8 Godly Men of the Bible
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8 Godly Men of the Bible
Who Still Needed a Savior
Fatherlessness is a growing problem in the US, and research shows that a father-absent childhood can significantly affect the children’s perception of life, as well as their life choices later.
Last year was not easy for any of us, and the weight and anxiety it brought placed significant stress on families everywhere. Unfortunately, some of it inevitably leads to the breaking of families, which will have its first consequences in 2022.
Statistics on fatherless homes show that households with absent fathers also have a higher chance of being under the poverty line. In short, the absence of a father in a family can lead to serious consequences and even fatal outcomes, and these are just a few examples to show how grim the issue can be.
Top Ten Facts and Statistics on Fatherless Homes for 2022:
There are 1.8 million “solo” dads in the US.
Statistics on absent fathers show that 7 million American dads were absent from the life of all their minor children.
Divorces are one of the leading causes of fatherless homes.
When it comes to the importance of fathers, statistics can help determine how children see school and education.
Father absence statistics show that adolescent women from fatherless homes have a higher chance of getting pregnant.
According to the statistics of fatherless homes, 17.4 million children lived in fatherless homes.
Fatherlessness stats may be linked to higher rates of suicide in high school students.
Children from single-parent homes participate in more government nutrition, education, etc. programs.
Fatherlessness may be linked to lower educational levels of African American girls.
According to the Department of Justice, statistics on parents in prison show that the number of incarcerated fathers in the US grew significantly in the period from 1991 to 2007.
Absentee Father Statistics to Keep in Mind
If you live in a happy family or at least know both of your parents, you may not even have the idea of how privileged you are. Millions of children worldwide never called anyone ‘dad’ and these are just some of the numbers to paint a clearer picture.
1. According to the statistics of fatherless homes, 17.4 million children lived in fatherless homes.
(Census Bureau) (Fatherhood.org)
This amounted to almost a quarter of all American children — more precisely, 23.6%. In 2017, the number of fatherless homes in America had increased, with 19.7 million children living without a father, which is more than one in four.
2. As of 2019, a quarter of the 121 million men living in the US are biological fathers to at least one kid who’s under the age of 18.
(Census Bureau)
About four out of five of those fathers live with at least some of those underage children (79.8%), while around three-quarters, or 72,6%, live with all of their children. This still leaves many children in fatherless homes, as statistics prove.
3. Statistics on absent fathers show that 7 million American dads were absent from the life of all their minor children.
(Census Bureau)
That means about 20.2% of these men don’t take part in parenting their biological children.
4. There are 1.8 million “solo” dads in the US.
(Census Bureau)
Roughly about 6% of the fathers in the US live with their minor child without a partner or a spouse.
5. Statistics on fatherless homes indicate that many of these families in the US live in poverty.
(U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
Female-led homes with no spouse present had an alarming poverty rate of 47.6% in 2011 — more than four times the rate for kids living in families where both parents are present.
6. Divorces are one of the leading causes of fatherless homes.
(Fathers.com)
The gathered data shows that the second leading cause is out-of-wedlock births. For example, in 2008, 40.6% of all newborns were born to parents who weren’t married.
Present vs Absent Fathers Statistics
There are some differences here, but you might be surprised at how similar effects they have on children. Here is how these two categories compare and differ:
7. Statistics on fatherlessness show that absent and “solo” dads may not be as different as they seem.
(Census Bureau)
Some would suggest that fathers who raise their children by themselves are opposites to those who have little to do with parenting altogether. However, according to the census data, both categories are more likely to never have been married and to still be living with their parents.
More precisely, when talking about “solo” and absent dads in the US, around 30% of both categories have never married compared to only 14% of all fathers of underage kids. Also, 22% of “solo” fathers and 24% of absent fathers live with one or both parents. This is only prevalent in 10% of instances regarding all fathers.
8. Fatherless homes statistics suggest that some fathers became “solo” or absent due to particular circumstances that they couldn’t control.
(Census Bureau)
When looking at these stats, about 7% of absent dads and 5% of “solo” fathers were married at some point, but their spouse doesn’t live at the same place anymore. This is the case with less than 2% of all dads in the US when looking at the overall data.
To find out more about relationship facts, feel free to read this article.
9. Around 5% of absent dads had lived in the same home with their children at some point during the year before the survey.
(Census Bureau)
Fatherlessness statistics also show that 42% of these dads had either visited or had contact with their children once a month. In contrast, 12% of “solo” fathers lived with their children and spouse at some point during the previous year.
(Census Bureau)
These figures suggest that nearly half of these absent dads are or may still be involved in their children’s lives more than it appears and that a certain percentage of these “solo” fathers live a less solitary lifestyle than it might seem at first glance.
10. Based on the fatherhood statistics, 30% of absent dads have gone through a divorce.
Fatherhood statistics show that the representatives of both categories have fewer kids, are less likely to have a higher education, or to have a job.
Also, they are more likely to be divorced, with 51% “solo” and 30% of absent dads having gone through a divorce. When looking at all the fathers included in the research, this figure is only 10%.
And for more stats on dating and marriage, you may find these articles handy.
Health Risks and Consequences in Fatherless Children — Statistics and Facts
No matter how much single mothers around the world work on making their children feel loved and safe, not having a father figure seems to influence their kids more than they expect. These consequences show in the children’s health and different aspects of their lives and social behavior.
11. Fatherlessness statistics show that fatherlessness is linked to the increased risk of infant mortality.
A study on 1,397,801 infants born between 1998 and 2005 in Florida focused on how the absence of a father can impact infant mortality in ethnic minorities. At the end of the study, lower birth weights and earlier births were both linked to the lack of involvement of the dads.
Researchers also concluded that the absence of a father could impact infant mortality, with the first 28 days being crucial. In this period, mortality was four times more likely in African-American infants whose fathers were absent than in Caucasian infants with absent fathers.
12. Father absence statistics show that adolescent women from fatherless homes have a higher chance of getting pregnant.
(National Library of Medicine)
According to a 2012 study, fatherless homes and teenage pregnancy might be connected. The research included 263 adolescent women (aged 13-18) seeking psychological help. It showed that young women who come from homes where the father is absent are 3.5 times more likely to get pregnant than adolescent women from father-present households.
Also, pregnancy was prevalent in 17.4% of cases in fatherless homes, which is much higher than the estimated 4% in the sample of the adolescent population in the US in 2009.
13. Fatherlessness stats may be linked to higher rates of suicide in high school students.
(Wiley Online Library)
A study on social-ecological variables and suicidal behavior found that among 1,618 Latina high school students, the lower overall parental caring and lower perceived father support can both be predictors of suicidal behavior and thoughts.
14. Statistics on fatherhood suggest that the lack of interaction between fathers and infants can forecast behavioral issues later in life.
(National Library of Medicine)
The longitudinal cohort study found that from as early as age one, kids may express negative behaviors as a result of not having enough interaction with their fathers.
15. Secondary data suggest that father absence may increase the likelihood of young men engaging in criminal activities.
(Sage Journals)
When talking about fatherless children, crime statistics, and research on young men participating in criminal activities has found a link. By studying a sample of 835 juvenile inmates, researchers have found that fatherlessness was these children’s only disadvantage compared to others on an individual level.
Professionals found that juveniles from fatherless homes are 279% more likely to carry guns and participate in drug trafficking than those who live with their fathers.
16. Fatherlessness may be linked to lower educational levels of African American girls.
(Wiley Online Library)
When taking a better look at statistics of fatherless homes by race, researchers have found a connection between the lower levels of education in African American girls and fatherlessness.
Experts concluded that this was true for 532 study subjects, and they’ve also discovered that the father’s absence can lead to a lower income and economic stress in a family.
17. When it comes to the importance of fathers, statistics can help determine how children see school and education.
(ResearchGate)
Those children who have experienced ambivalence or avoidance with their fathers garnered negative thoughts and attitudes regarding their teachers and school in general.
In contrast, kids who had a good relationship with their fathers also had a more positive self-concept regarding academics as well as better social and emotional skills.
18. Father-involvement has a significant impact on children’s health and academic performance.
(National Library of Medicine)
Researchers further examining the fatherless homes statistics have concluded that the involvement of the father is linked to positive outcomes in child behavior, cognitive capabilities, and overall development.
It improves weight gain rates in preterm infants, helps improve breastfeeding, and can lead to better language skills and greater academic success later in life.
19. According to the Department of Justice, statistics on parents in prison show that the number of incarcerated fathers in the US grew significantly in the period from 1991 to 2007.
(Bureau of Justice Statistics)
More precisely, data show that the number of incarcerated fathers in the US had grown by a whopping 79%. Among their children, nearly half were African American (46%).
20. Children from single-parent homes participate in more government nutrition, education, etc. programs.
(The One Hundred Billion Dollar Man)
Statistics of fatherless children also show that around 55.2% of children who are a part of the WIC program are single-mother-raised. This participation is 48.2% for the Head Start services. Statistics also show that female-headed households account for nearly 37% of public assistance housing programs and Section 8 housing programs.
FAQ
What percentage of criminals are from single-parent homes?
Even though pinpointing the exact percentage of criminals coming from single-parent homes is difficult, most professionals agree that most inmates come from fatherless homes. Some studies suggest that nearly 70% of inmates did not grow up with both parents living in the same home in the US.
However, getting the exact data is rather difficult since the Bureau of Justice doesn’t track the inmates’ family backgrounds. Moreover, a 1994 study found that only 13% of juveniles in Wisconsin grew up with married parents.
(Family Inequality)(Survey of Youth in Custody)(The Morning Call)(Family Status of Delinquents in Juvenile Correctional Facilities in Wisconsin)
What are the effects of not having a father in your life?
According to professional research, growing up without one parent (in this case, the father) can permanently alter the brain’s structure.
Canadian scientists believe that the absence of fathers usually affects girls more than boys, and can make these children more aggressive. They are also more likely to be depressed, have low self-esteem, be poor learners, turn to drugs, and, in some cases, even commit suicide.
Does growing up without a father affect you?
By looking at the previous question and answer, scientists see a connection between certain behavioral patterns and growing up without a father. They’ve concluded that it has such a significant impact on children, it may even alter their brain structure and chemistry.
Conclusion
By looking at these figures, it can be concluded that growing up without one parent can have a wide variety of negative effects on children, increasing the likelihood of them turning to crime and having a lower quality of life in general.
Furthermore, these statistics on fatherless homes raise a couple of other, equally alarming questions regarding other important topics like income inequality, poverty, the efficiency of the education system (more precisely, sexual education), and crime. As such, fatherlessness and single parenting should be a major concern for all of us to deal with in 2022.
8 Godly Men of the Bible
Who Still Needed a Savior
I have been blessed to have known and still know of many men of God. In this church we have a group of men who have demonstrated by living their lives as men of God. Men who have sacrificed not having so that their families would have. Going into jobs that are difficult and sometimes dangerous just so that they could provide for their wife, children and even parents if necessary.
Men of conviction, character, grace, and mercy are just some of the characteristics that I have seen in the men of this church. I could go on to mention other men in other churches but then I would be here all day.
1. ADAM
Adam was made in righteousness and holiness, but he also had a free will that could choose to obey or disobey God. Sadly, Adam chose poorly. He listened to his wife Eve and ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which God had forbidden him to do. Because of Adam’s transgression, every person is guilty before God, since Adam represented all humanity. Additionally, everyone has a corrupt human nature, because all humans are descendants of Adam who fell into a sinful state of being.
Still, Adam had faith that God would provide a savior as promised in Genesis 3:15. He demonstrated this faith by naming his wife Eve, which means “the mother of all living” (Gen. 3:20).
Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live.
And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
2. NOAH
Noah was a righteous man living amidst a corrupt world. The Bible tells us, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5).Noah alone found favor in God’s sight. He obeyed God by building the ark and preserving God’s creatures from destruction in the flood. Yet, after the floods subsided, Noah became so inebriated one night that his son Ham walked into his tent and saw him naked. Ham then told his brothers about it. Noah subsequently cursed Ham’s son Canaan. Sin, whether it is of a minor or grievous nature, always leaves destruction in its path.
Noah’s never-failing faith was shown in his blessing of Shem and Japheth (Gen. 9:26–27).
Then Noah said,
“May the Lord, the God of Shem, be blessed,
and may Canaan be his servant!
May God expand the territory of Japheth!
May Japheth share the prosperity of Shem,
and may Canaan be his servant.”
3. ABRAHAM
Abraham is praised for his faith in both the Old and New Testaments. Abraham believed God’s promise that that all the nations would be blessed through him: “And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). The Apostle Paul also points to this scripture verse about Abraham’s faith in Romans 4:3. Still, Abraham lied twice about his wife being his sister in order to escape being harmed, once to Pharaoh (Gen. 12:10–13) and then again to King Abimelech (Gen. 20:2).
For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.
Abraham demonstrated his faith that God would keep his promise when he was willing to sacrifice Isaac, his only son by Sarah, upon God’s command. Thankfully, God spared Isaac and provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice (Gen. 22:1–18).
Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.
“Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”
“Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.”
So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”
“God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.
When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”
“Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”
Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”
4. MOSES
Moses faithfully represented God before Pharaoh and guided God’s people out of the land of Egypt and through the Red Sea. He received God’s commands on Mount Sinai and gave them to the people so that they would follow the Lord in all things. Yet, Moses got angry in the wilderness and struck the rock at Meribah to bring forth water, instead of speaking to it as God commanded. For this disobedience, God barred Moses from entering the Promised Land. Still, Moses kept his faith in God.
No other mere human in the Bible had a relationship with God like Moses did. Moses and God would regularly converse in the tent of meeting: “Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exod. 33:11).
Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting.
5. DAVID
David loved God. He was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). God chose David to be king over all of Israel, but first David had to go through numerous battles and hardships on his way to the throne. David was a mighty warrior and a loyal servant to Israel's first king, Saul. Yet, after David had ruled over Israel for some time, he committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. He also had Uriah killed to cover up his sin. David’s first child by Bathsheba died because of his transgressions.
But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’
David had great faith in God. His many acts of bravery, including the slaying of Goliath in Israel’s battle against the Philistines, demonstrated his trust in God (1 Sam. 17). David loved God so much that he also wanted to build a temple for God’s ark, but God gave that responsibility to David’s second son by Bathsheba, Solomon.
6. SOLOMON
Solomon also loved God as his father David did. After Solomon became king of Israel, he had a dream in which God asked Solomon what he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom to rule God’s people, and this was pleasing to God (1 Kings 3:3–14). God gave Solomon not only great wisdom but also riches and honor. Solomon also had the honor of building God’s temple. Yet, he acquired 700 wives and 300 concubines over the years, and eventually Solomon's wives "turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father” (1 Kings 11:4).
Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship. The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings. That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”
Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.
“Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies—I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”
Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship. The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings. That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”
Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.
“Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies—I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”
God showed mercy to Solomon. Even though he sinned against the Lord in going after other gods, Solomon was allowed to rule over Israel all the days of his life because of God’s promise o David 1 Kings 11:34.
“ ‘But I will not take the entire kingdom from Solomon at this time. For the sake of my servant David, the one whom I chose and who obeyed my commands and decrees, I will keep Solomon as leader for the rest of his life.
7. PETER
Peter was one of Jesus’ twelve apostles. When Jesus called to Peter one day when he was fishing, Peter left his nets and followed Jesus. Peter first confessed that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” in Matthew 16:16. Peter was known to be brash and impulsive, but he loved Jesus with great devotion and was one of the three disciples present at the transfiguration, along with John and James (Matt. 17:1–8). Peter declared that he would never leave Jesus (Matt. 26:33); but later, out of fear for his life, he denied three times that he even knew Jesus.
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Peter wept bitterly over his denial of Jesus, but Jesus forgave him. Peter went on to become a bold preacher for Christ, giving the first public sermon at Pentecost where thousands were filled with the Holy Spirit and confessed faith in Christ as their savior Acts 2:14–41.
Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel:
‘In the last days,’ God says,
‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
In those days I will pour out my Spirit
even on my servants—men and women alike—
and they will prophesy.
And I will cause wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below—
blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
The sun will become dark,
and the moon will turn blood red
before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives.
But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.’
“People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. King David said this about him:
‘I see that the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
No wonder my heart is glad,
and my tongue shouts his praises!
My body rests in hope.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead
or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.
You have shown me the way of life,
and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’
“Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave.
“God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.” ’
“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”
Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”
Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.
8. PAUL
Paul was a distinguished Pharisee who zealously persecuted Christians until Jesus appeared to him one day on the road to Damascus. Christians were shocked to see Paul begin preaching that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel, and the world. Paul suffered much for his faith in Christ, but he also did much to spread the gospel throughout Israel and Asia Minor. Even though Paul’s worst sins are recorded as occurring before he became a Christian, he also admitted to continuing struggle against sin as a believer (Rom. 7:18–25).
God used Paul’s zeal and advanced education to spread the gospel and teach millions of people over the centuries since Jesus’ resurrection about the essential doctrines of the Christian faith. We can learn from Paul that becoming a Christian doesn’t mean we will never sin; rather, the Christian life is a battle between the Spirit and flesh that will continue until we die and are freed from our mortal bodies. Believers will receive new bodies that can never be corrupted, just like the resurrected body of their savior Christ (1 Cor. 15:12–28).
But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.
But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.
After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.
Jesus
The only truly good man who ever lived on the earth is Jesus, the God-man. If any of us had to depend on our own works for a right standing before God, we would all be condemned. The Bible tells us: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Thankfully, Jesus was made man to keep God’s law perfectly and be the perfect atoning sacrifice for all sinners who put their faith in him alone, which comes by God’s grace alone:
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12–13)
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
Jesus died for each of us, and that is because we all needed a Savior.
So will you be a Man of God with Savior or without a Savior?
The Political Convention Was In Chaos. Each ...
Denomination: Assembly Of God
The political convention was in chaos. Each delegation wanted something different. Some favored states rights, others wanted a stronger central government. Larger states wanted greater representation, and small states wanted an equal voice.
Debate dragged on and on. Finally the committee chairman admitted the situation was hopeless.
After weeks of fruitless effort, the oldest delegate rose. Addressing the chairman, he said
"The small progress we have made after four or five weeks is melancholy proof of the imperfections of human understanding.
I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth - that God governs the affairs of men".
Citing the Bible he added, "And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?
We have been assured sir in the sacred writings that "except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in political building no better than the builders of Babel.
The speaker? Benjamin Franklin.
It is ironic that Ben Franklin, who for most of his life was not considered devout, turned to the scriptures in a time of crises.
At 81 years of age, using the Bible for his examples, Benjamin Franklin brought a clear vision to the convention, that eventually brought the delegates together, and a great document was produced, the constitution of the united states of America.
I have found that in times of crisis Gods word has been there for me faithfully holding forth hope, and encouragement.
I have found that in times when I lacked wisdom Gods word answered my questions, and gave me direction and I have found that in times when I am not sure what is right God’s word helps me discern the truth
Benjamin Franklin turned to God’s word in a time of Americas crisis, and in so doing he found help, and direction
Where do you turn in time of trouble ?
So will you be a Man of God with Savior or without a Savior?