Be Afraid of Yourself: A Plea to Christian Men

By Shane Morris

Another prominent Christian leader has confessed to inappropriate behavior with two young women on his ministry’s staff, and resigned. It’s the latest stroke in a seemingly endless drumbeat of similar confessions and resignations. The list of Christian men in ministry, whether pastors or apologists or speakers or authors, who have been caught in the net of sexual sin over the last few years is dizzying. It’s nauseating. It’s a punch in the gut.

Whatever the actual statistics, the merciless repetition of pastor after author after apologist toppling for the same avoidable failures of the flesh gives the impression that sexual sin is eating the church alive. Pastors are now less trusted by the public than daycare providers, doctors, military officers, or grade school teachers.

There’s no appropriate reaction to this parade of scandals that does not start with falling on our faces before God and begging for mercy. We’re in bad shape, and we need Divine help. We’re supposed to be a “city on a hill,” but those watching the American church right now probably see a mosquito-infested pond. This is cause for grief and repentance. It may even be time to take those biblical references to sackcloth and ashes literally, again.

The Enemy Is Me

But there’s more to be said, and more work to do than just repentance. It’s time for a revolution in the way Christian men see ourselves. We’ve had our chance to prove our mettle against sexual temptation. And we’ve failed, miserably. Even though many individual leaders of integrity remain, we have collectively proven ourselves incapable of acting in private in accord with the morals we profess in public. Sin is gobbling us up at an unsustainable and unconscionable rate, and swallowing our ministries, churches, and life work along with us. Something has to change.

Here’s my modest proposal: Men, it’s time to stop trusting ourselves. Stop trusting in your integrity and strength. Stop telling yourself that you would never surrender to temptation. Stop telling yourself you are better than the scores of Christian luminaries whose lives and families have disappeared in scandal. There is no moral chasm between them and you. You are not made of finer clay. Each of us is just one bad decision away from becoming the next stroke in the nauseating drumbeat of the church’s public failures.

Let me say this dramatically to get my message across: You should get to the point where you are afraid to be in a room alone with yourself. I’m not kidding. As Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry put it, we have met the enemy and he is us. The devil isn’t chiefly responsible for Christian leaders sacrificing their witness for momentary indulgence. We give him far too much credit, here. He probably has to do very little to get us to topple. As Uncle Screwtape quipped, “It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.”

And what the devil has kept out of our minds for too long is this: We are weak. We are usually no match for sexual temptation. It pummels us, especially when we’re certain we can get away with giving in. If you still think you have the integrity to deal with its onslaught on your own, I can only ask how many more high-profile resignations it will take for you to abandon your delusion and save yourself.

Have the Courage to Run

Christian men, it’s time we stopped trying to be heroes. It’s time we stopped going it alone. It’s time we recognized how muscular the monster of sexual sin really is. It’s time we had the courage to run.

That’s right–run.

Scripture says to flee sexual immorality. As in, turn tail and retreat. I don’t think we’ve spent nearly enough time considering what this might mean. We remind me sometimes of the Eloi in H. G. Wells’ “The Time Machine,”–a smiling, peaceful people whose screams fill the night as the Morlocks come to drag another one of us to their dinner table. And like the Eloi, we seem to have forgotten it all by morning. After each victim is dragged into the darkness, we go on with our lives as if nothing has happened–as if hairy, hungry monsters aren’t returning for us come nightfall.

Sexual sin derives much of its destructive power from this notion that each pastor or evangelist who falls into its clutches is a fluke–that there is no essential connection in the seemingly endless chain of moral failings by Christian leaders. “It could never happen to me,” we seem to be telling ourselves, “so I don’t need to do anything differently.”

This might be true if the enemy were out there. But he’s not. He’s in here. I am my own worst nightmare. The more alone I am with myself, the greater danger I am in. The more convinced my baser instincts become that they can enjoy one, small indulgence, the more certain it becomes that I will dive headlong into iniquity and eventually be discovered, to the ruin of the family, church, or institution I love.

Don’t Try to Argue with Yourself

Oh, I know. You think you will be able to hide it. You tell yourself, “just this once.” You remind yourself that “everybody messes up, and besides, I deserve to cut loose a little.”

You have already lost your life at this moment. Your concupiscent morlocks already have their claws in you. Before you even commit the act, or open your browser, or steal that sweet kiss, you are doomed. The act is just the terms of surrender. You are walking yourself into the death camp and choosing your guillotine.

Even your victories can turn to defeat. The battle may be going well. You may have defeated sexual temptation on your own, a few times. You may be reaping the blessings of obedience. You have the trust and admiration of those you love. They place you on a pedestal. They strive to imitate your integrity. You are a model Christian. Then you start pacing the parapets at night. A woman on her rooftop catches your eye. The next morning, it’s all over.

Defeating this inner monster and stopping or at least slowing the nauseating drumbeat means doing more than living with our shields at the ready. It means more than cultivating inner virtue and habits of the heart, though these are important. It means being able to see the beginnings of temptation, to catch its shadow coming around the corner, and run. It means recognizing that you cannot beat it. You cannot stand against it on your own. Look how many better men than you have fallen! It means fleeing to where you know there are reinforcements, where the hosts of Heaven are strongest. It means dialing up a trusted confidant in Christ the moment desire is born, before it even matures to lingering thoughts, much less into full temptation!

Don’t try to reason yourself out of your attraction to that coworker. Flee to a brother who will tell you that what you’re feeling can never be allowed to flower. Find someone who will tell you that you must not even suffer such feelings to survive–someone who will help you stomp them out without mercy. “A man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

A New Attitude

What I am proposing is something a little more radical than accountability partners. It is a fundamentally different attitude toward ourselves, one of everlasting mistrust and suspicion. Do not trust yourself. Do not believe in yourself. Do not even turn your back on yourself. Do not dare keep a secret.

This goes against everything our culture tells us, I know. And it goes against something still stronger than our culture: our pride, as men. We want to be seen as self-sufficient and strong. We want to be immovable rocks for God. But I am convinced that any man who thinks this way will become lunch-meat for the first sexual temptation that strikes him. You cannot stand on your own. You will not. None of us can, consistently, and reliably. That’s why God gave us the Church. That’s why He gave us each other.

Run, men. You are no match for yourselves

All Hail The Power of Jesus's Name:

After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high . . . (Hebrews 1:3)

Imagine that moment when Jesus first sat down on heaven’s throne.

Having taken on our full flesh and blood, lived among us, died sacrificially for us, and risen in triumph, defeating sin and death, he ascended to heaven, pioneering our way, as human, into the very presence of God his Father. Then Jesus stepped forward toward the throne, all heaven captive with history’s great coronation, a ceremony so glorious that even the most extravagant of earthly coronations can barely reflect it.

Most of us today don’t even have the categories for the kind of pomp and circumstance that accompanied coronations in the ancient world. We’ve never witnessed an entire kingdom harness all its collective wealth and skill to put on a once-in-a-generation tribute to the glory of its leader. The extravagance communicates the importance of the person and his position. Royal weddings, no doubt, have their splendor, but the ascending of a new King to the throne, and that solemn moment of placing on his head the crown that signaled his power, is without equal.

And yet all the majesty of history’s most grandiose coronations now have been dwarfed by the heavenly finale to which the greatest of earthly ceremonies were but the faintest of shadows.

Crown Him Lord of All

The first chapter of Hebrews gives us a glimpse into this coronation of Christ, this moment when the God-man is formally crowned Lord of all. First, the scene is set: “After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3).

Then Hebrews quotes from Psalm 2, which was a psalm of coronation for the ancient people of God: “You are my Son,” God says to the new king of Israel, “today I have begotten you” (Hebrews 1:5). It was on the day of his ascension to the throne that the new ruler of God’s people formally became his “son” in serving as his official representative to his people. The coronation was the day, so to speak, that God begat the human king as lord over his people.

To Him All Majesty Ascribe

Next, verse 6 mentions “when [God] brings the firstborn into the world.” What world? This is not a reference to the incarnation, but to Jesus’s return to heaven, following his ascension. Hebrews 2:5 clarifies by referencing “the world to come, of which we are speaking.” In other words, “the world” in view in Hebrews 1 is not our earthly, temporal age into which Jesus came through Bethlehem. Rather, the world into which God brings his firstborn here is the heavenly realm, what is to us “the world to come,” heaven itself into which Jesus ascended following his earthly mission.

The setting is indeed the great enthronement of the King of kings. And as Jesus, the victorious God-man, enters heaven itself, and processes to its ruling seat, God announces, “Let all God’s angels worship him” (Hebrews 1:6). Him: God and man in one spectacular person.

Originally God had made man “a little lower than the heavenly beings” (Psalm 8:5). But now the angelic hosts of heaven worship him, “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). So great is this man, as a genuine member of our race, that he not only eclipses and bypasses the race of angels, but in doing so, he brings his people with him. No redeemer has arisen for fallen angels. “Surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham” (Hebrews 2:16). In Christ, angels no longer look down on humanity but up. We now experience firsthand “things into which angels long to look” (1 Peter 1:12).

This new King of the universe is indeed fully man, and fully God, and addressed as such (quoting Psalm 45): “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever” (Hebrews 1:8). Verse 12 (echoing Psalm 102) restates the glory — “Your years will have no end” — which is the climactic expression of (and even outstrips) saying, “Long live the king!” (1 Samuel 10:24; 2 Samuel 16:16; 1 Kings 1:25, 34; 2 Kings 11:12; 2 Chronicles 23:11).

Bring Forth the Royal Diadem

Finally, the grand finale sounds the great oracle of Psalm 110, which has lingered in the background since the mention of Jesus sitting down in verse 3. Again the Father speaks: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet” (Hebrews 1:13). For generations and centuries, the people of God had waited for the day in which great David’s greater son, his Lord, would ascend to the throne and hear these sacred words from God himself. Then, at long last, captured for us in the vision of Hebrews 1, the great enigmatic dream of Psalm 110 was finally fulfilled.

Having finished the work his Father gave him to accomplish, God’s own Son (not merely David’s) has ascended to the throne — not a throne on earth but the throne of heaven. The Father himself has crowned him King of all the universe. He has called forth the royal diadem and crowned him King of every kindred, every tribe, every nation.

We who call him King and Lord will not only gather one day with “yonder sacred throng” to fall at his feet, but even now, he gives us the dignity of participating in heaven’s ongoing coronation ceremony. We crown him with our praises, both in daily lives of continual praise (Hebrews 13:15) and together in the midst of the congregation, as we gather weekly with our new kindred and tribe in worship (Hebrews 2:12).

The glorious enthronement of Christ has not ended, but continues. We see it now and experience it by faith, and participate with our praises. And one day soon, with all his redeemed, we at last will join in the everlasting song that does not end, and grows only richer and sweeter for all eternity.

10 Commandments For College Students:

Here are the 10 commandments for college students; applied from the commandments the Lord gave Moses.

John Piper, who clearly articulates we are not under the Ten Commandments, stated, “Love God and do as you please is not bad advice if you are bent on holiness. If you are bent on love, the Ten Commandments are really important. You should hang them on your wall and live your life by them, but in a very different way than when you were under them, because they have been kept for you.”

Because Christ kept them for us, we obey out of love and gratitude. Since Christ has perfectly fulfilled the Law on our behalf and given us His perfect record, we are not under the Law. The Law no longer speaks against us because Christ has spoken for us. But as believers we delight in His truth and His commands, and we can look to the “ten sayings” — through the lens of the gospel — for clarity and direction on how we should now live as the rescued people of God. When the Lord gave the commandments to Israel, He gave them to the people He had liberated from slavery, the people He miraculously rescued.

1. Seek Christ first (Do not have other gods besides Him).
There is so much you can seek after in college, as a whole new world of choices is available to you. In the midst of everything you can join and all the activities that are available to you, seek Him first. Only Christ has rescued you and only He can satisfy you.

2. Beware of idols, even the good ones. (Do not make an idol for yourself)
Because, as John Calvin once commented, “our hearts are idol factories,” we have the temptation to take good things – such as grades, friends, career options, even Christian campus ministries – and bow before them. Don’t give your ultimate affections to those things.

3. Study in His name (Do not misuse the name of the Lord).
You carry His name if you are His. You represent Him to your professors and fellow students. “Do everything in the name of the Lord” (Colossians 3:17). Offer your studies to Him, as if He is your professor.

4. Rest and reflect on Him (Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy).
As His son or daughter, you are always at rest from your works to earn His favor and love. But take time each week to slow down, to rest, to reflect on His goodness to you.

5. Honor those who helped you get here (Honor your father and mother).
Many college students can point to a parent or both parents for their love, encouragement, and example in paving the way for college. Some look to a caregiver or mentor. Whoever helped you get here, honor them by giving your best while you are at college.

6. Love people (Do not murder).
Jesus said that if we hate someone we have already committed murder in our hearts. You will make a massive impact in this season in your life if you love people in Christ’s name. Love justice and offer mercy. Show hospitality to those who are lonely.

7. Be wise and self-controlled (Do not commit adultery).
Jesus said if we lust after someone we have already committed adultery in our hearts. You have grown up in an extremely challenging time, a time with unprecedented digital access to sexual images. Your freedom is going to be expanded even more. To overcome temptation will take more than willpower; it will take wisdom and Holy Spirit empowered self-control.

8. Be thankful for all the Lord has given you. (Do not steal).
The Lord has graciously given you all that you currently steward. Be thankful for what He has given you and you won’t desire to steal from others.

9. Care about your character (Do not give false testimony).
There will be lots of temptations for “small” integrity lapses – for “small cheating.” Small lapses in integrity now often turn into larger lapses in integrity later. Tell the truth. Care about your character. Guard your integrity in the small things.

10. Don’t compare. (Do not covet)
If you compare yourself to others the result will always be hubris or envy. If you don’t compare, you won’t covet. Joyfully live the life the Lord has given you.

Just as the Lord gave the commandments to a community of people, throw yourself into a community of Christ-followers. The faith is meant to be lived out in community and you need community to encourage you to live out your faith. Find a church your first semester. Throw yourself fully into that church. Attend, serve, and love that church.

Gray Hair and a Righteous Life:

It has always been one of my favorite proverbs: “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” It’s one that clashes hard with Western culture and its glorification of youth. But it’s one that is fully consistent with a biblical worldview and its emphasis on wisdom.

The book of Proverbs is meant to demonstrate two very different ways to live. It contrasts the way of wisdom with the way of folly. In this generalized view of life, the foolish make bad decisions, suffer the consequences, and die young. The wise make good decisions, enjoy the consequences, and live to a ripe old age. The Old Testament views older people not as “elderly” or “senior citizens,” but as “gray-heads.” But because gray hair is associated with long life, which is in turn associated with wisdom, this is an honor, not an insult.

Proverbs 20:29 says, “The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.” If you’re helping someone move furniture, you may point to your son and say, “I brought him along to be the muscle.” You are defining him by just one part of his body, but you mean it as a compliment. After all, “the glory of young men is their strength.” But as the years go by and strength fades, that great attribute is replaced by another one. Strength is replaced by wisdom, so that the glory or splendor of old men is their wisdom, which is pictured in gray hair. Young men are great in strength but small in wisdom; old men are small in strength but great in wisdom. God has a place or a role for both.

Of course proverbs are general rules for life, not universal truths. Not everyone who has gray hair is wise, just like not every young man has a glorious set of biceps. There are some weak young men and there are some foolish old men. But the point is clear. While everyone ages and while most will eventually see their hair go gray, only those who are wise—those who have lived a righteous life—are able to consider that gray hair “a crown of glory.”

We need to know that this crown is not a symbol of office but a recognition of achievement. It is not merely bestowed, but has to be earned. This isn’t the kind of crown that’s placed upon the head of a king at his coronation, but the kind of crown that’s placed upon a winner at his victory celebration. And while any crown carries authority, this kind of crown carries authority related to achievement—authority that comes when someone has proven his mastery of something.

If you want to learn chess, no one has more authority to teach it to you than a person who has been crowned a grandmaster. If you want to learn a sport, no one has more authority to teach it to you than a person who has been crowned an MVP. In this proverb, the crown has been given to a person who has mastered the art of living. He has received a crown that recognizes and publicly displays his success at living life. That’s a pretty good crown!

And the Bible calls upon each one of us to earn that crown. In one sense that crown is just given to you whether you like it or not, but in another and more meaningful sense it has to be earned. Everyone ages, but not everyone grows wise. Everyone wears gray hair, but not everyone wears the crown. That crown needs to be earned through a righteous life. And so each of us needs to ask: Am I living the kind of life that will allow that gray hair—that proof that I’ve grown old—to also stand as a symbol that I’ve grown wise, that I’ve lived a righteous life?

Teaching The Gospel In A Way That Connects:

World news, national news, local news, and personal news. There is a lot of news in the world that is important to students! All of these types of news have different levels of influence on a student’ life. Still, the most important type of news is the information that has the power to save their souls. The Gospel, or Good News, is more important for the lives of students than learning about current events in Social Studies class. Only the Gospel has the power to forgive students of their sin, make their relationship with God possible, and change their eternal destination.

First, teaching the Gospel in a way that connects begins with understanding the need of the Gospel. The Gospel may not seem important to students, if they don’t realize that they need it. Students need to understand the doctrine of sin and the effect sin has on their lives or they won’t realize that they need to be forgiven. This is similar to a person with a sickness that will eventually kill them. If they aren’t diagnosed, then they will likely not search for a cure. Teaching students both the gravity of sin and joy of forgiveness is important in teaching the Gospel in a way that connects. An example of a verse in the New Testament that does this is Romans 6:23 that says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Second, teaching the Gospel in a way that connects continues with understanding the power of the Gospel. The power of the Gospel is God himself. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:16 that “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” Paul new this power personally. He was changed by the power of God while he was an enemy of God. Students need to be taught the power of God and what can happen when we share this good news with others. God uses this message of good news to transform lives both now and for eternity.

Third, teaching the Gospel in a way that connects progresses with the understanding of the urgency of the Gospel. One of the hard realities that is often ignored in youth ministry is the Bible’s teaching of Heaven and Hell. Many people like to celebrate Heaven while skipping over the reality of Hell. One theologian, Carl F. H. Henry, once explained “The Gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.” This reminds youth workers the urgency of teaching the Gospel to students and equipping them to take the Gospel message to their friends. The act of sharing the Gospel is urgent.

If the Gospel really is good news, then it makes sense that we teach it in a way that connects with students. Students can share this good news with their friends as they grow in their understanding of the Gospel. May God raise up a generation of youth workers and students who understand and share the Gospel.

If the Bible Is Wrong, I'm So, So Wrong:

When it comes to the Bible, we’ve all got a choice to make. We can take the Bible on our terms, or on its terms. We can choose to follow it some of the way, or we can choose to follow it all the way. We can dabble in it, or we can dive deep into it. At some point we have to choose.

Many people choose to relate to the Bible like a map that offers a route, but not the route to their destination. They’ll follow it some of the way, but for at least part of the journey take what looks like an easier path. Many people choose to relate to the Bible like one item at a buffet. They’ll put a bit of Bible on their plate, then also a bit of this and a bit of that. But as time goes by and I continue to live out my little life in this world, I become more and more convinced that there’s nothing better than to go all-in with the Bible. I’ve come to realize I’m so all-in that if the Bible is wrong, I’m wrong. In fact, if the Bible is wrong, I’m so wrong, completely wrong, shamefully wrong, devastatingly wrong, and wrong about all that really matters in life and death.

If the Bible is wrong, I’m wrong about the origins of this world. The Bible tells me that it was created by God over the course of six days and not nearly as long ago as the millions of billions of years other people claim. This world, this universe, was made by God and for God, an incredible ex nihilo act of creative superiority.

If the Bible is wrong, I’m wrong about the origins of humanity. The Bible tells me that the first two human beings were created by God and placed on this earth as complete, grown human beings, not that they evolved slowly from lesser organisms. They were created in the image of God as the crown of God’s creation.

If the Bible is wrong, I’m wrong about the purpose of humanity. The Bible tells me that mankind was put on this earth to bring glory to God. We exist to do good for others which in turn shines a spotlight on our ultimately good God. This stands in the face of a mission of personal empowerment or human achievement.

If the Bible is wrong, I’m wrong about the purpose of family. The Bible tells me that marriage exists to serve as a miniature of the relationship of God to his people through the complementarity of husband and wife. It tells me that marriage exists as the context in which we have the responsibility to create more people who bear the image of God. Marriage is the founding of a new family and family is the building block of society.

If the Bible is wrong, I’m wrong about the great problem and the great need of human beings. The Bible tells me our great problem is that we’ve sinned against a holy God, become rebels against him, and desperately need reconciliation. We are not good people who make the occasional poor choice, not innocent people who sometimes act ignorantly, but evil people who hate God and our fellow man. Our great need is not self-esteem or tolerance or new forms of politics or economics, but the forgiveness that comes by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.

If the Bible is wrong, I’m wrong about the future. The Bible tells me that history will culminate in the return of Jesus Christ who will come to judge the living and the dead. The world will not end with ecological catastrophe or nuclear holocaust, but with the re-appearance of the glorious Christ. He will come as victorious King, as righteous Judge, to bring some to eternal glory and condemn others to eternal condemnation.

If the Bible is wrong, I’m wrong about today’s most pressing cultural issues: homosexuality, gay marriage, transgenderism, abortion, climate change. If the Bible is wrong, I’m wrong about today’s most pressing theological issues: the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the nature of same-sex attraction, the authority and sufficiency of scripture. If the Bible is wrong, I’m wrong in how I relate to money, how I honor my body, how I use my time. I’m wrong over and over, again and again, through and through. I’m poor, pathetic, pitiable, and blind.

But I’ve made my choice. I’ve examined the evidence and have chosen to believe it’s not wrong, but right. I’ve chosen to believe it’s good and pure and true, infallible and inerrant and sufficient. I’ve chosen to take it on its own terms, to believe it all the way, to live by its every word. I’ve chosen to be in—all-in

Distracted by Serving Jesus:

In the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10, we see a woman who loved Jesus, but thought she didn’t have enough time to sit, listen, and enjoy Him. Luke 10:39 says Martha was “distracted with much serving.” Martha wasn’t avoiding Jesus because she was snapchatting her boyfriend that her dad didn't approve of. She wasn’t dodging Jesus because she was the kingpin of a drug empire and wanted to shirk God’s commands. She was just too busy.

If we’re honest, for most of us, it isn’t the Hollywood sins that choke out our faith; it’s all the worries of life. The daily grind and endless distractions make it too noisy for us to hear God clearly each day. It’s the urgency of every moment, the entertainment options that occupy our attention, the 24-hour news cycles we cling to. All the distractions and noise around us simply box the Spirit of God right out of our day.

What if we unplugged, changed our schedule, and decided to sit and listen to Jesus? What if we decided that enjoying time with Jesus was better than watching the ballgame or checking the news or responding to the email?

Martha was fuming when she stepped up to Jesus and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?” Read her rhetorical question again. Martha asked Jesus if He cared about her circumstances! She was so focused on serving Jesus that she lost sight of Jesus.

Often, we are like Martha. We lose sight of Jesus even when we’re in the midst of serving Him. What we need to do is redirect our attention back onto Jesus. In order to reorient our attention, we have to do 3 things:

• Create margin. 
• Choose rest in Christ over busyness.
• Unplug from technology.

First, we have to create margin so that we can be reminded often who we are and whose we are. Martha was so busy that she became “anxious and troubled about many things” (Luke 10:41). Her busyness allowed her to forget that Jesus cares about her circumstances and troubles. Similarly, we overschedule, say "yes" to too many things, and then technology or media eats up any other margin that we might have. We each have to create space and margin in our daily lives so that we can sit and enjoy time with God by reading His Word and praying.

Second, we have to choose rest in Christ over busyness. Busyness makes us feel accomplished. Busyness makes us feel needed or important. The fact is, however, busyness distracts us from the “good portion” (Luke 10:42) that Jesus offers to us. We must choose to prioritize our time with God, because, in Jesus, we find true rest for our souls (Matthew 11:29).

Lastly, we have to regularly unplug from technology. If you think you don’t have time to be idle and seek the Lord in some stillness, evaluate the media you have consumed in the past fourteen days. Between Netflix, social media, and cat videos on YouTube, not to mention texts, emails, and notifications, how much time have you invested in technology and media in the past two weeks?

That text message is not essential. That email is not essential. That notification is not essential. Time with the Father is essential! Enough with the excuses; we do have time. We must decide to unplug from the phone, tablet, and television and choose to “be still and know that He is God” (Psalm 46:10).

Let’s not give Martha a bad rap here. Martha isn’t this sinister, selfish character in the Bible. Martha loved Jesus. This isn’t a love issue. It wasn’t that Martha didn’t want to sit and listen to Jesus, she just thought she didn’t have time. She wasn’t doing anything bad, she was just being pulled away from what is better.

The Fallacy of Full Time Christian Work:

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” – Colossians 3:23-24

“I didn’t know you were in full-time Christian work,” a neighbored as we were talking. “I didn’t realize that,” she went on. I responded, “Every person who has followed the will of God in their life is in full-time Christian work.” God calls some to the mission field, others to be accountants, and others to be advertising executives, and still others to be construction workers. God never made a distinction between sacred and secular. In fact, the Hebrew word avodah is the root word having the same meaning of “work” and “worship.” God sees our work as worship.

We have incorrectly elevated the role of the Christian worker to be more holy and committed than the person who is serving in a more secular environment. Yet the call to the secular workplace is as important as any other calling. God has to have His people in every sphere of life. Otherwise, many would never come to know Him because they would be separated from society.

We are all in missions. Some are called to foreign lands. Some are called to the jungles of the workplace. Wherever you are called, serve the Lord in that place. Let Him demonstrate His power through your life so that others might experience Him through you today and see your vocation as worship to His glory.

October Parent Newsletter

Upcoming Events: 

1) Dixie Classic Fair/Concert. Wednesday, October 9th 5:00-10:30 pm. Cost: 5 cans of food plus money for dinner.

2) Bingo at Arbor Ridge. FREE. Wednesday, October 23rd 7:00-8:00 pm.

3) Ridgecrest. Friday, November 22-Sunday, November 24th. Cost: $50. Theme: Brokenness Restored. Brokenness is rampant in our teenagers, our world. Broken homes, broken hearts, broken communication, broken souls. It is clear to see. But there is a truth that needs to be proclaimed: The cross of Christ restores our brokenness! That is the gospel, the good news! We will use the story of Jeremiah to put on display how God can make us whole again. It is only by His power, His grace, His mercy, His forgiveness, His healing. Come join us as we experience…BROKENNESS RESTORED

Dear Parents:

A popular app your son or daughter is using is TikTok. Below is a tutorial to familiarize yourself with the app. Please use this information to begin a dialogue with your student.
TikTok is one of the most loved apps by tweens and teens. As parents, it’s beneficial to relate with their student by understanding in which social media they participate and the people to whom they connect. So in this post, I help parents understand how to use TikTok to connect with kids.

WHAT IS TIKTOK?
TikTok is a social media app that allows people to create and share content with personal friends and the TikTok Community. It first started as a simple way to share 15-second lip sync or karaoke videos in an app called Musical.ly. In 2017, a China-based company purchased Musical.ly and merged it with an existing app and renamed it TikTok.

HOW IT WORKS
Music is still the base of what and how users share things. They lip-sync songs in serious or humorous ways. However, talking and sharing are also increasingly available.

An “Original Song” is simply a video featuring a user sharing whatever they want on the microphone. Although Tiktok labels the video as a song, it is still just a recorded voice.

Students enjoy this app because they find new music, watch friends, share their talents, laugh at funny content, or watch strangers do anything.

HOW TO USE IT
If parents want to use TikTok to connect with kids, they need to know how to use it! Fortunately, it’s relatively simple. Just like any social media, users can create a unique account/username so that friends and peers can find one another.

Create an Account
Sometimes real names are used, and other times the username is based on the type of content the person shares (i.e., comedy, singing, jokes, etc.). Once someone creates an account through an email or phone number, they will be able to add a profile photo or video to share with others.

Find Friends
After creating an account, users are prompted to “Find Friends.” They can view the “Profile” tab which holds the “Settings” feature. These are useful sections for parents to check so they can see where and with whom their student is connecting.

Main Features of TikTok
When a user opens the app, there are five tabs at the bottom of the screen: Home, Discover, Camera, Inbox, and Me.

Home
This section is the default landing page for each time a user opens the app. There will be a “For You” string of videos waiting for the user or a “Following” string of videos that their followers/friends have posted.

“For You” supplies content based on past searches, liked songs or users, or frequently visited users. If the content in the “For You” is inappropriate, it means the user has searched for similar material.

In preparation for this post, I watched and listened to a song from Blanco Brown. When I opened the app, I saw another TikTok from a different user with the same song.

The “Following” section displays videos from people the TikTok user has followed, friends, or other accounts.

Discover
This section is a familiar tab, similar to the Instagram tab with the same name, where you can discover new content, users, or categories. Search for keywords or categories of playlists that already exist. Some examples are #collegefootball, Trending Creators, Fandom, Beauty & Style, Comedy, etc.

Camera
Use the camera to create a video. Add music/sound, flip the camera, change the speed of the video, add “Beauty” features to touch up or clean up the look, add filters for combined effects, set a timer, and adjust the camera flash.

Add effects to the video that fill the screen or even upload a photo from the camera roll. From here, select the length of videos, such as 15 seconds (default) or 60 seconds.

Inbox
The inbox notifies the user of comments and likes from posts. It will also send notifications if someone has started following or saved/downloaded one of the videos.

Me
This section is the User Profile settings and content. Add friends, see stats on followers, get details on followers, and see how many likes they have received. This area is the location for profile settings, including privacy, followers, and the Digital Wellbeing section.

In-App Purchases
There is another feature that is important to understand. TikTok has a currency called “Coins.” It allows users to buy additional content like emojis or “Diamonds,” then the user assigns them to videos and other users to thank them or “like” the video.

PROS & CONS
If a student has asked a parent to use the app, I encourage parents to download the app and familiarize themselves with its features.

If a student has an account, open the app on their device, and see how they are using it. There are so many creative ways people use this app, so parents and students can have a great time viewing the content. Just remember that there are no guarantees against inappropriate content.

Keep in mind that within this app, users can find and interact with other users. The danger lies in who and what they are viewing. A student doesn’t have to follow someone to watch their content, which means there may not be a “paper trail” of the viewed content.

If this is a concern for parents, one suggestion is to limit TikTok app usage to an open area within the home and turn up the sound. This option allows parents to manage the material.

PARENT ENGAGEMENT
Digital Wellbeing
I could not locate a feature which allows parents to manage language, but there is a section in the settings called “Digital Wellbeing.” Each of the options requires a 4-digit passcode which they can create and keep. They can give the passcode to their student when they choose.

Screen Time
The “Screen Time” feature will allow you to set a daily time limit on the app with a timed “on-off” button.

Restricted Mode
“Restricted Mode” will “limit the appearance of content that may not be appropriate for all audiences.” This mode seems to help but is a bit ambiguous as to precisely what it filters out.

Engage
Social media is a unique way for students to connect with friends, share experiences, and be creative. However, these sites can usher in other unwelcome things, such as anxiety, depression, and a dependence on the connection they receive from their screen.

By keeping an open dialogue and monitoring the time spent on the app, parents can use TikTok to connect with kids. The more opportunities they can find to engage their son or daughter on their terms, the more likely he or she will share, too!

Dads: Four Phrases Your Daughter Needs To Hear From You:

Dads, we know you love your daughter.  And you know you love your daughter.  But you might be surprised at much she needs to hear it.  In rreaing with teens and preteens for For Parents Only, I found that these four phrases have a lot more impact than you might think.  And as you’ll see, they are especially powerful and important when coming from a father.  Use them often!

1. “I love you, sweetheart.”  Until she is married, you are the main guy in your daughter’s life.  So this gives you a special responsibility: countering the little voice inside the head of most girls (95%) and women (80%) that secretly wonders Am I loveable?  Where you as a man probably have a little voice that asks Do I measure up? you might be shocked by how much your daughter doubts whether she is worth being loved and accepted by those around her.  And feeling loved by a man is one of the main ways girls tend to look for an answer to that question.  So as you hug her, affirm her, and tell her just how loved and loveable she is, it is far less likely she’ll feel the need to go looking for love in all the wrong places.

2. “You’re beautiful.”  Just as girls doubt that they are lovable, they really doubt that they are lovely.  We women can be really hard on ourselves.  We see all our flaws.  And every magazine rack your daughter passes screams at her that how she looks is not enough.  Your daughter needs to see evidence that she is beautiful, and the most healthy, human evidence of that at this time in her life is getting that verbal affirmation from you.  When she comes in dressed for school, tell her she looks great.  If you need to ask her to adjust her attire, make sure she knows you think she is beautiful, regardless.  Even consider taking her shopping every now and then.  She will love seeing you light up when she presents herself in a way that lights her up.

3. “I’m so proud of you.”  You like to hear this phrase.  Your daughter does, too.  The years daughters are living at home, involve lots of hard work, growing, and trying to find their way.  We found in the research that all our kids (girls and boys) don’t have a clear roadmap for who they are and how they should handle life, school, relationships and everything else.  They often feel like they are flailing around trying to figure it out.  And there is an immense relief when a parent says they are proud of them.  Whew, I did something right!   This is vital from any parent figure, but it is very clear from our interviews and surveys that God has given it a special weight of authority when coming from a father.  Don’t skimp on this phrase.

4. “I’m always here for you – even when you make mistakes.”  You may not always have to say this out loud (although you should do that too!) but you do need to show it.  As noted, our boys and girls won’t always do it right.  They will mess up, not work hard enough, make wrong choices, and suffer the consequences.  And they need to know that you are there with them through those consequences.  This is key for girls and boys, but for a girl, when a father is angry or disappointed and seems to withdraw, she emotionally translates that as if he’s saying, “I don’t love you right now.”  That is not at all what you’re saying, but that is what she’s hearing.   So when she drives recklessly, despite all your efforts to teach safe driving, let her suffer the consequences of having to go to court – but show her that you will stand beside her throughout it and that you are there for her no matter what.

Four Ways to Fight Sexual Sin:

Sexual sin goes against who God created humans to be. The Bible teaches us this lesson in Proverbs 5 as the sage warns a young married man against the adulteress.

You may not be young, or married, or a man, but the wisdom of this text applies to you as much as to anyone else. Committing adultery with a woman is not the only form of sexual sin, but it follows a pattern that is common to all. Listening to this passage will help all of us. As the passage unfolds, it presents to us four steps we’ll need to take to avoid sexual sin.

1. Flee from Temptation
The author begins with an exhortation to listen:

My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil. (Proverbs 5:1–3)

Sexual sin is often attractive. It has a certain charm that invites and allures with seductive and smooth speech. It is also addictive: “The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin” (Proverbs 5:22). Like any appetite, the more we feed sexual sin the more it grows. The more we commit it, the more we will feel we need it, the easier it will be to do it, and the harder it will become to stop.

So, we need to flee.

Now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house. (Proverbs 5:7–8)

Fleeing sexual sin means doing all we can to avoid it. For some of us, that will mean restricting what we look at online, or not watching certain TV shows, or being more careful about what social situations we place ourselves in, or breaking up with someone (even if they mean the world to us), or changing our job.

If any of this seems like an overreaction, listen again to how it all ends: “He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray” (Proverbs 5:23). Sexual sin is attractive and addictive, and this is a lethal combination. Any action and sacrifice is worth it.

2. Consider the Future
The writer wants us to see what it all comes to in the end: “At the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed” (Proverbs 5:11). Sexual sin has consequences. We may talk about these things as a “fling” or “one night stand,” but the fact is, such sins are not so easily containable.

Do not go near the door of her house lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner. (Proverbs 5:8–10)

Sexual sin seems so attractive now, but fast-forward to the end and it all looks very different: “You say, ‘How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors’” (Proverbs 5:12–13). The wise consider their end before they get there.

3. Uphold Your Marriage
The young man being addressed needs to see how overwhelmingly positive a thing it is to enjoy sexual fulfillment within marriage.

Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love. (Proverbs 5:15–19)

The Bible is not at all embarrassed by the enjoyment of sex in marriage. Some of the imagery here leaves little to the imagination. Cistern and well are both images of female sexuality, as the fountain is of male sexuality. We shouldn’t be surprised to see such imagery in the Bible. God is the one who designed human sexuality, intending for the husband and wife to enjoy their sexual union.

It is a man being addressed in this passage (“be intoxicated always in her love”), and so this is being spoken of from his perspective. But it is equally true of how the wife is to be delighted and intoxicated by the sexual love of her husband. Paul makes this clear in the New Testament:

The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. (1 Corinthians 7:3–4)

But there is alternative intoxication offered: “Why would you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?” (Proverbs 5:20). It can feel every bit as heady and dizzying as romantic fulfillment within marriage, but we know how devastating the fallout of adultery can be. It can wreck a whole life, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and economically.

So we must work at our sex lives. And, it probably goes without saying, investment in a healthy sex life is not likely to happen without investment in the marriage relationship as a whole, building and deepening the friendship that lies at the heart of it.

What about those who are single? This kind of language can be painful. We hear of the intoxication of sexual satisfaction and it is hard to hear. We must persevere in upholding the Bible’s teaching and honor the marriage bed by living lives of purity. And we need to uphold the marriage we have together with Christ. The language of intoxication that can be so hard to hear is a picture of what we will experience in eternity with him. We are pledged to him and need to honor our relationship with him by remaining faithful to him.

4. Remember God Is Watching
All that we do, and say, and think, takes place in the full view of God: “A man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths” (Proverbs 5:21).

This is a warning to us. We may be able to deceive other people; we will never deceive God. There is simply no thought he hasn’t seen and doesn’t know through and through. God sees every word we type into our search engines.

God sees our sin. But he also sees every striving to be pure and godly. He knows when we are battling; he knows what we are going through. It may well be that no one really seems to understand the kind of struggle you face or really knows the pain you go through as you fight temptation. But Jesus does. He draws near to us, as we draw near to him. Our labors for him are never unnoticed. As we fight for purity, he fights for and with us.

Avoiding an iChurch Mentality:

It’s 10:15am on a typical Sunday in a typical American evangelical church. The service starts at 10:30. You’re visiting for the first time. What’s on your mind as you look for a seat in the main auditorium? What are you expecting as you arrive? How do you hope to be treated? What do you hope to be treated to? What are you hoping to see and hear and feel?

For some it might be a fresh encounter with the living God. For others, it’s a dynamic worship experience in song—edgy, but not over the line. Many are hoping for a come-as-you-are atmosphere that’s casual but not crass, personable but not pushy, inquisitive but not invasive. Some would love to find a community of other believers like themselves, at their own stage in life . . . but not at the expense of diversity, of course. Many will want a message that’s just biblical enough to count as a sermon, but so relatable that it feels like a walk on the beach, and brief enough to beat the lunch rush. What about you? What do you expect and hope for when you attend church?

Looking for iChurch

The therapeutic, technological, and consumer revolutions have colluded to convince us that church should revolve around . . . well . . . me. Chances are, no matter how well-taught or well-intentioned we may be, our expectations for a church have been shaped at least in part by a consumer culture and the therapeutic ethos. It’s an iWorld. The “i” in “iphone” has always stood for “internet,” but the genius of the vowel is in its polyvalence. Re-purposing it as the pronoun “I” or an abbreviation for ‘individual’ has proven irresistible. We keep it lower case, of course, because it looks more innocent that way. But that hasn’t stopped us from looking for iChurch—church that facilitates how I already live; a church I can have in my pocket. The air we breathe compromises our lungs with hazy hopes of finding a local church that combines the shopping mall, the rock concert, the movie theater, the radio station, the coffee shop, the rom com, and the self-esteem boost, into a one-stop shop. If only the church had a drive-thru . . .

Maybe that’s painting us all with too broad a brush. There are lots of healthy churches and lots of healthy Christians visiting and joining them. Still, the self-deifying spirit of our age militates against the Spirit who exhaled the Scriptures and breathes after the glory of God in the churches. Contrary to our consumer’s intuition, the church is not about meeting our iNeeds as we perceive them. It’s about something far bigger . . . and better! God calls the church “The people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise,” and those “whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made” (Is 43:21, 7).

We do not create the church for ourselves. God created the church for Himself. We don’t create ourselves for our own praise. God creates us for His praise (1 Pet 2:5, 9). Yes, He is our God; and that’s just it—He is our God.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Evangelicals need a breath of fresh air, and that may smell funny to us if we’re used to the smog. But the more we make of Christ in our churches, and the less we make of self, the more we find our contentment in God’s glory, our meaning in His significance. Jesus said in John 13:34, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Jesus does not want them to know that we are hipster cool, or tech savvy, or culturally adept, or surprisingly tolerant, or that we are even more humanitarian than everyone else. What He wants them to know—what they need to know—is the Jesus of the Bible. We follow Him.

Paul said in Eph 3:10 that God’s design is that “through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” We’re supposed to be a display of God’s wisdom, not our own. What a vision worth living for! But when the church is bent on impressing the world by aping its franchised model and niche marketing, God’s wisdom is obscured, not displayed. Besides, the more the church looks and sounds like iCulture, the less iCulture needs to come to church. What’s the world going to learn from the church if all the church is doing is learning from the world? Sure, all truth is God’s truth; but not all wisdom is God’s wisdom (Isa 55:10–11; 1Cor 2:1–16).

Sadly, churches that mimic the world’s styles (consumerism, entertainment, self-esteem) can easily find themselves mired in the world’s problems. But is this really that surprising? iChurch sells you a commodified Christ—accessorized to your tastes—at a deep discount, usually by a pretty convincing salesman. But you get what you pay for. Repentance is swapped out for an appearance of godliness without the power. Solid faith is exchanged for a subjective feeling. Discipleship gives way to decadence. Top-grain accountability is replaced with a threadbare anonymity. Relationship is reduced to recreation. And Christ is made the head of a country club. But hey, at least you’re going to church and reaching people . . . right?

The Way It’s Supposed to Be

Tragically, many of those now disillusioned with the failings of iChurch are quitting church altogether or (just as tragic) looking for another iChurch where they will be disillusioned all over again because they’ve never been taught to look for anything else. iChurch is all they know to want. This is not the way it’s supposed to be.

But then, how is it supposed to be? Ephesians 4:11–13, 15–16 says this about Christ’s design for the church:

He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . . . Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

There’s more to church than meets the “i.” The purpose of the church—and your purpose in the local church—is to reflect the glory of Christ back to the Father for His pleasure and out to all creation so that the earth will be filled with His glory as the waters cover the sea. That’s what God is committed to (Hab 2:14). The church serves that glorious mission by preaching His word (2 Tim 3:16–4:2), exalting Christ (Acts 2:36, 42), reading and singing and praying and obeying his word together (1 Tim 4:13; Col 3:16; Eph 5:19; Matt 6:9–13; Acts 2:42; 6:4), equipping the saints for good works (2 Tim 2:2; Ti 3:8), making disciples (Mt 28:18–20), calling the nations to repentance and faith in Christ (Acts 2:36; 17:30), helping each other grow in Christ-like character together (2 Pet 1:3–11), warning and exhorting each other (Heb 3:12–14), disciplining members who sin without repentance (1 Cor 5:1–13), and speaking the truth of Scripture to each other so that we grow up together into the maturity of Christ as His body (1 Cor 12:27).

But who exactly are we supposed to do all this stuff with? A commitment to everyone in general is a commitment to no one in particular. As profound as it sounds to talk a big game about the universal church, it means far more, and takes far more, to commit to a local church. We make these general commitments specific and meaningful by committing to do the one-anothers of Scripture primarily (but not exclusively) with the concrete “others” in our own local congregation. We commit to believing biblical doctrine (explained in a statement of faith), and we commit to living in a biblical way (specified in a church covenant)—together, with one congregation in particular. Love commits. And local church membership is how we make those loving commitments concrete, visible, and actualized. Committed membership shows us who we’re supposed to know, and who is supposed to know us. The local church is a household of faith (1 Tim 3:15), complete with brothers and sisters, moms and dads (1Tim 5:1–2). What kind of dad would I be if I didn’t know which neighborhood kids belonged at my table come supper time, or which ones should be sleeping under my roof every night? What kind of son would I be if I showed no respect or commitment to my own parents?

Christian, quit looking for iChurch. Instead of attuning your ears to soothing preaching and exciting music, hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches (Rev 3:22). That is, after all, what you want to hear . . . isn’t it?

The Surprising Role of Guardian Angels:

What did Jesus mean in Matthew 18:10 when he said, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven”? He meant: Let the magnificence of every unimpressive Christian’s entourage of angels silence our scorn and awaken awe at the simplest children of God.

To see this, let’s clarify, first, who “these little ones” are.

Who Are “These Little Ones”?

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones.” They are true believers in Jesus, viewed from the standpoint of their childlike trust in God. They are the heaven-bound children of God. We know this because of the immediate and wider context of the Gospel of Matthew.

This section in Matthew 18 began with the disciples asking, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1). Jesus answers, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3–4). In other words, the text is not about children. It is about those who become like children, and thus enter the kingdom of heaven. It’s about true disciples of Jesus.

This is confirmed in Matthew 18:6 where Jesus says, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” The “little ones” are those “who believe” in Jesus.

In the wider context, we see the same language with the same meaning. For example, in Matthew 10:42, Jesus says, “Whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” The “little ones” are “disciples.”

Similarly, in the famous, and often misquoted, picture of the final judgment in Matthew 25, Jesus says, “The King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me’” (Matthew 25:40; compare with Matthew 11:11). The “least of these” are the “brothers” of Jesus. The “brothers” of Jesus are those who do the will of God (Matthew 12:50), and those who do the will of God are those who “enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

Therefore, in Matthew 18:10, when Jesus refers to “these little ones” whose angels see the face of God, he is talking about his disciples — those who will enter the kingdom of heaven — not people in general. Whether humans in general have good or evil angels assigned to them (by God or the devil) is not addressed in the Bible as far as I can see. We would do well not to speculate about it. Such speculations appeal to untethered curiosities and can create distractions from vastly more sure and more important realities.

One Angel for Each Christian?

So, our question now is this: What does Jesus mean when he says that we should not despise his childlike followers? And how is it an argument for this, when he refers to “their angels” seeing God? “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For (= because) I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”

It is possible that “their angels” refers to a specific angel assigned to each disciple. There is one other text that some think points in this direction. When the praying believers in Acts 12 could not believe that Peter was knocking at the gate, since he was supposed to be in prison, they said, “It is his angel!” (Acts 12:15). That may or may not imply that all believers have an angel assigned to them. It may only imply that in that situation God had commissioned an angel to use Peter’s voice (Acts 12:14), and perhaps awaken even more urgent prayer for him.

It is even more difficult here in Matthew 18:10 to infer that each believer has an angel assigned to him. What it says is, “In heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” The word “their” certainly implies that these angels have a special personal role to play in relation to Jesus’s disciples. But the plural “angels” may simply mean that all believers have numerous angels assigned to serve them, not just one.

Calvin’s Careful Observation

I think John Calvin’s careful observation about this text is exactly right:

The interpretation given to this passage by some commentators, as if God assigned to each believer his own angel, does not rest on solid grounds. For the words of Christ do not mean that a single angel is continually occupied with this or the other person; and such an idea is inconsistent with the whole doctrine of Scripture, which declares that the angels encamp around (Psalm 34:7) the godly, and that not one angel only, but many, have been commissioned to guard every one of the faithful. Away, then, with the fanciful notion of a good and evil angel, and let us rest satisfied with holding that the care of the whole Church is committed to angels, to assist each member as his necessities shall require. (Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke, on Matthew 18:10)

Old-Covenant Ministry of Angels

“The care of the whole Church is committed to angels.” This is not a new idea. Angels are active throughout the Old Testament for the sake of God’s people. For example,

He [Jacob] dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! (Genesis 28:12)

The angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.” (Judges 13:3)

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. (Psalm 34:7)

He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. (Psalm 91:11)

Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! (Psalm 103:20–21)

“My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” (Daniel 6:22)

All Angels, All Christians, All the Time

And more important than these Old Testament references to angels, Hebrews 1:14 makes it clear that God sends angels to minister for the sake of the people of Christ. In the context of Hebrews 1, the writer is arguing that the Son of God is infinitely greater than angels. One of his arguments is that God never said to any angel, “Sit at my right hand” as he did to Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:13). Instead, angels are simply God’s servants who do his bidding for the sake of those who are on their way to heaven.

To which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:13–14)

The promise here is better than the tradition that every saint has one personal guardian angel. What Hebrews 1:14 says is that all the angels — all of them — are specifically sent “for ministry” (Greek eis diakonian) — not ministry “to” Christians, but ministry “for the sake of” Christians (Greek dia tous mellontas kleronomein soterian).

This means that everything angels do, everywhere in the world, at all times, is for the good of Christians. An angel who does something by God’s assignment anywhere in the world is fulfilling the promise that God will work all things for the good of all Christians — everywhere. This is a sweeping and stunning promise. All angels serve for the good of all Christians all the time. They are agents of Romans 8:28.

The Wonder That Eminent Angels Serve Others

But as amazing as that is, it’s not the point of Matthew 18:10. The jolting point of Matthew 18:10 is not the wonder that angels serve us, but the wonder that angels serve others. Remember, the context is about how we treat other believers: “these little ones.” “See that you do not despise one of these little ones” (Matthew 18:10).

The argument Jesus gives for why we should not treat other believers in belittling ways is because “in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” The point of saying that these angels “see the face of my Father” is that they have the immeasurable rank and privilege to be in the immediate presence of God. You can see that meaning in Esther 1:14 and Revelation 22:4.

Having Angels Does Not Increase Our Safety or Dignity

So, how are we to be motivated to honor the lowliest Christian (Matthew 11:11) because the angels who attend them have immeasurably high rank and privilege?

I would suggest this: Ponder first that every Christian has the Creator of the universe as his Father (Romans 8:16–17), and has the Lord of the universe as his elder brother (Romans 8:29). You cannot have a safer, more exalted position as a human being than to have God as your all-caring, all-providing Father (Matthew 6:32–33; Luke 12:30–32), and Jesus as your all-authoritative Lord (Matthew 28:18).

Having a hundred or a thousand of the highest ranking angels serving you does not increase your safety or your dignity. How, then, does the argument work? How are we motivated to treat all ordinary Christians with deep respect “because” they are served by many high-ranking angels?

The Entourage of Titans Reminds You Whom You Are Dealing With

Suppose you were going to receive the son of the greatest king this afternoon. You know that he is the son of a king. He might arrive at your estate walking with two guards. In that case, he would be worthy of the greatest respect — simply because he is a king’s son. But in fact, he is going to arrive with one hundred terrifying titans of greatest strength and beauty surrounding him on every side. These beings are the elite guard and agents of the king.

When you see this entourage, the point is not that this entourage gives the king’s son a greater glory than he already had simply by being the king’s son. Rather this is a reminder of what it is like to be the king’s son.

I think this is what Jesus wants us to think when the least impressive disciple of Jesus walks into a room. “The angels of this disciple always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” There is no counting these angels, since more or less every angel in the world serves “for the sake of” this disciple (Hebrews 1:14). And these angels always see God’s face — they have a rank and dignity corresponding to direct access to God.

Hold Every Christian in Highest Esteem

Therefore (!), don’t despise this simple, unimpressive disciple of Jesus! Let his angelic entourage remind you whose son he is. Let this angelic entourage remind you who his older brother is. Put your hand over your critical mouth, and show great esteem (Philippians 2:3) to all ordinary, childlike disciples. If having God as their Father, and Jesus as their Lord does not cause you to exchange your derision for deference, then let the terrifying advocacy and rank of their magnificent angels wake you from your stupor.

Or as Jesus says, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”

The Entire OT In One Post:

The Old Testament narratives tell the story of God’s desire to dwell with humanity. This narrative revolves around human rebellion and God’s longsuffering, faithful, covenant love for humans. The Old Testament tells the story of how humans once dwelled with God, rejected that sweet relationship, and how God relentlessly pursued his creation. It speaks of love and judgment, hope and patience, heartbreak and joy. It speaks most of all of God’s outrageous plan to send a head crusher who would defeat the serpent who tempted our ancestors. Christians today can read this story with the benefit of hindsight—knowing who Jesus is and living in right relationship with him. But our ancestors could only look forward longingly to that day when the head crusher would come and finally restore right relationship with God. This is the story of that hopeful, dreadful time between sin’s entrance and Christ’s conquest.

God’s Garden

Our story begins in the garden of Eden, where humans dwelled with God and with each other in perfect harmony. Of course, this right relationship would not last, as Adam and Eve quickly succumbed to eating the fruit that shall not be eaten. And while there are all sorts of theories as to what original sin is, the eating of the fruit ultimately represented the temptation that faces us all—to exalt oneself above God. Because of Adam’s and Eve’s decision to disobey the command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God issues a series of curses: the serpent would be cursed above all animals, being destined to slither along on its belly; the woman would have intense labor pains and a constant power struggle with her husband; and the ground would not easily yield its produce and the man would struggle to provide for himself and his family and would be forced to deal with the anxiety that comes along with such struggle: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground” (Gen 3:19 NIV).[1]

Buried in the midst of these curses is the ray of hope—the protoevangelium that drives the remainder of God’s revelation in the Old Testament—“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Gen. 3:15). Of course the Hebrew text has no capitalization, and the original readers/hearers of the Pentateuch would not have associated this passage with Jesus the Christ. Nevertheless, the original audience—indeed, even Eve—did associate this passage with the promise of a coming Messiah who would restore the relationship with God that Adam and Eve had broken. Thus begins the narrative arc that carries readers throughout the entire Old Testament and into the New. Who would this head crusher be?

East of Eden

Heading east from Eden, our ancestors made good on God’s directive to be fruitful and multiply. With that first child Eve exclaimed, “I have acquired a man from the Lord” (Gen. 4:1). If Eve thought this man she’d acquired would crush the serpent’s head, she was soon sorely disappointed. Readers find out quickly that Cain’s heart is not for Yahweh, as he brought “an offering.” Yahweh rejected this offering while accepting Abel’s, which was “fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock” (Gen. 4:3–4). Readers are further troubled to learn that Abel will not be the head crusher for his own head is crushed by his brother. Humanity’s first two hopes for redemption are gone, and the narrative soon recounts that Seth, Eve’s third son, also dies. Enoch is a bright spot for he “walked faithfully with God” (Gen. 5:22), but again disappointment mounts when readers learn that “God took him away” (Gen. 5:24).

Genesis 5 ends by telling us about a certain Noah, who features prominently in the following several chapters. Will he crush the serpent’s head? It certainly appears so. In the midst of rampant immorality Noah stood tall. He builds an ark according to Yahweh’s specifications, loads up his family and all those animals, then waits for the coming deluge. This must be the head crusher. And yet our longing for redemption is again unfulfilled when Noah exits the boat, plants a vineyard, and gets blackout drunk. Though this man had “found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:8), he would ultimately fall prey to temptation as well.

The Patriarchal Narratives

Our hope disappointed by Noah’s drunkenness, we now hear of another potential head crusher—Abraham. Chapter 12 opens with a stunning extension of grace:

"Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 'I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.'" (Gen. 12:1–3)

Abram responds positively and “went, as the Lord had told him” (Gen. 12:4). The narrative tension heightens now as we wonder whether Abraham will crush the serpent’s head and restore right relationship with humanity. And though Abraham demonstrates great faith in the near-sacrifice of Isaac (see Gen. 22), he also commits his own share of missteps, such as attempting to hurry along God’s plan of redemption (see the account of his relationship with Hager in Gen. 16; 21:8–21) and lying (twice!) about his relationship with Sarah to protect his own life (see Gen. 12:10–17; 20:1–18). Each of these actions endangered the promise that Abraham would father many nations at the behest of God himself. No, Abraham would not crush the serpent’s head and therefore free humanity from the curse entangling us.

Isaac holds promising potential, particularly given that the biblical text makes no indication that he protested his father’s plan to sacrifice him to Yahweh and Yahweh later appears to Isaac twice (Gen. 26:1–6, 23–25). Yet readers are again disappointed as Isaac follows in Abraham’s deception. Just after Yahweh appears to Isaac and reaffirms the Abrahamic promise the first time, Isaac endangers said promise and compromises his integrity in hopes of preserving his own life (see Gen. 26:7). Isaac will not crush the serpent’s head.

Jacob’s story seems doomed from the start, as his name indicates something about his character that is borne out in the following narrative of his life. This man clearly does not possess the qualities of one who would conquer sin and death. Rather, his story highlights the wonders of God’s grace in choosing sinners to live in relationship with him. Jacob first convinces his brother Esau to sell his birthright for a bowl of stew. Of course we are quick to fault Esau for his lack of foresight and slavery to his stomach, as the author of Hebrews points out in warning to his present and future audiences (Heb. 12:16). Yet Jacob himself is also to blame, for he knowingly took advantage of Esau’s weakness in an effort to elevate his own position in the family’s power structure. Not only that, but Jacob later followed Rebekah’s lead in intentionally deceiving his father Isaac into bestowing Esau’s blessing onto him.

As Jacob grows older he continues to demonstrate lack of character: he deceives Esau a final time (Gen. 33), favors Rachel over Leah (Gen. 29–30), and favors Joseph and then Benjamin over his other sons with disastrous results (see the Joseph narrative). In the midst of all this, Yahweh appears to Jacob not once but three times—twice at Bethel and once at Peniel, where Jacob wrestled God into the early hours of the morning. Jacob certainly seems to be the least likely candidate to restore right relationship with God, and yet God repeatedly seeks him out for a covenant relationship. What is therefore most clear from our journey with Jacob is that God “will have mercy on whomever [he] will have mercy, and [he] will have compassion on whomever [he] will have compassion” (Rom. 9:15).

As Jacob’s narrative ends, it appears that Joseph may be the promised redeemer, as Genesis closes out with the lengthy narrative describing his tumultuous relationship with his brothers (caused in no small part by Jacob himself), which results in the “saving of many lives” (Gen. 50:20). Joseph rescues Abraham’s seed from certain starvation, but even he dies, though not before affirming his trust in God’s promise to his fathers (Gen. 50:24–25). And so the patriarchal narratives conclude. God’s people are far from the land he promised to Abraham, and each person in the narrative has proven not to be the head crusher that Genesis 3:15 promised. Nevertheless, readers have learned a valuable lesson about God’s grace and humanity’s utter dependence on it. If Genesis 3:15 is to be fulfilled, it will only be by his great grace and mercy.

Wilderness Wanderings and the Promised Land

The book of Exodus opens with God’s people in slavery in Egypt, their leader having gone to the fathers, and the rise of a new pharaoh “to whom Joseph meant nothing” (Ex. 1:8) and who, therefore, ruthlessly oppressed the Hebrews. The outlook is bleak, even though God has been faithful to multiply Abraham’s descendants (Ex. 1:7, 12). Exodus 2 introduces us to the next potential head crusher, “a fine child” whose mother kept faith with Yahweh by hiding her son from the pharaoh’s genocide (Ex. 2:1–4). This baby grows up in the Egyptian king’s household, but eventually murders an Egyptian and flees the country. Moses, it turns out, is not the promised head crusher. He proves this further by striking a rock when Yahweh commanded him to speak to it (Num. 20). Despite his relationship with Yahweh—who spoke to him “face to face” (Ex. 33:11)— and along with his faithfulness in leading God’s people out of Egypt, overseeing the tabernacle’s construction, and receiving then communicating God’s law to Israel, Moses could not crush the serpent’s head. He could only typologically foreshadow the one to come (Deut. 18:15). Nevertheless, Moses was instrumental in Yahweh’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt and in the new way Yahweh would communicate with them—through dwelling among them in the Tabernacle. This was the first step after the exile from Eden toward the tabernacling of the Messiah with his people and the forthcoming indwelling of the Spirit in his people.

Deuteronomy closes with the death of Moses and the passing of the mantle onto Joshua. The tension rises again as readers wonder whether Joshua, slated to lead the people into God’s promised land and thus fulfill another aspect of the Abrahamic covenant, will crush the serpent’s head. Yahweh grants Joshua great success in leading the people to conquer the land and establish Israel in Canaan. Joshua is even the first significant figure in the Old Testament not to have committed sins such lying, murder, theft, and idolatry. Yet his story likewise ends on a somber note:

Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.” But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.” Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.” “Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied. “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” (Josh. 24:19–23)

Great leader that he was, Joshua was yet unable to sever the people’s bondage to sin, and he himself remained subjected to death.

The Monarchy

Upon Joshua’s death the national leadership transitions to a model of successive judges whom God raises up to deliver his people after a period of rebellion and divine punishment. God’s people devolve to the point that by the end of the book of Judges, Israelites are raping and murdering one another—the natural outworking of everyone doing “as they saw fit” (Judg. 21:25).

As the biblical narrative transitions to the monarchy, Yahweh’s last appointed judge functionally transitions the nation from a strict theocracy into a monarchy. The people had grown weary of Samuel’s sons’ amorality, and so with much fanfare, the Israelites demand that Samuel “appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have” (1 Sam 8:5). At Yahweh’s behest, Samuel does just this, making Saul the king over Israel. It doesn’t take long to realize that Saul will not crush the serpent’s head, and Yahweh ultimately deposes Saul after a series of sins that demonstrated Saul’s unfaithfulness to Yahweh (see 1 Sam. 13–15).

David’s story is woven into the fabric of Saul’s narrative. He slays Goliath, plays a harp to soothe Saul’s anxiety, and Samuel anoints him as king over Israel (much to his own father’s surprise!). The narrator’s depiction of David is at first unsettling. Will this young boy, who is not even big enough to wear Saul’s armor, really be the next king of Israel? Surely this anointed one would not crush the serpent’s head. Indeed, we will learn that David is not the promised Messiah—he murders Uriah, uses his power to bed Bathsheba, and refuses to execute justice when his son rapes his daughter—but he is a key figure in the unfolding of God’s plan to save humanity.

Yahweh secures David’s reign over the twelve tribes of Israel and gives him military victory over the enemies surrounding Israel. David is at rest, and now he wants to build Yahweh a house in which to dwell. Yet Yahweh demurs, stating instead that Yahweh will build David a house, that is, a dynasty. And despite David’s catastrophic failings to come just a few chapters later in 2 Samuel, Yahweh makes a covenant with him that marks the most significant Christological development since Yahweh promised a seed who would crush the serpent’s head:

When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever. (2 Sam. 7:12–16 NIV)

This Davidic covenant promised first that David’s son, Solomon, would indeed build that house that David wanted to build for Yahweh. Second, and most importantly, this covenant assured David that a ruler from his lineage would forever reign over Israel: “Your throne shall be established forever.” Further, while God promises to judge those Davidic rulers who sin against him, he also promises that “My mercy shall not depart from him.” The term that NKJV translates as “mercy” is hesed, the Hebrew term for covenant loyalty. Thus, Yahweh is promising to remain in covenant relationship with the Davidic line for all time.

Solomon comes to power upon David’s death, is granted supreme wisdom, builds the temple, and promptly violates the Deuteronomic ideals of kingship (compare Deut. 17:14–20 with 2 Chron. 1:14–17). He is not the head crusher. With the death of Solomon and fragmentation of his kingdom upon his son’s ill-advised decision to reject the people’s request that he treat them better than his father Solomon had, the reader is thrust again into the Old Testament’s messianic tension. Who will crush the serpent’s head? It wasn’t David, it wasn’t Solomon, and certainly it won’t be Rehoboam or any of the kings of the renegade northern kingdom of Israel. And while we catch glimpses of hope in a few of the kings of Judah—Josiah, Hezekiah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jotham—none of these conquer sin and restore humanity’s right relationship with God. As in the book of Judges, the narratives of God’s people during the divided monarchy (the period during which Israel and Judah were separated) record a downward spiral into sin, with a few moments of obedience here and there. This spiral culminates first in Israel’s exile and then in Judah’s exile. 

Prophetic Witness

Before, during, and after the divided monarchies of Israel and Judah, prophetic voices continually called God’s people to covenant faithfulness to him. They spoke boldly about the importance of keeping Torah and walking in right relationship with Yahweh, along with the covenant curses that Yahweh would bring for the people’s failure to heed their voices. They also spoke of a time when a Davidic ruler would come and reign in justice and righteousness. These prophecies described and pointed forward to the head crusher, the one in David’s line who would finally fulfill the promise of Gen 3:15. D. G. Firth organizes the prophetic witness to the head crusher under five categories: “restored/renewed Davidic kingship,” “justice and righteousness,” “security,” “restored creation,” and “promise of the Spirit.”[2] No single prophet paints a full picture of the head crusher, but taken together, it is clear that they point to someone far above any of the figures we have seen thus far. A full survey of the prophetic witness to Christ is beyond the scope of this essay, so the following focuses on the messianic portrait developed by Isaiah.

Isaiah contains what are probably the most well-known prophecies of this coming one. He would be born of a virgin and named Immanuel (Isa 7:14). He would “a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall” (Isa 8:14). He would be a Davidic ruler who reigned in justice and righteousness:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LordAlmighty will accomplish this. (Isa. 9:6–7)

And yet he would also suffer greatly: “despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain…took up our pain and bore our suffering…punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted…crushed for our iniquities…oppressed and afflicted…a lamb to the slaughter…cut off from the land of the living” (Isa. 53:3–8). All this so that “my [Yahweh’s] righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities” (Isa. 53:11). This one, this one would crush the serpent’s head and set right what was made wrong in Eden.

The New Testament Hope

The Protestant Christian canon ends with Malachi, the final writing prophet in the line of people who spoke about the coming Messiah, who would finally crush the serpent’s head. Malachi concludes with a final word about this coming one:

Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction. (Mal. 4:4–6)

Turning the page in your Bible brings you to Matthew’s Gospel, which opens with the genealogy of Jesus. Matthew starts with Abraham to confirm Jesus’s Hebrew lineage, then traces Jesus’s family down through David to confirm his Davidic descent. Here, finally, is the head crusher. Several chapters later, Jesus confirms that John the Baptist, who opens his ministry in Matthew 3, is “the Elijah who was to come” (Matt. 11:14 NIV). The Gospel writers take great care to confirm repeatedly that Jesus Christ is indeed Messiah, the one prophesied so long ago in Gen. 3:15 (see, e.g., Matt. 2:4–6, 14–15; 4:12–17; 13:13–15, 34–35). With the Gospels having established that Jesus is the Messiah, the rest of the New Testament develops a full Christology. 

Reader, rejoice! After a long line of people who failed to deliver God’s people from bondage to sin and death, Christ has come to set his people free from the curse that Adam brought upon the world so long ago in God’s garden. Readers now can look back on the Old Testament narrative through a Christological lens, but God did not grant this to the original readers. They expectantly awaited what we have now experienced. Let us worship God for his goodness, faithfulness, and his crushing defeat of the serpent!