“Are You Ready to Be Human Again?”

“Are you ready to be Human again?”

Okay, what does that mean? Well, to be honest, it’s rather unclear. (And now we’re all confused!) Here’s where I heard this phrase.

One of the members of our research department received a mailer for an upcoming conference for family ministry teams. The theme of this conference is “Be Human.” So, what does that mean?

Well, inside the mailer, the conference organizers explain:

When God became human, it wasn’t to prove His divinity. He could have done that from a distance.

Instead, Jesus became human to prove the worth of humanity. He came to show us what God intended humans to be.

So, Jesus became man to prove our worth and show us what God intended humans to be? Well, in a way (depending on what they mean by that very vague statement), God demonstrating his love for us and leaving us an example to follow is part of what Jesus came to do:

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. (1 Peter 2:21)

But Jesus ultimately did not come for those reasons. The testimony of Scripture is that he came to bear our sin debt and become sin for us so that we—sinful human beings who deserve the wrath of a holy God—might be made righteous through his blood. That’s the hope of the gospel!

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. (1 Timothy 1:15)

The conference mailer continues,

We need leaders who will model a faith that shows [children and teenagers] how to

• Be Kind.
• Be Resilient.
• Be Courageous.
• Be Compassionate.
• Be Generous.
• Be Human.

Taking the mailer at face value, and knowing nothing about this group or what it believes (the website was as vague as the mailer!), it appears the organizers believe to “be human” is to exhibit certain virtues, and somehow that’s tied to “the hope that Jesus actually offers humanity.” What a confusing mess!

It reminded me of the stark difference between what I call “fluff and stuff” conferences and the conferences we host at Answers in Genesis.

Now why do I bring this up? Well, it reminded me of the stark difference between what I call “fluff and stuff” conferences (there are so many of them) and the conferences we host at Answers in Genesis. Our conference descriptions aren’t vague (“what do they actually believe?”): God’s Word and the gospel message are always emphasized and boldly and passionately taught. And I believe that kind of boldness and clarity are what the church needs in a time when so many are waffling on the authority of God’s Word and the gospel message.

Consider these 2022 conferences coming to the Ark Encounter in N. Kentucky:

• Life Is Precious, January 28: A bold pro-life event equipping you to stand for the sanctity of every life in our dark culture of death, where the murder of children is increasingly celebrated openly.
• Rooted: Standing Firm in a Twisted World, March 31–April 2: We live in a crooked and twisted generation—and the only way we can be rooted is by clinging to the authority of God’s Word. Discover how to walk in wisdom and have gracious speech with sessions from Darrell B. Harrison, Martha Peace, Kyle Mann of The Babylon Bee, and many others, plus special music from Laura Story.
• Building Strong Foundations: A Family Homeschool Experience, May 12–14: (We are currently working to extend this conference and adding more keynotes and workshops so more people can attend.) This fun homeschool experience will dive deep into God’s Word with sessions on how parents can better incorporate biblical worldview teaching into their daily homeschool schedule, preparing their children for an anti-God world.
• A Culture & Church in Crisis, October 4–6: Designed for pastors and leaders but open for everyone to attend, this conference will equip you from God’s Word to know why our culture is in chaos, why the church is conflicted, and what we can do to boldly stand for truth in the church and in the culture.

Notice a difference between those conference descriptions and the “Be Human” theme given in the mailer? Clarity and a bold declaration of God’s Word and the gospel!

I encourage you to make plans to attend an AiG conference in 2022 and tour the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum. You will be refreshed by the unwavering stand on God’s Word from the very first verse and the relevant application of its deep, abiding truths.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.