God Is Not on Your Side: A Word of Edification for Christians in the United States of America

By Joshua Opperman

How is it possible for someone to grow up in the church, identify as a Christian, and yet still travel a path of separation from God? In God is Not on Your Side, author Joshua Opperman shares his testimony as someone who believed he was a follower of Jesus living a Christian life, but one day came to realize he was actually far from God.

Opperman chronicles his journey of self-reflection and revelation, evaluating not only personal beliefs but external influences that have significantly impacted the American Christian church. He shares a Biblical look at money, politics, and sin and how the gospel impacts culture in power.

Geared toward the approximately sixty percent of Americans who identify as Christians, God is Not on Your Side tackles difficult and controversial topics. It brings to light the many ways in which secular culture has influenced American Christianity both individually and corporately. It calls the follower of Jesus to a renewal of faith and a life set apart from the surrounding culture that bears witness to the power of almighty God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664223882

Joshua Opperman

Joshua Opperman is a physician assistant in community health practice. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Point Loma Nazarene University and a master’s degree from Western University of Health Sciences. He has served both locally and globally as a lay minister in various capacities including missions, worship, and teaching. Opperman and his wife, Marlene, have two children. He lives in California.

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Copyright © 2021 Joshua Opperman.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-2389-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-2390-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-2388-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021902946

WestBow Press rev. date: 03/17/2021

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1: My Peter Moment

Chapter 2: I Am?

Chapter 3: God Is?

Chapter 4: Whose Side Is God On?

Chapter 5: Living the Dream

Chapter 6: Salvation

Chapter 7: Fruit of the Spirit and Spiritual Fruit

Chapter 8: Prayer and Fasting

Chapter 9: Evangelism

Chapter 10: Worship

Chapter 11: Money

Chapter 12: Living as Exiles

Chapter 13: Final Thoughts

Acknowledgments

To my beautiful wife, Marlene, and our two children, Joshua Daniel and Eli. When I first shared with Marlene the calling God placed on my heart to write a book, we had only been married a few years and were adjusting to the realities of starting a family. Marlene’s response was full of grace, encouraging me that if God had put something on my heart, I should listen to Him. In the more than three years that I have been working on this project, Marlene’s support has been unwavering. I can say confidently that without such an amazing woman of faith as my partner, this book would have never become a reality.

To our boys, I know it will be some time before you read this book. My prayer when you do is that you will have seen my life continue to bear witness to the truths contained within these pages and that your experiences with Jesus will be even more amazing.

I also would like to extend a special word of thanks to my family in Christ at LifePointe Church of the Nazarene for encouraging me and providing so much valuable feedback as I was processing this work.

I humbly praise God and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the opportunity to serve in the kingdom. I would not otherwise consider myself capable of a project such as this. If this work is a blessing to others, it will be only because of God’s grace and faithfulness. To Him be the glory.

Introduction

As of this writing, it has been thirteen years since I gave my life completely to God. This book essentially walks the reader through my own journey of complete surrender to God and the many things He has been teaching me in the process.

Each day, I am more convinced the process of growing as a Christian will be lifelong. I am reminded of my time as an undergraduate biology student. If a person were to study introductory biology only, they may walk away feeling as though they understand a lot, but with continued study, once one arrives at the more advanced levels of a subject, they will find there are infinitely more questions to ask and answers to be learned. In the same way, the more God shows me about Himself, myself, and the Bible, the more I feel there is to learn.

Over the years, I have documented the lessons God teaches me in various ways. Sometimes it has been poetry, sometimes journaling, and sometimes writing thought pieces to post online. In this process, as I have also shared with others, it has been humbling when people tell me that my testimony or the lessons God is teaching me speak to their lives as well. In this simple way, God began to show me He was teaching me something that was meant to be shared.

While working on my computer in 2017, I saw an online advertisement for Kim Walker-Smith’s new song On My Side. I have been blessed over the years by the worship music of Kim-Walker Smith and Jesus Culture, but when I saw the ad for On My Side, there was something inside me that passionately responded, "But God is not on my side!" Ultimately, God used this song to clarify a greater truth He had already been speaking to me for some time.

For a number of days after seeing the advertisement, I continued to ask myself, Is God on my side? As I reflected on this, I started to look through the scriptures and seek the Lord in prayer. I then went back through my previous writings and many of the truths God had been teaching me, and a common theme started to emerge. The Lord began to show me that many of the errors and sins I had committed in the past were the fruit of a worldview that believed God was on my side. Yet when I looked to the Bible, it is clear such a worldview is not supported by the scripture.

What was to eventually become this book began to take shape. I want to state from the outset that the truths contained within this book are truths God has been teaching me—and continues to teach me. I would never say, regarding these topics, that I have nothing more to learn, as these chapters speak of areas in my life where God is continuing to challenge me and help me grow. My prayer is that God will use this book to challenge your faith as well as your worldview.

As you read this book, if there is something that challenges you or that you find you disagree with, I encourage you to look to the Bible and search for yourself what the Word of God teaches regarding what is contained within this text. The Word of God should ultimately be the truth upon which we stand, and it is the exegetical searching of the Bible that has led me to the truths contained here.

If you do not already have it, I encourage you to consider going through the companion text for this book: the God Is Not on Your Side Book Study. There are a number of topics in this book that people will consider challenging or controversial, and for this reason, they are well suited for discussion in a small group setting. I have learned a lot and continue to learn a lot going through these topics with others, and I encourage you to consider doing the same.

It is also worth mentioning the audience to whom this book is directed. This book has been written to the individual in the United States who is familiar with the Christian church and is still an active participant—or maybe has walked away from church and/or the Christian faith. This book has not been written for the purpose of sharing the gospel to non-Christians, nor is it necessarily for new believers. Of course, I hope that people who have not received Jesus as their Savior will still read this book, and it would be wonderful if God used this book to bring people into a relationship with Him, but that is not its stated purpose. This book has been written so that as Christians within the United States, we would examine our hearts, the fruit in our lives, and our worldview in light of the teachings of the Bible.

This book has been written so that as Christians within the United States, we would examine our hearts, the fruit in our lives, and our worldview in light of the teachings of the Bible.

Ultimately, my prayer is that believers who read this book will grow in their relationship with Jesus and that God will use them to share the good news, bear real spiritual fruit, and grow the kingdom of God. The more I grow in my relationship with God, the more I realize that I need to be an active member of the body of Christ, His church.

The topics covered in this book are not for the purpose of simply pointing out perceived issues within the church but for the purpose of challenging myself—and hopefully many others—to be agents of change and return our church communities to the fundamental teachings of the Word of God. Additionally, it is well known that there are a significant number of individuals of my generation (most recently referred to as millennials) who for numerous reasons have either left the organized Christian church or left the Christian faith entirely.

Reflecting on my own faith journey has shown me that I easily could have done the same if God had not helped guide me to a different path. I would not assume to be able to speak definitively to my generation regarding the complexities that have influenced any given individual’s reasoning for leaving the Christian church, but I do believe that the same truths God has been showing me can speak into the lives of many others. If someone were to read this book who formerly attended church or formerly identified as a Christian—whatever the reason for their divorce from the Christian faith—it is my humble desire that this book may help them consider returning to faith in Jesus.

This book makes many references to American culture and American Christian culture. I suspect those who have grown up within other cultures or outside of the United States may not recognize some of the references or simply not identify with them. In spite of this, as this book speaks of truths that are universal, my hope is that God will still use this text to speak to individuals who are looking at the American Christian culture from the outside in.

Our tendency as individuals is to want to make the Bible support our worldview instead of letting the Bible shape our worldview.

Finally, it would be prudent to take a moment to mention an important concept to understand when studying the Bible and comparing the content of this book with the Holy Scriptures. Our tendency as individuals is to want to make the Bible support our worldview instead of letting the Bible shape our worldview. Oftentimes, we approach the scriptures having in mind what we already expect them to say to us; we look for a verse or two that seems to support our opinions and walk away feeling as though the Bible has validated our worldview. Such an approach to scripture is called eisegesis, which is very dangerous. As an example, a husband who wants to control his wife may quote Ephesians 5:22, which states, Wives submit to your husbands. To cite this verse solely for the purpose of forcing a wife to obey her husband is a grievous misinterpretation of the scripture; only a few verses later, in Ephesians 5:25, the scriptures tell the husband to love his wife as Christ loves the church and gave himself up for her. One can only understand the meaning of verse 22 if it is read in the context of the entire passage.

As we go through this book—and as you compare its contents with the teaching of scripture—I encourage you to try to read the Bible not looking for it to agree with you but by asking that God would speak to you through it. When we let the Bible speak to us and shape our worldview, this is called exegesis. It is the correct way to read scripture, and, in truth, it is powerful.

I am so humbled and blessed that you have chosen to read this book and join me on this journey. Thank you.

In Christ,

Josh

Chapter 1

MY PETER MOMENT

T he hike was not too long, but I was in no rush and lingered for hours. Away from the city and all the noise, I could finally process my thoughts. I could finally weep. Everyone always told me I was an exemplary Christian. Everyone always told me I would be a good father and husband one day. Everyone always told me they were excited for what God would do in my life, and I thought so too. So, how did I end up here? How did I end up so far from God?

I was blessed to grow up in a Christian family and within the Christian church. I accepted Jesus as a child and was baptized around the age of eight years old after a public confession of faith. I recall rededicating my life to Jesus multiple times during summer camp as a child.

Growing up in the church, I became very familiar with most of the Bible stories and what a Christian life should look like. I was also immersed in what some would refer to as Christian culture, listening to Christian popular music and visiting my local Christian bookstore regularly. Most of my social activities involved friends who either attended our church or another Christian church in the area. I grew up in an environment that helped me to understand clearly that in this world, there is good and evil and right and wrong, and for that foundation, I am eternally grateful.

I was generally able to live a life that followed the teachings of the Bible, and by most accounts, I was living an exemplary Christian lifestyle. By the grace of God, I have never used illicit drugs, smoked, or struggled with many of this world’s vices that are otherwise obvious externally. I had been around the Word of God and around the church for a long enough time to feel very comfortable in that lifestyle. For the most part, as a young man, I had convinced myself and those around me I was living my life for Jesus.

Looking back at my journey as a young adult, I have come to greatly appreciate that growing up in the environment I did provided opportunities to experience God. I have a number of memories I still reflect on today where I encountered a real and living God. As one example, I recall at the age of sixteen participating in a revival event called Lay Witness Mission as a youth leader. At the event, I was tasked with leading a small group that would include one adult chaperone and about eight youths, and I was given the study materials a week or so prior to review. Since I had never really led a group study before, I was very nervous. In my nervousness, it occurred to me that I