Living in the Mystery of God

An abandoned railroad tunnel. Photo by James Jordan

I’ve never been big on theological labels.

For a while I called myself a Calvinist, and I’m still no hater of the system. I can’t accept limited atonement. Christ died for all—that part seems clear. But once you say the provision is truly for everyone, another question rises up: if the gift is already there for every person, why does it matter whether someone accepts it or even knows about it? Shouldn’t “all” simply mean all?

That question used to bother me more than it does now.

I’ve come to see that the greater problem is our constant urge to explain the unexplainable. We keep trying to map out the mind of God, and none of us really has the ability to do that.

Take the harder questions that sit right behind free will and election. Why create people with a real capacity—and after the Fall, a strong propensity—to sin, then hold them accountable for it? Why give genuine freedom knowing most of us will choose poorly a good deal of the time?

If I were an atheist, I’d lean hard on that one. It’s a strong objection. But I’m not an atheist. I’m more the mystic type.

I’ve grown comfortable living in the not-knowing.

The same comfort applies to how God knows the future. Somehow—I don’t claim to understand the mechanics—He knows what is coming without determining it.

Knowledge isn’t the same as causation.

We live inside time, moment after moment. In the spirit world, or whatever dimension God fully inhabits, time doesn’t work the way it does for us. From that vantage, past, present, and future are simply present. He sees the whole without having to force every choice that unfolds inside our timeline.

Arminianism never sat right because of the lack of eternal security. Calvinism lost me on limited atonement. The newer term “Provisionist” probably fits the leftover pieces—God provides for all, people can respond, and once you’re in you’re secure—but I don’t feel any need to wear the label.

Labels are useful for debate; they’re less useful for living.

What remains is simpler and harder at the same time: trust the character of God, hold the clear parts of Scripture firmly, and leave the rest in the mystery. The secret things belong to Him. I’m okay with that now. Not every question needs an answer I can fully explain. Some just need room to breathe.

A Case for Serious Bible Study: Spiritual Growth

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"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." — 2 Timothy 2:15

We hear preachers and would-be prophets delivering all kinds of messages, and it isn't always easy to know what's true and what isn't. But what we can know for certain about God — objectively, verifiably — is written in the Bible. That's why Scripture, and the serious study of it, matters so much. The best way to build a real relationship with God is to study Him in the pages He gave us.

What "Study" Actually Means

The King James Version renders 2 Timothy 2:15 as "study to shew thyself approved." The NIV translates it "make every effort." Both come from the Greek word spoudazo — to put in effort, to work hard, to be diligent.

Notice what it doesn't mean. It isn't passive reading. It isn't waiting for a feeling or a sudden flash of insight. It means doing your best to understand the meaning — actively, deliberately, on purpose. Do that, Paul says, and you'll be able to "correctly handle the word of truth," a phrase pointing to the message of the Bible itself.

Paul is telling Timothy — and every Christian after him — to work at becoming the kind of believer God approves of: one who can handle Scripture accurately. Get that right, and two things follow. You grow closer to God. And you become harder to fool.

There are plenty of preachers out there teaching things that simply aren't true, twisting Scripture to fit an agenda. If you don't know what the Bible actually says, you have no way of knowing when someone is misleading you. That alone is reason enough to study consistently.

Study Means Digging, Not Skimming

Real study means digging in, meditating, praying over the text — not reading passively. It means picking a passage apart and asking every question you can think of. You won't always find the answer right away. But the only question guaranteed to go unanswered is the one you never ask.

It helps to be clear about what you're studying. At its core, the Bible is God's love letter to you — His way of revealing Himself. It has supernatural origins, but for the most part it reads quite naturally, and we're meant to bring our whole minds to it, using every tool available to get the most out of our time in it.

It's worth saying plainly what the Bible is not. It isn't a rulebook. It isn't a history book. It isn't even primarily a how-to guide for life — though it contains elements of all three. First and foremost, it's a love letter from God to us. And because it's addressed to us personally, it's worth digging out the meaning ourselves, even while we listen to good teachers and preachers along the way.

Not About Earning Approval

It's worth pausing on Paul's phrase "to show yourself approved," because it's easy to misread. God's approval of us isn't conditional on nailing every fine point of interpretation. God approves of us because we believe in His Son. There is nothing we do to earn salvation — that's simply not what this passage is about.

What Paul is saying is that we should be able to present ourselves as workers who handle the word rightly — the kind of Christian who doesn't fall into error or lead others into it. It's the believer, not God, who bears the consequences of handling truth carelessly.

Paul's word picture is a workman who has no reason to feel ashamed of his work. Think about how you'd feel if your boss walked in and your work was sloppy — versus how you'd feel if it was done well. It's the same with Bible study. Handle the word accurately, and you avoid being misled, which is exactly what pleases God.

And to be clear: God doesn't need us to study in order to accomplish His purposes. We are the ones who benefit. The whole point of Bible study is to know God better and deepen the relationship He's already given us — not to check a box for Him.

Three Pictures of Effort

Paul isn't content to make his point once. In verses 3–6, he offers three word pictures — a soldier, an athlete, a farmer — each showing what it looks like to grow.

The soldier endures hardship with loyalty and focus, unwilling to be distracted from the mission. In the same way, we're called to stay focused on the word of truth.

The athlete only wins by competing according to the rules. Every sport has boundaries, and there are no shortcuts to victory. The same is true of spiritual growth — it takes going through the process, putting in the time.

The farmer works a field that ultimately belongs to someone else, and still gets his share of the crop. Seeds don't become fruit overnight; growth takes time. So it is with Scripture: our understanding won't arrive instantly, but the effort we put in will eventually produce a harvest.

The thread running through all three is simple — spiritual growth takes effort. None of this is about earning salvation. It's about becoming the kind of person who can handle the word accurately and, in doing so, knows the truth.

Using Your Mind, Not Just Your Feelings

Handling Scripture well means engaging your mind, not just your emotions. A lot of people interpret the Bible primarily through feeling, sometimes even attributing those feelings to the Spirit. Feelings have their place — but truth is something we come to know with the mind, and it's the mind that should ultimately govern how we live.

We also carry preconceived notions, often absorbed since childhood, that may or may not hold up under scrutiny. The goal is to approach the text honestly and objectively, looking at what the words actually say before drawing conclusions — and always reading in context. That's one reason it's worth reading through the whole Bible more than once: it gives you the full picture, so no single verse gets pulled out of its setting.

Questions Are Welcome

Handling the word accurately also means asking questions — even hard ones. A healthy skepticism toward teachings and beliefs (not toward God Himself) is part of careful study.

Consider "doubting Thomas," who refused to believe Jesus had risen until he saw for himself. Jesus didn't rebuke him for asking. He let Thomas see what he needed to see. That's the same posture God takes with our questions. We may not get a sign written in the sky, but if we search and study, we eventually find an answer.

The Passage in Context

It's worth stepping back and reading 2 Timothy 2:15 inside its chapter. Paul is writing to Timothy, a young pastor, though the encouragement applies to every believer. The theme of the chapter is spiritual growth — both helping others grow and tending to your own walk with God.

Paul opens by urging Timothy to "be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (v.1). We aren't strong on our own; it's a matter of faith, trusting that Christ is the source of our strength. From there Paul moves into the three analogies already discussed, before landing on verse 15's call to "rightly divide" the word of truth.

That phrase — "rightly divide" — comes from a Greek term a carpenter might use, meaning to cut something accurately, to correctly interpret it. Verses 11–13 function almost like a short poem on cause and effect: not salvation by works, but a simple principle that effort produces results. And even here, Paul softens it with grace — "if we are faithless, He remains faithful" (v.13). Even when we fail at handling the word well, God doesn't walk away.

Paul then warns against quarreling over words (v.14). Few things stir up emotion like religion, and people can get so attached to being right that arguments turn into open conflict. Paul isn't telling Timothy to agree with people who oppose him — just to avoid getting dragged into pointless disputes. Arguing rarely helps anyone. Working diligently to find the truth does.

The Reward of Diligence

When you actually put in the time, something interesting starts to happen. You'll be reading one day and something from last week's study suddenly clicks into place. A word study from days before resurfaces at just the right moment, and the pieces come together into a new understanding — one grounded in the facts of the text, not in a feeling that may or may not have been reliable.

That's the payoff Paul is pointing to. Like the soldier's loyalty, the athlete's discipline, and the farmer's patience, our reward comes from doing whatever the work requires. Handle the word rightly, and you'll be equipped to apply it to your life — and your relationship with God will grow because of it.

You’re a New Christian … Now What?

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Are you a “new” Christian, or looking seriously into this Jesus thing? It can be overwhelming — too many cooks in the kitchen, and every one of them is certain they are right.

One bad habit we Christians have is fighting over the details. My first piece of advice is not to sweat the details. You can fight over those things with the rest of us later, once you get settled and know your way around.

Here is the thing. Belief, or faith, in the resurrection of Jesus is what makes you a Christian.

Everything else is commentary.

But that is where it gets interesting and complicated.

It can seem like the Wild West with all the chaos. Anyone can indeed start a whole denomination, but there’s no need to get into that fracas just yet.

Which church to attend?

Which translation of the Bible is best?

How much money to give to the church?

What kind of music to listen to?

Pray standing, seated, on your knees?

What color should the carpet in the foyer be?

The list could be endless. These are all things that matter, but that isn’t where your focus should be.

God has invited you into a relationship. That is the most important thing. Despite what some may say, that looks a little different for every believer.

It’s like learning to drive a car. You need to figure out how to turn the car on and make it go first. And you have people wanting to tell you which make and model to drive, or whether gas or electric engines are better. They might even want to argue over which color car to drive, or whether it’s cool to have a truck or not.

Those things matter, but you need to learn how to keep it on the road first.

It’s the same with your spiritual life

People may mean well, but they want you to get into their variety of Christianity, and they may judge you for not doing so. That’s just noise. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you are doing something the wrong way.

For instance, I don’t like to mark in my Bible or underline verses. Most people do, and I have my reasons. It’s respect for the text and wanting it to be fresh every time I see it. But that is my journey. No one should judge me for that, and I don’t care if you want to underline and color-code every word. I’m not going to start a no-marking denomination. But new churches have been started over less.

Those who have started churches and denominations think their flavor is best, and that they have bottled the secret sauce to the cool kids cloud in the heavenlies. The truth is, no one has perfect theology.

The relationship is the thing

Your personal relationship with Christ Jesus is the most important thing. I’d say it’s the only thing that ultimately matters.

In one of his letters — Philippians — the Apostle Paul listed his impressive credentials. Outwardly, he was the best of the best. But then he said that was garbage compared to knowing Jesus.

I would say the same.

I have been a Christian for 50-plus years. I have a master’s degree in New Testament studies. I have studied original languages and have translated a fair amount of the New Testament. That’s all good stuff, but it has not made me more spiritual. It has not made me love people who don’t deserve it.

What has then?

Here is what you need to focus on

That personal walk with Jesus helps me do that, at least when I can get out of the way and let the Spirit of God do its work inside of me. We all struggle. Even knowing this, I fail more often than I succeed.

That’s another point. No one is perfect, and you won’t be the first one to be perfect. God is not sitting up there with a checklist to make sure you did everything right, or believed everything right.

God has also not handed out checklists to other people so they can check up on you. We have the Bible as our guide, and we also have the Holy Spirit that whispers to us and changes us from the inside.

What to do instead

Instead of getting involved in debates, focus on your personal relationship with God. This is spiritual. Supernatural even.

Be patient. It’s ok to listen to people and consider what they say, but understand they are just pilgrims too, and still figuring it out themselves.

Pray a lot. Do things that make you feel more spiritual — whatever that may be. It’s a new thing, so explore your new reality with patience.

Find some other believers who are not judgmental about everything. If they hand you a list of stuff, find some other people.

It is good to read your bible daily. At first, just read a few verses in the New Testament — the Gospel of John is a great place to start. Meditate on that, listen to what the Spirit is telling you.

Go to some different churches — and again, watch out for legalism. I’ve found church is more about the people anyway.

It’s a great journey, but it's a long journey and there are lots of sights to see and things to experience along the way. Don’t feel like you have to have the answers or do everything just right.

It is good to know about Jesus; it’s better to know Jesus.