Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Denison Forum

Home
Evangelical
Religion News
Americans are more optimistic than we have been in fifteen years: The danger of “untethered sympathy” and the power of God’s love

Americans are more optimistic than we have been in fifteen years: The danger of “untethered sympathy” and the power of God’s love

Last updated on: May 5, 2021 at 5:09 am by Jim Denison

Americans are more optimistic than we have been in fifteen years: The danger of “untethered sympathy” and the power of God’s love 2021-05-05T05:09:11-05:00 Jim Denison

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

According to a poll taken last weekend, Americans are more optimistic about the nation’s direction than we have been since December 2006. However, our partisan divide remains: 78 percent of Republicans think keeping taxes the same is more important, while 80 percent of Democrats say it’s important that the government spend money to help the economy.

The next generation of COVID-19 vaccines could come as a pill or a nasal spray and be easier to store and transport. They have the potential to provide longer-lasting immune responses and could be more potent against newer and multiple viral variants, possibly heading off future pandemics. However, experts warn that persistent hesitancy about vaccines and widely circulating coronavirus variants make “herd immunity” unlikely in the US.

Last Sunday marked the tenth anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden. However, the jihadist revolution he sparked continues its quest to build a global caliphate.

The peril of “untethered sympathy”

It seems that good news always comes with a “however.” So long as fallen humans live on this fallen planet, good news will never be the only news in the news.

Well-known pastor and author John Piper recently addressed the Ravi Zacharias scandal, writing on his Desiring God website: “There’s a lesson to be learned from Ravi’s manipulation of people—a lesson to be learned about the need for tethered sympathy.” He explained that sympathy must always be “tethered to the truth, so that it is given lavishly when the truth calls for it and withheld when the truth clashes with it.”

Piper asked, “How did [Ravi] manipulate people into sinfully providing him with sexual stimulation? He did it by demanding untethered sympathy. He portrayed himself as an embattled, burdened, wounded warrior in the righteous cause of the gospel.” Piper said he had seen this “demand and manipulation for untethered sympathy repeatedly among fallen Christian leaders.”

Author and pastor Michael Youssef added that Zacharias’ downfall illustrates the urgency of accountability for ministers. “Whether a church has ten members, a hundred members, or ten thousand members, [the pastor] must have accountability,” he noted.

I agree wholeheartedly and have spoken and written often over the years on the significance of accountability. Here’s the problem, however: We can lie to those who seek to hold us accountable. We can deceive them and even ourselves.

If we do not see sin for what it is and ourselves for who we are, we will persist in “untethered sympathy” for ourselves and the temptations we face.

Smokers and alcoholics

I have been writing in recent days on the urgency of personal biblical morality as we face the rising antagonism of our anti-Christian culture. If our lives do not align with our words, our critics will obviously reject both. But if we live with courageous integrity, our lives can draw skeptics to our Lord.

Of course, Satan knows this as well. That’s why he works so hard to lead us into “private” sin that inevitably destroys our public witness.

In the moment of temptation, it can be hard to see sin for the enemy it is. We are like cigarette smokers who convince themselves they won’t get cancer or alcoholics who tell themselves that they can stop with one drink. In “untethered sympathy” for ourselves, we tell ourselves that we can handle this sin and that we deserve it.

Eve “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,” so “she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6). And you know the rest.

A boy under a tree

A significant key to refusing temptation and strengthening our personal character is deciding before temptation strikes that God is always right and Satan is always wrong. It is choosing to believe that our Father knows better than we do and that he only wants what is best for us.

A boy was playing under a tree when his mother stepped onto their porch, saw him, and immediately ordered him to “get down on the ground now!” He instantly obeyed her, falling to his knees. She then called to him, “Crawl to me, now!” Again, he obeyed. When he got to the porch and looked back, he saw the deadly python hanging from the tree where he had been playing, ready to strike.

The boy obeyed his mother because he knew that she knew what was best and wanted only his best.

The next time you are tempted to do what you know God forbids or to refuse what you know he commands, remember these truths:

“God showed his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).
“Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 136:26).
“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Billy Graham’s final campaign

I recently read Greg Laurie’s insightful book, Billy Graham: The Man I Knew. Laurie, one of the most effective pastors and evangelists in America today, considered Billy Graham his spiritual father. His book movingly describes their very close friendship and offers us a fascinating window into Dr. Graham’s personal life and global ministry.

Laurie was present for Dr. Graham’s 417th and final evangelistic campaign in June 2005 in New York City. The three-day event drew more than 230,000 people. Dr. Graham was eighty-six at the time and dependent on a walker due to a pelvic fracture.

Laurie writes: “Everyone knew this was the last time this warrior for Christ would speak publicly. As he was assisted to the platform, he looked out at the crowd and said, ‘God loves you!’ pointing in one direction. ‘And you,’ pointing in the other direction.”

And you.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

May 4, 2021

Pastor’s wife advocates for vaccines and receives death threats: A call to courage that glorifies Jesus

Next Post

May 6, 2021 What Bill and Melinda Gates’ divorce could mean to the world: How to strengthen our marriages and our witness

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category america biblical-living Uncategorized

Select a Month March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the longest book of the Bible?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Genesis Numbers 2 Chronicles Psalms