There is an unseen line that you really don't want to cross. "God gave them up!' You don't want to be in that situation - please decide early to do it God's way instead of your own.

Romans one sounds like Paul is talking about our day huh. See Rom. 1:28  "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing as their Creator, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive," amp

There is an unseen line. God sees it.  

(I honestly feel pity inside cuz it's so tragic! A depraved mind means the mind doesn't function even near right. That's when a kind of insanity prevails over the person. We've been seein' more and more of this lately, which is demonstrated clearly in the fact that many leaders of Nations could give a flip about protecting their own citizens, and we're not allowed to say a man is a man and a woman is a woman. That there is insanity; that is a depraved mind. The abortions continue on men are competing against women and we can't seem to keep them out of their restrooms. Man, this society will be totally fine with you if you choose 45 personal pronouns, or say that any rock or stick on the ground is a God worth worshipping. They'll even think that's vogue and cool. But if you say the Bible is authoritative and Jesus is deity -- God the Fathers only way in for you and me, there's immediate mocking, scoffing, or heated opposition).

...verse 16 "For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.

17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.

20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

21Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.

22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.

23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.

25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other.

27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.

28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.

29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.

30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents.

31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy.

32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too."

THE CROSS AT CALVARY IS PROOF OF BOTH THE IMMENSE LOVE OF GOD FOR PEOPLE OF EVERY BACKGROUND, AND OF THE PROFOUND WICKEDNESS OF SIN.

The Apostle Paul could have been describing the moral fog of our own generation when he wrote these sobering words in Epistle to the Romans 1:28:

“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing as their Creator, God gave them over to a depraved mind…” (AMP)

A depraved mind is not merely a misguided mind—it is a mind that no longer functions rightly because it has deliberately rejected the truth of God. The tragedy of sin is not only that it corrupts behavior; it distorts perception. When humanity suppresses truth long enough, confusion begins to masquerade as wisdom. Darkness starts calling itself enlightenment.

Paul’s words are painfully relevant today. We live in a culture that often celebrates moral rebellion while scorning biblical truth. Society may applaud endless self-expression, endorse spiritual confusion, and tolerate almost any ideology or lifestyle imaginable—but when someone lovingly declares that Jesus Christ is Lord, that truth is objective, that God created mankind male and female, or that the Bible carries divine authority, ridicule and hostility often follow.

Yet none of this should surprise believers. Scripture warned us this would happen.

In Epistle to the Romans 1:18–32, Paul carefully traces humanity’s downward spiral away from God. It is not merely a political problem, educational problem, or social problem. At its root, it is a worship problem.

Humanity did not begin in ignorance and slowly evolve upward into wisdom. According to Scripture, mankind began with clear revelation from God through creation and conscience:

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen…” (Romans 1:20)

The heavens preach daily. The complexity of life testifies to divine intelligence. Conscience whispers that right and wrong are real. Every sunrise, every star-filled sky, every human soul bears witness to a Creator.

But fallen humanity suppresses that truth.

First comes indifference toward God. Then ingratitude. Then vain reasoning. Finally, moral collapse.

Paul says:

“Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful…” (Romans 1:21)

That verse explains more about modern culture than countless sociological studies.

When gratitude toward God disappears, people do not become spiritually neutral; they become spiritually disoriented. A vacuum is created, and idols rush in to fill the empty throne of the heart. Humanity will always worship something—if not the Creator, then creation itself: pleasure, politics, sexuality, power, identity, money, celebrities, technology, or self.

As the Scottish preacher Thomas Chalmers famously observed:

“The heart is not so constituted as to have all its love extinguished by a mere process of extraction.”

People do not stop worshiping; they merely change objects of worship.

Paul describes this exchange with piercing clarity:

“They exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.” (Romans 1:25)

That is the essence of sin: replacing God with self.

And when truth is persistently rejected, judgment eventually comes—not only in eternity, but even within history itself. Three chilling times in Romans 1 we read the phrase: “God gave them over.”

God gave them over to impurity.

God gave them over to dishonorable passions.

God gave them over to a depraved mind.

Divine judgment is sometimes God letting to pray people have exactly what they want .. it's sometimes him allowing people to pursue the very rebellion they insist upon.

The late A. W. Tozer wrote:

“The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.”

And Billy Graham warned:

“When we come to the end of ourselves, we come to the beginning of God.”

The frightening reality is that a society can become so intoxicated with sin that it not only practices evil, but celebrates it, markets it, legislates it, and pressures others to affirm it. Paul closes Romans 1 by saying people eventually “approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1:32). Evil no longer hides in shame; it demands applause.

Yet the darkest backdrop makes the Gospel shine brightest.

Right before Paul describes humanity’s collapse, he triumphantly declares:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16)

That is the great hope of Christianity. The Gospel is not weak advice for self-improvement; it is the supernatural power of God to rescue sinners from slavery to sin.

The same chapter that exposes humanity’s ruin also announces heaven’s remedy.

Jesus Christ—the eternal Son of God—entered human history, died for sinners, and rose again in power. Paul emphasizes both Christ’s humanity and deity: He was descended from David according to the flesh, yet declared to be the Son of God with power through the resurrection.

The Gospel is not man reaching up to God through religion. It is God reaching down to man through grace.

Salvation does not come through moral reform, political activism, intellectual achievement, or religious ritual. It comes through faith in Christ alone.

“The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)

This was the blazing truth that ignited the Reformation and transformed countless lives.

Charles Spurgeon once said:

“Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.”

That is especially needed today, because modern culture often packages rebellion as compassion and confusion as progress.

Still, Christians must speak truth with tears, not arrogance. Paul’s words should not make believers smug; they should make us grieved, prayerful, and evangelistic. Apart from the grace of God, every one of us would still be enslaved to sin and spiritual blindness.

The Gospel humbles us before it exalts us.

Even in a morally collapsing culture, believers are called to stand firm without shame. Rome in Paul’s day was filled with sexual immorality, idolatry, political corruption, violence, and moral confusion—yet the Gospel spread like wildfire there. The light of Christ shines brightest in dark places.

According to research from , biblical literacy and church engagement have declined significantly in many Western nations over recent decades, especially among younger generations. Yet history repeatedly shows that spiritual awakenings often arise during seasons of deep cultural decline.

God has not lost control. HE'S STILL ON THE THRONE! HASN'T FALLEN OFF, and won't ever.

The answer to a depraved culture is not panic, bitterness, or retreat. It is bold truth wrapped in Christlike love. It is the church living distinctly holy lives. It is Christians refusing both compromise and cruelty. It is believers proclaiming Christ crucified and risen again.

As John Stott wisely said:

“We must never separate what God has joined together—Christian conviction and Christian compassion.”

And as the beloved hymn declares:

“My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”

The world changes. Moral trends rise and fall. Nations shake. Philosophies collapse. But the Word of God remains unshaken.

The same Gospel that transformed pagan Rome still transforms hearts today.There is...

Still mercy for the repentant.

Still cleansing for the guilty.

Still freedom for the bound.

Still hope for the broken.

Still power in the cross.

And there is 

Still only one Savior, only one way into God's holy Heaven -- through Jesus Christ. KnowGod.org

You don't want to be in that situation so decide early. 

God gave them up! This described above is the revelation of the wrath of God (v. 18). The sins listed here are too vile to define or discuss, yet they are practiced today around the world with the approval of society. People know that sin will be judged, yet they take pleasure in it anyway. Were it not for the Gospel of Christ, we would be in this slavery to sin ourselves. “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15).

What's good about pride and sinful rebellion against God's word? Nothing!

"All who fear the LORD will hate evil. Therefore I hate PRIDE and arrogance, corruption, and perverse speech." Prov. 8:13

"They wear pride like a jeweled necklace
and clothe themselves with cruelty." Ps. 73:6 knowGod.org

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

That's the Great Exchange. 

You can have this for free. Experience His righteousness, not that lame self-righteousness. 

"I AM NOT THE MAN I OUGHT TO BE, I AM NOT THE MAN I WISH TO BE. I AM NOT THE MAN I HOPE TO BE. BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD, I AM NOT THE MAN I USED TO BE." ~ John Newton

A simple turn from such worthless to Jesus. A simple prayer breathed, of repentance. I admitted it, and quit it -- with those pet-sins. I believed in Jesus God's only way in for me out of that  dark inferior worldly existence that I had long created for myself. Generation the free gift if God that keeps on giving -- A generous God who keeps giving. ! I immediately noticed a big difference.. an excellent and sublime change.. that was pretty much beyond me explaining.

I try to.. just the same. I love the Lord and feel so grateful to Him. I needed a completely different new nature inside. The one I got born with the first time was shoddy and not at all desirable!

Remember that Bronze Serpent In The OT: It was a picture of Sin, of Judgment, and of Salvation by Faith

Bronze is that uniquely colored medal of judgment. Remember the 12 bronze bowls under the basin at the Jew's temple?

At first glance, it might seem kind of strange—even unsettling—that God would command Moses to lift up a bronze serpent on a pole to do His work for the perishing. 

Why would the very image of the thing that was killing the people become the means through which God healed and rescued them?

The answer is profoundly beautiful and points directly to Jesus Christ and the gospel.

The Wilderness: God’s Classroom

The wilderness was not wasted time. It was God's training ground.

After the Israelites witnessed the miracles of The Exodus and heard God speak at Mount Sinai, they still struggled to trust Him. When ten spies brought back a fearful report about the giants in Canaan, the people concluded that God was not strong enough to keep His promise.

“As surely as I live... your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.” — Numbers 14:28–29

Their unbelief sentenced them to forty years of wandering until that generation died (Numbers 14:28–34).

“It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.” ~ A.W. Tozer 

The wilderness was God's school of faith, where He taught His people both His holiness and their desperate need for Him.

When Grumbling Becomes Deadly

Years later, in Numbers 21, the people once again complained against God and Moses:

“Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?” — Numbers 21:5

They despised God's provision and resented His leadership.

In judgment, God sent venomous serpents into the camp. Many were bitten, and many died (Numbers 21:6).

The snakes were not random. They were visible reminders that sin always carries poison.

“Sin is a dragon with deadly breath.” ~ Charles H. Spurgeon

The serpent represented the very curse their rebellion had brought upon them.

The Cure Looked Like the Curse

When the people confessed their sin, God did not remove the serpents immediately.

Instead, He prescribed a viable remedy that required humble faith:

“Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” — Numbers 21:8

Moses obeyed, and anyone who looked at the bronze serpent lived (Numbers 21:9).

There was no magic in the bronze. No healing power in the metal. The cure was entirely from God.

The act of looking was an act of believing.

The dying Israelite was saying:

“I agree with God. My sin has brought this judgment. I cannot save myself. Lord, I trust Your provision.”

But Why a Serpent?

Let's all agree with God's Word. In Scripture, serpents often symbolize sin, evil, and judgment. So why would God use one as a means of healing?

Because God was teaching a unique, breathtaking truth:

We believers now point back in time by faith to the Cross at Calvary, where our sins were judged on the tree. Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe!  They/we don't want our sins judged at the Great White Throne Judgment as some people seem to insist upon having that. People's sin will be judged in only one of two places.. on the cross at Calvary or at that judgment bar and we have time now to choose while we still have breath. ~ @kurtwVs - please KnowGog.org

The symbol of the curse was lifted up so the cursed could live. Those who walked in faith were pointing ahead in time to the Cross at Calvary.

That is exactly what happened at the cross.

Jesus Explained the Meaning

Speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus said:

“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:14–15

The bronze serpent was a prophetic picture of Christ crucified.

Christ Became Our Curse. The Father sent Him here, and He willingly became our curse due to love. 

You know Jesus Christ was sinless, yet He willingly bore our guilt.

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” — Galatians 3:13

“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” — 2 Corinthians 5:21

The bronze serpent had the likeness of the curse but contained no venom.

Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3), yet He had no sin of His own.

“The essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for man.” ~ John Stott 

Look and Live. Repent and believe in Jesus.

The Israelites did not need to perform heroic deeds. They did not need to earn healing.

They simply had to look in faith at God's appointed provision.

So it is with salvation today.

“Look to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth.” — Isaiah 45:22

“Look and live, my brother, live;

Look to Jesus now and live.” ~ hymn by William A. Ogden 

The Christian life begins not by self-improvement, but by fixing our eyes on Christ crucified and risen.

Beware of Turning Blessings into Idols

Centuries later, the bronze serpent itself became an idol. The people burned incense to it until Hezekiah destroyed it and called it “Nehushtan,” meaning “a mere piece of bronze” (2 Kings 18:4).

Even sacred symbols can become substitutes for God.

We must worship the Savior, not the instrument He uses.

The Gospel in One Picture

The bronze serpent proclaims the heart of the gospel:

Sin is deadly.

Judgment is deserved.

God provides the remedy.

Salvation is received by faith alone.

Christ became our curse so we might receive His righteousness.

“God proved His love on the cross. When Christ hung, bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, ‘I love you.’" ~ Billy Graham

Imagine a man getting bitten by a deadly snake. The antidote is provided free of charge, but he refuses to look because the remedy seems too simple. His pride kills him.

Others, with failing strength and blurred vision, turn their eyes toward God's provision and live.

So it is with the gospel.

Many stumble over the simplicity of faith in Christ. Yet everyone who looks to Him with repentant trust is saved.

The Most Important Look of Your Life

Jesus Christ was lifted up on the cross, raised from the grave, ascended to heaven, and exalted above all.

The question is not whether Christ has been lifted up.

The question is whether you have looked to Him.

“Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16

One believing look at the crucified Savior brings forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life.

The Israelites looked and lived.

Will you?

The Great Exchange: Christ Took Our Sin, and We Received His Righteousness

It really happened! “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” — 2 Corinthians 5:21

That single verse has been called the heart of the gospel in one sentence. The Cross of Christ by John Stott described it as “the essence of the gospel.” 

Martin Luther called it “the glorious exchange.” 

His Holy Father did not hide His face from His Son Jesus at Calvay -- He heard His Son.

Meditate upon the Word. Here is the suffering of the Messiah.

"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?

2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.

4 Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them.

5 They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

6But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people.

7 All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

8 “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.

10 I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God.

11 Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help.

12 Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.

13 They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death.

16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;

17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.

18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

19 But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me!

20 Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog.

21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth And from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me.

22 I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.

23 You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!

24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard." Ps. 22

“Our sin was laid on Christ, and His righteousness was laid on us. This is the very marrow of the gospel.” ~ Charles H. Spurgeon

In these few words, God reveals the most astonishing transaction in human history: the sinless Son of God was treated as though He had lived our sinful lives, so that sinful people who trust in Him might be treated as though they had lived His perfect life.

Because of the sinless life and death of Jesus the God-man, and cuz of His physical resurrection, you can know God the Father through Him. You can now his righteousness for free. He's the only way you've got onto His Kingdom.. that anyone willing has.

That is the gospel. That is free grace given for you and me. That is love beyond comprehension. Come to Him as you are -- no excuses at all lame or otherwise. Hang a U-turn from your wrongdoings. Approach Him by faith.  

"You and I believed the gospel, not because we were wiser or more righteous than anyone else but because God graciously intervened, opening our hearts to heed His Word and believe." ~ John MacArthur

Generation inside -- so beyond fantastic! A spiritual rebirth that only Jesus can pull off in a sinner like me. HOW CAN I DESCRIBE IT HOW CAN I DESCRIBE HOW WONDERFUL HE IS!?

What's Sin Got To Do With It?

Choose to properly address your sin. Opt for learning to hate SIN and to the same degree that God hates it because it destroys the people He loves. You. 

"If God forsook His own Son because of sin, how can you ever expect God to be in fellowship with you as long as you have sin permeating your life?" ~ Chuck Smith Sr.

You are now.. according to the choices you've made thus far. There is a line you can cross with hardness of heart having a seared conscience (while legitimate feelings of guilt and the conviction of the Holy continues to be warded off by you), and it's not that our caring loving God will not forgive and save you.. but it's that you will never want or ask him to forgive you. So tragic to the max! You will be lost forever without repentance and faith in Jesus, God's only way in for you.

If you blow it, you can have a second chance in life. When your spirit is heavy, when your heart is broken, when your burdens seems unbearable - trust Him. Look to and call upon Him.

If God can bring great blessing from the broken body of Jesus and glory from something that's been called the obscene Calvary experience ..you know as the cross, He can bring blessing from your and my problems that seem unsolvable.. and from my pain and my seemingly unanswered prayer.

There is nothing, no sin at all that our compassionate God won't forgive. Is a good time for sons and daughters to address it.. Rather than crossing the line with a seared conscience to where forgiveness never happens.

 If Jesus forgave those who nailed Him to the cross, and if God forgives you and me, how can you withhold your forgiveness from someone else?

I believe this nation the USA is in deep trouble now with this invasion represented by false beliefs, pointing people in the wrong directions. Many of these people among us now think they glorify God by wearing a vest of bombs. Allah is warring (in the Quran though a on-existent person) and is not the true God.

We seem to have lost our iwn identity as a people because in many ways we're separated away from God. I believe it's imperative that God's people earnestly pray as Daniel did, or our nation may unravel morally and spiritually far more to the point of no return. I believe we desperately need the blessing of God. I believe we need a 5th grade Awakening that spawns evangelistic revival like we saw in the '60s and '70s. Have you seen that movie Jesus revolution? I've seen it happen before there, and He can do it again.

I know that this life is not all there is. This life is like preparation for what is coming next, and what is coming next is something so glorious that the Bible says minds can't conceive it, eye has never seen, your imagination could never even enter into all that God is preparing for those who love him.

I never want to tell God exactly how He must answer my prayers. He must not but he often does. My part is to ask in faith, submit in humility, and trust His wisdom. His part is to answer in the way that best glorifies His name and accomplishes His perfect will.

Prayer is not an attempt to control God. It is the joyful privilege of bringing our burdens, hopes, and requests to our heavenly Father, knowing that He hears us, loves us, and always does what is right.

The believer's confidence is not that God will do things our way, but that He will act in His way, in His time, and for His glory and our ultimate good.

"Our prayers are not to instruct God, but to trust Him." — Adapted from Augustine of Hippo

"The wisest prayer is often this: 'Lord, I ask for this, but I trust You to answer as You know best.'"

Expect God to Act

The Bible repeatedly calls us to wait with confident expectation.

"Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God." — Book of Psalms:11 (NKJV)

The word "hope" in Scripture is not wishful thinking. It is a settled confidence in the character and promises of God. Biblical hope means waiting expectantly for the Lord to do what is best.

"My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him." — Book of Psalms:5 (NKJV)

The Christian can say, "Lord, I do not know what You will do, but I know You will do what is right."

Pray for Friends and Enemies

Prayer is one of the greatest acts of love.

We are commanded to pray not only for those we cherish, but also for those who oppose us.

"Love your enemies, bless those who curse you... and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." — Gospel of Matthew:44 (NKJV)

When we pray for others, we place them into the hands of the One who knows them perfectly and loves them infinitely more than we ever could.

Faith Is Not Blind

Biblical faith is not a leap into darkness. It is a reasoned trust in the revealed character of God.

God has proven Himself faithful throughout Scripture and throughout the lives of His people.

"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen." — Second Epistle to the Corinthians:20 (NKJV)

"Not one word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken." — Book of Joshua:45 (NKJV)

Faith rests not on feelings, but on the unchanging Word of God.

What We Can Rightly Expect from God

We should not expect God to fulfill every personal preference or earthly desire exactly as imagined. But we can confidently expect Him to keep every promise He has made.

We may expect:

• His presence in every trial (Epistle to the Hebrews:5)
• His wisdom when we ask (Epistle of James:5)
• His peace when we pray (Epistle to the Philippians:6–7)
• His strength in weakness (Second Epistle to the Corinthians:9)
• His provision for our true needs (Gospel of Matthew:33)
• His sovereign purpose working through all things (Epistle to the Romans:28)
• His eventual return in glory (Epistle to Titus:13)

God Helps the Helpless

The familiar saying, "God helps those who help themselves," is not found in the Bible.

The gospel teaches something far better: God helps those who know they cannot save themselves.

"Without Me you can do nothing." — Gospel of John:5

"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." — Epistle of James:6

The Lord specializes in rescuing the weak, the needy, and the broken.

When Expectations Hurt Relationships

Much disappointment in life comes from expectations built on assumptions rather than truth.

Human beings often imagine how others should behave, then feel wounded when reality differs from those assumptions.

The remedy is biblical wisdom:

• Communicate honestly (Book of Proverbs:13)
• Forgive freely (Gospel of Luke:34)
• Love patiently (First Epistle to the Corinthians:4–7)
• Trust God completely (Book of Proverbs:5–6)

When our expectations are anchored in people, disappointment is inevitable. When they are anchored in God, hope is secure.

Great Christian Quotes

"Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God." — William Carey

"God is too wise to be mistaken, too good to be unkind." — A. W. Tozer

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." — Corrie ten Boom

"Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscle of omnipotence." — Charles Haddon Spurgeon

"Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible." — Corrie ten Boom

A Hymn of Confidence

Great Is Thy Faithfulness declares:

"Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside."

That is the language of biblical expectation.

Encouraging Research

regularly reports that Christians who engage consistently in prayer, Scripture reading, and Christian community show significantly greater spiritual resilience and hope. While specific percentages vary by study and methodology, the overall finding is consistent: believers who actively trust God and remain rooted in His Word tend to demonstrate stronger faith and greater emotional stability.

The Prayer of Surrender

"Lord, here is my request. I ask boldly because You invite me to come. But I refuse to dictate the method, the timing, or the outcome. You are God, and I am not. Do what is best, what is wisest, and what will most glorify Your Son. I trust You completely."

The Believer's Rest

We pray. We wait. We trust. We watch. We praise.

And sooner or later, in this life or in eternity, we will discover that God answered far better than we knew how to ask.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think." — Epistle to the Ephesians:20

So ask God boldly. Expect Him to act. Leave the details to Him. And when His answer comes—whether yes, no, wait, or something better—you will have abundant reason to say once again:

"I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God." — Book of Psalms:11

"For us to hate those who are in error, Talk of them with contempt, Wish them ill or do them wrong: Is not according to the Spirit of Christ.

You can learn to hate sin and to speak out against it. You can pray and thus contend against sin and evil, while not taking part in it. You can wisely legally address those who are sinning in society around you to protect the innocent. You can love God most and love Christians as well as love sinners with Christ love for that's what he did his whole life through and still does today. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

"You cannot cast out Satan by Satan (or his ways), nor correct error by violence, nor overcome hate with hate. The conquering weapon of the Christian is LOVE." ~ Charles H. Spurgeon

It's not really an affair. It's destructive Adultery.

It's not casual sex. It's destructive Fornication.

It's not gay love. It's destructive Sodomy.

It's not veneration. It's destructive Idolatry.

It's not pro-choice. It's destructive Murder.

It's not an exaggeration. It's destructive Lying.

It's not training your parents in PC-speak by distance. It's destructive Disrespect. 

It's not a true concern. It's destructive Gossip.

It's not just admiration. It's destructive Lust.

All sin hurts God first, and all sin is against Him primarily. Sin hurts others and the sinner as well. It's moronic to trivialize your sin as so many like to do. Please don't go there. 

People notice a real need and then, independent from a relationship with the Lord, they try to go fulfill it their way. That's sin. If they have a real need as God's child, then Got the Father will indeed meet it. He promises to. 

Here's what we'd do well to do instead go our own way. Repent, believe in, and follow Jesus. 

So What's The Point of It All -- Being Here? Acceptable biblical worship. 

Knowing and glorifying the Lord. We were not made for even the good gifts from God’s hands—but for God Himself.

Isaiah 43:7 — “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory.”
Ephesians 1:12 — “That we…should be to the praise of His glory.”

Before we ever do anything for God, we are called to know Him, love Him, and live before Him.

Not performance—presence.

Not activity—adoration.

Not gifts—the Giver.

---

What Worship Really Is

Worship is not a song set—it is a surrendered life.

Romans 12:1 — “Present your bodies a living sacrifice…this is your spiritual worship.”
John 4:24 — “Worship…in spirit and truth.”

It is waking up and saying:
“Lord, today is Yours—my thoughts, my words, my choices.”

It is doing ordinary things—work, conversations, decisions—with an extraordinary aim:

1 Corinthians 10:31 — “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

John Piper said it plainly:

“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

---

The Order We Must Not Reverse

We don’t worship to earn God—we worship because we’ve been given God.

Ephesians 2:8-9 — “By grace you have been saved through faith…”

It begins with repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, and only then flows into real worship.

Mark 1:15 — “Repent and believe the gospel.”

No Christ—no true worship.
No cross—no clean heart.
No surrender—no substance.

---

Why This Matters Right Now

We are living in a time where God is often treated as a means, not the end.

Barna research has consistently found that a large percentage of self-identified Christians do not hold a biblical worldview (often cited around only 6–9% of U.S. adults)—indicating a gap between belief and lived devotion. (Source: Barna Group studies on worldview, 2021–2023.)

In other words:
Many want blessings without repentance, change or surrender,
comfort without repentance,
religion without transformation.

But Scripture cuts through the noise:

Matthew 15:8 — “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.”

---

The Hard Truth About Sin (and the Better Hope)

All of us have sinned, but there's a Solution and He has a name. Jesus. Sin is not harmless—it is soul-destroying.

Romans 6:23 — “The wages of sin is death.”

What culture renames, God still calls sin—
not to shame us, but to save us from what destroys us.

But here is the hope:

1 Corinthians 6:11 — “Such were some of you…you were washed.”

Billy Graham once said:

“God never takes anything away from your life without replacing it with something better.”

---

A Short Lyrical Reflection

Not for the gifts, but for Your face,
Not for the crown, but for Your grace,
Not for the healing—though we plead,
But for Yourself, our deepest need.

Take all the world, its shining lies,
Its fleeting joys, its loud disguise—
Give me the Christ who bled for me,
My life, my hope, my eternity.

Psalm 73:25 — “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.”

---

The Simple, Unshakable Call

Live focused on Christ. Sure, we live to know, worship (yep, it's priority one, pray and obey), to seek, to please, to walk with, to praise, to obey and enjoy the Lord and everything else is secondary. The Blesser is way better than His blessings, His presence beats all His presents. ~ kvs

Seek Him and His will first. 

Walk with Him.

Obey Him.

Enjoy Him.

Everything else is secondary.

Hebrews 11:6 — “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

---

Final Word

This is not complicated—but it is costly:

Die to self.

Turn from sin.

Trust Christ fully.

Live for His glory alone.

And in losing your life—you will finally find it.

Luke 9:24 — “Whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”

here to orbit our lives around lesser things. We were made for God Himself—personally, deeply, daily.

To know Him, to walk with Him, to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23), to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30)—this is not one priority among many. It is the center that gives meaning to everything else.

Everything else—work, family, success, even ministry—must take its rightful place beneath that one blazing reality:
God is not a means to our life; He is our life (Colossians 3:4).

---

The Great Reversal We Must Resist

Our age has quietly inverted this truth. Many seek God for what He gives, not for who He is. Yet Scripture calls us higher:

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.” (Psalm 73:25)

The psalmist doesn’t say, “God gives me what I desire.”
He says, “God Himself is my desire.”

This is the turning point of real Christianity.

A.W. Tozer captured it plainly:

“The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One.”

And the old hymn echoes the same truth:

“Thou, O Christ, art all I want, more than all in Thee I find.”

---

The Blesser Over the Blessings

We must learn this quietly but firmly:
The Blesser is infinitely better than His blessings.

His lasting presence is greater than His temporal presents.

Moses understood this when he prayed:

“If Your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” (Exodus 33:15)

He had seen miracles, power, provision—but none of it satisfied him without God Himself.

This is where shallow faith either matures—or collapses.

---

The Simplicity of a God-Centered Life

Strip everything down, and the Christian life becomes beautifully simple:

• Know Him — not just facts, but fellowship (Philippians 3:10)
• Seek Him — early, intentionally, continually (Psalm 63:1)
• Walk with Him — moment by moment (Micah 6:8)
• Obey Him — not selectively, but sincerely (John 14:15)
• Delight in Him — not out of duty alone, but desire (Psalm 37:4)

Everything else becomes secondary—not meaningless, but rightly ordered.

---

A Quiet Warning

It is possible to build a full life and still miss the central thing.
Church activity without intimacy.
Service without surrender.
Truth without tenderness toward God.

Jesus warned:

“You have left your first love.” (Revelation 2:4)

Not abandoned truth—
not abandoned service—
but abandoned Him at the center of it all.

---

A Simple Illustration

Think of a man who marries for love—but over time becomes more interested in the benefits of marriage than in his wife herself. The home remains, the structure stands, but the relationship quietly thins.

That is what happens when we love God’s gifts more than God.

---

A Needed Return

So we come back—again and again—to first things:

To open His Word not just to learn, but to meet Him.
To pray not just to ask, but to commune.
To worship not just in song, but in surrender.

As John Piper rightly said:

“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

---

A Fresh Reflection

You were made for one supreme purpose:
to know the Lord deeply,
to walk with Him closely,
to worship Him acceptably,
to delight in Him continually.

Everything else will either serve that purpose—or distract from it.

So choose the better portion.
Choose the presence.

Because in the end,

When you have Jesus as Lord, you have not lost anything worth keeping at all—and you have gained everything worth having. 

You were made for God the Son. He's the Bridegroom and the Church is his bride. Yes, you were made for God—and until that settles deep in the soul, everything else quietly competes for His place.

To know Him, seek Him, worship Him, obey Him, and enjoy Him is not one priority among many—it is the reason we exist (1 Corinthians 10:31; Mark 12:30). When that center holds, life finds order. When it shifts, even good things become dangerous.

---

The Hidden Drift: Idolatry Repackaged

What are some Bible verses about idolatry?

I try and try, so why can't I stop sinning?

What does the Bible say about hate in general?

I am a saved sinner.. so is 'Love the sinner, hate the sin' even biblical?

Here's why God really hates all sin!

What is the key to victory when struggling with sin?

What can I do to come to hate my own beloved pet-sin?

How can I learn to hate my own sin?

Need a definition of idolatry?

What are the seven things God hates?

What are some modern forms of idolatry?

Idolatry did not disappear back in the day—it kind of changed some but still happens.

What once stood as a golden calf now lives in subtler forms: ambition, comfort, approval, success, control. The heart still bows—just not always visibly.

Scripture is unflinching about the root:
it is sin—the inward bent of the human heart to replace God with self (Romans 1:25).

At its core, modern idolatry is not merely the love of things—it is the elevation of self.
We pursue what we want, define truth as we prefer, and even reshape God into someone more agreeable to our desires.

Paul warned this would come:

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine…” (2 Timothy 4:3)

And here we are.

---

What Is an Idol—Really?

An idol is anything that takes God’s rightful place in your heart.

Not just sinful things—
often good things turned ultimate things:

• A career that defines your worth
• A relationship that replaces your dependence on God
• Comfort that dulls your hunger for Him
• Success that becomes your identity

Jesus made it unmistakably clear:

“You cannot serve both God and money.” (Luke 16:13)

There is no neutral ground in the heart. Something always sits on the throne.

---

Why It’s So Powerful

This battle is not casual—it is lifelong.

The pull toward idols is relentless because it flows from within. Even believers feel it. That’s why Scripture calls us to:

• “Put on the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11)
• “Fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12)
• “Endure hardship as a good soldier” (2 Timothy 2:3)

Only those who belong to Christ—indwelt by the Holy Spirit—have any real hope of resisting. And even then, it is a daily surrender.

---

False Comforts, Empty Wells

When life grows heavy, we often run—not to God, but to substitutes.

Some numb themselves with substances.
Others escape into entertainment, work, or endless distraction.

But Scripture exposes the outcome:

“Those who make them become like them…” (Psalm 115:8)

Empty pursuits slowly hollow the soul.

God offers something radically different:

“Do not be anxious about anything… the peace of God… will guard your hearts” (Philippians 4:6–7)
“The Lord will keep you from all harm” (Psalm 121:7)

Idols promise relief.
God gives peace.

---

The Most Subtle Idol of All

Perhaps the most dangerous form today is this:
a redefined god.

A “god” who never confronts sin.
A “god” shaped by culture, not Scripture.
A “god” who fits our preferences instead of ruling our lives.

But a god we create is no god at all.

To worship a god of our own making is still idolatry—just dressed in religious language.

---

The Great Exchange

At the heart of all idolatry is a tragic trade:

We exchange

the Creator for the created (Romans 1:25),

the Giver for His gifts,

the eternal for the temporary.

And the result is always the same:
emptiness.

Solomon searched it all—pleasure, success, possessions—and concluded it was “vanity” apart from God (Ecclesiastes).

Because God has placed “eternity in man’s heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11), nothing temporary can satisfy it.

---

The Only Satisfying Answer

People sin when they notice an unmet need or longing, and then on their own try to go meet that need apart from God. Our heavenly Father promises to meet all of His children's needs as we put Christ, His Son first - as we trust His word. 

Jesus Christ alone fulfills what every idol falsely promises to fulfill.

He does not merely improve life—

He is life (Colossians 3:4).

He does not just give peace—

He is our peace.

He does not offer temporary satisfaction—

He gives eternal joy.

As Psalm 73:25 declares:

“There is none upon earth that I desire besides You.”

---

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. What do you speak about most? 

So the issue is not whether we worship—
but it's what and how we worship.

Every day, the heart answers that question.

Will we chase what cannot satisfy?
Or will we return—again and again—to the One who can?

The path is narrow (Matthew 7:13), but it is clear:

• Put God first every single day—not in theory, but in practice
• Refuse to let good things replace Him
• Run to Him, not substitutes, in hardship
• Worship Him as He is—not as we wish Him to be

---

The Blesser will always be far better than His blessings.
His presence will always outweigh every present He's given.

The Blesser is better than His blessings.
His presence is greater than His presents.

And when He is rightly placed at the center, everything else finds its proper place.

Because in the end,
every idol takes—
but Christ gives Himself.

Live focused on Christ. We live to know, worship (yep, it's priority one, pray and obey), to seek, to please, to walk with, to praise, to obey, and enjoy the Lord, and everything else is secondary. The Blesser is way better than His blessings, His presence beats all His presents. ~ @KurtwVons

You and I were made for the praise of his glory. That's the ultimate purpose of our existence - starts with repentance, Faith and salvation in #Jesus. We are His Church, made for the praise of the glorify God. 

The Gospel is true whether you believe it or not - it always has been, and always will be. Cuz Christ is true!

Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14 - Apostle Paul repeats this "to the praise of the glory of his grace" or "praise of his glory" three times in this chapter, emphasizing that believers are destined to live for His glory, to worship biblically. Acceptably!

Isaiah 43:7, 21: God states He created, formed, and made each of us, His people for His glory to declare His praise.

1 Corinthians 10:31: A command to do everything—even daily tasks like eating or drinking—for the glory of God. But everything you think, say and do be as worship as unto Him

What is a correct biblical theology of real worship?

Are there real reasons why a human opts to never admit it and just quit it? The repeated wrongdoin's.

Why a fool (I don't mean all of em of course..) never admits to their wrongs done to another? (All sin is against God -- it hurts Him too). Let's talk about the root causes of this.

1) Pride as their identity (not just a behavior)

They don’t just act proud—being right is who they are; admitting wrong feels like death (Prov. 16:18).

2) Love of self over truth (the Bible teaches that we already love ourselves, I need to love others as ourselves. Some love self too much!)

They value self-protection more than reality (2 Tim. 3:2).

3) Fear of exposure, embarrassment, and shame

“If I admit one wrong, everything collapses” (John 3:19–20).

4) Hardened heart through repeated sin (that often happens  in churches too.)

Every ignored conviction dulls the next one (Heb. 3:13).

5) Seared conscience

They no longer feel moral pain—like burned nerve endings (1 Tim. 4:2).

6) Self-deception (spiritual blindness)

They genuinely think they’re right (Jer. 17:9; Prov. 12:15).

7) Lack of the Holy Spirit’s biblical conviction inside

Without God’s Spirit, sin doesn’t register rightly (1 Cor. 2:14).

8) Habitual manipulation

Apologies, this becomes their tools (“I’m so sorry” = leverage, not repentance).

9) Bitterness and offense stored up (even if real wrongs were never committed against you)

They justify themselves by rehearsing others’ faults (Heb. 12:15).

10) Influence of like-minded sinners (from carnal, religous or other worldly Christians or from lost people).

Pride multiplies in agreement (1 Cor. 15:33).

---

What are they actually like?

• Not mentally incapable—this is moral, not intellectual.
• Spiritually blind (2 Cor. 4:4)
• Hard-hearted (Eph. 4:18–19)
• Dead in sin (Eph. 2:1)
• Foolish in God’s definition (Prov. 28:26)

A “seared conscience” doesn’t mean no conscience—it means ignored so long it barely responds.

---

Biblical consequences

• Broken relationships (Prov. 13:10)
• No forgiveness from God if unrepentant (Luke 13:3)
• Increasing hardness (Rom. 2:5)
• Divine resistance (James 4:6)
• Eventual judgment and hell (Rev. 21:8)

“Whoever conceals his sins will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” — Proverbs 28:13

---

Why this is very serious

Pride doesn’t just damage real love—it completely blocks salvation itself, because the gospel calls for honest confession to God in the name of Jesus with true repentance and saving faith (Rom. 10:9–10).

---

How someone like this can change. It's possible, and God is the one who can help change from the inside out.

This is the miracle: they cannot fix themselves—but God must break through.

Steps that God uses in this:

1. Truth confrontation
   Nathan to David (2 Sam. 12:7) — clear, direct exposure.
   
   
2. Consequences allowed
   God lets life press hard (Luke 15:17).
   
   
3. Conviction by the Holy Spirit
   John 16:8 — this is the turning point.
   
   
4. Humbling (often painful)
   God resists until surrender (James 4:6–10).
   
   
5. True repentance
   Not words, but brokenness (2 Cor. 7:10).
   
   
6. Faith in Christ alone
   Forgiveness + new life (Acts 3:19).
   
   
7. Regeneration (new heart)
   Ezekiel 36:26 — this is the real change.
   

What God can do -- miracles. They're not called regulars cuz we don't see them as often as many religous people say we do. 

He takes a man or woman who:

• never admits wrong
• never feels any real conviction
• never changes for the good

…and gives him or her free forgiveness:

• a soft heart (reverence, the holy fear of God inside, a hatred for sin and the hurt and destruction it brings)
• a clear conscience 
• a love for truth
• a hatred of sin
• a desire to make things right

That’s zoe life—life from God, not self-improvement. You and I want abundant and eternal life in a realationship Christ.. right? 

---

How Jesus dealt with these people

• Exposed them directly (“Woe to you… hypocrites” – Matt. 23)
• Used piercing questions (Luke 10:26)
• Refused to argue endlessly (Matt. 12:39)
• Spoke truth without fear (John 8:44)
• Still offered grace to the humble (Luke 18:13–14)

He did not soften truth—but He welcomed broken sinners.

---

Wise men who basically handled this real well

• Nathan → David (direct but wise confrontation)
• Paul → rebuke with tears (Acts 20:31)
• Spurgeon: “Pride is the worst viper that is in the heart.”

---

Clear-eyed truth

• Know anyone who shows manipulative remorse (not repentance, always saying  sorry but never changes. They can't change themselves all alone)
• Know anyone who shows know it all hardened pride from inside (that's so dangerous. It's a spiritual condition)

You can change in Jesus, you can cooperate with the Spirit. You.. all alone, cannot change yourself—only God can break them.
But you can:

• refuse to reward sin
• speak truth plainly
• pray persistently
• remain consistent in love without enabling

---

One could be awakened spiritually. Wrote a poem:

A man who sees himself as never wrong

Builds a kingdom made of lies,

Brick by brick, so to speak, of self-defense,

With blinded spiritual eyes, and hardened inside.

He silences every whisper from above,

That says something like, “Hey Sport, You’ve missed the way,”

And then trades away a soul that could be rescued and healed

For pride that will not pray and obey.

“I’m right,” becomes his prison bars,

“I’m fine,” his rejecting and closing of the Door—

Till truth stands knocking one last time,

And then knocks no more.se

Oh heart that will not bend or break,

What will it profit thee,

To stand so tall before the world—

Yet never bow the knee? It'll soon bow.

---

People tell me they "take 12 AA steps, and those are enough for life." Are they really?

Let's talk about one's spiritual condition.
And the dividing line is simple:

- The humble believing are saved--they'll go to heaven because of the finished work of a living Lord.
- The proud are resisting--they'll go to hell (they basically send themselves there).

Do they think they've taken the smartest steps? 

Step 8

“Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.”

Step 9

“Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.”

What are those.. in plain terms:

• Step 8 = internal work
  • Honest inventory
  • Naming specific people and specific wrongs
  • Becoming willing (this is huge)
• Step 9 = external action
  • Actually going to the person
  • Owning the wrong
  • Making it right as much as possible

Many a so-called program's steps like these don’t specifically address sin as the main problem of man (Romans 6:23). We all need to understand that addictions are not a disease. Sin is like a spiritual disease. ie, Alcoholism is said to be a disease (which let's the drunk off the hook for responsibility). Addiction is a symptom of a spiritual disease. Our hearts are wicked and need God's miracle -- we each need to be forgiven and they need to be regenerated. If you take away alcohol but don’t renew the heart, you still have a person who desires sin more than Christ. So, I have no problem admitting we are powerless, but the language really needs be about sin, not merely alcohol or something else. 

Real Christians don’t believe merely in some “higher power” (Step 2). There are some people in positions of higher power -- they are higher powers, much more powerful than I ie, the President. 

We believe in the LORD, the God of the Bible who is three in One—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He has a name. We believe in the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—our Creator and Redeemer and Lord. We are not permitted to believe in a god of our own understanding. We don’t get to make God up in our minds at all.

Consider the goal of the 12 Steps—a spiritual awakening (step 12). The goal of every recovery program is to gain and maintain sobriety and then help others do the same. But that isn’t the goal of Christianity. 

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Hebrews 9:27

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Can Christians rightly work the 12 steps as they are originally written? Well, think about some. They can’t reduce an addiction problem to a mere physical sickness or disease, nor all those problems that their addiction has caused. Everyone needs forgiveness in Jesus Christ. 

Man's problem is sin, plain and simple. We will face God at a Judgement Seat. We choose. We can have all our sin issues so to speak, addressed on Calvary's Cross (with Jesus, that happened in the past. Many people in OT times pointed ahead in time to Christ and His Cross and were saved). Or we can opt to have our sin-issues so to speak, addressed by another judgment of sins in the future at the Great White Throne Judgement and subsequently, the wrath of almighty God. And we can’t believe in whatever god we want. There is One true and living God. It is He that we must believe in and serve. And our ultimate goal isn’t to help people stay sober by carrying the message of sobriety. Our goal is to share the gospel and make disciples of all nations.  And the benefits are far more than sobriety—we get eternal life.

See if you can find that word “amends” in the Bible. Not there (the English words Bible and Rapture are also not in the Book), but the Bible teaches something even deeper in this regard and much better:

1) Honest Confession (vertical to God, and horizontal manwards)

“Confess your sins…” (James 5:16)

2) Honest Repentance (a change of heart and of direction. Am talkin' about the best course correction here)

“Bear fruits worthy of repentance.” (Luke 3:8)

3) Restitution (restore what was damaged by me). This is where it gets very concrete.

Look at Zacchaeus:

“If I have defrauded anyone… I restore it fourfold.” (Luke 19:8)

Sayin' words is the easy part. Those were not just words, because he went and put feet to his new found faith—that’s measurable repair to damage that was caused by the guilty sinner. So many think guilt is bad. It's bad when a human doesn't rely upon the Spirit when verbally witnessing (faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ), and the religious person or Christian trys to do the job of the Holy Spirit to bring inner conviction to a sinner. Real guilt and conviction from the Spirit are GOOD. Do you have lights on your car dashboard warning you? My car needs enough oil in it. Are there sounds produced as well?  

What does the Bible say about guilt?

Why is it not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin.

Talk about a Christian and guilt regarding past sins?

Tell me more.. what does the Bible say about false guilt? How can I avoid false guilt?

Adam and Eve were innocent (for a time in the garden), having no sin or guilt, and thus had no shame. 

What is false guilt, and how can I avoid it?

What is imputed sin?

How can a Christian overcome the guilt of past sins?

What does the Bible say about forgiving yourself?

Many falsely say they are victims and aren't and then some are. "I am a victim of abuse so why do I feel guilty?"

What is bloodguilt (Joel 3:21)?

What are some Bible verses about guilt?

What does the Bible say about shame and regret?

What are the differences between guilt and the innocence cultures?

If I feel no guilt for my sin, am I truly saved?

Repentance is a good way of life for saints! How should a Christian deal with feelings of guilt regarding past sins?

What is a trespass or guilt offering?

---

What's the Father's one-step plan regarding His one way program? Choosing to believe in Jesus as Savior while repenting (turning away from sin) -- that's sufficient for spiritual liberation. Wisely applying the Bible is often contrasted with complex, 12-step strategies.

The Dif (Difference): “Amends” vs “Restitution”

Amends

• Broader, relational
• Includes apology + acknowledgment + change
• Focus: healing the relationship

Example:
“I was wrong to speak harshly to you. There’s no excuse. I’m asking your forgiveness.”

---

Restitution

• Specific, tangible repayment
• Focus: repairing the damage done

Need Examples?:

• Returning money
• Replacing what was broken
• Correcting lies told about someone

---

Simple way to see it:

• Amends = owning the wrong
• Restitution = repairing the consequences

Biblically, true repentance usually includes both when possible.

---

The deeper biblical standard (this is powerful)

Jesus raises it even higher:

“First be reconciled to your brother…” (Matthew 5:23–24)

Notice:

• Don’t just feel bad
• Don’t just say sorry
• Go. Initiate. Make it right.

---

What real, godly “amends” looks like

Not:

• “I’m sorry if you felt hurt”
• “I’m sorry, but…”

But:

• Specific (“I lied to you…”)
• Personal (“I was wrong…”)
• Unconditional (no lame excuses. Aren't they all lame?)
• Transformational (real change inside and out follows)

---

When NOT to make direct amends

AA actually aligns with wisdom here:

“…except when to do so would injure them or others.”

Biblically:

• Don’t reopen wounds unnecessarily
• Don’t confess in a way that harms someone else
• Seek wise counsel if unsure (Prov. 11:14)

---

Why this step feels impossible to some people. What it requires:

• Humility
• Truth over image
• Surrender of pride

Which is why many never do it.

---

The spiritual reality

A person who refuses this step is not just avoiding people—they’re resisting God.

“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)

---

Perhaps I can give a smigen of clarity?

• Amends heals the relationship
• Restitution repairs the damage
• Repentance changes the heart
• Christ forgives and transforms the person

And when all four come together—that’s when you see a life truly changed from the inside out.

What the Bible truly teaches about apologizing

Apologizing is not merely a social courtesy—it is a spiritual act of humility before God.

Most people resist it because it requires something deeper than words: it requires the death of pride. Scripture makes this clear:

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:10)

A true apology humbles us because it forces us to face reality—we are not right, not perfect, and in need of both God’s mercy and man’s forgiveness.

---

Why most apologies fall short

Many apologies are shallow, forced, or self-protective:

• “I’m sorry… but…”
• “I’m sorry if you felt hurt”
• “I already said I’m sorry”

These are not biblical apologies—they are image management, not repentance.

Even children can be taught to say words without meaning them. Sadly, many adults never grow beyond that.

---

The biblical pattern of a true apology

A real, God-honoring apology includes four essential elements:

1) Clear admission of wrong (no excuses)

“I was wrong to ______.”

“He who covers his sins will not prosper…” (Proverbs 28:13)

---

2) Ownership of the impact

“I know I hurt you.”

This reflects love—recognizing the damage done.

---

3) Humble request for forgiveness

“Will you please forgive me?”

Not demanded. Not assumed. Asked.

---

4) Willingness to make it right (restitution)

“How can I make this right?”

This is where many stop short—but Scripture does not.

---

A powerful biblical contrast

Consider Saul vs. David:

• Saul said, “I have sinned”—but blamed others and preserved his image (1 Samuel 15:24–26)
• David said, “I have sinned against the Lord”—and was broken (Psalm 51)

God rejected Saul—but forgave David.

The difference was not words—it was the heart.

---

God’s full process for making things right

With God:

• Confession
• Repentance
• Faith in Christ

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive…” (1 John 1:9)

---

With people:

• Apology (own the wrong)
• Forgiveness (requested, not demanded)
• Restitution (repair what was damaged)

Look again at Zacchaeus:

“I restore it fourfold.” (Luke 19:8)

That is not talk—that is transformed life.

---

How serious this really is

Jesus made reconciliation urgent:

“First be reconciled to your brother…” (Matthew 5:23–24)

This means:

• Don’t delay
• Don’t minimize
• Don’t ignore

Right relationships matter deeply to God.

---

The responsibility on both sides

When you are wrong:

• Be humble enough to admit it

When someone apologizes:

• Be gracious enough to forgive

“Forgive as the Lord forgave you…” (Colossians 3:13)

---

What apologizing produces in us

• Humility instead of pride
• Softness instead of hardness
• Truth instead of self-deception
• Christlikeness instead of self-centeredness

“Be kind to one another… forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

---

Final clarity

Apologizing is not weakness—it is evidence of spiritual life.

• The proud resist it
• The hardened avoid it
• The regenerate embrace it

And peacemakers—true children of God—practice both:

“Blessed are the peacemakers…” (Matthew 5:9)

They are quick to say:

• “I was wrong.”
• “Please forgive me.”
• “How can I make this right?”

Because they themselves have been forgiven much.

---

If you want, I can help you contrast a false apology vs. a true biblical one in a way that could speak directly and wisely into your sons’ situation.

I won't hold my breath waiting for others to change because most people never change, though God could change any of us who humble ourselves.

That’s a sober, largely accurate observation—most people don’t change, not because they can’t, but because they won’t humble themselves.

But Scripture holds both truths in tension:

• Human reality:

  “Can the Ethiopian change his skin…? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to doing evil.” (Jer. 13:23)

• Divine possibility:

  “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:26)

So your posture is wise as long as it stays balanced:

• Don’t put your hope in people changing → that prevents disappointment and manipulation
• But don’t lose hope in God changing people → that keeps your heart from hardening

---

The healthy, biblical stance

• Expect little from man
• Expect everything from God
• Guard your heart from bitterness
• Keep your hands open in prayer

“Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom. 12:21)

---

What this looks like practically (especially with your sons)

• You can love them without enabling them
• You can tell the truth without arguing endlessly
• You can set boundaries without closing your heart
• You can release outcomes to God

Even Jesus Christ did not entrust Himself to people who would not receive truth (John 2:24–25), yet He still loved perfectly.

---

The danger to watch for

Sometimes disappointment quietly turns into:

• Cynicism
• Distance
• Subtle hardness

That’s the one thing to guard against.

“See to it… that no root of bitterness springs up…” (Heb. 12:15)

---

I won't hold my breath cuz I like to breathe and need to. 

I will pray cuz I like God, and will wait on the Lord for what He wants to do, but I won't be waiting on people to change as some do. I don't live for people. 

What I do instead:

• I release them to God
• I refuse to enable sin
• I remain ready to forgive
• I keep praying for real repentance

Because the same God who changed:

• Saul of Tarsus
• Zacchaeus

…can still break through the hardest heart.

And if He does—you’ll be ready, not hardened.