I can't remember the last time I didn't see something about Paul detailing a different Gospel than Jesus. He is long known for spreading the teachings of Jesus and establishing Christian communities throughout the Roman Empire, and is traditionally credited with writing 13 or 14 books of the New Testament. This should make him one of the most influential figures in the history of Christian theology. Such claims deserves scrutiny. On top of this, there is a proposed conflict between Paul and James about faith and works. This all demands some rigorous examination. For the short on time, this post is in two stages — short and long versions, all in one article so you get the gist, then can continue if further intrigued. It is attention to detail that brings the Holy Scriptures alive. But if you pay just a modicum of attention, you will see what is hiding in plain sight in the biblical language. Actually, it is not hiding, it's just waiting to be found Paul Verses James The two divergent arguments cause people to choose a side. Can they be reconciled? Faith: Romans 10:9: "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe (G4100) in (G1519) your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." On the surface, works appear unnecessary. Works: In James 2:14–20, James forcefully presents his argument about "faith without works." "But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith (G4102) without works (G2041) is useless?" On the surface, works appear absolutely necessary. But Who is the Supreme Authority? Someone with whom no one can argue. It is written in John 6:28–29: "Then they said to Him, 'What shall we do, that we may work (G2038) the works (G2041) of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe (G4100) in (G1519) Him whom He sent.” work = G2038 — ergazomai is the verb form of the noun, G2041 — ergon = exert effort to complete a task. believe = G4100 — pisteuō is the verb form of the noun, G4102 — pistis, which is derived from the verb, G3982 — peithō = to listen to, obey, yield to, comply with, to trust, have confidence, be confident. In = G1519 — eis is a preposition used in conjunction with G4100 → G4100 + G1519 → believe in. I use the KJV as the reference because more study has been done on every word in that translation than in any other book in the English Language. And it can be seen that the KJV translates G4102 in several ways: faith (239 times) assurance (1x) believe (with G1537) (1x) belief (1x) them that believe (1x) fidelity (1x) Similarly with G4100: believe (239x) commit unto (4x) commit to (one’s) trust (1x) be committed unto (1x) be put in trust with (1x) be commit to one’s trust (1x) believer (1x) Doubling back to Romans and James and comparing them to John 6:28–29. "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe (G4100) in (G1519) your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." In James 2:20, “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith (G4102) without works (G2041) is useless?” It can be seen that in plain sight, in all that detail, Jesus, Paul, and James are speaking about exactly the same thing. So this is the end of the short version, but there's more if you're interest, you're welcome to stay. Continuing On The official definition of faith (G4100/G4102) is given in Hebrews 11:1. Forget about secular dictionaries. The only reliable Bible Dictionary is the Bible. But the English translation is so anaemic. Let’s look at some Greek. A possible re-phrase (surely you can do better) Faith is the conviction about the Holy One, burning intensely hot within me, which is erected upon a foundation that actually exists and can be relied upon. The evidence can be trusted because it would ensure a conviction in a court of law. It speaks of a reality that is beyond the spectrum that our physical senses can detect. So, when Paul writes, Believe in your heart (Romans 10:9), he is referring to having a fire in your belly, NOT a whim of your fancy. “Conviction” is the operative word. We see a lot of opinion online, but conviction goes long past that. Opinion is your preference, conviction is your soul. Heed God’s conviction and let Him change who you are now into what He has in Mind. You certainly can’t do it in your own strength, no matter how hard you concentrate. Paul Is Not Silent About Works He was not against the Saints doing works already allocated to them by God long ago, as is written in Ephesians 2:10: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." He defines useful work in 1 Corinthians 3. Here is his take-home advice 9–17:"Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." In “Introduction to Physics” back in Primary School, I learned the simple equation: work = force multiplied by distance. You can’t stay where you are — there has to be movement. Then there was velocity = rate of change of position in a straight line. You can’t keep going around in circles (lots of speed but no velocity). You may be busy, but it will get you nowhere. A good example of this was those who haggled with Yeshua by reminding Him how busy they had been for Him, as is written in Matthew 7:21–23 "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice iniquity!’ Those desperately arguing with Jesus were industrious and busy, "Martha instead of Mary." This is the work that Paul warned against — trying to work your way into Heaven by doing your own thing. Life Plans The fundamental weakness of the (small ‘c’) christian church in my part of town is that the Pews scramble around desperately asking, “What is God’s plan for my life?” It’s not necessary to scratch too deeply to discover that the Western Church (by the Grace of God, not all) missed the plot. The true question is, “What is my life in God’s Plan?” But the Holy Spirit doesn’t leave us rudderless. He lays out His curriculum for the Saints in 2 Peter 1:5–7: "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love." It can be seen that faith is just the beginning. It would be a useful exercise for you to use a lexicon to discover the meaning of the different steps and derive your own understanding of what the list means — don’t trust me. The list looks intimidating, but don’t fret. The indwelling Holy Spirit is there to guide you through Sanctification (metamorphism) using the Written Word of God — but you must not resist Him, “My sheep know my voice.” Peter goes on in verses 8–9: "For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins." And finally, in verses 10–11: "Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." But how do the Saints progress through Peter’s curriculum? You will notice he uses the words diligence/diligent a few times. He doesn’t explain it, but Apostle Paul does. It is written in 2 Timothy 2:14–16: “Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent (spoudazō G4704) to present yourself pleasing to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.” Hint: study the grammar of the Greek word spoudazō G4704. Etymology of the English Word Iniquity The etymology of the English word iniquity makes it the perfect selection for that sentence. In simple terms, it means contempt and violation of law, wickedness. But the history of the meanings through the ages shows it to be much more sinister (no offence meant to the left-handed). It has the aroma of “Crooked judge.” That is, someone who knows the Law but deliberately corrupts it. Conclusions This is yet another case of the danger of constructing Doctrine using only English translations and regarding each text as being the center of its own universe. Based on the evidence presented here, there is no antagonism between Paul and James, nor does Paul contradict Christ and Peter is also a Major Player. This exercise shows that the Bible, New Testament in this case, is an organic volume which was directed by the Holy Spirit through a Champion Team, not a team of champions. Paul should be there, standing shoulder to shoulder with the other Disciples. Each had skill sets that were synergistic with the others; that is, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. © Brad Banardict Further reading: 🤔Common Objections to Christianity That Don't Hold Up — takes on suffering, Bible "contradictions," science, and hell, separating real hard questions from ones that collapse under scrutiny. 🧩 The Gospels Don't Match And That's Exactly the Point — why Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John's differences aren't errors but four honest angles on the same Jesus. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

“If God is real, why is there so much suffering?” “The Bible is full of contradictions.” “All religions are basically the same, why should Christianity be special?” You’ve heard these objections. Maybe you’ve asked them yourself. They sound intelligent, well-reasoned, like they’ve thoroughly dismantled Christianity. But here’s what I’ve discovered: Most objections to Christianity fall into two categories: Legitimate hard questions that deserve honest engagement. Surface-level arguments that sound profound but collapse when you actually think them through. The first category? Those are the questions that make faith deeper. Wrestling is part of the relationship with God. The second category? Those are the ones we need to talk about. Because too many people abandon Christianity over arguments that don’t actually hold up to scrutiny. Let me be clear: I’m not saying faith is easy or that all questions have neat answers. I’m saying some of the most popular objections to Christianity are built on misunderstandings, false premises, or logical fallacies. And if you’re going to reject Christianity, you should at least reject it for the right reasons. Objection 1: “If God Is Good, Why Is There Evil and Suffering?” This is the big one. The problem of evil. And honestly? It’s a legitimate question that deserves serious engagement. But here’s where the objection usually goes wrong: It assumes that a good God would create a world without the possibility of evil. Think about what that would actually require: Option A: God creates robots with no free will. You can’t choose to love. You can’t choose to do good. You’re programmed to be “perfect.” But is that actually good? Is forced love even love? Option B: God creates beings with free will. Which means they can choose love or hate. Good or evil. Selflessness or selfishness. And when people choose evil, suffering results. (Cough, Adam & Eve, cough) The objection assumes Option A is better. But most people, when they think about it, don’t actually want to be robots. They value freedom, choice, and agency. So the real question isn’t “Why does evil exist?” The real question is “Can love exist without the possibility of its opposite?” What About Natural Evil? “Okay, but what about earthquakes? Cancer? Tsunamis? Those aren’t caused by human choice.” Fair point. Here’s where it gets complex: 1. We live in a fallen world. Christian theology teaches that sin didn’t just corrupt human hearts — it corrupted creation itself. (Romans 8:22: “The whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth until now” & Genesis 1:29–30 when animals started to eat each other, aka the food chain) 2. Natural disasters create opportunities for sacrificial love. When tragedy strikes, humans have the choice to respond with compassion, generosity, and courage. Evil becomes the context where the highest forms of good can emerge. 3. God doesn’t promise comfort — He promises presence. The Christian claim isn’t “believe in God and nothing bad will happen.” It’s “God is with you in the suffering.” Does this answer every question about suffering? No. Does it make it easier when you’re in the middle of a tragedy? Not really. But it does show that the objection “evil disproves God” is built on a false premise, that a good God must prevent all suffering. That’s not what Christianity claims. If you enjoy articles that challenge how you read Scripture, Pangaea in the Bible is one you won't want to miss. Objection 2: “The Bible Is Full of Contradictions” This one always gets thrown around. Usually by people who haven’t actually read the Bible. Here’s the reality: Most “contradictions” are either: Different perspectives on the same event (not contradictions, just different angles) Translation issues Cultural context that’s misunderstood Intentional literary devices that modern readers miss Example: “How many angels were at Jesus’ tomb?” Matthew mentions one angel. John mentions two. CONTRADICTION! Except… no. If John saw two angels and Matthew focused on the one who spoke, they’re both accurate. It’s like two witnesses to a car accident, one says “a red car ran the light,” the other says “two cars were in the intersection.” Not contradictory. Different focus. Example: “God is love vs. God commands genocide in the Old Testament” This is a legitimate hard question about God’s character and the Canaanite conquest passages. But here’s what’s not legitimate: acting like these passages are hiding in obscurity and Christians just ignore them. Christians have wrestled with these texts for thousands of years. There are serious theological frameworks for understanding them: The judgment-on-systemic-evil interpretation The ancient Near Eastern warfare hyperbole interpretation The progressive revelation framework You can look these up and disagree with these interpretations. But you can’t claim Christians are just ignoring the problem. Ultimately, who you want God to be vs who He actually is is what this question wrestles with. I have my reasons and my own explanation, but others may not agree. If you’re taking Christianity seriously, then it's a question that God will help you with understanding through prayer. The Real Test Here’s how to tell if something is actually a contradiction: Can both statements be true at the same time from different perspectives or contexts? “Jesus wept” and “Jesus is God” — Both true. God incarnate experienced human emotion. “Faith alone saves” and “Faith without works is dead” — Both true. Saving faith produces works. Works don’t produce salvation. “God is love” and “God is just” — Both true. Love without justice isn’t actually loving. Justice without love isn’t actually just. If you can’t reconcile two statements without assuming one is false, THAT’S a contradiction. Most “Bible contradictions” fail this test. They’re reconcilable with context, cultural understanding, or basic reading comprehension. Objection 3: “All Religions Are Basically the Same / Many Paths to God” This sounds inclusive and tolerant. It’s actually deeply insulting to every religion. Because it requires you to ignore what each religion actually teaches about itself. Buddhism: There is no personal God. Enlightenment comes through eliminating desire. Salvation is escape from the cycle of rebirth. Hinduism: Multiple gods exist. Salvation is reincarnation until you achieve moksha (liberation from the cycle). Islam: One God (Allah). Salvation through submission and following the Five Pillars. Jesus was a prophet, not God. Christianity: One God in three persons. Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. Jesus is God incarnate. These aren’t different paths up the same mountain. They’re completely different mountains. You can’t say “all religions teach the same thing” without either: Being ignorant of what religions actually teach Deciding that what religions say about themselves doesn’t matter (which is condescending) The Coexist Problem The popular objection is: “Can’t we all just coexist? Why does Christianity have to claim it’s the only way?” First: Christians absolutely should treat people of other faiths with respect and love. Religious disagreement doesn’t require hostility. Second: Every religion makes exclusive truth claims. Buddhism claims Hinduism is wrong about God. Islam claims Christianity is wrong about Jesus. They all think the others are mistaken about fundamental reality. Christianity isn’t uniquely arrogant for claiming to be true. It’s doing what every coherent worldview does — making claims about reality and standing by them. Objection 4: “Science Has Disproven Christianity” This one’s interesting because it reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what science actually does. Science answers “how” questions. Religion answers “why” questions. Science: How did the universe begin? (Big Bang, physical laws, cosmic evolution) Christianity: Why does the universe exist? (God created it for a purpose) These aren’t contradictory. They’re answering different questions. Evolution vs. Creation? The supposed conflict here is overblown by both sides. What science claims: Life on Earth has developed over billions of years through natural selection and genetic mutation. What Christianity actually claims: God created the universe and everything in it. These can both be true. Many Christians (including respected theologians and scientists) believe God used evolutionary processes as His method of creation. The Bible says God created — it doesn’t specify the mechanism. Now, Young Earth Creationists like myself disagree with this. That’s our right. But my interpretation of Genesis isn’t the only Christian interpretation, and it never has been….and it won’t define whether you go to heaven or hell because of it (in my opinion). Miracles vs. Natural Law? “Science shows the universe operates by natural laws. Miracles violate natural laws. Therefore, miracles are impossible.” The problem: This assumes natural laws are prescriptive (what MUST happen) rather than descriptive (what USUALLY happens). If God exists and created natural laws, He can obviously work outside them. That’s what makes miracles miraculous — they’re exceptions, not the rule. The objection is actually circular reasoning Miracles can’t happen Why? Because natural laws can’t be violated Why can’t they be violated? Because miracles can’t happen You’re free to not believe in miracles. But you can’t use science to disprove them, science can only describe regular patterns, not rule out exceptions. Plus, doctors witness miracle healings all the time, if you just look it up. Objection 5: “Christians Are Hypocrites” This is less an objection to Christianity and more an observation about Christians. And honestly? It’s often true. Christians are frequently hypocritical. But here’s what that doesn’t prove: That Christianity is false. If Christianity claimed “humans are basically good and following Jesus makes you perfect,” then Christian hypocrisy would disprove Christianity. But Christianity claims the opposite: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Christians being hypocritical doesn’t disprove Christianity. It confirms Christianity’s diagnosis of human nature, we’re all broken, including religious people. The question isn’t “Are Christians perfect? “The question is, 'Is Jesus who He claimed to be?” Judge Christianity by Christ, not by Christians. Evaluate the message, not just the messengers. (Though yes, Christians should absolutely strive to live consistently with what they profess. The hypocrisy criticism should make us better, not defensive.) Objection 6: “A Loving God Wouldn’t Send People to Hell” This objection makes sense emotionally. It’s hard to reconcile “God is love” with “eternal punishment.” But it’s based on several assumptions that might not be true: Assumption 1: Hell is God actively torturing people. Many theologians understand hell differently — as a separation from God that people choose. C.S. Lewis described it as “the doors of hell are locked from the inside.” If God is the source of all goodness, love, and joy, then complete separation from God IS hell. God doesn’t send people there — they choose it by rejecting Him. Assumption 2: Humans are basically good and don’t deserve judgment. Christianity teaches humans are made in God’s image (valuable) but also sinful (broken). If God is perfectly just, sin can’t just be ignored. There are real consequences. Assumption 3: A loving God wouldn’t allow anyone to reject Him forever. But love requires the possibility of rejection. If God forced everyone to be with Him, that wouldn’t be love, it would be coercion. Here’s the hard truth: If you believe people have genuine free will, then you have to allow for the possibility that people can use that freedom to reject God permanently. The Real Question The objection assumes God’s primary attribute is “niceness," a cosmic grandfather who wants everyone comfortable. Christianity claims God’s primary attributes are love AND justice, AND holiness. A God who is only loving but not just would be a terrible God. A God who is only just but not loving would be a tyrant. The question isn’t “Would a nice God send people to hell?” The question is “What does a perfectly loving AND perfectly just God do with human rebellion?” Christianity’s answer: He takes the punishment Himself (the cross) and offers rescue to everyone (grace). But He doesn’t force it on anyone (free will). The Objections That Actually Matter After all this, here are the questions that I think DO pose legitimate challenges to Christianity: Why this particular revelation? Why is Christianity true and not Islam or Buddhism? (This requires positive evidence for Christianity, not just debunking objections) How do we interpret difficult Old Testament passages? The Canaanite conquest, slavery regulations, etc., require serious engagement & not dismissal. What about people who have never heard the gospel? This is a theological puzzle Christians wrestle with and disagree about. How do we reconcile God’s sovereignty with human free will? This has been debated for 2,000 years, and Christians still don’t agree. Notice what these questions have in common: They’re hard, they require thought, and Christians who take them seriously don’t have neat answers. That’s different from the popular objections we covered, which sound smart but mostly reveal misunderstandings of what Christianity actually claims. So, What Now? If you’re going to reject Christianity, reject it because you’ve genuinely engaged with what it teaches and found it wanting. Don’t reject it because of arguments that dissolve under examination. Don’t reject it because of “contradictions” you haven’t actually researched. Don’t reject it because Christians are flawed (we are, that’s part of the point). Reject it, if you must, because you’ve considered the evidence and concluded Jesus wasn’t who He claimed to be. That’s the real question Christianity rises or falls on. Not whether Christians are perfect. Not whether every question has an easy answer. Not whether the faith is “scientific.” The question is: Did Jesus rise from the dead? If He did, everything else is secondary. If He didn’t, Christianity is false regardless of how many objections you can debunk. That’s where honest investigation should focus. Everything else is just a distraction. Which of these objections have you struggled with most? What questions about Christianity do you think ARE legitimately difficult? © Ashneil If this article opened up questions you want to keep pulling on, we have more: Does John 1:1 Tell Us That Jesus Is God or a God? tackles one of the most contested verses in the entire New Testament. And if you want to come at Scripture with fresh eyes after all of this, Reading Scripture Differently: Letting Jesus Be Your Lens is exactly where to go next. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

They Were Never Lost, Never Inspired, and Never Meant to Replace Your Bible I can’t count the number of times I have heard the phrase “the lost gospel” of so-and-so, said this or that. Makes me sad to see this out there among Christians. They’re treated like a long-hidden conspiracy buried underneath a mountain of security clearance, and it just got whistle-blown. The problem, though, is that they were never lost in the first place. Using the word “lost” doesn’t make them special or some secret God didn’t reveal to us. First and foremost, these books aren’t in the Christian Bible. If you say you are a Christian yet whip out the Enochs, Maccabees, Gad the Seer, Wisdom, Tobit, Judith, etc, when trying to prove a view, doctrine, or use it to object to something in the Bible. You're not even on the right track to begin with. If you're not a believer and do this, then that’s a whole different conversation. Remember, this is God we’re talking about here. The Creator of the whole universe, the Creator of the eyeball, the Creator of DNA. He didn’t “lose” anything. The Dead Sea Scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1946, and fragments and scrolls (a few) of these so-called lost gospels were found, but they were hardly lost; these writings and/or what they taught were already in circulation way before they were found. There is no giant conspiracy to be had here. Please pause for a moment. Do you believe in the Bible and its authority, or do you hold satan’s hand to pursue what you want to believe instead? This is a valid question to ask any Christian who gives these writings any authoritative or Biblical weight. I like to tell people, you either trust God or you don’t; the same goes for the Bible. Either you trust it, or you don’t. There is no mix-and-match game here, so who are you walking with? Not even sure where to begin with these “lost” gospels. Here’s one: What was found in 1946 was already in circulation during Jesus’s time; they weren’t “lost” as I stated before. When Jesus was in the midst of His ministry, neither He nor His disciples quoted, referenced, or made those texts authoritative. These “lost” teachings show us the world that Jesus was walking into when He started His ministry. I know a few of you have heard that Jesus quoted the book of Enoch. On the surface, sure, that’s what it looks like, until you find out that the book of Enoch took “shall inherit the earth” from the book of Psalms. (click here to explore that) Here’s another: Just because these texts were in circulation among people doesn’t make them correct or authoritative. We have how many books on religion circulating out there now, spinning off all sorts of stuff. Are you going to tell me those are authoritative as well, just because they quote the Bible or have some spin on it? Another point: They were already not included by the religious leaders of the day, and for many valid reasons. Such as, but not limited to : Proven discrepancies. Salvation by works and not through faith. Writings about “secret” knowledge. (Gnostic) Contradictory moral teachings. Writings were intended to alter the history of Jesus to suit ulterior purposes. The Bible has a united purpose. These texts seek to disrupt that. The Gospel of Thomas was written far too late in history to have been written by the Apostle Thomas. In one, Jesus is described as disrespectful and spiteful. None were written by prophets. Tobit also includes some freaky witchcraft voodoo stuff, directed by that angel on how to deal with a demon, that's so not Biblical. Some contain elaborate, whimsical, and wild tales that completely contradict the Bible. (Enoch being a big one there) The Book of Judith celebrates the seed of Simeon, even though he is actually cursed; also, the book of Judith praises her lies and deceit. Praying for the dead. Giving of alms to cleanse sins. Forgiveness of sins by prayer alone. The book of Wisdom used to proclaim that Mary was without sin. Parts of Sirach glorify wealth. Numerous contradictions within the books themselves Baruch is absent from the Hebrew canon, which was finalized by the Jewish community long before Christ. Writers from the different sects in the area took liberties to modify them as they saw fit. I could keep going. While yes, these “lost” books do hold historical value for the sake of understanding culture, what Jesus was walking into, where beliefs, myths, doctrines, etc. came from, heck, I own every one of them for research purposes myself, but they are far from accurate and ultimately fall short of Biblical inspiration. The Bible is my gold standard; if a book doesn't align with the word of God, it’s out, plain and simple. This should be your standard as well. Look at it this way. Who’s really talking to you? The Holy Spirit or some other spirit? “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them — bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” 2 Peter 2:1–3 I know some are spitting fumes right now at me because you want so badly for things in these books to be true and still claim you are a Christian. But you can’t, I’m sorry, it just doesn't work like that. The lost gospels make for a great conspiracy theory but when you actually sit down and look at why they were excluded from Scripture the answer is not even complicated. These texts/books/teaching/writings were never accepted into the Hebrew canon back then, they were never affirmed by Jesus or the apostles, and lack consistent prophetic authority, doctrinal harmony, and historical accuracy. You want to use uninspired works to discredit inspired works? Good luck with that. Ultimately, it is always your choice, but think about your choices. Do they take you away from the Bible? Then there’s a problem. © Jane Isley If this helped you think more clearly about what belongs in your Bible and what does not, join the newsletter for more every two months. Sign up here. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

I Don’t Know Why I Believe In God I don’t know why I believe in God. And for a long time, that bothered me. Because the more I searched for answers, the quieter everything became. I was raised in a Christian home, so in many ways, the choice was made for me. It almost feels like I was a believer before I was even born. Eventually, I made that decision for myself, when I was old enough to understand what this “new life” really meant. Looking back now, I realize how easy it was to say yes. I was a teenager, leaning heavily on the beliefs of others. What I was told about God, who He is and what He offers sounded beautiful, even irresistible. I didn’t want to miss the life He had for me. So I gave myself to Him. But as I continued in my faith, life began to pull me in different directions. The plans and expectations I placed before God weren’t unfolding the way I had hoped. Scripture says, “Ask, and it shall be given,” yet I kept asking and it felt like no one was answering. I began to wonder: Is this the same God people speak so highly of? Why does He feel so distant from me? I sat in church, listening to testimonies, clapping for others but never finding myself among them. It felt like I had been singled out, as though God was ignoring my prayers and my need for direction. Still, I kept going. I was encouraged by the confidence I saw in other believers. I looked up to them, hoping their certainty would somehow make sense of my own journey. But there comes a point when looking at others is no longer enough. My journey eventually brought me to a place where it was just me and God. I stopped moving not because I wanted to, but because I had nothing left to hold on to. I could no longer use other people’s experiences to anchor my faith. So I had to decide: would I give up, or would I wait on God? In truth, I did neither. I simply lived. I did what needed to be done, but I placed God outside of it all. I focused on my career and my social life, occasionally thinking about Him, but never fully returning. Maybe, deep down, I was still waiting… hoping for a whisper, something to reassure me that He was still there. But in the quiet moments, there was nothing. No answers. No clarity. Just silence. If it was a test, I failed it completely. Even then, I had friends and leaders encouraging me to keep going, to trust even when nothing seemed to be happening. But my struggle wasn’t just about unanswered prayers. The “new life” I was promised didn’t feel new at all. Each day felt ordinary, routine, predictable, almost empty. I wanted more. I wanted depth, transformation, even perfection. If Jesus lived such a powerful life, why did mine feel so…unchanged? And it didn’t stop there. I saw believers struggling with sin, with poverty, with sickness, with uncertainty. If this life we’ve been called to is so special, why do these things still exist? These are not new questions. Many have asked them before me. And I asked them too. Then, slowly, something shifted. I realized that the answers I was searching for wouldn’t simply fall into my hands. I had to walk with God and experience them for myself. Even when my life felt empty as a believer, walking away from God only made it worse. My thoughts, my decisions, everything kept leading me back to Him. There was no escaping it. Something in me was already rooted in Him. I could make my own plans, yet still find myself wondering what God thought about them. I could doubt, but still feel a quiet hope whenever He came to mind. I realized something I couldn’t ignore: I was made for this. I was chosen to walk this road, even through silence. To live in the waiting, to remain expectant, even without answers. This is what I was born for. I cannot live a life that does not include God. I may question, doubt, or come close to walking away, but I know this much: I am one with Him, and He is one with me. He chose me, and I have chosen Him. So if you ask me why I believe, my answer is this: It is in how I was made. My belief is not shaped only by my experiences. It feels deeper than that, like something placed within me before I even understood it. And for as long as I live, I will believe. © 2026 Sabina Kumi If your journey has been marked by silence, questions, or long stretches of uncertainty, you’re not the only one who has walked this road. Others have wrestled with the same struggle between doubt and belief, searching for God in places that felt empty or unclear. If you’d like to read more from people who have traveled through similar seasons, these two reflections may offer the companionship and clarity you’ve been longing for. Growing Faith Through Questions ~ Gary L. Ellis If your own questions have ever made you wonder whether your faith is slipping or strengthening, Gary’s story will meet you there. His journey shows how honest uncertainty can become the very place where faith grows roots, offering a quiet reassurance to anyone who has wrestled with God’s silence. From Doubt to Encounter ~ Jason Degraft‑Quansah If you’ve ever felt caught between distance and longing, Jason’s reflection offers a glimpse of what can happen when doubt becomes the doorway to a real encounter with God. It’s a steady, hope‑filled read for anyone who senses that belief is still pulling them forward, even in the quiet.

How Hebrew Acrostics & Letter Sequences Reveal YHVH, Yeshua, and El Shaddai in Esther's Text The Book of Esther is the only biblical book that never mentions God, worship, or the Messiah by name. But hidden within the Hebrew text are deliberate codes (acrostics and letter sequences) that spell out YHVH, Yeshua, and El Shaddai. This post walks through each one. What you'll learn: Why God's name is "missing" from Esther — and what scholars think How acrostics in Esther 1:20, 5:4, 5:13, 7:5, and 7:7 encode YHVH How Equidistant Letter Sequences (ELS) reveal Messiah, El Shaddai, and Yeshua The pattern in who speaks when God's name appears (Jew vs. Gentile, forward vs. reverse) There have been a number of articles postulating on why God and anything "relious" in not openly mentioned in the Book of Esther. The basis of these has been commentaries and modern scholarship. Obviously I can’t claim to have read all of them because I haven’t discovered them all. So if you happen to read this and see that you have been missed, please contact me because you may have corroborating or refuting information. Both would be welcome so the matter could be settled. Esther Is Truly An Enigma It is the only biblical book not found among the Dead Sea Scrolls — at least, not in any confirmed form. It is in the Septuagint (285–246 BCE) → disappeared from the Essene culture → reappeared in the Masoretic Text. The oldest complete manuscript, The Leningrad Codex, is dated to 1009 CE so it was in the shadows for a long time. Some evidence may have been discovered in the Qumran Caves. It is a wine stained fragment which could not be read until recently and mentions Purim. Perhaps the wine is evidence in itself of a raucous Purim celebration. It may mean that all those PhD’s about why the Book was not at Qumran are now a bit shaky. Work is going on. Her Hebrew name was Hadassah, meaning myrtle: a beautiful tree. But the Jewish scholars interpret the Persian name, Esther, as meaning “something hidden.” The Jewish Orthodox Chabad.org views of the “hiddenness” in the Book of Esther is that she was the personification of the hidden inner beauty of The Wife of Noble Character, Proverbs 31:10–31, but it will be seen that there is much more information hidden in the text for those who seek it. It is written in Proverbs 25:2 "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter." The intention of this post is to let the content of the Book speak for itself. The following information is not mine. However, I did confirm it by counting the letters (that will become clear soon) and using various Hebrew translation sites to confirm translations. It is conceded that the Machine Learning of the different sites lean toward modern vernacular but it will be seen that the method gives acceptable results. It will also be seen that sometimes it is necessary to translate backward. I'm speaking about messages contained within the text (codes), these are not hidden but are there to be found. If this opened up the Book of Esther for you, The Book of Esther Reexamined goes even deeper and is one of our most read-through articles on the site. The Reference There are a number of references online which deal with this matter — many are good, many are not. My experience has shown that Cosmic Codes: Hidden Messages from the Edge of Eternity Volume 2: Microcodes, Chuck Missler, © 1998 Koinonia House Inc is the most informative (but you may disagree). As of August 2025 available for free download at the Khouse store. There are a number of types of codes in the Bible The Book of Esther uses only two with regard to the Divine Name. Acrostic, 5. Equidistant Letter Sequence (ELS), 3. The workings of the ELS has been explained and used in the post QUEEN ESTHER AT NUREMBERG so it will not be expanded on here. You will have to read that post if you require more information. Note: In the following examples the bold font English is the part of the Hebrew that is analyzed. The bold font Hebrew letters are those that are the extracted code. The Acrostic An Acrostic is a composition in which sets of letters (such as the initial or final letters of the lines or words) are taken in order to form a word or phrase or a regular sequence of letters of the alphabet. In Psalm 119, for instance, each successive chapter is devoted to a successive letter in the Hebrew alphabet, and each successive line in that chapter begins with that letter. Try it. Other examples of these in the Tanakh are Psalms 25; 34; 37; 111; 145; Proverbs 31:10–31, and Lamentations 1–4. An extremely important one is written in John 19:19–22:"Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.” ’ ” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” The Chief Priests and the Jews were perplexed because they were well versed with acrostics. The Hebrew for JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS is ישוע הנצרי ומלך היהודים And is translated: The acrostic is yod-hey-vav-hey, Yehoveh. Pilate was publicly declaring that Jesus was Yahovah, the God of the Old Testament. Acrostics in the Book of Esther Note: The Hebrew for this part of the exercise is sourced from Blue Letter Bible which separates the Hebrew into individual words as opposed to the usual practice of having no word spacing. Obviously, this helps those who are illiterate in Hebrew. Remember. Hebrew runs right ← to ← left so when I say, “Running forward,” the flow applies to Hebrew, right ← to ← left. The reverse applies for, “In reverse.” It is written in Esther 1:20 "And when the king’s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small" The acrostic is the initial letters of the words which spells out YHVH, Yehoveh, in reverse. It is written in Esther 5:13 "Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate" The acrostic is the final letters of the words which spells out YHVH, Yehoveh, in reverse. It is written in Esther 5:4 "And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him." The acrostic is the initial letters of the words which spell out YHVH, Yehoveh, running forward. It is written in Esther 7:7 "And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king" The acrostic is the final letters of the words which spell out YHVH, Yehoveh, running forward. It is written in Esther 7:5. "Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?" The acrostic is in the final letters of the words which spell out, I WILL BE (a.k.a. I AM), in reverse. Flow of the letters You have noticed that some of these flows are forward and some in reverse. 1) Menucan 1:20 (Gentile)(Reverse) 2) Haman 5:13 (Gentile)(Reverse) 3) Xerxes 7:5 (Gentile)(Reverse) 4) Esther 5:4 (Jew)(Forward) 5) Scribe 7:7 (Jew)(Forward) The pattern looks obvious to me. Equidistant Letter Sequence (ELS) As mentioned earlier, the workings of the ELS has been explained and used in the post QUEEN ESTHER AT NUREMBERG so will not be expanded on here. You will have to read that post if you require more information. It may be that there is a flow pattern with the ELS as with the acrostic but it is not obvious to me so I won’t speculate. It is written in Esther 1:3: "In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him: An ELS spacing of 8 to the Hebrew results in the pattern for Messiah. It is written in Esther 4:2–3: "And came even before the king’s gate: for none might enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. And in every province, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes." An ELS spacing of 8 to the Hebrew results in the pattern for El Shaddai, The Almighty. It is written in Esther 4:17: "So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him." An ELS spacing of -8 to the Hebrew results in the pattern for Yeshua, running left-to-right. Conclusions So there it is. The Name of God is contained in the Book of Esther. Expositors who have consistently shown they have grunt postulate that Israel was in disobedience at the time because only a smidgen of them returned from Babylon but He had made Promises that he couldn’t renege. He couldn’t condone their disobedience so had to keep undercover while protecting them. They didn’t actually return until June, 1967 — but that’s another story. Please feel free if you want to contest this conclusion. But come with evidence and not just opinion or you won’t get a response. The amount of LORE masquerading as LAW on this site is depressing. © Brad Banardict Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

From Someone Who Lived It You've probably heard terms like "occult" or "New Age" especially in recent years, sometimes as a warning, sometimes reframed as harmless curiosity or "spiritual exploration." But you're not 100% certain what are occult and New Age practices according to the Bible. I share all of this as someone who lived it, not as someone lecturing from a pulpit. I spent years in occult practices before walking away and choosing God, so this isn't abstract theology to me. It's from my lived experience and studying what Scripture tells us. What Counts as Occult or New Age? Scripture doesn't use one vague catch-all term. It names specific categories: sorcery, divination, mediums, spiritists, necromancy, charmers, astrologers, and magicians. Each one describes a real, specific practice, not just a general "spooky" idea. In modern terms, this includes the obvious ones, tarot reading, horoscopes, zodiac signs, psychic mediums, séances, fortune tellers, and Ouija boards, but also things people don't always think to flag: fortune cookies, tea leaf readings, runes, palm reading, birth charts, Reiki, spirit boxes, crystals used for energy work, hexes and curses, channeling spirit guides, and meditation aimed at "emptying the mind" or connecting with universal energy. God's Clear Warning Leviticus 19:31 says: "Don’t turn to those who are mediums, nor to the wizards. Don’t seek them out, to be defiled by them. I am Yahweh your God." The Hebrew words used here, ob (Medium, necromancer, spiritist, ghost, familiar spirit) and yiddeoni (Medium, spiritist, wizard), are precise. There's no ambiguity about what's being warned against. Leviticus 20:6 goes further, describing turning to mediums as spiritual unfaithfulness, using language as strong as "to play the prostitute" That's how seriously God takes divided spiritual loyalty. Why the Dead Can't Help You A common thread in New Age and occult practices is seeking guidance from spirits, the dead, or "hidden knowledge" outside of God. But Ecclesiastes 9:5 tells us plainly: "but the dead don’t know anything" And Isaiah 8:19 asks, "shouldn’t a people consult with their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?" If God is living, present, and available, why would anyone need to look elsewhere? No Middle Ground Paul reinforces this in Galatians 5, listing sorcery (pharmakeia in Greek) among the "deeds of the flesh are obvious" directly opposed to the fruit of the Spirit. Scripture doesn't present these as a spectrum you can blend. It presents them as two lists that cannot coexist in the same life. There's no biblical category for "Christian tarot reading" or "spiritually neutral divination." Trust belongs to God alone. Anything that replaces Him isn't harmless. It's a substitute. Why This Matters When someone turns to occult or New Age practices, even out of curiosity, they're often trying to gain control, insight, or guidance apart from God's will. That's not seeking Him. That's replacing Him. If you feel drawn to any of this, the way forward is simple: seek God directly through prayer, study Scripture, talk to Godly mentors, and remove anything pulling your trust away from Him. © 2026 Jane Isley Recommended Reading: 👁️ That Haunting Documentary & the Spiritual Warfare Nobody Recognized — How media and entertainment normalize what Scripture warns against. 🔥A Biblical Hebrew Deep Dive Into Satan's Counterfeit Power — Why occult practices tap into something real and dangerous, not imaginary.

One thing I want to get straight before anything else here: biblical interpretation itself isn't the problem here. People have been doing this work for centuries — digging into ancient texts, translating what the writers actually meant, then finding a way to make that meaning clear for readers today. What I'm explaining here (or at least attempting to) is more delicate than that, so stick with me while I work through it. Language Doesn't Sit Still Anymore We’re in an era of unprecedented, rapid change. I see it, and I know we’ve all seen it. Language experts around the world are saying the same thing: that language has been shifting at an accelerated rate over the last five to ten years. Words are getting redefined almost daily, euphemisms are replacing traditional terms, and political parties are also adding to this by reframing narratives. Meanings are shifting faster than our dictionaries can keep up with. Earlier this year, I wrote about how the word discernment has been getting redefined in real time, plucked out of its spiritual context and repurposed for politics, media, and casual conversation. It's a word that once held deep meaning in my faith but now holds diluted meaning. I'm seeing something strange happen with the word interpretation now, too. Related: How Discernment Is Being Quietly Redefined Words don't drift in isolation. Once one gets stretched, it tends to open the door for others nearby to follow. That's exactly what I've started noticing with interpretation. In my day-to-day life, I realized I don't actually think with that term in my head when it comes to Bible study or belief. It's not an option my mind reaches for, the way it seems to be for a lot of people these days. When it comes to Scripture, I see one thing: what does Scripture say? I do not see my interpretation of Scripture. For me, Scripture is just that - Scripture, a vast majority of it clear, explicit, and difficult to misread. Even the metaphorical, or poetic parts are making a point that’s hard to miss, even if it takes some sorting out to see exactly what. Take the locusts in Revelation 9, for example; they could represent several different things or be a literal type of odd insect. Either way, one thing is clear from the text. They are unsettling, tormenting, and you don't want to be on the wrong side of God. Sorting Out What's Legitimate Rationally, I know plenty of what I believe is considered an interpretation of Scripture, so this isn’t about rejecting interpretation itself, as I stated before. Because Scripture itself makes room for two kinds: hermeneia, tied to tongues and prophecy, and diermeneuo, the kind Jesus practiced in Luke 24  (explaining what the text actually says.) That I do not argue with. What I’m pushing back on is this third, self-appointed kind that’s crept into our conversations. Sometimes it shows up as a stand-in for a personal preference, where “my interpretation” means whatever someone wants the text to mean to them. Other times it’s a convenient dodge. A way that lets a person walk away from a conversation without actually having to engage with the Scripture, or sit with that question that doesn’t have an easy answer. Either way, it’s slowly turning into an excuse word. “My interpretation” is starting to become “what I want the Bible to say, and I don’t care what you or God thinks,” and is slowly replacing “What does the Bible say?” That’s the line I’m drawing here. Here's what this comes down to: read it, study it, obey it. I'm not writing this to be the interpretation police. I just keep running into this pattern everywhere lately, and it felt worth naming. When "what does Scripture say" gets replaced by "what's my interpretation," something is wrong. Scripture stops sitting under God's authority and starts sitting under ours instead. That's the whole point I've been trying to work out here, even if it took me a while to find the words for it. © 2026 Jane Isley Want more content like this? Explore more articles in Digging into Scripture. Recommended Reads: The Very Basics of Reading the Bible — For anyone still on the fence about opening a Bible for the first time: what's in it, which translation to pick, and where to start. Critically Thinking through The Bible: Staying Rooted in Truth — A look at how applying honest reasoning to Scripture strengthens its case rather than weakening it, and why reading it for yourself matters more than secondhand opinions. Sources: “Interpretation.” Encyclopedia of the Bible, Bible Gateway. “Our Language Is Evolving, ‘Because Internet.’” NPR, July 31, 2019. “ICYMI, English Language Is Changing Faster Than Ever, Says Expert.” The Guardian, May 1, 2015. “The Age of Euphemism.” Broad Street Review. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

What is the greatest miracle ever performed? In my humble opinion, it’s when God created the universe out of nothing (ex nihilo). So, is there anything in the universe that it’s not possible for God to do? Yes, there are several things that God cannot do: He cannot lie; He cannot sin or be tempted by evil; He can never stop being God; and He cannot allow unforgiven people into Heaven. So if God is God, then by definition He can perform miracles like creating the universe. Since that is true, it’s hard to understand why some people have trouble believing in some of His other miracles. The most popular ones that skeptics love to joke about include God making animals talk, keeping a man alive inside a huge fish, causing the sun to stand still, and taking people to Heaven who haven’t died. I wonder if these skeptics realize that when they believe in macro-evolution (one kind evolving into another kind), they believe in talking animals too, since they believe human beings evolved from lower forms of animals. Why trust God? Some of the unique attributes of God include His omnipotence (all-powerful), omniscience (all-knowing), omnipresence (present everywhere), immutability (unchanging), eternality (exists outside time and space), and aseity (self-existent). Because God is love and created humanity in His own image, people can love, be holy and just, show mercy and compassion, and be faithful. One reason Scripture unequivocally states that God can be trusted is because of these things He cannot do. Since He cannot lie (because it would contradict His nature), every word He speaks is faithful, and every promise He makes is certain. In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began (Titus 1:2, KJV). Because of the unchanging attributes of God, we can be confident that we can trust His character to always be holy, reliable, truthful, and faithful. It’s deeply comforting to know that God’s promises don’t rely on changing circumstances, human reliability, or wishful thinking. When He promises forgiveness, eternal life, justice, and final restoration for His people, we can count on the fact that He will fulfill His word. Does God contradict Himself? God is perfectly holy, and He isn’t attracted to evil. Evil doesn’t entice Him or have any power over Him. He also never tempts anyone to do evil. When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone (James 1:13, BSB). So what about Satan, you may ask? Didn’t God know beforehand that Satan would rebel against Him and become evil? Of course He knew, just like He knows every person who will accept or reject Him. But foreknowledge isn’t the same thing as causation. God created a good angelic being called Lucifer, with the same free will He gave humanity. This heavenly being, whose name God changed to Satan, chose to rebel because of his pride and was responsible for his own sin. He was allowed to sin, just as we are; however, Satan has never been, and never will be, outside God’s authority. God doesn’t cause or approve of sin, but He may permit His creatures to act in sinful ways, which He will use to bring about good in the end. The perfect example of this is the cross. God used the evil actions of the people who crucified Jesus on the cross of Calvary to accomplish His saving plan of redemption for mankind. So no, God cannot contradict Himself because His own nature is the perfect, unchanging standard of truth and goodness. He is eternally one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Because of His eternally holy character, He cannot act in contradictory ways, such as making truth false, holiness sinful, or Himself not God. Why can’t God overlook sin? He can’t, because if He did, He would deny His own holy Nature. If evil were treated as no big deal, and if the guilty were declared innocent, there would be no just basis for forgiveness. If God didn’t punish sin, He certainly wouldn’t be loving. It’s not loving or fair to allow baby torturers, mass murderers, thieves, liars, and all other evil people to escape punishment for their evil acts and gain access to eternal paradise in Heaven. Sin is rebellion against God, offends His justice, and separates people from Him. Scripture teaches that nothing impure will enter into God’s holy presence. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 21:27, BSB). It’s not that forgiven people deserve Heaven; it’s that forgiven people have turned from their sin and trusted in Christ, who bore the punishment they deserve for their sin. Because God sent Jesus Christ to earth to bear sin’s judgment (death) at the cross, people can be forgiven, cleansed, and made righteous through His sacrifice. They are covered by His righteousness, never their own. The Gospel is such good news because people can be forgiven and restored in their relationship to God, not by their own efforts but through God’s grace. Conclusion If God is God, then His power isn’t limited by creation, natural laws, or even by the things He can’t do, such as lie, deny Himself, or call evil good. God, who is outside the universe and who created all things, is fully able to accomplish every purpose He has decreed. Even though the circumstances He allows to happen are sometimes terrible and tragic, they do have a purpose that our finite minds may not understand until we live in eternity. However, we know these limits don’t weaken God; they assure us that He is eternally holy, true, unchanging, and utterly trustworthy. © 2026 Debra Hodges Continue exploring God's sovereignty: The Sovereignty and Care of God in an Unsteady World by Randy DeVaul — See how the same unchanging God who cannot lie reigns over every season, offering steady peace when life feels beyond control. The God Who Controls Satan: Lucifer's Fall and Divine Sovereignty by Sabina Kumi — Explore why satan's rebellion, though real, never escapes the authority of the God who cannot be thwarted or overthrown. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

How Hebrews 12:1 calls us to faithfulness over comparison There is something about watching a long-distance race that can teach us a great deal about life. At the starting line, everyone looks ready. The runners are filled with anticipation, their bodies are warmed up, and the excitement of the crowd seems to give them an extra measure of energy. When the starting signal sounds, they take off together, each runner believing they are prepared for what lies ahead. But a long race is not decided at the starting line. Several miles into the race, the picture begins to change. Some runners have started too fast and are struggling to maintain their pace. Others have settled into a steady rhythm, conserving their energy for the miles still ahead. Eventually, the cheering crowds become less important, the excitement begins to fade, and the runners are left alone with the road, their thoughts, and the decision they must make over and over again: Will I keep going? Perhaps that is one of the reasons Scripture uses the picture of a race to describe the Christian life. The writer of Hebrews tells us to “run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). I have always been struck by that phrase — the race that is set before us. It doesn’t say that we are all running the same race. It doesn’t suggest that God has given everyone the same circumstances, the same abilities, the same opportunities, or the same challenges. Each of us has a course that is uniquely ours. That can be both encouraging and challenging: It is encouraging because we don’t have to live someone else’s life. God has not asked us to become somebody else. He has called us to faithfully follow Him with the life, abilities, opportunities, and circumstances He has placed before us. But it can also be challenging because we are naturally inclined to compare our race with everyone else’s. We look around and see someone who seems to be accomplishing more than we are. Perhaps another person has a more visible ministry, greater influence, more financial resources, or opportunities we wish we had. We may wonder why their path seems smoother while ours has been filled with obstacles. Before long, we can become so distracted by the people running beside us that we lose sight of the course God has given us. Yet comparison has never been a good measure of faithfulness. A marathon runner doesn’t spend the entire race looking at the person in the next lane. In fact, constantly watching someone else’s pace could cause the runner to lose concentration, waste energy, or abandon the strategy that was designed to get them to the finish line. The goal isn’t necessarily to run someone else’s race better than they do. The goal is to finish the race you were given. The Christian life works much the same way. There are seasons when the journey seems almost effortless. We experience God’s blessings, our prayers seem to flow naturally, and serving Him brings great joy. We can look ahead with confidence and wonder how anyone could ever lose heart. Then life happens. The unexpected diagnosis comes. A relationship changes. A financial burden appears. Someone we trusted disappoints us. A prayer we’ve prayed for months, even perhaps years, seems to go unanswered. The road that once appeared straight and easy suddenly becomes steep. Those are the miles that test us. Anyone can be enthusiastic at the starting line. The real test is what happens when the race becomes difficult. The apostle Paul understood this better than most. His Christian journey was not an easy one. He experienced rejection, imprisonment, beatings, shipwrecks, persecution, and countless hardships. Yet near the end of his life, Paul was able to look back over everything he had experienced and write, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Those words carry a different weight when we remember the road Paul had traveled. He didn’t say he had avoided every hardship. He didn’t say he had always understood what God was doing. He didn’t claim that his journey had been easy. He simply said that he had finished his course and kept the faith. Perhaps that is what finishing well really means. Finishing well doesn’t mean we never become tired. It doesn’t mean we never stumble, question, grieve, or become discouraged. Faithfulness doesn’t require us to pretend that difficult seasons aren’t difficult. Sometimes finishing well simply means taking the next step when we don’t have the strength to see ten steps ahead. There are moments in life when we may not be able to do everything we once did. Our pace may slow. Our responsibilities may change. Our opportunities may look different than they did years ago. But even then, God has not finished writing our story. A slower pace is not the same thing as quitting. That is an important lesson, especially as we grow older. We may look back at earlier seasons of life and wonder if our most productive days are behind us. Perhaps they are. But productivity and faithfulness are not always the same thing. God is just as interested in the faithfulness of our final miles as He was in the enthusiasm of our first ones. In fact, sometimes the final miles tell the greatest story. They demonstrate that our faith was not dependent upon favorable circumstances. They show that we trusted God when the answers weren’t obvious. They reveal that our relationship with Christ was more than enthusiasm at the beginning. It was a commitment that endured to the end. Paul’s words to the Philippians reveal where his focus remained. He wrote about “pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). His attention was directed toward the destination, not toward the people running beside him. That is where our attention needs to be as well. There will always be someone who appears to be ahead of us and someone who appears to be behind us. There will always be opportunities to compare, criticize, envy, or become discouraged. But none of those things changes the course God has placed before us. Our responsibility is surprisingly simple: remain faithful to the race God has given us. Some days we may run with strength. Other days we may barely manage to walk. There may even be moments when all we can do is hold on to the One who is holding on to us. But the important thing is to keep moving in His direction. The finish line is coming. One day, the race will be over. The miles of uncertainty, disappointment, joy, sorrow, service, sacrifice, and perseverance will all be behind us. And when we finally cross that finish line, I don’t believe God will ask whether we ran someone else’s race faster than they did. He will know whether we were faithful with the race He gave us. So don’t become discouraged by someone else’s pace. Don’t allow the difficulties along your road to convince you that God has abandoned you. And don’t assume that a slower season means your usefulness is over. Keep going. Take the next step. Trust Him with the miles you cannot yet see. And when the road becomes difficult, remember that the goal was never simply to start the race. The goal was to finish well. May each of us one day be able to look back over the road God has allowed us to travel and, with Paul, say with confidence and gratitude: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” That is a race worth running. © Randy DeVaul, MA Recommended Reads by Randy DeVaul 🕊️ Biblical Forgiveness That Frees You Without Removing Boundaries — how to release bitterness and forgive fully while still keeping the boundaries that protect your life. 🌅 Emotions vs Truth: How Perspective Transforms Faith — a walk down the Emmaus Road showing how renewing the mind restores hope when feelings distort reality. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

I sat down with one of our guest writers, Neil Allen. We were in my office, with cats vying for our undivided attention, talking about faith, loss, and the moments that shaped why he believes. I asked him to think back on his life. Was there something God had done in his life that was inexplicable, something that made him believe? Stifling a grin. He started by telling me how, as a kid, he hated church and Sunday school. I can honestly say I didn’t know that about him, but it is fitting. He told me, “But I read Bible storybooks all day, and my mom made me watch Billy Graham on TV, and I was the holiest kid out there listening to him.” “I knew I wasn’t saved yet, but I knew I would be.” When he got older, he told me about a moment when he decided at the last second to stay home, feeling sorry for his parents because they would not have been able to get all the work done on the family farm. Looking back, he could see God’s hand in that decision. Spending time working alongside his mother every day, he began to notice something about her that was different. He told me one day a realization hit him. “You’re a Christian.” “But I never said that to her,” he admitted. “And I never told her that the reason I hated church as a kid was because God gave me a Bible verse when I was in grade school. ‘They worship me, but their lips are far from me.’ I was never to tell her that.” Years later, he told me, he was listening to Kenneth Copeland on tape. (“he’s a heretic, by the way.”) Neil wanted to clarify to me, and he prayed Romans 10:8 and 10:9 with everything in his heart. He said he suddenly felt a change, a giant whoosh from head to toe, and thought to himself, “What’s that?” “I’m saved!” He ran out to the machine shed to tell the tractors, then into the barn to tell the cows. “I’m going to heaven when I die! I’m going to heaven when I die!” The look on his face as he shared that moment was like watching the sun break through clouds and light up everything it touches. We laughed, and I asked if it was something physical he felt. He gestured from his legs to his head. “You could actually feel it; it was an energizing wave.” I asked him how old he was when this happened. He knew the exact date, even the day of the week. “I was 28. December 12th, 1979. A Wednesday.” We talked about the ups and downs of faith, whether he had always grown or if he struggled. Looking back, he said his faith had always grown, and two lessons shaped that growth: never brag and always tithe. Those two lessons heavily cemented why he believes. Then he went quiet. I could tell he was thinking about something heavier, something I knew all too well. Neil is my father, and neither of us knew this part of the conversation would come up while talking about why he believes. “When my wife was killed, it settled the question of whether I was saved or not between us.” (God and him) And it took her death to know that I was saved.” He paused to collect himself. “She had me convinced that I was a fraud and a fake, and that's the absolute truth.” I had to pause before responding. This was something I didn’t know he had gone through. I asked if that was because of the years of abuse, what he, and all of us, had endured. “Yes” A few moments later, he continued. He told me, “November 1st, 1995, my friend George and I finished roofing a big mansion west of Mosinee. On my way home, I said to God, ‘I can’t take this anymore.’” He told me that the following spring, God revealed to him that she would be killed in a car accident. He didn’t believe it at first; he said honestly that he just “poo-pooed it.” Then he talked about the week of July 4th, 1996. Nothing he did was right in her eyes. Everything was wrong according to her. He was trying to stop her from making a huge mistake. “It was like the grocery store we owned down in Arkansas all over again,” he said. “Monstrous mistake.” But she would not listen, and then she threatened him twice. So he went back to God and asked, “How long is this going to last, Lord?” He said he was given an exact answer: “three months and three weeks,” (seventeen weeks.) There are more details of what he was told that day that he chose not to share, and I did not press him for them. But he did say this. “Everything God told me about it worked out right.” We sat there in silence for a moment, just looking at each other. I knew what he had been through, the abuse, the fear, the pain. She put all of us through it. I do not blame my father. I have always made sure he knows that. We often talk about what happened; it’s something he needs. There are just some things that only he and I can ever understand. I have spent years praying and supporting him as he processes the trauma, and I could not be prouder of the man and father he has become. When we continued, he told me two things that left me speechless. When the accident happened, he said the presence of God was so strong that the hair on his arms stood on end. He knew before I even had the chance to call him and tell him we had been in an accident. And then he gestured to his ribs and chest. “I could feel it was empty, hollow in here.” He explained that in Genesis, God took Eve from Adam’s side. When he spoke with other Christians who had experienced similar abusive situations, and then the loss of that partner. They also experienced a similar sensation. A hollowness, but not an empty one, like one would think, there was pain and hurt that were removed from his side and filled with God’s presence. I stated, “He removed that damaged section from her.” “Yes,” He took a deep breath, then said something even harder. “I know I failed you and your sister terribly as a father,” he said. I nodded yes, but I said but…. I told him, I didn’t blame him, nor was I angry with him. We were all abused by her, and that is something that takes a hell of a toll on a person and sometimes a lifetime to recover from. I told him there was something he excelled at, and that he needed to hear and know this. He is why my sister and I are believers, and why his grandchildren are believers. That despite everything that happened when I was younger, I looked to him for guidance in God, not her abuse of the Bible. He was always my solid, unwavering anchor. And as I grew up and started exploring my faith on my own, he kept me in the right direction; he was my compass to God. “If I could do it all over, I would have gotten you both counseling. I thought counseling was bullcrap back then. I know I’ll be the one to answer to God for what happened, the failed marriage, the failed family, not your mother.” I told him his slate is clean. He is forgiven and loved by God and me. And that one day we will see her again, and yes, to those reading, we do believe we will. There is more to Neil and my story than can be told here. Only God could heal us to the great extent we are healed, that allow us to forgive and have such an open, honest, and loving conversation about what we went through, when the world teaches hate, holding onto grudges, and revenge. My father’s forgiveness and faith, through everything he has endured, come from God’s love, mercy, and constant presence in his life. He is the kind of man who will drive an hour to sit down with a stranger over coffee and talk about God for hours. He will drop everything to be at your side. He will answer his phone at 3 in the morning for prayer, and he is part of more prayer chains than I can count. Statistically, neither of us should be the believers we are today, after what we went through at the hands of someone who used the Bible to abuse and manipulate. But that is the power of God. Hold onto Him, and He will carry you through anything. My father believes because he has seen God’s hand at work in real time. © 2026 Neil Allen.