Understanding Justice, Desire, and Death to Self: A Raw Conversation About Discipleship and Identity

Peeling back layers of modern Christianity's most pressing questions, Mike Erre, Tim Stafford, and Bonnie journey into a spirited and vulnerable mailbag episode that challenges traditional assumptions around social justice, obedience, desire, and discipleship. Through listener questions and current events, the team engages in an honest—and often humorous—debate about what it really means to deny oneself, how cultural experience shapes theology, and why "just quoting a Bible verse" isn't often sufficient in addressing global and personal stories of oppression or pain. This episode particularly dives deep into the tension between desire and surrender, how systems of theology can unintentionally cause harm, and whether the church is meant to care solely for its own—or extend justice and mercy beyond its walls. Using voices from early Christian history to current church controversies, the Voxology crew explores messy, complicated—but vitally important—themes of love, privilege, repentance, justice, and formation. Key Takeaways: • The Limitations of "Sufficient Scripture" – Why relying solely on scripture without lived experience can ignore systems of privilege and harm, especially in conversations about social justice. • Is Denying Ourselves Always Righteous? – Discussion around "death to self" and how it's often misused to silence or suppress identity, particularly among the marginalized. • Desire, Identity & the LGBTQ+ Conversation – Exploring how not all desires are equal in cultural weight or consequence, especially for those whose desires are tied to aspects of identity that have been historically rejected by the church. • Justice Within and Beyond the Church – Why early Christians were radical for not just supporting their own poor, but also caring for their Roman neighbors—and what that means for the church today. • Weaponizing Obedience – How well-intentioned calls to faithfulness can often reinforce harmful systems, and the need to rethink the language we use around sin, sacrifice, and obedience in pastoral contexts. Resources Mentioned: • Rodney Stark – The Rise of Christianity • 1 Peter 2:12 – "Live such good lives among the pagans…" • Julian the Apostate's Letters – Historical evidence of Rome's reaction to Christian charity • Dallas Willard's Teachings – Especially regarding "joyful non-compliance" • John Coe (Talbot School of Theology) – On sin management and relational spirituality Join the conversation and help reshape Christian community for a more just and Christ-centered world. If you've ever wrestled with obedience, struggled with your desires, or questioned the church's response to injustice—this one is for you. Don't forget to email your questions to [email protected] or join us in the conversation on Facebook or Instagram. We're on YouTube! VOXOLOGY TV Our Merch Store! ETSY Learn more about the Voxology Podcast Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on iTunes or follow us on Spotify Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast Like us on Facebook Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to [email protected], and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram. We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV. Our Merch Store! ETSY Learn more about the Voxology Podcast Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on Facebook Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy