Feminine Sins (Pt. 1)

Posted on November 18, 2025 by Dana Dill

Yesterday, I wrote about common masculine sins. Today, I’d like to write about pitfalls common to the ladies, the sins familiar to the feminine kind. As I started to prepare for this piece, I noticed something unusual.

Are Women Off-Limits?

I shared with a friend that I was planning to write this post. His one word response was, “Gnarly.” I totally understood why.

I had no problem writing about the sins of men, but I found myself hesitant to write this post. Not only hesitant, but even a little fearful. Part of that may be because I am, without question, a man and not a woman. But I think there’s a deeper reason for my caution: our culture doesn’t take kindly to anyone suggesting that women might not be perfect or that they, too, have blind spots just like their male counterparts. Whether it’s a reaction to the abuses of a male-dominated past or the lingering influence feminism has had on our collective conscience, the result is the same: people today seem far more comfortable criticizing masculine folly than feminine folly.

One pastor noted this by saying there’s a modern dogma “that says that in the ‘give and take’ between the sexes, the man should simply concentrate on taking and not giving at all.” I think I see that in the wild. For men, we toss around phrases like toxic masculinity and hear accusations of being man-boys, lost boys, chauvinists, and misogynists. But how often do you hear a woman called sexist or a misandrist? The fact that you probably had to look that last word up proves the point. We rightly hear of men’s propensities to laziness, abuse, abdication, and abandonment, but can you name common ills identified among women? We seem to live in a cultural moment where men are routinely the butt of jokes, the assumed source of societal problems, and the target of widespread frustration, but the darker side of womanhood is almost entirely overlooked.

This isn’t a gripe session about how mean people are to men. Rather, it’s an attempt to highlight a unique danger women face in our wider culture today: a lack of loving accountability. When people are unwilling to address feminine blind spots, those blind spots only deepen. If no one tells you there’s spinach in your teeth, it stays there all day. In the same way, if women don’t humbly and intentionally seek correction for the harmful habits unique to their station, they’re unlikely to find it in the cultural waters we’re swimming in.

Identifying Feminine Sins

Paul wrote, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph. 4:29). I want to build my sisters up in a fitting way. Yet, as in construction, building up often requires tearing down the decaying parts first. Growing requires both learning what’s helpful and unlearning what’s unhelpful. It is the latter Paul will helps us with here.

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Titus 2:1-5

As we noted when thinking about masculine sins, Paul is giving Titus wisdom to teach to different kinds the believers in his church. By reverse engineering his exhortations in verse 3, we can find dangers that women are particularly—though not exclusively—vulnerable to in their feminine station.

It is helpful to note his first instruction is general: “Older women are to be reverent in behavior” (v. 3). Women—like men—are to act honorably in a way that fits their identity as image bearers and redeemed children of God. Their standard of womanhood should not be what other women think or do in real life or on social media, but what God says. Matthew Henry says:

“Women are to hear and learn their duty from the word, as well as the men: there is not one way of salvation for one sex and another for the other. Both men and women must learn and practice the same things, both as aged and as Christians; the virtues and duties are common.”

This is sets the stage for the specific ways women can easily fall short of that standard if not careful or discerning about their thoughts or habits.

1. Slander (As Opposed to Honest Speech)

One of my theology professors once said, “Flattery is saying things to someone you would never say behind their back. Gossip is saying things behind someone’s back that you would never say to their face.” Women, when walking in the flesh, are particularly prone to the latter. A wife may feel annoyed when her husband forgets or fails to mention the juicy details of a friend’s marital struggles. When drama arises in social circles, women often feel a natural pull to analyze, comment, and share their perspective. If someone hurt her, she finds solace in speaking to other confidants about the wrong done to her without no plan to speak to the offender. For some women, refusing to listen to their incisive commentary or cutting remarks about others, or declining to blindly support their perspective, is seen as “taking the other person’s side” or being a bad friend. Whether we call it a vent session, spilling the tea, or girl talk, this tendency toward gossip is a real danger.

I don’t think this inclination is always rooted in malice. Like men, women’s greatest weaknesses are their strengths overplayed. It seems the tendency to gossip can often arise from relational attentiveness and emotional intelligence, which are gifts God gives women to nurture, connect, and influence. Without careful self-examination, however, these gifts can be misused, turning natural curiosity and care into gossip that damages reputations and trust.

So Paul exhorts, “Older women likewise are not slanderers” (Titus 2:3). Women should grow in skill at to using their relational sensitivity for good: to speak encouragingly, compassionately, wisely, and, above all, truthfully to and about others. A helpful rule of thumb is to ask before speaking about someone: “Would I say this in their presence?” or “Would I be horrified if they found out I said this?” If the answer is yes, don’t share it. you would not say it in their presence, do not say it in their absence. There are times when speaking about someone in their absence is necessary, such as seeking wisdom on how to care for them, but this is very different from simply talking about someone without any intention of helping or building them up.

James tells us that our tongues are the most powerful thing we have (James 3:1-4). Solomon says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits” (Proverbs 18:21). This, along with the relational insight and emotional intuitiveness of women make for a powerful combo for great good or great harm. For your joy, others’ good, and God’s glory, dear sisters, speak life.

2. Addiction (As Opposed to Internal Contentment)

In our passage, Paul says women are not to be, “slaves to much wine.” However, addiction isn’t only related to alcohol, but anything women may rely on to be content. When it comes to the stats, research suggests that women are more likely than men to turn to external tools or outlets to cope with stress and life’s challenges. Women spend more time on social media, averaging about 62.6 minutes per day on social apps compared to 49.5 minutes for men. They also report higher levels of dependency. They also use prescription medication at disproportionately higher rates. According to the National Health Interview Survey, 15.3% of adult women took medication for depression in 2023, compared with 7.4% of men. More than double. Interestingly:

“Valium was originally advertised to women who felt a need to cope. An early ad promoted the drug this way:”Advertisements for Valium and other benzodiazepines in the ’60s and ’70s were, by today’s standards, shockingly brazen in their depiction of stereotypical women who might be saved from their disappointing lives by popping pills. Valium was touted as a drug that would sweep away your depression and anxiety, allowing you to be your ‘true self’.”

On the consumer side, in a systematic study, the National Library of Medicine recognized, “Women are more affected by Compulsive Buying-Shopping Disorder than men.” These combined patterns suggest women have a tendency for coping with digital engagement, pharmaceuticals, or retail consumption in ways men don’t.

You may see this data play out in everyday life. Many women speak of needing a little retail therapy to cope with the constant responsibilities or relational drama that press on them. Social media is filled with mommy-influencers describing how “overstimulated” they feel by day’s end and how they need a spa day, a getaway, or a drink just to unwind. Others fall into the habit of scrolling to escape boredom or irritation. When life feels chaotic on the outside, it often creates chaos on the inside, and without discernment it is easy to reach for quick comforts to cope.

That’ Enough for Now

Paul has more to say to help sisters resist the unique temptations of womanhood and walk in wisdom. We will return to that in part two. But in case you suspect I am writing more about women than men because I have an axe to grind, let me explain. This section on womanly sins is in two parts for two reasons. The first is simple: Paul says more about women here than men. Second, I thought it was worth mentioning the strange double standard in how we often talk about men’s faults versus women’s. That took up a bit of the word count. But, I’ve no axe to grind. Women, especially those in my family, are the sources of many of my life’s deepest joys. My aim is not to burden anyone—men or women alike—but to help us see where grace aims to heal, strengthen, and set us free.

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Masculine Sins

Posted on November 17, 2025 by Dana Dill

By design, men are to inclined to be strong, ambitious, and protective. Scripture honors and exhorts men to cultivate these traits. Yet, as the adage goes, our greatest strengths overplayed become our greatest weaknesses. Therefore, Scripture warns men of temptations and pitfalls that aren’t exclusive to them, but are particularly tied to their unique design.

In Titus 2:2 and 6, Paul addresses six traits that he seems to think men need special care to cultivate.

Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Titus 2:2

By reverse engineering, I think we’re supplied a good starting point to answer the question, “What sins are men particularly prone to?” What are the sins that can subtly hinder or destroy a man if left unchecked or unattended?

1. Overindulgence (As Opposed to Sober-Mindedness)

Men are prone to overdoing just about anything that excites them. One or two beers is just a warm-up. Their desire for success at work can easily make them sacrifice their time, their kids, and even their marriages. Once a hobby grabs their attention (e.g. golf, sports, etc.) they give it the best of their time, energy, and attention; their primary responsibilities get the leftovers. Overindulgence isn’t about enjoying bad things, but enjoying good things in a way that hinders their ability to fulfill their most important duties well. For many men, when it comes to their enjoyments, it’s all or nothing.

So Paul commands, “Older men are to be sober-minded…” Sober-mindedness isn’t exclusively about alcohol, but about moderation in all areas of life. It is good for men to deeply enjoy the gifts God has given them, but they must ensure they’re enjoyed in the right order compared to their primary responsibilities. They must be sober-minded in their enjoyments.

Men, how is your life ordered? If we represented your thinkings and doings on a pie chart, what would the ratios be? Are you allowing your desires to order your mind (overindulgent)? Or are you ensuring your mind orders your life (sober-minded)? Make sure what is good is determining how you enjoy life, not what feels good.

2. Triviality (As Opposed to Seriousness)

The sitcoms I grew up with often portrayed the dad as the unserious dunce who needed his wife’s wisdom and leadership to help him to pay attention to more important matters of their life. Without her, he’d waste his time on football, pizza, and beer and the kids would barely survive.

Where’d they get the idea for men like Homer Simpson, Ray Barone, or Michael Bluth? Likely from experience. At our worst, men fixate on unimportant things. Being inclined to doing, men easily neglect thinking. As visual creatures, men have little time for important matters that aren’t urgent or right in front of them. Fixers love to think about the urgent, trivial problem right in front of them and not so much the non-unurgent, important issues that lie just under the surface. They’ll tell their wife how to fix her problems with the kids, but never consider, “How is my wife doing spiritually?” or “Is my marriage healthy?” Life’s biggest questions about meaning, purpose, value, God, heaven, hell, or death are eclipsed by the state of the stock market, the score of the game, or the thrill of potentially winning the poker game. Unchecked, men often invest their lives into things that offer no lasting return.

Therefore, “Older men are to be…dignified…” (or serious or grave). That is, men must decide to be serious about the life they’re living and pursue things that actually matter. Dignified, they ought to reflect, “Do I care deeply about ultimately worthless things?” or “Am I an unserious man chasing unserious things?” This doesn’t mean men should be gloomy, but choosy about what they deem most important because their lives will follow suit. Remember: play dumb games, get dumb prizes.

3. Unruliness (As Opposed to Self-Control)

This is connected with overindulgence, but instead of focusing on balance, unruliness focuses on control. Though men are not often as emotionally expressive as women, they are no less affected by their emotions or desires. Men feel things strongly and, without the grace of God, will allow their desires to drive the ship of their life. An angry man will say or do things he later regrets. If a man feels discouraged or exhausted from work, he may return home physically, but allow his feelings to justify his emotional or relational absence. When embarrassed, men will distance themselves from the issue or the person they feel is the cause. When the kids do something annoying or dumb, he will respond not with wisdom for their good, but with crankiness from their irritation. When another woman is being nice to them and looking good or the internet offers glimpses of things that should remain unseen, dumb decisions born of powerful desires are made. Instead of ruling their desires, many men allow their desires to rule them. Their feelings, not their minds, call the shots.

Instead, Paul gives the same instruction to both older and younger men: “be self-controlled” (Titus 2:2, 6). You would never hand over the keys to your sports car to your impulsive 16-year-old. Why would you hand over the keys of your life to the desire you’re feeling in the moment? You cannot control the feelings or emotions that rush on you at any given moment, but you can control how you respond to them. When you feel things, will you consent to their invitation or condemn them and choose another path? Your life—your words, actions, choices, and goals—is important. Make sure you are in control of it.

4. Spiritual Immaturity (As Opposed to Mature)

So far we’ve seen men are prone to overindulgence, triviality, and unruliness. Those traits often result in men being uninterested to grow in Christ-likeness and knowledge of Scripture. This is obviously true of non-believers, but just as much a problem with believing men. As a pastor, it isn’t an uncommon experience for me to meet men who’ve been Christians for decades with little to no knowledge of the faith they confess. They can only express Christian beliefs with thoughtless Christian cliches, bumper sticker phrases, or even mild-heresy. Because of this, in believing families, it is often the woman who takes the faith seriously enough to get the family to church, read the Bible, study theology, or talk about spiritual matters at home while the husbands follow their lead, lagging way behind. Since their attention and energies are often spent elsewhere, many men are successful in earthly achievements while remaining spiritual infants stuck in Christian kindergarten.

So Paul says, men “men are to be…sound in faith.” It is good for men to recognize this aversion to spiritual maturity and growth and decide to level up. As the head of the home, men are to be little pastors of their families who teach, shepherd, and lead their wives and children in the faith. Matthew Henry offers a stirring description of the kind of men needed in the home and at church:

Men who are sincere and steadfast, constantly adhering to the truth of the gospel. Men not fond of novelties or ready to run into corrupt opinions or parties…Those who are full of years should be full of grace and goodness, the inner man renewing more and more as the outer decays.

To fulfill this mighty duty and become this kind of a man, men must study Scripture, learn from sound preaching, befriend men who can teach them and help them grow in maturity, and put in the work to grow as Christians. Because men are created by God to be the protectors, providers, and leaders of their homes and churches they must put on their big boy pants, graduate from Christian kindergarten, and work hard to become men, “sound in faith.”

5. Indifference (As Opposed to Love)

Biblically, love is intentionally acting for the good of another. Where our culture teaches that love is primarily a feeling, Scripture consistently shows that love is an action. After all, John 3:16 does not say, “For God so loved the world that he felt,” but rather, “that he gave his one and only Son.” It is here we see another pit men can easily drift into: indifference to the good of others.

Because of a man’s capacity for laser-focus on the issues immediately in front of him or the obedience to his own hungers and desires, it can be easy to overlook the needs of the people around him. Of course, even the most pagan man will often care about the general well-being of his family and friends and likely rush to aid in crises. Yet consistent, attentive, intentional, and sacrificial care for the moral, spiritual, and emotional well-being of others can be neglected, crowded out by the demands of work, personal urges, or the pressing urgencies of daily life.

So men must “sound in…love.” They must work to correct their disordered and unruly love for silly things with a correctly ordered and self-controlled love; first for God and from there, for family and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). Instead of living life by the standard of self-love, men must decide to be fountains and not drains.

6. Impatience (As Opposed to Patient)

It is not uncommon to hear of or experience impatient men. They pass you on the freeway with an angry glare if you slow them down. Children often walk on eggshells at home in order to avoid the wrath of dad. Husbands grow weary of listening to their wives’ problems and try to end the conversation quickly by offering a fast fix. The older men become, the more prone they are to peevishness, fretfulness, and a shrinking appetite for anything they find uninteresting, unpleasing, or uncomfortable.

Men must be “sound in patience.” They can pursue this by remembering two things. First, life revolves around Jesus, not them. God does not order the world to suit their wants, but his plan. Those who keep this in mind do not ask, “Why me, God?” but instead, “What now, God?” Second, men must remember they are not in control of what happens to them, only how they respond. We can influence our kids’ attitudes, our wives’ needs, or other external circumstances, but we cannot control them. Once a man accepts that he cannot command his circumstances but can command his responses, he finally finds the ground where patience can grow.

These six sins aren’t meant to discourage you, but warn you and set you on the right path. Men need vigilance, self-reflection, and dependence on God to avoid these traps and grow into their counterparts. The good news is that these pitfalls can be overcome by God’s grace in the Word and the church’s fellowship.

Seek and you will find.

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The Secret to Happiness

Posted on November 6, 2025 by Dana Dill

You want a happy life? Then think carefully about where that happiness is found.
We chase it in success, relationships, comfort, or control, but the soul finds rest only in knowing God.

Nothing grows the mind or enlarges the soul like a sincere, steady study of who God is. Thinking deeply about Him both humbles us and lifts us up. And while it stretches our understanding, it also brings deep comfort.

In looking to Christ, there’s healing for every hurt. In reflecting on the Father, there’s peace for every grief. In the presence of the Holy Spirit, there’s soothing for every sorrow.

Do you want to be free from worry? To let go of your burdens? Then dive into the depths of who God is. Lose yourself in His greatness, and you’ll rise from that place renewed and at rest.

There is nothing that comforts the soul, quiets the storms of pain, or brings peace to life’s troubles like thoughtfully and reverently dwelling on the greatness of God.”

Charles Spurgeon from his sermon “The Immutability of God” (delivered January 7, 1855, at New Park Street Chapel)

True happiness isn’t found by looking within or around, but by looking up. There’s nothing more practical, powerful, or soul-satisfying than knowing and walking closely with the Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t ever forget that.

* Note, I updated the language of his quote to be more readable for a modern English speaker.

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Progressive Christianity Is Not Christianity

Posted on November 5, 2025 by Dana Dill

In recent years, a movement called Progressive Christianity (formerly known as Liberal Theology) has gained popularity. It wears the clothes of faith in actions and uses the vocabulary of the church in words, but its foundations are completely different. Before we engage with it, it’s important to understand what Progressive Christianity actually is and why, despite its appearance, it is not biblical, historic Christianity.

Defining Progressive Christianity

Progressive Christianity is less a single set of beliefs than a cluster of ideas and tendencies that share certain fundamental characteristics. Progressive Christians may differ from one another in many ways, but they’ll share these in common:

Relativizing Scripture: The Bible is no longer treated as the ultimate authority but as one source among many for moral guidance or personal insight. Its historical claims are often reinterpreted or dismissed. Its doctrinal claims are sentimentalized or moralized as lessons on life. It’s ethics are rejected as the product of primitive, unenlightened men speaking only from their own culture. It rejects the Bible as God’s authoritative, inerrant Word and instead sees it as one imperfect, but helpful book among many others. For the Progressive Christian, the Bible is not God’s perfect Word to Man, but Man’s imperfect words about God.

Redefining God and Christ: God is often presented more as an impersonal force, a feeling, a moral example, or a source of personal empowerment. Progressive Christians reject the transcendent, holy, and personal God revealed in Scripture. For them, Jesus is a teacher of spiritual wisdom or social justice rather than the only Savior who redeems sinners through his atoning work on Calvary. He is a godly man, but not the God-Man; a way, but not the way (John 14:6).

Prioritizing culture over truth: Progressive Christianity tends to mirror the always changing moral and social winds of our age rather than submitting to the unchanging truth of God’s Word. They do not confront the world with the gospel, but are conformed by the world.

Though it comes in many forms, these traits are consistent: the authority of Scripture is rejected, the uniqueness of Christ is denied, and moral and spiritual truth merely reflects the popular ideas of the world around them.

Fundamentals of Biblical Christianity’s

J. G. Machen, writing in the early 20th century, warned of precisely this kind of drift in his stellar book, Christianity and Liberalism. He rightly pointed out and emphasized that Christianity is not a matter of ethical teaching, cultural sensitivity, or personal experience. Instead, at its heart, biblical Christianity is:

Based in God’s Revelation in Scripture: The Bible is not merely inspirational—it is historically true and divinely authoritative. Christianity responds to God’s revelation, not to our preferences or feelings. Progressive Christianity, by contrast, treats Scripture as optional or symbolic, undermining the very foundation of the faith.

Centered on Christ’s Atoning Work: The heart of Christianity is that salvation comes only through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The substitutionary atonement of Jesus fo sinners distinguishes Christianity from all other religions. Without this truth, faith becomes something entirely different, no longer offering eternal life.

Assumes Objective Truth: Christianity is grounded in objective truth, not subjective experience. Progressive Christianity makes religion about subjective feelings and experiences. Biblical Christianity sees all things by the standard and authority objective truth revealed in God’s unchanging Word. When truth becomes relative, the faith itself ceases to be Christianity.

Machen argued that any movement that denies these fundamentals, no matter how sincere or morally appealing, is not Christianity. It may share some Christian habits, language, or symbols, but it is a different religion entirely. He wrote:

“In my little book, Christianity and Liberalism, I tried to show that the issue in the Church of the present day is not between two varieties of the same religion; but, at bottom, between two essentially different types of thought and life.”

And again, more directly:

“What the liberal theologian has retained…is not Christianity at all, but a religion so entirely different from Christianity as to belong in a distinct category.”

The point? Liberal or progressive Christianity, as described above, is not simply a variation of Christian faith—it is fundamentally at odds with it. It trusts a different authority, proclaims a different gospel, and worships a different god.

Why This Matters

1. Important for Our Personal Faith

We must be on guard against empty philosophies and false teachers so we do not stray from the path of truth. “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition…and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8). It’s hard to avoid a danger we don’t know about or can’t discern. The most dangerous kind of non-Christians are those who look and speak a lot like Christians. That is why Jesus warned, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). Awareness and discernment protect us from being subtly pulled away from Christ (2 Peter 2:1–2).

2. Important for Our Evangelism

We must be able to recognize Progressive Christians so we know how to engage them rightly. Our goal is not to disciple them (i.e. to help them follow Jesus) but to evangelize them in hopes they might repent of their Temu-Christianity and find true life in Christ. Not knowing a person’s true spiritual state will keep us from knowing how to love them. When someone holds “a form of godliness but denies its power,” we are called to turn them to the true gospel (2 Timothy 3:5) so they may be saved and satisfied by the glory of God in Jesus Christ.

3. Important for Our Churches & Institutions

Christian institutions (whether churches, schools, or ministries) do not die quickly, but slowly. Their decline happens degree by degree, often unnoticed, as they allow themselves to be infiltrated by progressive Christians or quietly adopt progressive Christian ideas. What begins as a desire to appear thoughtful or compassionate soon becomes a surrender of conviction.

History gives us sobering examples of this. Many of America’s most prestigious schools (e.g. Harvard, Yale, Princeton) were founded to train faithful ministers of the gospel and send them into the world for Christ. Yet today, not a hint of biblical Christianity remains in their identity or mission. Their fall didn’t happen overnight. It came by small compromises over many years as they hired and put up with leaders who no longer obeyed the authority of God’s Word or proclaimed without shame the gospel of God’s Son.

The same thing will happen unless believers are willing to recognize Progressive Christianity for what it is and act accordingly. Remember, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9). Institutions and leaders that fail to be discerning about whom they hire or what they teach are putting leaven in their loaf or, better said, cancer in their congregation. Once unfaithfulness takes root, it will mercilessly and silently spread unless it is stopped or until it finishes its work.

No one is faithful by accident. It requires conviction, courage, intentionality, and discernment “to guard the good deposit” (2 Timothy 1:14) and “not drift” (Hebrews 2:1). Without discernment, we won’t see the cancer of Progressive Christianity. Without diligence, we won’t be able to stop her spread and our institutions will drift from the truth until the faith that once defined them is only a faint memory.

Are You Willing to Contend?

Progressive Christianity is not a fresh expression of faith. It is a different faith altogether. It offers the comfort of religion without the cost of repentance. It speaks the language of grace without the reality of truth. It promotes a custom image of Christ without His cross. The church must not be naïve. Our faith, our evangelism, and our institutions all depend on our ability to discern truth from counterfeit. Faithfulness never drifts. It must be fought for, guarded, and renewed generation after generation. Jude said it well, “Contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3).

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Though You Suffer, You Are Not Unfortunate

Posted on November 4, 2025 by Dana Dill

We all know what it feels like to see our painful circumstances and wonder, “What possible good could come from this?” When suffering hits, when the plan collapses, the diagnosis comes, or the relationship breaks, it is easy to think, “I must be cursed, unlucky, or forgotten by God.”

But Scripture tells a different story. Though you suffer, you are not unfortunate. God is at work.

What About the Bad Things?

“All things,” Paul says in Romans 8:28, “work together for good to those who love God.” All things. That is easy to affirm when life is sweet. But when it is bitter, we need examples to tattoo this truth on our hearts: God is at work.

Imagine standing next to these people in their darkest moments:

Esther (Book of Esther)

Before Esther ever wore a crown, she wore sorrow. She lost her parents and was raised as an orphan by her cousin Mordecai (Esther 2:7). Later, she was taken into the king’s harem (Esther 2:8), a situation writ large with fear and uncertainty. Yet those were the very hardships God worked out to position her to stand before King Ahasuerus and save her people from destruction (Esther 7:3–6).

What seemed misfortune was actually mercy. Through Esther’s pain, God preserved Israel and the line of the coming Messiah (Matthew 1:1–17). He was working for good.

Joseph (Genesis 37–50)

Betrayed by his hateful, murderous brothers, sold into slavery (Genesis 37:28), falsely accused, and imprisoned unjustly (Genesis 39:20). Yet when his story reached its resolution, he could look his brothers in the eye and say,

“You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive.” Genesis 50:20

God did not merely respond to evil and turn it to good, he lovingly planned that their evil and Joseph’s suffering would be the very work to save Israel from famine and to preserve the Messiah’s line to save the world from sin (Genesis 49:10). He was working for good.

Jesus (Acts 2:23–24)

It isn’t difficult to imagine the disciples watching Christ be falsely condemned, unjustly tortured, and brutally slaughtered and think, “How can an all-powerful and loving God allow this? He is the Messiah! What possible good could come from Him being crucified?”

Yet, once Peter saw those events with God’s eyes, he explained:

“This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death.” (Acts 2:23–24)

Peter understood, the greatest evil this world has ever witnessed was “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.” Men crucified him to murder, but God crucified him to save. The darkest day in history was the very root of salvation of the world. Every thread of history before that moment was weaving toward the cross.

There are many more examples we could point out in Scripture and life, but the point is clear already: in the good and bad, God is working for your good.

We See the Bottom

If you have ever watched a tapestry being woven, you know that the back side looks messy and confusing. Threads crisscross and knot in every direction. From the bottom view, it is impossible to see anything beautiful. But when you flip it over, you see the masterpiece the artist was weaving all along.

Our lives are like that. They often feel tangled, chaotic, and without pattern or purpose. But Scripture gives us a glimpse from the top. God sees what we cannot so he reminds us:

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” Isaiah 55:8

When you cannot make sense of suffering, remember: we see only the bottom, but God sees the top. What mess of our pain is weaving into his masterpiece of mercy. God is working for good.

What About My Bad Things?

Have you ever prayed, “Lord, make me more like Christ,” and then complained when life got hard? Is it possible that God’s very answer to your prayer for Christ-likeness are those very trials? In love, could God be using the sandpaper of suffering to grow your trust, patience, wisdom, and love (James 1:2–4; Romans 5:3–5)? The answer is yes. God promises to do only good to his children (Jer. 32:30). Not always the good we prefer, but always the good we need.

As Charles Spurgeon said, “When you cannot trace His hand, you must learn to trust His heart.” When you find yourself overwhelmed by the waves of suffering, learn to, “Kiss the wave that smashes you against the Rock of Ages.”

If you are not a believer in Jesus, then consider what God may be doing in your pain. Could it be that God may be burning your house down so you might finally run into His (Luke 15:17–20)?

Christ, Our Terrifying Lion

In The Horse and His Boy, C.S. Lewis gives us a vivid picture of this truth. The story follows a young orphan named Shasta, who was found as an abandoned baby on a boat. In his teens, the young, sad orphan begins a journey filled with danger after danger. Many of the dangers involved lions. Once, a roaring lion forced him and his friend Aravis to flee in terror. Later, another lion pursued him through the mountains. Still later, while Shasta and Aravis were making their dash to King Lune, a lion violently attacked him in the dark of night and nearly killed his friend .

To Shasta, each of these lions was an enemy. He saw these attacks, along with his many other misfortunes, as proof that he was unlucky, cursed, and alone in a world set against him. Near the end of his story, tired and afraid, he finally breaks down and says, “I am the most unfortunate boy in all the world.”

But then, from the darkness, a deep voice replies:

“I do not call you unfortunate.”

The voice belongs to Aslan, the great King of all Narnia. In that moment, Aslan reveals what Shasta could never have seen on his own: all the “lions” he thought were against him were actually one Lion, the Lion King of Narnia, guiding, protecting, and shaping him all along.

“I was the lion,” Aslan says. “I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis; I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept; I was the lion who gave the horses new strength of fear for the last mile so that you reached King Lune in time. And I was the lion who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.”

Every frightening roar had been mercy. Every painful encounter had been love. What seemed like chaos was actually care. Shasta’s story was not one of bad luck. It was one of strong love.

So it is with you.

You may not understand how God is working, but you can trust that He is working; in the pleasures and the pains. The God who sent His Son to die for you has already proven His heart. He is wise, trust Him. He is powerful, trust Him. He is good, trust Him. You can only see the bottom, but God is working from the top.

Brother and sister, though you suffer, you are not unfortunate.

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Don’t Waste Words on Liars & Loudmouths

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Dana Dill

I’ve been in my fair share of debates, online, in classrooms, around the dinner table. Sometimes, the conversation is a genuine attempt to learn, to push toward truth. These are fun and enlightening. Other times, it’s clear someone is just trying to win. These are obnoxious wastes of time.

Scripture reminds us to be discerning about who we give our attention to. Proverbs 23:9 says, “Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.” Knowing when to engage and when to step back is wisdom.

Here are the 9 signs that your debate partner isn’t playing straight.

9 Signs of a Bad Debate Partner

1) Consistent Use of Logical Fallacies

A fallacy is an error in reasoning that weakens an argument. It’s a shortcut or trick that makes a point seem valid when it isn’t. Spotting fallacies helps you see when someone is more interested in scoring points than wrestling with truth.

Here are the ones you’ll see most often:

Red Herring – Distracting from the issue in focus. If you’re arguing about how to fix poverty and someone says, “Why worry about poverty when the world is about to burn?”

Genetic Fallacy – Judging an argument based on its origin instead of its merits. “You can’t talk about abortion because you’re a man; no uterus, no opinion.”

Strawman – Misrepresenting someone’s argument to make it easier to attack. “You are against social welfare because you want to protect billionaires’ yacht funds.”

Ad Hominem – Attacking the person instead of the argument. “You’re ugly” or “You’re a brainwashed sycophant.” Maybe true, maybe not, but it doesn’t touch the argument. Even ugly people can be right!

Appeal to Authority – Using someone’s status instead of evidence. “Well, the FDA said it so it’s true” or “I have a degree from Harvard, so I am right.”

Circular Definition / Reasoning – Using the conclusion as the premise. You may ask, “What is a woman?” and your partner responds, “A woman is anyone who thinks they’re a woman.” This is circular because their answer assumes the conclusion (that anyone who thinks they’re a woman is a woman) as part of the definition, so it doesn’t actually explain or prove anything.

Anyone who constantly intentionally deals in logical fallacies lacks character. Those who refuse to learn about or admit logical fallacies lack aptitude. Both can never engage in worthwhile conversation. Learn to spot the fallacies and save yourself some time.

2) Emotion Bombs

They aim to trigger feelings instead of logic. When folks begin to focus on emotions, they aren’t interested in seeking the truth. Emotions are good at indicating what I believe to be true, but not so good at helping me see what is actually true. Good faith conversation partners will work hard to keep emotions from blurring the argument. I saw this on TV all the time during the Hamas/Israel war, “How can you say Israel has a right to defend itself? Think of all the women and children who are suffering!” Instead of engaging with the reasoning or evidence behind a position, many call upon the feels.

3) Being Vague

This is when someone is unwilling to state their ideas or presuppositions with clarity. Sometimes this is done to avoid accountability or for some reason cover their underlying assumptions. “You know what I mean, everyone thinks that,” instead of stating a clear argument.

I’ve seen this with many progressive Christians, especially those operating within more conservative institutions where they don’t want others to know their leanings. In dialogue, they’ll often subtly push back on orthodox positions with questions like, “But that’s what Paul said, not Jesus,” or, “Do you really think all of the Bible needs to be 100% historically accurate?” Rarely are they clear from the outset, or willing to admit, even when challenged, that they don’t actually believe all Scripture is true or authoritative. Saying it aloud could carry negative consequences so they stick to vague, Christian-sounding language.

4) Not Listening

They repeat their points or ignore yours. You explain your stance and they reply with a pre-rehearsed line that doesn’t touch anything you said. When they try to restate your argument, you quickly realize they haven’t actually listened at all. It’s like talking to one of those auto-reply machines when you’re just trying to reach customer service. Always talking, rarely listening. If someone can’t accurately repeat your argument or keeps putting words in your mouth, it’s a sign they’re not interested in dialogue. They merely want to give you a monologue you annoyingly keep interrupting.

5) Dog Piling

They talk to others about you rather than to you about the issue. When you’re speaking, they glance at their comrades smirking. Online, in a comment thread, they turn to their allies and say things like, “He obviously doesn’t know what he’s talking about. What a noob. You are so right.” This behavior shows they’re more interested in group validation than genuine dialogue.

6) “What About-Isms”

People often deflect with irrelevant comparisons. It happens all the time in political discussions. Sometimes it’s legitimate, pointing out a double standard. Other times, it’s used to highlight the other party’s failures to avoid speaking about or owning up to one’s own. It’s a deflection that evades responsibility. The goal isn’t learning, but protection.

7) Getting Mean

This overlaps with the “ad hominem” point above but is worth repeating, especially in today’s toxic online culture. People type things they’d never say face-to-face. Insults replace arguments, and civility gives way to rabid rhetoric. A sure sign someone isn’t interested in finding the truth is when they stop reasoning and start insulting.

8) Parroting Headlines

When someone simply echoes the talking points they’ve absorbed from their favorite news outlet, influencer, or book, they are not thinking, they are propagandizing. A clear example is when people keep bringing up the “very fine people on both sides” line from Donald Trump’s 2017 remarks. Mainstream media used that short clip to suggest Trump thought Nazis were fine people with their own perspective. But if you take 10 consecutive seconds to check the clip in context, you will find he said the exact opposite (read the transcript yourself). People who do this choose to be megaphones instead of minds. Conversation will not go far unless they are willing to think critically about the sources they rely on and go beyond the sound-bites or headlines they have memorized.

9) Unwillingness to Concede Anything

When someone refuses to acknowledge even minor truths or admit where they may have been proven wrong, they reveal that they’re not seeking truth but victory. Continuing to dialogue with people like this is like banging your head against a brick wall. If they won’t budge an inch on even small points, save yourself the headache.

Choose Your Debate Partners Well

In my experience, some conversations with those I disagree with have been deeply fruitful, and others have been a total waste of time. Over the years, I’ve changed my mind on many issues because of good-faith dialogue partners. I’ve also lost hours to bad actors. Recognizing these behaviors isn’t about scoring points; it’s about learning which people are worth engaging and which are better ignored.

All of us believe what we believe because we think it’s true. Otherwise, we wouldn’t believe it! But if we’re honest, we know some of our current beliefs can’t all be right. Only through humble investigation with good-faith dialogue partners do we stand a chance of discovering which ones those are.

We should value dialogue and disagreement as essential tools for growing in wisdom and knowledge. But we shouldn’t confuse that with wasting time on people who are more interested in the drama of the fight or the comfort of their own bias. Hopefully, these signs help you find the goodies and ignore the baddies.

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Don’t Let Your Wounds Write Your Theology

Posted on October 30, 2025 by Dana Dill

Imagine walking into a room on a cold morning. The air bites a little, so you glance at the thermometer and it tells you the room is 58 degrees. But the thermometer doesn’t change a thing. It just reflects the environment. The thermostat, however, quietly kicks on the heat and begins to shape the environment.

The Thermometer of Reactive Theology

Too often, Christians develop their theology (i.e. their deepest beliefs about God and life’s biggest questions) more like a thermometer rather than a thermostat. They simply react to whatever temperature their life experiences set for them.

A hurtful church experience makes them suspicious of authority, so they redefine it.

Grandpa was a mean MAGA Christian so now they think talking politics is sinful.

A lady had bad experience in church leadership so she keeps an arms length from any church ministry or quits church altogether.

Someone was told Complementarians are chauvinistic woman haters so they reject with vigor.

Someone grew up in a janky mega-church so they denounce having a nice website as evil.

Some judgmental Christian hurt their feelings, so they swing to an uncritical tolerance.

A Calvinist was mean to them so they hate Calvinism.

A cold, theologically rigid church makes them recoil from anyone who quotes a theologian or cares about theology.

When cultural pressure pushes, their beliefs subtly shift to fit the moment.

The examples are legion, but the impulse is the same. This is reactive theology. It is throwing out babies with the dirty bathwater because of their limited perspective. It is a faith molded by our experiences, wounds, biases, or cultural moods rather than by Scripture.

The Thermostat of Proactive Theology

What we need instead is proactive theology. An understanding of God that doesn’t merely reflect our experiences but reorients them. Proactive theology begins with the assumption: God is God and I am not; his Word is authoritative and my experiences are not. A Christian with a proactive mindset wants to develop their deepest beliefs according to the true and authoritative words of God and not their present preferences or past pains. To accomplish this, they intentionally and carefully read Scripture on its own terms, test their conclusions through meaningful and humble conversation with other believers, and anchor their worldview in the character of God rather than the failures of His people or pop-culture. Proactive theology sets the temperature of our hearts and minds according to the Word of God rather than merely reflecting the hardships of the past or the present climate of our culture. They’re ruled by the thermostat of God’s Word rather than the thermometer of their hearts.

All of us carry experiences, biases, and wounds that shape who we are. No one is immune to life’s shaping influences. To claim otherwise is either embarrassingly ignorant or deeply dishonest. Yet Scripture calls us to have our minds renewed by God’s Word (Romans 12:1-2), not enslaved by our past or present (Ephesians 2:3). Our responsibility is clear: humbly, sincerely, and earnestly ensure that our experiences do not dictate what we believe. That work belongs to God alone.

If we let our deepest beliefs about God be formed by our experiences, we are doomed to build a theology as unbalanced (and as harmful) as the one we were trying to escape. In love, God forbids that. And so should we.

Beloved, don’t let your wounds write your theology.

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“Radical Leftism” Is Not Politics. It’s Religion.

Posted on October 29, 2025 by Dana Dill

We’re told the Left is secular—a party of reason, free thought, and evidence. No gods, no dogma, no rigid rules. Just progress. Right? That may have been closer to the truth of the old Left (e.g. the Clinton-era liberalism that still believed in debate, persuasion, and tolerance).

But today’s radical Left is something entirely different. It has moved from political philosophy to religious faith. Radical Progressivism (i.e. Leftism) is a religion. It has a faith it proclaims, sacred doctrines it holds, idols it worships, heretics it condemns, and a priestly class of elitists that enforces its absolute orthodoxy. Question or challenge it at your own peril.

The Marks of Leftist Religion

If you’re unsure whether radical Leftism is a religion, consider its practice of indoctrination, the doctrines it preaches, and the excommunication of gleefully carries out for those who dissent from within her ranks.

Leftist Indoctrination

Progressives see education as a tool to teach people what to think, not how to think.

I was public-school educated from K–12. I’ve met hundreds of students through teaching high school and college professionally for ten years and serving in youth ministry for twenty. This is exactly my experience: Leftist education practices indoctrination. The Left doesn’t want students to reason their way to belief—it commands them what to believe. Anyone who questions the sacred teachings triggers anger or disdain from their teachers.

Unlike Christianity, which calls for reasonable faith supported by evidence and argument, Leftism demands blind faith. Accept the dogmas without question—critical race theory, macro-evolution, gender ideology, climate alarmism. Challenge them, and students are accused of every phobia, judged moral failures, treated as heretics, or socially excommunicated from the ranks of the faithful.

Leftist Doctrines

In addition to the teaching method of indoctrination they, Leftism has a few sacred doctrines, void of any philosophical or scientific reasoning, demand total adherence to. Here are a few of the biggies.

Abortion: The Left preaches all women have a fundamental right to “terminate their pregnancy” (i.e. kill the unborn human inside of her) if they so choose. Anyone who questions this doctrine faces public shaming, vitriolic accusations of being a misogynist who’s callous to the plight of women, and social exile.

Gender: Reality bends to one’s own personal belief for feelings. Biological sex is irrelevant. Anyone insisting otherwise (like athletes defending women’s sports) faces attacks, firings, or boycotts.

Critical Theory: All must see the world through the lens of systemic oppression. There are only two kinds of people: the oppressors and the oppressed. One is judged not by the conduct of their character, but the color of their skin or how high they score in the intersectionality olympics. Question the narrative, advocate colorblind policies, and you’re labeled a racist/(insert-marginalized-group-of-choice) phobic heretic.

Redistribution of Wealth (i.e. Theft): Taxation and wealth redistribution are holy mandates. The poor are entitled to the extra-abundant riches of the wealthy. The government is Robin Hood and must take from the rich to give to the poor. Criticize this questionable economic principle and you’ll be deemed greedy and unloving the those in need.

Violence: Recent polls and current events show that those on the Left are increasingly OK with political violence as long as its “in service of justice” or against those pesky “Nazis, Secret Police, or Gestapo”. Riots, assassinations, and online harassment are framed or even celebrated as righteous acts against evil.

What once claimed to be reasoned politics has become a rigid orthodoxy where dissent is sin and submission is salvation.

Leftist Excommunication

As mentioned above, the Religion of the Left is not shy about its doctrines and will happily excommunicate if any transgress the Sacred Doctrines. Consider J.K. Rowling, the celebrated author of Harry Potter, once a darling of the Left, now lives with the Scarlet Letter of “T” (for Transphobe) upon her back for the crime of denying that a man can become a woman. Joe Rogan has faced similar trials for platforming forbidden ideas and allowing forbidden people from sharing their ideas in civil dialogue. Depart from Leftist orthodoxy and the masked faithful crowd will cry (or type in all caps), “Crucify them!”

The New Religious Fundamentalists

Maybe you can see it now? Modern Leftists are more fundamentalist than the boogeyman Bible-thumpers of the South we’ve heard so much about. They’re dogmatic about their dogmas. More authoritarian in their demand for utter uniformity in faith and practice. More aggressive in policing anyone who strays even a hair from the sacred line. The political beliefs and the enthusiasm with which they’re proclaimed and defending by Progressives are so hardcore, they make Bob Jones look like a kitten.

Progressivism isn’t secular. It’s creed requires no evidence or allows no dissent, just blind faith. Its rituals (e.g. social shaming, canceling, ideological indoctrination) are employed with religious fervor. We ignore this reality to our peril.

Recognizing Leftism as a religion helps explain why Christians should care about today’s political landscape and why pastors should speak on it. Leftism is a false religion disguised as mere politics. Pastors are called to expose false religions and warn people against contrary gospels (Matt 7:15; Rom 16:17–18; 1 Tim 4:16; Titus 1:9). It’s not that pastors are becoming more political (though some may be) but that politics is becoming more religious. Condemning pastors for addressing Leftism may reveal that we don’t see the wolf beneath the sheep’s clothing.

A Better Gospel

Modern Leftism is not just a political movement. It’s a religion, a really bad one at that. It has creeds and rituals, but no gospel. Samuel James pointed this out a few years ago:

“The modern campus culture is a religious culture, but it’s a religion without God, and consequently it is a religion without grace… Evangelical Christians have an understanding that secular, culture-policing social-justice activists can only mimic—an understanding that the world is a guilty place and that truth, goodness, and beauty must be striven for instead of assumed. The gospel of Christianity offers new life through repentance and spiritual rebirth. There is no such gospel in the worldviews of secular students; the best that can be strived for in them is tribal purity.”

Christians must wake up to the reality that modern Leftism is a false religion masquerading as neutral politics. Our task is not only to expose it for what it is, but to evangelize those trapped within it. Leftism offers only bad news: a message of guilt without grace, purity without pardon. But we’ve been entrusted to guard and herald the good news: the gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone brings forgiveness, freedom, and new life. We must expose the wolf of Leftism and be ready to proclaim the saving gospel of Christ to those caught in its jaws

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Should Christians Be Political?

Posted on October 13, 2025 by Dana Dill

I grew up being taught and believing that Christians shouldn’t get involved in politics. We’re supposed to be about the spiritual things and leave the world to their games of power. Christ is on the throne so we shouldn’t be bothered by who is in the Oval. Jesus isn’t Left or Right so we shouldn’t be or even appear to be. The Christian life, I was told, stays out of politics.

As I grew and learned more, I realized that political aloofness isn’t the default Christian posture throughout history, but rather an expression of a specific tradition called quietism. Emerging in 17th-century Catholicism through figures like Miguel de Molinos and Madame Guyon, quietism taught that the highest form of the Christian life was total passivity before God—a “quiet” soul that ceased striving or willing. Unsurprisingly, this view discouraged moral action, evangelistic effort, and political or social engagement as worldly distractions (pietism often yields the same result). Recognizing this helped me see that political inaction is not inherent to biblical Christianity, but rooted in a particular spiritual tradition.

I then realized my next question: does the Bible teach that Christians ought to be political aloof? Fast forwarding through years of personal study, discussion, and experience, I came to believe it isn’t.

Three Truths for a Christian in a Democratic Republic

To grab hold of some clarity, let’s first start with three truths I think most of us can all agree on.

Christians have an obligation to love their neighbor

Jesus clearly teaches us that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matt. 22:39). When he was cheekily asked, “Who is my neighbor?” he answered clearly: everyone (Luke 10:25-37). This means every Christian has the responsibility to love our families, our cities, and the neighbors in our country. Whenever we’ve the chance and ability, we’re to work for the good of those within our sphere of influence.

Christians have a responsibility to govern

This is true for a Christian who is a citizen of a free democratic republic. Christians in other governing structures would have different rights and responsibilities depending on the governmental environment they’re in. Christians in America have a right and duty to govern (and love) the nation through casting their informed votes for leaders, legislation, and other significant societal matters. Being an American comes with a responsibility of governance. It is a right that should not be taken for granted nor a duty to be forsaken.

Christians have a right to express truth

The First Amendment protects the right to free speech. Christians have the freedom to teach, correct, protect, and promote truth, goodness, and beauty in our society with their words. Scripture calls believers to lovingly exercise the ministry of their tongues—to speak words “fitly spoken” (Prov. 25:11), to offer gracious speech “seasoned with salt” (Col. 4:6), to “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15), to communicate what is “good for building up” (Eph. 4:29), and to give “a ready answer” that brings joy (Prov. 15:23). Knowing ideas have consequences, it is crucial that Christians minister with their mouths in their areas of influence to enlighten, encourage, correct, and build up society so our neighbors may live in reality and not fall victim to destructive illusions.

This third point is one of the reasons I write on this blog and post on social media. I want to use my words to help my brothers, sisters, and neighbors think well on important issues. I don’t write publicly to stir people’s emotions or build a platform, but to bring light into the public square to help others (myself included!) to see things more clearly and live better because of it. I write to tear down what’s bad and build what’s good.

Given these three truths, here is my argument:

An American Christian ought to vote and speak in a way to as an act of love for their neighbor (i.e. their family, city, state, and country).

The way a Christian does these things will be different according to their resources, influence, and skill, but the activity of doing these things should not be neglected since it’s an expression of our duty to love.

Some Caveats

A few clarifying notes on what the above does not mean may help.

First, this does not mean that political engagement is the primary mission of the church. The church’s sole mission is to proclaim the gospel and make disciples of Jesus Christ from all nations (Matt. 28:18–20).

Second, this does not mean that gathered worship should become a political rally. When the church gathers, its aim must be to worship Jesus, preach Jesus, administer the ordinances of Jesus (i.e., baptism and communion), and call people to trust and obey Jesus through the faithful teaching of Scripture.

Third, this does not mean that all Christians must agree on every political issue or policy. As Andy Naselli has shown, many political questions are complex and can be approached in good faith by different people in different ways.

What this does mean is that Christians should not be hesitant to engage politically. They should be eager to do so for the good of their neighbor and the glory of King Jesus. Political engagement is not ultimate, but it is necessary. The church must never confuse the gospel with politics or elevate earthly citizenship above heavenly allegiance; yet followers of Jesus must remember that their gospel-shaped convictions are meant to inform every sphere of life, including the political one.

Christian Faithfulness in Nazi Germany

To put some flesh on this, consider what faithfulness to Christ looked like during the rise of the Nazi regime.

If you or I were Christians living in Germany in the 1930s, would it have been faithful to Christ to stay politically aloof—to remain “above” politics while Hitler consolidated power, silenced dissent, and began his campaign of hatred, tyranny, and violence? Of course not. We would expect Christians to use every means available to resist such evil: to speak publicly against Nazi ideology in order to persuade neighbors of its moral corruption and to protect Jewish friends and families. If given the right, we’d vote against the Nazi Party’s rise to power and call other believers to do the same. In that situation, political action would be an obvious expression of neighbor love. Refusing to engage politically would have meant abandoning our neighbors to destruction.

You could do the same hypothetical by asking, “How should Christians have engaged with the African slave trade, the Jim Crow laws, the South African apartheid, the Soviet suppression of religious liberty, or the regimes that persecute Christians and minorities?” In each case, faithful discipleship demanded more than private piety. Each called for public, courageous, neighbor love.

Political engagement, rightly understood, is a necessary arena where Christians live out the command to love our neighbor as ourselves. It is not ultimate, but it is necessary.

There’s a lot more to say (likely to come later), but not less. Loving our neighbors in America means that, in ways suitable to our position, skills, and influence, we are to be light and salt in both spiritual and political matters.

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True Love Gets in Your Face

Posted on October 8, 2025 by Dana Dill

Last night at our home group, we opened the Word and discussed this past Sunday’s sermon text on 1 John 4:7–21, which offers a compelling picture of where love comes from, what love looks like, and how we can enjoy and express it. It was dope.

The World’s Definition of Love

One of the questions we discussed was, “What are the definitions of love we often see in the world?” Of the many good answers, one struck me with peculiar force:

“Love is unconditional affirmation.”

I think that’s right. There is a widespread belief that loving someone means always accepting and embracing whatever they choose to think, feel, or do and that it’s always unloving to challenge, confront, or correct. This view thinks love should be all sugar and no scalpel.

The Problem with Unconditional Affirmation

In truth, that kind of “love” is lazy, selfish, and utterly unlike the love Christ shows at the cross. Kevin DeYoung describes this well:

“Love is so much more difficult than the bumper stickers make it out to be. It requires so much more than a general sentiment of good will. It is so much deeper and better than unconditional affirmation.

What does unconditional affirmation require of you by way of sacrifice? Nothing. All it requires is a wave of the hand—‘Whatever you do, I’m fine. However you live, that’s fine.’ The problem with unconditional affirmation is not that it is too lavishly loving, but that it is not nearly loving enough.

When God tells us to love our brothers, he means more than saying, ‘I’m okay. You’re okay. Whatever you do is fine and I don’t judge.’ To really love your brother is to lay down your life for him. It requires you to die to yourself, which may mean a sacrifice of your time, your reputation, and your comfort. Unconditional affirmation only asks that you sacrifice your principles.”

Indeed, true love accepts others as they are, but it cares too much to leave them that way. Sometimes, when someone is being foolish or destructive, love leaves their side and gets in their face for their good.

The Cost of True Love

Love is harder than we think. Of course, we love our kids, our grandkids, and those who treat us well. We love nice people. But Jesus says even the pagans do this. It’s not hard. People naturally love those who love them.

The real test is this:

  • Will we keep loving when it means bearing burdens we’d rather avoid?
  • Will we love when the people we love do not love us in return?
  • Will we lay down our lives for those who are unlovely, undeserving, and ungrateful?

Isn’t that what Christ did for us? When we were unlovely, undeserving, and ungrateful, Christ died for us. He loved us not because we were holy, but so that we might be holy. His love was self-sacrificing, sin-atoning, and life-transforming.

He loves us with a love that the world does not understand—and it is infinitely better than unconditional affirmation.

A Better Kind of Love

Christians are products of a love that isn’t unconditional affirmation, but selfless confrontation. The love of Jesus compelled Him not only to be our sacrifice, but also to convict us of sin in the deepest places of our hearts. His is a love that would not affirm us, but interfered with us. And for that reason, His people will sing His eternal praise.

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