Biblical Wisdom for A Confused Age

“Hey pastor, what does the Bible say about . . . .” – this is a question I was often asked in my years in the ministry. Well, I just wrote a book helping Christians apply biblical wisdom to these kinds of questions when it comes to decisions about things like gambling, cohabitation, marijuana usage, military service, IVF, and other issues.

This book is the fruit of hundreds of conversations I’ve had with my high-school and college children, with the students I teach at Texas Baptist College, with pastors and ministry leaders. What I do aim to do is to help us seek wisdom and instruction from God’s Word and the best of the Christian tradition as we navigate common and current questions.

When Jesus appeared on a mountain in Galilee after his resurrection, He urged those who gathered to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” (Matt 28:19-20). What did Jesus mean by “making disciples” To be a disciple is to be a learner, a student, of the Master. The risen Christ is the Master, whom we pattern our lives after.

Jesus’ instructions were simple, yet profound: “Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” and “teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.” (Matt 28:19-20).

Obedience to Christ’s commands happen only with the power of the Spirit and even as we grow in the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5) and in grace (2 Peter 3:18), we won’t fully live up to our identity until we are in Heaven with Christ in eternity (1 John 3:2). Until then, we work with the Spirit who helps illuminate the Word of God as a guide (Psalm 119:05, 11), the community of believers (Hebrews 10:24-25), and prayer (Matthew 6:13; 1 Corinthians 10:13). We can resist temptation, we can obey God, and we can live in victory. We have been given “everything for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

But how do we know what is right and what is wrong? God has spoken, through his Word, which not only tells us the story of Jesus but also gives us the best way to live in the world he has created. To live for Jesus is to submit our lives to the Lordship of Christ and his kingdom. Romans 12 reminds us that because Christ died and paid for our sins, because he rescued us from darkness and from enslavement to our sinful passions, it is our “reasonable service” to “present our bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1-2).

Humans are not compartmentalized creatures. We don’t simply worship on Sunday and then leave God at church. God cares about our bodies and our souls because he made our bodies with purpose and intentionality (Psalm 139). “You are bought with a price,” Paul says to the Corinthians, “therefore glorify God with your body (1 Corinthians 6:20).”

How do we know what it looks like to walk worthy of our identity as God’s people? God has given us his written Word as a guide. We are told that “all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16 CSB).”

The purpose of this book is to help Christians obey the Lord and live in the way of wisdom, especially on issues that ordinary believers face in contemporary life. We can’t come close to covering every question, of course, but many common ones that often arise.

Some issues will be clear-cut from Scripture and are a matter of simple obedience to God’s Word. We should not be fuzzy where God intends to be clear. And yet some questions you may have are not always as easily found in Scripture and require you to draw from God’s wisdom, the witness of church history, and wise counsel. We’ll tackle both kinds of issues.

May this help all of us learn how to “obey all I’ve commanded you (Matthew 28:16)” and “walk worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1). Biblical Wisdom for Everyday Life: Ethical Answers for Cultural Questions releases two months from today, May 26th. You can pre-order here.