The Imperatives

Introduction

I've been searching for an appropriate title for this piece about the Bible's valuable teachings to humanity. I initially described them as the commandments given to us that can positively influence our lives if we read, accept, and apply them to our worldview and belief system. Viewing the statements of Jesus and the apostles as imperative commands and expressions of belief and faith can lead to very different outcomes in our lives as we grow older and eventually transition to the next existence offered by our creator.

I am defining these statements of faith and belief as guiding principles. I will also emphasize that we should seriously consider what these statements mean to us—the barbarians in the story—and who is making these statements and why they are being made for us to hear at this particular moment in our history.

Lately, I've been thinking that many of us, for generations now, have been living in a state of “crisis of belief.” I challenged myself to believe in what I am about to share with you, and I feel my life would be in a much better place if I truly did. As I read these words to myself, I constantly ask whether I genuinely believe what I just read. This is my way of personally addressing my crisis of faith and encouraging you to do the same.

God Made the Heavens and the Earth

This is the opening statement of the Bible, in the Book of Genesis. And yes, I’ve asked myself whether I believe the first statement of the Bible I have been reading and carrying with me for 40 years now. These initial words proclaim the opening call to humanity that we should take seriously. God wants us to hear what He has done and to understand the start of the story of the universe and how we came to be here. He created everything so that we could experience His love for us.

Let's put this into perspective: these opening words are meant for us to read or hear from a pastor or evangelist someday. Now, we can ignore them as if we hadn't noticed, but can you believe what we just read and truly consider the power and reality of what he's telling us? Okay, I am belaboring this point, but it is relevant to our life of faith and belief. Do we really believe we are living in a created universe and that we are created persons? And if we do, then we can continue to read the rest of the story and learn what else this creator God of ours has for us to hear and meditate on.

Before we proceed, I want to add a point to these opening lines that I will elaborate on throughout the rest of this piece. Yes, we are a created species, and we quickly realize that we are fallen beings. Something I learned later in life was clarified for me by Thomas Merton: our ontology presents a problem as we read our Bibles, making the crisis of belief the central issue. Therefore, clarifying this now is essential for believers. We are told we have a problem, and it is the mission of our Messiah to set the record straight when he arrives to deliver the message of salvation and present the “imperatives” I will share with the reader. So, what is the ontological problem we face in this life? Merton clearly states that sin is not just a moral choice we make but who we are. We are naturally rebellious, egotistical, and selfish beings who want what we want on our terms. Think about this as we move on to the imperatives I have identified as most helpful for our journey towards an abundant life.

Shoshone Falls, Idaho

We Are a Created Species, and We Have a Created Enemy

I will begin this chapter by sharing two verses. The first is from John 10:10, which tells us, “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.” The second verse I want to focus on is from Ephesians 6:12, where Paul says, "the struggle for believers is not against other people but against spiritual forces of evil such as rulers, authorities, and posers of this dark world.” I have chosen these verses as key points because they clearly provide essential information about what to expect and what to watch out for.

First of all, these words are challenging but essential to understand if we want to grasp our existence on this planet and the spiritual battle for our hearts and minds. What Jesus and Paul emphasize is that we have a lurking enemy causing pain and trauma to our flesh and hearts, as well as those we love. They will deceive us about everything and create confusion among humanity. It's clear to see what we are up against by looking at the current state of the world. From my perspective, we face a major problem, and it doesn’t seem to be improving anytime soon because, first, I don’t think people truly believe what they read, if they read their Bible at all, and thus are blind to the ongoing spiritual battle happening on this planet. And this is a significant problem for humanity. I don’t think most people really understand it.

Now, I'd like to discuss this for a few minutes. Where did these characters originate, and why are they such a problem? We know from the Bible and archaeology that there are many created beings, and we also understand that they have free will; otherwise, this entire creation wouldn't work. Additionally, we know that some disobedient angels descended to our planet and have caused problems ever since. One thing is certain: we knew they were very jealous of us from the very beginning, due to the revelation that we would one day be their judges. It's in 1 Corinthians 6:3, where Paul tells us we are to judge angels. They don't like us, and they will destroy as many of us as they can while they have the upper hand.

“Sin is not a moral decision humanity makes, but it is what humanity is. We are naturally a rebellious people.”

~ Thomas Merton

Here's a good moment to ask whether you're following me and whether you believe what the Bible is telling us. Are you truly absorbing what I am sharing? Because if you are, you probably struggle with the reality of our story as humanity living on this planet with a history of barbarians. I've said many times in my life that we barbarians have never done well on our own. What I have also come to realize is that we are truly fallen people, more fallen than many of us want to admit. Again, we are ontologically compromised, a barbarian people in dire need of everything our Messiah has to offer, starting with the imperatives.

We are Neurologically Compromised

I needed to include this because of its implications and connection to the concept of imperatives. The idea of neurological compromise comes from Iain McGilchrist's book *The Master and His Emissary*. He guides the reader through a well-researched journey to conclude that we live in a culture that has made us neurologically compromised. And what does that have to do with the imperatives presented to us in the Bible?

I have read McGilchrist and found myself asking the question as he explores the different cultural periods of the Western world: Who is shaping the culture we live in? The reason I ask this specific question is that I do not believe we barbarians could survive on our own without help. Connect the dots for a moment, and you'll see that there is a “higher power” at work in history; the “father of lies” has been influencing us since the garden expulsion, creating a culture to keep us off track. What Iain’s work reveals is that postmodern culture has left us neurologically compromised, giving us a limited ability to see, comprehend, and understand the world around us. It reminds me of the passage I will refer to later, which says that wisdom and understanding are gifts hidden in Christ. What this means to me is that Paul understood that humanity faces neurological challenges in clearly understanding its world. The brain doesn't function well when we have access to only half of our neurology. McGilchrist carefully explains how this is supposed to work and what our challenge is, given the realization that it doesn't work well when only half of our brains are active.

Due to the compromised anatomy we face daily in the West, our ability to discern lies and liars is limited. This is part of a larger plan to confuse humanity and enslave us on a grand scale. It's important to discuss a widespread shared delusion: a large part of society loses touch with reality and acts irrationally. This phenomenon is connected to a societal psychological breakdown, often driven by fear and stress, and can spread through social contact or mass media. My main point is that our Western society is under attack by a very evil propaganda machine aimed at starting a color revolution, dismantling our government with socialist ideas, and turning us into a third-world country. We see this clearly in America's woke agenda. While this isn't necessarily a “biblical” judgment, it certainly has spiritual implications that threaten societal bondage. I see this as a key reason to confront the challenges we face as the body of Christ.

Yellowstone

We are Ontologically Compromised

If you've read any of my earlier posts, you've likely seen discussions about what I call “Ontologically Compromised.” If not, let's clarify it since it clearly has biblical importance for us. It also addresses the core issue that affects all of us.

I first learned about this idea from a book about Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk who wrote many books in his lifetime. He coined the phrase with a clear definition. And I paraphrase what he said: sin is not a moral choice we make; it is what we are. We are naturally born rebellious, and sin is our nature; it's not something we do. Now, I will admit I wasn't thrilled about what he was saying to me in this definition, but the Bible is clear that we fell a long way from grace and have found ourselves living in a world of barbarians doing what barbarian people do: rape and pillage. Seriously, look back at history and you see a people that have been at war with our neighbors since the beginning of time, have we not?

As a human race, we have been affected by and continue to be influenced by the grip of the seven deadly sins. It's a biblical and historical truth. We are greedy, selfish, egotistical, prideful beings—fact! The Bible makes this clear, but I fear few of us honestly believe it, even for a moment. “All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” It may sound like a gentle way to describe our nature and explain why we need a messiah and God's forgiveness, but it underscores a core problem for humanity. We are destructive creatures in desperate need of everything our Messiah offers. Yet, I worry that we don't fully understand what we truly require.

We are a shameful people; we lack empathy for others and genuinely don't care about anyone but ourselves. God makes this clear in the Bible through the words of Christ and the apostles in the epistles. We are being told this plainly to highlight a fundamental truth. That's it, and it is one of the main points I want to leave you with. We are broken and in need of help, and this is what God has provided through our Messiah. Through Him, we will be saved from ourselves and the burden we are born into, and we will be renewed by the transformation of our mind and heart through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Our creator had a plan for humanity, but humanity has been complicated for him to work with. In the end, we are told only a remnant will remain for God to take back with him as he “clears the table” and remakes heaven and earth, as he had done once before during the Noah Flood.

Seven Deadly Sins

The imperative I’m mentioning here is one we all know, but I want to take a moment to reflect on it. I’m talking about the Seven Deadly Sins. It reminds me of how serious this is, and I personally took it to heart. This list comes from a couple of sources, Proverbs and Galatians, and it became a tradition in the early church. Biblically, these sins are condemned, though different words are used to describe them. The tradition defines them as pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth.

At first glance, they seem respectable enough for us to pay attention to, but here's the catch. Most of us have read this list more than once in our lives and probably didn’t think much about it, and that is the catch. We either read them and take them seriously or dismiss them as just part of a biblical narrative, enough to acknowledge that someone cared enough to make it known. I had to ask myself at the end of the day whether I truly took it to heart. And if I did, what does that say about me as a person guilty of all the above? Like the Ten Commandments, God is trying to get our attention about a serious issue we must address correctly; Otherwise, we will face the consequences someday.

I believe God is trying to get our attention in every way possible. As I present you with the imperatives, I hope you will start asking yourself this important question: Am I understanding what is at stake here, and am I believing what I am hearing and reading? This is what I hope you will begin to do, for your own sake.

Let's Wrap This Up

Let's wrap this up with a recap and get on with our blessed lives by listing the imperatives again.

• But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”, Galatians 5:22-231

• “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of god, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and understanding.”, Colossians 2:2-3

• “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”, Matthew 10:16

• “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; I have come so that they may have love, and have it to the full.”, John 10:10

• “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”, Ephesians 6:12

• Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”, John 14:6

• The Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:1-17

As I look at these essential verses in the Bible for our well-being, I again ask myself whether I truly believe what I am reading…and you should also. And if you do so, your life will be dramatically impacted. If you aren’t there yet, it's time to think it through.

Thank you for spending time with me, and I hope this will challenge your beliefs and deepen your faith in what God has been trying to communicate to you for years. God bless you!

Charles Hoffman

November 18, 2025