Paul in Romans 1 makes plain that the theological and worshipexchanges he describes result in unrighteous ethical conduct, particularly regarding sexuality that “breaks the bonds” of the Creator.[16]  This leads to societal and cultural chaos,[17] as Jonathan Burnside explains: “[I]n biblical thought, sexual relationships can be used either to create community or to destroy community.   . . . Sexual order helps to create relational order and sexual disorderleads to relational disorder.”[18]

[Cue the orchestra]: What is a man? What has he got? If not himself, then he is naught. To say the things he truly feels, and not the words of one who kneels. The record shows, I took the blows . . . and did it MY WAY!

“That song is the National Anthem . . . of Hell” as philosopher Peter Kreeft quipped (paraphrased).[2]  We might call the worldview expressed therein “My Wayism.”  My Wayism encapsulates the idea that the Self is the measure of all things, the determiner of all action and attitude as well as the moral compass for both.  My Wayism is not confined to Las Vegas crooners, however.[3]  Consider Disney’s wildly famous animated hit, Frozen.  The heroine’s signature song expresses the same sentiment:

“It’s time to see what I can do,To test the limits and break through,No right, no wrong, no rules for me.  I’m free – Let it go, let it go!”[4]

What’s going on here?  What links these lyrics?  The connection lies in what they assume about the human person – and what they assume is largely lies and half-truths stemming from the residual effects of the Truth being exchanged for the Lie.  This residue produces “lies that live.” In this instance, the lie consists of radical ethical autonomy, meaning that a person’s real essence supposedly consists in being “the master of my fate, . . . the captain of my soul.”[5]
Because Christians are filled with the Spirit of Truth[6] and are called to speak the truth,[7] and not to be those “depraved in mind and deprived of truth,”[8] we are to be “sanctified in truth.”[9]  And, all this means unearthing and jettisoning those lies – contra to truth – that remain embedded in our “operating systems.”
First, let’s acknowledge that My Way in fact asks the right question: “What is a man?”  The problem arises because when the Truth is exchanged for the Lie, we often answer good questions badly. Put differently, sin distorts several aspects of human anthropology impacting:  Man’s moral compass (My Wayism for example), Man’s composition (Gnostic dualism for example), Man’s community or social dimension (radical individualism for example), to name a few. [10]   People begin to live by these lies.  These lies need to be exposed, opposed, and foreclosed as much as feasible.  Let’s explore some of these implications. Let’s get to the gist.
Man’s Moral Compass – The Rise of the Sexual Super Self
Long before Elsa rejoiced in having “no right, no wrong, no rules,” so that she could “test the limits and break through,” King David understood the bent of fallen mankind:

Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set
themselves, and the rulers take counsel together,
against the LORD and against his
Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us .”

Many Christians acknowledge that sin remains.  Here, however, we see how remaining sin plays out:  mankind takes a stand against the LORD by rebelling against His righteous design and constraints, particularly, as Paul explains in Romans, limits and design regarding sexuality.
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Ultimate rest is found in Jesus, not in vacations or material objects. Christ has already done everything for us. Just like the man with the withered hand, you have been restored by Jesus—maybe not through physical healing, but through something even better. Because of his sacrifice on the cross, we can rest.

In a culture defined by never-ending news feeds and social media at our fingertips, where do we go for rest? Vacations? I don’t know about you, but when I return from a vacation, I’m often more exhausted than when I left. That’s because true rest isn’t found on exotic beaches or mountain retreats. It’s found in Christ. Here’s what I mean by that.
In Luke 6, we encounter two events having to do with Sabbath rest. In the first, Jesus and his disciples are walking through fields of grain. As they go, they pluck the grain, rub it between their fingers, and eat it. This elicits a harsh rebuke from the Pharisees. They claim picking grain and eating it is a violation of the Sabbath command. Jesus responds emphatically, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5).
In the very next verse, Jesus is teaching in a synagogue on another Sabbath day. Knowing the Pharisees are again watching him, he calls forward a man who has a physical handicap, a shriveled hand. With all eyes on him, Jesus says, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?” Looking right at the Pharisees, Jesus then says to the man, “Stretch out your hand,” and the man’s hand is restored (Luke 6:6–10).
Both events infuriated the Pharisees while teaching us a very important lesson about Sabbath rest. Sabbath means rest for the restless and unburdening the burdened. The entire purpose of the Sabbath is restoration. Jesus could have waited to heal this man, but he didn’t. Instead, he restored the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath. Likewise, Jesus restores us as we find rest in him. Through his resurrection, Jesus became the truer and better Sabbath, allowing us to forever cease laboring to attain God’s favor and to rest in his mercy and grace.
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The Christian faithful need a community of believers who are confident in their faith, who understand not only what they believe but why they believe it, who are encouraging and supportive when people ask questions (even difficult questions), and who love their members even when their members question the truth of their faith.

In a 2019 study, the Pew Research Center found that the percentage of “religious nones” (those that identify as atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular”) rose from 17 to 26 percent in the previous ten years.[1] During this same time, the number of self-identifying Christians declined 12 percent.[2] This study is not the first to find a pattern of overall decline in the American Christian church; it is clear that Christianity is shrinking as a percentage of the population.
When asked, those who leave Christianity give reasons for doing so that echo statements made by their non-religious counterparts. One of the most common of these reasons is a lack of belief, sometimes characterized as “common sense,” “logic,” or a “lack of evidence.”[3] Simply put, many doubt that Christianity is actually true and as a result are uninterested in engaging with the religion.
In discussing the Christian church (as a whole rather than a particular congregation), Christian writer Gary Habermas identifies several “myths” which have persisted within the Christian community and which are damaging to those experiencing religious doubt.[4] Three of the most crucial of these myths state that Christian doubt is uncommon, that true believers never experience doubt, and that Christian doubt is always bad.[5] Historically, many Christians have preferred to ignore, suppress, or dismiss religious doubts, essentially telling their members (as characterized by Os Guinness), “Believe this! Believe that! Stop doubting and believe more firmly!”[6]
Unfortunately, as can be seen in the data from Pew Research Center, traditional strategies for responding to doubt appear to be ineffective as more and more Christians are leaving the faith. Research into religious doubt supports Guinness’ criticism of the church; religious persons who suppress their doubts and / or do not have a supportive Christian community with which to share those doubts are likely to see their experience of doubt accelerate.[7] If the church is to stop the “bleeding” it must address the doubts and concerns of its members head on.
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