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Josh Thompson
Deacon, Class of 2024
My wife and I were teaching a high school Sunday School lesson on the numerous versions of the Bible and our Church’s approach to interpretation of the Bible. We were discussing the many issues that people face in their lives that challenge their interpretation of the Bible and, even, their faith. During the conversation, I told the high schoolers that throughout all challenges, I cling to the notions that God is loving and God is just.
I have been in Church since birth. I spent my first eighteen years growing up and being baptized in a Southern Baptist Church. I then was a member of a Methodist Church throughout college and young adulthood before joining First Presbyterian Church of Spartanburg in 2014. Through these experiences, I have learned a range of teachings about the Bible, about what it means to be a Christian, and about faith. I cannot and do not pretend to be able to synthesize these teachings.
But, I do know that God’s love is all encompassing, all powerful, redeeming, and transforming. No matter the personal turmoil, the professional challenges, or where the Church falls within the current political debate, I know that God professed His love for all by sacrificing His one true son that that we can know God and be given the opportunity to be saved. This sovereign love is beyond all understanding, but it is also incredibly comforting. No matter what, God will not forsake his beloved children.
I also know that God has not picked and chosen those who he wishes to bless. God sacrificed His Son for all His children as an expression of the final victory over the power of sin and death. Though we may face trials and tribulations, I live comforted in knowing that God’s just mercy abounds.
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