A Detailed Prescription

If you pick up a prescription at the pharmacy, you typically get several pages of details with instructions for its use and the possible side effects, along with some technical information about the chemical formula. 

If I haven’t used the medicine before, I read through these details. If I’ve used the medicine before and I trust it, I don’t bother. 

I think this is a good analogy for Scripture reading. 

Sometimes we come across something in Scripture, typically in the Old Testament, and we don’t understand it. That’s when we can find out the details, research the background, check into the original language, customs, and purpose of the passage. 

God provides those details for anyone who wants to do the research, and while we may not have every tiny question answered, He gives us enough information to have peace about passages that confuse us. I often do this extra research so I can respond to questions or criticisms from readers. 

But, to be honest, I’ve been taking the “medicine” of God’s Word for over forty years with nothing but positive side effects (Psalm 1:1-3). 

This extra research improves my knowledge, but I don’t need it to trust God’s Word. I daily benefit from the healing effects of Scripture. It consistently improves my spiritual well-being, protecting me from viral errors, chronic sins, and terminal hopelessness (Psalm 112:1; Psalm 119:93).

I admit it—I’m addicted! (Psalm 119:20; Psalm119:40) 

How about you? 

Bible Love Notes

"Rude Driver" Relationships

Have you ever had someone cut you off in traffic? It’s not only annoying—it’s selfish and dangerous. 

Sadly, in personal relationships, cutting people off is becoming quite popular. There are whole “ministries” built on the premise (e.g. Boundaries). 

Scripture commands us to cut off contact with Christians who are involved in serious unrepentant sin, false teachers, and people causing church conflict. And it tells us to avoid close friendships with ungodly people (Matthew 18:15-17; 2 John 1:10; Titus 3:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:33).(1) 

But Scripture does not support cutting people off because we have differences, because they are annoying, or because they don't make us feel good about ourselves. If we don't learn how to deal biblically with these difficult relationships, our faith remains shallow and self-centered (Proverbs 24:10).

Rude drivers are disrespectful and selfish. The only person they care about is themselves. The same is true for people who drive selfishly through their relationships. Cutting people off is the least healthy, least mature, and most selfish way to deal with problems.

We aren’t required to be everyone’s best buddy, but we are required treat people with consideration (Philippians 2:3-4), returning good for evil (Romans 12).

Take some time today to ask yourself if you are treating friends and family members the way you would want to be treated (Luke 6:31).

(1) See 4 Types of People God Tells Us to Avoid. 

Bible Love Notes

A Necessary Explanation

Due to the importance of this subject, this devotion will take three minutes to read instead of the usual one minute. And I encourage you to bookmark this devotion so you can access the resources it contains.

Words and gestures change over time. And we must use wisdom in expressing ourselves.

When I was a child, gay meant happy, and fag was slang for a cigarette. No one thought twice if heterosexual girlfriends held hands when walking down the street. And we didn't assume two men were gay simply because they said they loved each other.

That's no longer true.

When I wrote my devotion Denying or Affirming the Gospel in Our Relationships, I used this as one of my examples: “His friend said he loved him, but he refused to discuss the problems in their relationship.” 

After it went out to subscribers, several people asked if I was referring to homosexual relationships. 

Even though I used the word friend, not partner or lover, I can see how someone might mistake the meaning due to the current values in our culture. I decided to change the wording to make it absolutely clear that that was not my intent.

And I thought it was a good time to clarify where Bible Love Notes stands on the sexual issues that are at the forefront of modern culture.

Each of the letters in LGBTQ stands for behaviors that God considers sinful.

Some people have an unhealthy attraction to food. Are they born gluttons? No. Some people have an unhealthy attraction to the same sex. Are they born homosexual? No.

God loves sinners, and He wants us to repent of our sins and be saved. And when we are saved, we receive God's Holy Spirit who helps us overcome the sins in our lives. It's a lifetime process, but no one who continues to live a sinful lifestyle is saved. It's not possible. We can't love Jesus and make no effort to turn from our sins (1 John 3:4-10).

God places a strong emphasis on the destructive nature of sexual sins (1 Corinthians 6:18), and that is why they are repeatedly addressed in Scripture (1 Corinthians 7:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; Galatians 5:19-20; Revelation 21:8; Colossians 3:5). He designed us, He loves us, and He's given us commands to protect us from sins that damage our hearts, souls, and minds.

The word translated "sexual immorality" in the verses linked above is the Greek word porneia which means "fornication," and fornication means any sex outside of heterosexual marriage. 

Premarital sex may be accepted by culture, but it's condemned by God (Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

Homosexuality is mentioned in even stronger terms as an "unnatural" sin committed by people who "suppress the truth" and deny God's "divine nature" in creation (Romans 1:18-32). Transgenderism also denies God's creation design. 

Bible Love Notes unashamedly supports God's loving commands that warn against sex outside of marriage, same-gender sex, trouples, transgenderism, and any form of sexual intimacy not between a married man and woman. We affirm, as the Bible clearly teaches, that the only marriage God approves is between a man and a woman.

We also stand against abortion, a sin that typically follows sexual sin and is the taking of an innocent human life. And we believe an unborn child is a human being at the point where sperm and egg permanently unite. God makes no differentiation between trimesters when He says He knits us together in our mothers' wombs. 

These subjects must be addressed, and genuine Christians will support the biblical view, no matter how unpopular it becomes. We don't over-emphasize sexual issues on Bible Love Notes, but neither do we avoid them.

In the future, Bible Love Notes may be censored for holding these biblical views, but we will not deny any aspect of the gospel to please culture.

If you are looking for a devotional site that remains faithful to the Bible in these areas, and you are not yet a subscriber, I encourage you to become one so you won’t miss a single devotion. (Subscribe here.) And please check out the resources below that explain the biblical views in each of these areas. Many of these articles/devotions take only one minute to read, but they can help you understand the importance of these subjects and what the Bible teaches about each one.

Pornography

Are You Enjoying Popular Pornography?

No Shades of Grey

Soft-Core Christians: Biblical Entertainment Standards

Premarital Sex

I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel

2 Steps to Sexual Sin

Sexual Purity Matters to God

Sexual Sin is Serious

Sex Outside of Marriage - What Scripture Says

God Defines Love, Sex, and Truth

4 Things King David and Tiger Woods Had in Common

Why Good Christians Stink and Smell Wonderful

Abortion

What Scripture Says About Abortion

Abortion Victims

Sophisticated Child Sacrifice

The judge Stands Before the Judge

Would You Have Justified Slavery?

Homosexuality/LGBTQ, etc.

God's View of Homosexuality

What Scripture Says about Homosexuality

Are You a Gospelphobe?

Will You Stand with Jesus?

Gossip Haters

Unashamed of God's Word

Questions, Not Answers

Why Some Folks Have Created a New Jesus

How to Respond When You're Called a Hater

Response to Gay Revisionist Theology 

Deceptive teachings which misuse Scripture to claim that God approves of homosexuality

False Teachings About Leviticus 18:22

Don't Overlook Verse 11

The Word Homosexual in Scripture

Confused Views of Acts 10

False Teachings About Sodom and Gomorrah

Taking Words and Phrases out of Context

Does God Hate Shrimp and Other Dumb Questions

Natural and Unnatural Interpretations

Comparing Apples and Oranges

No, God is Not a Poor Communicator

Invalid Arguments

Teachings that Bear Good Fruit

Transgenderism

What the Bible Teaches About Gender

A Letter from a Reader

Addressing all Areas

Sexual History

God is the Leading Authority on what Damages Our Souls

Can Good Christians Live Sinful Lifestyles? 

Bible Love Notes

Counting the Cost of Following Christ

I have long sympathized with my brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering for their faith around the world. In some countries, believers lose their families, their jobs, their freedom, and even their lives. They truly understand the cost of following Christ. 

Our “persecutions” are small in comparison, but they are increasing. There seems to be a worldwide push to misrepresent, negatively stereotype, and censor Christians.

Like our suffering brothers and sisters, we need to make sure we have "counted the cost" of following Christ. 

Christ explains in Luke 14:25-33 that becoming His follower means putting His purposes above every other purpose in our lives. It means taking up our cross and denying ourselves.

Scripture doesn’t sugar-coat our life in Christ. Jesus said, “Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” And Paul warned us that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). 

So let’s prepare our hearts and minds to stand firm. And let's never forget the price that Christ paid for our salvation. Whatever our faith costs us here on earth, it is small in comparison to Christ's sacrifice. And our suffering is short compared to our eternity in heaven. 

Bible Love Notes

Denying or Affirming the Gospel in Our Relationships

He said he loved his mom, but he didn’t even contact her once a month. 

She promised to respect her husband, but she flirted with the men in her workplace. 

He claimed to be his friend, but he refused to discuss the problems in their relationship.

If we are a good child, spouse, or friend, we care enough to stay in touch, to act appropriately, to work through differences. We show gratitude, consideration, understanding, and grace.

Let's thoughtfully and prayerfully examine our relationships and ask ourselves if they reflect our faith in Christ:

🟆 Do we approach others humbly? (James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:5)

🟆 Are we willing to consider the needs and desires of others, not simply our own? (Philippians 2:3-5; Mark 8:34)

🟆 Are we genuinely treating others as we'd want to be treated if we were in their position? (Matthew 7:12)

🟆 Have we genuinely forgiven those who've offended us? (Colossians 3:13)

🟆 Are we proactive in dealing with relationship problems? (Matthew 5:23-24)

🟆 Do we examine our own actions and attitudes before judging others? (Matthew 7:1-5) 

We can become bitter, selfish, and small-minded in our relationships. Or we can let Christ transform us into humble, gracious, forgiving, peacemakers (James 3:17-18). 

The strength or weakness of our faith is revealed in how we relate to others. Let's make sure we are affirming the gospel, not denying it! 

Bible Love Notes