That is the context out of which Founders emerged and with which we are most familiar. Baptists are very much our people. We know the good and the bad about Baptist churches. And we want to see bad Baptist churches become good and good ones become better. 

That’s the reformation part of our mission. The phrase Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda secundum verbum Dei (the church reformed, always reforming according to the Word of God) adequately captures our aim. 

By God’s grace, we have seen the Lord bring about significant biblical reformation in many churches through the years. More often than not, those stories are not well-known. Faithful pastors shepherding healthy churches rarely call attention to themselves. That is both understandable and commendable. 

But the stories of God’s grace in using a godly, equipped man to get a church that has lost its way back on track are worth telling. They are encouragements and reminders that Jesus Christ is keeping His promise to build His church on earth in ways that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. He has been doing that for 2000 years and will continue to do it until He returns and makes all things new. 

That is why I was filled with gratitude and deeply encouraged myself when I first saw the documentary produced last year by First Baptist Church of Clinton, Louisiana. Christ the Lord: A Church Reformation Story recounts the amazing story of the biblical renewal of that church. The reformation largely took place under the leadership of my brother, Bill Ascol, when he was called to pastor the church in 1984. It has continued under the ministries of Fred Malone and Tom Hicks. 

Anyone who has known that church only over the last thirty years may be tempted to assume that it has always been characterized by the kind of love, grace, joy, and holiness that it exudes today. But that is not the case. The spiritual vitality the people of FBC currently enjoy did not come without a cost. God renewed that church by sending them a pastor with a sharp mind, warm heart, steel spine, and an unwavering confidence in the power of His Word and Spirit to accomplish His will. 

I recently showed this documentary to the Founders Seminary students in my ecclesiology class. It challenged, instructed, and encouraged them. I believe it will have a similar impact on other pastors and aspiring pastors who might be tempted to doubt whether difficult churches can be restored to biblical faithfulness. 

Take 35 minutes to get a glimpse of what has done in the life of a wonderful congregation. Then pray that He will do the same thing in thousands of other churches throughout the world.

The post An Encouraging Story of a Glorious Reformation appeared first on Founders Ministries.

Hail sov’reign love which first began,

The scheme to rescue fallen man!

Hail matchless, free, eternal grace,

That gave my soul a Hiding Place.

Against the God who built the sky,

I fought with hands uplifted high—

Despised the mention of His grace,

Too proud to seek a Hiding Place.

Enwrapt in thick Egyptian night,

And fond of darkness more than light,

Madly I ran the sinful race,

Secure—without a Hiding Place!

But thus the eternal counsel ran:

Almighty Love arrest that man!

I felt the arrows of distress,

And found I had no Hiding Place.

Indignant Justice stood in view,

To Sinai’s fiery mount I flew;

But Justice cry’d with frowning face,

This mountain is no Hiding Place!

Ere long a Heavenly voice I heard,

And mercy’s angel soon appeared,

He led me, with a beaming face,

To Jesus as a Hiding Place.

On Him almighty vengeance fell,

Which must have sunk a world to hell!

He bore it for a sinful race,

And thus became their Hiding Place.

Should sevenfold storms of thunder roll,

And shake this globe from pole to pole,

No thunderbolt shall daunt my face

For Jesus is my Hiding Place.

– Henry Livingston, Jr. (1748–1828) 

The post My Hiding Place appeared first on Founders Ministries.

One of our favorite activities to engage in when we consider history is to cast ourselves as the virtuous heroes who would have stood for truth and righteousness if only we had been there. Had we been in Europe in the 1930s and 40s, we would have resisted Nazism and safely hidden the Jews among us. If we were around during the period of Southern slavery, we would have been abolitionists fighting to liberate our black neighbors. We would never have informed on our friends during Stalin’s persecutions, would have registered our dissent against witch trials at Salem, and certainly would not have been among those calling for the crucifixion of Jesus. This attitude of historical arrogance is nothing new, even if it is not always so obvious. Most of the time, we attempt to qualify our bravado with false humility, all the while still convinced that, were the same kind of objectionable activities happening today, we would be found on the right side of history. Yet far too often, we are blind and apathetic to the truly vital issues that require attention and action, even as we position ourselves as the courageous reformers and righteous resisters. 

Jesus condemned the “courageous conservatives” of His day for this very attitude: 

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, “If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets”…Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some of whom you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town (Matthew 23:29-30, 34). 

The Pharisees self-righteously considered themselves superior to their predecessors, who had persecuted the prophets. Were they to experience the warnings of a true prophet, to stare down cataclysmic judgment while being called to avoid it by repenting, surely they would have led the way in turning from sin. The irony, of course, is that these “heroes” would soon murder the true Prophet, the Son of God Himself, and in their unrepentance experience the last great judgment on the nation of Israel. Christians today must take care that we do not fall into the same arrogant delusion as the Pharisees. 

The Definitive Political Issue of Our Day 

It has been clear for over a decade now that migration is the definitive political issue of this era. Even back to before Donald Trump ran on building a border wall over a decade ago, refugee crises plagued and divided Europe and the United States, in large part paving the way to the paradigm-shifting 2016 elections in favor of Brexit in the UK and Trump in the US. From there the issue snowballed: the so called “Muslim ban” and “kids in cages” controversies of Trump’s first term, Islamic calls to prayer ringing out from London and Paris to Dearborn and Minneapolis, the open border under Joe Biden, the Somali daycare scam, and of course the ICE raids and deportations that have been met with mass protests across the nation. 

All of this has dominated headlines and political discourse as much of the nation realigns on this issue. Within the church, the conversation has been between support for the enforcement of just law vs. whether and how the nation is to demonstrate Christian hospitality; on the larger political scene, debates rage between those who herald the glories of multiculturalism and those who observe that the population of America is systematically being replaced, and traditional American culture along with it. While it is not the purpose of this piece to make the biblical case for immigration enforcement and deportation, it should be noted that I fall on that side of the debate over against the open borders spin on “hospitality,” leaving aside any discussion of the particular tactics used. Additionally, it is obviously true that, whether nefariously or naively, immigration policy over the last fifty-plus years has begun to displace the native population and has significantly eroded American culture. 

These are important, and even essential issues, and Christians ought to have well-thought-out and biblically defensible positions on them. However, while the self-appointed reformers of the “New Christian Right” and the “America First” pundits go all in on nativism, immigration restrictivism, and the power of the unbound executive to enforce these ideals, they, like the Pharisees, miss the main point. 

God’s Judgment on Nations 

If America were to experience divine judgment, what would it look like? When we think of God’s judgment, our minds tend to go to the supernatural instances of fire raining from heaven, great global flooding, or the plagues of Egypt. Yet these are the exceptions, the instances that stick in our minds because they are so severe and so inexplicable in human terms. Most of the time, however, when God chooses to judge a nation, He does so in such a way that those hard-hearted objects of wrath can easily explain away the disasters that come as being no more than human mismanagement, and so fixable by man’s ingenuity and problem-solving skills. But in whose hands are these mismanagers? Who is the Sovereign over those sometimes nefarious and oftentimes foolish planners whose policies are destroying our nation? “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will” (Prov. 21:1). When the folly and wickedness of our rulers lead to social collapse, economic disaster, and military incompetence, it is God who is behind this. 

Western civilization is collapsing and disappearing. This is the result of both wicked schemes and simple foolishness, and a variety of factors contribute to it, not the least of which are mass migration and multiculturalism. Foreigners who have no heritage in the West and no desire to adopt its culture are replacing the heirs of the greatest civilization ever forged. Interestingly enough, this is one of the things that God warns will happen to the nation under His wrath: 

Your sons and daughters shall be given to another people, while your eyes look on and fail with longing for them all day long, but you shall be helpless. A nation that you have not known shall eat up the fruit of your ground and of all your labors, and you shall be openly oppressed and crushed continually…The LORD will bring you and your king whom you set over you to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known. And there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone…The sojourner who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you and you shall not lend to him. He shall be the head, and you shall be the tail…The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, swooping down like an eagle, a nation whose language you do not understand (Deut. 28:32-33, 36, 43-44, 49). 

When God determines to pour out His judgment on a people, one of His primary means of doing so is by foreign invaders. Throughout history, He has used the Hebrews, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Goths, Arabs, Scandinavians, Mongols, Europeans, and others as instruments to bring judgment upon rebellious civilizations. He replaces one people with another, transferring the resources of one to the other, subjecting one under the other, and at times eliminating peoples altogether. 

When the folly and wickedness of our rulers lead to social collapse, economic disaster, and military incompetence, it is God who is behind this.

We have come to mistakenly believe in our modern fantasy that this no longer happens. We think that because we have transcended language barriers, agreed to international laws and universal human rights, and have finally become enlightened enough to tolerate any and all customs and beliefs, the time of wars of conquest and mass population replacement is over. Yet this is plainly untrue, and it seems that many are beginning to awake to this fact. 

The heirs of Western civilization—Christians (at least culturally) of European descent—are indeed being slowly displaced by Muslims, Hindus, and various other third-world cultures that share almost nothing in common with the civilization that developed through the spread of the gospel. Regardless of the degree to which this “great replacement” may have been premeditated, its reality is indisputable. Just because this has not been the result of military invasion, war, conquest, and captivity, that does not make it any less disastrous than other civilizational collapses, nor does it negate the reality that the same God who has been judging nations for millennia is still at work accomplishing His will. 

The gradual and then all of a sudden realization of this seismic demographical shift has led to our current moment, in which migration, deportation, and similar issues are dominant. These are uniquely seen as being the hinge on which the future of the nation will turn, which is in part why the Trump administration’s policies have been met with extreme resistance and violence. All of this matters. Enforcing immigration law matters, deporting illegal aliens matters, restricting immigration matters, and closing the border matters. Yet ultimately, what all this amounts to is man trying to avoid God’s judgment by His own wisdom, and regardless of the level of success attained by the president and his cabinet in stemming or even reversing the tide of migration, it will do nothing to calm the crashing waves of God’s wrath. 

The Road to Judgement 

Long before Judah was judged with the significant population displacement to Babylon (what we call the exile), God warned them of this impending calamity and gave them ample opportunity to avoid it. The road to Babylon did, to a large degree, begin with righteous King Hezekiah. In his foolish pride, he unthinkingly welcomed Babylonian envoys and gave them the grand tour of all Judah’s riches, sparing no detail (2 Ki. 20:12-15). This was man’s foolishness, making Judah an easier and more enticing target for Babylon. Even worse, when Hezekiah was rebuked for this and warned that all the riches of Judah would be taken away to Babylon (2 Ki. 20:17), the king responded not with dismay and repentance, but with astonishing coldness: “Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good.’ For he thought, ‘Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?’” (2 Ki. 20:19). This is an example of how the arrogance, short-sightedness, and callousness of man can lead, albeit unintentionally, to serious consequences. We, in our day, can relate to this. 

However, Hezekiah’s folly is not what sealed Judah’s doom. His son Manasseh, who was among the most wicked of all the Old Testament kings, brought his nation to the point of no return. God proclaimed during his reign: “Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster that the ears of everyone who hears it will tingle…And I will forsake the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies” (2 Ki. 21:12, 14). And what was it about Manasseh’s reign in particular that caused God to finally issue the sentence of judgment? “Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another” (2 Ki. 21:16a). He built altars to a multitude of false gods, he made child sacrifice endemic, even publicly burning his own son as an offering (2 Ki. 21:6). It was this wickedness which destined Judah for a judgment that even the great reformer Josiah could not turn back. 

Yet despite this, God kept sending prophets, kept calling His people to a full, lasting repentance, top-down and bottom-up, all the while warning of the impending judgment to a people who were unresponsive and downright hostile. Even through Jeremiah, the last prophet before the exile, God still pleaded with His people to turn back to Him: “Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the LORD. I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the LORD” (Jer. 3:12-13). He even warned the king directly, right up until the very end, and for it was imprisoned (Jer. 36-38). And, of course, Jerusalem fell, the temple was destroyed, and much of the population was relocated. Even though some reforms had been made, political alliances shifted, and foreign nations called upon for aid, the result was still judgment because the people would not repent. In the end, God’s way is the only way. 

Why America is Under Judgment 

Military defeat, foreign invasion, and economic disaster are not the things that bring judgment; they are the judgment. Our temptation is to deal with these manifestations of wrath as they appear on the surface through bigger militaries, stronger walls, and better trade deals. Yet we neglect the cause of judgment, and here, finally, we come back around to our “New Right” reformers and their migration fixation. 

What is it that actually brings God’s judgment on a nation? In Israel’s case, as we have seen, it was filling Jerusalem with the innocent blood of child sacrifice and “scattering favors among foreigners under every green tree”—sexual immorality—both of which were done in service to false gods. Idolatry, sexual immorality, and the shedding of innocent blood: these are what bring God’s judgment upon a people. 

Military defeat, foreign invasion, and economic disaster are not the things that bring judgment; they are the judgment.

This was not only the case for the unique covenant nation of Israel, but it is true of all nations. The Canaanite nations were driven out of the land for the very same sins—idolatry, sexual immorality, and shedding innocent blood, according to Leviticus 18 and 20—even though they were not the covenant people of Yahweh. These are universal abominations against God and His creation order, and they will receive retribution. 

America is guilty of all these in spades. The body count from abortion is upward of 70 million. Our sexual immorality has advanced from rampant fornication to sodomy to transgender madness. And the neglect of the true worship of the living God was rampant long before we began importing pagans and erecting their temples and idols in the public square. This is why we are under judgment, and any attempt to address the symptoms of our judgment while neglecting its root cause will inevitably fall short. If we deported every illegal alien, sealed the border entirely, and immediately outlawed the construction of mosques and Hindu temples without rejecting and fully repenting of abortion and IVF, Obergefell, and all the rest of our rebellion down to birth control and no-fault divorce, we would still find ourselves under wrath. And God will replace us one way or another. 

It is easy for us to blame third-world migrants for all of our woes, from housing and jobs shortages to our cultural crackup, and there is a valid correlation; you cannot have a stable economy with good jobs and affordable housing, with cultural cohesion to boot, when there is a steady stream of unassimilable, cheap labor flooding the nation. But it was white westerners who promoted liberal theology and scientific atheism, white westerners who staged the sexual revolution, white westerners who have filled the nation with innocent blood through abortion and polluted it with sodomy. We brought this on ourselves. And if we do not repent, there is no hope of staying God’s hand. 

It is important to address the crisis of migration, and it deserves the attention of both the American government and the people. Christians should discuss it biblically and help others form consistent, godly opinions on it. But there is no courage necessary to pontificate on the hot topic, to give takes on the thing everyone is talking about, to put a finger on the issue that everybody already agrees is fundamental. This conversation is all around us. Now think of the last time you heard one of the big conservative Christian ministries—let alone secular conservative commentators—address abortion. How many are actively standing and calling for its criminalization and equal protection for the pre-born? Has President Trump or Vice President Vance or any members of Congress so much as mentioned abortion during this second term? Who is calling native-born American citizens to take responsibility for our national mess, starting with repentance over abortion? 

We have no way of knowing how long this process of national judgment will go on. We do not know if we are already past the point of no return, and the utter end of America is a foregone conclusion. All we can do is echo the words of Daniel: “Break off your sins by practicing righteousness and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity” (Dan. 4:27). All we can do is be faithful from where we are today, to humble ourselves and repent of all the sin that brought us to this point. Then, rather than talk about how uncompromisingly we would have stood in the significant conflicts of the past, we can actually have the integrity to engage in the battle God has set before our generation. 

The post What Judgment Looks Like  appeared first on Founders Ministries.

This raises an important question. What is gospel sensitivity? What would the Apostle Paul—stoned, beaten, shipwrecked (2 Corinthians 11:24–28), and ultimately beheaded for his witness—make of this novel term?

The implication was clear: if Kirk had been nicer, more winsome, or less argumentative (which is what I assume “gospel sensitivity” entails), he might still be alive today.

This clip was the perfect illustration of the bane upon the American church: soft men.

What Jesus Said About Soft Men

From a biblical standpoint, to call a man “soft” is a serious charge, but not inherently inappropriate. Jesus himself contrasted John the Baptist with “those who wear soft clothing” and live “in kings’ houses” (Matthew 11:8). The point was plain: true prophets are forged in the wilderness, not in the comforts of palaces. Softness belongs to luxury, ease, and compromise—not to the cruciform life of Christ’s disciple.

Men who are weak in character, undisciplined, passive, effeminate, susceptible to emotional manipulation, and whose only strategies in relationships are empathy and compassion without confrontation or boldness are overrepresented in positions of influence in the American church. You even see them pastoring churches, steering committees, influencing denominations, and being sent out to the mission field.

The Roots of Softness

Many factors explain this phenomenon. One could argue that the institutional nature of American Christianity creates a feedback loop in which leaders who do not challenge the status quo and who prioritize empathy over reform are rewarded by bureaucracies that handle credentialing and funding. But the deeper root is a misunderstanding of Scripture.

Many of these leaders hold the conviction that contextualization is not only important but is the core, driving principle of all ministry. This approach delights in Paul’s claim to be “all things to all people” (1 Corinthians 9:22) but neglects that elsewhere Paul declares the gospel is “foolishness” to the world (1 Corinthians 1:18), and that only God, in his sovereignty, opens blind eyes to see its glory (2 Corinthians 4:4–6).

When sensitivity is made ultimate, with no limiting principle, the result is not only the softening of the man but the softening of the message. The Word of God, sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), is effectively blunted.

We must dispense with the idea that we can be “nicer than God” and thereby win those offended by truth.

Hard Men, Not Harsh Men

The mission field is no place for soft men. But the alternative to softness is not brashness, bravado, or macho posturing. It is not to be off-putting, aloof, or harsh.

The alternative is to model our Lord Jesus Christ, who “set his face like flint” toward the cross (Isaiah 50:7). We too should be marked by steely resolve pointed headfirst at the mission laid before us by our God. It is to have, as a friend once said, not only steel spines but also cool heads and warm hearts.

The Missionary Spirit

Even if your calling is in your community, workplace, or local church, we can learn from our brothers laboring among the nations.

I do not subscribe to the “everyone is a missionary” cliché. As my friend E.D. Burns explains, biblically, a missionary is a commissioned emissary of a local church tasked with advancing the gospel abroad. Yet the broader missionary ethos is one the whole church should embrace.

True missions is not mere tourism or self-discovery. At its root, it is death to self and a robust commitment to the will of Christ that rebukes our modern sloth.

If we were to fellowship with titans of faith like Hudson Taylor, William Carey, and Adoniram Judson, we would find them to be hard men. Not hard as in cruel or rude, but hard in terms of their immense resolve. They were broken, humble, and dependent on their Savior—yet their perseverance, resilience, and callouses, both physical and spiritual, were unmistakable. This sort of masculine strength was once assumed necessary to discharge the missionary task. Increasingly, many are rediscovering its importance.

This missionary spirit goes forth not merely to adapt with sensitivity, but to conquer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11). It lays down its life willingly, but in that very weakness is made strong (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).

The Call

What if we approached our offices, elders’ and deacons’ meetings, and suburban congregations with the same spirit that missionaries once brought to untamed jungles, arid deserts, and spiritually dark frontiers? What if we steeled ourselves, stirred our resolve, and entered each ordinary moment of ministry not as soft men eager to appease but as men armored with God’s Word, prepared to grapple with opposition?

Make no mistake: to reach the unreached we need hard men—able to pioneer gospel work in hostile places and to rule well in the church. We need godly women serving alongside them with all their gifts and strength. But we need the same kind of firmness in our pulpits, campuses, and congregational meetings.

We must dispense with the idea that we can be “nicer than God” and thereby win those offended by truth. To take the gospel to the ends of the earth, we do not need softness. We need courage, conviction, and resolve. We need men and women who are humble, godly, and willing to suffer for Christ’s sake. 

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).

The post The Mission Field Is No Place for Soft Men appeared first on Founders Ministries.

Returning whence it came;

Love is the sacred fire within,

And prayer the rising flame.

It gives the burdened spirit ease,

And soothes the troubled breast;

Yields comfort to the mourners here,

And to the weary rest.

When God inclines the heart to pray,

He hath an ear to hear;

To Him there’s music in a groan,

And beauty in a tear.

The humble suppliant cannot fail

To have his wants supplied,

Since He for sinners intercedes,

Who once for sinners died.

– Benjamin Beddome (1717–1795)

The post The Worth of Prayer appeared first on Founders Ministries.

In a recent essay, “Christians, Let’s Stop Abusing Romans 13,” Russell Moore urges Christians to reconsider how they invoke Romans 13 when the state uses coercive force. Writing in response to a fatal self-defense encounter involving an ICE agent, Moore cautions against using Romans 13 as a way of justifying state action or quieting moral unease. His concern is that the passage is often deployed reflexively, functioning less as biblical instruction than as a theological shield for power.

Stated narrowly and in isolation, that concern is not unreasonable. Romans 13 does not render the civil magistrate morally infallible, nor does it place state action beyond moral scrutiny. Scripture records rulers rebuked by prophets, resisted by apostles, and judged by God. No serious Christian political theology denies that civil authority is accountable to a higher law.

The problem is not whether Romans 13 can be abused, but how.

Moore’s argument assumes that the primary danger lies in Christians appealing to Romans 13 to defend actions associated with the state’s ordinary coercive responsibilities. In attempting to correct this perceived misuse, however, Moore introduces his own. He does so by failing to reckon with the positive, God-given role Romans 13 assigns to the civil magistrate, in a way that mirrors an earlier, opposite error—namely, his appeal to Romans 13 in favor of the government claiming authority over the church’s corporate gathering during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moore’s Argument

Moore does not deny that civil authority is instituted by God, nor does he deny that the magistrate bears the sword in a real sense. He acknowledges that there are lawful and tragic necessities in a fallen world, including legitimate uses of force by law enforcement. He is also correct that Christians may ask whether an exercise of authority has been proportionate, just, and consistent with the moral law.

He is likewise correct to situate Romans 13 within its immediate literary context. Paul’s exhortation to submission follows Romans 12, where believers are commanded to renounce personal vengeance and overcome evil with good. Romans 13 does, in part, direct justice toward public authority. That context matters and must not be ignored.

If Moore’s essay stopped there, it would be largely unobjectionable. The difficulty arises from what follows.

For Moore, the danger of abuse appears chiefly when Christians cite Romans 13 in defense of coercive state action—particularly when that action involves law enforcement. In practice, this recasts Romans 13 less as a text that defines the magistrate’s vocation and more as a brake on Christian confidence in civil authority.

That move does more than caution against misuse. It subtly shifts the burden of justification. Coercive civil enforcement becomes presumptively suspect, while the magistrate’s divinely assigned task recedes into the background. The result is not a more careful application of Romans 13, but a confused one.

Where the Argument Fails

Romans 13 does not merely restrain Christian impulses toward vengeance. It positively defines the office and task of civil government. The governing authority is described as “God’s servant for your good,” one who “does not bear the sword in vain,” but who executes wrath on the wrongdoer. This language is not incidental. It establishes coercive enforcement of law as a divinely appointed function of civil government in a fallen world.

When Moore warns Christians away from citing Romans 13 when the state bears the sword, he implicitly reframes the magistrate’s task as something that must be justified against the passage rather than by it. The burden shifts, and the magistrate’s use of force is no longer understood as a lawful exercise of God-given authority subject to moral limits, but as a morally precarious act Christians should instinctively distrust.

It is important to note that Moore’s article was not written in a vacuum. The context in which Moore’s article appears is during a national debate about the execution of law, the validity of national borders, the restraint of unlawful interference, and the use of coercive force in response to resistance or threats of bodily harm. These are not edge cases for Romans 13. They are among the clearest examples of what it means for the magistrate to bear the sword. To suggest that appeals to Romans 13 in such contexts are presumptively abusive is to drain the passage of its positive content.

None of this denies that magistrates can act unjustly. Scripture is clear that rulers are accountable to God and subject to judgment (e.g., Ps. 2:10-12; Acts 5:29). But such accountability presupposes the ruler’s authority. Moral limits—rooted in God’s law and the natural order—do not negate vocation; they regulate it. When the magistrate enforces wholesome laws aimed at preserving order, protecting life, and restraining wrongdoing, he is not acting in spite of Romans 13, but in accordance with it. As the Second London Baptist Confession states in Chapter 24, the magistrate is instituted by God for these civil ends, not as an arbitrary power.

The Mirror-Image Error

The instability of Moore’s argument becomes clearer when set alongside his earlier appeals to Romans 13 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Moore invoked Romans 13 to argue that churches were morally obligated to comply with civil orders suspending corporate worship. Resistance to such orders was portrayed as irresponsible and even as disobedience to Scripture itself.

That appeal required granting the civil magistrate jurisdiction that Scripture does not give. The gathered worship of the church—its assembly, ordinances, and governance—is not a civil activity licensed by the state. It is a divine institution governed by Christ through His Word.

Here, the Second London Baptist Confession is unambiguous. Chapter 26.7 affirms that Christ has given the church all authority necessary for worship and discipline. The final sentence of Chapter 1.6 clarifies that while some circumstances in the church may be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, they must be ordered according to the general rules of the Word. Prudence assists obedience; it does not redefine it.

Likewise, the magistrate’s task has a defined scope: to enforce the law, punish evildoers, and protect the common good. He does not govern Christ’s church, regulate worship, or administer Word and sacrament. The Confession reflects this ordering with clarity. Chapter 24 affirms the civil magistrate for civil ends. Chapter 26.7 assigns the church’s worship and discipline to Christ’s authority. 

A properly ordered political theology does not begin with either reflexive suspicion or blind trust as emotional postures. It begins with understanding the God-given vocation of the civil magistrate. The magistrate is judged by whether he acts within the bounds of his God-given office. Where acts accord with that vocation, Christians are not wrong to begin with principled affirmation; where he exceeds it, Christians are not wrong to begin with principled resistance, in both cases subjecting his actions to sober moral evaluation against God’s Word.

Moral Asymmetry as a Pattern, Not an Anomaly

Moore’s misapplication of Romans 13 does not arise from a stable doctrine of the civil magistrate. It arises from an asymmetrical moral imagination shaped by political priors, in which leftward uses of state power are interpreted as protective or necessary, while rightward uses of state power are treated as presumptively oppressive.

This is not an isolated lapse, but rather reflects a long-standing pattern in Moore’s public theology. Across issues and years, the pattern remains consistent.

When the state restrains conservative norms, institutions, or practices, Moore tends to frame such actions as morally serious and deserving of Christian compliance. Appeals to submission, civic responsibility, and Romans 13 itself are readily marshaled in support of such restraint.

When the state acts in ways that are contrary to progressive norms, Moore’s posture shifts. Authority is no longer something to be explained within its God-given vocation, but something to be interrogated and distrusted. Romans 13 in these contexts becomes a text Christians must be warned away from rather than a passage that clarifies the magistrate’s authority.

The same text expands or contracts depending on which moral instincts are being affirmed. The difference is not exegetical discovery or theological development. It is a willingness to treat the means as elastic so long as they serve a pre-committed end.

What emerges is not a coherent political theology, but a pragmatic one—capable of requiring submission in some contexts and delegitimizing authority in others without any apology for the contradiction. Scripture no longer determines the moral shape of civil authority; authority is filtered through prior political commitments. Romans 13 thus becomes exactly what Moore accuses others of making it: a rhetorical instrument, invoked or silenced as needed.

Reclaiming Romans 13

A faithful use of Romans 13 begins with submission to what the text actually teaches about civil authority. Paul presents the magistrate not as a morally ambiguous necessity, but as God’s servant, ordained for a specific end and accountable to God for how that end is pursued.

Romans 13 therefore requires Christians to affirm that coercive civil authority is legitimate and necessary. The magistrate bears the sword because God has entrusted him with the task of restraining wrongdoing and preserving public justice. Law enforcement, criminal punishment, and the maintenance of borders are not deviations from the magistrate’s vocation. They are ordinary expressions of it.

At the same time, Scripture places clear limits on that authority. The magistrate’s jurisdiction is civil, not ecclesial. He is not a minister of Word and sacrament, nor a governor of Christ’s church. When civil authority commands what God forbids or forbids what God commands, obedience to God must take precedence. Holding these truths together allows for moral evaluation of state action without dissolving the magistrate’s vocation. It makes principled submission and principled resistance possible.

The danger of Moore’s approach is that it transforms Romans 13 from a fixed doctrinal boundary into a flexible rhetorical instrument. When the meaning of “submission” and “the sword” expands or contracts based on desired political outcome, the text is no longer the master of the conscience; the interpreter is.

This theological instability does not exist in a vacuum. By severing Romans 13 from a stable, confessional doctrine of the magistrate, a void is created. Into that void steps the “spirit of the age.” When a theologian consistently finds that the Bible’s “nuance” happens to align with the editorial sensibilities of The New York Times or The New Yorker, we must ask whether the Word is shaping the world, or the world is shaping the Word.

A political theology that readily grants the state authority over the gathered worship of the church, yet recoils at the ordinary exercise of civil authority in preserving public order, is not the theology of the Bible nor the Baptist tradition. It is a theology of social accommodation.

Reclaiming Romans 13 requires more than avoiding “abuse”; it requires a humble submission to the order that God has given to His creation including the magistrate’s God-given vocation. We must be willing to say “yes” to the sword where God has commanded it, and a firm “no” to the state where it seeks to seize the keys of the Kingdom. To do otherwise is to leave the church adrift, steered by the changing winds of secular approval rather than the anchor of Holy Scripture.

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Beyond these family-friendly qualities, the film also impresses on a cinematic level. Some of its most memorable moments hint at God’s presence, while others stun with their visual grandeur. Goliath’s introduction is a masterclass in animated craft: the filmmakers depict him as a colossal figure, with the commanding presence and regal bearing reminiscent of a Roman emperor. His pale skin, blonde hair, and booming voice combine to create a moment that is both visually stunning and dramatically unforgettable. In contrast, quieter sequences subtly convey divine guidance. During David’s anointing, flames flicker and leaves stir while birds observe silently, creating a moment that feels significant and reverent. Later, as David selects stones by the stream, a small white butterfly lands on one, drawing his attention almost imperceptibly and suggesting that divine providence is at work. Even during the tense confrontation with Goliath, David steps forward with calm determination, framed to convey courage rooted in faith. Together, these sequences showcase the film’s ability to balance tension with moments of reflective, spiritually resonant storytelling, all supported by colorful animation, expressive musicality, and carefully paced emotional beats that hold the audience’s attention.

The film’s David is presented as kind, caring, humble, courageous, faithful, and musically gifted—a portrayal that captures much of his biblical attractiveness and explains why he is likable for viewers and trusted by other characters. In the movie, as in Scripture, he is contrasted with Saul, who gradually becomes consumed by self-interest and jealousy. While these characterizations are compelling, the film stops short of portraying David’s full biblical complexity. It concludes with him being welcomed as king with palm branches, omitting key events such as his adultery with Bathsheba, the orchestrated death of Uriah, and moments of deception or moral compromise earlier in his rise. 

Theologically, David also serves as a type of Christ: where David falters, Christ obeys perfectly. David’s life foreshadows the ultimate King, Jesus, who fulfills the promises of the Davidic covenant through perfect obedience, eternal reign, and redemptive work. By presenting David solely as a faith hero, the film leaves this theological dimension largely unexplored. Although no sequel has yet been promised, the story of David extends far beyond this first movie. The producers have a golden opportunity to develop another animated installment that could explore these deeper theological layers, particularly how David’s character and kingship point forward to the coming Messiah. Subtle cues through dialogue, song, or visual storytelling could highlight both David’s human failings and his covenantal significance, helping viewers see both the depth of David’s humanity and the larger redemptive framework his life inhabits.

Where David’s Story Points Beyond Itself

Several biblical texts provide natural opportunities for a sequel to explore how David’s reign points beyond itself to the coming Messiah. Psalm 110:1—“The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool”—offers a particularly compelling moment to include, and Peter’s explanation in Acts 2:29–36 confirms that David “foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ” and that God has made Jesus “both Lord and Christ.”

Another significant text is Psalm 2, traditionally attributed to David, where God declares, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you…As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” While David composed these words, they are inspired by God and point prophetically to the ultimate Son of God, who is from the Father, and whose reign brings refuge and blessing to all who trust him. Integrating this text—or its themes—into a sequel could help viewers understand that David’s kingship not only inspires heroism but also foreshadows Christ’s perfect rule.

A third opportunity for a sequel would be to emphasize the eternal dimension of David’s kingship. Though David died, he trusted that God’s promise that one of his descendants would rule forever would be fulfilled (2 Sam. 7:12–16). Integrating this theme could help viewers see that David’s story is not just about human heroism and moral example, but about God’s covenantal plan culminating in Christ’s eternal reign (Acts 13:22–23). Emphasizing this promise-and-fulfillment motif would reinforce that the ultimate King extends far beyond the first movie’s timeline.

In sum, David is a visually and emotionally engaging film that brings biblical characters to life with artistry and heart. It captivates viewers through moments of spectacle, musicality, and spiritual resonance, presenting David as an appealing and relatable figure. At the same time, the story hints at what remains to be explored: his moral complexity, his role in pointing toward Christ, and the ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic covenant. If these dimensions are embraced in future installments or adaptations, the David franchise could evolve into a two-part animated masterpiece that is both entertaining and theologically rich, offering viewers wonder alongside profound insight into God’s unfolding plan.

^[1] ‘David’ Review: Animating the Original Underdog – WSJ

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For to us a child is born,

            to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

            and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

            Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

That title “Wonderful Counselor” is one of the sweetest promises for believers. And it should be, yet perhaps not as we often take it. We read “counselor” and are disposed to think of a knowledgeable professional sitting in a sofa chair, pen and paper in hand, ready to listen and resonate with our emotional pitch for a low rate of $150/hr. Or perhaps we see an older, wiser confidante, listening over the coffee cup, helping us sort through our emotions and big life decisions.

But such readings of “Wonderful Counselor” offer us an unfounded promise. It may be a true promise, if we find it elsewhere in Scripture, but as far as Isaiah 9 goes, we have gotten off on the wrong foot, squared. We are misguided first in our understanding of what the “counselor” is, and because of this we do not understand whom the counselor is to. 

Correcting these notions will require us to let go of a promise that might be personally meaningful, but textually unwarranted. But, if we are willing, we may open our hands to receive a better hope: better because it is truly greater, and because it is textually grounded.

What is the Counselor?

First, let’s consult the context. In Isaiah 6, the prophet accesses the throne room of God in heaven, which lays the theological foundation for the rest of the book. The vision of the King on his throne, his glory over all the earth, backgrounds all that comes after. In chapters 7–12, God through Isaiah confronts Ahaz, King of Judah, for his lack of faith, and thus his failed representation of the House of David. Since Ahaz will not allow the Lord the opportunity to be God among his people, the Lord will enter through the back door of a little child born in humble circumstances. 

In the close context of Isaiah, this is the prophet’s own son, Maher-shalal-hash-baz. This baby boy is the “Immanuel” sign, God’s way of showing his promise that he will be with his people. But in the continuing context of God’s grand redemptive plan, it is clear the boy really is a sign, and not the full-filment of the promise all on his own.

“Counsel” is a key theme throughout Isaiah, and it usually carries political connotations. A “counselor” is not a therapist. Rather, a “counselor” was usually used as a technical term for an advisor to a governmental official. A “counselor” to the King would be like a member of the President’s cabinet, such as a Secretary of Defense or of Homeland Security. Later on, in the Greek and Roman governments, the “counselor” would have been a member of the official Council or Senate, comparable to our Congressmen or Senators.^[1] This is one of the denotations of the greek σύμβουλος—significant for the Septuagint’s translation of Isaiah 9:6, which we will return to later.

It is clear from the immediate literary context that “royal advisor” is the type of “Counselor” Isaiah has in mind in chapter 9. The people are looking to mediums and necromancers for verdicts, when they ought to look to God’s Word (8:19–20). Their rulers have failed to consult God’s law and testimony themselves, and so they have failed to lead the people in the same. But God is bringing the darkened people “a great light” (9:2). A new ruler is coming, one who will deliver them from oppression and danger (9:3–4) and put an end to the roiling conflicts (9:5). The government shall be upon his shoulder—he will bear the rulership well, better than all the failed kings and judges before him. This is evident from verse 7: Whereas after Solomon the kingdom was split and continually ransacked and diminished, of this man’s government and peace, there will be no end. He will establish the throne of David and fulfill the covenantal promises of 2 Samuel 7.

It is this Son who will be called “Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,” and, yes, “Wonderful Counselor.” Clearly, all these terms elevate this man to the heavenly courts. He will be so identified with God that he actually bears his name—and yet, he is distinct. He is a “Counselor” in the court of God himself. 

To Whom Does He Give Counsel?

If the “Counselor” in this context is a counselor to a king, then who is the king? 

This question illustrates the significance of our misreading the text. If we take Isaiah 9:6 to mean Christ is a “Wonderful Counselor” to us, well, whom have we sat on the throne? But the context does not allow such a move. There is a place for the incarnate humility and immanence of God in Christ—but here the inverse movement is being emphasized. And that is the point of hope. Israel needed a better king than they themselves could provide. They did not need a better Counselor for Ahaz, they needed a better King than Ahaz. The hope is in the fact that this new King of Judah will be a counselor to the King who is in heaven. He will have audience with God above, and will be of one mind, one counsel, one plan with him. 

More than a Counselor

But how can this be, when the Lord later asks the humbling rhetorical question,

Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord,

or what man shows him his counsel?

Whom did he consult, 

and who made him understand? 

Who taught him the path of justice,

and taught him knowledge

and showed him the way of understanding? (Isa. 40:13–14) 

How can any mortal man stand in the council of the Lord, and give him advice? The point in chapter 40 is that none can. 

But then, how can any mortal man be called “Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”? Clearly, this man is more than any other man. He is not only the Counselor to the King—he is the King. He is not only in the court of God; he is the court of God. This is where we return to the Septuagint. The translators could have used σύμβουλος to translate the Hebrew יֹועֵץ֙. In fact, across the twenty-three occurrences of the word in the Hebrew Bible, it is translated as σύμβουλος (counselor, advisor) consistently. When a counselor (σύμβουλος) gives counsel, their proposed plan is their counsel, and the word consistently used for this is βουλή (see, for example, Isa. 19:11). 

Quite rarely is counselor (יֹועֵץ֙) ever translated as βουλή. However, that is the Greek rendering in the Septuagint’s translation of Isaiah 9:6. They could have used the regular word for Senator or Advisor (σύμβουλος). Such a title would be fitting to describe a man who had ascended to the court of heaven; surely the Servant and Son of David would have, through his service, gained an audience with God in his heavenly court! 

But no—even this is not high enough a station to laud the figure we see in Isaiah 9:6. He is not merely a Senator or an Advisor. He rules omnipotently, and governs unendingly. He does not merely ascend to heaven and appear in God’s Court—he is God’s Court. 

This plucks at a thread of tension within Scripture.  God takes counsel with no one, nor does he share glory (Isa. 40:13–14; 41:26–29; 42:8). Yet, he has a heavenly court, which by definition has members who ostensibly offer counsel (see Job 1:6 and Psalm 82:1). How can this be? 

Only through God the Son Incarnate, whose name is Jesus Christ.

And, as I wrote earlier, βουλή can refer to both the governmental convention and their authoritative decision. At least the former seems in view here—but could it be that the latter is also intended? The messiah, God’s servant, is not only the council of heaven, he is himself the counsel of heaven—which is to say that this Son, this King, this Christ, is the very plan of God to accomplish his purpose to be “Immanuel,” God with us. 

The great confidence and promise of Isaiah 9:6 is not that we have a Wonderful Counselor who will help us come up with a plan for our life and future. The good news is that Jesus is the Counselor and King who already has come up with a plan—and the plan was himself. 

This is the good news of Christmas, that Christ is the plan of God, both Council and Counsel, and life under his reign, his authority, and his government is perfect peace and joy. Surely, if Christ is so wonderful as to be God’s own Counselor, and if he is so wonderful as to be God’s own plan—surely we can trust his wonderful wisdom, revealed generally in the counsel of Scripture and specifically in the revelation of providence, to lead us along a good path in our own lives. 

Merry Christmas—long live the Wonderful Counselor, and may his kingdom never end!

^[1] For a survey of the use of “Counselor” in Isaiah, see Isa. 5:19, 8:10, 11:2, 16:3, 19:3, 19:11, 28:29, 29:15, 40:13, 44:36, 45:21, 46:10–11, 47:13.

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What Do You Think About Hell?

Hell shows us that God is not a casual observer of evil. He is not indifferent to rebellion and sin. He is a holy, sin-avenging Judge, and His throne is founded on righteousness and justice. For God to wink at sin would be a betrayal of His very nature. It would make a mockery of His holiness. It would be an act of cosmic injustice against Himself as the universe’s Lawgiver. “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25).

Yes, He will—and He does.

This is why hell exists. Not because God is cruel, but because God is good. Hell is a necessary outworking of His perfection.

Here’s another way to think about it. The real monstrosity is not God’s justice that damns the sinner to hell for eternity. It’s the sinner who turns against his Creator while breathing the air God gives, basking under God’s sunlight, eating the food God provides with the miracle of tastebuds that cover his tongue, all while walking and living on the earth God made. These very gifts are used to defy Him. The creature depends on God every moment for life, breath, and being—and yet lives as if God is unnecessary. This is the height of treason and ingratitude. This is why hell is not excessive.

What the Bible Says About Hell

No one in the Bible spoke more often or more vividly about hell than Jesus Christ. We learn from Him that hell is not a metaphor. It is a real place, described in real terms.

Scripture speaks of it as outer darkness, where the soul is exiled from all light, beauty, and hope (Matt. 8:12). It is a lake of fire where the pain is constant, and the flames are never quenched (Rev. 20:10). It is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, where sorrow and rage are expressed for all eternity (Luke 13:28). Hell is “eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). It is separation not just from physical blessings such as sunlight, rain, and good health, but from the gracious presence of God Himself. It is not annihilation—it is conscious, unrelenting punishment. Jesus described it as a place “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48). The “worm” here is not literal. It’s worse. It’s the unending gnawing of guilt, horror, and self-loathing.

Hell exists not because God is cruel, but because God is good. Hell is a necessary outworking of His perfection.

And yet none of these descriptions come close to the full reality. Because when God punishes, He punishes as God, not man. “Who knows the power of Your anger?” (Psalm 90:11). The answer? No one. We cannot imagine it.

And make no mistake: the devil does not rule Hell. God does. Hell is not Satan’s kingdom. It is God’s. God’s wrath is what makes hell, hell. “If anyone worships the beast…he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb” (Revelation 14:9–10).

Yes, even the Spirit of Christ is present in hell in all His judicial majesty. In fact, it is Christ’s wrath that fuels the fires of hell: “The punishments of sin in the world to come are everlasting separation from the comfortable presence of God, and most grievous torments in soul and body, without intermission, in hell fire forever” (WLC 29).

The Wrath of God

So what do you make of the wrath of God?  In the Reformed Confessions, God is described as “most just, and terrible in His judgments; hating all sin” (WCF 2.1). The Heidelberg Catechism asks, “Will God allow such disobedience and apostasy to go unpunished?” The answer? “Certainly not. He is terribly angry about the sin we are born with as well as the sins we personally commit” (HC 10). In the Canons of Dort, we find that “God is not only supremely merciful but also supremely just. And His justice requires…that the sins we have committed against His infinite majesty be punished with both temporal and eternal punishments” (CD II.1).

No human mind can grasp the full force of divine wrath. We see flickers of it at times, such as in earthquakes that shatter cities, tsunamis that swallow coastlines, and lightning storms that split the heavens. These disasters terrify us, but they are merely sparks of the real flame.

This is why, had you the strength of ten thousand angels or the will of ten thousand demons, you still could not endure even one second under the wrath of God. It would crumple you. His fury is more dreadful than all the armies of earth combined. More violent than the worst wildfire.

In hell, the full blaze of His fury is turned toward the sinner. Every faculty of the soul will feel it. Every nerve ending in the body will burn with it. The eyes, ears, heart, brain, tongue, hands, and feet—all will be instruments of judgment. The whole man will be engulfed in divine fire. And the sinner will know, without a shadow of a doubt, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31), and that “Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29).

Hell is Eternal

But what makes hell truly terrifying is this: it never ends. The damned will be overwhelmed by the sheer length of it. Forever. Endless time. There will be no ticking clock to count down the pain. No sleep to offer escape. No hope to pierce the gloom. Hell is agony without expiration.

You might endure the greatest torment imaginable if only you knew it would end. But in hell, there is no relief. No reprieve. No finish line. The fire is eternal (Mark 9:43). The smoke of their torment goes up forever (Revelation 14:11). Sinners in hell will wish for annihilation. They will plead to be unmade. But they will never get their wish. They will live forever with guilty consciences and suffering divine wrath.

But why is hell eternal? Because sin is committed against an eternal, infinite, and infinitely valuable God. And crimes against infinite majesty demand infinite punishment.

For instance, the length of penalty for a crime depends on the value of the thing you commit a crime against. If I squash a bug, there is no penalty because we don’t assign value to bugs. If I kill a pet, however, it’s serious jail time—up to two years in prison. That’s because there is more value in a pet than a bug. If I kill a human, the Bible demands the death penalty because the life of a human has much more value than a bug’s or even an animal’s—because humans are made in the image of God (Gen. 9:6).

But when it comes to God, His value is infinite. God is “eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, immutable, infinite, almighty, perfectly wise, just, good, and the overflowing fountain of all good” (Belgic Confession 1). Thus, the penalty is infinite.

The Response?

1. Unless you fly to Christ, you will remember these words in hell.

You will remember that you were warned. You will remember that mercy was offered. And you will remember that you refused it. God’s Word will echo in your mind, and this very page will rise up to testify against you.

This is no small thing. You are up against eternal power. You are resisting the Almighty God. This is a war you will not win. This is an enemy you cannot defeat. Unless you are found in Christ, the Lord of hosts is against you.

Why is hell eternal? Because sin is committed against an eternal, infinite, and infinitely valuable God.

There are souls in hell right now, many of them, who never sinned as brazenly as you have. Who never resisted conviction as long as you have. Who never heard the warning as clearly as you are hearing it now. And they would give ten thousand worlds to have the opportunity you have in this moment.

Scripture says that without Christ, wherever you go, the wrath of God abides on you (John 3:36). It does not sleep. It does not lessen. It abides. You eat under His wrath. You drink under His wrath. You laugh, scroll your phone, play your games, and attend your events—under God’s wrath. When you lie down at night, His anger smolders above your bed. When you rise in the morning, His fury is still there.

This is why every tick of the clock is borrowed mercy.

Your only hope is Christ. Flee to Him. Cling to Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Do not wait for some “better” moment. Do not wait to “clean yourself up.” There is no better moment coming. There is no other refuge but that which is found in Christ. He is the only hiding place from the fire of God’s wrath. Run to Him now! “Escape for your life! Do not look back… lest you be swept away!” (Genesis 19:17).

2. No one in hell thought they would end up there.

Some had Bibles. Some even went to church. But they never truly believed what God said. They never trembled. They never repented. They never looked to Christ with faith. And now they are gone—forever.

If they had really believed that God’s wrath was hovering over them… If they had really believed that His vengeance was storing up against them like water behind a dam… If they had really believed that hell was only one heartbeat away, they would have dropped everything to seek Christ.

But they didn’t. And now it is too late.

“The day of the Lord will come like a thief…with flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:8–9).

You’ve been warned. Don’t go back to your usual routines. Don’t move on to the next thing like nothing matters. Everything is at stake here. Your soul is at stake. Your eternal good is at stake. Stop what you’re doing. Turn to Christ! Flee to Him! Grab hold of Him and don’t let go!

3. On the cross, Jesus Christ suffered the agonies of hell for sinners like you.

He was no ordinary man. He was the God-Man. And yet He trembled in Gethsemane. He sweat drops of blood, not because of Roman whips, but because of the cup of wrath He would drink on the cross. On the cross, Jesus stood in the place of guilty sinners and bore the fire of divine fury.

How did this strong Man—the strongest of Men—react? He was in great agony, distress, and sorrow. How much more must you sweat and writhe when confronted by Eternal Power?

God must punish sin. He is just. He cannot deny Himself. And yet, He has made a way for sinners to be forgiven without compromising His justice. That way is Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ kept the law you have broken. He obeyed every command, every statute, every word of His Father—perfectly. And then, at Calvary, He took the sinner’s place in judgment. He was “made a curse” for us (Galatians 3:13). He bore the guilt. He endured the judgment. He drank the cup. And when the final drop of wrath was poured out, He cried, “It is finished.” The debt was paid. Justice was satisfied. The curtain was torn open.

Then, on the third day, He rose from the dead. God vindicated Him. God proved Him righteous and gave Him all authority in heaven and on earth. This same Jesus will someday “judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:31).

And now—right now—He calls you.

Not to clean yourself up. Not to try harder. But to repent and believe. Repentance means turning from sin and turning to Christ. Faith means trusting Him alone, not your works, your morality, or your church attendance, but Christ alone. “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light… Let us walk properly as in the daytime… But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:11–14).

In the days of Noah, the whole world drowned under God’s wrath except for Noah and his family. They were spared by escaping into the ark that God had prepared. And so, God has prepared an ark of escape for you, also—Jesus Christ. Run to Him for refuge, lest the floods of God’s judgment overtake you and you perish in the way, “For His wrath may be kindled quickly” (Psalm 2:12).

Were you to die tonight, could the same be said of you? Have you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ? O Reader—don’t harden your heart! The door of mercy is still open, but not forever. Flee from the wrath to come. Throw yourself into the arms of the Savior while there is still time. He will in no way cast you out!

Ryan Denton is the author of forthcoming book, Turn, Dear Reader: The Call of Christ to a Dying World (Founders Press, 2026). His work has appeared at RHB, DesiringGod, Christian Focus, and others. He has a Th.M. from Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. You can find him on X @texaspreacher.

The post What About Hell? appeared first on Founders Ministries.

One like us to take our place,

Yet infinite in love and grace.

Can such a task succeed?

Jesus like us was born.

He loved the law of righteousness,

Yet bore our sin in deep distress,

Till resurrection morn.

Impeccable perfection!

The altar where oblation laid,

Atonement absolute was made.

Gone! every objection.

The God/man, Jesus Christ

Alone could such atonement make,

Alone sin’s penalty could break,

Alone could pay the price.

He’s worthy of our praise.

Our thanks to Him is all too small,

His glorious work exceeds them all,

Loud songs the heavens raise. 

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