Pride Month

Rainbow tinted profile pictures, rainbow light displays, the pride flag on nearly every staff—reminders about what month we’re in greet us at every turn. Pride Month has grown from a recessed community recognition to an international celebration. 

We can no longer ignore what’s going on “out there” in the world, because now the world is barging into the community of believers, demanding full acceptance (or else). Followers of Jesus must reckon with the LGBTQIA+ community — the agendas and the people. Especially the people. But we need to remind ourselves of what the apostle Peter wrote to the first century Christians who lived in a world generally annoyed and angered by them:

Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect (1 Pet 3:14-15).

Sometimes what we feel about this celebration of sin looks like “righteous indignation” and maybe zeal. But as truth takes hit after hit after hit, we need to draw some hard lines in the proverbial sand, stand up for what’s righteous, and speak for the truth. Yet, in a society fueled by outrage about nearly everything, I want to propose that while indignation may have its place, our first response should very likely be a broken (and therefore compassionate) heart.

Remembering My Sinfulness

Allow me to ask: What’s the worst sin in the Bible? 

There’s only one sin that Jesus said was unpardonable, unforgivable — the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matt 12:22-32). This is the section just before Jesus’ statement about us being judged for every idle word we may say (vv. 33-37).

Outside of this sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit I would believe it right to say that any sin will destroy our perfect relationship with God, separating (even eternally) from God. 

And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” (Mark 7:20-23)

Daniel serves well as a cautionary story — he was captured as a teen, and he lived almost his entire earthly life in Babylon; nearly 70 years in captivity. One day while he was reading and thinking about the prophecies of Jeremiah, he realized that the time of exile was nearly done. He knew why his people had been punished by Babylon in the first place, and in his prayer, he said: “Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the LORD our God by following his instructions that he set before us through his servants the prophets.” (Dan 9:9-10)

We might wonder what sin Daniel was guilty of because there’s nothing in the biblical record that tells us, but he, like all of us, certainly was a sinner (Rom 3:10, 23; Gal 3:22). My point is that in his prayer he includes himself by saying “we” and “us.”

If we have any integrity, Pride Month could probably be called “Self-Righteousness” month for us all. Like the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable (Lk 18:9-14), we are prone to thank God that we’re not like “them,” as if we’re a better class of sinner.

This month we all need to remember that every sin, including self-righteousness, is only forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God and our mediator (John 14:6; Rom 6:1-7; Gal 3:26-29, 1 Tim 2:5). As Isaiah reminds us all: “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness is like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)

It might seem easy to condemn others this month, but if we’re looking in the mirror of God’s word (James 1:19-25), then we will see our own hideousness. We all need to see the ugliness of our own sins and busy ourselves working on ourselves (Philippians 2:12-13).

We All Need Jesus' Compassion

The one big thing it seems the Pharisees lacked was compassion. In Mark 3:1-6 we have an example of just how hard-hearted they were against others who were not them. In this case, there was a man with a withered hand: 

Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. (vv. 4-5)

In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus tells them a parable — and we’re informed by the Holy Spirit that “He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.” (v. 9) He could well be telling that parable to us all.

I often think of Jesus walking among us, among mankind. I realize we may feel that things in the 21st century are much worse than they were in the 1st, but we’d be wrong with that assessment. Mankind is chock full of sinners (Rom 3:23). Our sins today are like all the sins of yesterday. And they are despicable.

And yet Jesus didn’t walk around sneering at people and mocking them. That’s essentially what the Pharisees seemed to do:

But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues . . . But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. . . . But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. (Matt 23:5-6, 11-13)

Do we weep over our own sins? We may feel justified being angry about the sins of others — again, it being Pride Month — but are we moved to tears?

Sin destroys lives — think about the first sin of Adam against all of mankind (Gen 3; Rom 5). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23)

We should be moved to pray for others — “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matt 5:43-45)

We also need to pray to God to help us when we’re talking to others. “Speaking the truth in love” (Eph 4:15). “Love is always patient; love is always kind; love is never envious or arrogant with pride” (1 Cor 13:4).

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Col 4:5-6)

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world (Phil 2:14-15)

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matt 5:16)

We are not judges, we are sinners — “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Rom 5:6)

Stuck Going Through the Motions

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. 

Titus 2:11–14

Going through the motions is only going to get us so far.

But for many of us, going through the motions is what we know, what we’re comfortable with. The problem is that we may not feel invested.

There’s a big difference the bacon and eggs—not just because of the different animals they come from, but how they come. Pigs give their lives. God doesn’t just want us to go through the motions—he wants our hearts and minds.

Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.” (Matthew 22:35–38)

What Jesus said then applies to us today.

When we sing, we can get caught going through the motions. It’s not about “sounding nice,” it’s about the most important instrument we all have—the heart.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16)

Singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord is going to manifest itself to others. Just think about it.

And when we pray together—we can definitely get caught going through the motions by not even paying attention. It’s about focusing on what is being said. I realize this can be challenging because with our eyes closed our minds may wander. So put in the effort to focus.

And when we consider the word of God together in a sermon—participate as much as you can by thinking through the things being presented. Many of my sermons are full of scripture reading. I do this on purpose because I want all of us to be presented with God’s way of thinking: his words, his mind.

Zeal means we really want to please our Lord and Savior in doing the things He has commanded us—not with a complaining heart, or a divided heart—distracted by thinking about all the things we feel we might be missing out on. If God showed us the zeal we show Him, where would we be?

Even in our giving, Paul urges us—

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)

When Our Love Grows Weak

People are the worst.

There’s really no need ever for us to debate this because it’s true. I know there are times that it may seem worse than others, but it is always true that people are the worst. You don’t even have to wait for the headlines—people advertise against themselves and their disgusting thinking and activities on their own as they seek “likes” on TikTok and Instagram reels. There doesn’t seem to really be a depth to which people will go and then stop. They dig down into morally murky depths just a little further (if not a lot further).

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:12–13)

But in all this I am reminded of God’s longsuffering toward us all. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. . . . And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation” (2 Peter 3:9, 15). And every single day I am thankful God is longsuffering toward me. All this to say that we’re all sinful to the Lord: “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5; also read Isaiah 64:6) 

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:44–45, 48)

The Daily Battle to Trust

 Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. for he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7–8

For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.

2 Peter 2:19

Many people trust their feelings above all else. Or they may trust their bank account. Or their health. But we know that all these are temporal and can change in the blink of an eye.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. . . . For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. (2 Corinthians 4:16–18; 5:4–5)

God wants us to trust Him, and to trust Him completely (Psalm 33:21; Proverbs 3:5). “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And [Jesus] said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:36–37)

Ultimately, the benefit is our if we trust God who commands, and obey Him:

“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” (Luke 17:7–10)

Again, it’s not a matter of merely keeping commands, although God’s commands are not burdensome nor grievous (1 John 5:2–3). God’s commands are for us to be transformed for the better (Romans 12:1–2; Ephesians 4:22–24). God’s commands bring us eternal life and, furthermore, profit us in the here and now, preparing us for eternity (1 Timothy 4:7–8; Ecclesiastes 12:13–14; Romans 8:18).

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalm 19:7–11)

The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. (Psalm 119:160)

Do we really trust God? Whether we actually do or not, it will show in how we choose to live (1 Timothy 5:24–25). “The one who conducts himself in integrity will live securely, but the one who behaves perversely will be found out.” (Proverbs 10:9 NET)

Satan is never going to give up on us—he’s always coming after us. This is why we are to be watchful in everything (Colossians 4:2; 1 Peter 5:8). This can be exhausting if we try to do this on our own. We need help, we need divine intervention:

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. . . . And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:26, 28)

One very important way that we show trust in God is in praying to Him: 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6–7)

Do we believe God will help us through difficult times? Do we believe that God will not forget us? For some, the answers to these questions may change daily. 

Even Jesus is said to put His trust in God (Hebrews 2:13).

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14)

They Have Not All Obeyed

 But they have not all obeyed the gospel.  

—Romans 10:16—

Most people don’t seem to understand the call of obedience by God. Denominational concepts of “faith only,” though nowhere found in the NT, are maintained as the truth. The idea seems that the gospel is a message only. Yet, as we see above—and I would encourage reading the entire context of Romans 10—Paul asserts that “they have not all obeyed the gospel.” How would one know? For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” (Romans 10:16b)

Inherent with the preaching, or declaration of the gospel message is a call from God for obedience to its demands (see 2 Thessalonians 2:14). And maybe here is where some of the misunderstanding comes from—we’re not preaching the demands of the gospel as we should. Maybe we’re too preoccupied with a therapeutic gospel.

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36) “He learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” (Hebrews 5:8–9)

The Big Picture

If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? (Matthew 16:24–26)

Solomon begins his existential treatise with the question: “What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:3) He answers the question with an answer that may surprise us with its stark, blunt reality:

All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. . . . I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind (Ecclesiastes 1:8–11, 14).

One of the reasons why I believe the book of Ecclesiastes is the near-perfect place to start a Bible study with someone who may know little-to-nothing about God’s word is that it dares to ask the questions that almost everyone will ask at some moment in their lives. There will be for almost everyone something that happens that serves as a catalyst for the deep, hard questions of life. Maybe the unexpected death of someone who is close them. Maybe a world event that scares them. Something happens, and we — from that moment — begin questioning almost everything.

Again, the book of Ecclesiastes as a whole observes the tragedies and injustices of life and doesn’t pretend not to see them. As a matter of fact, Solomon stares at the injustices:

Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. . . . If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them (Ecclesiastes 3:16–17; 5:8).

Solomon does not merely wax eloquent about all the things “under the sun” — whether good or bad — that he sees. He comes to a conclusion:

The Teacher searched to find appropriate expressions, and what is written here is right and truthful. Sayings from the wise are like cattle prods and well fastened nails; this masterful collection was given by one shepherd. So learn from them, my son. There is no end to the crafting of many books, and too much study wearies the body. Let the conclusion of all of these thoughts be heard: Fear God and obey his commandments, for this is what it means to be human. For God will judge every deed, along with every secret, whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:10–14).

Jesus asked: What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? The word “forfeit” is a word found six times in the New Testament Greek. Three times we find the word used in quoting Jesus as we have here in Matthew 16:26 and the parallel synoptic passages of Mark 8:36; Luke 9:25. The other three times this Greek word is used are all in Paul’s letters: 1 Corinthians 3:15; 2 Corinthians 7:9 and Philippians 3:8 where we find the word translated “suffer loss.” The idea is complete loss, not just a misplacement with the potential to find what we’ve lost. Forfeiture of our soul means complete loss of our souls. What shall a man give in return for his soul?

What do any of us have that we could offer in exchange to God in return for our soul? God’s grace provides everything:

Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. . . . Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:1–2, 6–7).

We should stop and think about the big picture; to consider and praise God for His immeasurable grace:

We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. . . . What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 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? . . . As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:28, 31–32, 36–37).

Suffering: A Sign of God's Favor

For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him,
but also to suffer for His sake (Philippians 1:29).

You may want to reread the title because it’s baffling. We don’t really think of suffering as ever being a good or beneficial thing. Suffering is suffering. Suffering is bad. Pain is bad, right? And yet we read from the apostle Paul about his own suffering and, specifically, that he was able to ask and get a direct answer from God:

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:7–10).

The writer of Hebrews makes a similar assessment about suffering:

Consider [Jesus] who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? (Hebrews 12:3–7, quoting Proverbs 3:11)

I believe we’re generally stuck in our thinking about suffering, like Job’s three friends who essentially believed that when we suffer it’s our fault—that only bad things happen to bad people. Job proves otherwise (Job 1:1, 8), as does Jesus, God’s Son. So, we’re adding to suffering unnecessarily by assigning a different motive than what God has assigned.

In his commentary on Philippians 1:29, Ralph P. Martin writes: “There is no accident in [the Philippians’] suffering, nor is it a mark of divine punishment as though God were angry with them. On the contrary, it is a sign of His favour … Not only does suffering for Christ’s sake fulfil the purpose of God for His people in the world, it comes as a gift of His grace” (p. 89). Let’s briefly consider a few passages:

When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:21–22).

We sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain (1 Thessalonians 3:2–5).

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12).

See again that Paul tells us that desiring to live godly is going to elicit persecution! As a Christian living in twenty-first century America, I struggle with these biblical revelations about suffering and glory. I’d simply rather not suffer. There’s the popular sentiment expressed by people who like exercising: “No pain, no gain.” I much prefer the sentiment expressed by people who don’t like exercising: “No pain, no pain.”

By the direction of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul reminds us that:

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:16–18).

Growing in Christ is going to necessitate pain in suffering. Again, the word God has given us makes it very clear that there is no glory without suffering. And suffering isn’t punishment from God, but as we read from Philippians 1:29, “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”