David Wilber > Quotes

“Like Yeshua, James is against the idea that we can just pick and choose which commandments are relevant to our lives. We have no authority to declare some commandments valid and others invalid. All of the Torah is important.”
― David Wilber, When Faith Works: Living Out the Law of Liberty According to James

“God did not intend the Sabbath to be a burden, but rather a time of joy. The Bible says that blessings come when we honor the Sabbath and call it a delight (Isaiah 58:13). Yeshua said the Sabbath was made for our benefit (Mark 2:27). So enjoy it and give thanks to God for giving us rest.”
― David Wilber, A Christian Guide to the Biblical Feasts

“Truth is abortion's biggest enemy. That's why no defender of abortion actually defends abortion. They defend "reproductive rights" and "women's healthcare," which are deceptive euphemisms for what they're actually defending: the murder of baby humans. The reason is, deep down, everyone knows that abortion is murder, so the only way to defend such an obviously evil act is by distracting themselves and others from the reality of it.”
― David Wilber

“God expresses His will to us through His written word. Do we truly believe that? Because to say, “This commandment is irrelevant,” is to say, “God’s will for my life in this area isn’t important to me.” God is the one who makes the rules, not us.”
― David Wilber, When Faith Works: Living Out the Law of Liberty According to James

“Imagine a husband treating his wife the way many Christians in America treat God. He says he loves her but ignores her for most of their marriage. He isn’t devoted to her and doesn’t actively pursue her daily—is that really love? Can you really call such a relationship a “marriage”? Technically, yes, but not in any meaningful way. It would be a marriage in name only. The same is true of Christians whose lives are not devoted to their Messiah.”
― David Wilber, When Faith Works: Living Out the Law of Liberty According to James

“For many people, apologetics is one of the biggest things that God has used to strengthen their faith and help them grow in their relationship with Him. Learning about the various ways that science, history, and philosophy cohere with God and how apparent conflicts can be resolved is exciting and edifying. Like Jacob struggling with God and refusing to let go until God blessed him, apologetics allows us to struggle with God over the deep philosophical and theological questions of our time. There’s a blessing for us in that struggle!”
― David Wilber

“A day will come when God will set everything right and wipe the tears from our eyes, and in that day death will be no more. But in the meantime, we can take comfort in the fact that God understands our pain. In our moments of immense grief and heartache, God is weeping with us. Scripture says that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). He has a special place in His heart for hurting people. Therefore, far from being pointless, suffering is an opportunity to worship God and experience His loving presence in a deep and profound way.”
― David Wilber, When Faith Works: Living Out the Law of Liberty According to James

“We must not become so overly obsessed with the minute details of the Torah that we neglect the more important parts. However, we also must not say that the “less important” parts of the Torah aren’t important at all. God forbid! While we certainly must emphasize the weightier matters of the Torah, at the same time we must not invalidate the lighter matters”
― David Wilber, When Faith Works: Living Out the Law of Liberty According to James

“Many of us don't experience God because we've grown lazy and bored. We expect to receive the benefits of Religion without putting anything into it.”
― David Wilber

“Yeshua gives the definitive interpretation of the Torah, a Torah observance guided by love and compassion.”
― David Wilber, Remember the Sabbath: What the New Testament Says About Sabbath Observance for Christians

“According to the Messiah, the Sabbath is a joyful day to glorify God by doing good (e.g., Matthew 12:9-13). Yeshua doesn’t do away with the Sabbath; he “fulfills” it by demonstrating how to observe it properly.”
― David Wilber, Remember the Sabbath: What the New Testament Says About Sabbath Observance for Christians

“Mark 2:27 states that the Sabbath was established in creation to benefit all mankind. The Sabbath was not given exclusively to Israel but was instituted before there even was an Israel.”
― David Wilber, Remember the Sabbath: What the New Testament Says About Sabbath Observance for Christians

“Proper Torah observance must flow from a heart of love for our neighbor. If we claim to be Torah observant but neglect matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness, then we are not truly Torah observant.”
― David Wilber, When Faith Works: Living Out the Law of Liberty According to James

“The Prophets cite Israel’s breaking of the Sabbath as one of the reasons that God brought judgment upon them (Jeremiah 17:19-27; Ezekiel 20) while keeping the Sabbath is said to bring blessing (Isaiah 58:13-14).”
― David Wilber, Remember the Sabbath: What the New Testament Says About Sabbath Observance for Christians

“God is more concerned about your character than your comfort.”
― David Wilber

“God takes our thankfulness very seriously. When we give thanks, we honor Him. And the opposite is also true. When we do not give thanks—when we are ungrateful—we dishonor Him.”
― David Wilber

“Yeshua calls us to live as kingdom members so that others “may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).”
― David Wilber, Remember the Sabbath: What the New Testament Says About Sabbath Observance for Christians

“[T]he clear text of Matthew 5:18 should serve as our reference point while examining the more ambiguous texts in Hebrews and Paul’s epistles, rather than using the ambiguous texts to interpret Matthew 5:18.”
― David Wilber, How Jesus Fulfilled the Law: A Pronomian Pocket Guide to Matthew 5:17-20

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
—Matthew 5:17”
― David Wilber, Remember the Sabbath: What the New Testament Says About Sabbath Observance for Christians

“Feminism doesn't get the credit for the concept that women have equal value; the Bible taught this concept first.”
― David Wilber, Is God a Misogynist?: Understanding the Bible's Difficult Passages Concerning Women

“God commanded that the Sabbath day be kept as a special day of rest. The earliest Christians kept this commandment.”
― David Wilber, Remember the Sabbath: What the New Testament Says About Sabbath Observance for Christians

“God declared the Sabbath to be a permanent sign between him and his people, Israel (Exodus 31:13).”
― David Wilber, Remember the Sabbath: What the New Testament Says About Sabbath Observance for Christians

“Even if someone says they don't care about theology but only about "loving people" (whatever that means to them) because "that's all God really cares about," they are still engaging in theology. They are attempting to explain what God is like according to how they think He has revealed Himself. The only question is whether or not their theology is any good. The idea that God wants us to have only a shallow understanding of His revelation is not good theology. It also doesn't help us love people.”
― David Wilber, Is God a Misogynist?: Understanding the Bible's Difficult Passages Concerning Women