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In a recent article by Jeff Miller, titled, “Should Christians Accept Evolution and an Old Earth To Win Converts?” Part 2, Reason and Revelation, May, 2022, Miller stated, “We would not suggest that every person must necessarily passionately believe in a young Earth and a literal Creation to be saved.”  This statement was made in the context of reason #6, “Teaching Error is sinful.”  Miller was affirming that if a person held a wrong view of literal creation, it would be okay, but if he taught that personal belief to others, it would be a sin.  The complete article can be accessed from Apologetics Press at www.apologeticspress.org. The statement by Miller brings up the question, “can a person believe a lie and not be damned?” Another question that might be asked is, “can a person sin in his/her mind or heart?”
Let’s consider some passages of scripture that will help answer these questions.
First, in II Thess. 2:10-12, the Holy Spirit through Paul declares, “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish: because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”  Paul states that it is possible to believe a lie and be damned.  Notice that he does not say that the person must teach the lie that he believes personally.  The sin is unbelief of the truth!  Unbelief leads to disobedience.  What is the lie that is held personally by the person who rejects a literal creation?  The lie is organic evolution or perhaps theistic evolution.  If I do not believe in a literal creation, I would have to believe in some form of evolution.  Organic or macroevolution denies the very existence of God!  It denies the spiritual aspect (the soul) of every human being.  It denies that there is any difference between animals and humans.  The implications of the lie of evolution are enormous.  Theistic evolutionists have varying views among themselves.  Many, such  as C. S. Lewis, believe in “common ancestry” or “common descent.”  This concept affirms that man evolved from some lower life form and then changed into the form of a monkey, and continued to evolve into a Neanderthal, and eventually several thousand Neanderthals were infused with a soul and became human beings about 120,000 years ago.  Such a concept denies the creation account given by God through Moses in Genesis 1 and 2.  This results in tampering with the lexical and grammatical aspects of Genesis 1 and 2 to make these passages figurative and mythological instead of literal and historical.  Such tampering with the sacred text is itself a sin.  Many theistic evolutionists also hold to an old Earth view and accept the evolutionary estimates that the universe is 14 billion years old and the Earth is 4-5 billion years old (John Lennox, Seven Days That Divide the World is an example and, so is Nobie Stone’s book: Genesis 1 and Lessons in Space).  The age of the Earth can be determined through the chronology given to us in Scripture.  An old Earth view denies Scriptural chronology.  The chronology of the Bible is interwoven with the genealogy of the Bible.  If you attempt to destroy the chronology, you will destroy the genealogy and the genealogy is Christological.  You cannot believe a lie and believe the truth at the same time!  If you believe a lie, you reject the truth and if you believe the truth, you reject lies.  Believing lies will not save a person’s soul.  “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God” (Heb. 3:12).
Second, Eph. 2:2-3, Sins of the Heart/Mind
The apostle Paul writes by the Holy Spirit, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” The phrase lusts of the flesh is a reference to sinful desires–the desires of the flesh and of the mind.  Jesus was very clear about the fact that we can sin with our heart/mind.  “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery.  But I say unto you, That whosoever lookest on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”  Jesus also said, “…That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.  For from within out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, and evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:20-23).  What are “evil thoughts?”  Are they not sinful thoughts and demisings?  Deceit (dolos) is a reference to lies.  Lies originate in the heart and then, they are spoken or acted upon.  All unbelief is deceit.  Unbelief is the rejection of the truth. Rejection of the truth is not innocent or innocuous.  Lust precedes adultery and fornication.  The sin is in the heart. Consider a New Testament example.  In Acts 8, Philip the evangelist goes down to Samaria and preached Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God.  A man by the name of Simon who was a sorcerer was converted.  Later, Simon coveted the power of Peter and John that enabled them to convey miraculous gifts through the laying on of their hands.  Simon thought that he could purchase this power.  Peter rebuked him saying, “…Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee” (Acts 8:20-22).  Peter’s rebuke of the sin in the heart of Simon would be the appropriate response to the person who rejected the truth about the doctrine of creation revealed in Genesis 1 and 2.
The Doctrine of Creation
The doctrine of creation is part of the doctrine of Christ (II John 9-11).  If we do not abide in the doctrine of Christ, we do not have fellowship with God.  The doctrine of creation has a direct bearing on who Jesus is.  Jesus is the Creator of all things (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16-18).  This fact is an important aspect of Jesus’ deity.  To deny the account of creation as given in God’s Word is to deny the deity of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is not only the Creator, He has told us exactly when He created all things (Genesis 1, 2; Exodus 20:11) and what He created and how He created it.  To reject this truth is to call God a liar and believe a lie.  Those who believe a lie will be damned.

What is the word, that if we knew its answer, would make us know as much as God?  What is the word that righteous souls who believe in God and in God’s government of the world have spoken as they looked out over the world and saw the reign of injustice and wickedness?  What is the word that believing and afflicted souls have pronounced when God’s hand lay heavy upon them? What is the word that mothers have spoken over the lifeless bodies of their children?  What is the word that Gideon spoke when he saw Israel devastated by the Midianites?  What is the word that Job spoke when he was stripped of his possessions, his wealth, his health and was left desolate?
That word is “why”.  The word why is a symbol of the unknown and unknowable.  It is the cry of the human heart when calamity strikes.  It is associated with why me and why now.  The word is often asked of people who are in despair and who feel powerless in the face of difficult circumstances.  The word was asked by Gideon and also by Job.  Let’s consider each of their circumstances and see if we can discover the answer to this haunting question.

Gideon’s Why?
In Judges 6:11-13, a verbal exchange takes place between an angel of the Lord and Gideon.  “And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Oprah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon thrashed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, whey then is all this befallen us?  and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”  Israel was oppressed by the Midianites.  They raided the crops every year and so none dared to thresh his grain openly.  In a hidden glen under the oak of Oprah, Gideon was secretly threshing out the grain of his father’s farm.  An angel stood by him and said, “The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.”  Gideon’s response indicated his keen sense that God had abandoned them and left them in despair.  He felt that God had forsaken His people.  However, on Gideon’s father’s farm, there was an altar to Baal– a clear indication of apostasy in Israel and even in Gideon’s own house.  God’s people had forsaken Him!  God is not to blame for Israel’s problems.  When Gideon asked, why?, he failed to see his own culpability.  Sin separates us from God.  The worship of Baal was prominent in Israel.  The sense that God had forsaken Israel was strong, but God was still where He always is and His power was the same as at anytime in Israel’s past.  The problem was not God.  The problem was sin in the hearts of the people.  Still, the question, why? remains.  The human soul often cries out why? The question probes what is unknown to us.  God does not answer the question.  He commissions Gideon.  God’s answer to Gideon is a command to action–a test of faith.  When faith in God is restored, then, God will fight for His people.  God told Gideon to destroy his father’s altar to Baal and build an altar to the LORD God.  Gideon did this proving his faith in God.  Then, God used Gideon to destroy the Midianites–120,000 of them (Judges 8:10).  This victory manifested God’s presence and power among His people.  Gideon’s question, “why then is all of this befallen us?” is answered.  God has not abandoned them, but they had abandoned God.  But, when faith in God is restored and the sin barrier removed, God will fight for His people and victory is assured.

Job’s Why?
In Job 3:11, Job says, “Why died I not from the womb?” Why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of my mother’s belly?  Job is an eternal symbol of the mystery of human life.  Job was a man of Uz who feared God  and lived an upright and righteous life.  He had seven sons and three daughters.  His substance was great–seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred donkeys. Job was a great man.  He was blessed.
Job was put to a severe test of his faith in God.  Satan believed that Job served God because God had blessed Job so abundantly.  Satan reasoned that if all this prosperity were taken away from Job that he would turn away from God.  Swift calamities befell Job.  The Sabeans drove off his livestock.  His servants were slain with the sword.  Fire fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the shepherds watching them.  The Chaldeans drove of the camels and slew their drivers with the sword.  A whirlwind struck Job’s eldest son’s house and killed all of his children and their families.  In a single day, Job lost his possessions and his family.  Job’s response was, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb and naked shall I return thither.  The LORD gave, the LORD taketh away, blessed be the name of the LORD.”
Another test came.  Satan believed that if Job was afflicted personally, he would turn away from God.  “Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life” (Job 2:4).  God permitted Satan to afflict Job but restricted him from taking Job’s life.  Job’s body was covered with boils from head to toe.  Job’s wife told him to, “curse God and die.”  Job said, “What? shall receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil?  Job maintained his integrity.  Job’s three friends come to visit him–Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.  They sat in silence for seven days.  Then, Job lamented the day he was born.  “Why died I not from the womb?” (Job 3:11).  Job’s three friends could not answer the why?  Neither Elihu nor Job could answer the question why.  Then, God speaks to Job and God does not directly answer the question why.  But, God does affirm His sovereignty.  God extolled His glory and asked Job a series of questions Job could not answer.  The answer to Job’s why was twofold.  There is a sovereign God and He is worthy of our trust no matter how difficult the circumstances of life may be.  God’s promise to us is: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  God will never fail nor forsake His beloved people.  In the end, the mercy and grace of God was shown to Job and all of his possessions and his family were restored (James 5:11).

Our Why?
We may find ourselves in difficult circumstances that test our faith in God.  This world is a vale of soul-making.  God is working and satan is working.  God works to help us develop the qualities that will glorify Him.  Satan works to bring us to condemnation before God.  Every test must be met with faith in God!  God will never forsake those who love Him and are committed to His Will.  Let us permit God to be God and let us put our trust in Him in all things.  We may not know the answer to every why question.  But, we can answer every why question with faith in God: “I will trust in Him!”

Cold-Case Christianity was written by J. Warner Wallace and provides the reader with a unique approach to apologetics from the perspective of a cold-case homicide detective.  Wallace was a vocal atheist for many years.  Now, he uses his investigative skills to make the case for Christianity (used in the general sense).  The reader will be impressed with this approach to examination of the evidence for the reliability of the New Testament and the eyewitness accounts given therein of the life of Christ.  Wallace places the reader in the jury box.  He gives instructions on how to handle the evidence presented much as a judge would instruct the jury.  He asks you to weigh the evidence and come to a conclusion that is “beyond a reasonable doubt.”  A review of this book is now on my “Book Reviews” page.

Lazarus was very sick.  Mary and Martha, his sisters, were very concerned about him.  They sent word to Jesus, “he whom thou lovest is sick.” Jesus knew that this would be an opportunity to use His power to reveal God’s glory.  After two days, Jesus returned to Judea.  His disciples were concerned about His welfare because  previously He had been threatened with stoning in the same region.  In the meantime, Lazarus died.  Jesus told His disciples that Lazarus was dead and that they would go to him (John 11:15).  The death of a loved one is a crisis.  Death is a significant transition that is often thrust upon us when we least expect it.  How do we manage these moments of crisis?
A Christian never faces these moments alone.  A Christian has entered into spiritual union with Christ and spiritual fellowship with all of those of like precious faith.  In addition, a Christian has both faith and love to guard his/her heart.  Faith is taking God at His Word.  Love for God involves affection, adoration and attachment through covenant relationship with Him.  Love for others means that we seek their highest good.  The duo of faith and love are linked together seventeen times in the New Testament.  Let’s consider some aspects of what their combination means.
Faith and Love are Virtues of the Christian Life.
When Peter lists eight Christian virtues, he mentions faith first and love last (II Pet. 1:5-8: faith, virtue (moral vigor), knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity (love).  Faith and love are qualities of character that a Christian possesses from the very beginning of the Christian life.  They are connected in such a way that they cannot function alone.  “Faith worketh by love,” (Gal. 5:6).  Faith functions by love.  Faith is activated and energized by love.  Love adds value to faith. “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing” (I Cor. 13:2).  Without love, faith is nothing.  This is the reason why a dead faith cannot save. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26).  The works that James refers to are “works of righteousness” given to us by God.  Christian character manifests itself in actions that are consistent with the character trait.  Faith and love can be seen in the words and works of an individual.  Consequently, faith and love in the heart manifest themselves in the conduct of the Christian.  They are essential elements of obedience to God and moral excellence.
Faith and Love for Jesus
Peter writes, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (I Pet. 1:8).  Faith in Jesus means that we believe that He is the Son of God and savior of the world.  It means that we trust Jesus and follow Him by being obedient to His commands (Matt. 28:18-20; John 8:24; Heb. 5:8-9).  Love for Jesus means that we will keep His commandments. “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: an dry Faith will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23).  Our faith and love for Jesus is shown by obedience to His commandments.  Keeping covenant is an important aspect of fellowship with God and Christ.
Faith in Jesus and Love for The Saints
Paul writes, “Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints” (Eph. 1:15).  “Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints” (Col. 1:4).  Faith in the Lord Jesus produces love for the saints.  When we follow the Lord, we will love one another.  “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34-35).  Faith and love function together to identify us as the children of God.
Faith and Love Protect
“But let us, who are of the daytime be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation” (I Thess. 5:8).  Faith and love are defensive weapons.  Satan tempts us to bring us to condemnation before God.  Faith and love guard the heart and help to quench these temptations and enable Christians to prevail.  Faith accepts God’s Word.  Love rejoices not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth (I Cor. 13:6).  Both faith and love are connected to God’s Word which is an offensive weapon against the wiles the devil (Eph. 6:17).  Faith and love help the Christian stand against all sin.  Faith and love function within the heart and protects the vulnerable area–the human heart.
Faith and Love are Dynamic
“We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith growth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth” (II Thess. 1:3).  Paul witnessed the spiritual growth of the Thessalonian brethren in both faith and love.  In John 11, in the midst of the crisis of death, Jesus challenged Martha’s faith to grow in the midst of the crisis. “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, Believest thou this?” (John 11:25-26).  While Martha believed (John 11:27), Jesus challenges her faith in His power to resurrect Lazarus from the dead.  Every crisis is a test of faith and love.  A Christian is ever learning and ever growing to advance in wisdom and spiritual strength.  Every crisis is an opportunity to grow spiritually.
Faith and Love Are Essential to Christian Living
To women, Paul writes, “Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety” (I Tim. 2:15).  The pronoun “she” refers to the unspecified godly woman.  The pronoun “they” refers to the entire class of godly women.  The Christian woman will be saved by adhering to her God-designed purpose and Christian character which includes faith and love.  To young people, Paul writes, “Let no man despise thy youth: but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (I Tim. 4:12).  Christian young people can “set the pace” for others in godly character.  Faith and love are integral aspects of that excellent spirit.  To young preachers, Paul writes, “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness” (I Tim. 6:11).  “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (II Tim. 1:13).  “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (II Tim. 2:22).  Every gospel preacher should be an example in faith and love.
Two Outstanding Examples of Faith and Love
The first example is found in the life of Paul.  Paul wrote to Timothy and reminded him of the example Paul provided to him. “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me” (II Tim. 3:10-11).  Paul desired that Timothy follow him as much as he followed Christ.  The second example is that of Philemon. Paul makes an appeal to Philemon to receive Onesimus back as a brother in Christ.  He bases that appeal on the character of Philemon.  “Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints” (Philemon 5).  Christian character in Philemon’s heart will function to restore relationship with Onesimus and crown it with an even greater bond, i. e. that of brotherhood.
Could anyone deny the power of faith and love in the Christian life?  Surely anyone can see that we are not saved by faith alone.  Faith without love is nothing (I Cor. 13:2).  The unbeatable duo is faith and love.

Between Sundays is a workbook written by Steve Miller.  The book examines thirteen topics:  observance of the Lord’s Day (Sunday); living by faith, personal Bible study; developing love, being light and salt, serving the Lord and others, practicing the Golden Rule, developing moral purity, working honestly, balancing responsibilities to God, self and others, praying without ceasing, fulfilling one’s personal role and responsibilities in the home, and being a faithful member of the church of Christ.  A review of this book is posted on my Book Reviews page.  The emphasis of the book is maintaining integrity between one’s profession of faith on Sunday and performance of that faith in daily life.  All Christians should live lives of integrity.

“Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matt. 4:5-7).  What does it mean to tempt God? (Deut. 6:16).  Tempting God is exemplified in the Old Testament period of the Wilderness Wanderings referred to as the Provocation (Heb. 3:14-19).  Tempting God is when we challenge God to prove Himself faithful.  Tempting God is when we provoke God to act in a way that is not in harmony with His perfect character or expressed or unexpressed Will.  His expressed will is given in the Bible and His unexpressed will is manifested through Divine Providence and in answer to prayer.  Tempting God violates the sovereignty of God.  We must not and we cannot coerce God to do anything.  God acts freely based upon His own sovereign will and His love.
The Provocation (Heb. 3:14-19)
The Israelites tempted God.  “Wherefore the people did chide with Moses and said, Give us water that we may drink.  And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me?  Wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?” (Exodus 17:2,7).  “And he called the name of the place Massah (temptation) and Meribah (chiding), because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, and said, Is the LORD among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7).  God had already proven Himself in the miracles of the Exodus.  God’s presence among them was not a matter of doubt.  However, their words indicated unbelief (Heb. 3:14-19).  Out of this unbelief, they demanded that God act to provide them water.  They directly challenged the faithfulness of God to them.  But it is not the place of the people to dictate to God how He is to express His covenant commitment to them.  They were dissatisfied with God’s provisions for this.  This is ingratitude.  Unbelief and ingratitude are often joined together in the human heart.  Disbelief, demands, and dissatisfaction, seem to be at the heart of the problem which involved them in tempting God.
“Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice” (Num. 14:22).  “Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah” (Deut. 6:16).  Jesus quoted from this passage in Matt. 4:4-7 in response to Satan’s temptation.  “And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.  Yea, they spake against God; they said, “Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?” (Psa. 78:18, 41, 56).  They challenged God to provide for their own lusts of the flesh.  God provided manna for a little more than 40 years.  They were not satisfied with God’s sufficiency (His grace).  “How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel” (Psa. 78:41).  You cannot put God in a box!  God cannot be limited or controlled by man’s desires.  “Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies.”  Unbelief leads to disobedience.  The Israelites challenged God’s faithfulness to His covenant promises.  This act was actually a denial of God’s faithfulness.  If they trusted in God’s faithfulness, then, they would have accepted God’s provisions for them.  They would have been grateful for the measure of God’s grace that was supplied.
The Temptation (Matt. 4:4-7)
One of the temptations of Jesus by Satan involved challenging God to keep His covenant promises.  Satan quoted scripture (Psa. 91:11-12).  “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Satan challenges Jesus to cast himself down from the pinnacle of the temple and force God to keep His promise to protect Him.  Satan gives too broad an interpretation/application to this Psalm.  God is faithful to His covenant promises.  But, God’s promise does not mean that we can foolishly put ourselves at risk and force Him to act.  This is tempting God. Jesus answers Satan’s misinterpretation of Scripture with Scripture (Deut. 6:16).  Scripture forbids us from tempting God.  Another aspect of this temptation is Satan’s attempt to produce confusion between trusting God and tempting God.  Jesus trusted God.  However, Jesus knew the difference between trusting God to act according to His promises by His own sovereignty and demanding God to keep His promise by risky behavior.
Challenging God’s Redemptive Work (Acts 15:10)
“Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers or we were able to bear?” (Acts 15:10).  Acts 15 contains the historical information of the Jerusalem Conference.  This conference was convened to address and settle the question as to whether or not Gentile Christians needed to be circumcised and  keep the Law of Moses.  To tempt God in this context meant that they were demanding God to act in a way that was not in harmony with His Will (expressed or immediate revealed Will).  Some were making a law that God never made and binding it on others.  God is true to His Word, but not to the traditions of men.  God never said that Gentile Christians had to be circumcised or keep the Law of Moses (Acts 15:2, 24, “to whom we gave no such commandment”).  The Law of Moses and the Law of Christ cannot be in force at the same time (Rom. 7:1-4).  They were tempting God to set aside the gospel of Christ and bind the Law of Moses.  This could not be done and was not in harmony with God’s Will.
Tempting God or Trusting God?
Tempting God involves provoking God to act in a way specified by us in order to fulfill His covenant promises to us.  Tempting God violates God’s sovereignty.  It challenges His faithfulness to His Word.  Finally, it usurps His authority and puts us in the place of God.  We must not put ourselves at risk and, then, call upon God to deliver us because He said He will never fail us or forsake us.  This is tempting God.  Trusting God is permitting God to act according to His Will and His purposes and believing that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

The friendship of David and Jonathan is one of the purest in the entire Bible.  Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection.  Friendship is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than either acquaintance or co-worker.  Jeremy Taylor defines friendship in the following manner, “By friendship you mean the greatest love, the greatest usefulness, the most open communication, the noblest sufferings, the severest truth, the heartiest counsel, and the greatest union of minds of which brave men and women are capable.”
The Relationship Between David and Jonathan
In I Samuel 13:3; and 14:1-14, there is a depiction of the heroism of Jonathan and his armor bearer.  Together, they destroyed a Philistine garrison of twenty men.  Before Jonathan approaches the Philistines, he establishes a sign that would indicate that God would deliver the enemy into their hands.  When the sign was confirmed, Jonathan and his armor bearer fought and won the battle.  David demonstrates his fearless fighting ability by fighting the giant Goliath and killing him (I Samuel 17).  David and Jonathan were both fearless warriors.  Both men loved each other as friends.  Both men respected each other and trusted each other.  Both men had a strong faith in God.  This spiritual bond played a significant role in their relationship.
The Covenant of Mercy
In I Samuel 20:8 and 14-17, David and Jonathan express a covenant of mercy between them.  David sought the preservation of his life from Saul, Jonathan’s father.  Jonathan sought David’s goodwill toward himself and his descendants.  Jonathan remained loyal to David even as David rose in prominence.  Jonathan should rightly have become king.  But Jonathan accepts God’s choice of David to be the next king in Israel.  Consequently, he does not envy David nor become a rival to him as Saul had done.  Jonathan seeks to preserve David’s life and so preserve David’s place in Israel’s history.  Giving place to David is an act of lovingkindness or hesed on Jonathan’s part.  David and Jonathan have internalized God’s mercy in their own lives.  Both had been the recipients of God’s mercy and now they have internalized it in their own relationship with each other.  Hesed has been defined as, “when the person from whom I have no right to expect anything, gives me everything” (Michael Card).  Hesed is grace, mercy, lovingkindness.  When this principle functions in a relationship and is motivated by love, it unleashes a powerful bond that will last a lifetime and beyond.  This is the key to lifetime friendship.
The Covenant of Mercy and Reciprocity
Once a covenant of mercy is established between two people on the basis of love, there is mutuality.  The one who is initially shown hesed naturally demonstrates hesed in return.  This is not a legal expectation.  It is based upon love which acts freely.  Reciprocity is an indication that both parties in a friendship have internalized the truth of hesed.  Hesed is relational.  Its power in a relationship is increased when it is reciprocated.  It becomes the principle upon which the friendship functions.  If hesed is not returned by you in gratitude, you have not understood the nature of hesed shown to you in the first place.  The failure to reciprocate hesed disappoints the person who has shown hesed.  When mutual reciprocity of hesed is active in a relationship, the relationship endures all the ups and downs and good times and bad times presented by external circumstances.  Even after Jonathan died in battle at the same time as his father, Saul, David continued to show mercy to his descendants.  This demonstrates the power of the covenant of mercy between David and Jonathan (see Michael Card, Inexpressible: Hesed and the Mystery of God’s Lovingkindness).
Hesed and You
When hesed is experienced in our relationship with God, we taste of the heavenly gifts of mercy and grace (Heb. 6:4).  We have no right to expect anything from God, but He gives us everything!  Motivated by love, God gives us every spiritual blessing through His Son, Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:3).  We become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:16-17). We receive the forgiveness of our sins when we obey the gospel (Acts 2:38, Rom. 6:4 and 17).  We become the children of God (Gal. 3:26-27).  Truly, God is rich in grace and mercy toward us (Eph. 1:7, 2:4). When we internalize God’s mercy and imitate Him in manifesting hesed, we display the divine nature in our relationships with others.  We unleash the power of love and mercy in all of our relationships and we have the potential to form bonds that will last a lifetime and beyond!