College girls ask me about my thoughts on The Bachelorette's "But Jesus Still Loves Me"

August 16, 2019

Keri Ann Holder Unsworth

I have not posted in quite some time on this platform for good reason. I have been focusing on wife, mom of 2 (boy 10, girl 4) and I run a marketing agency that just celebrated our 10 year anniversary. 

I have continued to minister one on one and in small groups as I long to invest in the Kingdom above than what our culture elevates as important. Over the years, the ladies in my life have come from very different backgrounds, ethnicities, economics, and educations. I am not seeing girls that I was able to do life with get married and have their own children. 20 Years has truly flown by. 

I still attend Newspring church and 4 years ago a new campus was planted at Clemson University, which is closer to where we live. By God's design, I was invited in to the college ministry. Three years ago I began to gather women of all ages together for Titus 2: 3-5 - for the older to pour into the younger so that the gospel will carry on. So, our Titus 2 group meets on the First Monday of each month. Rally meets on the first Tuesday of each month. I get to see my college girls weekly on Wednesday evenings. They challenge me as much as I challenge them and it helps me prepare in motherhood for what is coming quickly for my own children. 

Several weeks ago, I decided to watch the new season of The Bachelorette. I was drawn to see Hannah's journey because of our shared faith in Jesus.  I use Hulu and I do not watch the saucy scenes nor do I have it on in front of my children. I also do not gaze on anything that would and could dishonor my marriage. I sped through the season to see who stayed and who was sent home. I was very curious about how she would be able to manage so much temptation, yet maintain a firm standing in her Faith.

There are many scriptures about what it really looks like to stand firm in our faith.

• Joshua 23:6 | "Be very firm, then, to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you may not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left"

• Philipians 1:27 | Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

• Ephesians 6:13 | Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

• 1 Corinthians 15:58 |58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

• 1 Thessalonians 3:8 |8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.

As the season of The Bachelorette unfolded, I began to feel so conflicted about how a relationship with a most Holy God was presented. I do recognize they edit significantly, however, what was repeated even during the live TV interviews, "But Jesus Still Loves Me", began to go viral including women wearing "But Jesus Still Loves Me" t-shirts with a windmill representing where Hannah engaged in an act of fornication. The way this situation was glamorized absolutely broke my heart because I could see so many misunderstanding the concept of the Grace afforded to us by the blood of the covenant.  

Why was I so conflicted about this? I mean after all, ladies were wearing shirts proclaiming "Jesus Still Loves Me" and that in some fashion is sharing the gospel. This alone is a proclamation of Faith in a world that wants to deny Christ is real and His Word is true. 

On the other side of things, my heart was absolutely breaking. So I began to ask the Lord to help me and to reveal to me what the word of the Lord says that can bring clarity to why this treatment of grace does not line up with the nature of God and the Truth of His Word. 

Today, as I am having my coffee, the Lord answered. I have been diving into Isaiah and Luke, and from there I was led to Hebrews. It jumped out at me like a massive sign with a directional arrow - IT IS RIGHT HERE! And it all came together. The word presents a strong position - a clear position - that leaves no grey area for how this treatment of grace is a rejection of the law and God's word. 

Hebrews 10:26 "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgement and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.  Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay, and again "The Lord will judge his people". It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God". 

There it was - "insulted the Spirit of Grace" - so clearly. This week my college girls said, "Oh my gosh, I am dying to know your thoughts on all that happened". This is not judgement. Or condemnation. I wanted my response to be kind, loving, but above all pointing them straight to the Glory of God and The Truth of His Word - not Keri's opinion. My opinion has zero value and will not build any notable legacy worth giving attention to. The Word of God is Holy - The Blood He Gave is Holy - and The Truth is firm. 

So here is my response - with my heart positioned to honor God and point these girls to Him and His Word and His Kingdom rather than a weakened application of Christianity we see in these circumstances: 

We know by these scriptures, these truths are evident:

1. Our conduct is to be worthy (Phil 1:27)

2. 1 Corinthians 15:58 - "Giving yourselves FULLY to the work" 
Standing firm in our faith requires intentional sacrifice - so we will need to avoid and detour from the windmill.
When we throw hot coals in our lap, there are high chances we will get burned. So going onto this show was a hot place, and the windmill burned her. - My message to my girls is this where you have to stand firm in your faith and AVOID THE WINDMILL!!!!  

3. Don't believe the lie that "you are just making mistakes" - be honest with yourself - when you are going into a situation like The Windmill - recognize and ask the Lord to show you - what you are actually stepping into - because in most cases - any girl stepping into that situation with Peter - would have intended to take it as far as possible - and in truth that is deliberately sinning. You know when you go down the path to feed temptation exactly where it will take you. This is an insult to the Spirit of Grace and God will judge all that happens in the dark. Let us be ladies of light - and be judged by Him for conduct worthy of the Blood of the covenant.
Hebrews 10:26