America's Benign God

We live in a society that has created for itself an idol. I live in a suburb of Nashville, which is right smack in the middle of the Bible belt, with more than its fair share of every kind of Baptist that you can think of, plus a few more. The point to that isn't that Baptist are bad, or that even that living in the Bible Belt is bad, although there's some major drawbacks and hypocrisies that reach epic proportions, but that's another story for another day.

This idol that has been created is what I'm going to dub, "The feline of judah". The Church has made Jesus out to be an innocent, calm, gentle, totally incapable of destruction, little innocuous god. It is not very often that you hear of anyone being fearful of a God that is capable (and willing) to bring judgement. People who ought to be terrified of God's judgement, have no fear, no worries, and when something happens in their life that may very well have been judgement, or discipline, they brush it off as happenstance, that it was just the circumstances that allowed this to happen.

The Church has created a benign god that never judges.

Recently I had a conversation with a friend who had listened to a sermon from Paul Washer. In this sermon he was telling me that Paul Washer was making a point about how God didn't spare His own Son from His Wrath. During this conversation John 3:16 clicked in my headed in a manner that I've never had before.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

There's a rather large point that is missed here, I believe mostly because of how we have romanticized this text. However, Romans 8:32 sheds a great deal of light on this by saying, "He who did not spare his own Son". I believe that all to often we look at this and miss the big idea of what spare actually means. We interpret this to say that God sent his Son from heaven, all the while missing that the sparing was the very wrath of God (Isaiah 53:10).

Jesus took on himself the wrath of God; He satisfied God's wrath (Romans 2:23-25).


Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Here's the big idea: If God did spare His own Son, Jesus, then He isn't going to spare those who are outside of Christ. If we are not hidden in Christ, when the day of judgement comes (in this life or the next) we are not going to be spared the very wrath of God. When the people of Israel were preparing the first passover feast, they were doing so because they had to have the blood covering of an innocent lamb, because when it comes to judgement, there is no one who is innocent (Romans 3:23) outside of Christ. Had there been an Israelite who didn't do as he was commanded and shed the blood of a lamb and covered the doorpost with it, they would've been judged on that night.

I see this benign-god being talked about and preached from the mountain tops of the social world all the time e.g. the latest hit song Same Love is a great example of this. With lines like a "God loves all his children", and "Whatever God you believe in we come from the same one' strip away the fear underneath it's all the same love". It would take at least one long article to unpack those two lines, so I'm going to stick to the point, which is, this god that Mackelmore is talking about is a god that is only love, and according to his definition of love - it isn't love at all. This god has no judgement in him, and whatever you want to do, you are free to do because there is no judgement, only love.

As I pointed out earlier, if the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, according to scripture, then this is very bad news for anyone who has not put their trust in him. If God wasn't willing to spare his Son, He is not going to spare you eternal judgement.

The severity of God's anger, judgement, wrath, is what reveals his righteousness, grace and mercy.

The reality of this inoculated god that is preached in pulpits all over America has people who are totally unafraid of God. If you're not terrified about God's ability to judge you, in my opinion, you are in some very dangerous territory - Matthew 7:21-23 territory.

I pray that you put your trust in Christ, repent of you sins, pursue Jesus and let your life be hidden in him. (Colossians 3:3). When we put our trust in him we are justified by him and him alone (Romans 5:1).


Romans 8:33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

What is Forgiveness

We hear of forgiveness and we are told to forgive those who have offended us, but what is forgiveness? Unfortunately it is presented as a mystical healing that happens when you decide you're ready for it to happen; just forgive them.

I’ve personally heard all kinds of arguments as to why someone isn’t capable of forgiving someone, or why they struggle with the issue of unforgiveness.

To make matters worse people, especially preachers, love to quote Matthew 6:14-15.

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

So, those who have been stuck with the issue of unforgiveness find themselves in a rather unfortunate situation. They don’t want to forgive the person or persons, but neither do they want to go hell because God won’t forgive them, because they don’t want to forgive the person. They still don’t know how to forgive, or what forgiveness really is, but they're going to forgive because they want God’s forgiveness.

They’ve now made the decision to forgive said person, they will probably call them, or send them a letter to let them know that they have decided to forgive them...  “whew, glad that’s over”, they say to themselves.

The sad truth is, there is no real forgiveness in the above example.

Colossians 3:13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Romans 15:7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

When we discuss the issue of forgiveness we must look to Christ. When we look to Christ we must have the understanding of our sinfulness. If you don’t see your sinfulness you won’t see the beauty of God’s grace, mercy, and the beauty of his forgiveness. Furthermore, what was required to gain that forgiveness.

We can all truly forgive someone when we look at ourselves and see just how sinful we really are, and that while we were enemies of God, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). You were an enemy of God and Christ died for you, and by His Spirit you were raised from the dead, and all yours sins have been forgiven because of Christ (Colossians 2:13).

Once you realise the reality of your sinful state, and the grievousness of your sin against God, and that he forgave it, then you are that much closer to being able to forgive someone.

However, we still haven’t addressed what forgiveness is, and what it is not.

Forgiveness is not a mystical act, where we decide to just evaporate the offense from our minds. We can't simply wave a wand and make it all go away.

God the Father has forgiven us in Christ. Christ died for our sins, the preacher tells us we are forgiven because Christ died for our sins. But what does that statement really mean? What happened on the “cross” that enables us to be forgiven? Why was this necessary for forgiveness? Why couldn’t God simply forgive us? After all that’s what people tell us to do, right?

1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

The word propitiation is a very important word, perhaps the most important word to understand forgiveness. So what is propitiation? To propitiate is to make peace with God. Jesus made peace with God the father by absorbing the full weight of his wrath. You and I are completely incapable of making peace with God because until we are in Christ, we are in Adam (Romans 5:12-21).

Isaiah 53:10 Yet it was the will of the  Lord  to crush him; he has put him to grief;  when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;  the will of the  Lord  shall prosper in his hand.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

God made Jesus sin, and he poured out his wrath on him. Jesus didn’t just die on the cross, he absorbed the very wrath of God. He propitiated God. He took every bit of wrath for the sins of all believers, past, present and future.

We are forgiven and reconciled to God because Jesus, who is the head of the Church (all believers), took unto himself the sins of all believers. Jesus because he is covenantally the head of the Church (his bride) took the responsibility to reconcile his bride to the Father (2 Corinthians 5:18).

For us to understand the depths and difficulty of forgiveness, and to walk in true forgiveness we must understand what we have been forgiven. Paul commonly reminded believers of their sinfulness, and that they were forgiven. He would remind the churches to walk in love and forgive one another, because they have been forgiven in Christ; seeing their own sin, and forgiving others of the sins.

We are forgiven because Jesus Absorbed our sin.  Forgiveness is absorbing the offense.

When we forgive someone we are absorbing what said person has done to us. We are saying that we aren’t going to inflict the wrath on them that they deserve (I realize at this point I just opened up a can of worms, and it will have to be addressed in another article). In short this doesn’t mean that you petition the court to free the person who committed a crime against you, or your family. That would not fall under the banner of forgiveness.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Forgiveness is not easy, which is what the Bible reveals. We should never minimize what it takes to forgive someone.  When we forgive someone, we are able to do so because we realize (as Christians) that God has forgiven us of far more egregious sins against him. When we are struggling with forgiving someone, we must remind ourselves of what we have done, and what Christ did to forgive us.

In short we forgive because God has forgiven us, therefore enabling us to forgive us. The reality is, forgiveness is brutal.

2 Corinthians 5:18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation

Better Than Your Vice

Proverbs 26:11 Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.

When it comes to the issue of fighting sin, people get really dishonest with themselves, and with those who are in their community. There’s a number of reasons why we are so dishonest. The primary reason is self-righteousness, another is the shame, guilt, and fear of being cast out.

We convince ourselves that the issue really isn’t that bad. We tell ourselves that we are ok, and don’t struggle with it anymore, even though yesterday you were enjoying your vice. So we return to behavior modification, which has never worked, but we convince ourselves that it will this time. We do this because we convince ourselves that we don’t really want that vice anymore. The problem with this is, you do want it, and the best thing you can do is acknowledge that you want it, but know that Christ is so much better.

Christ is so much better than your vice. He is better than your comfort sin, your safe sin; your secret sin that you think no one knows about (people do they just aren’t telling you). Everyone has their vice (comfort sin) that they return to like a dog returns to its vomit (Proverbs 26:11, 2 Peter 2:22)

Peter argues, and he’s right because he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write canonical scripture, that it would be better for them to have never known the truth than for one to return to their former way of life (2 Peter 2:20). These people who Peter is referring to have seen, and tasted the goodness of Christ, yet they want to return to their own vomit (2 Peter. 2:22).

If we aren’t careful we will read passages like this one and just further our self-help and modify our behavior some more, which isn’t the point to this passage or any of them for that matter. Jesus is better than the latest self-help book. Jesus is better than anything this world has to offer. Jesus is the living water (John 4:10) who is better than the nasty busted cistern (Jer. 2 :13), yet we go to it looking for living water.

Christ is better than your sin. Christ has defeated your sin. Christ has forgiven your sin, more than that, he took on himself the full wrath of God to forgive the very sin you return to. Christ took it all, and he gives to you everything that you don’t deserve, and took on himself everything you do deserve. Look to Christ and rest in Him (Matthew 11:28-30).  

In Christ you’re forgiven, repent of your sins and trust in him for the hope of salvation that can only be found in him.

Are You Dead

Colossians 3:3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Our sin crushes us. Under the weight of sin, we have no escape. The law condemns us, as we are powerless to overcome the consequences of being law breakers, which we all are. Even if you could obey the law, which you can't, now until you die, you are still condemned by the law you already broke.

However the gospel tells us a different story; a story that reveals we have died and been made alive by God (Ephesians 2:5), and in Christ our former selves are hidden away and Jesus has given us a new lease on life. This life however, isn't given for us to do with it as we choose. Rather the next verse reveals what we are given.

Colossians 3:4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

We are given Christ. Jesus is now our life, and he is our reward. He clothes us in perfectly, with the clothing that we could never attain for ourselves (Isaiah 61:10). God himself has done this work in you (Colossians 2:13), and it had nothing to do with you being special, But he did it for his own name (Psalm 106:8, Isaiah 48:11).

My friends we are brought to worship when we see and are faced with our own destruction, and that God has saved us from it. He saved us by taking on himself what we deserved, and made for us a path that we could not make.

Romans 8:33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

Nothing can be brought against you who are in Christ, because no charge can be brought against Christ himself, and you are in him.

Burnt S'mores

Summer camps are happening all over the world, specifically all over America, more specifically all over the Bible Belt. With that said, I want to look at the good, the bad, and the ugly.

There are loads of good camps, with lots of good teachers, preachers, counsellors who really understand the gospel. Sadly, however, there are far more that don't get the gospel, and therefore look for behavior modification. Manipulating the emotions of adolescence has become a national pass time. Schools do it, peers, churches, books, Television, music, and parents. No one stops to look at the repercussions of what is happening, so long as the desired result is a different behaving child.

Lately my heart has been grieved and cut to the very core. Firstly, because I use to be one of these great manipulators. To anyone who ever sat under the false teaching, and use of manipulative tactics of my ministry, I am deeply sorry; I can only ask that you would forgive me.

Secondly, I am grieved because I've seen numerous post on social media outlets from parents, teens, and ministry workers posting the results of their camps. As I read these updates my heart hurts for anyone that is being described in the sentence or paragraph.

One such example is where I saw someone say, "I'm free from my hurt and pain" (Which is pretty much the common theme). Now that seems simple, and harmless, however, knowing the context of what is meant by this I realize that there isn't any freedom at all. Here's a few reasons.

1. What they mean is, the had an emotional outpouring where they went to the altar, cried, prayed, had someone pray for them, probably spent several days "counseling" and now they're all better.

2. They are referencing a mystical supernatural mental healing, where all their hurts magically disappeared.

• What happens when the pain, hurt, or sin returns and there isn't a camp to with all the chemical inducing endorphins to create the emotions necessary to by another week or two.

3. Then there is the call to ministry where students will flock to the altar to answer the call to be a pastor, missionary, or some other form of full-time ministry.  What about the person that wants to live a quite life, you know like the majority of us; One house, two cars, married with two and half kids.

None of these are necessarily wrong, as God does break us and this can happen at an altar call (sometimes), and we do need people to pray for us, and we do need wise counsel; God does heal our pain, God does call us to something.

Not Our Generation:

We live in a very different age. Today's youth groups are filled with students that have been sexually active since pre-teen age, many of them have sexually transmitted diseases, have had abortions, are pregnant, will be pregnant before the summer is over, have been sexually abused, will be sexually abused, might have been sexually abused by someone during the camp, have been involved in serious crimes, have been using drugs and alcohol for several years, and that's just scratching the surface. When I was a youth, which wasn't that long along, those examples would've been an oddity, and not the more likely scenario. Sadly the above list has become the new normal.

Take that knowledge and add it to some hapless youth counselor who is clueless of this kind of thing,. Furthermore, they are clueless as to how the gospel message ought to be preached, and you have a recipe for burnt s'mores. Burnt s'mores don't taste good, but people eat them at camp. However back in the real world no one wants one of those.

The truth is, the above scenario is far more prevalent than any of us would really like to believe, but there is hope, that hope is Jesus. The real gospel is so much better than anything this world has to offer. When the gospel is rightly understood it sets us free from the condemnation of our sin, it promises  us that all wickedness is taken care of. The gospel promises us that those who do evil will be dealt with, in this life or the next; it promises us  that our sin has been dealt with been the finished work of Christ, that he stood in our place and propitiated our sin, which means he absorbed the very wrath of God on himself, this wrath is the very wrath we deserve, and anyone who is outside of Christ will absorb it themselves, eternally.  The gospel reveals to us that we are sinners who are incapable of saving ourselves, incapable of pleasing God, incapable of coming to God apart from God bringing us to Himself.

Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that  while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

My guess is those whom I've explained have already fallen back into the guilt and condemnation of their sin, or the sins done against them, because they weren't dealt with by the blood of the Lamb, which was shed on the cross that he, Jesus, bore willing because of the will of God the Father.

Better or Not:

The truth is your pain may not get better; at least in the interim. The sin that you continue to do battle with may not go away in the blink of an eye. The best thing that anyone can tell you is, there is one who suffered who didn't deserve it and he did this that we might have peace with God the Father, that we can be adopted into the family, Jesus did it with joy, Jesus did it in obedience, and he did it with you r past, present, and future sins in view.

Does this brief summary come close to addressing the reality of suffering, sin, addiction, and over coming them? No. And that's the point.

We must look to the cross of Christ in a sin, suffering, times of doubt, times of sickness, and remember to give thanks in all circumstances. With that said, it is only by the grace of God that you will even be able to do that.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.


Coram Deo,

Douglas Herron