Let God Be True

When I was in high school at a youth group meeting, I asked my Bible teacher, "What about the person who lives in a remote village who never hears about God? How is it fair for God to judge them? They never got to hear about Jesus and the gospel." No matter what someone said, it seemed wrong to judge someone for not accepting the gospel when they'd never heard it.

On August 25, 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a statement directing all Texas Independent School Districts to display copies of the Ten Commandments once a new law took effect. In his press release, he stated, "I will not back down from defending the virtues and values that built this country." But critics argued that he may have broken all of them, including working on the Sabbath, committing adultery, and an indictment for felony securities fraud. How can we defend God's law when we are known for breaking it?

Derek Hamm claimed to have served multiple tours of duty in the Army Special Forces and to have received a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Distinguished Service Cross. He got Bronze Star license plates for his car and used his story to defraud investors of millions of dollars. But when the truth came out, he was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison for wire fraud and violating the Stolen Valor Act. Wearing a medal doesn't make us war heroes.

In 1982, President Ronald Reagan issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, declaring, "Above all other nations of the world, America has been especially blessed... I have always believed that this anointed land was set apart in an uncommon way, that a divine plan placed this great continent here between the oceans to be found by people from every corner of the Earth who had a special love of faith and freedom." It feels good to believe that God chose America to be first.

In 1517, you could buy a certificate that promised to release a loved one from purgatory. The St. Peter's Indulgence, as it was called, was authorized by Pope Leo X. The traveling preachers who sold them said the revenue went to rebuilding St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Secretly, it also repaid the loan the archbishop took out to buy his office. In Thesis 82, Luther asked why the pope doesn't empty purgatory because he loves the souls that are there, rather than to raise money for a church? No matter how noble it sounded, building a church didn't justify taking advantage of the poor.