We are God’s salt to retard corruption and His light to reveal truth. One function is negative, the other positive. One is silent, the other is verbal. By the indirect influence of the way we live we retard corruption, and by the direct influence of what we say we manifest light. Both salt and light are unlike that which they are to influence. God has changed us from being part of the corrupted and corrupting world to being salt that can help preserve it. He has changed us from our own darkness to be His agents of giving light to others. By definition, an influence must be different from that which it influences, and Christians therefore must be different from the world they are called to influence. We cannot influence the world for God when we are worldly ourselves. We cannot give light to the world if we revert to places and ways of darkness ourselves. The great blessings emphasized in verses 3–12 lead to the great responsibilities of verses 13–16. The blessings of heaven, comfort, inheriting the earth, being filled with righteousness, being given mercy, being called God’s children, and being given heavenly reward bring the responsibility of being His salt and light in the world.
BEING SALT
Salt has always been valuable in human society, often much more so than it is today. During a period of ancient Greek history it was called theon, which means divine. The Romans held that, except for the sun, nothing was more valuable than salt. Often Roman soldiers were paid in salt, and it was from that practice that the expression “not worth his salt” originated. In many ancient societies salt was used as a mark of friendship. For two persons to share salt indicated a mutual responsibility to look after one another’s welfare. Even if a worst enemy ate salt with you, you were obliged to treat him as a friend. Salt was frequently used in the ancient Near East to bind a covenant, somewhat in the way an agreement or contract is notarized in our day. When the parties to a covenant ate salt together before witnesses, the covenant was given special authentication. Though no particulars are given in the account, we learn from 2 Chronicles 13:5 that God made a covenant of salt with David. God prescribed that all sacrificial offerings in Israel were to be offered with salt “so that the salt of the covenant of your God shall not be lacking” (Lev. 2:13). In numerous ways Jesus’ hearers—whether Greek, Roman, or Jewish—would have understood salt of the earth to represent a valuable commodity. Though most could not have understood His full meaning, they knew He was saying that His followers were to have an extremely important function in the world. Whatever else it may have represented, salt always stood for that which was of high value and importance. Many suggestions have been made as to the particular characteristics of salt that Jesus intended to associate with this figure. Some interpreters point out that salt is white and therefore represents purity. As the “pure in heart” (v. 8), Jesus’ disciples are to be pure before the world and are to be God’s means of helping purify the rest of the world. Their glistening white moral and spiritual purity is to contrast with the moral discolor of the world. Christians are to exemplify the divine standards of righteousness in thought, speech, and actions, remaining “unstained by the world” (James 1:27). All that is certainly true; but it does not seem to the point, because saltiness, not the color of salt, is the issue. Others emphasize the characteristic of flavor. That is, Christians are to add divine flavor to the world. Just as many foods are tasteless without salt, the world is drab and tasteless without the presence of Christians. Someone has even said, “We Christians have no business being boring. Our function is to add flavor and excitement to the world.” Christians are a means of God’s blessing mankind, including unbelievers, just as He sends His sun and rain on the righteous and unrighteous alike. There are certain senses in which that principle is true. An unbelieving marriage partner is sanctified by a believing spouse (1 Cor. 7:14), and God offered to spare Sodom for the sake of only ten righteous people, if that many could be found within it (Gen. 18:32). The problem with that view, however, is that, from the earliest days of the church, the world has considered Christianity to be anything but attractive and “flavorful.” It has, in fact, often found the most spiritual Christians to be the most unpalatable. In the world’s eyes, Christians, almost above all others, take the flavor out of life. Christianity is stifling, restrictive, and a rain on the world’s parade. After Christianity became a recognized religion of the Roman Empire, the emperor Julian lamented, “Have you looked at these Christians closely? Hollow-eyed, pale-cheeked, flat-breasted, they brood their lives away unspurred by ambition. The sun shines for them, but they don’t see it. The earth offers them its fullness, but they desire it not. All their desire is to renounce and suffer that they may come to die.” Oliver Wendell Holmes reportedly once said that he might have entered the ministry if certain clergymen he knew had not looked and acted so much like undertakers. Sometimes the world is turned away from the church because Christians are hypocritical, self-righteous, judgmental, and truly boring by any standard. But even when the church is faithful—indeed, especially when it is faithful—the world does not value whatever taste or aroma it sees in Christianity. Paul reminds us that Christians are an “aroma from life to life” and “a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved,” but are an “aroma of death to death” among “those who are perishing” (2 Cor. 2:15–16). Because salt stings when placed in a wound, some interpreters believe that Jesus meant to illustrate just the opposite characteristic to that of flavor. Christians are to sting the world, prick its conscience, make it uncomfortable in the presence of God’s holy gospel. That analogy also has merit. The church frequently is so concerned with trying to please, attract, and excuse that its witness against sin is obscured and all but lost. We may be so concerned with not offending others that we fail to confront them with their lostness and their desperate need to be saved from their sin. A gospel that does not confront sin is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some years ago a young couple who came to me to be married said they knew the Lord had brought them together and given them to each other. The woman claimed to have been a Christian all her life, but her concept of salvation was that of trying to please God by doing the best she could. She admitted that, although she had filed for divorce because her husband had been unfaithful, she was still married to him. On further questioning, she admitted that she had been committing fornication with the young man she now wanted to marry. The young man claimed to be born again, but he saw no great wrong in their relationship and no reason why they should not be married in a Christian service. I told them that God could not possibly have brought them together because they were living contrary to His revealed will—and worse, trying to justify it. At that point they both got up and angrily stormed out of the office. The church cannot stand for the Lord if it does not stand for His Word, and when it stands for His Word its witness will often sting. Salt also creates thirst. Partly because it increases the body’s craving for water, salt tablets often are given to those who do hard work in excessive heat. Without proper intake of fluids, dehydration and even death may result. God intends for His people so to live and testify before the world that others will be made more aware of their spiritual dehydration and danger. A person may see our peace in a trying circumstance, or our confidence in what we believe, and thereby be persuaded to try our faith. I believe that all of the foregoing analogies have some validity. Christians are to be pure; they should add a certain attractiveness to the gospel; they should be true to God’s Word even when it stings; and their living should create a thirst for God in those who do not know Him. But I believe the primary characteristic Jesus emphasizes is that of preservation. Christians are a preserving influence in the world; they retard moral and spiritual spoilage. When the church is taken out of the world at the rapture, Satan’s perverse and wicked power will be unleashed in an unprecedented way (see 2 Thess. 2:7–12). Evil will go wild and demons will be almost unbridled. Once God’s people are removed it will take only seven years for the world to descend to the very pits of hellishness (see Dan. 9:27; Rev. 6–19). Until that day Christians can have a powerful influence on the welfare of the world. Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes, “Most competent historians are agreed in saying that what undoubtedly saved [England] from a revolution such as that experienced in France at the end of the eighteenth century was nothing but the Evangelical Revival. This was not because anything was done directly, but because masses of individuals had become Christians and were living this better life and had this higher outlook. The whole political situation was affected, and the great Acts of Parliament which were passed in the last century were mostly due to the fact that there were such large numbers of individual Christians found in the land” (Studies in the Sermon on the Mount [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971], 1:157). As God’s children and as the temples of His Holy Spirit, Christians represent God’s presence in the earth. We are the salt that prevents the entire earth from degenerating even faster than it is. Helen Ewing was saved as a young girl in Scotland and gave her life completely to the lordship of Christ. When she died at the age of 22 it is said that all Scotland wept. She had expected to serve God as a missionary in Europe and had become fluent in the Russian language. But she was not able to fulfill that dream. She had no obvious gifts such as speaking or writing, and she had never traveled far from home. Yet by the time she died she had won hundreds of people to Jesus Christ. Countless missionaries mourned her death because they knew that a great channel of their spiritual strength was gone. She had risen every morning at five in order to study God’s Word and to pray. Her diary revealed that she regularly prayed for over three hundred missionaries by name. Everywhere she went the atmosphere was changed. If someone was telling a dirty story, he would stop if he saw her coming. If people were complaining, they would become ashamed of it in her presence. An acquaintance reported that while she was at Glasgow University she left the fragrance of Christ wherever she went. In everything she said and did she was God’s salt.
BEING LIGHT
Jesus also calls us to be light. You are the light of the world. Whereas salt is hidden, light is obvious. Salt works secretly, while light works openly. Salt works from within, light from without. Salt is more the indirect influence of the gospel, while light is more its direct communication. Salt works primarily through our living, while light works primarily through what we teach and preach. Salt is largely negative. It can retard corruption, but it cannot change corruption into incorruption. Light is more positive. It not only reveals what is wrong and false but helps produce what is righteous and true. In his introduction to the book of Acts, Luke refers to his gospel as “the first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach” (1:1). Christ’s work always has to do with both doing and speaking, with living and teaching. David wrote, “For with Thee is the fountain of life; in Thy light we see light” (Ps. 36:9). “God is light,” John reminds us, “and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:5–7). Light is not given simply to have but to live by. “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path,” the psalmist tells us (Ps. 119:105). God’s light is to walk by and to live by. In its fullest sense, God’s light is the full revelation of His Word—the written Word of Scripture and the living Word of Jesus Christ. God’s people are to proclaim God’s light in a world engulfed in darkness, just as their Lord came “to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death” (Luke 1:79). Christ is the true light, and we are His reflections. He is the Sun, and we are His moons. A free rendering of 2 Corinthians 4:6 could be, “God, who first ordered the light to shine in the darkness has flooded our hearts with His light. We now can enlighten men only because we can give them knowledge of the glory of God as we have seen it in the face of Jesus Christ.” God sheds His light on the world through those who have received His light through Jesus Christ. The Jews had long claimed to have God’s light, and He had long called them to be His light. But because they had ignored and rejected His light, they could not be His light. They were confident that they were guides “to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,” but Paul told them they were blind guides and lamps without light. “You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself?” he asks (Rom. 2:19–21). They had the light, but they were not living by it. “You who preach that one should not steal, do you steal?” Paul continues by way of illustration. “You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?” (vv. 21–22). We are to prove ourselves “to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom [we are to] appear as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). By its nature and by definition light must be visible in order to illuminate. Christians must be more than the largely indirect influence of salt; they must also be the direct and noticeable instruments of light. Both in the daytime and at night, a city set on a hill cannot be hidden. It is exposed for all to see. By day its houses and buildings stand out on the landscape, and at night the many lights shining out of its windows make it impossible to miss. A secret Christian is as incongruous as a hidden light. Lights are to illuminate, not to be hidden; to be displayed, not to be covered. Christians are to be both subtle salt and conspicuous light. God did not give the gospel of His Son to be the secret, hidden treasure of a few but to enlighten every person (John 1:9). Many reject the light and reject those who bring it, but just as God offers His light to the whole world, so must His church. It is not our gospel but God’s, and He gives it to us not only for our own sakes but the entire world’s. True believers are salt and light, and must fulfill that identity.
THE PROBLEM: DANGER OF FAILURE
but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. (5:13b)
Much salt in Palestine, such as that found on the shores of the Dead Sea, is contaminated with gypsum and other minerals that make it taste flat and even repulsive. When a batch of such contaminated salt would find its way into a household and be discovered, it was thrown out. People would be careful not to throw it on a garden or field, because it would kill whatever was planted. Instead it would be thrown onto a path or road, where it would gradually be ground into the dirt and disappear. There is a sense in which salt cannot really become unsalty. But contamination can cause it to lose its value as salt. Its saltiness can no longer function. Jesus is not speaking of losing salvation. God does not allow any of His own to be taken from Him. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand,” Jesus assures us (John 10:27). Christians cannot lose their salvation, just as salt cannot lose its inherent saltiness. But Christians can lose their value and effectiveness in the kingdom when sin and worldliness contaminate their lives, just as salt can become tasteless when contaminated by other minerals. It is a common New Testament truth that although true believers are identified as righteous, godly, and salty, there are times when they fail to be what they are (cf. Rom. 7:15–25), which Peter says leads to loss of assurance (2 Pet. 1:9–10), not loss of salvation. With great responsibility there is often great danger. We cannot be an influence for purity in the world if we have compromised our own purity. We cannot sting the world’s conscience if we continually go against our own. We cannot stimulate thirst for righteousness if we have lost our own. We cannot be used of God to retard the corruption of sin in the world if our own lives become corrupted by sin. To lose our saltiness is not to lose our salvation, but it is to lose our effectiveness and to become disqualified for service (see 1 Cor. 9:27). Pure salt does not lose its saltiness, that which makes it valuable and effective. Christians who are pure in heart do not become tasteless, ineffective, and useless in the kingdom of God. Light, too, is in danger of becoming useless. Like salt, it cannot lose its essential nature. A hidden light is still light, but it is useless light. That is why people do not light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on a lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. The exemplary woman praised in Proverbs 31 does not let her lamp go out at night (v. 18). There was always illumination for anyone in the household who had to get up or find his way home during the night. A light that is hidden under a peck-sized basket cannot even be used to read by; it helps neither the person who hides it nor anyone else. Whether we hide our light because of fear of offending others, because of indifference and lovelessness, or because of anything else, we demonstrate unfaithfulness to the Lord.
THE PURPOSE: TO GLORIFY GOD
Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (5:16)
The word (kalos) for good that Jesus uses here does not so much emphasize quality—though that obviously is important—as it does attractiveness, beautiful appearance. Letting our light shine before men allows them to see our good works, the beauty the Lord has worked in us. To see good works by us is to see Christ in us. That is why Jesus says, let your light shine. It is not something we create or make up, but something we allow the Lord to do through us. It is God’s light; our choice is whether to hide it or let it shine. The purpose of letting our light shine and reveal our good works is not to bring attention or praise to ourselves but to God. Our intent should be that, in what we are and in what we do, others may see God in order that they may glorify [our] Father who is in heaven. Jesus’ speaking of the Father emphasizes God’s tenderness and intimacy, and speaking of His being in heaven emphasizes His majesty and holiness, as He is pictured dwelling in the splendor of His eternal holy home. Our good works are to magnify God’s grace and power. This is the supreme calling of life: glorifying God. Everything we do is to cause others to give praise to the God who is the source of all that is good. The way we live should lead those around us to glorify (doxazō, from which we get doxology) the heavenly Father. When what we do causes people to be attracted to us rather than to God, to see our human character rather than His divine character, we can be sure that what they see is not His light. It is said of Robert Murray McCheyne, a godly Scottish minister of the last century, that his face carried such a hallowed expression that people were known to fall on their knees and accept Jesus Christ as Savior when they looked at him. Others were so attracted by the self-giving beauty and holiness of his life that they found his Master irresistible. It was also said of the French pietist Francois Fenelon that his communion with God was such that his face shined with divine radiance. A religious skeptic who was compelled to spend the night in an inn with Fenelon, hurried away the next morning, saying, “If I spend another night with that man I’ll be a Christian in spite of myself.” That is the kind of salt and light God wants His kingdom people to be.
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985–1989). Matthew (Vol. 1, pp. 235–247). Moody Press.
Do You Make Men Thirsty?
Matthew 5:13
In Matthew 5:13 we come to a new section of the Sermon on the Mount. We pass from a basically abstract definition of the Christian to a functional one. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” We all know the difference between an abstract definition of a thing and a functional definition, if we think about it. For instance, almost every dictionary definition of a word is abstract. We turn to the word “hunger” in Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary and read, “an uneasy sensation, occasioned normally by the want of food.” However, we could also define hunger functionally. We could also say, “Hunger is the one and a half billion people in this world who live always on the verge of starvation and who die at the rate of 15,000 daily as the result of malnutrition.” The second definition is anything but abstract. And, of course, it is better. In the same way the dictionary tells us that “justice” is “the principle of rectitude and just dealings of men with each other.” But we could also say that justice is enacting good laws, caring for the poor, raising children properly, and many other things. We have the same thing in the sphere of theology. The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks the question, “What is God?” And it answers, “God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.” But it is also true, even more true, that God is Jesus Christ who died for our sin and who rose again for our justification. The second definition in each of the cases I have mentioned gives us an understanding of the term in action; it produces the effect that Jesus produced by his further, functional definitions of the true Christian. “You are the salt of the earth.” “You are the light of the world.” By these definitions Jesus was saying that while it is true that the Christian is to be poor in spirit, mournful for sin, meek, thirsty for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, and disposed to make peace, nevertheless he is never to be these things in isolation from a very real and sharply antithetical world. He is to manifest those characteristics in the world. And what is more, he is to practice these things in a way that will affect the world positively, as salt affects the medium to which one applies it.
A Decaying World
This is of great significance for our understanding of the nature of true Christianity, especially in our present day. Jesus was saying, “Those who are my disciples should affect the world positively by the way in which they live.” But as I view the world today, there is not nearly enough of this positive action for good in the world by Christians, even though many people are aware that something of this nature is precisely what the world needs. At the end of the nineteenth century there was a feeling of confident optimism in the western world, based on the belief that an ongoing biological and philosophical evolution would eventually solve all man’s troubles and lead to something closely akin to the Greeks’ “Golden Age.” The idea was that all of human life was advancing and rising upward. Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes perceptively of this age, “It is indeed pathetic to read the prognostications of the thinkers (so-called), the philosophers and poets and leaders, towards the end of the last century.… Wars were going to be abolished, diseases were being cured, suffering was going to be not only ameliorated but finally eradicated. It was to be an amazing century. Most of the problems were going to be solved, for man had at last really begun to think. The masses, through education, would cease giving themselves to drink and immorality and vice. And as all the nations were thus educated to think and to hold conferences instead of rushing to war, the whole world was very soon going to be paradise. That is not caricaturing the situation; it was believed confidently.” Today, however, there are not many people who think like that. Where there was once a confident optimism, there is now real pessimism and acute despair. Even the ones who are still confident in some areas express their more limited optimism guardedly. There is an awareness that something more than a theory of progress is necessary, that there must, in fact, be something akin to a new life embodied in a new breed of men. This is what the gospel of Jesus Christ offers. And yet, what do we find? Instead of the active, permeating, preserving, and transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ always operating in the world through all Christians, too many Christians are sitting on the sidelines without the “savor” provided by the Lord Jesus Christ and fit only—if we are to take Christ’s words literally—“to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” I am well aware that there are good historical reasons why an evangelical church that once gave fuel and impetus to the greatest social movements the world has seen has come to be outdistanced by others and at times even to be hostile to the applications of the gospel to the contemporary world. Daniel O. Moberg, author of the book, Inasmuch, lists ten reasons in his historical study of the neglect of the social aspects of the faith by evangelicals: a preoccupation with valid theological battles, a misinterpretation of the prophecies that in the last days things on this earth will get worse to mean that they will never in any circumstances get better, a belief that social concerns are antithetical to a concern for the salvation aspects of the church’s message, a concern for personal piety, the idea that politics are intrinsically “dirty,” a growing conformity to the world’s standards in business and political life by Christians, and other things also. But the explanation does not excuse the situation in which we find ourselves today. Nor does the situation itself negate the moral imperatives of Christ’s teachings. According to Jesus, the Christian is clearly to influence his society. And this must be true wherever the principles of the gospel impinge upon the religious, political, economic, or social issues of the Christian’s community.
Uses of Salt
All this falls into a much clearer focus when we consider the actual uses of salt, particularly those that were most valued in ancient times. First, in Christ’s day and for many centuries thereafter (in fact, until nearly modern times), salt was the most common of all preservatives. There were no refrigerators in ancient times, no deep-freeze units. The Mediterranean world was largely tropical. In such a climate and in the face of such conditions, salt was used to keep things from going bad and becoming rotten, particularly meat. It was able to resist spoilage and keep putrefaction at bay. When Jesus said that those who followed him were the salt of the earth, therefore, he was teaching that the world apart from God is rotten because of sin, but that through his power his disciples were able and actually obliged to have a preserving and purifying effect upon it. Do you see this clearly? If you do, the principles involved in this statement will keep you from the two opposing errors that have always gone along with programs to express the Christian’s social responsibility. The first error is the thought that the world is basically good and will gradually become better and even perfect through Christian social action. In opposition to this understanding, Christ says that the world is basically rotten. This means that even though it may appear healthy for a time, it is dead spiritually. It means that the life has gone out of the body and that the microbes of sin will eventually (if left to themselves) reduce it to a stinking, unapproachable carcass. The other error is the view that because this is so, because the world is rotten, the Christian should try to disassociate himself from the world as much as possible, retreating to a monastery or to one of our white (or black), middle-class, self-protecting churches. And he should let the world go to hell. The answer to this error is that the Christian is to be a preserving force in the world wherever God has placed him. The salt never did any good when it was sitting on one shelf and the meat on another. To be effective, the salt had to be rubbed into the meat. In a similar way, Christians must allow God to rub them into the world. And this means that they must be Christians at work, Christians in politics, Christians at home, Christians everywhere else that a normal life in their own society would take them. “Oh,” someone says, “that would mean that I would have to be taken out of the salt shaker and spread around, and I might get dirty and even seem to dissolve or disappear!” Yes, that is what it means. But God is the One who provides the flavor, and the flavor does not disappear when the salt is dispensed or dissolved. In fact, there is even a sense in which the salt must dissolve if the flavor is to be released, and for this reason God sometimes shakes the salt shaker through persecutions so that the salt will fall out and let this happen. Sometimes it will mean that we shall have to dissolve to our own interests, that we shall have to extend ourselves in areas of the world where we do not see many Christians. We shall feel lonely and even depressed, but that is where the salt is active. I should add a fact that is well known to the medical world. If a body does not give off salt through perspiration, what happens? It retains water, and it becomes bloated. In the same way, the church will become bloated and desperately unhealthy if the salt is not dispersed in this work of preservation.
Source of Flavor
There is a second thing that salt is good for, and that is to provide flavor. The Christian, through the life of Jesus Christ within and the verities of the gospel, is to lend flavor to a flavorless, insipid world. The pleasures of the world are unsatisfying without Jesus Christ. They fill for a time. But they are rather like a Chinese dinner, and the person is soon left empty again. Consequently, those who pursue them are doomed to a constant and relentless search for that which will never satisfy the true hunger and desire of their soul. Christians are to be present as those who know something different and whose satisfaction in Christ can be seen and known by their unbelieving contemporaries. Unfortunately, it often has been the other way around. Non-Christians have looked at Christians and have said, “What an insipid bunch of people; I would never want to be like one of them.” The nineteenth century poet and critic A. C. Swinburne wrote of Jesus: “Thou hast conquered, O pale Galilean; the world has grown grey from thy breath.” Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, “I might have entered the ministry if certain clergymen I knew had not looked and acted so much like undertakers.” And the poet and author Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote in his diary, as if he were expressing an exceptional fact, “I have been to church today, and am not depressed.” Those are honest remarks by people who have seen an insipid Christianity. And if they or their followers are to see something different, they must see it in the only place it can or will be seen—in us. They must see it in you and in me. Do you go around with a long face as if the world and everything you know are depressing? Or do you go about as one who bears within the Spirit of the living God? The second is your true responsibility. It is by doing that, that you show forth the flavor of Christ and Christianity.
Thirst of the Soul
The third thing that salt does is to make one thirsty. And this leads us to ask: Do you make anyone thirsty for Jesus Christ? The non-Christian tends to feel self-satisfied even if he is not, and he naturally goes through life telling himself that circumstances are wonderful. But when a Christian comes into his sphere of vision, there should be that evidence of joy, satisfaction, and peace that makes him look up and say, “That’s what I want; that is what I want to be like!” Can that be said of you? Do you make men thirsty for Jesus Christ? In ancient times during the Feast of Tabernacles in the city of Jerusalem it was the custom for the priests to go to the pool of Siloam each day and to return bearing large containers of water that were then emptied upon the altar in the temple. This happened for seven days during the feast. On the last day the ceremony was repeated seven times. On that day, during the Feast of Tabernacles in the year that he attended, Jesus Christ stood up and cried in a loud voice, “If a man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37–38). It is true, Jesus Christ can satisfy the great thirst of the human soul. Your responsibility is not to satisfy the thirst yourself, but to point men to Jesus Christ. If you do that, out of you will flow his life and character, and others will see him and be satisfied.
A Common Substance
I am sure you already have anticipated the last point of this study, for you have doubtless recognized that salt is one of the most common things of life. It is found everywhere. And hence, when Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth,” he was saying, “I delight to use little things.” He did not say, “You are the gold of the earth.” He did not say, “You are the uranium of the earth.” He did not even say, “You are the lead,” although Christians sometimes resemble lead far more than we like to admit. He said, “You are the salt”—a common substance. It is from the common things—from the weak, the foolish, the despised, the things that are not (1 Cor. 1:26–29)—that God brings the greatest glory to his name. We see that throughout Scripture. When God made man in the Garden of Eden, what did he use? Gold? Silver? Iron? No, he used dust. But he breathed into the dust the divine breath of life. When God spoke to Moses in the desert to call him to come forth to be the deliverer of the people of Israel from Egypt, how did he reveal himself? In a dazzling theophany? In thunder and lightning? In an overpowering vision? No, he revealed himself in a burning desert bush. When God called David to deliver the Israelites from the Philistine tyranny, did he make use of Saul’s armor? No, he used a sling and a few small stones. And when Jesus Christ was born, God did not allow him to be born in the courts of the Caesars or of a woman of noble ancestry and great culture. He chose a peasant girl, who was probably illiterate, and she gave birth to Jesus Christ in a stable. God uses the small things and the small people. God uses you and me that he might do his work in the world. As a matter of fact, the smaller you can become, the more effective his work in you will be. Do you know what we are to be? We are to be picture frames within which Jesus Christ is to be seen. God is not interested in its being a gold frame or a beautifully carved frame. He is just interested in its being an empty frame, because he knows that when you come to him with that, he can put Christ there. And when people look at you, they will see Jesus.
Boice, J. M. (2002). The Sermon on the Mount: an expositional commentary (pp. 61–66). Baker Books.
As to salt, Jesus says: 13. You are the salt of the earth. Though salt has many characteristics: whiteness, pungency, flavor, preservative power, etc., it is probably especially the last quality, the potency of salt as an antiseptic, a substance that prevents and retards decay, upon which the emphasis falls here, though the subsidiary function of imparting flavor must obviously not be excluded (see Lev. 2:13; Job 6:6; Col. 4:6). Salt, then, has especially a negative function. It combats deterioration. Similarly Christians, by showing themselves to be Christians indeed, are constantly combating moral and spiritual decay. How often does it not happen that when a believer suddenly steps into a crowd of worldly individuals the off-color joke by which someone was about to entertain his companions is held back, the profanity is left unspoken, the wicked plan remains unexecuted? To be sure, the world is wicked. Yet God alone knows how far more corrupt it would be without the restraining example, life, and prayers of the saints (Gen. 18:26–32; 2 Kings 12:2). Salt acts secretly. We know that it combats decay, though we cannot see it perform its task. Its influence is very real nonetheless. Continued: but if the salt becomes tasteless, what will make it salty again? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown away and trampled underfoot by men. The salt from the marshes and lagoons or from the rocks in the neighborhood of the Dead Sea easily acquires a stale or alkaline taste, because of its mixture with gypsum, etc. It is then literally “good for nothing” but to be thrown away and trampled underfoot (cf. Ezek. 47:11). Jesus, as he walked on earth, saw many Pharisees and scribes, people who advocated a formal, legalistic religion in the place of the true religion proclaimed by the ancient prophets in the name of the Lord. Thus by and large the salt had lost its flavor in the religious life of Israel. Many “sons of the kingdom” would be cast out (Matt. 8:12). The implication is clear. Just as salt having lost its flavor cannot be restored, so also those who were trained in the knowledge of the truth but who then resolutely set themselves against the exhortations of the Holy Spirit and become hardened in their opposition are not renewed unto repentance (Matt. 12:32; Heb. 6:4–6). Therefore, let that which is named salt be salt indeed! Ever so many people who never read the Bible are constantly reading us! If in our conduct we are untrue to our calling our words will avail very little. We have seen that in the main salt has a negative function and acts secretly. Light, on the other hand, has a positive function and shines openly, publicly. The two metaphors therefore complement each other. As to light Jesus says: 14a. You are the light of the world. Light in Scripture indicates the true knowledge of God (Ps. 36:9; cf. Matt. 6:22, 23); goodness, righteousness, and truthfulness (Eph. 5:8, 9); joy and gladness, true happiness (Ps. 97:11; Isa. 9:1–7; cf. 60:19). It symbolizes the best there is in learning, love, and laughter, as contrasted with darkness, that is, the worst there is in dullness, depravity, and despair. When light is mentioned, sometimes one quality—for instance, revealed knowledge—is emphasized; then again another, depending on the context in each case. In certain instances the meaning of the word “light” may even be broader than any one quality would indicate. It may be sufficiently comprehensive to include all the blessings of “salvation” (cf. Ps. 27:1; Luke 1:77–79). So, perhaps, also here in 5:14. The statement, “You are the light of the world” probably means that the citizens of the kingdom not only have been blessed with these endowments but are also the means used by God to transmit them to the men who surround them. The light-possessors become light-transmitters. Collectively believers are “the light.” Individually they are “lights” (luminaries, stars, Phil. 2:15). Both ideas may well have been included in the words as spoken by Jesus, though the emphasis is on the collective. However, Christians are never a light in and by themselves. They are light “in the Lord” (Eph. 5:8). Christ is the true, the original “light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5; 12:35, 36, 46; 2 Cor. 4:6; cf. Ps. 27:1; 36:9; 43:3; Isa. 49:6; 60:1; Luke 1:78, 79; 2:32). Believers are “the light of the world” in a secondary or derived sense. He is “the light lighting” (John 1:9). They are the light lighted. He is the sun. They resemble the moon, reflecting the sun’s light. Apart from Christ they cannot shine. The electric bulb does not emit light all by itself. It imparts light only when connected and turned on, so that the electric current generated in the power-house is transmitted to it. So also as long as Christ’s followers remain in living contact with the original light they are a light to others (cf. John 15:4, 5). Now since it is the business of the church to shine for Jesus, it should not permit itself to be thrown off its course. It is not the task of the church to specialize in and deliver all kinds of pronouncements concerning economic, social, and political problems. “The great hope for society today is in an increasing number of individual Christians. Let the Church of God concentrate on that and not waste her time and energy on matters outside her province.” This is not to say that an ecclesiastical pronouncement revealing the bearing of the gospel upon this or that not specifically theological problem is always to be condemned. There may be situations in which such an illuminating public testimony becomes advisable and even necessary, for the gospel must be proclaimed “in all its fulness” and not narrowly restricted to the salvation of souls. But the primary duty of the church remains the spreading forth of the message of salvation, that the lost may be found (Luke 15:4; 1 Cor. 9:16, 22; 10:33), those found may be strengthened in the faith (Eph. 4:15; 1 Thess. 3:11–13; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18), and God may be glorified (John 17:4; 1 Cor. 10:31). Those who, through the example, message, and prayers of believers, have been converted will show the genuine character of their faith and love by exerting their influence for good in every sphere.
Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew (Vol. 9, pp. 282–285). Baker Book House.
God sometimes substitutes our specific requests with a far greater, unexpected gift. Scripture shows God saying “no” to both the Apostle Paul and Jesus in Gethsemane. In part three of this interview, Pastor Lutzer reveals God’s sufficient grace in unanswered prayers. Could our redemption actually depend on a prayer that went unheeded by the Father?
It’s important to understand where we are, now, in our spiritual maturity, in order to grow into what we could be. In this message, Adrian Rogers explains how the Bible categorizes our growth as Christians, and how to use Scripture as a road map for maturity.
One day, every follower of Christ will close their eyes for the last time here on Earth and open them again in the presence of God. When that day comes, will you be ready for the journey to Heaven? Dr. Robert Jeffress explains what we should be doing now to prepare for eternity.
“So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” – Revelation 3:16
Scripture reading: 2 Kings 13:14-25
Why did Joash only strike the ground three times? Some commentators believe that he thought the whole scenario was foolish. Some liken it to Naaman’s initial reaction when Elisha’s servant told him to dip himself seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman thought that would be foolish and was angered by the command. Some believe that Joash had a similar reaction to the instructions Elisha gave him.
Others point out that it represents a spiritual lukewarmness. Instead of recognizing it as an opportunity to receive God’s blessings, Joash responded apathetically and just “went through the motions.”
But it wasn’t just Joash who was apathetic to the commands of the man of God. Many professing Christians treat the commands of Scripture the same way. For example, many professing Christians treat prayer the way Joash responded to Elisha’s command to strike the ground with the arrows. They pray a few times, and that’s enough. The same type of prayer is lamely offered before each meal, and perhaps before turning in for the night, but enthusiastic, fervent prayer isn’t offered because there is that same spiritual lukewarmness.
Each one of us must look at the response of Joash to the man of God and ask ourselves how fervent we are in our response to the Man of God whom Elisha foreshadowed. How fervent and responsive are we to Him, in our prayer life, and in all the other aspects of our day to day living? By God’s grace, may our response be fervent, faithful obedience always!
Suggestions for prayer
Ask forgiveness for lukewarmness and pray for an ever-increasing hunger and thirst after righteousness.
Rev. Ted Gray grew up in a Christian family but lived a meaningless life of futility apart from the Lord for many years. After professing faith at age 30, and later completing seminary, he has had the privilege of serving Orthodox Presbyterian churches in Oregon and Florida and a Christian Reformed Church in Vermont. For the past 15 years, he has served as pastor of First United Reformed Church in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.
New technologies like AI are bound to usher in new, unexpected problems. Now, I’m personally optimistic about the future of AI. I have been impressed watching it improve even over the last few years as the technology progresses and people find new and creative ways to use it. But any new technology will have growing pains. The internet has been a great blessing to humanity, but it’s also been a source of great evil. As we find ourselves increasingly in the age of AI, we must brace ourselves for new threats we might not even have thought. I want to point one out today: beware of AI-generated Christian content.
Recently, someone in a Facebook group I was in pointed out a book on systematic theology that was for sale on Amazon. Their reason for pointing it out was that the book seemed to be pretty clearly AI-generated. I clicked on it to get a good look, and as I kept clicking I began to realize that not only did someone write an AI-generated book on systematic theology, but multiple people had the same great idea (or one person kept coming out with new versions of the product so that they could corner the market). In fact, if you search for “52-week systematic theology” on Amazon you will get dozens of hits on books that all say “52-week systematic theology” somewhere in the title, have no real author or an author that is almost certainly AI-generated, all the ones I saw have been published since January 1, 2026, and when you read them they just sound AI. Many of them have dozens of 5-star ratings from what certainly appears to be bots who spend a lot of time giving AI books five star ratings.
I then had a coworker ask my opinion on something he saw on Facebook, and it became clear that it was also an AI-generated post designed to sell… wait for it… a 52-week systematic theology book! This made me realize it might be worth getting the word out on this. Now, tomorrow it might be something else that has been generated by AI—a post, an article, a different kind of Christian book. So rather than just warn against 52-week systematic theologies (for legal purposes I’m going to include here that I don’t know for sure that these were all AI-generated, but they sure look like it), I thought this would be a good chance to talk about AI-generated Christian content in general.
Legitimate uses of AI for Christian Content
Before I begin, I want to point out that AI can be useful in some limited ways when it comes to producing Christian content. I’ve used most of these options at some level, so I want to make clear the kinds of things that AI can be good at.
Research for writing new content
I was at a conference a few months back where a Christian scholar mentioned using AI to quickly look up references in patristic literature to a particular issue he was writing on. Now, he could have done it the old way by reading those books himself, or by using a resource that collects that information for him. But instead, he did a quick search on an AI platform that pulled several helpful quotes for his book.
I have no problem with this, in fact I’ve done it myself on occasion, looking for verses or the source of a particular illustration for example. It’s important to always double check the answers you are given (this scholar checked each reference and found that the last one was wrong, in fact). But using AI as a way to more efficiently search for material seems like a useful way to help Christian writers.
Iterating content
I don’t think there is an ethical problem if you upload your own writing to AI to create alternative versions of it, say as a social media post or to create other forms of the content. Creating a summary of your message based on its transcript for YouTube strikes me as a legitimate use. Here at Proclaim and Defend, we use AI to turn messages into blog posts. We always double check the final product with the speaker, and we always state that the post is AI-generated. To me, this all seems like a helpful way to use AI.
Editing content
Probably close to half of my conversations with AI are me asking AI to proofread my writing. Normally this is just catching mistakes, but at times I’ve asked it to reword a clunky sentence that just wasn’t working. Again, this seems like a good way to use AI.
There may be other legitimate uses that I haven’t thought of, but this seems like a good list about the kinds of things AI is good at. Perhaps I could sum it up best this way: AI can make a helpful research assistant (so long as you double check everything), but I don’t think AI is a good author. Why? Glad you asked.
Why Does It Matter?
So who cares? Why should people care if Gemini or Claude or ChatGPT? Is there a problem with this? Yes, I do think this is a problem, for at least the following reasons.
Dishonesty is a red flag.
There is an interesting discussion that could be had about the heavy use of AI to produce Christian content, if the publishers were up front. It would be one thing if they told you, “This is an AI-generated book on prayer.” Maybe even pitch it as such, “Check out our new book produced with the latest, cutting-edge AI-software! Distilled from the thoughts of some of the greatest prayer warriors of the last century!” I’m still not sure I’m comfortable with that, for reasons I will go into below. But that is not the current state of play. Right now we have individuals/companies churning out AI products and trying to make them look like they are written by real people. Nothing about them explicitly says they are AI-generated, but everything about them implicitly screams that they are AI-generated.
Lying is Satan’s domain. Lying and murder are closely connected by our Lord, because Satan was a liar and a murderer (John 8:44). I realize that sounds intense, and it probably is. But if you are being dishonest with people to sell Christian content, something is really off. In fact, I would argue that there is something sinful and wrong about it. If you are going to present me with a book as if a person wrote it knowing full well it came from a machine, I’m not going to buy it and I don’t think anyone else should either.
AI doesn’t know anything.
I know that probably sounds like an attack, but it’s not. I’m not trying to be mean; it’s just true. AI doesn’t know anything. AI is a giant probability machine, stacked on top of other probability machines, that in the end guesses what the right answer would be based on unfathomably large reams of data. This is why AI can sound so smart one minute and the next get a detail wrong. We might wonder how something so smart could make such a dumb mistake, and the answer is that AI isn’t smart, or dumb. It’s not thinking, it’s running probabilities.
This matters for us because when someone is writing Christian content, they are writing about God. When we allow something that cannot even think to simply give us the average of what everyone is saying, we are cutting out the all-important guidance of the Holy Spirit in directing the writer. This is not to say that Christian authors never get things wrong, but writing is supposed to be the exploration of ideas. It’s supposed to be an image bearer thinking out loud. To be taught Christian truth through the impersonal writing of a machine strikes me as eerily dystopian.
AI is not creative.
Again, this is a statement of fact, not a dig at AI. Since AI doesn’t know anything, it therefore can’t think for itself and come up with new ideas. AI can never do anything but regurgitate what is already out there. Perhaps you find yourself thinking, “I don’t know. ChatGPT seems pretty creative to me.” Perhaps, there’s a certain kind of creativity that AI can have. AI can write a poem about bubble gum in the register of a Shakespearean tragedy. That is a kind of creativity. But AI can’t think new and creative thoughts about God. AI can put words and ideas together, but it won’t come up with helpful new observations, because it’s not human. It can tell you what 100 different thinkers said about prayer, but it can’t relate its own experience or think something new about prayer.
While there is no doubt a place for AI summaries, as mentioned above, when it comes to reading there is something genuine and authentic about books written by people. God created us to be creative, and while AI can be creative in certain ways, it cannot be insightful. Spend your time reading from authors who have put in the work to think hard, to make good judgments, and to explain their ideas well. Doing so will, I believe, be much more profitable than reading a surface-level skimming of what is already available out there on a given topic.
How Do I Avoid AI-Generated Content?
So let’s say I’ve convinced you. You want to make sure books you read and articles you come across are written by people with flesh and blood. How do you do that?
Purchase from known authors and known publishers
As of right now, no major Christian publishers that I am aware of are publishing books written entirely by AI. Classic publishers like Zondervan, Crossway, IVP, Moody, Tyndale House, and other publishers connected to specific ministries that you know and trust should be safe. That doesn’t mean everything they publish is helpful or even true, but it does mean it’s not been written by AI.
Similarly, if you see a book written by a known author, such as John MacArthur, Paul Tripp, or Wayne Grudem, then so long as they actually wrote that book you should be safe. Once again, that doesn’t mean everything they write is true. You should always read carefully and critically. But it does mean that you are not getting an AI-generated book.
Purchase and read from unknown authors only if you can find real information about them
This is true for other things as well. I am increasingly skeptical of posts online that are anonymous, or that come from an account that isn’t connected to a flesh and blood person. Often such posts catch my eye, but I’m beginning to sense that’s because they’re algorithm driven, not because they are genuine people who are resonating with their neighbors. If you find a book that sounds interesting, see who wrote it. If you can find some basic details about them that seem to make sense, great. If you can’t, I would steer clear.
Develop a personal AI detector
We’ve had AI for close to five years now, believe it or not. Personally, I have found that the longer we have had it, the more sensitive I have become to it. It’s almost a sixth sense. Some might call it paranoia. At times I’ve perhaps been overcritical. But on the whole, I think I’m beginning to be able to spot AI more easily. Maybe that’s something that will change as AI improves over time, or maybe that’s a bug baked into the system that we will never be able to get out. But for the time being, have a sense of skepticism and caution. If something seems a little AI-y, check into it further.
AI is here and it’s here to stay. There’s a lot of good coming from it, and there’s a lot of problems coming as well, some we haven’t even thought of. It does seem like we’re on the precipice of the AI-generated Christian content tidal wave, but only if it works. If people are careful, if they stick to known authors and writers, and if they refuse to incentivize those turning out AI-slop, then maybe the lack of profit will be the end of the rising tide. In any case, we need to learn how to live with AI now, and part of that seems to be recognizing and rejecting AI-generated Christian content.
Warren W. Wiersbe said it well when he shared: “People who walk by faith don’t see obstacles, they see opportunities.”1 The Christian life is a grand adventure that is constantly presenting us with obstacles to overcome by turning them into opportunities to use them to glorify God and bless others.
One of the greatest examples in all of Scripture of this principle can be found in the story of David and Goliath. Goliath was a great warrior and the champion of the Philistines. He was literally a giant in physical stature and in the natural, David was no match to defeat him. However, rather than look at Goliath as an imposing and impossible foe (a great obstacle), David trusted in the Lord to give him the victory. I believe, because the Lord saw David’s faith and his desire to use this fight as a great opportunity to bring glory to God that David was able to defeat Goliath.
We read how David turned this great obstacle into an opportunity to glorify God in (1 Samuel 17:45-47): “Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.’”
As Christians it is so important that we realize that if we are going to live by faith, then we can expect our faith to be tested by presenting us with obstacles to overcome through trusting Jesus and prayer. I believe that when we view these obstacles as opportunities to glorify God, that our heavenly Father takes delight in supplying us with the needed resources and strength to overcome whatever challenges we face in life.
So, the next time you face a difficult situation, trust God that he will use it to help grow your faith and give you the wonderful opportunity to glorify His name and bless others. Obstacles or opportunities – how will you view your next challenge in life? So, always remember that while fear looks at the obstacle, faith sees the opportunity!
It’s Witness Wednesday! Students at Georgia Tech have their worldviews tested as Todd Friel brings the biblical Christian faith to bear on issues like the afterlife, morality, our conscience, and our ultimate hope. Have you ever wondered how you’d approach someone on the street with the truth of the gospel? Wonder no longer – join Todd to learn how you can evangelize lovingly, truthfully, and effectively.
Segment 1
• Orrin says he’s a Christian—but struggles to define his purpose in life beyond career success.
• He claims he’s a “good person,” then wrestles with Scripture’s claim that no one is good.
• Orrin is forced to examine whether he’s truly born again—or just culturally Christian.
Segment 2
• French student rejects organized religion—but concedes design may imply a Designer.
• Confronted with the moral law: Are you good by God’s standard—or just by your own?
• Hears the gospel clearly contrasted with every other religion: “Do” vs. “Done.”
Segment 3
• Professing Christian claims Jesus is the “tipping point”—but hesitates when truth becomes exclusive.
• Todd presses to explain why Christianity alone is true—and why other faiths are wrong.
• The gospel is made painstakingly clear: We go to heaven by faith—not because we’re “good.”
Segment 4
• Georgia Tech student accepts design logic—but questions who designed the Designer.
• Claims to be “generally good”—until conscience is examined under God’s law.
• Hears a direct appeal: justice demands payment—but mercy offers substitution.
“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes… Moreover, by them your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:7-11
The nineteenth Psalm is beautifully structured. The first half looks outward and upward: the heavens declare knowledge, and creation pours forth speech day after day. You can stand under the stars, or on a beach, or in the mountains (but not in Florida) and come away with the knowledge that God is real and glorious and is to be worshiped. Creation does proclaim truth about God. It leaves men without excusable. But Psalm 19 also teaches something humbling: the heavens can and do declare knowledge, but they cannot convert the soul.
That’s why the Psalm turns. David moves from the firmament to the Scriptures, from the glory of God in the sky to the glory of God in the Word. And when he arrives at Scripture, he sings in a different key. Now we’re talking about what is “perfect,” “sure,” “right,” “pure,” “enlightening,” and “clean.” Now we’re talking about warning, reward, wisdom, and salvation. Nature can tell you there is a God, that he is powerful and worthy to be praised. But Scripture tells you who God is, what he has done, what he requires, and how sinners can be made right with him.
If you are going to know the will of God and know what it means to be saved and know what it means to be a Christian, you have to be in the Scriptures in order for that to happen. This realization is central to what it means to be Reformed Presbyterians. Our first membership vow asks:
“Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, the only infallible rule for faith and life?”
Our vows could start with the Trinity, or with God’s attributes, or with the person of Christ. But how do we know any of those truths? We know them because God has spoken in the Scriptures. So we begin there: the Word of God as the sure foundation for faith and life; belief and practice.
If someone walks into a Reformed Presbyterian church, I hope they walk out thinking: these people are obsessed with the Word of God. The Word of God is everywhere central in our belief and practice: in the reading, in the preaching, in the prayers, in our Psalm singing, in our conversation, and in the way we make decisions. The Bible is the center of our life as Reformed Presbyterians.
How important is the Word of God to Reformed Presbyterians? Let me share ten truths that shape our knowledge of the Word of God and therefore ought to shape your life.
The Bible is Necessary
We live in a world that loves spirituality, and sometimes that spirituality often what is meant is that the spiritual person is connected to nature. People say things like, “I go out in the mountains and I meet with God there.” Creation truly does display God’s power and wisdom (Romans 1:20). But creation does not tell you the gospel. It cannot teach you about a Triune God. It cannot tell you how God requires you to worship.
The Westminster Confession puts it plainly: the light of nature and the work of creation “do far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God… yet they are not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation.” Or, as Psalm 19 implies: the heavens declare knowledge, but they don’t convert the soul. So if you’re asking, “Why should I read the Bible? Why should I care what the Bible says? Why should I open it with my family? Why should I listen carefully when it’s read and preached?” Here is the first answer: because Scripture is necessary for saving knowledge. God has chosen to reveal Christ, salvation, and his will for the church through this Word. Only in the Word do we receive necessary truths related to faith and life.
The Bible is Complete
God has given his church a canon. The word canon means, a standard or a rule. Essentially a measuring rod. A canon is like a ruler or tape measure. The books of the Old and New Testaments are that measuring line for the church. And when we say the Bible is complete, we’re saying something important: God has given us a finished, sufficient collection of inspired books.
We have thirty-nine Old Testament books and twenty-seven New Testament books that make up the canon. The genres of these books is as diverse as its authors: law, history, poetry, prophetic writings, wisdom literature, biography (gospels), letters, and apocalyptic writing. These sixty-six books were written over a fifteen hundred year period by about forty different authors from different parts of the world (including present day Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Israel, Turkey, Greece, and Italy).
The canon is something that the church recognized, it is not something that the church did. The church did not invent Scripture. The church received Scripture. God gave his Word, and the people of God recognized it as the Word of God. William Whitaker in his famous Disputation on Holy Scripture (1588) said, “We do not make the authority of the Scriptures to depend upon the judgment of the church; but we say that the church is built upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles. Therefore the authority of Scripture is greater than that of the church.” He goes on to say, “The canonical books of Scripture are those which were written by prophets and apostles, or approved by them; which have in all ages been received by the church; and which contain nothing inconsistent with the rule of faith.”
That matters because our confidence doesn’t rest in ecclesiastical committees, synods, or councils. Our confidence rests in God’s voice and he speaks in the Word.
The Bible Does Not Have Other Books
The Westminster Confession says: “The books commonly called Apocrypha… are no part of the canon of Scripture… nor to be in any wise approved, or made use of, other than human writings.”That’s a careful statement. It doesn’t say you can never read the Apocrypha. It says they are not God-breathed Scripture. They have no authority to bind one’s doctrine or conscience. They may be of historical interest such as if you want to know why Jews celebrate Hanukkah, for example. But they are not the Word of God.
And it’s worth stating plainly: the Apocrypha is not a set of books Protestants stole or hid from anyone. Historically, those books were often printed in Bibles as inter-testamental history. The dispute is not whether they existed, but whether they are inspired and authoritative. We say: Scripture is Scripture, and human writings are human writings. William Whitaker said, “The papists contend that these books are canonical, which we deny. They cannot prove that they were written by prophets; they were never received by the Jews; Christ and the apostles never cited them as scripture; therefore they are not of divine authority.” Disputation on Holy Scripture, 430. The Roman Catholic Church did not officially call them Scripture until April 8, 1546 at the Fourth Session of the Council of Trent.
Why does this matter in the twenty-first century? We need to be clear about the Apocrypha and other ancient writings because conspiracies thrive on confusion. There really are old texts out there, some Jewish, some Gnostic, some speculative, and their existence is not a threat to Christianity. The church has never been unaware of them. The issue is not that these writings exist, but that they do not carry the same divine marks, apostolic authority, and doctrinal consistency as the canonical Scriptures. The conspiracy storyline that there was a secret library of books that would overturn historic Christianity if only the public could see them is nonsense. But the reality is far less dramatic and far more ordinary, even for the Apocrypha: these texts were known, evaluated, and rejected as non-canonical for good reasons, while the church received the voice of God in the sixty-six books that were already shaping worship, preaching, and doctrine from the beginning of the church. So when someone says, “What about the book of Enoch?” or “What about a lost gospel?” we don’t have to panic. Those are human writings, interesting perhaps, but not God-breathed Scripture, and therefore not the rule for faith and life.
The Bible has Authority
This might be the most countercultural truth on the list. Postmodern people are comfortable with helpful insights from the Scripture as long as it is under the category of suggestion rather than command. People get nervous around authority, especially authority that claims the right to command and direct lives and thoughts. But the Bible does not present itself as optional advice.
The Westminster Confession says: the authority of Scripture “depends not on the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God, who is truth itself, the author thereof.” That means it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to be under the Scriptures, because God calls you to be under the Scriptures.
That may sound blunt, but it’s actually comforting. It means my life is not ultimately ruled by my mood, ideas, or ever-shifting desires. God has spoken. And if God speaks, it should influence our decisions, our beliefs, our worship, our ethics, our priorities, and our family life. As Paul told the Thessalonians, they received the apostolic message “not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God” 1 Thessalonians 2:13. That’s what authority looks like: God’s Word coming with God’s weight.
You can come to church, you can hear the Word read, you can hear preaching, and you can still have that thought: “Well, that might be good for you, but I’m not sure it’s what I want for my life.” The authority of Scripture doesn’t depend on whether you want it or not. The authority of the Bible is not, “Pastor So-and-so says…” or “our church tradition says…” The authority of the Bible is that God speaks. That should shape what you believe, what you love, what you pursue, what you repent of, how you worship, how you raise your kids, how you treat your spouse, how you spend your money, how you handle conflict; everything. His Word comes to us with authority.
The Bible is Self-Authenticating
We could talk about evidences for hours: internal consistency, fulfilled prophecy, the majesty of Scripture’s style, the heavenliness of its doctrine, the way it gives all glory to God, the way it unfolds the only way of salvation. All of that is real and worthy of your time. The Confession itself lists many of those “arguments whereby it does abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God.”But then it tells you where full assurance comes from: “the inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.”
Scripture begins with, “In the beginning, God.” The Scriptures do not begin with an apologetic for God’s existence or an apologetic for God’s right to speak. The opening lines of the Bible are God speaking with authority—and the Spirit confirms this as you believe. Calvin put it this way: “The testimony of the Spirit is more excellent than all reason.”
No about of evidence without the Spirit’s testimony will actually persuade a sinner to bow. Whitaker says it like this: all those topics “may prove that these books are divine,” but they “will never be sufficient… unless the testimony of the Holy Spirit be added.” And then he says the “internal testimony of the Holy Spirit” is “the only argument which can persuade us.” That’s exactly what we’re getting at when we say the Spirit bears witness by and with the Word in our hearts. It’s not mystical-magical. We’re talking about the Spirit of God taking the Word of God and convincing you that God is speaking. You’re not standing over the Scriptures as a judge; you’re sitting under the Scriptures as a hearer, because God himself is sealing the truth of his own voice to your heart.
The Bible is Sufficient
Sufficiency means the Scriptures contain “the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life,” either explicitly or “by good and necessary consequence.”
That phrase “good and necessary consequence” is one of the overlooked strengths of our Reformed theology. It keeps us from requiring a proof text for every single step of reasoning, but it also keeps us from wild speculation. The Bible is enough to tell us what we need for salvation and obedience.
There are circumstantial things in worship that aren’t in the Bible because they’re not the point. Sometimes people bring up electricity, padded pews, a 10:30 start time or other such ideas. Those are circumstances, ordered by prudence and “the general rules of the word.” But the elements God commands: Word, prayer, sacraments, Psalm singing, preaching, etc. those are not negotiable. The Bible is sufficient.
The Bible is sufficient, and I don’t think we appreciate how freeing that is until we’ve lived long enough to see how many extra burdens people try to pile onto Christians. The Confession says nothing is to be added, not new revelations, not human traditions. If you want to know how to live as a Christian, you don’t need the latest spiritual trend or the oldest practices from antiquity. If you want to know what God requires in worship—the Bible is enough. And the sufficiency of Scripture is also what protects your conscience. Nobody gets to come along and say, “God requires this,” when God hasn’t required it. Nobody gets to bind you with “this is our tradition” as if tradition has the weight of “thus saith the Lord.” That’s why Jesus rebukes the Pharisees in Mark 7, they were teaching the commandments of men as doctrine. And it’s why historically Presbyterians understood that their consciences are not to be bound by anything but the Word of God. When it comes to the heart of the Christian life, what you must believe, what you must obey, what the church must do in worship, what the gospel is, who Christ is, how sinners are reconciled to God, what holy days the church has (52 Lord’s Days a year!) the Scriptures are sufficient.
The Bible Has a Clear Message
This is called the perspicuity of Scripture. Perspicuity means “the quality or state of being clear to the understanding : lucidity in expression or development of ideas.” This matters for ordinary Christians who sometimes feel intimidated when approaching the Bible. For example, you start a Bible-in-a-year plan. Genesis is thrilling. Exodus is dramatic. And then you hit Leviticus and the fog rolls in. Parts of the Bible are really, really hard. The Confession is realistic: “All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all.” Some passages are hard. Some require careful study. Some take time.
But then comes the encouragement: the things “necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation” are so clearly set forth that “not only the learned, but the unlearned… may attain unto a sufficient understanding.” That’s why children can know the Scriptures “from a child” and become “wise unto salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15). That’s why Psalm 119 can say, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet” and “the entrance of thy words giveth light.” Don’t be discouraged. Keep reading. Use the ordinary means. God gives light through his Word.
The central message of Jesus Christ and his salvation is clear in the Word of God.
The Bible is Authentic, Yet Translated
God inspired Scripture in Hebrew in the Old Testament and Greek in the New Testament. Those original languages are “authentical,” and in controversies the church appeals to them as the final authority. That’s why pastors and teachers are trained to handle the text carefully in their original languages.
The autographs (first writings) and the faithfully transcribed manuscripts are the Word of God which he has providentially preserved for the use of the church. God, in his providence, didn’t leave us with one fragile copy buried in the Vatican Library. When you start looking at the manuscript evidence for the New Testament, you see there are over 5,800 catalogued Greek New Testament manuscripts from the ancient world. Most of those are not complete New Testaments, many are single books, a few leaves, or even just a small portion of text.
But God never intended his Word to only be in Hebrew or Greek. The Confession says that because the original tongues are “not known to all the people of God,” the Scriptures “are to be translated into the vulgar language of every nation unto which they come.” I love how practical this is. Scripture is meant to be understood by those who bear his name. Nehemiah 8:8 gives the pattern: they read distinctly, gave the sense, and caused the people to understand. God wants his people to hear his Word in their native tongues, but also has preserved his Word in the authentic Hebrew and Greek manuscripts.
The Bible Interprets the Bible
This is one of the simplest and safest rules for Bible reading: when you’re unsure what something means, go to places that speak more clearly. The Confession says it crisply: “The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself.”
The Bible interprets the Bible, and I can’t tell you how important that is, because if you miss this, you will either get discouraged in your Bible reading or you will end up believing something weird. Scripture interpreting Scripture means God has not left you at the mercy of a church council, or whoever is loudest online, or whoever can make the most dramatic reel or short about a Bible passage. When you come to a passage and you say, “I don’t know what this means,” you don’t have to be left without help. You go to other places in the Bible that speak more clearly. You let clear Scripture interpret unclear Scripture. You let the plain parts teach you how to handle the hard parts.
This is also what keeps us from building doctrines on one obscure verse. People love to take a difficult passage: some strange line in Genesis, some symbolic image in Revelation, some disputed phrase, and then they build a theology on it, and then they go back and force everything else to fit their system. Start with what is clear. Start with what is repeated. Start with what is principle. Start with what’s taught in multiple places. And then walk into the harder places with that clarity in mind.
The Bible Judges our Belief and Practice
What is your standard for faith and practice? The standard is not my favorite person in the congregation, not the loudest opinion, not the newest trend, not the oldest tradition. The Confession calls Scripture “the supreme judge” by which controversies, councils, ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits are examined.
That’s a needed word for our time.
People will say, “I feel like God wants me to do this.” Test it. Bring it to Scripture.
“This is what or how we’ve always done in this church.” Test it. Bring it to Scripture.
“This is what the experts and scholars say.” Test it. Bring it to Scripture.
When Scripture speaks, we rest there. Because the Holy Spirit speaks in the Word. Jesus prayed it in John 17: “Sanctify them through the truth: thy word is truth.” That’s the center of our sanctification and the judge of all truth. The Word shapes our minds, corrects our desires, regulates our worship, and trains our obedience. Test it. Bring it to the Scriptures.
Conclusion
“Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, the only infallible rule for faith and life?”
It’s a vow that says: God has spoken, therefore I will listen. God has spoken, therefore I will submit. God has spoken, therefore I will trust, even when my instincts and sinful nature push back. As Reformed Presbyterians we want the Word to have that rightful place in our life and worship: not honored in theory, but embraced in practice. The Scriptures are to saturate our worship, shape our prayers, govern our decisions, center our homes, direct our children, challenge our ideas, and comfort us as we rest in Christ.
The Scriptures are what make us wise unto salvation and are the only infallible rule for faith and life.
Answering Arminianism’s “Big Three”: Mat 23:37; 1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9 – Pastor Patrick Hines Podcast
These three verses are taken out of context so often by opponents of true, biblical Christianity, that I’d like to offer a response to them and display what they mean in their contexts.
Dr. James White’s excellent book: https://a.co/d/04O8YWWD – “The Potter’s Freedom: A Defense of the Reformation and a Rebuttal to Norman Geisler’s Chosen But Free”
This book has an entire chapter on “The Big Three.” Dr. Geisler’s consistent response to the long, detailed passages teaching unconditional election, definite atonement, and irresistible grace is to offer very shallow comments followed by citing one or all of these passages. In fact, I believe it was verified that when one looks at the sections of Geisler’s book “Chosen But Free: A Balanced View of God’s Sovereignty and Free Will” (https://a.co/d/0aF1J7zP), one or all of these passages is cited an average of once every four pages! In other words, their meaning is assumed, not demonstrated by exegesis. But what if they don’t mean what Geisler thinks they mean? Then his response to nearly every passage of God’s word contrary to his thesis goes up in smoke.
If you have workout equipment in your garage that only collects dust . . . what good is it? Well, that same principle applies to your Bible—if you don’t use it, you won’t benefit from it.
When we repent, we will not meet a God who is putting us on spiritual probation.…We will not encounter a God who demands some kind of repayment for all we have squandered. Nothing like that. Only kindness. Grace. Love. Acceptance.
Martin Luther once wrote, ““When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’, he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” To put it another way, repentance is not just a one time act but instead a continual rhythm in the life of the Christian. Yes, it’s true that the means by which we enter into right relationship with God is by repentance and belief, but we don’t leave that practice behind.
Every day, the Christian is repenting. We are continually recognizing our sin, and turning from it toward Christ.
That might not seem like good news to you. After all, who wants to live a life in which every day you find something else you need to be sorry for? Some thought or act you need to stop? Some impulse you once practiced without even thinking about but now must deny?
But this call to repentance is not bad news; it’s good news. And here are three reasons why:
1. Repentance means the Holy Spirit is real.
At one point or another, every Christian probably looks around him or herself and wonders, Is this real?
Is my faith genuine? And are the things I believe in actually, really true? The inward call to repentance is one of the ways we answer that question. When we feel the conviction of sin and the call to repent, it’s a reminder that the Holy Spirit is real and is dwelling inside of us. Why, apart from His ongoing presence in our lives, would we actively recognize all the ways in which we are wrong and choose to turn from them? Why would we live in a posture of self-denial unless the Holy Spirit was actually at work inside of us? This is what Jesus said the Holy Spirit would do:
“Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment…” (John 16:7-8).
2. Repentance means God loves us.
When we think of repentance, we usually think in terms of stopping. Stopping a thought. Stopping a desire. Stopping an action. And while that is a component of what it means to repent, repentance doesn’t stop there. To repent means to turn.
For believers, there are no tragedies, and for unbelievers, there are ultimately no blessings.
Without the concept of providence, we would miss the comfort, consolation, and joy of knowing that God stands above and beyond all things. He is not an isolated spectator who roots for us.…His purposes cannot be thwarted.
People tend to feel uncomfortable when reading that God from all eternity, immutably and freely, ordains whatsoever comes to pass. This means, after all, that everything that happens in this world, including the evil things that others do to us and, astonishingly enough, our own sins against others, is immutably foreordained by almighty God. If we have been eternally ordained to commit sin, why does God find fault? We may as well sin with abandon, knowing that we are being directed by the providence of God. This is the mystery of providence. Doing no violence to the will of His creatures, God achieves His purposes through His chosen means.
One view has it that, as we hurtle through space, centrifugal force, gravity, and centripetal force keep us from collapsing and falling out of existence. These forces and powers are real. Gravity exists, but its power is not inherent. Even the power of gravity rests on the primary power of God. Gravity is not an independent primary cause. The only primary cause is the one by whom all things are made and in whom all things hold together. Ultimately, what keeps us from falling off the edge of the earth is the hand of God. But He exercises His power through the real power of secondary causes, such as gravity.
In terms of human relationships, we are secondary causes, and the powers we exert are real, not illusory. We are not puppets with no volition, freedom, or power, but we have no volition, freedom, or power beyond that given to us by God. He remains sovereign over all these things, bringing His sovereign will to pass.
When discussing God’s decrees, we speak of the concurrence of the human and divine wills. Concurrence is also called confluence. Both words mean “a flowing together.”
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