The Tenor of Truth

Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. Psa 96:1-9

The tenor of something, according to Webster's Dictionary, connotes its habitual condition or essential meaning, and also stresses its "clearly perceptible direction on a continuous, undeviating course." It is in the tenor of God's Word, then, that we can we can trace His narrative flow and begin to grasp the essence of who He has revealed Himself to be. In other words, it's in God's tenor that we can actually start to "catch His drift." And when we learn the tenor of His voice, we can start to sing along, joining in Heaven's chorus, and echoing His truth—for He puts a new song in our mouth (Psa 40:3).

In order to discern God's tenor, we need to become intimately familiar with how it sounds. For isn't it true that most mothers can pick out the sound of their own child's cries from a crowded room of infants? This is because they know and love them intimately. In the same way, God's voice will be more easily distinguishable from that of the counterfeit when we know the Bible well and grow to love it.

If we know God's Word well, we will not be led astray when Scripture is twisted, cherry-picked, or misapplied. We will not be thrown off course by extra-biblical themes that distract from the thrust of the gospel message. We not be deceived when [often very popular] pastors use Scripture to back up their sermons of spiritual spin. We will not mistake eisegesis for sound, honest exegeses. For we can rest assured that His Word will be a lamp to our feet, illuminating the truth. (John 15:7; Psa 119:105). The premise that the study of God’s Word is paramount to understanding and loving Him more cannot be emphasized enough.

An oft-quoted, but useful illustration of this is the counterfeit money analogy: Bankers are taught to recognize counterfeit money by studying real bills. In the same way, learning the tenor of God's voice by studying His Word is vital—not to mention that sincere believers will have an inherently deep desire to know God better (Psa 25:4). God’s Word should be our “delight” (Psa 119:16, 24).

To help discern the tenor of truth, it's important first and foremost to remember, quite simply, that truth is Jesus (John 14:6). Remember also that just as Jesus is the truth, He is the Word (John 1:1,14). The tenor of God's truth, therefore, is always both Christ-centered and Bible-based. The Old Testament pre-echoes, and bares witness, to the gospel of Christ. The New Testament testifies to, and echoes, that same gospel message throughout. Simply put, the Bible is always all about Jesus.

Do not be led astray by what is becoming an overwhelmingly popular form of false teaching in the seeker-friendly movement that some have accurately termed, "narcissistic eisegesis." It is a self-centered approach to Scripture which involves superimposing oneself into the meaning of a Bible verse or passage regardless of its context. Often, the focus of narcissistic eisegesis is primarily on our success, our dream, our purpose, or our adventure. This, however, warps the Bible into a self-help guide in which Jesus shows up as some type of cheer-leader, facilitator, or navigator. But remember, the Bible centers on Jesus, not on the self. "For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things" (Rom 11:36). We may have the privilege to serve Him in exciting ways, yes! But the adventure that this may involve should not be our focus; the end-goal of God's glory is all that ultimately matters, if we are truly slaves of Christ.

With this in mind, we can identify several qualities that resonate in the tenor of God's truth:

The tenor of truth resounds with infallibility
This concept of truth in the tenor of God's Word is rooted in Scripture. God told Moses, "Write these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." (Ex 34:27 NKJ). The word translated tenor, here, is the Hebrew, peh, which is used throughout the Old Testament to mean tenor, speech, mouth, command, or mind (Num 3;16, Eze 33;7; Lev 24:12). God's words in this verse are covenantally binding, exemplifying the tenor of His Word to be infallible—or as Jesus puts it, "trustworthy and true." (Rev 21:5).

The tenor of truth resounds with omnipotence
By His Word, God introduced the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 15:1) and gave Israel the Ten Commandments (Ex 24:3–4; Deut 5:5; Ex 34:28; Deut 9:10). By His Word, all creation came into being (Gen 1; Psa 33:6). The commanding tenor, or sovereign power, of God's Word is also illustrated in the book of Micah: "but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth [peh] of the Lord of hosts has spoken." (Mic 4:4). And if we live by His Word, we likewise live by His power. As Jesus put it, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." (John 15:7).

The tenor of truth is unwavering
It is in the unwavering tenor of God's Word, therefore, that His divine and unchanging nature is revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. The most powerful way to get to know God, therefore, is not through our experience of Him (which is subjective), but through studying what God has said about Himself in the Bible. Experience-based faith, as opposed to biblically-based faith, doesn't lead to an intimate and enduring knowledge of Him. As our circumstances change, an experience-based faith may falter. But if our faith is based on God's Word, we will rest in the assurance that His love never changes, regardless of what we are going through.

The tenor of truth is uncompromising
There is currently, however, an increasing emphasis on experiential faith in mainstream evangelical Christianity in form of a growing tendency to base our relationship with God more heavily on our emotional response to Him rather than on our biblical knowledge of Him. These days, many believers are placing more stock in heart-feelings as a means to discerning God's will for their lives without also going to the Bible for direction. And increasingly Christians are turning to mystical or self-help books that contain spiritual fluff rather than solid biblical content. Often, these books call themselves "Christian," but they distract from the gospel message, quote Bible verses rarely, selectively, or out of context, and indulge the reader in an almost cartoonish portrayal of who God is. Jesus—if He is mentioned at all—is often presented as some type of Santa-esque caricature that bears little or no resemblance to the true Son of God as revealed in Scripture. "Jesus" takes on many different personas in these contexts. In fact, he conveniently morphs into whoever you want him to be.

...In contrast, the great "I Am," however, does not compromise on who He is. He just is.

The tenor of truth resounds with omnipresence
God's Word preaches His ever-present nature; Psalm 139 is a beautiful illustration of this. We cannot conjure up more of God's presence with us regardless of how we might behave or feel. Worship experiences or prayer sessions, for example, can encourage our intimacy with God, but they cannot make His presence with us stronger. For, "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Cor 3:16). Watch out for teachers who claim we can cultivate God's presence through worship events. They are shifting the focus to the self by making such a claim. We cannot invite the Holy Spirit to "come" to us, if He is already in us! While we are certainly exhorted to draw near to God (as He will to us), this isn't so much about increasing His presence as it is about increasing intimacy. And, to know God intimately is primarily to know His Word; It is in His Word, for instance, that we learn we cannot flee from His presence (Psa 139:7-10)! Like worship, prayer is an essential outworking of our faith—but neither of these form the foundation of our faith. We draw near to God through faith in Christ who alone gives us access to Him (Heb 4:14–16, 7:25, Phil 3:9). And our "faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ.” (Rom 10:17).

The tenor of truth is humbling
While knowing God should not be primarily experiential, nor should it be exclusively theological either, however. Bible knowledge and sound theology are far better than gold when they fuel our trust in, and intimacy with, God (Psa 19:10). But when our exegesis becomes a self-motivated means to bolstering our theological presuppositions, this only fuels our pride (1 Cor 8:1). In the same way, if our self-focused accumulation of holy experiences become the basis of our relationship with God, our ego is fed, but our faith ultimately withers. In other words, theology—just like experience—plays a role in knowing God. But intimacy comes from a humble desire to learn the tenor of His voice. It's not about hearing what we want to hear, but listening to what God has already said.

The tenor of truth is life-giving and sanctifying
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. All three are inseparable aspects of Jesus' saving power. God changes the believer's life through His Word; just as Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth.” (in John 17:17 ). God transforms the believer's heart through His Word. "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Heb 4:12). And He renews the believer's mind though His Word, which reveals His will (Rom 12:2).

The tenor of truth is both convicting and redemptive
The tenor of God's Word is not only reassuring, it can also be unsettling at times. Because the tenor of truth reverberates with the gospel message, it does not diminish the seriousness of sin, for this would be to downplay the power of the Cross. When the tenor of truth convicts our hearts and the double-edged sword pierces our soul, it can be uncomfortable, even painful at times. But the truth is, "the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God," are inextricably intertwined (Eph 6:17). The tenor of truth brings not only conviction, but also redemption and sanctification. It is then that we truly understand that to live is Christ, and to die is gain. It is then that we truly experience His great love.

The tenor of truth is an harmonic unison
Discerning the tenor of God's Word, involves a comprehensive reading of Scripture. Each verse works together in perfect harmony. Claims of contradictions and inconsistencies can be thoroughly refuted with careful apologetics. An important rule of biblical hermeneutics is that Scripture is always the best interpreter of Scripture. And while it's tempting to cherry-pick Bible verses to suit ourselves, God's Word needs to be understood in its entirety. Only then can the harmonic unison of the redemptive story which resonates through all parts of the Bible, truly be heard.

The tenor of truth is love
All of the accents and tones that make up the tenor of God's truth resound above all with His great love. For just as He is truth (John 14:6), He is love (1 John 4:8). The two exist in perfect harmony within the very nature of who God is and His Word echoes this throughout.

The tenor of truth is pure
On that note, the tenor of truth is purely good, purely just, and purely holy. It cannot be mixed with lies, or it is no longer truth. In contrast, he who masquerades as an angle of light masterfully mixes truth with lies. Sometimes his tenor even sounds Christian. The enemy loves to spout off about love, peace, truth, and spiritual fulfillment. He might talk about "god." But if we listen discerningly—especially when his deadly tenor resonates through the mega-popular spiritual and self-help icons of contemporary culture—we might realize that what he means by love, peace, truth, and god, is very different from the biblical definitions of those things. "Love" is a mere emotion. "Peace" is mental detachment. "Truth" is relative. And "god" is the inner light within ourselves. The enemy claims that we create our own truth, that we shape our own destinies, and ultimately that we can save ourselves. He can use "Christian" terminology, while at the same time convincing us that we have no need for a Savior.

The tenor of truth is always about Jesus

When we understand that the tenor of God's Word always points us to the risen Christ, we will not be led astray. Watch out for Bible studies or sermons that thematically emphasize a particular verse of the Bible more than the Bible itself does (the Word of Faith movement does this and hence preaches a different gospel). God's Word consistently expresses a narrative flow (an undeviating course!) in which the redemptive story unfolds to lead us to Jesus. In fact, every passage of Scripture either echoes or proclaims the gospel. For as Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me." (John 5:39). Just as the tenor of truth always leads to Jesus, it also starts with Jesus. John opens his gospel with these words, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." (John 1:1). Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:14).

God's tenor resounds with His glory

Essentially, the desire for, "more of Him, less of me," encapsulates the gospel; it expresses the truth that while I have a problem (a sinful heart), it is He who has the solution (Christ). And the beauty of this is that reading Scripture with a heart that yearns for God, and a mind that is yielded to His will, is how we come to know the tenor of His voice. He starts to replace our thoughts with His and our ways with His. He starts to renew our minds, transform our hearts, and replace our fallen nature with His righteousness.

Do you find you're often placing your spiritual focus on your own works, gifts, politics, circumstances, strengths, and weaknesses? As Alistair Begg often puts it: "Does your faith start with an I or a He?" Because if your spiritual conversations and your prayers constantly include sentences that start with "I" then you might be idolizing yourself instead of worshiping God. Remember that the tenor of God's Word consistently emphasizes His glory not our own. The truth of this rings clearly and unwaveringly throughout Scripture (Ja 4:10; Phil 2:7; Luke 14:9-11; Rom 12:3; 1 Cor 1:28; 2 Chron 7:14; 2 Kings 22:19; Psa 24:9...and on).

John the Baptist knew that in order to serve God fruitfully, "He must become greater, I must become less." (John 3:30). Consistently, John's entire ministry, as well as his personal faith, pointed away from himself and toward Christ. And ours should, too. Because when we get too focused on our own theology, our own circumstances, our own dreams, spiritual gifts and purpose, and less on Christ, we start to deafen ourselves to God's voice by filling our ears with our own self-generated monologue.

In light of this, every Christian should ask themselves, whose song am I really singing? Does my life resonate with the tenor of truth? Or am I humming along to my own tune? Can I echo the words of the psalmist, "He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God." (Psa 40:3)? Or have I elevated myself to the level of songwriter?

Definitions Matter

I was talking with a church friend the other day about matters of the faith, and he said, "definitions matter." He hit on a really important truth: sloppy definitions lead to sloppy theology. And sloppy theology leads to sloppy life-application and a muddled worldview.

The biblical definitions behind the Christian terminology we use matter because if we're not clear about what we mean by them in the first place, we can be thrown off course when we try to act on what we say. In other words, when we try to walk the walk after talking the talk our feet aren't sure where to go. And we may well find ourselves straying off the path.

In the face of what is beginning to seem like a constant barrage of emotionally and politically unsettling tragedies hitting the headlines, how are Christians to respond? We hear a lot about, "love!" "forgiveness!" and "grace!" We tend to use these terms frequently, and with good intention, but we're not always clear about what we mean by them. And as things progress, we find ourselves getting muddled.

Should we call sin, sin? Or should we show grace? Should we speak truth? Or show love? Should we withhold judgment? Or uphold justice? Without sound theology, we might forget that truth and love cannot be separated. Without sound theology we might forget that to downplay sin, is to diminish grace...

In other words, we need to be careful with our Christianese. We need to be careful we our theology.

But I don't like theology! You might hear some say... In fact, "theology" has almost become a bad word today. It is often associated with rigidity, harshness, even bigotry. In our post-modern culture, theology has become taboo.

The truth is, however, everyone has a theology. Theology is simply the study of God. Or as Saint Augustine in the fifth century put it, theology is a “rational discussion respecting the Deity.” The term comes from the word theos which is Greek for “God” and ology which is from the Greek word logos meaning “word.” Most literally, then, the word theology means “words about God.” As believers, who think about, and discuss, God, try to understand Him, and live out our faith accordingly, we are all developing a theology. Even atheists have a theology!

The big question is, however, does our theology reflect sound biblical truth, or something else?

The truth is, false teachers—like the mega-popular spiritual and self-help icons of secular culture and the New Age—often use terms like love, peace, and truth. Yes, the enemy, who masquerades as an angel of light, loves to spout off about forgiveness and spiritual fulfillment. He might even talk about "god." But if we listen discerningly, we might realize that what he means by love, peace, truth, and god, is very different from the biblical definitions of those things. "Love" is a mere emotion. "Peace" is mental detachment. "Truth" is relative. And "god" is the inner light within ourselves. The enemy claims that we create our own truth, that we shape our own destinies, and ultimately that we can save ourselves. He can use "Christian" terminology, while at the same time convincing us that we have no need for a Savior.

In the same vein, what Mormons mean by Jesus, salvation, and atonement, is fundamentally different than what the Bible teaches about these things.

If our theology doesn't reflect God's truth, but something else, we are in danger of viewing God through a lens of deception. In fact, if we are consistently sloppy with our theology, over time we can even end up creating our own fictitious god, who bears little resemblance to the One revealed to us in Scripture.

Theology matters.

For example, when Jesus asked the disciples, "who do you say I am?" (Matt 16:13-15), He was asking them to define their theological perspective on who He is. And our answer to this pivotal theological question will be the most important one we will ever have to give.

Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.” (John 16:6-7, emphasis added). But the fact is, many who use His name do not actually know the true Christ. Jesus said:

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matt 7:21-23).

To know Him and to do His will involves understanding the truth about who He is, what He did for us on the Cross, and what His Word teaches. It involves sound theology.

The good news is that God in His mercy and wisdom has provided us with a carefully worded guide in which He has clearly defined the truths about His nature and how we can be reconciled to Him. It's important, then, to pay careful attention to these definitions. As Paul says, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (2 Tim 2:15).

Before we use biblical terminology, we should hold up our own words against Scripture. We are commanded to hold all teaching up against God's Word, like the "noble" Berean Jews were commended for doing in the Book of Acts. This doesn't mean cherry-picking verses selectively. It means making a humble, honest examination of the text to make sure our definitions are sound.

Don't be discouraged; this isn't going to be a popular standard to uphold, for we've been forewarned that "the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." (2 Tim 4:3-4).

It is all the more crucial, then, that we equip ourselves with sound theology, in order to distinguish absolute truth from lies in a relativistic culture of deception.

Definitions matter.

The Humility Paradox: Keeping it Real...or Just Really Awful?

Here's a paradoxical truth: True humility exudes confidence. 

Yep. The most humble person you'll ever meet will at the same time be the absolute most confident, most assured person you'll ever meet!

How can this be?

Because humility, in its purest form, is to seek your identity not in yourself, but in your Savior. For if you have truly died to self, then you can truly live in Christ. And if your identity is rooted in Him, so is your confidence! "For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught." (Prov 23:6).

Sadly, however, there is a growing trend among Christians to lead with their failures in an effort to "keep it real" and "stay humble." Increasingly, they publicly beat themselves up. They wallow in their weaknesses. They air their dirty laundry.

But for all intents and purposes, this self-deprecating behavior could be considered a form of humblebragging. For leading with one's failures is becoming a popular way for Christians to draw attention to how "humble" they are.

But that's not keeping it real. That's just really awful.

Why?

...Because this tragic misunderstanding of what it means to be humble distracts us from the power of the Cross.

...Because when we lead with our failures, we've actually committed the biggest failure of all: we have failed to glorify God.

...Because leading with our failures is false humility, which is actually rooted in pride. Essentially, it is self-absorption.

...Because when we lead with our failures, we have moved our focus from the holy He, to the sinful Me. And that is pretty awful.

I'm not good at that. I'm not gifted at that. I'm not as good as he is at that. I can't do what she can. I fail at this. I stink at that.

Did you notice that these ostensibly self-deprecating statements all start with an "I"? But the problem is, if your spiritual dialogue constantly starts with "I" instead of "He" then you're likely idolizing yourself in God's place.

This is not to say that we shouldn't be honest about our failings. We're all sinners. We all screw up. We all get discouraged. By no means should we pretend otherwise.

And we should absolutely confess our sins to one another! But we should not confess our sins with the goal of appearing "humble" or "real" to our friends/audience. Our ultimate goal should be to turn from that sin and to embrace our true righteousness in Christ. When we do this, we take the spotlight off ourselves, and place it on Him. We fix our eyes on Jesus!

In fact, truly humble believers will not only exude confidence, but they will actually be terribly boastful people when it comes to their Savior and what He has done for them. As Paul puts it, "May I never boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Gal 6:14).

So, then, let's not be a people of humblebraggers. Let's be a people of Christ-boasters! Because that is really keeping it real!

Confessions of a Recovering People-Pleaser

...We endeavor—by His grace—to live not as "people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart." (Eph 6:6)

...We are not trying to please people, but God, who tests our hearts. (1 Thess 2:4)

I have spent a good deal of my life struggling with people-pleasing. I have wanted people to like me, to accept me, to approve of me. I have wanted the people around me to be happy. At times, I have even gone along with things that I was uncomfortable with in order to keep the peace or avoid disappointing someone. I don't like rocking the boat. I don't want to upset people. I hate discord.

Some of this may have to do with my childhood (at risk of sounding hackneyed). Like many of us, I was teased, and sometimes even bullied, as a child. I had an idiosyncratic, quirky personality. I was a perpetual dreamer. I was painfully shy. These things combined to make me an easy target. And as things generally go with school children, a number of kids took aim. Because my daydreaming caused me to be scatterbrained and accident prone, when anything went wrong in the classroom—like a poster falling off the wall or something—all 26 kids would chant my name in unison, joking that everything was always my fault. To them it was funny, to me it was collective shaming.

For years, I felt like a misfit and a mistake. These experiences likely contributed to my childhood eagerness to please others and to fit in. And during my teens this desire gave rise to a whole series of sin issues as you can imagine.

Now in my 40s, I am less insecure than in my teens and 20s. By God's grace my confidence, being rooted in Christ, has grown. By God's grace, I am happily married with three kids. By God's grace, I've distanced myself from negative, judgmental, over-critical people and have been blessed with edifying relationships—with friends and family who encourage me and build me up in Christ while allowing me to do the same for them. This doesn't mean everything is perfect (far from it!), but it does make for a healthier spiritual environment. And for this answer to prayer, I am very, very thankful.

But every now and then, the fear of condemnation and disapproval still sneaks in. I still struggle with the people-pleasing urge from time-to-time. And I've noticed that it's when I start making things more about me, and less about Him that the niggling temptation creeps back in.

As a recovering people-pleaser, I especially dislike posting an article that I know a number of people will be offended by, or won't agree with...but then the Holy Spirit pricks my conscience and I am still prompted to publish it. I pray over it, I post it...and then I wince.

I wince because writing on the Christian worldview, apologetics, and matters of biblical discernment will always ruffle some feathers and touch some nerves. I wince because I know it's not likely to be a popular point of view. I wince because...well...I am still in recovery, after all!

And in our anything-goes culture of relativism in which the "just do you" mantra carries way more weight than the "die to self" one, biblical discernment is not a trendy topic. It requires humility, raw honesty, and vulnerability—all things that are challenging for a recovering people-pleaser like me. And all things that are currently not en vogue in our post-modern culture (don't get duped by those humble braggers on social media!).

Suffice it to say, it's hard to go against the cultural flow when you're a recovering people-pleaser.

The thing is, the Christian worldview is offensive. This is because the Bible is offensive...and what Jesus said was offensive...and what the apostles wrote, and stood for, was offensive. For, "as it is written, 'Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.'" (Rom 9:33).

As the above verse illustrates, the gospel is essentially both loving and offensive at the same time. For, "this is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4;10). In other words, the slaughter of God's own Son illuminates both the magnitude of His love for us as well as the seriousness of our sin—sin that can only be ransomed by Jesus' death on the Cross. The gospel, then, shows us that we’re more loved than we ever could have dreamed, yet we're more sinful than we ever imagined. And the latter can be an unpalatable, repugnant thing to the post-modern palate. Especially when the world constantly tells us otherwise...

While the world might whisper sweet nothings in our ear, however, remember that godly love—pure, divine love—is not of this world. And so the world does not recognize it. Therefore, if you are speaking the truth in love, then you may find that you are pegged as hateful or judgmental in a world that is hostile to Christ—sometimes even by other Christians.

While this is unfortunate, it should not be surprising, however. As Jesus said, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matt 10:34). The doubled-edged sword of God's Word will separate bone and marrow and cut to the heart. And so, God's truth may hurt at times. It can be tough to hear, just as it can be tough to profess. But in the end, it's all about pleasing God, not people.

The truth is, people-pleasing is motivated by pride. It's fueled by a desire to feel needed, to be liked, to be popular, to gain worldly significance, or to advance a personal agenda. In essence, it's an insidious form of idolatry, which places the love of oneself before God.

As a recovering people-pleaser, then, I constantly need to check my motives... Am I speaking, writing, working, serving, etc., for my own self-determined ends, or for God's glory? Am I speaking, writing, working, serving, etc. with my love for God and for people as my motivation? Or is it all about me?

Here's what I find I need to keep reminding myself: love and truth cannot be separated. God is love, just as He is truth. (1 John 4:8; John 14:6). He cannot be divided. In this vein, if I am seeking to love God and love people, I need to be truthful—I need to hold fast to God's Word.

It is selfless love, then, that urges us to speak truth—with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). For, you can't claim to love and follow Jesus, while rejecting or distorting His Word. 

In light of this, here are twelve suggestions for recovering people-pleasers, like me, who endeavor to speak truth in love:

1. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will pray first, and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in discerning when we should speak and when we should remain silent. Sometimes, I have found that holding my tongue with regards to a friend's sinful pattern of behavior and praying for him has born more fruit than if I had confronted him right then and there. And we should certainly err on the side of showing grace to someone who is suffering from clinical depression or mental illness. (Prayer, support, and healing should come before truth in these cases). We will have compassion (Col 3:12), be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry (James 1:19).

2. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will be humble and patient. It's easy to tip the balance from speaking the truth in love to nagging people or chastising them. I know how it feels to be the recipient of a judgmental attack instead of gentle admonishment out of love. In my life, I have needed to be nudged in the direction of righteousness, but when this was done gently, I did not feel under attack.

3. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we should also live by example. If we are truly humble, we will have a teachable heart ourselves and allow others the same freedom to speak truth to us when needed. Speaking the truth should go both ways! We have to be willing not only to give it but to receive it as well!

4. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will be sure to check our motive: is it to prove we are right about something, or to point that person, church, or ministry back to the gospel from which they've strayed? Is speaking the truth in this situation necessary to guard against false teaching? Are we holding a friend accountable, with gentleness and humility, for their own good or is it more about venting our personal grievances? If it is for their good, or the good of the Kingdom, then we must speak up. (And if there is no repentance, 1 Corinthians 5 provides a biblical model for how to confront immorality in the church).

5. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will treat the sin of unbelievers differently from the sin of Christians (1 Cor 5:12-13). Unbelievers are not held to the same standards as those who are born again, because they are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit and have not yet been made new in Christ. We cannot hold unbelievers to biblical standards that they don't yet believe in or are not yet aware of. We should love them, pray for them, and witness to them about the hope that is in Christ—not focus on their sins before they have been given new eyes to see.

6. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will draw a distinction between sin in our culture and the sin of an individual, standing firmly (but not always loudly) against the former, and showing grace towards the latter—being unwavering in the truth always. We will handle hot-button, controversial issues like homosexuality and transgenderism with humility, dignity, and conviction. We will speak out against societal and cultural sin, defending the sanctity of marriage—but we will not lambaste the gay community by taking to the streets with signs around our necks or ranting hatefully. That is truth without love. The end goal of speaking the truth in love is not to criticize, condemn, or win an argument. It is to point others to Christ. You can't berate or picket someone into that.

7. On the flip-side, if selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will not sugar-coat God's Word, dilute it with touchy-feely emotionalism, downplay the seriousness of sin, or turn a blind eye to false teaching. These are forms of people-pleasing. Doing these things may respectively earn you popularity, garner more Facebook likes, create a comfortable atmosphere, or cobble together some semblance of unity. But what is unity without Christ at its center? What is comfort without hope? And what is popularity in a temporal world?

8. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will be compelled to contend for the faith. For example, the Apostle Paul, an expert apologist, debated in the synagogues to save souls. Jude urged believers to contend tirelessly for the faith (Jude 1:3). Peter admonished us always to be ready to give an answer as to why our hope is in Christ (1 Peter 3:15). Paul exhorted us to guard our doctrine closely (1 Timothy 4:16). Unequivocally, it is our duty to defend and uphold Biblical truth. And it is our love of God and His Word that will fuel this. John Piper puts it this way, "There are truths about God and Christ and man and the church and the world which are essential to the life of Christianity. If they are lost or distorted, the result will not be merely wrong ideas but misplaced trust. The inner life of faith is not independent from the doctrinal statement of faith. When doctrine goes bad, so do hearts. There is a body of doctrine which must be preserved."

9. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will promote unity in Christ. We will uphold biblical truth to strengthen the Church (as Ephesians 4:15-16 illustrates), even though there may be those that fall away as a result. While we will defend the doctrine of salvation, however, we will also remember that Satan wants to cause unnecessary division among believers. Some Christians get all wrapped around the axle about peripheral matters like whether or not to have a Christmas tree due to its "pagan origins" or whether or not to let our kids believe in Santa, and then lambaste other Christians who don't have the same perspective. But these minor issues distract us from what really matters. We can also be over-critical of our fellow believers, obsessing over each other's differences and flaws, which can lead to pride, hatred, and division. If we are selfless, we may not win the peripheral argument, but we will glorify God.

10. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will speak up when it comes to matters of salvation. Jesus did not beat around the bush when it came to this. He mentioned hell 23 times as is recorded in the Gospels. When Jesus went to dinner at a Pharisee's home, for example, He told the Pharisees, "Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering." (Luke 11:52). Not exactly cordial dinner conversation! Jesus was far more concerned with speaking the truth to them than sparing their feelings and sticking to safe topics of discussion. The disciples came to Jesus and told Him the Pharisees were offended by what He had been saying (Matt 15:12). But, Jesus answered that the Pharisees’ failure to see the truth right in front of them would be their downfall and He continued to uphold the truth, even when it offended people.

11. If selfless love is our motive for speaking the truth, we will be truthful even when interacting with the rich and powerful. When a rich young ruler ran up to Jesus and fell on his knees before Him, asking “Good teacher…what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17), Jesus spoke forthrightly and told him to leave everything he had and follow Him. The man went away sadly because he had great wealth (Mark 10:22). But the Bible also tells us that, “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” (Mark 10:21). It was because Jesus loved the man so much that He spoke the truth to him. By speaking the truth to Him, Jesus did not try to win him over right then and there. He didn't tell him what he wanted to hear in order to gain a new follower, even an influential, wealthy one. Likewise, if we really love someone selflessly, we too will be truthful with them—even if they run away because of it.

12. If selfless love is our motive for speaking truth, we will fearlessly defend the weak and the oppressed. By faith we are called to be administrators of justice (Heb 11:33) and to correct oppression (Isa 17:1). We will advocate for the widow and the fatherless. We will pray for, and raise awareness about, the persecuted Church. We will speak up on behalf of those who cannot do so for themselves—including the unborn.

...Ultimately, people-pleasing isn't loving or serving others. It's temporary convenience without conviction. It's temporary happiness without hope. It's temporary popularity without promise. It's temporary status without soul.

When Paul rebuked people-pleasing in his first letter to the Thessalonians, he was evidently aware that it perpetuates the human desire to be cozy in the world, gives rise to false teaching, enables sin, and usurps the authority of God.

As a recovering people-pleaser, (who still backslides from time-to-time), I know that writing on matters of discernment (which the Bible itself emphasizes!) will likely gain me more enemies than friends. Despite this, however, I would rather seek to please God who tests my heart, not people!  I would rather cling to Christ in a world that has rejected Him, whether it's offensive to others or not.

...even if I still wince once-in-a-while!

Gay Marriage and the New Normal: Should Christians Judge Others?

When asked the general question, "Should Christians judge others?" many Christians quickly answer, "no." Due to the endless fight against hypocrisy and legalism in our churches, and perhaps in an effort to disassociate ourselves from the antiquated "hellfire" approach of relatively recent history, many Christians today want to throw off their reputation for being judgmental and dogmatic. When hot-button, celebrity-studded stories of gender transitioning and violated LGBTQ[1] rights dominate the headlines against a cultural backdrop of political correctness and moral relativism, many of us are reluctant to speak up. The world has already pegged Christians as closed-minded, rigid, and bigoted (and in a few cases, rightly so). Why would we want to perpetuate this unflattering portrayal any further? Besides, isn't it more Christ-like to love, and not condemn, our neighbors?

In fact, a growing number of Christian leaders are now discouraging a biblical discussion of such issues so as not to alienate people from the Church or be deemed insensitive. Megachurch pastor, Andy Stanley, for example, has called for churches to be the "safest" place in the world for gay people. Indeed, many practicing gay members attend his "seeker-friendly" church in Georgia (one of the largest megachurches in the country). Stanley's approach in befriending the LGBTQ community, stands in direct contrast to his father's, Pastor Charles Stanley, who has caused much ire within the gay community for openly calling out homosexuality as a sinful lifestyle. A similar outlook has been expressed by Jen Hatmaker—a pastor's wife, reality TV star, and popular mom-blogger—who put it this way when it comes to gay marriage: "We do not need any more inflammatory soldiers in the culture wars; we need more thought leaders who are slower to publicly condemn their faithful [practicing gay] brothers and sisters and quicker to invite reason and dialogue to the table."[2]

Admittedly, the Christian community itself is far from immune to sexual scandal. The Church has been dogged by story after debauched story of sex crimes and abuse...from former National Association of Evangelical president and megachurch pastor, Ted Haggard, sleeping with a male prostitute and taking crystal meth to countless sexual abuse and rape cover-ups such as those coming to light in Christian campuses like Bob Jones University, Pensacola Christian College, and Cedarville University, the list goes on. And on the heels of mortifying headlines involving the Duggars, any judgment from within the Church against the LGBTQ lifestyle raises the bright red flag of hypocrisy in the eyes of many. In the face of all this, who are we to judge?

And so, more and more well-intentioned Christians are setting out to be inclusive, unoffensive, accepting, and tolerant. They strive to love their neighbor without passing judgment. For isn't this what Jesus meant, when He said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”?

Not exactly. While it's tempting to come up with a quick, soundbitey answer to the question, there's a little more to it than that. As always, a comprehensive and contextual reading of the passage is needed to discern what Scripture is actually saying here. Jesus said, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (Matt 7:1-5). In the passage, Jesus is denouncing self-righteous, hypocritical judgment of others without having a repentant, humble heart oneself.

A similar lesson is taught by Paul to the Roman believers, "So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother." (Rom 14:12-13). Paul is rebuking unfair judgment of others in the context of quarreling over divisive, legalistic matters, as the Romans had been doing.

We see the same lesson echoed in the epistle of James: "Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, He who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?" (James 4:11-12). The act of wrongfully judging here is discussed in the context of speaking evil against other believers—as opposed to building one another up by speaking the truth in love.

In this vein, Scripture is clear that we are not to judge another person's standing before God or their salvation, for only God can truly know the condition of a person's heart; Paul writes, "Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God." (1 Cor 4:5).

But as we look further into Scripture, we find that many times we are actually called to judge others. Paul, for example, urged the Corinthians in no uncertain terms that they were to judge the immoral behavior of those within their church; "Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. 'Purge the evil person from among you.'" (1 Cor 5:12-13). And in the passage above from Mathew's Gospel, when Jesus calls us to first examine ourselves and to repent of our own sin, He goes on to indicate that this is the prerequisite for correctly judging the sin of a brother (Matt 7:5).

In fact, Jesus consistently encourages us to exercise righteous judgment, repeatedly warning us to watch out for false prophets in our midst, for example. And Paul tells us to "test everything" (1 Thess 5:21); We are to judge every teaching, holding it up against God's Word, like the "noble" Berean Jews were commended for in the Book of Acts. For Scripture warns us that, "the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4). It is crucial, then, that we cling to sound judgment in a world of deceit in which Satan masquerades as an angle of light (2 Cor 11:13-15).

In response to the Jews who judged Him wrongly for healing a man on the Sabbath, Jesus said, "Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly." (John 7:24). And so, it is not the act of judging others itself that Jesus condemns, but it is the nature of, or heart-motivation for, that judgment with which He is concerned.




Judgmentalism Versus Sound Judgment

Throughout Scripture, there is a clear distinction drawn between two contrasting natures of judgment; judgmentalism (being excessively critical) is decried, while sound judgment (exercising wise discernment) is strongly prescribed. While humility is at the essence of sound judgment, judgmentalism is motivated by pride. Sound judgment is permeated with an acute awareness that it is by God's grace that we are saved, so that we cannot boast in our own strength. We can exercise sound, righteous judgment purely because our righteousness is in Christ. Judgmentalism, however, is self-righteous—and is not, therefore, of God.

Jesus made this clear when he said to those who were muttering about Him in the temple, "If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of Him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood." (John 7:17-18). Jesus demonstrates here that judgmentalism is motivated by the pursuit of self-glory, whereas sound judgment is motivated by a desire for God's glory.

Because, as children of God, we are able to judge righteously, the way we judge each other will be different from the way we judge the fallen, unrighteous world. For Scripture also draws a careful distinction between the different contexts of judgment in addition to the different natures of judgment. It's useful to take a deeper look at how Scripture treats these contexts before we can provide a complete and biblical answer to the question: should Christians judge others

Context: Judging Other Believers

While there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Rom 8:1), there does need to be accountability among believers. Jesus taught that if a believer sees another believer sinning, it is his Christian duty to [lovingly and respectfully] confront him about his sin in private. If the believer doesn't listen, Jesus taught that the church should then be involved. And if he still doesn't listen, he should be treated as someone outside of the church—like a "pagan" or "tax collector" (Matt 18:15-17). In other words, he should be treated like someone who is lost.

This in no way implies we should pretend everything's okay and smooth things over when a sinning believer is unrepentant. We should forgive that person, yes. But not reconcile with that person. As demonstrated by the parable of the prodigal son, it is when sincere repentance occurs that reconciliation can follow. Forgiveness, on the other hand, is not contingent on repentance. We are all sinners. We should extend the same grace and forgiveness to others that God has extended to us. There is an important distinction between forgiveness and reconciliation.

A common mistake Christians make, however, is to confuse the act of incorrectly, unfairly judging another (which Jesus exposes in John 7) with that of holding another accountable (which He lays out in Matthew 18). The end-goal of the former is alienation and revenge; the end-goal of the latter is the hope for repentance and reconciliation.

Again, it's the motivation behind our judgment of another believer that really matters. If we aren't primarily motivated by our love of God and others, we can too easily be over-critical of other Christians or harsh with our handling of the truth. If our motive is to prove that we are right about something, to take out our insecurities on someone else, or to undermine another believer who has hurt us, we are being wrongfully judgmental. But if our motivation is to gently point that person back to the truth from which they may have strayed, and admonish them with the hope they have in Christ, our judgment of them is righteous. As Jesus lays out for us, we are to first examine ourselves with humility, before judging another (Matt 7:1-5). And we need to ask ourselves: am I judging for self-gain or God's glory?

Exercising righteous judgment is necessarily merciful, "for judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." (Jas 2:13). This is the essence of the gospel, isn't it? So, we are to judge sin, but always with the goal of presenting the gospel-centered solution for that sin in the atoning love of Christ (John 14:6; 2 Cor 5:17).

And exercising righteous judgment involves patience. It calls for us to be slow to speak and quick to listen. It's important not to tip the balance from speaking the truth in love into nit-picking at people or hitting them over the head with THE TRUTH. If our love of God and people is our main motive for judging others, this should cause us to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in discerning when we should speak and when we should remain silent. Sometimes, I have found that holding my tongue with regards to a friend's sinful pattern of behavior and praying for them has born more fruit than if I had confronted them right then and there. And we should certainly have patience with some one who is suffering from depression or mental illness—it's important to recognize where no-strings support should begin, and accountability end, in these cases.

As exercisers of sound judgment, we should also live by example. If we are truly humble, we will have a teachable heart ourselves and allow others the same freedom to speak truth to us when needed. Exercising judgment should go both ways! We have to be willing not only to give it, but to receive it as well, remembering always that the end-goal is not a guilt-trip, but repentance and, where possible, reconciliation.

So how do we handle LGBTQ issues within the Church? 1 Corinthians 5 provides a great model for how to confront sexual immorality among Christians; Paul exhorts the Corinthian believers to purge the evil from their church by not associating themselves with the couple who were engaging in a sexually immoral (incestuous) relationship, until they repented.

With regards, then, to practicing homosexuals who are professing Christians, the method of welcoming them in without gently holding them accountable, doesn't seem to gel with 1 Corinthians 5 or Matthew 18. It's important to show them love, yes. But what does love look like in this context? Is it acting as if there's no issue with their lifestyle and making church a "safe" place to remain as they are? Is it tolerating the open practice of sexual sin within the church, whether it be promiscuity, infidelity, incest, pornography, or homosexuality?

The truth is, it is not unloving to hold a believer accountable for his or her sinful lifestyle (whatever form it may take). To leave believers trapped in a sinful lifestyle without consequence is unloving. With all due respect to Pastor Andy Stanley, Scripture does not call for churches to be the "safest" place in the world for those practicing homosexuality. Most loving, yes. Safest, no. Because what may feel "safe" to those trapped in a sinful lifestyle, isn't often what's best for them; heart convictions can be unsettling, and dying to self, uncomfortable. But the Lord disciplines those He loves (Heb 12:6; Prov 3:12). In the same way, we should hold those we love accountable for their sinful lifestyle.

On the flip-side, it's important to let go of any bitterness or hatred against gay Christians that could become a foothold for Satan in our own hearts. God's wrath is enough. Instead, we should fear for their hardened, confused, or unrepentant hearts and pray for them.

But, when it comes to those who've committed very disturbing crimes like child-abuse, we need to act—and fast. For as Christians we are to be upholders of justice (Heb 11:33) and to correct oppression (Isa 17:1), contending for the weak, poor, and vulnerable members of our society. Therefore, we should always judge child-abusers righteously and hold them accountable for their actions—whoever they are. Sex-offenders and child-abusers should immediately be reported to legal authorities to face the consequences for their crimes. And the onus should never be placed on the victim to reconcile with the abuser. (If this does occur, it has to be at the behest of the victim, not the abuser or the church). And abusers should never, ever be protected or concealed by the Church as the Roman Catholic Church was accused of doing a few years ago when archbishops, cardinals, and bishops allegedly harbored known pedophile and ephebophile priests, relocating them to other parishes while keeping their identities secret—and allowing countless other children to be victimized as a result. This was not only shockingly poor judgment on part of the church leadership, but an inexcusable travesty of justice.

The same sadly goes for then 14- and 15-year-old Josh Duggar; his parents should have reported the multiple incidents of sexual abuse of several minors to police immediately, not have dealt with it all secretly behind church walls, and proceeded to wait over a year to alert local authorities. I am not questioning whether or not Josh was rehabilitated or counseled effectively here. He should have had church counseling (although widely accused sex-offender Bill Gothard's Quiverfull ministry hardly seems the appropriate place for this—not to mention the personal friend and ex-cop the Duggars enlisted to talk to Josh at the time who is now in prison for child-pornography). I am questioning the fact that Christians yet again concealed a sex-crime instead of handling it transparently and with sound judgment. Josh needed to face the consequences for his crimes as a member of society, not just as a member of the church. This may sound harsh, but it is sadly what his grave mistakes called for. The mess that this tragic situation became was, in my opinion, the result of an unhealthy, cult-like form of closed-doors Christianity, which the Quiverfull movement, and the Roman Catholic Church, have sadly represented in these cases.

Accountability between believers, therefore, involves sound, prayerful, and principled judgment—sound judgment of both the sin itself and the fitting consequence of that sin, as well as an understanding of when it is a church-matter, and when it is a matter for local authorities.

In addition to practicing peer-to-peer accountability between believers, Jesus warns us to watch out for false teachers in our midst. As mentioned above, we are each called to guard the faith with courage and conviction and to "test everything." I like how Paul words this to Timothy when he writes, "Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge." (1 Tim 6:20).

While we should pray for our pastors and honor their positions of authority, we must also hold them accountable to preach, and not stray from, God's Word. Pastors, theologians, Christian speakers and writers are all fallible. While we should never be witch-hunters, we do need to watchmen, encouraging our leaders to stand firm in the faith, and fight the good fight in the spirit of loving encouragement.

Ultimately, if Christians were not to pass judgment on false teaching, foolishness, and sinfulness, nor to discern good from evil, we would become far more like the world, and a lot less like Christ.

Context: Judging the World

And so, in a fallen world that loves the lie, and hates the truth that is Jesus Christ (John 15:18), how should believers apply righteous judgment?

2 Timothy 4:2 instructs us, "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage, with great patience and careful instruction." If we are to correct and rebuke, we are by extension to proclaim what God's Word says about sin. And we are to do this with gentleness and respect—pointing sinners to the hope they have in Christ.

We should, however, treat the sin of unbelievers differently from the sin of Christians. Unbelievers are not held to the same standards as those who are born again, because they are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit, do not subscribe to biblical principles, and have not yet been made new in Christ. This is why we can't judge them in the same way as we judge other believers. As Paul said, "Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside." (1 Cor 5:12-13). We should reach out to unbelievers, pray for them, speak the truth in love to them, and witness to them—not obsess over their unbiblical behavior. Ultimately, God wants to draw them to Himself, not for us to condemn them mercilessly. For of course, the old adage, hate the sin, not the sinner, comes in to play here.

But the reality is, our culture celebrates sin. Our children are growing up in a new era in which Christianity is more counter-cultural than ever before. Sexual immorality is unashamedly lauded in the mainstream media. Homosexuality is celebrated on Emmy-winning TV shows like Modern Family, for example, which received mass acclaim for airing an "historic" gay marriage proposal...Bruce Jenner is dubbed a "hero" for adorning his body with breast implants and wearing women's clothing...Promiscuity is promoted everywhere we look.

Sexual immorality is becoming so deeply embedded into the fabric of our society that it's hard to distinguish it anymore as we become increasingly desensitized to it. The shock-factor we felt back in the 80s when celebrities like Madonna first flaunted their sexuality so controversially has less impact now that an anything-goes mentality so widely prevails. We might have talked briefly about the antics of Miley Cyrus last year, but she's just one of the many skin-baring, hip-gyrating young stars stooping to new moral lows in the name of "being themselves." These young women are selling their bodies, and people are buying in droves.

As Christians, we are certainly called to go against the cultural tide when it comes to sexual purity. Paul was forthright in his treatment of sexual immortality, including homosexuality; he stated unequivocally, “do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor 6:9-10). Clearly, sin is serious in the eyes of God. It should be serious in our own eyes as well.

It's not about performing some machine-gun style of evangelism, however, that bombards people with threats of fire and brimstone or a Westboro Baptist-like approach to attacking homosexuality in our society. Crazy people such as these can make us want to distance ourselves from speaking the truth about sin at all for fear of being associated with such hateful bigotry and extreme kookiness.

Certainly, we should focus on the good news of the gospel—not obsess over the bad news of sin. However, sharing the gospel necessitates an acknowledgment of the gravity of sin. If we don't acknowledge the consequence of sin (separation from God), then we can't proclaim the gospel-solution (reconciliation to God). For without hell, there is no need for salvation. Sharing the gospel involves shedding light on (not detracting from) each person's life-and-death need to receive the free gift of redemption. It involves embracing our freedom in Christ and dying to the desires of the flesh. Unless we understand that sin leads to death, the gospel doesn't make any sense—or it becomes a false gospel. We simply can't brush sin under the rug.

Furthermore, lack of righteous judgment when it comes to sin leads to enablement. And enablement leads to hopelessness. A common misapplication of Jesus' commandment against judging others is to avoid calling sin, sin, altogether. It is this misunderstanding of Scripture that helps fuel the growing trend in the Christian church today to keep things "PC." A growing number of Church leaders are shying away from addressing polarizing issues of right and wrong that could cause division in their congregations or scare people away.

But as uncomfortable as we may find these culturally controversial topics, we must, when the opportunity presents itself, speak the truth as Jesus did with loving concern. To ignore or down-play sin is tantamount to telling people they have no need for a Savior.

Jesus certainly didn't mince His words when it came to matters of sin and its fatal consequences. He mentioned hell 23 times as is recorded in the Gospels. And when He went to dinner at a Pharisee's home, He told the Pharisees, "Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering." (Luke 11:52) Not exactly cordial dinner conversation! Jesus was far more concerned with speaking the truth to them about their sinful hearts than sparing their feelings and sticking to safe topics of discussion. When the disciples came to Jesus and told Him the Pharisees were offended by what He had been saying, Jesus answered that the Pharisees’ failure to see the truth right in front of them would be their downfall and He continued to uphold the truth, even when it offended people (Matt 15:12). It is this that is Christ-like behavior! Not the benign, feel-good version of worldly "love" that is tossed about today as "Christ-like."

For when a rich young man ran up to Jesus and fell on his knees before Him, asking, “Good teacher…what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus spoke forthrightly, telling him to leave everything he had and follow Him. Jesus was exposing an area of sin—a heart-problem—in the man. And the man went away sadly because he had great wealth. But the Bible also tells us that, “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” (Mark 10:17-21). It was because Jesus loved the man so much that He spoke the truth to him about his sin. He didn't try to win him over right then and there. He didn't tell him what he wanted to hear in order to make him feel "safe" and gain a new follower. Instead, Jesus wanted the man to hear what was good for him. If we really love someone unconditionally and self-sacrificially, we will want to be truthful with them even if they reject us because of it.

So, how should we handle tough, hot-button issues like homosexuality? Firstly, it is important to make the distinction between sin in our culture and the sin of individuals. In short, we should stand firmly against the former, and show grace towards the latter, without compromising on the truth in either context.

When my friend, Julie, was attending beauty school in New Jersey a few years ago, she was confronted with what many Christians would consider to be a particularly challenging question. Knowing she was a Christian, one of her fellow students asked her: "So, do you think I am going to hell because I am gay?" But, Julie answered his question simply and without hesitation: "No. I think you are going to hell because you are a sinner, just like I am. I would be going to hell too if my sins weren't covered by the blood of Christ."[3] Julie's Spirit-led response demonstrated the humility, truthfulness, and love that the gospel demands. She didn't try to finesse it, or pretty it up. She set forth the truth gently and plainly, and left the rest to God. In other words, Julie's response reflected sound judgment.

But, the question is: what is to become of sound judgment such as this in a culture that has replaced "traditional values" with the "new normal"?

Sound Judgment and the New Normal

Due to the continued integration of progressive views into the ideological, political, and social fabric of our society, it will undoubtedly become more and more challenging for Christians to live out our faith biblically. (In some cases, Christians have already been penalized legally for doing so). At the start of 2010, the Obama administration included gender identity among the classes protected against discrimination under the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). On July 1, 2011, the EEOC ruled that job discrimination against lesbians, gays, and bisexuals constituted a form of sex-stereotyping and thus violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. On April 20, 2012, the EEOC went further and ruled that gender identity was also a protected class under the ban on sex discrimination found in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. On July 21, 2014, President Obama signed Executive Order 13672, adding "gender identity" and "sexual orientation" to the categories protected against employment discrimination in the federal civilian workforce including government contractors and sub-contractors. It is not out of the realm of possibility that in ten years or so, churches that refuse to officiate gay weddings, will be in danger of losing their 501c3 status.

In the face of these developments, certain influential megachurches could be headed in the direction of capitulating on the issue of traditional marriage. A few seem already to be laying the groundwork for this by seeking to be safe-houses for practicing homosexuals, who are being treated as a special group—a different class of people from pedophiles, adulterers, and pornography-addicts, etc.

The fact is, sound judgment is under attack both inside and outside of the Church. Feelings and experiences are trumping reason and discernment. Emotions rule. Nebulous concepts such as, "Christians shouldn't judge others," are thrown about lazily. Shallow statements like, "don't judge!" are becoming coined phrases. It's sloppy theology at it worst. And it's causing many believers to lose their biblical bearings.

There is an alternative to either bigotry (which is rooted in judgmentalism) or capitulation (which lacks any judgment at all) in our response to culturally controversial issues like gay marriage. That alternative is to exercise sound judgment based on biblical truth. Sound judgment, being motivated by our love of God and of others, is patient and merciful while uncompromisingly just and truthful. Sound judgment is merciful because it doesn't gloss over sin, but instead offers hope and redemption in the washing away of that sin in the blood of Christ.

It is important that believers who uphold biblical inerrancy continue to stand firm on the solid rock of God's Word even if a growing number of Christian leaders are not. Be prepared. Take courage. It's going to be an uphill battle. But don't lose heart. Jesus has already overcome the world.

Jesus exhibited sound judgment. Certainly, then, so should we. If we don't, who will?

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1. or LGBT, or GLBT, or LGBTI...or whichever your preferred alphabet-soup initialism
2. http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2014/03/25/world-vision-gay-marriage-and-a-different-way-through
3. Paraphrased