Transformed Mind

In today’s society liberal secular thought is seeping into even the most Christian homes and watering down the beliefs of many.  Not until recently has the debate of same-sex marriage gotten so heated and tense.  Many young adults, including many Christians, see marriage as a dying institution and opt to cohabitate with significant others instead of committing to a lifelong, monogamous relationship.  Our instant gratification lifestyle has deadened our senses so that we continually want more, faster, with no real end in sight.  As Scott Stanley of the University of Denver’s Center for Marital and Family Studies writes, “The dominant culture no longer has as broad of support for marital longevity, and Christians’ behavior often mirrors that of the dominant culture.” [1] So is marriage under attack from outside secular forces?  Yes, would be the easy answer, but in truth the Christian is also to blame for trust in God is severely lacking.  This is why that, by defining Biblical marri

Authority In all of the verses discussed in the last post, there is one element that hints at how checed (mercy) should be perceived and how it is used. Given that mercy is compassion bestowed upon the undeserving, it makes sense that the people that receive mercy are subordinate to the giver, in the above cases, God. However, people are not just subordinate to God, but also to His angels. Genesis 19:19, the first time checed is used in the Old Testament, Lot says to the visitors or angels, “Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life…” Lot was obviously in a debt of gratitude for the angel’s actions at that very moment was saving his life. Lot was in a subordinate position and knew it. This brings up another interesting point, which is that the object of mercy often recognizes mercy for what it is, compassion for the undeserving. This is especially the case in Psalms, where the u

Checed, or as one of the translations mercy, is a powerful word. Its meaning conveys power and authority, yet, it also demonstrates compassion and love by the giver. Mercy is always welcomed, but given sparingly in today’s society. In the Old Testament, the word mercy is used many times to convey thanks to God in His showering of undeserved graciousness upon humanity and is a character trait that God urges humanity to mirror as the process of sanctification shapes and forms our being. Attribute of the Father God, as God, is omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omnipresent. As such, there are certain attributes that belong to Him that are immutable, that is, unchanging. They are a part of His intrinsic worth and define whom He is. Along with love, patience, transcendence, and many others, God is also merciful or has mercy. And because it is an attribute of His nature, it is abundant and overflowing as is seen in Numbers 14:18 where it states that, “The Lord is