Character Archives - Christian Questions Bible Podcast

Adam was created in the image of God. His physical human nature was fashioned in a way that would glorify God by its very existence. Once he sinned, all that changed. What was once a pure reflection of the heart and mind of God, at best became a muddied and defective reflection. Fast forward thousands of years and we find God’s plan in place to clean up this muddied mess. This cleanup comes through Jesus and his true disciples. As Jesus’ disciples, we are tasked with living above our muddied world. In Part I of this series, we opened up the Apostle Paul’s reasoning regarding walking in the spirit and not fulfilling the desires of the flesh. We began examining Paul’s long list of the works of the flesh in contrast with the fruit of the spirit. Today we continue this journey toward walking in the spirit!

Anytime we read the Bible and come upon a long list of human characteristics, we should always pause and consider. Such lists are either there for a sober warning about what to avoid, or as an invitation to embrace what’s listed for spiritual growth. Interestingly, the Apostle Paul in Galatians 5 gave us both kinds. He first gave us a long list of the “works of the flesh.” He then contrasted these with the “fruit of the spirit.”

In Part I of this series, we closely examined the first two categories of these works of the flesh:

Category 1 – Intimate Human Desire: immorality, impurity, sensuality

In this episode, we break down the last three categories of the works of the flesh with ten natural human characteristics:

Category 3 – Personal Relationships: hostility, strife, jealousy, anger

Hostility, for example, is very much an internal characteristic that lodges and grows in our hearts and minds. Hostility can be present and powerful within us without anyone knowing it’s there.

Paul lists strife right after hostility. To be engaged in strife is to be engaged in contention and quarreling. Guess what feeds such tension-filled relationships? Hostility, of course. Looking deeper, we realize there is a cause and effect relationship between them. In addition, many of these deeds of the flesh were listed in a specific order. Paul has a lot to teach us with these difficult characteristics!

Check out our November 14, 2022 podcast, “Do I Walk in the Spirit or the Lusts of My Human Nature? (Part II)” for more. We dive into how our Personal and Goup Relationships can be ruined by simply acting the way human beings naturally act. We then address Reckless Behavior. The Apostle Paul is teaching us as Christians how avoid these common and painful traps. Join us! To be forewarned is to be forearmed!

The post Do I Walk in the Spirit or the Lusts of My Human Nature? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.

It’s a simple equation with a guaranteed end result. Walk in the spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. As Christians living in an “anything goes” world, this straightforward statement can be easily overlooked and even ignored. Among the many challenges we face today, being like everyone else is among the most subtle temptations of our human nature. We experience subtle social pressure in our workplace, at school, with friends, family and neighbors. Combine all of that with the never-ending online influence of social media to conform or else be negatively labeled, and we experience an unrelenting onslaught of pressure to conform or suffer. How do we as Christians learn to identify – and then overcome – all that is wrong so we can truly follow all that is right?

The Christians in Galatia were struggling with worldly influences coming in among them from several sources. First, there were Christians who came from a Jewish background and believed that all Christians were bound to follow the Jewish Law. Then there were the Christians who came from blatantly Pagan backgrounds. They had to be taught how to live up to Christian standards while flatly rejecting their old ways of life. Christian discipleship has no room for any of this.

In chapter 5 verse 16 of his letter to the Galatians, Paul takes a deep dive into these issues. He begins with a simple statement, “Walk by the spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” He then goes on to list the “deeds of the flesh.” This was no simple list, as it consisted of 15 different internal and external behaviors for Christians to avoid. Looking closely at this list, we see it is broken down into five basic categories of fleshly deeds.

We might expect that such a comprehensive list of the deeds of the flesh would begin with making sure God is always first. Though idolatry seems to be the most widely pointed out sin in the Bible, it is not at the top of Paul’s list. He chose instead to begin with sins of human desire. His first three fleshly deeds to avoid were immorality, impurity and sensuality. When we step back and look at how human nature works, we can really begin to grasp why Paul begins with these difficult aspects of life.

Check out our November 7, 2022 podcast, “Do I Walk in the Spirit or the Lusts of My Human Nature? (Part I)” for more. We put this whole subject into its appropriate context. We then examine the “human desire” category, as well as the “putting God first” category. As we go through these difficult issues, we also draw on the fruit of the spirit that Paul wisely lists right after these negative behaviors. This multiple-part series will closely examine all of these deeds of the flesh as well as the fruit of the spirit. Our objective is to walk only in the spirit and always away from any deeds of sin.

The post Do I Walk in the Spirit or the Lusts of My Human Nature? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.

“Let go and let God.” This simple statement is focused on faith and trust, two fundamental challenges for Christians. We may think it’s easy to have faith, but when we are in times of difficulty, the depth of our true faith is revealed and sometimes revealed as seriously lacking. We may think that we have trust, but when pressed, when we feel like we need answers or changes or insight, our trust becomes scarce while anxiety abounds. All of this can be depressing! We can feel like we are letting God down. The good news is that we are not alone in this struggle to let go and let God. Many of God’s faithful had these same struggles. Because their experiences are recorded in Scripture, we can not only read about their struggle but see how God’s blessing worked in spite of their weakness!

Way back in Genesis, Abraham and Sarah were given an amazing promise. God told Abraham to leave his father’s house and go to a new land that God would show him. Abraham listened. He took Sarah and his household and journeyed to this undisclosed location. As dramatic as this was, it wasn’t the biggest part of God’s promise. God also told him that his descendants would inherit this land. The only problem was Abraham and Sarah didn’t have any children. Worse than that, Abraham was already 75 years old and Sarah was 65! While God’s promise was powerful and exciting, it also seemed like it pushed the limits of their reality.

Abraham and Sarah were classic examples of having been given a direction to follow but not understanding how to get there. Time went on and Sarah did not become pregnant. Years went by and both Abraham and Sarah became perplexed. However, their perplexity was not in relation to doubting God’s promise; rather, it was about how that promise would be fulfilled. After about 10 years with no child, they took matters into their own hands. Sarah gave her servant Hagar to Abraham, and she conceived a son.

This account is full of lessons and guidance for us. First and foremost, it is all about trying to do God’s will. Just like Abraham and Sarah, we sometimes run ahead of what God would have us to do. In their case the result was not fatal, but it did add lots of difficulty and stress. Why would we expect anything less?

Check out our October 31,2022 podcast, “How Do I Let Go and Let God?” for more. We walk through the 25-year account of Abraham and Sarah, beginning with the promise of having a son all the way to the birth of Isaac. What we find are striking and relevant lessons for us to apply in the here and now of our own lives. Join us as Abraham and Sarah’s experiences teach us the depth of faith and trust required to truly let go and let God!

The post How Do I Let Go and Let God? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.

To seek and acquire wisdom seems to be a lost art in our technology-laden world. Why spend the time, seeking, gathering, learning, absorbing, internalizing and applying wisdom when you can simply Google it and be told what something means? Why invest time and effort into trying to become a “wise person” when most of your friends and family are likely to disagree with such “wisdom” anyway? Face it, acquiring “godly wisdom” spells social media disaster! While this may be true, we need to step back for a moment and consider some things. While social media may rule the day, godly wisdom is timeless. It never changes, never diminishes and never loses its potency. It is always right and inevitably brings, supports and enhances life. Our first “words of wisdom” for today are: choose that which is eternal!

The Bible tells us that King Solomon prayed for wisdom and that God answered his prayer. The way in which God answered that prayer is what gets our attention. 1 Kings 4:29 tells us, “God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore.” This is impressive. For Solomon to be given wisdom tells us he perceived and understood the deep things of life. To be given discernment speaks to his ability to apply that which he perceived. And to be given “breadth of mind like the sand of the seashore” shows us that his wisdom was not confined to certain specialty areas of life. What an amazing gift from God!

Equally amazing is what Solomon did with this gift. He shared it. He made it clear that no matter who you are or what stage of life you are in, the wisdom that comes from reverencing God can and will change your life – if you let it. The book of Proverbs is a collection of many of his writings. It begins by welcoming any and all to listen to and apply the power of godly wisdom. It specifies that even if you are young and naïve, wisdom can and will change your life if you allow it to.

The first nine chapter of Proverbs are a practical and orderly treatise on the “what,” “why” and “how” of wisdom. Many of these chapters begin with Solomon tenderly beckoning his son to listen to and remember his words of wisdom. He pleads with his son to wear the virtues of wisdom wherever he goes, and thereby be protected from the many temptations of life.

Check out our August 29, 2022 podcast, “What Can We Learn From One of the Wisest Men on Earth?” for more. We overview these first nine chapters and draw out many pearls of wisdom. We observe Solomon’s descriptions of how and where wisdom shows itself. Wisdom can keep us from many kinds of sins, and we delve into many blunt examples. Don’t miss this breathtaking, profound and mind-altering snapshot of the wisdom of Solomon!

The post What Can We Learn from One of the Wisest Men on Earth? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.

As long as no one gets hurt, I can do pretty much whatever I want! Such is the battle cry of our present age. We are so advanced in our awareness and thinking that it has become easy to throw off the once-constricting values of ages gone by and just be in the here and now. In our last “Is It a Sin if I…” episode, we looked at things like how we dress and adorn ourselves, cross-dressing and gambling. On this episode, we look at some deep issues regarding the expression of our human sexuality. When it comes to sex, there are many difficult questions that require diligent answers. Our diligence will be firmly centered around applying biblical teaching to our very advanced world today, so hold on! The clear scriptural answers we will uncover are destined to trigger major tensions with those around us!

The “rules” relating to sex and sexual expression have perhaps become some of the most fluid in all of our present age. What we do and who we do it with are no longer the only considerations. Our most recent generations have integrated technology into its expression and encourage adolescents to freely engage in things once reserved for adults. The 1960’s and 70’s may be remembered as a sexual revolution, but our present time can certainly be seen as a sexual evolution. We are literally changing the role human sexuality plays in our culture into something not previously considered or recognizable.

For Christians, this presents a variety of challenges. As you grow up and are surrounded by an open and accepting sexual culture, you find yourself confronted with several basic conflicts. Christian principles for living are typically entirely different than worldly practices for living.

These are all relevant and difficult questions.

While straightforward answers can be given to each and every one of these dilemmas, we need to go deeper than that. We need to know the “why” of the answers and to understand the biblical construction of morality. We need to be able to match each and every hard question with a sound principle drawn directly from Scripture. Some will think this is out-of-date thinking, but consider this. Are we willing to call our God – who knows the beginning from the end and designed and created all things – old-fashioned?

Check out our August 8, 2022 podcast, “Is It a Sin If I…? (Part II)” for more. We ask these very difficult and blunt questions. Then we answer them with sound scriptural principles. We examine the why and how of standing above the world’s influences. Join us for this challenging and enlightening journey!

The post Is It a Sin if I . . . ? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.

Technology, medicine, communication and interdependence allow a previously unimaginable world of seemingly unlimited possibilities of societal advancement and personal fulfillment. Our communication is instantaneous, and our collective demands for entertainment and happiness have never been louder. While some of this has been a blessing, Satan, as this world’s master of confusion, has blurred the lines of morality, resulting in our discovery of new methods for old ways to sin. Our focus as Christians, is to please God and obey His righteous laws as outlined in the Bible. We already know God considers murder, lying and pride as sinful, but what about all the contemporary situations the Bible does not directly address? Do we face gray areas now that never before existed? How can we know what God considers sinful?

First and foremost, Jesus died for Adam’s sin and for our sins as well. This means there is a final solution to all the problems that sin causes. Second, the Bible’s definition of sin is easy to remember – “to miss the mark,” which means anything less than perfection is sin. As Christians, our job is to take these two understandings and use them as guideposts for how we live our lives. This brings us to asking a lot of questions about a wide variety of areas of life where we can easily be misdirected.

Many of us might look at this question and roll our eyes, as these things are and have been so common for so long that they are a fundamental part of our culture. However, the Bible does have several texts that can be understood to mean such things should be off limits for Christians. If we claim to follow Jesus and the teachings of the Bible, we need to look at this kind of question with thought and care. What do the Scriptures truly teach on this matter, and am I willing to follow?

While for Christians this question may feel like it would be easier to define, it still needs to be carefully considered. Interestingly, there is really only one Bible text that seems to deal with this question, and that scripture is not a direct statement. To have an accurate understanding on such a matter, we need to be clear on any biblical principles that apply – and there are many!

Check out our August 1, 2022 podcast, “Is It a Sin If I…? (Part I)” for more. We dig deeply into these two questions and lay out WHY we should approach them in specific ways. We also address several other practical and difficult issues that our 21st century lives are sure to encounter including gambling. Join us as we work to put these challenging things into a God-honoring perspective that we can live with daily. Then head over to Part II, where we pose several important questions about sex.

The post Is It a Sin if I . . . ? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.

Parenting is a difficult and often unpredictable task. In Episode 1238, we laid a scripturally-principled foundation for managing our parental “what ifs” and imperfections. We also addressed the ever-present challenge of growing confidence and competence in our children as we slowly release our parental control over them. With all of this in place, it is now time to delve into several of the hard and practical matters of bringing children up. The structure of our present society extols a path and process of raising children that is often fundamentally opposed to true Christian beliefs. This leaves us with a lot of questions that may be hard to answer as we seek to apply principles of godliness. The good news is, no matter the question, there is always clear Bible-based instruction available.

As Christians, we should consider the Bible as our guidebook and final word of authority for every aspect of our lives. Even though it does not give us chapter after chapter of parenting advice, it does give us sound, time-tested principles to handle any scenario we parents may face in raising children. This is not only comforting; it strengthens us as well. Parenting in the 21st century looks and feels entirely different than it was thousands of years ago.

Check out our July 25, 2022 podcast, “How Do We Best Support Our Kids Through Their Hardest Times?” for answers as we walk through each and every one of these questions individually. We draw upon God’s perspective as our heavenly Father. Then we delve into many of the biblical teachings regarding building up those who are struggling, learning to apply them to our own children. Join us for a journey through the Bible that brings practical application, hope and courage to our parenting experience.

The post How Do We Best Support Our Kids Through Their Hardest Times? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.

It’s hard to stay focused, especially when that focus requires attention be given to something that is different and challenging. As Christians living in this 21st century, our responsibility is, as Jesus said when he was only 12 years old, to “be about our Father’s business.” As clear as this objective is, because we are imperfect we sometimes get tripped up and lose our focus. Thank God for His grace given to us through Jesus! What about other times when it’s not just a typical misstep? How about when we fall not just into a careless or impetuous wrongdoing, but into a full-blown choice that leads us towards evil? What do we do to help us come to our senses, and not only retract the wrongdoing but decisively get ourselves back onto the path of God-honoring thoughts, words and deeds?

Walking away from God’s presence and blessings in our lives can happen in a variety of different ways and on a variety of different levels. Whatever the circumstances we face or the experiences we have, there is always a single, driving, common theme present: personal choice. The simple fact of the matter is, if you and I have a personal relationship with God through Jesus, God will never walk away from it. He is faithful and will always be present for us in every time of need. On the other hand, we have the power to walk away from that faithfulness, should we choose to. The scary thing is that we can walk right out of the protective range of His grace and favor.

Why would we do such a thing? It turns out that the Bible clearly details several reasons we can end up in such a condition. Being in the sinful human state we are, falling prey to these motivations for leaving God behind can be easier to follow than we might think. So, what are they? What could cause us to walk away from God’s favor? Desire and pride. Our desire and our personal pride.

Desire is stimulated by what we see and what we feel. Pride is stimulated by the credit we want to have reflected in our lives. The toughest part of all this is that it is all natural – and in our world, it is all encouraged. Essentially, we are saying that walking away from God is a very natural, very human thing to do! Great! Now what?

Check out our June 13, 2022 podcast, “God is Out of My Life! How Do I Get Him Back In?” for answers. We not only carefully examine what parts of our human makeup can draw us away from God, we also address the issues of degree. When we are drawn off course, how far off do we go? What remedies and changes are appropriate and at what stages? Join us for an honest and biblical conversation about our own human tendencies and the solid remedies we can use to keep us in God’s favor.

The post God is Out of My Life! How Do I Get Him Back In? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.

God does not reward sin. On the contrary, He abhors it! Satan’s first rebellious thoughts against God will result in his eventual destruction. Adam’s sin of disobedience has and continues to result in the power of sin, evil and death plaguing our world to this day. Enter Tamar and Rahab. These are two Old Testament women who both acted immorally and yet found their way into a very unusual position of God’s favor. They were two of only five women listed in the genealogy of Jesus. How can this be? Did God make an exception for them? What was it they did or didn’t do to have the privilege of having Jesus be a descendant of their blood lines? The answers to these questions are found in the fascinating accounts and decisions of their lives.

Tamar lived long before the nation of Israel was established. She lived at the time when Jacob and his 12 sons (who would become the 12 tribes of Israel) were alive. Tamar was the widowed daughter-in-law of Judah, one of those 12 sons. Tamar’s sin was to dress up like a prostitute and entice Judah (who was a widower at the time) into sexual relations. Tamar got pregnant, had twins, and one of those twins ends up being in the lineage of Jesus himself. Before jumping to conclusions, it is important to point out that at this time in his life, Judah was no shining example of morality himself. Could two wrongs make something right? Why would God allow the lineage of Jesus to come from such a profoundly immoral ancestry?

Our next example is Rahab. She lived several generations later. She was a Canaanite woman who lived in the city of Jericho at the time Israel conquered it. Rahab didn’t just dress up like a prostitute, she was one. In spite of her profession, she was instrumental in hiding and aiding the two spies Joshua sent into the city. How did she help them? She lied several times. Rahab and her family were spared from death when the city fell. They were relocated to live with the nation of Israel and Rahab also was blessed with being in the lineage of Jesus. Once again the question arises, why would God use such an person with such a reputation to be part of Jesus’ own ancestry?

Check out our May 23, 2022 podcast, “Why Would God Bless Two Immoral Women?” for more. We put these accounts of Tamar and Rahab in order by assembling and examining the details and their context. There are several profound lessons that this investigation reveals. One very foundational lesson is that no matter how it may appear, God does not condone immoral behavior. On the contrary, He always has and always will plainly condemn it. This foundation opens the door for being able to grasp how God was able to bless these women within the context of their wrongdoing. Join us for a fascinating journey into two rarely talked about biblical accounts that teach amazing lessons!

The post Why Would God Bless Two Immoral Women? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.

We all get angry. In today’s social media world, we can easily find a platform to express that anger. Our anger develops when we hear or see something that we interpret as causing fear, frustration or offense. We react to our perception, and the seeds of anger are sown and grown in an instant. Once angry, we often find it justifiable to lash out with our own brand of challenge, retaliation or defiance. Our anger has now grown from a personal internal emotion into a larger and more threatening external action which is usually destructive and not constructive. As Christians, what are we supposed to do with this human instinct? Should we allow ourselves to get angry? Both God and Jesus got angry, so does that give us permission?

Anger doesn’t just happen on its own. On the contrary, it is generally seen as a secondary emotion. It engages because we have felt something else that provokes us to anger. According to the article in Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, “Deconstructing Anger in the Human Brain,” by Gadi Gilam and Talma Hendler, there are three primary emotions that can drive us towards anger:

Why is it important to know this? As Christians, we are just as susceptible to feeling threatened, frustration, and perceived personal offenses as anyone else. However, we are specifically given a much higher standard than others to manage our anger. While the Scriptures tell us being angry is not necessarily wrong, that is only the beginning of the story. The Bible also reveals different levels of anger, and we are specifically instructed to never engage in some of them.

If we observe the many biblical accounts where God was angry, we see a pattern. God’s anger was in a broad sense always focused on humanity’s rejection of His righteousness – and therefore of Him. Because we know God does have a plan for all, we can understand His expressions of anger as for the ultimate good of humanity. God’s anger was and is a tool of His righteousness.

There were a few times in Jesus’ ministry when he got angry. Very angry. When we look at what he said and what he did, it can help us understand what appropriate anger should look like. Here’s a hint, it is not easy to achieve! Check out our May 16, 2022 podcast, “I’m a Christian and I’m Angry. What Now?” for more. We observe how anger works on a physiological level and how our physiology automatically engages our emotions. Anger is instinctive. We can choose whether its drive will be a force of constructive contribution or a force of destruction and disaster. The anger we see in our world now is primarily destructive. Join us and learn how to stand against that tide!

The post I’m a Christian and I’m Angry! What Now? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.