Blog

06
Dec
2025

What Paul Really Means by “The Flesh”

When you hear the New Testament speak of “the flesh,” what comes to mind?

All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts… (Eph. 2:3 BEREAN)1

For many Christians, we might conclude it refers to our physical bodies. We think Paul is warning us against physical desires and bodily appetites. We assume the path to holiness means suppressing our physical nature. As it turns out, that’s not what Paul means at all! Because of our assumptions about what the flesh is, many of us may be fighting the wrong enemy.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Ephesians
29
Nov
2025

Spiritual Zombies? What Calvinism Gets Wrong in Ephesians 2:1

Zombies

Paul opens Ephesians 2 with a strong statement: “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.” Some readers jump straight to the idea of “spiritual death” (an unbiblical concept I explore in another article). Calvinists build an entire doctrine of total inability on this verse. By “total inability,” they mean that people are so corrupted by sin that they cannot believe in God, repent, or respond to the gospel unless God first gives them new spiritual life. So, they are totally unable to choose to follow God on their own; God must first give them the ability to turn to Him. 

Yet Paul was not talking about spiritual zombies who cannot respond to God. He was doing something far more grounded in the language and imagery of his world. Let’s slow down and follow Paul’s flow of thought.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Calvinism, Ephesians, Original Sin
22
Nov
2025

The Day Jesus Joined the Church Staff Meeting

Shepherd

Part of the problem with the American church’s biblical worldview isn’t just biblical ignorance, it’s neglect. As I’ve written before, a distorted view of God happens when His shepherds fail to tend to the flock. I must confess my own shortcomings in this matter or risk being hypocritical. I am not a pastor, nor am I part of a church staff, but as an introvert’s introvert, it is more comfortable for me to keep fellow believers at arm’s length and avoid the messy, real-life problems of other disciples.

I am repenting of this, yet I fear slipping back into comfortable routines where I seek the quiet of my home to study and ponder another portion of Scripture. If we are going to imitate Jesus, it means spending time with people. The truth is, caring for the hurting and walking alongside those in need is not only the church staff’s job, but also the responsibility of every Christian. Keep that in mind as you read the fictional story below of “Any Church, USA.”

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Biblical Worldview, Church, Church Leadership, Fiction
16
Nov
2025

87% of Christians Are Living Like Atheists (And It’s Making Them Miserable)

hope

My recent blog posts (here and here) highlighted George Barna’s research showing only 13% of born-again believers possess a fully biblical worldview. This presents a church in crisis. When only a fraction of born-again believers view the world through the Bible’s lens, we have a major problem. 

The survey data from 2023-2025 revealed that the number of Americans who experience anxiety, depression, and fear is on the rise. Federal government agencies state that 23% of American adults suffer from some sort of mental health problem. Barna’s research suggests that “individuals who lack a biblical worldview are more likely to struggle with these common mental health issues.”2 He concludes that some people (not all) receive a mental illness diagnosis when they actually suffer from lacking the assuredness a biblical identity and purpose provide.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Biblical Worldview, Ephesians
09
Nov
2025

Why Fixing the Church’s Worldview Is a Catch-22

Worldview

American churches face a serious problem: only a small minority of believers think biblically. Recent research shows that just 13% of born-again Christians hold a biblical worldview. Among pastors, the number rises to 37% which is better but shockingly and unacceptably low.3 This is more than a statistic; it is a crisis. Without a biblical worldview, Christians adopt cultural practices rather than applying God’s Word. Without it, the church loses its power to influence the surrounding culture, which now shapes the church instead.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Biblical Worldview, Church Leadership