BIBLE READING: Genesis 5

The entrance of sin into the world set off a horrible chain of events. Innocence was lost and the world looked very different through the eyes of Adam and Eve (3.7). Fear dominated peace (3.8-10). Conflict and curses ensued (3.11-19). Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden and promised pain (3.16, 17). As they began having children in this broken state, the effects of sin progressed. Cain succumbed to sin’s pressures, taking conflict to its ultimate end (4.8). He showed some remorse but there was a selfish callousness in his response as wrestled with the consequences (4.9, 13-14). Several generations later, Lamech murders a man but with no remorse (4.23-24). The effects of sin had completely overcome humanity and Genesis 5 depicts the bleak outcome it would bring.

“…and he died.” (Genesis 5.5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, 31)

The genealogy sends a clear message about the doom of humanity. Each man lived a long time but came to the same end. Genesis 5.1-2 subtly reminds that humanity was made in God’s image to live. But Adam’s choice began a new order, made in his image and likeness, that would die (Genesis 5.3). It is not just tragic; it is sobering to think that God’s perfect world could be so easily rejected by every single person.

The expectation to walk with God, in God’s image becomes an obvious challenge for mankind… but not an impossibility. In the midst of human failure, we are given glimpses of people who walked with God. Most notably we are told Enoch “walked with God, and he was not for God took him” (Genesis 5.24). The details are limited but drive us back to the fundamental purpose of our existence: to please God and serve his purposes (Genesis 1.28; Hebrews 11.5).

It is interesting to note that each person of Genesis 5 “lived” a certain number of years but eventually died. Enoch, by contrast, chose to walk with God and truly live. The difference is simple but profound. Humanity’s ways ended in death but walking with God allowed Enoch to escape death.

Death is the universal problem, but it’s not only active in the ultimate sense. Paul tells us we “were dead in our trespasses and sins” through the choice to disobey God (Ephesians 2.1-3). We walked in a way that brought wrath and destruction to our present circumstance. In other words, our existence is dead without obedience. Hence why we are called to walk in a worthy manner by changing our minds and behavior (Ephesians 4-5).

Obedience to God’s words is the only way to experience life. These are the words which brought life in the beginning, continue to sustain the world, and that will align us with God’s image. By God’s ultimate grace we have been shown how to live through the life, teaching, and witness of Jesus Christ. The effects of sin are powerful, but his grace is greater (Romans 5.20-21). So, “let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.” (Romans 6.12-13)

BIBLE READING : Genesis 1

“And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1.27)

We live in a world where children are being raised “gender neutral.” The coffee shop I go to has name tags stating their “preferred pronouns.” The concept of “transitioning” has been pirated to mean something we never would have dreamed. As our modern culture has lost its boundaries and celebrates a glut of so-called gender options, Christians should understand and critique today’s concepts in light of Genesis 1.26-27. There are two genders—male and female—which collectively can relate to God. But this reality is more than just talking points against the absurd claims of a modern society. It grounds us in important truths about our world and how we relate to it.

First, it asserts that we can trust objective realities. Simply put, either you have or do not have certain body parts. God wasn’t playing any pranks when he made us. Mankind has recognized the distinction between men and women for most of history because there are objective differences to observe. You simply cannot argue with biology because it is not left to our opinions. Post-modern thought is consumed with subjectivity and all it has produced is chaos and confusion.

Second, it means our identity is more than just our thoughts. God’s definition of male and female was not intangible. Our God-given bodies reflect definite anatomical characteristics, and with them we are given purpose relating to God’s image. Gender roles are not arbitrary, but purposeful. We learn more about this from passages like Ephesians 5. Paul exhorts husbands to love their wives “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5.25) and wives to submit to their husbands “as the church submits to Christ” (Ephesians 5.24). Behaving according to these roles teaches greater spiritual truths. Furthermore, this has significant implications for how we use our bodies. They are the temple of the living God which we bring into submission to the Spirit of God. We cannot see our bodies merely as containers we’ll have for a while and then throw away.

Finally, it teaches that our Maker is diverse yet harmonious. The existence of two genders reflects the plurality of God’s nature we see in Genesis 1.26: “Let US make man in OUR image…” It may be difficult to comprehend God’s triune nature, but this much is certain: it involves multiple parts that operate in complete harmony. So, when God made mankind, he did so with diversity and creativity. We’re not just robots cranked out of machine that look and act exactly the same. Men and women have lots of differences, but we can relate to one another in meaningful ways. When gender roles are understood and fulfilled, there is greater awareness of God’s nature.

We must not let the world denigrate such powerful truths. Starting a conversation about gender with the image of God is not a roundabout way to approach a sensitive topic. It’s a starting point that gets to the heart of the issue: we are created on purpose for a purpose. Regardless of our gender, our Creator has designed us to be like him.

BIBLE READING: 2 Peter 1-2

"when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased," we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven..." (2 Peter 1.17-18)

I suspect this was among the most definitive events of faith Peter would experience. However, Peter doesn’t expect that to be the basis for our beliefs. As he recounts this event, he does so as a contrast.: “we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention…” (2 Peter 2.19). To Peter, scripture is a greater experience that more fully confirms God’s will (2 Peter 1.19-21). That is because Scripture is the documented expression of God’s words that is unchanging and unaltered by time and opinions (see Psalm 119.89; 2 Timothy 3.16-17; 1 Peter 1.25).

We exist in a time where truth is presented as relative. That has appeal to our selfish egos, but when played out over time, it only creates instability and chaos. Simply put if truth becomes subjective, based only on feelings and experiences, life becomes meaningless. Practically this means we must guard ourselves against wrong ways of thinking. In our post-Covid era we must be more aware than ever as we have access to information like never before. There are millions of opinions coming from seemingly convincing sources that can deceive us. None of them front as a threat but can cause serious damage to the body of Christ. As Peter continues his letter, he warns about how to identify wrong sources of truth and false teachers.

• They are subjective (2 Peter 2.1). Destructive heresies are more than just mistruths. They are opinions, propelled by conviction. They create distinction in ways that God does not. Subjectivity breeds division and discord – things not from God (James 3.13-18)
• They deny authority (2 Peter 2.1). The gospel message is that Jesus is King and Lord. Someone may talk about Jesus, but if their message is not making him famous, be careful. A false message results in glory for the man.
• They are bold and self-willed (2 Peter 2.10). False messages have no substance so they must rely on bullying techniques and exertion of power to prop them up. The gospel is powerful without our efforts. We must not be intimidated, but wise enough to see through any teaching that lives off bold assertions and strong personalities.

I’m not suggesting we get in the business of calling out false teachers. That is nothing to be flippant about. We must be thoughtful and deliberate before making any judgments. But we must not be naïve. False teachers are still a problem in our day. Establishing a true baseline for belief is more critical than ever. Thankfully God has made truth understandable and accessible for everyone (1 Corinthians 1.18-31). His word is unchanging and verifiable (Proverbs 30.5). Not only is that good news for us, but that is what everyone really wants: a solid place to stand. By God’s grace, we can know the truth and it can set us free even when the rest of the world is crashing around.

BIBLE READING: James 1
“Do not be deceived; every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

In the context he’s talking about trials and suffering. He wants us to remember that, regardless of what we’re going through, what God does is always good and for our good [Psalm 119.68]. But it’s important to note that he’s not teaching God’s goodness as a contrast to suffering. Instead, he’s talking about suffering as an exercise of God’s goodness. Now, how can suffering be good? That seems to be the age-old question for many. From a natural perspective, anything that does not create pleasure in the moment is not good. But we often lack the vision to see how things should be. We settle our hearts on the pleasure, comfort and enjoyment of this life and are discontent with anything but that.

But God wants us to live as we should. So, James tells us to count it as joy when we face suffering (1.2-4). Why? Because trials are a testing process that shows what will last and what will not. Sometimes we put our trust in temporary things without considering their outcome. This world is passing away, along with its desires (1 John 2.17), and suffering is God’s grace to point us towards things more permanent. So, we must see suffering as an opportunity to change our mind and elevate our thinking. Some of our suffering is just the nature of life. But other suffering is the result of our faith choices. Conforming to God’s will is completely opposed to my selfishness. Allowing Him to dictate my choices is a collision between two worlds. Without the right perspective, it makes no sense to endure suffering at all. But what James wants us to see is that all suffering, whether external or internal is an opportunity to become more conformed to the image of God.

The implication of all this is that we are not how we should be. We lack the ability to experience good on our own. We must never deceive ourselves into thinking that we are good, unless we are obedient and allowing God’s grace to change us. We need help to become good, and God does this through our sufferings.

Through suffering we become perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1.4). This is referring to the transformation of our mind and not our physical self (Romans 12.1-2; 2 Corinthians 4.16). In this life we will experience physical limitations, but they are preparing us for an eternal weight of glory in the presence of God who gives everything we need (2 Corinthians 4.17). We know that difficult seasons will come, but by faith, we can enjoy the peace of God who is working all things together for our good in every season.

“…I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us… in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8.16-39)

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 8-10

“…the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” (Leviticus 17.11)

In Leviticus 17, God gave instructions regarding sacrifices and offerings, particularly on the proper slaughtering of animals. The people were to bring each animal to the tabernacle entrance for the priest to offer. The blood of the animal was never to be treated as common food; it belonged to God, who is the giver of life (Genesis 2.7; Job 33.4; Psalm 139.13). So, the blood of animals was drained and offered to God on the altar. Under the Old Law, this was God’s pattern for dealing with sin, and the shedding of blood was the most critical element (Leviticus 16.15; Hebrews 9.22).

The problem was this process was not permanent. It had to be repeated year after year for both the people and the priests (Hebrews 9.7, 25; 10.10). However, this process established a truth that would only be revealed in Jesus Christ: “when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me…” (Hebrews 10.5). It was always God’s will for humans to be made right with God by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, once for all time (Hebrews 10.10). When Jesus offered up His life—pouring out His blood on the cross—the perfect sacrifice had finally been made: “Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins” (Hebrews 9.14, NLT).

All those from times past, present, and future can now be made right with God by the blood of Jesus (Romans 3.23-26). The apostle John saw a future multitude of believers in heaven who “have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.” They have been purified from sin by obedience through faith and “clothed in white” (Revelation 7.13–14).

Because of the Old Testament system, Christ’s followers can comprehend what Jesus was doing on the cross. He gave his perfect life as a ransom (Mark 10.45). Just as physical life is in the blood of animals, eternal life is in the blood of Jesus Christ. Physically, our existence depends on blood to sustain life. Spiritually, our lives depend on the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 5.10; 1 John 1.7; Ephesians 1.7; Colossians 1.14; Hebrews 9.22). Through the Old Covenant sacrifices, we are led to appreciate that death—the shedding of blood—has always been the cost of securing eternal life for sinful humans. But thanks be to God that, by the blood of Jesus, we can be assured of forgiveness by faith in him.

“…since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh… let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10.19-23)