SPF 185: Who is King? (Deconstruction Arguments & God's Kindness)
The heart can make rebellion look and feel good and that puts us all on a trajectory away from the only Savior. Today I’m breaking down two arguments of a “descontructionist" - someone who was a Christian but now is coming into a more authentic faith, and encourage us to cling to Christ.
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Deconstruction
It’s Not the Bee: The Unfolding Tragedy of Ex-Vangelicalism” https://notthebee.com/article/the-unfolding-tragedy-of-exvangelicalism
SPF 071: De-conversion Story and Certainty: http://www.sheprovesfaithful.com/podcast/episode71
Alisa Childers Ex-Vangelical: https://www.alisachilders.com/blog/whats-with-all-the-deconstruction-stories-with-sean-mcdowell-the-alisa-childers-podcast-80
Alisa Childers What is Progressive Christianity? https://www.alisachilders.com/blog/5-signs-your-church-might-be-heading-toward-progressive-christianity
The Battle Begins - sermon by Pastor Aaron Carlson New City Church: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP1vpXIMwOY
Scriptures
Romans 2:1-7
2 Corinthians 7:10
2 Peter 3:9
Revelation 2:21
Psalm 107
Hell
Got Questions “Is Hell Real?”: https://www.gotquestions.org/does-hell-exist.html
Got Questions “What does it mean that hell is eternal separation from God?”: https://www.gotquestions.org/separation-from-God.html
Got Questions “Is Hell Real? Is it Eternal?” https://www.gotquestions.org/hell-real-eternal.html
Resources
Amazon Links are affiliate links.
I am going to be starting a book called “Against All Opposition: Defending the Christian Worldview” by Greg L. Bahnsen. I couldn’t find a link on Amazon, but I wanted to share!
SPF 184: Diamond Hard Hearts (& Keeping Our Hearts Soft)
Scripture is full of examples of people who hardened their hearts against God. What causes these hard hearts and how do we keep our hearts soft?
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Diamond Hard Hearts
Zechariah 7:8-14
“They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts.” vs 12
What are some characteristics of a diamond hard heart?
Refused to pay attention to the Lord and to His prophets
Did not listen to the truth
Would not hear the law and the Words of the Lord that he sent to his people because He is rich in mercy
And this led to their destruction.
Sin never leads to life or victory or blessing. Sin destroys.
Proverbs 28:13-14
“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.”
Soft hearts fear the Lord; those who do not fear the Lord harden their hearts against him. One way we know we fear the Lord is that we take His words and commands seriously.
A heart that fears the Lord will not try and change or malign the His word and commands. If a soft heart has a problem with God’s word, they know the problem is with them, not with God.
Hebrews 3:12-13
“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
This passage also gives us a way out of the deceitfulness of sin - it’s to exhort one another EVEYR DAY as long as it’s called today. Is today called today? Then exhort your brother. That is how serious an unbelieving heart is. It is called evil.
Let us be for each other by exhorting - that may be warning and admonishing, it may mean encouraging and comforting - whatever is called for today. Do that. Look to your household first and to your church family second.
Ephesians 4:17-32
“They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.”
A soft heart leads us to love others according to God’s ways.
A few others:
Partaking in the Lord’s supper
Singing hymns, songs, and spiritual songs with thanksgiving
Fellowship and hospitality
Repentance
Resources
Brian Sauve Music: https://www.briansauve.com/songs-worth-singing
Shane and Shane Psalms 2: https://shaneandshane.shop/product/psalms-ii/
SPF 110: What do we do when we don’t like something in the Bible: sheprovesfaithful.com/podcast/episode110
SPF 167: What are the Means of Grace?: http://www.sheprovesfaithful.com/podcast/episode167
SPF 157: Do Hard Words Produce Soft Hearts? http://www.sheprovesfaithful.com/podcast/episode157
SPF 183: Lessons on Marriage from a Pastor
Marriage is like a garden that needs to be cultivated. Today I have a few lessons passed on by a pastor that I think are beneficial and lead to blessings within a marriage. I include some commentary from my personal life looking back as single and engaged, and now married.
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Check out my Amazon Storefront - it’s full of all my recommended resources and categorized for ease of finding just what you are looking for! Plus with every click and/or purchase, you support the podcast! See the store here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/sheprovesfaithful
Love taking care of your family? Try Earthley Wellness Products for your skin, body, hair, and herbal remedies! https://www.earthley.com/ref/lauren.hlushak/
Earthley Wellness
Sale on new Home Care products - get 20% off with code HOMECARE until May 10th.
I’ve ordered the concentrate in scented and unscented!
Shop here: https://www.earthley.com/ref/lauren.hlushak/
Lessons on Marriage From a Pastor
Here are a few:
Marry for demonstrated potential which is to say catch them on their way up.
Marry as young as reasonable so that you can develop your tastes and habits as a couple.
Have frank discussions about sexual expectations with your spouse and have as much sex as you both can.
When arguing, stop and say, “Hey, I love you. We are on the same side. Let’s work this out together.”
Pray together and share the things you’re learning from God’s Word.
Take responsibility for your sins and failures by saying “I was wrong. There is no excuse. Please forgive me.”
Have a budget and have set times you can talk openly about finances.
Go to church every Sunday, even on vacation.
Never have friends of the opposite sex. Couple friends are ok.
Date night isn’t a must, but regular time alone is.
Here is the entire list from Michael Foster on gab:
SPF 182: Why We Need Strong Minds (& How to Cultivate Them)
Having a strong mind is important. But what is a strong mind, and how does a Christian maintain one? Today I will share a few ways to be faithful with our thinking.
Enjoying the She Proves Faithful Podcast?
Consider supporting the podcast in one of these ways:
Give $5 monthly on Patreon to the SPF Podcast and get access to extra resources. Learn more at patreon.com/sheprovesfaithful.com
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Check out my Amazon Storefront - it’s full of all my recommended resources and categorized for ease of finding just what you are looking for! Plus with every click and/or purchase, you support the podcast! See the store here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/sheprovesfaithful
Love taking care of your family? Try Earthley Wellness Products for your skin, body, hair, and herbal remedies! https://www.earthley.com/ref/lauren.hlushak/
How to Have Strong Minds
Romans 12:1-2
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Ephesians 4:20-24
20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!—21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
1 Peter 1:14
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, be holy as I am holy.
To conform means to conform one’s self, including mind and character to another’s pattern; to fashion oneself according to. Our minds will be conformed to something. As Christians we are to conform to Christ.
Watch Out
We need strong minds because of our flesh. we are tempted to wander
We need strong minds because the enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
We need strong minds because we live in a time of gas lighting. Gas lighting is basically when someone is trying to pass a lie as a truth.
The world wants to deceive you and conform your mind and pattern of thinking and to their worldview, which is godless, full of idolatry, injustice, and unbelief.
How do we get strong minds and keep them as Christians?
Engage our mind in our rejoicing.
Engage our minds with the truth and engage others with the truth. If we our minds conformed to Christ, we cannot guess at who Christ is. Christian have the mind of Christ, meaning we have His understanding now - we don’t know all the ways of God, but we do know the way to righteousness, and holy living.
Strong minds are reasonable. Philippians 4 says we are to be reasonable which means thinking about what is right, fitting, equitable, gentle and fair. If we are to be reasonable in mind, we must be secure in the Lord because it’s not about having the right argument to win, but to have the right argument to see people go from darkness to light.
Strong minds are guarded. Philippians 4 tells us that the peace of God guards our hearts and minds. We also guard our minds by being diligent by what we let into them.
Watch out what goes into the minds with social media, the news, and even popular ideologies and “tools” like the enneagram.
Prayer helps develop strong minds - Pray and ask the Lord for help. Pray and ask the Lord to guard your mind. He is our ever present help and wants our minds to be conformed to His Son, he wants us to love us with our minds. He wants us to be self controlled in our thoughts. So we can be prayerful to a God who wants these things for us and can do these things for us.
Resources
Nancy Wilson - Giving Thanks for All Things - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bbIk6Cf6Z4&list=PLaUso8l3U_dc_KgQRVFuy_XywNupGWm7P&index=1
Enneagram Videos
Enneagram Hidden Truth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cipmC_pFyys
Why I Quit the Enneagram: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9umuxq9e4AI
Why the Enneagram is a Dangerous Tool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFkYsry9njY
Sheologians Podcast - Girl What’s Your Number?: https://www.sheologians.com/girl-whats-your-number-the-enneagram-episode/
Blog and MaBlog: The Ennegram - https://dougwils.com/books-and-culture/s7-engaging-the-culture/the-enneascam.html
SPF 181: The Moral Law - Do We Still Have to Obey it?
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The Law
(Please refer to the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith for more details and expanded information. Many of this was taken from chapter 19.)
God gave Adam a law of comprehensive obedience written on his heart and a specific perfect not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God also promised life if Adam fulfilled it and death if Adam broke it. That law continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall.
The law given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai in the 10 commandments which were written on two stone tablets.
In addition to this law, which is usually referred to as the moral law - God was also pleased to give the people of Israel ceremonial laws. The really beautiful thing about ceremonial laws is that many contented typological ordinances, which means there were ceremonial laws that would foreshadow Christ, like I shared last week that Christ is our perfect, unblemished lamb, sacrificed to atone for our sins. Many ceremonial laws prefigure Christ and his graces, his actions, his sufferings and his benefits. These ceremonial laws were appointed only until the new order and now they are taken away by Christ.
God also gave Israel Judicial laws, also referred to as civil law, which ceased when the nation ended. Their general principles of justice continue to have moral value. Example: 1 Corinthians 9:8-10
Truths about the Law:
The moral law forever requires the obedience of everyone. We have an obligation to obey because we are created by the law-giver, God. His is the authority over all. “Nor does Christ in any way dissolve this obligation in the gospel; instead he greatly strengthens it.” 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith
For true Christians, they are not under the law as a covenant of works to either be justified by it or condemned by it. We are saved by faith through the work of Christ alone. However the moral law is VERY useful to them and to others because it tells us THE WILL OF God and what our duty is.
The moral law is still good and still should be obeyed because it’s given by God to show us how to love him and love our neighbors.
The moral law, though we are no longer justified or condemned by it, is useful. I mentioned it informs us of the will of God and informed us of our duty. It also directs us and exposes the sinful corruption of our nature and hearts and any sin we are living in. It restrains sinful corruption because the law forbids sin.
“These uses of the law are not contrary to the grace of the gospel but are in sweet harmony with it, for the Spirit of Christ subdues and enables the human will to do freely and cheerfully way the will of God as revealed in the law requires.” 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith
“And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” Ezekiel 36:27
Resources
SPF 046: The Myth of Neutrality: http://www.sheprovesfaithful.com/podcast/episode46
SPF 117 Daughter of the King: http://www.sheprovesfaithful.com/podcast/episode117
SPF 120: Are Obedience and Faith at Odds with Each Other?: http://www.sheprovesfaithful.com/podcast/episode120
SPF 164: Should Christians Care About Politics?: http://www.sheprovesfaithful.com/podcast/episode164
The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith
https://founders.org/library/1689-confession/
(Amazon links are affiliate links)
SPF 180: Devoted to Christ & The Myth of Secularism
RC Sproul is famous for saying sin is cosmic treason. Every person under their fallen nature is not only estranged from God by at war with Him. Thanks be to God, He has made a way for us to be reconciled back to Him. Today I am sharing what an acceptable sacrifice was under the Old Covenant, how Christ atones for our sin, and how to prove faithful in our devotion to Christ.
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Check out my Amazon Storefront - it’s full of all my recommended resources and categorized for ease of finding just what you are looking for! Plus with every click and/or purchase, you support the podcast! See the store here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/sheprovesfaithful
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After the Resurrection Reading Plan
You can get a free After the Resurrection Reading Plan and activity for free:
http://www.sheprovesfaithful.com/blog/resurrection-plan
If you are a patreon member, you get discussion questions that go with each reading. You can access it by going to patreon.com/sheprovesfaithful and signing in.
Happy Easter!
Atonement
Romans 3:35 AMP
“whom God displayed publicly [before the eyes of the world] as a [life-giving] [a]sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation (propitiation) by His blood [to be received] through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness [which demands punishment for sin], because in His forbearance [His deliberate restraint] He passed over the sins previously committed [before Jesus’ crucifixion].”
Atonement is necessary.
Leviticus 22
Atoning Sacrifices:
an offering
male
without blemish
Sin in scripture is described as being at enmity with God - that He is our enemy. And we are His. “In our fallen humanity our most formidable foe and enemy is God himself. There is no being in the universe we have created more hostility with than our Creator.” - Sproul
RC Sproul is famous for his quote that “Sin is comic treason.” Sin is an act of betrayal against the authority that made us; we violate the rule given by the king of the cosmos. But we are so used to sinning that we rarely grasp the gravity of defying God. There is a refusal to conform to His law. - Sproul
If we refused once, we need atonement.
What is the one thing required before this reconciliation? Estrangement. If we were not estranged from God, we would not need to be reconciled back. But every person is estranged and every person needs reconciliation.
This acceptable offering makes me accepted before God. Not just tolerable - accepted, welcomed, a daughter.
The perfect offing made for devoted people.
Devoted To Christ
Keep the commandments - this means to watch over and guard
Do the commandments - are we obeying them
Do not profane God’s name
Resources
RC Sproul The Necessity of Atonement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrGYoRdNOes
Doug Wilson Advice for Christians in the Coming Decade? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hr4JauIXWo
SPF 046: The Myth of Neutrality: sheprovesfaithful.com/podcast/episode46
SPF 166: Faithful War No. 2: Should Christians Keep Their Morality Private?: sheprovesfaithful.com/podcast/episode166
Truth and Grace Memory Books on Founders.org: https://press.founders.org/shop/truth-and-grace-tag-memory-books-3-book-set/
(amazon links are affiliate links)
SPF 179: Four Lessons in Hospitality
Did you know hospitality is not a spiritual gift? Did you know it includes welcoming strangers? Did you know that it creates a stronger church? Today I’m sharing four hospitality lessons and their practical applications to help us practice hospitality.
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Give $5 monthly on Patreon to the SPF Podcast and get access to extra resources. Learn more at patreon.com/sheprovesfaithful.com
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Check out my Amazon Storefront - it’s full of all my recommended resources and categorized for ease of finding just what you are looking for! Plus with every click and/or purchase, you support the podcast! See the store here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/sheprovesfaithful
Love taking care of your family? Try Earthley Wellness Products for your skin, body, hair, and herbal remedies! https://www.earthley.com/ref/lauren.hlushak/
Four Lessons in Hospitality
Number 1: Is not listed as a spiritual gift
Romans 12:13 “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality."
Hebrews 13:1 “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers -
1 Peter 4:9 "Show hospitality without grumbling"
1 Timothy and Titus list hospitable as qualifications for elders
Practical application 1: To practice hospitality regularly - “hospitality need to be part of the fabric of our lifestyle, not a special occasion.” - Rebecca Vandoodewaard
Hospitality can be part of our routine, as seasons of life allow, and they become a blessed habit.
Number 2: Hospitality is more than fellowship with friends. It includes strangers.
Scripture uses the philoxenia for hospitality in Romans and Hebrews which means love to strangers.
Biblically, practicing hospitality to strangers means these are people unable to return the deed. What a beautiful picture of the Gospel! We were strangers to grace, we were alienated from God, we were enemies of God, yet Christ saved us and now we are fellow hires. We were once strangers, but now we are members of God’s family and we cannot return this incredible gift God has given us. What a good attitude to have when having people in our home - not expecting anything in return.
Practical application number 2: Hospitality includes inviting our friends and family over, but also those we don’t know as well.
“Inviting friends and family over - everyone does that. But inviting a stranger - that is Christian love.” - Rebecca Vandoodewaard
Number 3: Do not neglect
When Hebrews says, “do not neglect” Reformation Study Bible says it is referring to the temptation to not serve fellow brothers and sisters in Christ because the pressure of suffering can drive the fundamental responsibilities of love from our minds.
Given to Hospitality
“Those who have houses of their own should be ready to entertain those who go about doing good, or who, for fear of persecutions, are forced to wander of shelter.”
Practical application 3: Be ready to practice hospitality and seek to show it to others.
Number 4: Hospitality blesses us
The commands of God are not burdensome to the believer. It is not the way to salvation, but a way of glorifying God and abundant living.
“There are blessings spiritual and otherwise we can experience here and now when we practice hospitality.” - Rebecca Vandoodewaard
fellowship with other believers usually brings an immediate blessing
maturity - through self sacrifice, service, planning, mindfulness of others
Brings the blessing of skill - actually practicing hospitality helps us learn how to do it well - it’s full of discovery and the opportunity to get better at it. practice means we need practice. “Nobody is born a perfect hostess. We all have to learn. Consistent obedience is the best way to become skilled in opening your home and ministering to others. Talking to a skilled host or hostess helps, but nothing teaches like experience.” - Rebecca Vandoodewaard
Stronger local church - if we are in each other homes, tag teaming hosting new people, reaching out to folks on the fringe, inviting strangers into God’s family of course we will grow closer! Strong congregations are devoted to hospitality (think of 3 John) - People fell loved - new people and founding members.
Resources
(amazon links are affiliate links)
SPF Hospitality links: http://www.sheprovesfaithful.com/search?q=hospitality
How Should I Exercise Hospitality by Rebecca Vandoodewaard
SPF 178: Standing Firm & Four Things to Look for in a Church
There’s a lot of pressure to conform to culture, but what is the church’s role in standing for truth? Today were are going to look at Ezekiel and see the importance of pastors teaching the distinction between light and darkness.
Enjoying the She Proves Faithful Podcast?
Consider supporting the podcast in one of these ways:
Give $5 monthly on Patreon to the SPF Podcast and get access to extra resources. Learn more at patreon.com/sheprovesfaithful.com
Try Audible for a month for FREE and get TWO FREE audiobooks that you can keep forever! When you try Audible (even if you do not sign up), the SPF Podcast is directly supported. More info here: https://amzn.to/2CZLh41
Check out my Amazon Storefront - it’s full of all my recommended resources and categorized for ease of finding just what you are looking for! Plus with every click and/or purchase, you support the podcast! See the store here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/sheprovesfaithful
Love taking care of your family? Try Earthley Wellness Products for your skin, body, hair, and herbal remedies! https://www.earthley.com/ref/lauren.hlushak/
Life Hack: Seed Storage Solution
I just purchased this photo storage plastic container to store my seeds! At the time of my purchase (3/15/21) it was only $12.49!! Check it out here: Simply Tidy at Michaels Craft Store
Priests and Pastors
“Nations by sin sell their liberty and princes their dignity, and profane their crowns by casting them to the ground.” - Matthew Henry
Ezekiel 20:6-8 - God gave a glorious land to His people, but they were not willing to listen to God and would not turn from idols.
And the people of God were judged and captured and exiled.
How did they get into this mess?
Their own sin was their downfall.
Ezekiel 22
We have the prophets and priests, princes, and the people of the land all committing sinful things against the Lord and each other. Their own sin is their downfall. Their sin is not only a prison for themselves, but they suffered a tangible loss of liberty - loosing their homes, Jerusalem, the temple, not to mention the large amount of lost lives.
One of the duties of the Priests was to teach the law of God.
Deuteronomy 33:10
Ezekiel 44:23
There is a radical distinction between the holy and the common, the clean and the unclean.
“Ministers must take pains to cause people to discern between the clean and the unclean, that they may not confound the distinctions between right and wrong, nor mistake concerning them, so as to put darkness for light and light for darkness, but may have a good judgment of discretion concerning their own actions.” - Matthew Henry
What are our pastors teaching now? What is the church teaching?
There is and has been foul instruction in the church.
Progressive Christianity - Scripture is human, can disagree with it, feeling over fact, subjective, denying historic Christianity - Read More about Progressive Christianity from Alisa Childers: Article 1 Alisa Childer’s website: https://www.alisachilders.com/
Social Justice - Voddie Baucham on Social Justice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsROYzaC_hE and his new Book Fault Lines: https://www.amazon.com/Fault-Lines-Movement-Evangelicalisms-Catastrophe/dp/1684511801
New Age teachings - Doreen Virtue https://www.youtube.com/user/4AngelTherapy
Many churches are not distinguishing the holy from the common. Many pastors are not taking a stand and standing by the truths of God. Many churches are not calling out darkness and exalting the Light.
The people of God are going astray. They need good teaching. They need good instruction.
The Application:
Be a part of a good church.
What to look for:
Open. Church should be open - remember the three spheres of authority. The church is not married to the state, she’s married to her Lord.
Pastors, who are men, who teach and stand by the Word of God even if it contradicts what is popular in culture. Pastors that are holding the line of truth so that light is proclaimed as light and darkness is proclaimed as darkness.
Bible teaching from Scripture and teaching the whole counsel of God. - be on guard against progressive movements or social justice themes that disguise themselves and are often cloaked in good will, but are trading gospel truth for humanism.
Children are valued
Resources
(amazon links are affiliate links)
SPF 177: Goverment Part 2: The Christian Response
Civil Magistrates are supposed to ministerial not messianic. What do we do when Government overreaches and starts trying to be the savior? What is the Christian response?
Enjoying the She Proves Faithful Podcast?
Consider supporting the podcast in one of these ways:
Give $5 monthly on Patreon to the SPF Podcast and get access to extra resources. Learn more at patreon.com/sheprovesfaithful.com
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Resources
SPF 176: Government Part 1: Three Spheres of Authority: http://www.sheprovesfaithful.com/podcast/episode176
SPF 046: The Myth of Neutrality: http://www.sheprovesfaithful.com/podcast/episode46
Cultural Mandate Joe Boot: https://www.ezrainstitute.ca/resource-library/podcast/the-cultural-mandate/
Cultural Mandate Interview: https://www.ezrainstitute.ca/resource-library/interviews/cultural-mandate/
Crosspolitic Blog Post: Primer on God’s Ordained Spheres of Authority https://crosspolitic.com/a-brief-primer-on-gods-ordained-spheres-of-authority/
Christ in Culture: Resist Like a Christian talk at New City Church: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqTcSdgkn0c
Fight Laugh Feast Conference: https://flfnetwork.com/rally/
Crosspoliltic Show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4uUKeRmjQQbtgXYeZYmofg
Gab Interview on Crosspolitic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tibZCyLPHO8
God and the State: Sword and Trowel Podcast (have not listened to this one yet but on my playlist): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8adQZJgwQc
Blog and Mablog - one of my favorite blogs in discerning the times: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsagG7NrNpY&list=PLaUso8l3U_ddPMKd0suZBVwYcPz5FU1F8
Top Five Reasons Not to Send Your Kids Back to Public School by Voddie Baucham: https://exodusmandate.org/public-schools/top-five-reasons-not-to-send-your-kids-back-to-public-school
Voddie Baucham and RC Sproul on education (starts at around 42 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pMJJRqLA90&t=2548s
R.C. Sproul teaching on Education Series: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/christian_education/the-myth-of-neutral-education/?
Books:
Slaying Leviathan - Glenn S. Sunshine
The Doctrine of Lesser Magistrates - Matthew Truhella
The Law - Fredrick Bastiat
(amazon links are affiliate links)
SPF 176: Government Part 1: Biblical Spheres of Authority
There’s been a lot more government involvement these days. What is the biblical role of government? Does government have to submit to God? In order to understand government better and answer questions we may have, we must know more about authority and the biblical spheres of authority. This is part 1 in a series.
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Check out my Amazon Storefront - it’s full of all my recommended resources and categorized for ease of finding just what you are looking for! Plus with every click and/or purchase, you support the podcast! See the store here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/sheprovesfaithful
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Authority
God is the author of all things.
He created the world we know and live in by speaking it into existence.
And right now, by his power, he is holding everything together.
God made. God decided. God ordered. God rules.
There is a source of authority and it is God because He is the ultimate authority.
“This is why it is appropriate to describe all human authority as ministerial - it is a ministry on behalf of the God who authorized it. This doesn’t mean the all human authority is under the church, but if it is true authority, it is derived from God.”
“God delegates particular authority to particular people in order to minister His grace and truth in this world, even through the “ministries” of police officers, judges, and city council members. In the biblical understanding, legitimate authority is a gift from God Himself for the good of the world.”
The Three (public) Spheres
A quick note, one of them is self-government - our own responsibility to be self-controlled. Because of the fall, all man-kind is under the curse of sin and self-government is very difficult without a regenerated heart which is then empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk upright self controlled and godly lives in this present age.
Sphere No. 1 Family
Husband is the head of household and has authority and responsibility.
love and cherish wife, teach and admonish children
provides and protects
wife partners with husband as helper and completer
Ephesians 5,6, 1 Timothy 5:8
Sphere No. 2 Church
Pastors/elders are heads of the local church
Shepherd God’s flock well (protect, feed lead)
preach and teach Scripture
refute/expose false teachers
administer the sacraments
practice church discipline
1 Peter 5, Titus 1, 1 Timothy
Sphere No. 3
Civil Magistrates
Punish the bad
Praise the Good
collect taxes for these works
judges judge without partiality
Romans 13, 1 Peters 5
So how do civil magistrates know what is bad and what is good?
They need the Word of God. That is the only source of truth that will teach what is truly good and truly bad. Otherwise who is to say what is good or bad? Who has the authority on morals? Our government this year certainly has taken it upon themselves to tell people what’s good and bad according to who knows what. I’m not sure, but with abortion and riots and overreach with church closures among other things, but it certainly looks like good is bad and bad is good just like we learn what happens under judgement in Isaiah.
Our government needs Jesus. They need to know their authority comes from God to do HIS good works. And these works are defined in Scripture.
Recap
All authority is from God for God’s purposes.
There are biblical spheres of authority with specific duties.
These duties are limited.
Everyone has a Lord and it’s Jesus whether they submit to his authority or not.
They will all be held accountable to His standards at judgment.
Pray
Pray for you leaders.
Pray for your husbands.
Pray for your pastors.
Resources
SPF 046: The Myth of Neutrality: http://www.sheprovesfaithful.com/podcast/episode46
Crosspolitic Blog Post: Primer on God’s Ordained Spheres of Authority https://crosspolitic.com/a-brief-primer-on-gods-ordained-spheres-of-authority/
Christ in Culture: Resist Like a Christian talk at New City Church: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqTcSdgkn0c
Fight Laugh Feast Conference: https://flfnetwork.com/rally/
Crosspoliltic Show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4uUKeRmjQQbtgXYeZYmofg
Gab Interview on Crosspolitic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tibZCyLPHO8
God and the State: Sword and Trowel Podcast (have not listened to this one yet but on my playlist): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8adQZJgwQc
Blog and Mablog - one of my favorite blogs in discerning the times: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsagG7NrNpY&list=PLaUso8l3U_ddPMKd0suZBVwYcPz5FU1F8
Books:
Slaying Leviathan - Glenn S. Sunshine
The Doctrine of Lesser Magistrates - Matthew Truhella
The Law - Fredrick Bastiat
(amazon links are affiliate links)
SPF Podcast
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