This fictional work follows an elderly man named Theo who mysteriously arrives in a Georgia town. He enters a local coffee shop and becomes intrigued by the displayed drawn portraits. Through those portraits, he starts to connect with the residents of the town, and from that connection, unexpected help and blessing begins to blossom.

The best way to start this review is by exploring why so many people recommend this book. There are many commendable aspects to this work. In fact, this is a book I wouldn’t discourage you from reading. I believe there are some valuable insights to gain.

First, the writing is quite good. The author takes time to develop scenes and characters with a kind of depth that pulls you in and makes you feel present. The details are vivid and believable. While the writing can sometimes feel overextended, the characters are well-rounded enough to keep you interested in them and invested in what happens to them.

Second, there is an air of mystery that draws you into this book. Who is this man named Theo? This becomes a central question that is subtly hinted at, making you eager to understand what is really going on with this character. However, on this point, I was expecting more. On two separate occasions, I heard of people who immediately reread the book after finishing it. When I hear that, I think there is a twist so shocking and unexpected that readers feel compelled to go back and see how they missed it or how the new revelation fits with everything that came before. In this regard, I was disappointed. Yes, there was a revelation at the end, but I didn’t find it so surprising that I felt the need to reread. I’m a little puzzled as to why people are so shocked. Still, the suspense does pull the reader along, and I appreciate any work that can do that.

Third and most importantly, I believe one of the best features of this book is how Theo excels at drawing people out, listening attentively, appreciating each individual, and genuinely wanting to learn more about them. This is a valuable skill that is beautifully demonstrated. The call from God to love others often begins with being truly interested in them. You can usually tell pretty quickly if someone wants to know who you are. There's an attentiveness that encourages you to open up and share more about yourself and what's really going on in your life. We all need to improve in this area. This book helps you see it and learn from it. It shows how people can be blessed by it. I believe this is probably the main reason why this book is so highly recommended. It masterfully illustrates this. A compassionate, eager, and sincere relationship that skillfully draws out our inner fears, questions, and burdens is rare and impactful. This book presents this idea in a compelling way.

But let’s address the real issue with the book, one that I consider important. It’s entirely about what it means to be a Christian, an ambassador of Christ, and servants of the Lord of life.

This book is written by a Christian named Allen Levi. It carries a distinct Christian vibe that you notice in various ways. First, the main character's name is Theo. You don't need to be a Greek scholar to see the connection to God, which the author acknowledges. There are references to Heaven, blessings, and church events even appear a few times. Additionally, a part of a sermon is included that shifts everything towards Christian themes.

But do you understand what I am saying? All the Christianity in this book is just vibe, theme, and allusions. If this book had been written by some random non-Christian, I wouldn't be disturbed. Most everyday non-Christians recognize a spiritual reality, and many are not uncomfortable mentioning it. But the author is not an ordinary non-Christian. He is a professing believer who is intelligent and I assume familiar with sound theology and Christian practice. This is what makes this book such a serious problem.

To put it plainly, this book is a liberal fever dream of Christ-less Christianity. Jesus is real, but he isn't significant enough to be included in this story. God is present, but he doesn't need to be overly emphasized. The gospel isn't enough to form the foundation of your life or for you to call others to see and submit to. No. What you find in this book is that goodness alone is enough. Kindness is sufficient to bring joy. Compassion is a calling that requires no gospel undergirding.

Theo is portrayed as a wise, caring, and mature Christian man. Is he spiritual? Yes. Is he mature? Not according to the Bible. The Bible calls us to a burning passion for Christ, where luke-warmness is rejected and zealous love for Christ is the standard. We are not called to merely assume Jesus or hint at Jesus. No. He is our cornerstone, our fountain of living water, our daily bread, our King and Lord. This book aims to show you the well-lived life, where Jesus remains in the background, and a background Jesus is perfectly acceptable. This reflects the liberal trend of the last century. Liberal theology sought to blend spirituality with modern sensibilities. It aimed to gain acceptance from academia and elite culture. But to achieve that acceptance, all the old, embarrassing doctrines had to be discarded, as well as shedding the all-encompassing Lordship of Jesus Christ. You can keep Jesus, just ensure he is tame and neutered; not calling for repentance and faith or making everything revolve around him.

Now I realize these are strong words. This is all the more true when it is written by a Christian brother. But I believe this is supported and made explicit in an interview Allen Levi gave about the book, hosted by Collin Hansen on the Gospel Coalition website.

At one point in the interview, Collin Hansen called this work Christian fiction. But Allen Levi pushed back, saying he did not want it to be seen that way. Instead, he wanted it to align with his mission statement: to "use creative gifts to provoke Godward thought." He says he aims to write for as broad an audience as possible. Therefore, he mentioned that while heaven is often referenced in the book, he did not mention Jesus Christ because he did not want readers to stop reading.

My friends, that is what you call an abdication of the gospel. Even his mission statement shows a failure of true Christian faithfulness. Your mission is not to provoke thoughts about God. Your mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ and, as an ambassador for Jesus Christ, to carry the message of reconciliation. That means clarity, boldness, and zeal for the glory of Christ, not vague references, allusions, or veiled nods toward deity. No, I don’t believe that faithful Christian living requires you to stamp Jesus onto everything. A faithful Christian can build a house, decorate a living room, and write computer code without referencing Christ. But those same workers will always look for ways to bring the gospel to the people they interact with. This book is a different kind of product though. Its entire point is to demonstrate how to lovingly interact with and give what needy, broken people need. If you are a Christian, there is only one ultimate answer to what that is. This book missed the answer.

My heart broke as I read how Theo interacted with various people. As I mentioned, the characters and their fears and hurts were well developed. But I observed that people opened their lives to Theo, and all he gave them was an open ear, encouragement, and affirmation. Even when a conversation about heaven was invited, Theo kept things vague. That is a complete failure. When someone opens their life to you or seeks a spiritual conversation, you must love them well by telling them the truth. Certainly wisdom is needed, but one way or another they need to understand God’s holiness, their sin against Him, and the forgiveness bought through Christ's death. They need to know how repentance of sin and faith in Christ’s atoning work lead to the transformative power of regeneration. Theo never offers people gospel hope. Allen Levi never provides readers with the power of the gospel. What he offers is thoughtfulness and good vibes. This will not bring true life change. This book promotes a way of living that helps people rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic of their lives.

Even in the climactic moment of the book, a sermon preached in the church, the gospel still isn't truly heard. Oh yes, Jesus is referenced, and the story of the Emmaus road is even retold, but there is no clear gospel call. The sermon talks about grieving with hope. It speaks of the One who makes us good, wise, and happy. It even mentions a rescue that no one could have imagined. But, my friends, that is not a gospel message. Those are hints, clues, and suggestions. Those are the tactics of people ashamed of the gospel, who work hard at flowery prose and subtlety instead of the risk of exalting a crucified and risen Savior. Shame on that preacher, and even more, shame on this author for wasting these opportunities to be a faithful witness.

Why am I speaking so strongly? It's because Allen Levi could have written this any way he pleased. He had no constraints or external directives. In his Gospel Coalition interview, he said that he can sometimes provoke “God-thought” all the way to the finish line with people, which I interpret as being explicit and clear about the gospel. So why didn’t he do this here, in a story full of such rich opportunity? Why didn’t he wrap everything up with a full-throated proclamation of the glory of grace in the gospel of Jesus Christ? I don’t know. But I can tell you what it looks like to me. It looks like the liberal infection of the supremacy of modern sensibilities. This kind of infection means that worldly sensibilities must not be offended at any cost. What is that cost? You cut out the gospel. This is the same impulse that produces missions focusing on digging water wells instead of sharing Bibles, offering welfare handouts rather than gospel hope accompanied by the dignity of work, and providing psychological counseling that strokes emotions instead of pointing to the transformation Jesus brings through His Word. I am all for water wells, genuine servant-hearted help, and wise counseling, but not without the gospel. This book is the social gospel in novel form—full of warm interactions but a vacuous hole where the gospel should be. Compassionate, attentive love sells well but is powerless and impotent compared to the biblical love of the compassionate, attentive, transforming power of Jesus Christ.

Do you want to see what a Christ-less Christianity looks like? Find it in Theo of Golden.

So when you come to your normal, regular spiritual disciplines there is the danger for them to fall into monotony. You have read the Bible and you are reading it again. You have prayed for the same things and you are praying for them again. You confess sins that you still fall into and so you confess them again.  The cliché is bearing down upon us; familiarity breeds contempt. Hopefully contempt is not what is happening, but a familiarity paired with a monotony can lead to a devotional time that is easily abandoned for the siren call of Netflix or social media.  

One solution to this is another helpful cliché: variety is the spice of life. And true enough, doing differing things can be a help. There are plenty of ways to stir up your devotional time; read a different translation, listen to an audio Bible instead of solely read, incorporate a devotional book, read in a different order, pray while walking, incorporate verses to pray as you go through your prayer list, read a commentary along with your bible reading.

These things may bring a degree of help and they are not to be discouraged. But my concern is for something better and more substantial. I don’t want to just do the same things in a different way. The goal is never just to do a devotional time or a Bible reading. The goal must always be to commune with God himself.  This is why God saved us. This is why Christ intercedes for us on the throne. This is why we have been indwelt with the Holy Spirit. We are meant to know God more; more intimately, more deeply, more genuinely, more passionately. While boredom is a part of this fallen life, God is not boring. He is gentle and powerful and satisfying and worthy of worship.  

So the call to you in this blog is to ask, seek, and knock for more. To pursue and strive and fight for a true meeting with God. Of course there are going to be times when your reading and praying are simple and nothing special happens. This is a part of normal life. But don’t let it be only that. Don’t let it stay there over and over. God is very serious about the whole-hearted seeker. God honors the thirsty and the hungry. James says it plainly, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”(James 4:8)

So I would like to offer up a series of suggestions. None of them are profound. All of them encapsulate a whole-hearted pursuit.

• Pray until you’ve Prayed – This means stay there on your knees until you have met with God. Confess your hardness and coldness and ask for God’s nearness. Like Jacob, don’t let him go until he has blessed you.
• Read until you See – Stay in God’s word until something grabs you. All of scripture is God breathed, so it is all needful. Yes and amen. But you won’t get everything in one reading. This is understandable. But to get nothing is not acceptable. So keep reading until something stands up to be marveled at.
• Meditate until you Marinate – Once you see something that you know is ripe for the picking, read it again and again and again. Roll it over. Turn it around and upside down. Let it sink into your pores and get inside. Sometimes treasure chests open slowly.
• Delve until you Delight – Don’t let that verse go until you see beauty or power or direction. Or in other words, your soul is being fed and strengthened, and you are being delighted in who God is or what he provides.
• Confess until you Detest – Now that you are seeing more of God, confess sin until you hate it as you should. Not that you can get that done in a moment. But keep coming back to confess the horrid insanity of what your sin is, in light of the goodness of who he is and what he gives.

Not all of these will happen in every devotional time. But if you start leaning into the true purpose of a devotional time you will be drawing near to God and he to you. There will be blessing there that far exceeds the feeling of just accomplishing a spiritual discipline. 

 All of this is to highlight the amazing grace of Jesus. It is not only that he made time for regular people, it is that he has the most shocking demand for people to be in presence. What does Jesus demand for us to be with him and partake with him? It is natural to brace for some kind of special requirement. Who wouldn’t expect that? This is the Son of God we are talking about. Do you really think you are just going to partake with him without bringing something? It only seems right to bring something high and holy and exceptional.

 This is what makes what Jesus said during the last supper so jarring. Jesus did make a demand to partake with him, but it was the opposite of what is high and holy and exceptional. When Jesus began to wash the disciple’s feet, and when Peter said that this would never happen, Jesus said the following, “unless I wash your feet, you have no part with me.”

 This is amazing. What is the requirement for true fellowship with Jesus?  Dirty feet.  But not only dirty feet. You also had to bring a desire for those feet to be washed, and it has to be Jesus who washes them. All of this was metaphorical and Jesus made that clear.  Bathing was new birth and feet washing was the daily sanctifying confession of sin and the cleansing of forgiveness through Christ.

 So let’s make this abundantly clear. Jesus said that there is an evidence of being born again and being a true Christian that is secure in Christ.  What is that evidence? What is it that must be happening on a daily basis that demonstrates you have Christ and partake of him? The evidence is that you are daily coming to him in confession of your daily sin and being washed by Christ himself.

You are not getting yourself clean and coming to him, you are coming to be cleansed.

You are not coming with importance, you are coming confessing lowliness.

You are not coming with something to give, you are coming with needs to be met.

You are not coming to do something for Christ, you are coming to have something done by Christ.  

Jesus demands that when we come, we are coming to have him serve us. He demands that we desire our sins be cleansed again. There can be no hiding of sin or cherishing sin. These sins must be dealt with. But Jesus will do that for us. As long as we come with the desire to have Christ rather than our sinful substitutes and to follow Christ rather than the ways of the world, Jesus welcomes us in for cleansing. 

How amazing that the greatest VIP is so full of grace, that he won’t let us into his presence unless he can serve us, not we serve him. He wants us with him, and he will do what it takes to have us with him. If you are unwilling to confess sin, unwilling to be cleansed, unwilling to receive grace then Jesus is unwilling to let you come. Why? Because the giver gets the glory, and he will not be served by self-sufficient feet. He will be served by blood-rinsed feet that walk on the granite of grace that he gives for every step.

There is much to be said about this phrase and certainly some misunderstandings that arise naturally. “Fear” never sounds positive, and yet this word is a completely positive word when it comes to the fear of the Lord. Therefore, definitions are helpful when coming to this term. But for this post I simply wanted to highlight two defining features of the fear of the Lord that are used repeatedly in Scripture. They are two ideas that serve as a further illuminator when it comes to the fear of the Lord.

The Oldest Description In the Bible

As you probably know, the book of Job is probably the oldest portion of God’s Word. It was written somewhere around the time of Abraham, which means that was about 400 years before Moses who wrote the Pentateuch. So this book of wisdom literature is the first.

After tragedy befalls Job, his three “friends” begin to bring accusations against him. And for every accusation, Job has to bring a defense. He is right to bring a defense because he really was a righteous man. It is in one of his last speeches of defense that Job gives us one of the most interesting and picturesque understandings of true wisdom that we have in scripture. Chapter 28 is sparkling gem of truth in a book filled with speeches that are littered with error.

Job says in chapter 28 that some of the most valuable things in the world are also the hardest to come by. Gold, silver, sapphires, iron, copper are only found by mining deep into the earth. Job gives us a picturesque description of turning a mountain upside down to get those deposits. Turning the mountain over is what men do because of the value seen in those minerals.

But wisdom is something altogether different. It is the most valuable thing in the universe (vs. 15-16), but where do you find it (12-14)? The conclusion of the chapter tells us where it is found. It is found in the fear of the Lord. But what I want you to notice is that there is a second part to the answer. The fear of the Lord is wisdom, but secondly, to depart from evil is understanding. So, are we talking about one thing or are we talking about two things?

In light of this statement about departing from evil, I want you to see what God’s word says emphatically about Job.

Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.

Job 1:8 The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”

Job 2:3 The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.”

We see that fear of the Lord and turning from evil is repeatedly stated about Job,. And therefore, when we come to chapter 28 and read that wisdom is found in the fear of God AND turning away from evil is understanding, we know that this characterizes Job. He was a wise man, even though he was not perfect.

So the fear of the Lord is strongly tied to departing from evil. But there is one additional statement that we find tied to the fear of the Lord.

The Second Feature Found in Psalms

Not only is the fear of the Lord described by what you depart from, it is also described by what you run to and do.

Psalm 34:11–14 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12 Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.

Notice that the fear of the Lord is also spoken of by “doing good” and of those who “do His commandments”. So, it is not just quitting evil, it is also by positively doing what is right according to God’s commandments. The fear of the Lord makes you stop doing some things and start doing others.

These Two Features Found Regularly with the Fear of the Lord

Just so you see that these are not isolated verses, I want to give you the other passages that show the fear of the Lord joined with one of these two features.

Proverbs 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.

Proverbs 16:6 By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.

Nehemiah 5:15 But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so because of the fear of God.

2 Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

There are a few passages that have this same idea but while the fear of the Lord is not explicitly mentioned in the verse, it is there by implication.

In Proverbs chapter 2, the fear of the Lord is tied to wisdom in verse 5-6. And then in verse 10 we see wisdom again, doing what we know the fear of the Lord does. It delivers you from the evil way because you know to depart from evil.

Proverbs 2:10–12 For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11 Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you, 12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things;

James has two verses that touch on this. Pure and undefiled religion is most assuredly a religion that is full of the fear of the Lord. And chapter 1:27 tells us what pure and undefiled religion does. In chapter three we see wisdom again, and it is doing what the fear of the Lord does when it obeys God’s commands.

James 1:27  Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

James 3:17 (NASB95) — 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

The Fear of the Lord is the Heart of True Change

So what do we see here? We can say that the fear of the Lord is at the heart of true change. Departing evil and obeying God are the hand-in-hand ideas that define the fear of the Lord and are the change you want and need in your life. It is the original “put off and put on” of the Bible.

If you want the truest deepest kind of change, it will begin with knowing God and seeing him in his beauty and power and wisdom and glory. As you grow in seeing him and knowing him, the fear of the Lord will grow. You will stand in awe at him. You will want him more than anything. And in that desire, you will begin to flee from what he hates and obey him with a new trust that you have in his power and faithfulness.

Therefore, don’t deceive yourself about your growth. Self-help principles and common sense improvements are not the growth you truly need. That kind of growth is not bad, but it also is not impactful for eternity. Look to see where the evil is in your area of need and see if you are departing from that evil because it is an offense to God. Then look to determine what the righteous call of God is in that area and if you are seeking to please him in obedience.

The fear of the Lord is not only reverence and awe, it is action. This is not a Sunday morning emotion. This is not a feeling that comes upon you in the sway of the crowd. It is not herd mentality. It is something that possesses you and so that you begin making real-life decisions in light of the Lord worth and majesty.

Miraculous gifts have been a hot spot for the church for a long time. This issue is so consequential that it creates new churches and denominations that align on these matters. This means it is what we call a 2nd tier issue. 1st tier issues deal with the essential matters of the gospel and are not generally at play in charismatic issues. 2nd tier means the issues are still so important that it necessarily divides God’s people into different churches. Brothers on different sides of this issue can generally do gospel ministry together because they both hold to Christ and him crucified. But those same brothers simply can’t do shepherding ministry together because following Christ will be radically altered by if you believe you are to hear from modern prophets or not, if you speak in tongues or not, and if you expect natural-law-breaking miracles or not.

So this is important and worth our effort. I want to address one line of thinking that is commonly found in these discussions. Usually this reasoning is found in those who are hesitant about the charismatic movement, yet they are not willing to close the door on the whole thing. They have an openness to God’s surprising works. It is usually expressed like this: “I am open to God using miraculous gifts because I don’t want to limit what God can do.” This is the “putting-God-in-a-box” issue. Christians believe that if they say that miraculous gifts have ceased then they have put God into a box. They know they can’t limit what God can do so why have a doctrinal position that seems to do that? This is usually when they will tell you of a stunning story they heard from a missionary about a friend’s cousin’s girlfriend’s brother who saw a miraculous event.

Do Cessationists limit what God can do? Is it putting God in a box?

The question about speaking in tongues and miracles is never about what God can do. There is no Cessationist who questions whether or not God could have someone speak in another language or undo the laws of nature to perform some miracle. The true question is always this: what has God revealed about what he has done, is doing and will do?

To further explain the nature of this poor question, let us consider the creation account in Genesis 1-2. No one questions if God could have made the whole creation in one day or in one second. Are people afraid to hold to a 6-day creation position because to do so would be limiting his power? No one does that. No one is nervous to hold a 6-day creation position because of fear that it is limiting God’s creation power. There are other reasons people question 6-day creation, but that is for another blog.

So why did God take a whole 6 days? It is because God was doing more than just creating. God was showing orderly progression, revealing the difference between animals and humans, displaying Adam’s need for Eve and their respective roles, and displaying the blessing of the seventh day. God had purposes for doing things in a certain way. This issue of limiting God’s power has no place in the whole issue.

In the same way, saying tongues and miracles have ceased is not about God’s power. God’s power is fully at work in every second of every day. He is sustaining all things (Colossians 1:17) by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3), and he is orchestrating every atom of it to accomplish his good purposes (Ephesians 1:11). To say God is not giving the gift of tongues is not about what God can or could do, it is about what he has revealed concerning what he is doing. What has God told us he was doing and about what he is currently doing regarding miraculous gifts?

So the real issue is hermeneutics. How do we read and interpret the Scripture? The great need is not another story about your experience or what a missionary saw. The great need is to go back to the Bible. We need to handle the whole word of God in a way that consistent and faithful. We need to know what God wants us to think about the church, the purpose of gifts, and the role of the miraculous and revelatory gifts.

Therefore, the plan is to come back with a follow up blog to answer that question, the question of biblical testimony not divine ability, in a clear and succinct way.

The Abolitionist Approach

In the debate I listened to, one of the central desires of the Abolitionist was to call Christians to establish justice according to the word of God. His claim was that any partial restriction was simply an unjust law that perverted justice and enabled things God hates such as partiality and murder. For instance, the Abolitionist was very insistent that Deuteronomy 16:19-20 should be the standard for all abortion laws. This verse reads as follows:

Deuteronomy 16:19–20 “You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. 20 “Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

The Abolitionist said that because the pro-life movement is aiming to bring more and more restrictions on abortion instead of “justice and only justice” (i.e. complete and immediate abolition), that is the reason that we have not “[possessed] the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” Restrictions on abortion, such as heartbeat bills, are just distortions of justice that enshrine partiality and continue to enable murder. Less murder, but still a continuation of murder. The assertion is that God is not pleased with the pro-life cause because verses like Deuteronomy 16:19 are not being obeyed.

The Unchallenged Central Issue

I will admit, the abolitionist position is a compelling one because abolition must be the goal of any and all pro-life causes. This is the point at which we have full agreement between the incremental and abolition positions. It is the method and the approach where the paths diverge. So how can the Incrementalist object when the Abolitionist opens up Deuteronomy 16:20 and calls for “justice and only justice” in our laws concerning the unborn?

The way we object is by showing them that they are not using the Bible biblically.

The unchallenged central issue is that the Abolitionist is not working with a consistent hermeneutic. Faithful Bible interpretation (hermeneutics) is the way we know how Deuteronomy 16 is to be read and understood. Handling the Bible rightly is the only way to answer the question of a biblical approach for engaging with unbelievers regarding abortion.

As seen above, our Abolitionist friend was saying that Deuteronomy 16 is the basis of what we should demand of the laws of America. But that is not what Deuteronomy teaches. The laws that the larger Mosaic covenant called God’s people to create in light of Deuteronomy 16 were laws meant to be imposed upon God’s people in a theocratic kingdom. Deuteronomy 16 is not the marching orders for engaging with the world, it is the marching orders for God’s people to be a just and righteous people within the kingdom of God. The laws that the Israelites created for the people of God were to reflect God’s character. If the world adopts some of them, that is fine and good. In fact, the more they adopt the slower the world will descend into destruction. But God’s people were not called to create laws and impose them upon the world.

This is the problem I continually see with the abolitionist camp regarding how they use the Bible. They keep taking OT laws and OT situations, things that happen within a theocratic kingdom and for a theocratic kingdom, and forcing them to serve their idea of how God’s people interact with the world. But proper Bible interpretation speaks against this.

Although Moses stood before God and demanded that Pharaoh let God’s people go, that is not the rubric for how we engage with kings. Why? Because America is not the chosen nation, God has not promised to give us the land, and God is not the theocratic king over America.

The laws that God gave and the directions for creating laws, such as Deuteronomy 16, are not what we demand for America. Why? Because America is not God’s people, and America is not a theocratic kingdom.

Where Is The Point of Overlap?

So what do we do with such statements as found in Deuteronomy 16? First, we understand that these are the reflections of God’s character. Justice, impartiality and protection for the vulnerable are all what God does. Are we to do them? Who are the “we?” “We” are the people of God; it is the church. If you want the most appropriate place to apply Deuteronomy 16 it is not to America, it is to the NT church. I am not saying that the NT church is one and the same as OT Israel. But we are both covenant people. One is Old Covenant and the other is New Covenant, but both are a people covenanted to God. They belong to him. Whatever policies, statements of faith, programs, vision statements or bylaws are set up now in the church, they should accord with the character of God. But one thing is clear, Deuteronomy 16 was not given to unbelievers.

How Did Israel Engage The World?

Quite opposite of what the Abolitionist says, the dictates of the law were never demanded upon the surrounding world. Those laws were for Israel. Israel would be known as a people whose God had given them just and wise laws. Israel would be seen as a holy people.

So what did Israel do with the world? Israel called the world to come and see. They didn’t tell the nations to adopt laws, they called the world to repent and come to the saving God. Israel would be a nation of priests (Ex. 19:6) and the place where all the world would be blessed.

Think through the prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. They gave extensive messages to the surrounding nations. What were those messages? Were they calls to reform laws? No! They were proclamations that God’s judgment was coming because of their sin and repentance was their only hope. They were told that only in Israel’s God could salvation be found.

What did Daniel and the three Hebrews do when in Babylon? Did they try to make Babylon into another Israel? No! They simply followed God no matter what Babylon threatened. Under threat of furnace or feline, they were unyielding in their submission to God. They called the Babylonians to humble themselves and confess the one true God. What they didn’t do was demand Babylon pass better laws.

How the Church Engages The World

Should the church demand that America enact laws that abolish abortion? Sort of. Galatians 6:10 says “as we have opportunity let us do good to all people…” We do Americans good when we tell them that any abortion is murder. And we do them good when we join God in restraining their sin with restrictions on abortion. But there is only one ultimate word we bring to the world: repent and come to Christ. Our great commission is not for cleaning up the morality of America. Our great commission is gospel transformation. It is in the church alone where we demand holiness and obedience. We don’t do that with the world for the same reason we don’t demand the dead get up and dance or the blind paint us a picture. The world is not the church. America is not God’s kingdom or God’s people. This world is not our home and their laws are not our ultimate law. We abide by a higher law, the law of Christ. America is going to pass ungodly laws because America is an ungodly nation. We can and should tell America that she is stained in the blood of the innocent and guilty before God. But the solution is not better laws, the solution is the gospel.

One bright spot in all of this is that Christians can still vote. We live in a nation that is a historical anomaly where all the people in our nation, even its Christians, can direct its governance. But that governance has to be done with boatloads of ungodly people. We are forced to work with them according to our constitution. That means very little good is going to get done, and it will be slow if it happens at all. Why would we expect anything more? America is not a church. America is not full of regenerate people who seek to conform to the image of Christ. The one wild card that could change things is national revival. If that happened and our nation became so jam-packed full of Christians at every level of government then very well. But we are nowhere close to that.

Incrementalism is what we have to accept as our process because it is all we can do within an ungodly nation that lets all of its citizens vote. When the ungodly of our nation propose a law that has a restriction on abortion, we should thank God that he is restraining their ungodliness in some way. That law is not what we would accept in the church. We have God’s law and we live according to that. We are the people of God, and they are not. If they will do a little less murder that is good. The nation will last a little longer by doing that. But we shake our heads at the insanity of “a little less.” Sadly, it is as good as they can do in their rebellion.

The Abolitionist has forgotten that the world is not us and we are not the world. That Abolitionist wants a rebellious world to act godly. It is not going to happen. They want the ungodly to love and protect the innocent. It is not going to happen. It will happen in some small ways due to common grace, but not much. Consider this parallel example. Was slavery abolished in the last century? Not even close. Human trafficking is still happening all over America and throughout the world. What did the slavery abolition laws do? They brought an incremental step. God has restrained some slavery from happening, but there is plenty more slavery that still needs to be ended. Within the church God’s laws are implemented fully, but in the world it is only incrementalism according to the degree of God’s restraining hand.

So keep voting and keep advocating for the unborn. We can employ wise strategies, but they will be hamstrung to one degree or another by the fact that we have to work with ungodly people. Rejoice if God restrains the killing of the unborn in some partial way, but even then we must keep telling America the depth of her guilt. Remember that America’s laws are not the laws of God’s people. America’s laws are the laws of an ungodly nation. The church is where the righteous demands of God are upheld, demanded and empowered by the Spirit. Perhaps God will restrain our nation from further and deeper sin, but whether he does or not, our message remains the same: Christ and him crucified. The people of God preach the gospel. That is what we do. It is the only thing that will change people.

A Friend of Sinners

Jesus was called a friend of sinners because Jesus was with sinners. His willingness to bring sinners into his life was upsetting to the religious elite. Nevertheless, Jesus ate with them, healed them, taught them and spent time with them. He did not shun them or bring a condemnation upon them in a blanket form. However, he was also not participating in their sin. He wasn’t getting drunk or smirking at their off color jokes. Jesus was hearing about their life, listening to their ideas and paying attention to their problems and pains. And it didn’t stop there. He told them the truth. He would speak to them where they were, bring the hope of the gospel to their doorstep and redeem them as they embraced him.

Perhaps the woman at the well is the perfect example of this. In John chapter 4, Jesus was weary and was resting by a well when a Samaritan woman came to draw water. He didn’t get up to leave, but instead very purposely engaged this woman. It was way outside of social norms to talk to a woman, and it was even more shocking for a Jew to speak to a Samaritan. But Jesus did this. She immediately recognized that this was unusual, so Jesus went to the core issue of why he was willing to do this: he had eternal life to offer her.

This conversation continued with the back-and-forth of a regular dialog. The point is that Jesus was willing and eager to do this. Even in his weariness, he wanted engage with her. We need to follow Jesus in this. We need to meet with people, hear their stories, understand their positions and connect with their pains. We are to love them where they are with a redemptive purpose, and look for ways to bring the gospel to them in clear and understandable terms. Any love that does not have redemptive purposes is a faulty love, and will be where the problems of friendship with the world start.

A Friend of the World

So how is this friendship of the world different than a friendship with sinners? When the Bible speaks of the “world” there are several different things that the word “world” could be mean. For this blog, we are focusing on the meaning where world is synonymous with worldliness. The world is the system of godless and rebellious ideologies that are set up against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5). The “world” represents how you do sin. And the “world” can be different in different places. Sin patterns and proclivities change with the times and cultures. American culture hates pedophilia but loves homosexuality. Ancient Roman culture loved pedophilia but hated humility. Islamic culture hates homosexuality but loves oppression. Whatever cultural system you are in, that culture will seek to bring you into conformity with its norms. Within any local culture, if you are being drawn into some sinful activity or mindset, then you are not a friend of sinners, you are a friend of the world. And you are not the sinners’ friend because a true friend seeks their highest good in redemption. Instead you are a friend of destruction and deception. You are allowing darkness to blind yourself and others.

Attending a gay wedding is not being a friend of sinners, it is friendship with the world. But inviting a gay friend to dinner is not friendship with the world, it is being a friend of sinners. Hanging with the guys on the driving range and getting a little buzzed is not being a friend of sinners, it is friendship with the world. But hanging with the guys for shooting pool and deepening relationships is not friendship with the world, but being a friend of sinners.

The Dividing Line

When does friendship with a sinner cross over into friendship with the world? The key is whether there are holy redemptive purposes involved. When a friendship is built for the sake of the gospel, this is true and real friendship. If there are no actual redemptive purposes, it is just a relational hidden door that the world will use to sneak into your life. Additionally, holiness is critical. A relationship will not be redemptive if you do not keep holiness as a priority. If your behavior reflects unholiness, it will undermine any redemptive purposes you think you are achieving. You cannot achieve holy purposes with unholy means. A friend of sinners will only be a friend to the degree that he upholds the truth and holds out the truth to them. This can be uncomfortable and sometimes unwelcome but necessary nonetheless.

So keep the distinction between friend of sinners and a friend of the world, and then you will be a friend indeed to the lost people of the world.

A little Glory

First, I want to tell you what a gracious thing God did for the Lickey family. As those in our church probably know, we east Kansas people missed out on the great American eclipse of 2017. My family was excited to see that grand spectacle but all we saw were clouds. I caught one brief moment of partial eclipse as we were messing with car seats, but that was it. Have I been harboring bitterness about those clouds? Well, “bitter” is a strong word, but “disappointment” isn’t strong enough - maybe a peeved grieving. We made the most of it, but man…I couldn’t believe we missed the main event. Seven long years away, in 2024, there was another eclipse that would come through, so the planning began.

I want you to see the glory of God, but I first want you to see it in the little details before I get to the eclipse itself. I want you to see it in his merciful and gracious goodness toward one little family and one bummed-out man. His grace and glory can be seen in the following:

• -The Lickey family is 7 years older for this eclipse which meant every member of our family got to appreciate it in a far fuller and more memorable way. Sometimes God’s “no” is really just a “not yet.” Things can be better than what we thought it could be. I am thankful for God delaying our eclipse experience.

• This eclipse was twice as long as the one in 2017, four minutes instead of two. I can tell you right now that I was not ready for the eclipse in 2017, and especially not for a 2 minute eclipse. I didn’t know anything except the basics. I had no plans for how to make the most of it. I didn’t know what to watch for. My kids were not prepped in any meaningful way other than safety. Two minutes would have flown by and I would have had almost nothing to show for it. But we were ready for this eclipse. It wasn’t just 2 times longer, it was 10 times more meaningful and we had twice the amount of time to do all we planned to do. And because of our preparation, we knew to video our family’s reaction instead of trying to get pictures of the eclipse that wouldn’t have been any good any way. That video is now one of my most treasured possessions. I am so thankful for that.

• God providentially orchestrated our family. Our original plan was to go to Texas where we had parents there already. We could do a few family things and see the eclipse. But clouds were moving through Texas. Oh, those menacing and diabolical clouds. All of a sudden we remembered we also had family in south Missouri. That could work! And work it did. All the pieces fell into place. Travel, lodging, supplies, various family logistics; all of it came together. And that is just the pieces we know. I am so thankful for God’s kind providence.

• God answered prayers about the weather. As we kept watching the weather, clouds were once again threatening. No place was guaranteed. But we prayed and we watched for the best possible area. Finally we had to make a decision. Marshall, Arkansas was the place we settled on and as we drove, clouds were still covering the sky in their malicious way. But every mile closer to Marshall saw fewer clouds. Soon it was clear skies and we found a perfect location all to ourselves. Is it audacious to say that God moved the weather because we prayed? Of course not. If you’re willing to say that God sent his Son to redeem frail and ignorant sinners, then moving weather for them is nothing. I am so thankful for God’s answers to prayer.

So, the eclipse was amazing, and I will get to that in a moment. But I have been overflowing with thankfulness that God did so many little things just for our family. Omnipotence doesn’t mean God can just do big things, it means he can do all of the little things and fit them in with the big things. And actually, what is bigger: Moving the moon in front of the sun, or orchestrating a trillion details that make up the trillion moments of a single family? How can we even calculate things like that? As a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like a day to God, so little and big are no distinction for him. He can do it all. How wonderful it is that he is at work for his smallest children and delights to delight them. The giver gets the glory, and so he gets the glory for all the countless little good things he gives.

A Big Glory

So let me now talk about the eclipse itself, but let me set it up for you. I knew the basic science behind the eclipse and it is wonderful. I also knew that there are eclipse-chasers - people who will go around the world to see a total eclipse. That just seemed a bit ridiculous to me. Science is cool, and I was sure an eclipse is cool, but let’s be reasonable. Well, my ridiculing mouth has been closed. I get it now. If I had the resources to go see another I think I would. It truly is like nothing else I have seen.

If you haven’t seen a total eclipse, it is like trying to describe purple to a blind man. Seeing a partial eclipse is not the same thing. We heard people speaking of seeing 88% eclipse or 96% eclipse. So just 4% difference right? Not even close. It is the difference between seeing a lamb sacrificed in the temple and seeing Jesus the Lamb of God. A type and the substance are related but oh so different.

Looking up and seeing a pitch black hole with brilliant light surrounding it, and light wafting out in waves is nothing short of surreal. I knew what it was supposed to look like: I had seen the pictures. But if you have ever taken a picture of a mountain you thought was breathtaking, and then looked at the picture you took and realized that this does not capture it, imagine that to the power of 10. I have not seen a picture that captures what it is like to see it with your own eyes. Shocking. Unreal. Gob-smacked.

If ever there was a moment when you feel that there are things fantastical and otherly, and yes spiritual, this is it. Worship happens inevitably and unavoidably. You can’t help yourself. The only question is where does that worship go? For many it doesn’t go all the way to God. As Romans 3:20 tells us, it falls short of God. They truly worship the creation. And to be fair, there is glory there. But it is not the fountainhead of glory. It is just a large tributary that shows up in a big way a few times a year somewhere around the planet.

As Job 26:14 tells us, this is but the fringes of his ways. What a joy it is to go all the way to the fountainhead of glory. What an honor it is to sing his praise for such wonders. What an awesome God he is!

There has been a lot of discussion about this primarily focused on if it was right or wrong and subsequently what should be done with Allister Begg and his ministry. I would like to do something slightly different. I will first state my position on this matter up front, but I want to give most of the time to addressing the nature of this kind of error. Not all errors are the same, or of equal weight. Not only do we have to deal with different people in different ways, according to 1 Thessalonians 5:14, we also have to deal with different errors in different ways.

My Position

I do not believe there is any question about the rightness or wrongness of Begg’s counsel. It was clearly unbiblical counsel. Weddings are different than other events. Weddings are participatory. When you attend a wedding, you are a participant as a witness and a celebrant of what is happening. This is not the case in a funeral, a dinner, or many other events, but it is true of a wedding. To attend a homosexual or transgender wedding is to celebrate an idolatrous event that is not recognized in the eyes of God. To say it is ever acceptable to attend a homosexual/transgender wedding is a failure to understand the nature of marriage, the nature of love, the nature of truth, and the nature of separation.

The Issue of Application

Instead of filling out all of the reasons it is wrong, I want to turn our attention to the nature of this error. What we have here is a very public case of orthodox belief and wrong application. Everyone agrees that Allister Begg is a sound Bible teacher with clearly stated positions on biblical marriage and sexuality. So what has happened? Begg has fallen into an error of application.

The gospel can’t only be taught rightly, it also has to be lived rightly. The message and the method have to be in sync. This is the very place where many people and churches go wrong. They say that the message has to stay the same, but the method can change. Though that is true to a point, it is not absolutely true. The methods have to accord with the message. You can’t bring a holy message with unholy means. You can’t preach heaven’s hope with worldly tactics. Paul was insistent that he would not preach in “persuasive words of wisdom” (1 Corinthians 2:4) because to do that would make the cross of Christ “void” (1 Corinthians 1:17).

So, even as a person can hold orthodox teaching, how those teachings are brought to real life situations matter. This is not always easy because real life can be very complicated, very fluid and very uncertain. This is why wisdom is so important, and is the mark of Christian maturity. To be able to bring a host of biblical principles to bear upon a situation with a host of variables is no small task. This is why the Bible says there is safety in a multitude of counselors.

Two Comparable Biblical Situations In Galatians Two

There are two incredibly helpful passages of Scripture for this issue found in Galatians 2. We have an issue of circumcision in verse 1-5 and then an issue of Peter’s mealtime decisions in 10-14.

First, look at the issue of circumcision in Galatians 2. Circumcision in and of itself no longer has importance as an act. This is exactly what Paul says in Galatians 6:15. But situations in real life may change what we do for the sake of the gospel. According to Galatians 2:3, Titus was a Greek and was uncircumcised. False brethren were close at hand pushing for people to be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul and Titus resolutely refused circumcision for the simple reason that people were saying it had to be done. In verse 5 Paul says that the gospel was at stake in this matter. Paul and Titus applied the gospel of grace-not-works to their situation and refused to be circumcised.

It would be helpful to contrast this with Timothy in Acts 16:3. Paul found Timothy and wanted him along for ministry. Yet his father was a Greek and therefore Timothy was uncircumcised. Therefore Paul had Timothy circumcised “because of the Jews in those parts”.

So Paul refused to circumcise Titus, but allowed for Timothy to be circumcised. Why? Different situations demand different applications. If circumcision is a threat to the gospel, then you don’t circumcise. If the people see it as helpful but not necessary, then go head.

Secondly, in Galatians 2 we find a mealtime incident with Peter. Peter was orthodox to say the least. Not only was he an apostle, not only was he the leading apostle, but he led the way for Gentile inclusion in the church and the drafting of the decision of the Jerusalem council. Yet, Galatians 2:12 says that Peter feared the party of the circumcision and withdrew from eating with Gentiles.

That was an application decision. Peter knew the truth and was a faithful preacher of the truth. Yet in this moment of application of the truth, he went astray. And notice that Paul brought a stinging rebuke to him. Paul knew that the application much match the message. Peter was not living according to the gospel.

A Second Level Admonition

But let us notice that even the apostle Peter stumbled in this issue of application, and that application is where things get very real. It is also where things can get complicated. Therefore we need to extend an extra measure of grace. This is where there is often more time needed and more counsel needed. Therefore I do think there is a place to extend more grace for working through matters of application. Remember that the issue of Gentile inclusion was a difficult matter for the early church and it was the main issue in Acts 8, 10, 11, 15. They even had a church council on it in chapter 15.

The probability is that Galatians 2 happened right before the Jerusalem council in Acts 15 where the issue was hammered out. If that is right, then we notice that Paul still brought a rebuke to Peter even though this hadn’t been fully resolved in the church.

If Peter had been teaching a different gospel, he would have been a false teacher and that would be the end of Peter’s presence in the church. But Peter was teaching the truth. He had led the way in the gospel of Gentile inclusion. But at one point, due to fear, he misapplied the very truth he held. He was rebuked, but it is a different kind of rebuke. Paul didn’t bring an anathema upon Peter (Gal. 1:8). It was a second-level rebuke. Peter hadn’t abandoned the gospel, but he had misapplied. It.

What Do We Do With Allister Begg?

Allister Begg has not applied the truths of anthropology, marriage and love in a right way in this situation. As Peter was led into misapplication due to fear according to Galatians 2:12, I believe Begg also is led into misapplication due to fear. He stated in his follow up sermon “I was concerned about the wellbeing of their relationship more than anything else” (minute 22:25 in the sermon Compassion Vs. Condemnation). Begg has put the issue of “relationship” in a wrong place of priority. Begg seems to fear being labeled as “unloving” by the world. Being loving is vitally important. But when it is misapplied it actually becomes unloving. Begg’s concern for a loving relationship is too high and this has led to misapplication.

What makes this even more problematic is that homosexual/transgender marriage is not a new issue in the church. We have been thinking about this since it was given legitimacy by the Supreme Court in 2015. That was 9 years ago. Begg is not far removed from the highways of information, or in an obscure place of ministry. He should have this thoroughly worked out by now. Additionally, just has Peter was rebuked, so also Begg has been rebuked. But these rebukes have not been received in a serious way. As noted, Begg doubled down on his position and said he will not repent.

So what do we do with Begg? Since this is a matter of application and there is degree of grace that should be extended, yet because Begg should know better by now and has not heeded the rebukes given, I think people should consider Begg suspended. Let’s give some time to see if he comes around. Yet, in the meantime I think we should put his ministry to the side and pray for his reversal. How much time, I don’t know. This whole thing is very problematic, but it is not altogether ruinous for what has been a faithful ministry. He can come around. Let’s pray that he does.

But even here we can go wrong. Thankfulness can become a pathway of deceiving ourselves. What do I mean?

Thankfulness can be very myopic. We are thankful for our family, for our jobs, for our health. We are thankful for our country or our friends or our car. We can be thankful for these things and think that we have checked the thankful box on the godly-living list. And that is true in a narrow sense. The thankfulness is real. But this type of thanks is not enough.

The Bible doesn’t just say we are to be thankful; it says we are to be thankful “in everything” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and “for all things” (Ephesians 5:20). Myopic thankfulness can be so deceiving. It is bringing a part but not the whole. It is like Ananias and Sapphira who brought part of the money for the land they sold, but then they said they were bringing the whole price (Acts 5). God doesn’t like it when people try to flim-flam him.

What do you call total thankfulness? What do you call holistic thankfulness? There is a word for that, and it is “contentment.” Thankfulness can be granular, but contentment is universal. Thankfulness can be specific, but contentment is generalized. Thankfulness can be precise and detailed, but contentment is broad and sweeping. Thankfulness can just be gratitude to God, but contentment is trust in God.

You can’t have contentment without thankfulness, but you can have thankfulness without contentment. That is the danger I am speaking about here.

Contentment is full strength thankfulness. Contentment is what happens when you obey the “all” and “everything” of the above verses in Thessalonians and Ephesians. Contentment is the goal. As Paul says in Philippians 4:11-13, contentment is what happens when Jesus strengthens you to believe God’s word about his sovereignty and his fatherly goodness in all the situations in which you find yourself and which you don’t understand.

So, evaluate your thankfulness this year. Are you looking over your whole life, or just at the good stuff that is easy to be thankful for? Like Jesus said about loving brothers, even unbelievers do that (Matthew 5:46-47). Unbelievers will have a kind of thankfulness for good things even if it doesn’t find its true target in the Lord. But what about you and how you are viewing the rest of your life? What about the hard stuff and the painful stuff? Can you say that the Lord has put you in that hard spot or given you that difficult thing and it is right for you to be there or have that? Can you be thankful for it all? Every bit of it? You don’t have to understand it. In fact, most of the time you will be kept from understanding it just like Job was kept from understanding. But if you can look at it all and then look past it all and say God is doing it all, and then say that God is good and this is wise, then thankfulness is going all the way into active trust and the flower that blooms is contentment.