Biblical References
Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages are from the NIVArchives
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Category Archives: The Father
5 Common False Assumptions Inerrantists Make about Me as a Progressive Believer
Since I often challenge the concept of biblical inerrancy, I receive a lot of feedback from inerrantists. But often that feedback reveals false assumptions inerrantists make about me—assumptions that are sometimes the very opposite of what I believe. Here are … Continue reading
Posted in authority, Bible, inerrancy, Jesus, The Father
Tagged 2 Timothy 4, Book of James, Cherry-picking, Genesis, genre
53 Comments
Sharing about The Father’s House with Others—Which Model?
Previously, I introduced the metaphor of the Father’s House, and we will now look at it further. I believe the love of the Father extends to everyone, and I like to think of all of us being in the Father’s … Continue reading
Posted in Jesus, Kingdom of God, The Father, The Father's House, the Good News
Tagged Evangelism, universalism
21 Comments
Hopeful Universalism and a Gentle Alternative
Previously, we discussed whether God will punish anyone in eternal hell; and I concluded that the misguided idea of punishment in eternal conscious torment is inconsistent with God’s character and that the Bible does not even teach such a thing. … Continue reading
Posted in eternal life, hell, Paul, The Father
Tagged 1 Corinthians 15, 1 John 4, 2 Corinthians 5, C. S. Lewis, Colossians 1, John 12, John 3:16-17, Philippians 2, Romans 5, Romans 8, The Great Divorce, universalism
121 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
The Feminine Side of God in the Bible
Most believers think of God as masculine. This is true not only of those who embrace patriarchy but of believers generally. It is easy to see why; both testaments were written by people in patriarchal cultures, so the Old Testament … 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
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
Is the God of the Old Testament Different from the Father of the New Testament?
This is a question many people ponder when comparing the portrait of God presented in the Old Testament to what Jesus tells us of God in the New Testament. Some believers make various excuses for God’s angry, violent, and vindictive … Continue reading
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
7 Things I am Thankful for this Season
As Thanksgiving approaches, I wish to share a few things for which I am most thankful. I am certainly thankful for more than these seven things, but they are at the top of my list. 1. I am thankful for … Continue reading
Posted in God, legalism, love, The Father
Tagged bloggers, family, friends, health, readers, thankfulness, Thanksgiving
14 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
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
We are not to Follow Burdensome Religious Rules
When I joined an evangelical denomination in 1970, they read me the teachings of the church. I agreed to abide by prohibitions such as drinking alcohol or using tobacco, swearing oaths, wearing jewelry, and belonging to lodges. There were also … Continue reading
Posted in baggage, behavior, Jesus, legalism, love, sin, The Father, the Good News
Tagged Matthew 23
33 Comments
The 10 Most Viewed Posts on Jesus Without Baggage in 2015 (through June)
Here are the ten most popular posts among readers in 2015 through June. Click on the titles to see the posts. I hope you find some you previously missed or that you might enjoy a second time. 1. 4 Huge … Continue reading
Posted in Enoch, God, inerrancy, Jesus, legalism, Satan, The Father, the Good News
Tagged harmful beliefs, Top 10 Posts
2 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
God is not Angry and Harsh with Us as Many of Us Thought
Do you think God is angry, harsh, and vindictive toward us? Millions of people do, and I used to believe it myself—for good reason. All the preachers, teachers, and other church leaders taught that he is; if we don’t walk … Continue reading
What is the Good News of Jesus Anyway?
Nearly all fundamentalists and evangelicals promote some concept of the Good News—also called the Gospel. In fact, the words ‘evangelical’ and ‘evangelism’ are taken directly from the New Testament Greek word for good news. But what, exactly, is the Good … Continue reading
Posted in eternal life, God, Jesus, Kingdom of God, love, resurrection, The Father, the Good News
Tagged Dick Ford, John 3:16
50 Comments
3 Important Considerations in Loving Others as Ourselves
As we begin to live by the principle of loving others, instead of following religious rules, we sometimes meet two significant barriers. The first is dealing with the enormity of human pain, distress, and need in the world. The second … Continue reading
Does Abandoning Legalism and Belief in Hell Destroy the Foundations of Morality?
When I was seven years old, my family joined a fundamentalist church which taught that if we did not observe the laws of the Bible we would burn forever in hell. I embraced this concept completely. For the next ten … Continue reading
Posted in behavior, fear, hell, Jesus, legalism, love, The Father
Tagged immorality, morality
67 Comments
What is the Good News of Jesus?
In the New Testament are four books that tell about the life and message of Jesus. They are called the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The word ‘gospel’ simply means good news (εὐαγγέλιον)—the good news of Jesus. The English … Continue reading
Posted in eternal life, God, Jesus, legalism, love, The Father, the Good News, the invitation, witnessing
Tagged gospel, Matthew 11, resurrection
40 Comments
Jesus Without Baggage 