David Bahn – Reflections

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

³⁶ At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me.³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. – Daniel 4:34-37

I have had limited but significant experience with prison ministry. I’ve gotten to know different inmates at a few different state penitentiaries. I have been wary of their possible ploys, ruses and cons. Those who got to prison got there because of miscreant behavior. But I have also seen and heard of genuine conversions. Men who were in for life – no possibility for parole – becoming pastors inside the prison. Their testimony is profound and impactful.

Some may wonder whether these conversions are real. In the case of Nebuchadnezzar, one may wonder. We’ve seen him praise the highest God. We’ve heard him proclaim the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be the only true God. But we also saw him become overly-self-important and fail to give God the glory. We’ve seen Nebuchadnezzar waffle back and forth between humility and hubris.

What are we to make of his profession here? He says of God:

his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
    and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
³⁵ all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
    and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
    and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand
    or say to him, “What have you done?”

Rather than attempting to judge Nebuchadnezzar’s heart and the sincerity of his confession, perhaps it is good for us to check to see that it is in keeping with God’s word (it is), and acknowledge it as true and important. You will never know another’s heart. That is the purview of God alone. But we can listen to those who profess their faith in him, and as we discover it’s truth, join in praising the King of heaven.

Truly we cannot call God to account, asking whether it is appropriate for him to forgive the most vile sinner, “What have you done?” That word of Nebuchadnezzar is unassailably true. We can thank God that he forgives sinners and redeems the lost – which includes us even at our worst.

All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. ²⁹ At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, ³⁰ and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” ³¹ While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, ³² and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” ³³ Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws. – Daniel 4:28-33

I don’t know much about Howard Hughes. But the little I know spans a broad range of information. He flew the “Spruce Goose”, a very large airplane made of plywood. Of this aircraft in 1947 Hughes said, “The Hercules was a monumental undertaking. It is the largest aircraft ever built. It is over five stories tall with a wingspan longer than a football field. That’s more than a city block. Now, I put the sweat of my life into this thing. I have my reputation all rolled up in it and I have stated several times that if it’s a failure, I’ll probably leave this country and never come back. And I mean it.”

According to Boeing, “Hughes lifted the giant aircraft 33 feet (10 meters) off the surface of Long Beach (Calif.) Harbor and flew it for one mile (1.6 kilometers), for less than a minute, remaining airborne 70 feet (21 meters) off the water at a speed of 80 mph (128 kph) before landing. The H-4 Hercules never flew again.” That sounds like a failure to me.

Perhaps that is why (the other bit of knowledge I know about Hughes is that toward the end of his life, he refused to cut his toenails and fingernails, hair, and beard – much like that which is described of Nebuchadnezzar.

Whether Hughes ever repented (as we will learn of Nebuchadnezzar) I am not certain. But I do know that outlandish behavior is most obviously connected with a life lived without boundaries, feedback, rebuke, or challenge. They say it’s good to be king. But that’s true only if one is willing to acknowledge the King of kings and order one’s life by values of decency, justice, godliness, and humility. I suspect that these values are not much in demand by kings and lords.

It may be good to be king for limited reasons. It is far better to be one who confesses Jesus as Lord: our Redeemer, Savior, and Sovereign, than to be a king who abandons the ways of God and all prudent self-control.

Read Daniel 4:19-27

Seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. ²⁶ And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. ²⁷ Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: 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.” – Daniel 4:25-27

I recall a stunning and challenging moment in my vicarage year, when I served at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cheyenne, Wyoming. A vicar is a student pastor who has completed two years of post-college schooling, and is placed under the supervision of a local pastor for some sometimes intense on the job training. I had an excellent experience except for two specific occasions when I earned a stern warning from my supervisor.

The content of that warning is not as important as the importance of it, and the fact that my supervisor felt compelled to express it. It was one of those, “Don’t do that again” kinds of warnings; and I heeded the admonition. I’m not certain, but I suspect that supervising pastor would rather not have had to give the warning. Sometimes, however heavy the truth weighs on us, we must deliver it so that others may turn away from dangerous or harmful ways to the kindness and mercy of God.

Daniel is making such a pronouncement to Nebuchadnezzar in this encounter. He is delivering the interpretation of the king’s dream – a very unpleasant one at that. The news is not good. Nebuchadnezzar will lose his throne, his palace and housing, and even his sanity. Daniel is delivering this stern warning.

Note, however, that Daniel is providing a window of hope in the darkness of God’s judgment. Nebuchadnezzar is to repent of his sin and break off his iniquities by practicing righteousness and showing mercy. This is strikingly similar to the admonition of the prophet Micah:  “O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” – Micah 6:8

Whether we are facing judgment and harsh realities on account of severe rebellion, or simply living our lives under Christ in his kingdom, these are good words for us. To do what is right, in a merciful and humble way is the calling for Jesus’ followers. When we pray the Lord’s prayer, saying, “Forgive us our trespasses…”, our failure to live in such a way should be near the top of our lists of sins to be confessed and for which we seek God’s forgiveness.

Wounds of a friend can be trusted (Proverbs 27:6). That is especially true when those difficult words lead us to turn to the One who not only rules over the affairs of men, but who has redeemed us, saved us by his grace, and promised life through faith in Jesus, his Son.

[Nebuchadnezzar continues telling Daniel his dream] “I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven ¹⁴ He proclaimed aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. ¹⁵ But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. ¹⁶ Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him.¹⁷ The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’¹⁸ This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

It is quite dangerous these days to accuse someone of sin because of a physical or emotional/psychological ailment from which he or she suffers. We don’t want to make the mistake of the Apostles as recorded in John 9, when they asked of the man born blind: “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” Jesus told them that neither sinned; he was born blind that the glory of God might be revealed in him. Then Jesus went on to show the glory of God by healing the man.

Sometimes, however, sickness of various kinds are caused by sin. Abuse your body with alcohol too long and the result may be Cirrhosis of the liver. Take illegal mind-altering drugs and the result may be schizophrenia or some other mental psychosis. Rob a bank at gunpoint and you may get shot.

In the case of Nebuchadnezzar the mental breakdown he was to suffer was sent by God as a judgment – to abase him and bring him ultimately to his senses. The key is the last part of that equation: “to bring him to his senses.” Paul speaks of this same judgment of God in 1 Corinthians 11 when he says,

“Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. ³⁰ That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. ³¹ But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. ³² But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. – 1 Corinthians 11:28-32

God’s desire is for us to repent and believe the Good News of his love, redemption, salvation, and gift of eternal life. He deeply desires that we live under Christ’s rule and reign – a reign of grace, mercy, love, and faith. Whatever valley of the shadow of death he may lead us through, his desire is to bring us to the other side. Sometimes we – like Nebuchadnezzar – must learn this the hard way. But the desire, love, mercy, grace, and kindness of God is never far – even in our darkest hour.

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. ⁵ I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. ⁶ So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. ⁷ Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation. ⁸ At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying, ⁹ “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. – Daniel 3:4-9

Perhaps you’ve had those moments when things are going well, and you cringe inwardly because you just know something bad is going to happen. You realize that the good times that are rolling won’t roll on forever, or even worse: the good times are only an illusion. The chickens are going to come home to roost; you’ve made some decisions that are going to catch up with you. Perhaps you’ve leveraged yourself too much financially. Maybe you’ve over promised your boss, saying you’ll deliver the account that you’ve already lost. Possibly your failure to pay attention to your family is going to explode in your face: your marriage is falling apart before your eyes, and the kids have no desire to be part of your life.

Nebuchadnezzar was living that moment: he was at ease but something began troubling him. Ultimately a dream shook him out of his false sense of security and self-reliance. Trouble was on the horizon.

To whom does he turn? He calls Daniel, the one in whom is “the spirit of the holy gods.” He recognizes that his own wisdom, nor that of his favored court magicians, enchanters, and astrologers are not able to help him. These offer only false and fleeting comfort. He needs the truth. Even more, he needs true hope. Is there any to be found?

In those times when we rub up against the brutal realities of imminent trouble to whom can we turn? You can turn to the tricksters, hucksters, and hypers of modern-day quick-fix artists. But they will fail you. You can turn to a trusted friend, who may or may not offer the wisdom of God. Better yet, you can turn to someone who will share the truth – helping you to face the brutal facts – but who will also sare hope – pointing you to Jesus’ mercy, forgiveness, and promise of eternal salvation and abundant life.

When troubles come it is vitally important to face the brutal facts, to repent of our part in that trouble. Your part may or may not always be the primary cause; there are evil people in the world who will do the devil’s bidding to steal, kill, and destroy. But we have a Redeemer, and Advocate, an Intercessor who pleads for us before the Father in Heaven. In him is hope – no matter how brutal the facts may be. A true friend will lead you to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross…and set down at the right hand of God.

 King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! ² It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.

Maybe you know someone who can talk himself out of any trouble. He gets caught padding his expense account and he’s got a tale a mile long to distract from the facts and escape the blame. He gets in trouble at school and he manages to put the blame on the teacher. Or he is proactive: he feigns deep religious piety only to take advantage of others’ gullibility.

As we learn more about Nebuchadnezzar we will discover that there is at least a little bit of the “feigning deep religious piety” going on here. Make no mistake: the words are good. God is great. His wonders and signs are mighty. His is an everlasting kingdom. He will not soon, nor ever fade away.

Consider how incredibly true that is. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the eternal God. He made himself known as the God of faithfulness to Abraham. He revealed his holy name to Moses. He established his earthly kingdom through David. Now, however, God’s nation is taken captive. Their glory gone. Their temple ransacked. Yet he shows up in mighty power, saving the three men in the furnace, and revealing dreams through Daniel.

More important: God, the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who will send his Son and pour out his Spirit is known, feared, loved, and trusted by countless people from Baghdad to Brazil, from Jerusalem to Johannesburg; from Riyadh to Rome; from Cairo to Chicago. All around the world people call on the God who Nebuchadnezzar praises – these 2500 years later. And who remembers the gods of the sorcerers, satraps, seers, and sweet-talkers of Nebuchadnezzar’s day?

Thankfully God isn’t finished with Nebuchadnezzar. His easy-talk will be shown to be lacking in true faith. He will be brought dramatically down before he is restored. But this powerful king will fade into history, and the God he acknowledges still reigns.

The question for us today is whether our praise is easy talk or from the heart of repentance and faith. Such true repentance and faith is never easy; we cannot do it without the presence and working of the Holy Spirit. That attitude is a daily calling for the followers of the true God. He is faithful, and true, merciful and good. He will always be ready to receive those who come to him in that spirit.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” ²⁵ He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. ²⁷ And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. ²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside^[f] the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. ²⁹ Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” ³⁰ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. – Daniel 3:24-30

I wrote yesterday that God desires more to woo us than to wow us. I stand by that comment: God’s nature is to be just, mighty, holy, righteous, and glorious. But, according to 1 John 4, God is love. His ultimate revelation of himself was to pour out on his own Son, his wrath, just judgment against sin, and our failure to meet his demand that we be holy – even as he is holy. He laid all that on Jesus, not on us, and sought to woo us into a relationship of faith. Jesus is God’s perfect revelation of grace and truth. We are to fear, love, and trust in God above all things. But in the end, faith, hope, and love remain, and the greatest of all these is love.

Having said that, there is an issue we must all face: God is just. He is a “consuming fire” (even revealed as such in the New Testament, cf. Hebrews 12:29). What Nebuchadnezzar could not do with his seven-times-as-hot-as-normal fiery furnace, God will do to all who reject him. This is a sad reality, but one God has no desire simply to unleash. God’s wrath, in the end, will be to give over to themselves all who refuse to acknowledge him as King of kings, and Lord of all. But he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked; He would rather that they turn from their sinful ways and live (Ezekiel 33:11).

God wants to woo us, but we may need to be wowed a bit – not in the carnival side show manner of wowing, but in the encounter with the holy God manner of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-5). Before we are overcome by God’s grace we must encounter God’s truth: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We have been justified by God’s grace in Jesus Christ – thanks be to God. But we must never outgrow our need to fear God in the core of our being – even as we trust and love him.

A favorite scene in one of C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, is when the Christ figure, Aslan, is described as not safe, but good (click here for the quote). God is good. He is holy, righteous, faithful, loving, merciful, and worthy of all our faith, hope, and love.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” ²⁵ He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. ²⁷ And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. ²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. ²⁹ Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” ³⁰ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. – Daniel 3:24-30

I don’t understand quantum physics, but I understand that it has to do with the act of measuring something actually changes it in the process. I don’t understand calculus, but I believe that it has to do with measuring nearly infinitely complex shapes and issues of speed and acceleration. I’m certain that someone could provide a better explanation of these scientific disciplines.

I’m not certain, however, that anyone can can explain what happened when the three men were thrown into the fiery furnace. The guards were burned up, while the three men were joined by a fourth; and that fourth one looked like “a son of the gods.” This simply does not compute. I have no form of reference to which to compare it. I’ve never seen anything like this. This miracle is so out of the bounds of any experience or encounters I’ve ever had.

The fiery furnace and no harm – not even the hair on their heads was singed – I just don’t comprehend. Perhaps that’s why the king’s conversion appears only to have been temporary. As you read on, you will discover that the king soon turns away from his humble acknowledgement of “the Most High God”, placing him on a slightly higher level than the other gods of the pantheon. He will too quickly turn to himself as the means by which his fame and success is achieved. He recognizes God as an amazing miracle-worker, and one whom he should fear. But too soon he will forget.

I believe that God wants to be more than a wow-inspirer; he wants to be the One to whom we look for the highest good in life. God does not want simply to WOW us, he wants to woo us with his loving grace. That is yet to happen to Nebuchadnezzar. Hopefully it has happened to you; hopefully God has wooed you with his love and you are eternally and blessedly his.

Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. ²⁰ And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. ²¹ Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. ²² Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. ²³ And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. – Daniel 3:19-23

I’ve had close encounters with terrible suffering only a few times in my life. Once I came upon a terrible auto accident. A Jeep carrying 4 college-age young people went out of control and rolled over several times. One of the passengers – a young woman was thrown out of the vehicle and lay in the middle of the highway in terrible pain. We offered prayers and shared the Gospel with the young woman. A few days later, however, she died.

I’ve not seen the kind of terrible suffering that Jesus endured before and during his crucifixion, or the extreme pain of being burned at the stake like Joan of Ark, or other terrible suffering such as that which was endured under Roman persecutions of the Early Church.

I’m not certain what motivates people to cause such pain in others, but it is clear that Nebuchadnezzar is inspired to bring as much pain and suffering to Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednego – as they were bound and thrown into the fiery furnace. Were they bound so that they could not try to relieve their own pain in any way? Even the men who threw these three faithful servants of God into the furnace were killed in the process.

Jesus says that the thief steals, kills, and destroys. He inspires others to do the same. It is clear, however, that such vicious evil will not win the day. Try as he might Nebuchadnezzar will not prevail against these three men. Not only that – and this is perhaps the most important thing of all – when the devil poured out his most ferocious and vile fury upon Jesus, by his faithful suffering and death overcame such evil for all time.

Sadistic torture will not win here in Daniel, nor in the end: Jesus has won by his redemptive love and faith in his Father’s goodness. He is our salvation and the victor over the most brutal persecution.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” – Daniel 3:16-18

I can recall only once or twice that I have been ridiculed for my faith. One such time was when I was serving churches in Utah and Colorado. We lived in Vernal, Utah, where there was a heavy Mormon population – estimated to be somewhere in the range of 75% of the total population. Most of our neighbors and acquaintances were friendly and polite. One day, however, as I was leaving the gas station, heading from Vernal to Rangely, Colorado, and wearing my clerical collar, I was greeted with the “one finger salute”. It was clear to me that I was being singled out because I was a clergyman.

Mormons have a particularly bad opinion of clergy – especially any who might look like the Roman Catholic type. I suppose I looked the part. I didn’t let it bother me, but obviously it made somewhat of an impression. That was 38 years ago!

Aren’t Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego putting themselves into a ridicule ripe position when they answer the king as they did? “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter…our God…will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

I can imagine the indignation of the guards, the ridicule of the king’s attendants, and the ire of the king himself at such words. They must have thought, You’ve got to be kidding me! Do you have any idea how hot that furnace really is? Do you know how severe the pain will be? Can you even imagine the fierce rage you are facing? What cheek! What insolence! What sagaciousness! You make me laugh. I almost feel sorry for you.

I hope never to face the severe trials these men of God endured. I hope never to be told, “Bow down or else.” I fear such a trial might undo me. Perhaps, however, that is not the point for us. We are more likely to face more subtle ridicule:

• Why don’t you just go with the flow here. Everyone pads their expense accounts. You can give me a bogus receipt.
• You don’t want to be a stick in the mud, do you? Come on; we’re gonna have a little fun while we’re out of town and away from our wives. It’s just a little harmless entertainment. 
• Are you really going to church? Do you really believe that stuff? Hey, tell your husband you don’t feel well and we’ll go to the tea room and gossip.
• Come on, it’s easy: Just slip the purse under your coat. No one will ever notice and you’ll have a new purse. Don’t pull any of the God-stuff on me either; that’s just kill-joy propaganda. 
• We can move in together. Everyone is doing it. You can tell your mom that we’ll get married someday. That’ll satisfy her, and you can just let go of all that God-guilt. It’s just old-fashioned prudishness. 

What if we answered each of those in one way or another like these three men did? We have no need to answer you. God will sustain me; and I’ll be better for it. But even if I’m left out in the cold, I will not go along with this. That’s a faith that puts you above ridicule – whether it comes in the form of the one-finger-salute, or the threat of financial, physical, or social ruin.