Dr Paul Allen

In His concluding beatitude in Matthew 5:11, Jesus pronounces a divine blessing on those who suffer persecution: “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” True disciples of Christ are persecuted “on my account” or, as several translations put it, “because of me.” Later in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus warns His followers of unavoidable harsh treatment from the world: “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake” (Matt. 10:22). Persecution is inevitable for Jesus’ followers because of our personal identification with Him. In Luke 6:22, Jesus pinpoints the title “Son of Man” as the specific identification that often instigates hostility from an unbelieving world.  This title recognizes Jesus as a divine, heavenly King who reigns over a universal and eternal kingdom. Because of this sovereign majesty, Christ alone is ultimately worthy and commands the worship of all peoples. For it will be the Son of Man who “wi...

CAN I LOVE WHAT JESUS DOESN'T LOVE? According to a new Gallup survey, more people consider behaviors “morally acceptable” that the Bible condemns. The Background: Beginning in the early 2000s, Gallup started tracking the views of people on the moral acceptability of various issues and behaviors. The overall trend clearly points toward a higher acceptance of behaviors that the Bible clearly condemns. In fact, as Gallup notes, the moral acceptability ratings on abortion, sex between unmarried men and women, having a baby outside of marriage, and gay/lesbian relations are at record highs. The first number in each category lists the percentage of people who consider the behavior “morally acceptable,” while the second number is the percentage that considers it “morally wrong.” An asterisk indicates an issue at a record high level of acceptance since Gallup began surveying the issue. Sex between an unmarried man and woman*—73 percent/26 percent Gay or lesbian relations*—69 percent/30 per...