Biblical References
Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages are from the NIVArchives
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Category Archives: alienation
Letter to an Anti-Gay Relative
A person recently asked for sample letters to convince an anti-gay Christian that they were wrong. I don’t think that is likely to help, so I submitted this… Dear Uncle Luke, I think you know you are very special and … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, behavior, gays, Jesus
Tagged clobber passages, Justin Lee, LGBT, Matthew Vines, Mel White, Troy Perry
45 Comments
Belief in Angry God is Perhaps the Most Damaging, Misguided Christian Belief of All
What is more central to our religious experience than our relationship with God? But some believers understand their relationships with God much differently than others do. Most of us believe God loves us and cares about us. We even talk … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, fear, hell, Jesus, legalism, love, love your enemies, Old Testament, The Father
Tagged angry God, Deuteronomy 28, harmful beliefs, Hebrews 10, Matthew 5, sermon on the mount
44 Comments
5 Great Fears Believers Should Never Have
We mentioned before that many believers today are driven by fear—especially in very theologically conservative groups. This includes the fear of God, the fear of hell, the fear of making a mistake, the fear of being wrong, and the fear … Continue reading
How So Many Believers Completely Misunderstand God’s Love in John 3:16
I suppose most believers think John 3:16 is one of the most wonderful passages in the Bible—and I agree! This passage tells of God’s love for us in a very proactive way. This is why “John 3:16” is found everywhere: … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, baggage, God, hell, Jesus, love, The Father, the Good News
Tagged angry God, John 3:16, John 3:17-18, Penal Substitution
48 Comments
Why ‘Love the Sinner; Hate the Sin’ is Opposite to Jesus’ Teaching
Have you heard believers say they ‘Love the sinner but hate the sin’? At least you likely have heard of them. In fact, they don’t love the ‘sinner’ at all—at least not the way Jesus loves people. As we read … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, Jesus, legalism, love, Pharisees, sin, sinners
Tagged John 3, Love the sinner; hate the sin, Luke 13, reconciliation
94 Comments
Loving Others with Empathy, Compassion, and Care this Year
A prominent part of Jesus’ message is that we should love others as we love ourselves. Sometimes, though, it is unclear how this plays out in practical terms. What does it even mean to love others as we love ourselves? … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, behavior, love, love your enemies
Tagged care, compassion, empathy, helping the needy, loving others, loving ourselves, unconditional love
28 Comments
What does it Mean that Jesus Brings, not Peace, but a Sword?
Does Jesus come to bring, not peace, but a sword? According to Matthew 10 this is exactly what he says: Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, hate, Jesus, Kingdom of God
Tagged family, family conflict, Matthew 10, not peace but a sword, violent jesus
30 Comments
Are Our Sins Gone as though They Never Happened? In One Sense–No
Justified! It is a wonderful truth that we are justified by Jesus: Some believers celebrate it with this homonym: ‘It is just if I’d never sinned!’ It’s cute and it’s catchy. But is it true? Are our sins gone as … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, love, sin, suffering
Tagged Hebrews 8, Jeremiah 31, Just if I'd never sinned, Micah 7, Psalm 103, reconciliation, restitution
20 Comments
We Do Not Inherit Original Sin from Adam
Fear, pain, guilt, shame… Misery, insecurity, conflict, alienation… Greed, hate, exploitation, violence…Death. This is the world we live in. It has been this way in all times and all places. It is our human condition. Sometimes it is somewhat bearable; … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, inerrancy, original sin, sin
Tagged Adam and Eve, Garden of Eden, human condition, Paul, Romans 5
37 Comments
Are ‘Sins’ Primarily Sins against God or against Other People?
Some believers think all sins are primarily sins against God. Stephen Witmer makes that very statement: All sin is primarily sin against God. Where sin is understood as merely a moral concept rather than mainly a religious one, where it … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, behavior, God, Jesus, legalism, love, love your enemies, sin, sinners, The Father
Tagged Matthew 5
43 Comments
The Prophets Begin to Talk about Sin in a New Way
The Old Testament presents two major understandings about sin. Sin was primarily thought to be disobedience of the nation of Israel or transgression of God’s many detailed rules (legalism). The solution to taking away sin and guilt was participation in … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, God, Jesus, legalism, Old Testament, sin
Tagged Amos 5, Hosea 6, Isaiah 1, Isaiah 61, Luke 4, Mark 12, Psalm 40, Temple ritual
33 Comments
What is Sin but Pain and Alienation?
[Alert: graphic photo below] We all feel the effects of sin; but the character of sin is not what many believers think it is. People DO sin, but not in the way many believers suppose. Sin has dire consequences, but … Continue reading
Jesus Adds a Shocking Twist to Healing
It happens throughout history. A hero or leader arises and captures the attention and the enthusiasm of the people. His stature and popularity grow as his following grows, but then…he just goes too far. I hope this has never happened … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, authority, Jesus, Kingdom of God, Pharisees, sin
Tagged forgiveness, Luke 5, Mark 2, paralytic
47 Comments
When the Good News of Jesus Doesn’t Sound like Good News At All
Over this series, we explored various aspects of the Good News of Jesus—things that we learn from Jesus’ words and actions in the four Gospels. 1. We learned that God is not angry and harsh with us as many of … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, eternal life, God, hell, Jesus, legalism, love, sin, The Father
Tagged angry God, heaven, religious rules
42 Comments
Prayers for Bobby: a Movie Review
Based on a True Story from the Early 1980s Mary Griffith, a very religious, ‘Bible-believing’ mother (played by Sigourney Weaver) discovers that her 16-year-old son, Bobby, thinks he might be gay. Immediately, she begins to do everything she can to … Continue reading
We are Agents for Expanding God’s Kingdom on Earth
The first three elements of the Good News of Jesus are so wonderful that almost anyone can embrace them: God is not Angry and Harsh with Us as Many of Us Thought God’s Love for Us Takes Away Our Fear, … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, God, Jesus, Kingdom of God, love, The Father, the Good News, witnessing
Tagged justice, Luke 17, Matthew 13, mustard seed, peace, reconciliation
35 Comments
God’s Love for Us Takes Away Our Fear, Guilt, and Self-Condemnation
We begin life very self-centered; as infants we are totally dependent, so we are only interested in having our personal needs met. Only later do we recognize other individuals and begin to consider their needs. However, our process of socialization is … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, fear, God, Jesus, love, sin, The Father, the Good News
Tagged Naked Pastor
15 Comments
Living in a World of Pain, Suffering, and Alienation
We realize it early in life. We are hungry; we become sick or disfigured; we lose our loved ones. We have pain—terrible pain, and it is not only physical pain but mental anguish. There is war, famine, and destruction by … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, Buddha, suffering
Tagged alienation, Buddha, death, Garden of Eden, insecurity, pain, suffering
7 Comments
What Does the New Testament Mean by ‘Lost’?
Among many fundamentalists and evangelicals, the word ‘lost‘ has acquired a very specific technical meaning. Used as a noun, ‘the lost’ are those on their way to hell. The state of being lost is sometimes expanded to illustrate the seriousness … Continue reading
Posted in alienation, New Testament
Tagged hell, lost, Luke 15, parable of the lost, saved
15 Comments
The Parable of the Wayward Son (Part one of three)
Have you ever felt alienated from the Father and you knew it was your own doing? Perhaps it was your stubborn and self-centered actions that brought about the estrangement. I think we have all found ourselves in that place. The … Continue reading
Jesus Without Baggage 