Avoiding the Information Traps and Snares on Social Media

The article “How to Avoid Misinformation and Disinformation Online,” https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/avoid-misinformation-disinformation-online/, on The Gospel Coalition (TGC) website, by Patrick Miller, is a good read for Christians who want to be careful to avoid the rivers of falsehoods and of becoming guilty of violating God’s ninth commandment—do not bear false witness (Exod. 20:16), while engaging with social media. The terms misinformation and disinformation can be modern euphemisms for slander, lies, and deception that Christians should never take part in. The article includes practical ways of checking the actual sources of posted information on the internet that can reveal the original context, etc. It reveals how Christians are a favorite target of misinformation and disinformation which is used to sow distrust, division, and dissension and to tarnish the credibility of Christianity. This article can help to avoid becoming a casualty or prisoner of war on the Devil’s battlefield in social media today.

Natural Law as the Divine Imprimatur in Nature

In the article “Nature Can Teach-A Biblical Introduction to Natural Law by Steven Wedgeworth” https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/nature-can-teach, the author explains the concept of classical natural law as a basis of moral reasoning used to determine the rational foundation for a moral duty or prohibition. Natural law is grounded in the divine law reflected in the Ten Commandments (Exod 20) and Christ’s summarization in the Gospels (Matt 22:37). The moral principles of natural law can be used to derive human law that can be extrapolated in the legislation of society’s laws. According to the Bible, natural law is stamped in God’s creation, including in the heart of man, so that what can be known about God, including the fundamental divine law, is plain to man (Ps 19:1 – 4; Rom 1:19f; 2:15, 26). But the natural law is impotent in revealing the nature and remedy for sin and the sin nature can distort the understanding of natural law. For that, the special revelation of the Bible is needed (Ps 19:7 – 13; John 1:1, 2; 3:16; 2 Tim 3:16). The Scriptures contain the written revelation of God to man and is the highest authority (Deut 5:32f; 6:1 – 6); it also teaches concepts of natural law in the apostolic writings, for instance, Paul appeals to it with respect to custom, fittingness, and decorum to teach godly practices for the church (1 Cor 11:14).

An observation that can be made of our culture and the current state of affairs from the standpoint of natural law is that much of the more recent changes toward extreme radical policy and practices, such as LGBT, the continual expansion of the sexual revolution of the 60s, the normalizing of lawlessness and imposition of a counterfeit morality by the elites, insurrection and the overthrow of constitutional governance, abortion and eugenics, humanism in its Hydra-headed multiple forms, etc., can all be tied fundamentally to a burgeoning rebellion within society against natural law and its customs, against divine law, and ultimately against Christ as Lord over His creation, a rejection that began at His first advent with the Jews. Therefore it is vital for God’s people to realize this danger and steer completely clear of this rebellion in all of its manifestations, but continue to stand on the truth in the Bible and shine the light of the Gospel. Whether or not the heathen culture heeds the natural law in God’s creation and its legitimate expressions in society, Christians always have the prerogative to obey the law of Christ revealed in the Scriptures.

How Joseph and his Eleven Brothers Illustrate Design

The devotional article “The Marvel of Design” (http://www.icr.org/article/13052/?utm_source=phplist9671&utm_medium=email&utm_content=HTML&utm_campaign=November+14+-+The+Marvel+of+Design) in Days of Praise on the ICR web site uses the unlikely passage in Genesis 43:33 about Joseph’s encounter with his eleven brothers in Egypt to illustrate how the ordinary capacity of common science (rational common sense) can discern the unreasonableness of expecting random forces to create design of any kind. This innate sense possessed by all individuals from birth (a faculty instilled by God) also discerns the existence of God, but modern humanistic teachings, especially evolution buttressed by academia, mainstream media, liberal theology, and the consensus tyranny of the political cabal, work to erase this from the consciences of ordinary people to make them captive to Satan – Roms 1:18f.

Maintaining the Core Truths: Adam as the First Created Human–A Theological Defense

In the article “Does It Really Matter Whether Adam Was the First Man?” (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/adam-first-man/) by Dr. Michael Reeves, posted on The Gospel Coalition’s website, he breaks down the arguments from Scripture supporting a historical Adam and refutes the opposing views, such as those proposed by Denis Alexander, that appear to be elaborate escape devices to synthesize biblical truth with the concept of evolution. The Pauline doctrine of the federal headship of Christ and Adam is shown as a pivotal argument to buttress the truth of the historical Adam. A must read for all who are truth seekers both within and outside the evangelical community.

Tracing the History of the Concept of Deep Time in Geology and its Erosion of the Church’s Theological Foundations

The article “Where Did the Idea of “Millions of Years” Come From?” (https://answersingenesis.org/theory-of-evolution/millions-of-years/where-did-the-idea-of-millions-of-years-come-from/) by Dr. Larry Mortenson, traces the history of the deep time concept that arose in the field of geology in the late 18th century. It describes how this quickly took hold in academia and then the Church in the 19th century, eventuating in the great apostasy of the Church into liberal theology and the demise of biblical faith. That this has had a significant and devastating impact on societies and civilization as a whole cannot be overstated. Recovery can only happen by a return to orthodox biblical truth in perhaps another Great Awakening and Reformation movement by the Church.

The Confessional Faith Provides A Sure Compass in Turbulent Seas of Politics Today

In the TGC article, Neither Progressive nor Conservative: The Politics of a Confessing Evangelical, Steve Bryan addresses the danger for evangelicals in immersing themselves in or identifying with the political poles of progressivism or conservatism. He builds the case that the safe way, the way of truth, can be found in confessional evangelicalism that is grounded on the principle of semper reformanda, always reforming, as the compass for navigating the turbulent and treacherous seas of politics. The focus and locus of the confessional evangelical, then, is on the Truth handed down to us in the Scriptures, and to be ever reforming our lives to it. We are to serve as “prophets” of that truth to the world, with voices, as it were, calling from the wilderness and outside of the halls of political power. He concludes by saying, “What ‘rulers’ need most from evangelicals is not our political support but our clear confession, our loving witness to the God who alone is good, and a commensurate commitment to the good of our neighbors.”

Kingdom of God Economics

In his article “Kingdom of God Economics” (https://news.gab.com/), Andrew Torba, CEO of Gab social network, promotes the concept of “having a Christ-First Kingdom-Oriented Mindset. When Christ is the cornerstone of every aspect of your life making the shift away from the City of Man becomes rather straightforward.” It is a personal call for Christians to unite and help one another in Christian love, networking together in community, making “a strong and dedicated effort to keep the majority of our time, money, and data with our brothers and sisters in Christ and start building for the Kingdom.” It is a practical call to reorientate our focus on Christ’s kingdom on earth in the practical affairs of life and how we make our living in order to glorify God. It promotes the idea of building a parallel economy in the culture that is dominated by Christian principles and centers on believer-owned businesses to enable believers to make their transactions within the sphere and to the benefit of God’s kingdom without contributing to the kingdom of Satan.

However, the Christocentric message of the Bible is that God is building His kingdom through the Gospel (Matt 28:19, 20) and therefore, “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” Roms 14:18, 19.

All Eminent Hebrew Scholars Hold a Literal Interpretation of Genesis Chronology

On the AIG website, the article “Hebrew Scholars: 24-Hour Days in Creation” (https://answersingenesis.org/days-of-creation/24-hours-plain-as-day/) describes the journey of Dr. Jud Davis that led him into research that confirmed that all modern world-class Hebrew scholars, regardless of their position on religion, agree that the original Hebrew text of Genesis 1 – 2 was written intentionally to convey chronology in terms of normal 24-hour days. This begs the question: If this is the overwhelming consensus of Hebrew scholars, on what possible grounds can evangelical scholarship today reject what is the proven intent of the author of Genesis? If they hold to inerrancy for the rest of the Bible, why not for Genesis? Their rejection also directly flies in the face of the literal interpretation held by Christ and the Apostles clearly recorded in the New Testament. Dr. Davis concludes with 7 challenging questions for the evangelical community today.

Application of the New Covenant According to the Scriptures

Dr. Kenneth Gentry, Jr. clarifies the application of the New Covenant for both the Church and Israel according to clear New Testament teaching, in the following post: https://postmillennialworldview.com/2021/05/14/new-covenant-old-israel-and-the-church/.

The biblical concept of the New Covenant has met with confusion and erroneous teaching today, when it is part of the bedrock of theology for Christianity that Christ instituted during the Last Supper through His sacrifice at the cross. To get this wrong would have major impact on the believer and the church. It is essential for spiritual health that we correctly apprehend this truth taught in the Scriptures.

Maintaining the Core Truths: The Compelling Evidence for Mosaic Authorship of the Penteteuch

The article “Evidence for Mosaic Authorship of the Torah” (https://answersingenesis.org/bible-characters/moses/evidence-mosaic-authorship-of-torah/) provides a comprehensive and scholarly defense of the Mosaic authorship of the Penteteuch and soundly refutes the Documentary Hypothesis position. It aptly concludes with the following: “The simple fact is that scholars who reject the Mosaic authorship of the Torah are as unwilling as the Jewish leaders (John 5:40) in not wanting to listen to the words of Jesus on this subject.” If Jesus Himself ascribed authorship to Moses (described in the article), we who are disciples of Christ need look no further.