Tough Biblical Questions: God's Justice, Christmas, Election

Nov 27, 2025

Devotional

Day 1: Hope of the imminent rapture and readiness

The New Testament teaches a coming moment when the Lord will gather His people and remove them from the coming outpouring of wrath, calling the church to a posture of readiness and holy expectation rather than speculation about timing. Believers are urged to live with the certainty that Jesus could return at any moment, which shapes daily choices, evangelistic boldness, and holiness. This hope comforts those grieving and spurs practical obedience as the bride awaits her Bridegroom. [32:40]

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NASB)
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Reflection: What one daily habit or relationship will you reorder this week so your life visibly reflects readiness for Christ’s imminent return, and what concrete first step will you take by the end of this week?

Day 2: Civil authority represents God's justice

Scripture teaches that governments have been ordained by God to restrain evil and execute justice; the sword carried by governing authorities is a delegated, restrained instrument of God’s righteous order. This means taking life in a legal and judicial context differs morally from lawless genocide, and believers are called to trust God’s broader, eternal perspective when difficult judgments occur. Christians must balance loving enemies with recognizing God’s right and wisdom in administering judgment through appointed means. [18:15]

Romans 13:1-4 (NASB)
1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.

Reflection: Recall a recent news story or personal situation where government action troubled you—how can you pray to exchange immediate outrage for a posture of trust in God’s justice, and what one thoughtful question will you ask to better understand the facts before forming a moral judgment?

Day 3: Election grounded in being in Christ

The doctrine of election is best understood as our status found in Christ: believers are chosen in Him, and election flows from union with the incarnate Savior rather than from an arbitrary decree against others. This view preserves God’s loving desire that all be saved while holding sinners responsible for refusing grace, and it calls Christians to humility, evangelistic urgency, and trust in God’s wise purposes. One’s security and status are not rooted in personal merit but in being united to Jesus. [24:28]

Ephesians 1:3-6 (NASB)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Reflection: What false identity or fear do you carry about your standing before God; write one sentence replacing that lie with the truth of being chosen “in Christ,” and plan when this week you will speak that truth aloud to yourself or a trusted friend.

Day 4: Jesus' compassion modeled in our grief

The shortest verse, "Jesus wept," shows the Son of God entering human sorrow and modeling tender compassion—God does not stand aloof from our pain but weeps with us and invites honest expression before Him. The Christian life includes the freedom to bring raw, imperfect prayers to God without elaborate language, trusting that He values relationship over polished words. God delights in intimate, candid communion where burdens are laid bare and comfort is received. [58:12]

John 11:35 (NASB)
Jesus wept.

Reflection: Think of a recent sorrow, fear, or frustration you’ve held back—what one honest sentence can you bring to Jesus this week, and when will you set aside five quiet minutes to say it aloud to Him?

Day 5: Celebrate incarnation; keep the main thing main

The coming of the Messiah fulfilled prophecy—born in Bethlehem as the prophets declared—and the incarnation must be central in how Christians celebrate Christmas, linking the manger to the cross and resurrection that follow. Cultural trappings are not inherently evil, but guarding the heart of holiday observance so children and families remember the significance of God becoming man for our salvation is urgent and pastoral. Focus on rehearsing redemption, teaching prophetic fulfillment, and resisting dilution of the gospel in seasonal festivities. [04:56]

Micah 5:2 (NASB)
2 But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.

Reflection: Which family or church tradition during the holidays currently points people toward culture rather than Christ, and what specific change will you make this season to help one child or adult see the incarnation as the central gift?

Sermon Summary

I urged us to guard the meaning of Christmas by keeping the Incarnation at the center. We can enjoy gifts and traditions, but we cannot let cultural trappings eclipse that God became man, and that Bethlehem is tied to Calvary—He came to save. I reminded us that Scripture doesn’t tell us the date of Jesus’ birth, and that’s fine. When God omits details, He invites us to focus on what He has revealed. Let’s celebrate what we know: prophecy fulfilled, angels rejoicing, God among us.

From there, I called us to resist speculation in other areas too. We are often drawn to what the Bible doesn’t say, but real nourishment comes from what it clearly affirms. That matters when we face hard texts: Israel and the Amalekites, the Flood, judgment in Revelation. God alone has the right to give and take life. He judges justly, on His timetable, with eternity in view. We see His patience (the Amorites), His holiness, and His mercy—even in judgments that offend modern sensibilities. He is never the author of evil, yet He governs it and bends it toward His purposes.

On election, I emphasized we are chosen in Christ. Scripture affirms foreknowledge and predestination, but not “double predestination.” Christ is the Chosen One, and all who come to Him share His status. The gospel call goes out; the Spirit draws; people resist or receive. Election is not a puzzle to solve so much as a Person to be united to.

I also explained Moses’ “face to face” language—intimate relationship, not seeing God’s essence—and gave biblical reasons for a pre‑tribulation rapture grounded in imminence, promise of being kept out from the global hour of trial, and our blessed hope. Church history can be helpful, but Scripture must be our final authority.

Regarding Mary and the Catholic Church, I encouraged honoring Mary without elevating her beyond Scripture. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, not the Church plus sacraments. Many Catholics love Jesus; membership alone doesn’t save or condemn. We test all things by the Word.

Finally, I invited us into prayer as bold friendship. God delights in honest words—parresia—not polished formulas. And as we approach Christmas, let wonder rise again: the sinless life of Jesus fulfilling the Law, the Lamb without blemish, God’s love stooping to save. Let’s keep the main thing the main thing.

Key Takeaways

1. Keep the main thing central. Culture is loud; the Incarnation is louder if we let it be. Choose practices that point your family to God-with-us, not distractions that siphon awe. Celebrate what Scripture reveals and refuse to let speculation or sentimentality steal the spotlight from Jesus. [05:12]
2. Trust God’s justice, not speculation. We stumble when we judge God by our momentary vantage point. He alone has the right to give and take life, and He judges with eternity in view, not merely the span of earthly years. If God does it, it is just—our worship deepens when we yield there. [13:44]
3. Chosen in Christ, open to all. Election is not a locked door; it is a status found in union with the Chosen One. The call goes out broadly; the Spirit draws; we are responsible for our response. Step into Christ, and you discover you were chosen in Him. [24:47]
4. Live ready for Christ’s return. Imminence isn’t anxiety—it’s alignment. If nothing must precede His coming for His church, then nothing should block our obedience today. Hope before wrath reorients our priorities toward holiness, mission, and comfort in trials. [34:55]
5. Pray with bold, honest friendship. God does not need polished sentences; He wants your heart. Parresia means you can bring all your words to Him—fears, failures, hopes—without pretense. That kind of openness grows when you remember you’re not just His servant; you’re His friend. [63:05]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:52] - Keeping Christmas centered on Christ
[04:29] - Skip the date debates
[06:02] - Focus on what Scripture reveals
[09:49] - God’s justice and the Amalekites
[12:19] - God’s timing and righteous judgment
[18:15] - Government authority and taking life
[22:01] - Election: chosen in Christ alone
[33:14] - Pre‑tribulation rapture: biblical reasons
[39:26] - Sola Scriptura over church history
[46:04] - Honoring Mary without exalting her
[53:25] - Salvation and the Catholic Church
[61:10] - Prayer as bold friendship with God
[67:16] - God uses evil without authoring it
[71:26] - Fresh awe at the Incarnation

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (NASB)
- Luke 2:8–14
And in the same region there were shepherds living out in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

- Ephesians 1:3–6
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

- 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Observation questions

In Luke 2:8–14, what concrete details (people, setting, words, actions) highlight both the humility of Christ’s birth and the cosmic importance attached to it?
In Ephesians 1:3–6, which phrases show that election is connected to union with Christ rather than to something intrinsic in people?
In 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, what words or images communicate comfort and suddenness about the Lord’s coming?
The summary said, “Let’s keep the main thing the main thing,” and mentioned enjoying Santa, Elf on the Shelf, and present-opening as possible distractions. Which of those cultural practices have the greatest tendency to shift attention away from the Incarnation in your household or circle? [05:12]

Interpretation questions

How does the claim “God alone has the right to give and take life” reshape the way one reads Old Testament commands for national judgment (for example, Israel and the Amalekites) and prevents making God out to be unjust? [13:44]
How does reading election primarily as being “chosen in Christ” change the theological inference that God must have chosen some to damnation (double predestination)? [24:47]
How does the promise that the church will be “kept out of the hour of trial” (the wording used for Revelation 3:10 and related promises) interact with the doctrine of imminence and the idea of a pre‑tribulation rapture? [36:18]
How does understanding Moses’ “face to face” language as relational intimacy (not seeing God’s essence) affect how one approaches prayer, encounter, and the limits of creaturely fellowship with God? [30:27]

Application questions

“Choose practices that point your family to God‑with‑us, not distractions that siphon awe.” What is one concrete change you will make this Advent/Christmas to re‑center your family or household on the Incarnation (a new tradition, a removed distraction, a Read‑aloud, etc.)? [05:12]
“Focus on what Scripture reveals.” Name one area of biblical curiosity or speculation you often pursue (dates, identity of Babylon, fine points of prophecy). What specific step will you take this week to trade speculation for focused study of clear, relevant Scripture? (pick a passage, schedule a short study, ask a mature believer). [06:27]
“If God does it, it is just.” When a difficult passage of judgment troubles your conscience, what honest, formative responses will you practice instead of rejecting God’s character—(examples: prayer asking for God’s perspective, reading the wider biblical storyline, discussing with a mature Christian)? Commit to one immediate next step. [13:44]
“Step into Christ, and you discover you were chosen in Him.” What practical next step will you take to deepen union with Christ this month (daily Scripture reading plan, a consistent prayer time of confession and thanks, baptism testimony, a gospel‑centered discipleship relationship)? [24:47]
“Imminence isn’t anxiety—it’s alignment.” What one habit will you begin or renew to keep your life aligned with the Lord’s imminent return (a confession/accountability rhythm, a regular evangelistic conversation, an actionable holiness discipline)? [34:55]
“Parresia means you can bring all your words to Him.” How will you practice bolder, more honest prayer this week—describe a specific time and method (10 unedited minutes, an audio prayer to the Lord, a journaling prayer, or praying honestly with a friend)? [01:03:05]

Notes for the group leader
- Start by reading one of the Bible passages aloud, then use the observation questions to ground the conversation in Scripture.
- Keep the tone pastoral and curious; allow honesty about struggles with hard texts.
- Encourage concrete commitments at the end of your time and ask for one accountability partner to follow up next week.

Sermon Clips

21s

#LetGodBeGod

“``And we stand back and say, you're right. If that was just a nation choosing to do that, that would be a war crime. That's evil. But when God commands it, that's a whole different thing. And we need to back off and say, God, let God be God in those cases where in Scripture he says that and does that. We don't need to say, that's a different God than the God of the New Testament. You know, God was in a bad mood. Jesus put him in a better mood. That's not scriptural.”

31s

#PrayFromTheHeart

“So there's nothing that you're going to say to him that's going to convince him to give it to you or somehow, you know, magic words or talking with the King James language so he can understand you. He already knows, but he wants you to have a relationship with him. So just share your heart. Just talk to him about what's on your heart. He'll enjoy every minute of it. But you'll realize I don't have to come up with some planned prayer with perfect words and theologically accurate, you know, kinds of ideas. And I think that that freedom is just great when we just start being with the Lord.”

30s

#FocusOnWhatMatters

“Amen, Josh. I say, let's follow His lead. Make the main things the main things. We so often want to ask questions about what the Bible doesn't say. And I'm the same kind of person. It's like, well, what about this, and what about that? And inquiring minds want to know. But when it comes down to it, many times that road just leads us into something that isn't important enough. If it were, God would have told us. So focus on what we do know, celebrate what we do know, and you'll have plenty to celebrate.”

20s

#DontJudgeGod

“If we judge God, we are to be judged. You cannot judge God or he's no longer God. Wow. Meaning, you'll stand back when all the facts are known and go, you know what, that was the right decision. You're wise, God. And you're always just. Amen. And more than just, you're merciful. So we don't have to fear God's reputation is a problem here.”

26s

#ChristAboveAll

“That's not the theology of the New Testament, that you must receive Mary, that you must take her as somehow divine, sinless. The Bible does not teach she was sinless. She recognized she was a sinner. Even in what she said when she was talking to Elizabeth, she makes reference to it. She knew that she needed a Savior. So let's not exalt her to a place where God does not. That is not honoring the Lord, and it is dangerous.”

40s

#AllHaveSinned

“God told Adam and Eve in the day that you eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you'll die. And with that one sin, they were worthy to die. They lost their relationship with God's spiritual death, but they eventually brought death into this world. The wages of sin, singular, is death. So every human being on the planet has already justly violated God's law and is worthy of death. Nobody has a right to life, physical life, much less eternal life. So whenever God decides your time is, he has the right to take you out on the basis of that.”

27s

#ChosenInChrist

“So to me, it's not like God chose in eternity past some people and he said, I don't want these. Why? Because Jesus died for the sins of the whole world. And the Bible says salvation is to whosoever will. So anybody can discover they're chosen by receiving Christ. But the election isn't because of something about me at all. There's nothing about me. It's that I'm in Christ, and therefore I become one who is chosen.”

27s

#PredestinationNotCondemnation

“What the Bible says is that God has predestined some for heaven, and that is as far as it goes. Some would then try to logically say, well, if he didn't choose you for heaven, hey, you're chosen for hell. God never says that. He would let the predestination rest for those who have experienced the grace of God to be privileged to go to heaven, but never be upon those that are going to hell. They've chosen that.”

35s

#DontAddToScripture

“However, where the Catholic Church tends to have its problems is in adding to the Bible, just like all the cults, and I'm not calling it a cult because it's not technically a cult, but it's in the adding of expectations, demands on believers in order to be saved. This is not taught in Scripture. The keeping of the seven sacraments, the adding to revelation, meaning we have God's word about what happened, now we have the popes speaking a cathedra, and we can add that to the Bible.”

33s

#CelebrateChrist

“He came in order to be our Savior. So I just want my children and my grandchildren to understand that, I mean, thoroughly and clearly. Just as Easter, I don't want them to be thinking bunny rabbits and chocolates. It's not that I think it's wrong to enjoy an Easter egg hunt, and I don't think it's wrong for kids to enjoy opening presents around a tree. What I don't love is if the focus is on Santa rather than on our Savior, or is focused on an Easter bunny rather than the blessing of what Christ did.”

22s

#WrathBeginsEarly

“And those who claim, well, the real time of his wrath is the last three and a half years, they just haven't read the book of Revelation. Start in chapter 6, the beginning of the Revelation, and people are dying all over the planet by the plagues that are coming. If you want to say, well, it really doesn't start till the middle, I would have an argument that those people who are all dying from the plagues would feel like the wrath of God is upon the earth. So it's just a misconception.”

30s

#DontGoBeyondScripture

“And by the way, I don't take Sola Scriptura and say, that's exactly what the Reformed Church is doing. No, I think that many people that hold Reformation theology go beyond Scripture in some of their teachings of Calvinism. They draw conclusions based on certain things that are true, then they come up with things they say, this must be true. That's a dangerous conclusion when you, in your commitment to God's word, start speculating or reasoning beyond the word of God.”

29s

#GodActsJustly

“God has a right to pass that judgment. And what we need to realize is understanding who God is, he can't do anything but what is just. If God is doing it, it is just. And so we got to stop judging God as though he is somehow a human being who's angry or going after, you know, these people and wiping out their children. It's more akin to God dealing with cancer, the way we think of cancer cells that have to be taken out because they're going to do damage.”

26s

#ElectionThroughChrist

“That's where those two are tied together. The election is the fact that we're in Christ. No one is chosen who is not in Christ. And if you say, well, you can be chosen, but you're not in Christ yet. Well, you'll be in Christ then by the time you die, because our election is tied to who he is because he's going to come and die for the sins of the world. So if we remove Christ from the equation and try to separate it, I don't see it biblically and I don't see it logically.”

31s

#FocusOnScripture

“So I leave all of those arguments for other people. Well, to me, I just want to focus people on the most significant thing. What does the Bible say about God sending His Son? That He came according to the prophecies. He fulfilled all these Scriptures in being born in Bethlehem and Micah. And so to me, I just stick with the Scriptures as opposed to all these peripheral arguments as to the dating. It's irrelevant to me. It doesn't matter.”

24s

#JudgeByScripture

“We are in danger as soon as we go anywhere off of scripture, out of scripture into church history so that the church came to terms with what it believed. I still judge everything the church came to its understanding on based on the scriptures. If they did it, then it's orthodox. If the church practiced something or still practices something and does generally, that's not orthodoxy to me.”

31s

#TheyPreparedThemselves

“There's even an interesting verse that many people argue in the book of Romans, chapter 9, where Paul says, What if God is willing to be patient with vessels prepared for wrath, that were prepared for wrath, made for wrath? And they say, well, see, there are vessels that God made for wrath. But the word, it's very interesting. The word, the verb, prepared, is in the middle voice in Greek, which can mean and does mean a verb that you're acting upon yourself. It means they prepared themselves for wrath.”

22s

#PreTribulationRapture

“So, for instance, when God executes people because he's just, that doesn't mean that they're going to hell. And it doesn't mean their life is over. They're going to live forever. But they are not going to live forever where they are, okay? And God has a bigger scope than man. So when we talk about, oh, it's not fair that, you know, they're wiping out these people as though they're ending their existence. It's not true.”

61s

#BeReadyAlways

“We need to back off at that point and say, let God be found true. And every man a liar, the Bible says, God is not to be judged, but God has the right to judge and will only judge righteously, man. Eternity changes, needs to change our perspective. We need to get closer to God's perspective on things. And therefore, if somebody is doing damage, let's say a believer who we believe is saved, is doing damage by the way they're living their life.”

30s

#JudgeDoctrineNotLabels

“First of all, if the rapture can't happen at any time, then basically the imminent return of Christ, being ready right now, isn't necessary, because if you say something has to happen before that, such as the tribulation, the revelation of the Antichrist, the building of the temple that the Antichrist is going to go into and declare himself to be God, there's no temple in Jerusalem right now, so Jesus can't come back today, you find yourself in a bad predicament of, Jesus wants us to be ready at any time. Paul says you need to be ready.”

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