About a year ago I had a stray cat show up on my porch. At first I thought it was just a neighbor's pet who decided to hang out at my place. Not knowing its name I called him "Garfield" because of his resemblence to the cartoon character of the same name. As time went on I realized that "Garfield" was not a neighborhood cat, but was lost, abandoned or a ferrel cat. Eventually, I befriended him and gained a little bit of trust. Because I was not in a position to care for him myself, and did not know if he belonged to anybody, I took him to an animal shelter called The Dumb Friends league. I will never know what will become of Garfield, but I least know he will be loved and cared for during whatever remains of his life. I never knew why the shelter used the name "Dumb Friends." So, I looked it up on their website. I found out that when the League was founded, the term dumb was used to refer to those who could not speak. Their mission statement says that they are "speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves." This discovery made me wonder about how so many people long to communicate with God.
"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." Hebrews 11: 1-3
One of my favorite stories illustrating why God became a man, in Christ, is the Hindu and the Anthill.
There was a man from India who was a devout member of a Hindu sect and who had a profound sense of reverence for life. He would not kill an ant, a cow, or even a cobra, because to him, due to his belief in reincarnation, he might be killing some past relative. During his visit to America, he had been confronted with the claims of Christ, yet he could not grasp the biblical truth that God actually visited this planet in the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. He could not comprehend how the Great Creator God of the Universe could become a man, or why. One day as he was walking in the field meditating upon this new truth about Jesus the Christ being God, he was wondering how this could possibly be. He ran across a large anthill with thousands of little ants scurrying around in their busy like manner. He was standing there observing with wonder the activity of these ants, and what amazing creatures they are, when suddenly, he heard a tremendous and threatening noise. It was the noise of a large tractor plowing the fields. As he looked up he discovered that the tractor would soon be plowing through that ant hill and thousands of ants would probably be killed and their home destroyed. Gripped with the same concern you and I would feel for hundreds of people trapped in a burning building, he became frantic. He wanted to warn them of their impending destruction. He thought to himself, "How can I warn them? If I could write in the sand, they wouldn't be able to read it. If I shouted to them, they wouldn't understand me. The only possible way I could communicate with them would be by becoming an ant, if I had that ability." Then suddenly he had a revelation from the Spirit of God. He saw why God, the Creator of the universe, chose to become one of us by becoming a man, in the Person of the God-man, Jesus of Nazareth.
In the blink of an eye, the Hindu understood the truths about Jesus Christ and His claim to be God in the flesh. The Hindus love for the ants was a picture of the love God has for him and the rest of mankind. As Hebrews states, God tried to reach mankind in various ways, but we would not respond to Him. Therefore, out of His love for mankind, He became one of us in order to communicate His love for us and offer us forgiveness and life in His Son.
"Your attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" Philippians 2: 5-8
We should be humbled to learn that God loves us so much that He became a man in order to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. As we see, God "made himself nothing." That "nothing" He became is a reference to us. Without God we are nothing because we were created, in Adam, to be indwelt by the very life of God. But, because of sin, we are born into this world separated from God. Apart from Him we cannot function properly as we were created to function. Not only are we dead to God, but it is impossible for us to properly communicate with Him without His life in us. Being dead to Him means we are alive to the world. And that is why you see so many people trying to reach up to God through a variety of ways using whatever the world has to offer. The most obvious of these methods is religion. No matter what the religion, you will have at its core the fundamental belief that if you follow certain directives you can do the impossible and reach up to God. But, the more we try to reach up to God in self-effort, the farther away from Him we get. If we would only listen to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ, we would be able to understand exactly what it is He is trying to communicate to us.
"So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir." Galatians 4: 3-7
"Garfield" was unable to communicate to me. He couldn't tell me his name, where he lived, if he was hurting or what he needed. All he could do was show up on my doorstep and hope that I would take care of him. Eventually, it was up to me to bridge the communication gap and intercede by taking him to the shelter in an effort to save his life. He was incapable of saving Himself through anything he did. In much the same way, we could not save ourselves from eternal separation from God. This is a truth the Hindu realized during his encounter with the ants and the tractor. The tractor represented that eternal separation from God and the ants, no matter how hard they tried, were powerless to stop it. God, in an effort to communicate with mankind wrote to us, but we would not read. He called to us, but we would not listen. But, at just the right time, God came to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus Christ we have the life of God restored to us and are now able to call ourselves His children and are heirs to all that He has promised us in Christ. We now have fellowship with Him and are able to communicate with Him. So much so, that we can call out to Him saying, "Abba, Father" because He hears us.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
God's Navigation System
The role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of a Christian is one of the most misunderstood aspects of the Christian life. I heard a preacher comparing the role of the Holy Spirit in a believers life to that of a navigation system in a automobile. He accurately described that if you rely on the navigation system, it will safely deliver you to your destination every time. He even went on to say that if you make a wrong turn the system will adjust to your new position and still guide you to your destination. To sum up his message he quoted a famous passage from the book of Proverbs:
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3: 5-6
While this is a great passage to remind us that we are to trust the Lord with our Christian walk rather than trying to live it in our own energy, I believe quoting this passage leaves something out. How is it we rely on the Holy Spirit? Christianity is full of times when scriptures are used as platitudes to comfort or guide a believer, but the individual is left to determine what is meant by the citation and how to apply it. Other examples of this is when you hear people say things like:
"Let go and let God."
"Just give your troubles to the Lord."
"God doesn't close a door without opening a window."
These are great and I know people have been encouraged and comforted by them, but again I ask, "How?" How do we let go and let God? How do we give our troubles to the Lord? "Where is this window? The normal response to being led by the Spirit is to give people laws to obey or rules to follow. Depending on your denomination or who or what is the biggest influence in your life, these tenants can vary. Most often people will turn to their religious upbringing in an attempt to live within its guidelines as a way in which to abide in the Holy Spirit. But, this is subjecting ourselves to a life under the law.
"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." John 5: 39-40
It is interesting to note that Jesus scolded the Jews for studying the scriptures. I bet that was the only time in history anybody has gotten reprimanded for reading the Word of God. But, His point is clear. Knowing the Word, or religious teachings, does not mean you know Jesus! I have heard about Jews that know the scriptures so well, particularly the Old Testament, that they have memorized all of it to the point they could tell you what letter is on the opposite page from where they are reading. Now that is "dilingently" studying the Scriptures. But, they didn't know Jesus, much less have faith in Him. And, ultimately, that is what the Christian life is all about. The Christian life is about trusting Jesus and learning to be dependent on Him to live His life through you. The way this is accomplished is by the indwelling Holy Spirit reminding a believer of who they are in Christ; how God views them. The most important thing a Christian can do is to understand their idenity in Christ. Amongst other things, Christians are a new creation, totally forgiven, totally righteous, totally reconciled, redeemed, sanctified, justified, part of the Body of Christ, a citizen of Heaven, have eternal life and are totally loved. Now, these are things we learn from reading the Scriptures, but apart from the illumination that comes from the Holy Spirit, we would be forced to lean on our own understanding when it comes to discerning what they mean to a Christian.
"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you." John 16: 12-14
The role of the Holy Spirit is to bring to mind the truths of God as we live our lives. Here is an example of what this means to a believer. Take for instance the topic of forgiveness. Christians often ask each other what do we do when we sin? The normal response is to "confess our sins" to God in order to receive forgiveness because if we don't God "will not forgive" us. And this idea can be supported by scripture. The scriptures that come to mind are 1 John 1:9 and Matthew 6:14-15. Simply reading scripture, apart from the guidance of the Holy Spirit, will lead to this accepted conclusion. However, the ability to rightly divide scripture, that comes from the Holy Spirit, leads to a different conclusion. First, He reminds a believer that a Christian already has the forgiveness of God, as a present possession, through the inheritance we received when we accepted Christ. Passages like Ephesians 1:7 and Colossians 1:13-14 are a couple of scriptures that attest to this fact. Secondly, the Holy Spirit instructs us that 1 John 1:9 is a salvation passage, written to unbelieving gnostics that had infiltrated a particular Christian fellowship. Furthermore, it tells us that Matthew 6: 14-15 is an Old Testament scripture written before Jesus died on the cross. At that time in history, forgiveness was conditional on what we did. After the cross, forgiveness is unconditional because of what Christ has already done for us.
"We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." Colossians 1: 28-29
The Holy Spirit is definitely the internal "navigation system" that guides a believer. However, apart from knowing our identity in Christ we end up trying to "drive" ourselves on a daily basis. And just like the navigation system sitting, unused, on the dashboard, the Holy Spirit goes along for the ride, content to let us try to live the Christian life on our own terms. We end up relying on our own understanding which reveals itself in the form of religion. As we make wrong turn after wrong turn the Holy Spirit waits patiently for us to finally pull the car over and ask Him to take the wheel. Granted, from the outside, those relying on the Holy Spirit to guide them may not appear to be doing anything different than the person relying on their own understanding. However, the motivation behind the actions is the difference. When the Holy Spirit is guiding a believer, there is no burning out, no endless attempts at being obedient to rules and regulations, no fear of condemnation for our failures, no lack of discernment, no misunderstandings and no lack of spiritual growth. You realize that letting go and letting God is allowing the Holy Spirit to live His life through you, because only He can. Giving your troubles to God is the realization that His yoke is light because He is carrying it for you. And finding that window to escape your troubles is simple because God is "making your paths straight" from within. So, let us get in the passenger seat, let God drive, and enjoy the ride!
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3: 5-6
While this is a great passage to remind us that we are to trust the Lord with our Christian walk rather than trying to live it in our own energy, I believe quoting this passage leaves something out. How is it we rely on the Holy Spirit? Christianity is full of times when scriptures are used as platitudes to comfort or guide a believer, but the individual is left to determine what is meant by the citation and how to apply it. Other examples of this is when you hear people say things like:
"Let go and let God."
"Just give your troubles to the Lord."
"God doesn't close a door without opening a window."
These are great and I know people have been encouraged and comforted by them, but again I ask, "How?" How do we let go and let God? How do we give our troubles to the Lord? "Where is this window? The normal response to being led by the Spirit is to give people laws to obey or rules to follow. Depending on your denomination or who or what is the biggest influence in your life, these tenants can vary. Most often people will turn to their religious upbringing in an attempt to live within its guidelines as a way in which to abide in the Holy Spirit. But, this is subjecting ourselves to a life under the law.
"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." John 5: 39-40
It is interesting to note that Jesus scolded the Jews for studying the scriptures. I bet that was the only time in history anybody has gotten reprimanded for reading the Word of God. But, His point is clear. Knowing the Word, or religious teachings, does not mean you know Jesus! I have heard about Jews that know the scriptures so well, particularly the Old Testament, that they have memorized all of it to the point they could tell you what letter is on the opposite page from where they are reading. Now that is "dilingently" studying the Scriptures. But, they didn't know Jesus, much less have faith in Him. And, ultimately, that is what the Christian life is all about. The Christian life is about trusting Jesus and learning to be dependent on Him to live His life through you. The way this is accomplished is by the indwelling Holy Spirit reminding a believer of who they are in Christ; how God views them. The most important thing a Christian can do is to understand their idenity in Christ. Amongst other things, Christians are a new creation, totally forgiven, totally righteous, totally reconciled, redeemed, sanctified, justified, part of the Body of Christ, a citizen of Heaven, have eternal life and are totally loved. Now, these are things we learn from reading the Scriptures, but apart from the illumination that comes from the Holy Spirit, we would be forced to lean on our own understanding when it comes to discerning what they mean to a Christian.
"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you." John 16: 12-14
The role of the Holy Spirit is to bring to mind the truths of God as we live our lives. Here is an example of what this means to a believer. Take for instance the topic of forgiveness. Christians often ask each other what do we do when we sin? The normal response is to "confess our sins" to God in order to receive forgiveness because if we don't God "will not forgive" us. And this idea can be supported by scripture. The scriptures that come to mind are 1 John 1:9 and Matthew 6:14-15. Simply reading scripture, apart from the guidance of the Holy Spirit, will lead to this accepted conclusion. However, the ability to rightly divide scripture, that comes from the Holy Spirit, leads to a different conclusion. First, He reminds a believer that a Christian already has the forgiveness of God, as a present possession, through the inheritance we received when we accepted Christ. Passages like Ephesians 1:7 and Colossians 1:13-14 are a couple of scriptures that attest to this fact. Secondly, the Holy Spirit instructs us that 1 John 1:9 is a salvation passage, written to unbelieving gnostics that had infiltrated a particular Christian fellowship. Furthermore, it tells us that Matthew 6: 14-15 is an Old Testament scripture written before Jesus died on the cross. At that time in history, forgiveness was conditional on what we did. After the cross, forgiveness is unconditional because of what Christ has already done for us.
"We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." Colossians 1: 28-29
The Holy Spirit is definitely the internal "navigation system" that guides a believer. However, apart from knowing our identity in Christ we end up trying to "drive" ourselves on a daily basis. And just like the navigation system sitting, unused, on the dashboard, the Holy Spirit goes along for the ride, content to let us try to live the Christian life on our own terms. We end up relying on our own understanding which reveals itself in the form of religion. As we make wrong turn after wrong turn the Holy Spirit waits patiently for us to finally pull the car over and ask Him to take the wheel. Granted, from the outside, those relying on the Holy Spirit to guide them may not appear to be doing anything different than the person relying on their own understanding. However, the motivation behind the actions is the difference. When the Holy Spirit is guiding a believer, there is no burning out, no endless attempts at being obedient to rules and regulations, no fear of condemnation for our failures, no lack of discernment, no misunderstandings and no lack of spiritual growth. You realize that letting go and letting God is allowing the Holy Spirit to live His life through you, because only He can. Giving your troubles to God is the realization that His yoke is light because He is carrying it for you. And finding that window to escape your troubles is simple because God is "making your paths straight" from within. So, let us get in the passenger seat, let God drive, and enjoy the ride!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Get In where you Fit In
Browsing the website of a local ministry, whose pastor has a radio show, I located a page entitled, Where You Fit In. The first sentence of the page begins with "There is a place for everyone" at this church. Now, this church is not encouraging some sort of open theology, but rather that there is a ministry that caters to nearly everybody's interests. This is nothing new as the modern day church model seems to be all about getting people busy for Christ. They have a young adults ministry, a ministry for cancer patients, a couples ministry, a home school ministry, a men's ministry, a prayer ministry, a singles ministry, a prison ministry, a women's ministry, a homeless ministry and many more depending on the individuals desire. The first church I attended after coming to Christ had a similar blueprint. Being young and naive, I was willing to get involved in the singles ministry. I quickly burned out because it seemed to be designed around keeping me busy more than anything else. I guess if you are doing the same things with fellow Christians that you can do with unbelievers it somehow becomes holy. There was one thing missing in all of this activity. While I was busy trying to do for Christ, at no time did anybody take the time to inform me what Christ had done for me.
"For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience." Hebrews 4: 8-11
Within a few short years of attending this particular fellowship of believers I was totally exhausted and left the church. The constant focus on participation left me yearning for something more. I didn't come to Christ because I was bored and needed something to do. I came to Christ because I was worn out from trying to fill the void in my spirit through the endless, sinful options only the world could provide. Not to be flippant, but it seemed like I replaced playing dominoes and video games with my friends with playing checkers and Pictionary with fellow churchmen. Is that what the Christian life is all about? There is a sense that many Christians believe that church is the replacement for Christ. It is this attitude that waters down the Gospel. For example, how many of us have invited somebody to church believing it to be our "spiritual act of worship?" There is nothing wrong with that, but actually, the Church is supposed to go to the people. But, that is hard to do when nearly every waking moment of our lives is spent at the church or in the confines of church activity. Now, I know many of these ministries are designed to equip the saints on how to share our faith. But, sometimes they are so structured and organized that those participating in them are not acting out of genuine desire to be involved, but because they feel it is their duty. Church has become a sort of second job that has little meaning or authenticity. However, Christians are called to rest from our works of trying to gain or maintain our right standing before the Lord by what we do.
"Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." Romans 4: 4-8
In the book Classic Christianity, author Bob George, has the following to say about this phenomenon within the Body of Christ. "Someone experiences a genuine conversion to Jesus Christ that results in immediate changes. But there seems to be something lacking in knowing how to live from that point. He dutifully obeys the instructions that other believers give him, and jumps onto the treadmill of service. It isn't long before he discovers that no amount of service - sincere though it may be will make a person spiritual. In desperation he re-doubles his efforts but, like a person struggling in quicksand, it seems that the harder he tries, the deeper he sinks." The average Christian, struggling with this form of the Christian life, may not readily admit to their struggle or that they are losing, or have lost, the joy of their salvation. I believe that for these people they have settled in their mind that their experience is the norm for a Christian. Perhaps they believe it to be the "cross" they are to bear for the Lord or a part of the "tribulation" Jesus said to expect in this life. However, this isn't a life lived by faith in Jesus Christ, this is a life of obedience to the instructions of religion.
"Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." 2 Corinthians 3: 4-6
Our life itself is our ministry. Wherever we go or whatever we do, from the time we wake up in the morning until our head hits the pillow at bedtime is our ministry. We are not obligated to only be a witness to those we encounter through whatever oraganization we join at church. Everybody we come in contact with is a potential opportunity for us to be used by the Lord. It is our right to tell everyone that God was in Christ not counting their sins against them, so that raised from the dead He could offer the life of God to them as a free gift. This is a truth singles, couples, prisoners, patients, senior citizens, homeless people, homeschoolers and everybody in between need to hear and have a chance to respond to. We are to rely on God, in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, to guide us as He lives the Christian life through us. It is in that way that we aren't relying on ourselves and the influence and structure of a church program to show us how to live a life we cannot. We struggle in all the Lord's energy as we become a light to the world. The byproduct being that we don't burn out and, along with eternal life, we have eternal joy and an eternal desire to share what we have with all those we encounter.
"For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience." Hebrews 4: 8-11
Within a few short years of attending this particular fellowship of believers I was totally exhausted and left the church. The constant focus on participation left me yearning for something more. I didn't come to Christ because I was bored and needed something to do. I came to Christ because I was worn out from trying to fill the void in my spirit through the endless, sinful options only the world could provide. Not to be flippant, but it seemed like I replaced playing dominoes and video games with my friends with playing checkers and Pictionary with fellow churchmen. Is that what the Christian life is all about? There is a sense that many Christians believe that church is the replacement for Christ. It is this attitude that waters down the Gospel. For example, how many of us have invited somebody to church believing it to be our "spiritual act of worship?" There is nothing wrong with that, but actually, the Church is supposed to go to the people. But, that is hard to do when nearly every waking moment of our lives is spent at the church or in the confines of church activity. Now, I know many of these ministries are designed to equip the saints on how to share our faith. But, sometimes they are so structured and organized that those participating in them are not acting out of genuine desire to be involved, but because they feel it is their duty. Church has become a sort of second job that has little meaning or authenticity. However, Christians are called to rest from our works of trying to gain or maintain our right standing before the Lord by what we do.
"Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." Romans 4: 4-8
In the book Classic Christianity, author Bob George, has the following to say about this phenomenon within the Body of Christ. "Someone experiences a genuine conversion to Jesus Christ that results in immediate changes. But there seems to be something lacking in knowing how to live from that point. He dutifully obeys the instructions that other believers give him, and jumps onto the treadmill of service. It isn't long before he discovers that no amount of service - sincere though it may be will make a person spiritual. In desperation he re-doubles his efforts but, like a person struggling in quicksand, it seems that the harder he tries, the deeper he sinks." The average Christian, struggling with this form of the Christian life, may not readily admit to their struggle or that they are losing, or have lost, the joy of their salvation. I believe that for these people they have settled in their mind that their experience is the norm for a Christian. Perhaps they believe it to be the "cross" they are to bear for the Lord or a part of the "tribulation" Jesus said to expect in this life. However, this isn't a life lived by faith in Jesus Christ, this is a life of obedience to the instructions of religion.
"Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." 2 Corinthians 3: 4-6
Our life itself is our ministry. Wherever we go or whatever we do, from the time we wake up in the morning until our head hits the pillow at bedtime is our ministry. We are not obligated to only be a witness to those we encounter through whatever oraganization we join at church. Everybody we come in contact with is a potential opportunity for us to be used by the Lord. It is our right to tell everyone that God was in Christ not counting their sins against them, so that raised from the dead He could offer the life of God to them as a free gift. This is a truth singles, couples, prisoners, patients, senior citizens, homeless people, homeschoolers and everybody in between need to hear and have a chance to respond to. We are to rely on God, in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, to guide us as He lives the Christian life through us. It is in that way that we aren't relying on ourselves and the influence and structure of a church program to show us how to live a life we cannot. We struggle in all the Lord's energy as we become a light to the world. The byproduct being that we don't burn out and, along with eternal life, we have eternal joy and an eternal desire to share what we have with all those we encounter.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Building your own Tower
News spread fast about the shooting that occurred yesterday, July 27, 2008, at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church (TVUUC) in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is tragic to see one more example of random violence claim the lives of unsuspecting individuals. To get more understanding about this particular church, and what they teach, I checked out the beliefs section of the TVUUC website. Unfortunately, I was dismayed when I read the following from this page:
WE BELIEVE in the freedom of religious expression. All individuals should be encouraged to develop their own personal theologies, and to present openly their religious opinions without fear of censure or reprisal.
WE BELIEVE in the authority of reason and conscience. The ultimate arbiter in religion is not a church, nor a document, nor an official, but the personal choice and decision of the individual.
WE BELIEVE in the unity of experience. There is no fundamental conflict between faith and knowledge, religion and the world, the sacred and the secular, since they all have their source in the same reality.
When I read that they believe in people developing their own personal theologies, that the absolute power to decide truth is left to the individual and that all of this originates from the same source, the only conclusion is that they don't believe in anything which means they accept everything. Ultimately, this theology will lead to chaos because truth is decided by personal experience. Before long one belief will collide with another and either one person will have to yield to the others belief or conflict arises. You have to have a standard of truth, in which to determine who is right, or else there is none. While everybody's experience may be true, it doesn't determine truth. And all you're left with is a never ending search for answers you will never find.
"Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel —because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth." Genesis 11: 1-8
At one time on earth everybody spoke the same language, according to Genesis 11. In this particular example, all the people got together in an attempt to build a tower that would reach the heavens. Because of their common language and shared beliefs they were able to decide on a common goal and begin to work towards it. God, realizing that they were trying to build this tower to reach up to Him, confused their language. The result being no unity, no communication, no tower and people scattering over the entire planet. From this beginning you eventually have people who, based on their experiences, began to create their own personal theologies in which to guide their lives by. They created their own standard of truth regardless of whether it was true or not. Have you ever walked into a room full of strangers? When you do, you find yourself drawn to people you think share your values or experiences. As an African-American, I have found myself searching out the blacks in the room, because we have at least one thing in common; our race. People from all walks of life, regardless of race, religion, color or creed tend to gravitate towards that which is most familiar to them. The problem with this is that it prevents the unity everybody strives for because we don't all have the same experiences. This is why the beliefs of the TVUUC cannot lead to unity. Everybody has different experiences, therefore, everybody has their own truth.
"Every man's way is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts." Proverbs 21:2
When everybody does what is right in his own eyes they are actually saying that they are their own god. The only person they are accountable to is themselves. In this way nobody has any accountability for what they do or what they believe. Pretty convenient. You can't have unity when everybody can decide for themselves what is right, what is wrong and what is true. By nature they won't submit to another's "truth" if it means giving up their own. Ever wonder why their are so many religions? At the root of them all is man's effort to reach up to God by their own merits or create a god of their own who allows the individual to decide what is truth. Eventually, you have a person or persons who disagree with one set of agreed upon truths and then establish their own faith based on a new set of truths. This has been repeated over and over for thousands of years with no end in sight. Most of these belief systems will call for unity, but only if everybody agrees with what they believe. This won't happen.
"Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. " Ephesians 4: 11-18
The only way to have unity is through faith in Christ Jesus. While we all may have different experiences which lead to us creating our own separate truths, there is one thing that all of us have in common. We all are born into this world spiritually dead in sin, without the life of God indwelling us, and separated from God. Because we all are descendants of the first man Adam, we have inherited his spiritual death through the sin that entered the world. That is one inescapable truth that effects us all whether we know it or not, whether we acknowledge it or no, whether we like it or not. But God, who desired to unite all of us, made it possible by sending Jesus Christ to bridge the gap between mankind and God. The salvation offered by Jesus Christ is the restoration of the life of God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. While all our experiences may be unique to us, they are not the standard by which we determine truth. Once a person comes to Christ, their experiences become their testimony of how they found Christ. And in turn, they use that testimony to reach others, with similar experiences, with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Truth isn't ours to determine, but rather it is the prerogative of God to tell us what truth is. And, in Christ, we can take to heart the words of the Apostle Paul when he said...
"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3: 26-29)
Amen!
WE BELIEVE in the freedom of religious expression. All individuals should be encouraged to develop their own personal theologies, and to present openly their religious opinions without fear of censure or reprisal.
WE BELIEVE in the authority of reason and conscience. The ultimate arbiter in religion is not a church, nor a document, nor an official, but the personal choice and decision of the individual.
WE BELIEVE in the unity of experience. There is no fundamental conflict between faith and knowledge, religion and the world, the sacred and the secular, since they all have their source in the same reality.
When I read that they believe in people developing their own personal theologies, that the absolute power to decide truth is left to the individual and that all of this originates from the same source, the only conclusion is that they don't believe in anything which means they accept everything. Ultimately, this theology will lead to chaos because truth is decided by personal experience. Before long one belief will collide with another and either one person will have to yield to the others belief or conflict arises. You have to have a standard of truth, in which to determine who is right, or else there is none. While everybody's experience may be true, it doesn't determine truth. And all you're left with is a never ending search for answers you will never find.
"Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel —because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth." Genesis 11: 1-8
At one time on earth everybody spoke the same language, according to Genesis 11. In this particular example, all the people got together in an attempt to build a tower that would reach the heavens. Because of their common language and shared beliefs they were able to decide on a common goal and begin to work towards it. God, realizing that they were trying to build this tower to reach up to Him, confused their language. The result being no unity, no communication, no tower and people scattering over the entire planet. From this beginning you eventually have people who, based on their experiences, began to create their own personal theologies in which to guide their lives by. They created their own standard of truth regardless of whether it was true or not. Have you ever walked into a room full of strangers? When you do, you find yourself drawn to people you think share your values or experiences. As an African-American, I have found myself searching out the blacks in the room, because we have at least one thing in common; our race. People from all walks of life, regardless of race, religion, color or creed tend to gravitate towards that which is most familiar to them. The problem with this is that it prevents the unity everybody strives for because we don't all have the same experiences. This is why the beliefs of the TVUUC cannot lead to unity. Everybody has different experiences, therefore, everybody has their own truth.
"Every man's way is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts." Proverbs 21:2
When everybody does what is right in his own eyes they are actually saying that they are their own god. The only person they are accountable to is themselves. In this way nobody has any accountability for what they do or what they believe. Pretty convenient. You can't have unity when everybody can decide for themselves what is right, what is wrong and what is true. By nature they won't submit to another's "truth" if it means giving up their own. Ever wonder why their are so many religions? At the root of them all is man's effort to reach up to God by their own merits or create a god of their own who allows the individual to decide what is truth. Eventually, you have a person or persons who disagree with one set of agreed upon truths and then establish their own faith based on a new set of truths. This has been repeated over and over for thousands of years with no end in sight. Most of these belief systems will call for unity, but only if everybody agrees with what they believe. This won't happen.
"Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. " Ephesians 4: 11-18
The only way to have unity is through faith in Christ Jesus. While we all may have different experiences which lead to us creating our own separate truths, there is one thing that all of us have in common. We all are born into this world spiritually dead in sin, without the life of God indwelling us, and separated from God. Because we all are descendants of the first man Adam, we have inherited his spiritual death through the sin that entered the world. That is one inescapable truth that effects us all whether we know it or not, whether we acknowledge it or no, whether we like it or not. But God, who desired to unite all of us, made it possible by sending Jesus Christ to bridge the gap between mankind and God. The salvation offered by Jesus Christ is the restoration of the life of God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. While all our experiences may be unique to us, they are not the standard by which we determine truth. Once a person comes to Christ, their experiences become their testimony of how they found Christ. And in turn, they use that testimony to reach others, with similar experiences, with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Truth isn't ours to determine, but rather it is the prerogative of God to tell us what truth is. And, in Christ, we can take to heart the words of the Apostle Paul when he said...
"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3: 26-29)
Amen!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
It Is Well with My Soul
We sung one of my favorite hymns at church today called "It Is Well with My Soul."
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Aside from the fact that this hymn is a reminder of the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, for those in Christ Jesus, the story behind it is even more powerful than words can describe. The author of the hymn is Horatio Spafford. Here is the story behind the hymn, according to the Library of Congress.
"In 1871, Horatio Spafford, a prosperous lawyer and devout Presbyterian church elder and his wife, Anna, were living comfortably with their four young daughters in Chicago. In that year the great fire broke out and devastated the entire city. Two years later the family decided to vacation with friends in Europe. At the last moment Horatio was detained by business, and Anna and the girls went on ahead, sailing on the ocean liner S.S. Ville de Havre. On November 21, 1873, the liner was rammed amid ship by a British vessel and sank within minutes. Anna was picked up unconscious on a floating spar, but the four children had drowned... Nine days after the shipwreck Anna landed in Cardiff, Wales, and cabled Horatio, "Saved alone. What shall I do . . ."
After receiving Anna's telegram, Horatio immediately left Chicago to bring his wife home. On the Atlantic crossing, the captain of his ship called Horatio to his cabin to tell him that they were passing over the spot where his four daughters had perished. He wrote to Rachel, his wife's half-sister, "On Thursday last we passed over the spot where she went down, in mid-ocean, the waters three miles deep. But I do not think of our dear ones there. They are safe, folded, the dear lambs."
Horatio wrote this hymn, still sung today, as he passed over their watery grave."
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." 2 Corinthians 1: 3-5
Nobody would have blamed Horatio Spafford if he, and his wife Anna, had fallen apart following this tragedy. Even the strongest among us would find it difficult to stand up after losing all four of our children and almost losing our spouse. To compound things even worse, Horatio and Anna lost a son at age four in 1880. Five children gone within seven years of each other. Although, the story doesn't go into much detail, I am sure at some point during their grief the question of "Why?" had to come up. But, the answer to that question that must have comforted Horatio when he sailed over the spot his daughters perished is only available to those resting in Christ and the sufficiency provided by the grace of God. As a Christian we know that the end of this life is only the next step in our eternal walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of the coming return of Christ, we don't mourn the passing of loved ones the way the lost do, who have no hope. While our loss hurts just the same, we know that death does not separate us from the Lord and that one day we will be reunited with our loved ones in Christ. The comfort that Spafford found in Christ during this struggle has comforted many other Christians, for the last 135 years, through the hymn he penned.
"For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 5: 17-21
The circumstances surrounding the tragedy are secondary to the fact that the tragedy is, ultimately, the result of sin being in the world. That sin, brought in through the disobedience of Adam, has reverberated throughout history to this day. But, because of His great love for us, God sent Jesus to take away those sins for eternity by shedding His blood for us on the cross, so that raised from the dead, we could have eternal life in Him. Spafford was comforted by the fact that His children were now safe in the arms of Jesus Christ. Therefore, while I am sure he would have given anything to spend more time with his children, other than the few short years they were here on earth, he knew that he would one day be reunited with them in Heaven. It is this truth that came to mind when he visited the spot where his children passed. He didn't look at it as a three mile deep abyss that held the bodies of his children. He recognized it as the spot that his children went home to be with the Lord and was comforted.
"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." Hebrews 9: 27-28
The Lord took our sins away from the eyes of God once and for all time. He is not going to come back and die again for our sins. When He does return it is to gather the saints who are waiting for Him. When Spafford wrote his hymn He had the hope that the Lord could return any moment. And at that moment his faith would become sight. Spafford has since gone home to be with the Lord and be reunited with his children. But, while he was here on earth he knew that his sins were not separating him from God and that the death of his children, something we all will face one day, did not separate them from God either. It is this truth that allowed him to say, "it is well with my soul." And it is that same truth that allows us to say it as well when the trials of life come upon us. Amen!
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Aside from the fact that this hymn is a reminder of the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, for those in Christ Jesus, the story behind it is even more powerful than words can describe. The author of the hymn is Horatio Spafford. Here is the story behind the hymn, according to the Library of Congress.
"In 1871, Horatio Spafford, a prosperous lawyer and devout Presbyterian church elder and his wife, Anna, were living comfortably with their four young daughters in Chicago. In that year the great fire broke out and devastated the entire city. Two years later the family decided to vacation with friends in Europe. At the last moment Horatio was detained by business, and Anna and the girls went on ahead, sailing on the ocean liner S.S. Ville de Havre. On November 21, 1873, the liner was rammed amid ship by a British vessel and sank within minutes. Anna was picked up unconscious on a floating spar, but the four children had drowned... Nine days after the shipwreck Anna landed in Cardiff, Wales, and cabled Horatio, "Saved alone. What shall I do . . ."
After receiving Anna's telegram, Horatio immediately left Chicago to bring his wife home. On the Atlantic crossing, the captain of his ship called Horatio to his cabin to tell him that they were passing over the spot where his four daughters had perished. He wrote to Rachel, his wife's half-sister, "On Thursday last we passed over the spot where she went down, in mid-ocean, the waters three miles deep. But I do not think of our dear ones there. They are safe, folded, the dear lambs."
Horatio wrote this hymn, still sung today, as he passed over their watery grave."
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." 2 Corinthians 1: 3-5
Nobody would have blamed Horatio Spafford if he, and his wife Anna, had fallen apart following this tragedy. Even the strongest among us would find it difficult to stand up after losing all four of our children and almost losing our spouse. To compound things even worse, Horatio and Anna lost a son at age four in 1880. Five children gone within seven years of each other. Although, the story doesn't go into much detail, I am sure at some point during their grief the question of "Why?" had to come up. But, the answer to that question that must have comforted Horatio when he sailed over the spot his daughters perished is only available to those resting in Christ and the sufficiency provided by the grace of God. As a Christian we know that the end of this life is only the next step in our eternal walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of the coming return of Christ, we don't mourn the passing of loved ones the way the lost do, who have no hope. While our loss hurts just the same, we know that death does not separate us from the Lord and that one day we will be reunited with our loved ones in Christ. The comfort that Spafford found in Christ during this struggle has comforted many other Christians, for the last 135 years, through the hymn he penned.
"For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 5: 17-21
The circumstances surrounding the tragedy are secondary to the fact that the tragedy is, ultimately, the result of sin being in the world. That sin, brought in through the disobedience of Adam, has reverberated throughout history to this day. But, because of His great love for us, God sent Jesus to take away those sins for eternity by shedding His blood for us on the cross, so that raised from the dead, we could have eternal life in Him. Spafford was comforted by the fact that His children were now safe in the arms of Jesus Christ. Therefore, while I am sure he would have given anything to spend more time with his children, other than the few short years they were here on earth, he knew that he would one day be reunited with them in Heaven. It is this truth that came to mind when he visited the spot where his children passed. He didn't look at it as a three mile deep abyss that held the bodies of his children. He recognized it as the spot that his children went home to be with the Lord and was comforted.
"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." Hebrews 9: 27-28
The Lord took our sins away from the eyes of God once and for all time. He is not going to come back and die again for our sins. When He does return it is to gather the saints who are waiting for Him. When Spafford wrote his hymn He had the hope that the Lord could return any moment. And at that moment his faith would become sight. Spafford has since gone home to be with the Lord and be reunited with his children. But, while he was here on earth he knew that his sins were not separating him from God and that the death of his children, something we all will face one day, did not separate them from God either. It is this truth that allowed him to say, "it is well with my soul." And it is that same truth that allows us to say it as well when the trials of life come upon us. Amen!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
H E Double Hockey Sticks
Last week, during a break at church, I found myself in a conversation with a woman about the grace of God when the subject of Hell briefly arose. This lady stated that she didn't believe Hell is eternal, or words to that effect. Her comment struck me as odd, but I didn't pursue it any further. As I got to thinking about it I asked myself, "If Hell isn't eternal, is that really punishment for not accepting Christ as Savior?" I have a friend who has said that we "are already experiencing Hell on Earth." Given all the suffering going on in the world, I can understand where a comment like that would be made. However, what does scripture say about Hell?
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25: 40-46
If we are to take the words of Jesus, literally, then it is clear that Hell is a place of eternal damnation and separation from God. To say otherwise would seem to be born of ignorance or of the flesh. From a human perspective, it is obvious to not want anybody to face an eternity in the torment of Hell. After all, if God is a loving God, how could He do such a thing? But, when we think about it, we do similar things all the time in our criminal justice system. How many people are in prison, sitting on death row, awaiting execution or have been given life in prison? Is not this a form of "eternal" punishment? None of these criminals will ever get out of prison alive. They have forfeited their opportunity to experience a life of freedom like those of us outside of prison. Therefore, I don't believe it much of a leap for a just God to send people to Hell for breaking His law of faith in Christ for entrance into Heaven. Honestly, if Hell isn't eternal, but temporal, there is really not much of a reason to vehemently share the Gospel.
"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:28
There are two primary reasons for putting a criminal in prison. The first reason is to punish them for the crime they have committed. The second reason is to protect society from their criminial behavior because we are afraid that they will continue to be a menace to society. If we incarcerate criminals because we are afraid of them continuing their life of crime then why would Jesus tell His disciples not to be afraid of those who can kill the body? The Lord's statement should give us pause. We shouldn't be afraid of murderers, but rather we should be afraid of a God who can send people to Hell. If all that awaited unbelievers was a temporal punishment than one could argue that there isn't enough reason to accept Christ. Some could say that they will just eat, drink and be merry, live life to the fullest and then see what happens when they die. Granted, even temporaral punishment in a Lake of Fire is not a desireable outcome, but knowing it is only for a short time may not be enough to disuade some.
"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment..." 2 Peter 2:4
"In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side." Luke 16:23
Hell, a place of gloomy dungeons and torment! This sounds a lot worse than "hell on earth." And what are the dungeons for if Hell is only temporary? The bottom line is that hell is eternal. While believers face an eternity of bliss in the presence of a Holy God, unbelievers get the exact opposite. They get an eternity of agony, separated from God, in my opinion, so they can think about all the times they rejected Jesus and His offer of salvation. In my earlier days as a Christian, I once found myself in a bookstore debating a friend about Jesus Christ. My friend who was an unbelilever, and still is to the best of my knowledge, did all he could to try and refute Christ's claim as "the way, the truth and the life." Shortly before the conversation ended, and perhaps out of a bit of frustration, I told my friend that if He doesn't accept Jesus Christ before he dies that the conversation we had that day would be replayed over and over in his mind for all eternity as a form of torture. I didn't have any proof that would be the case, but I do believe that those in Hell will have a conscious existence while there.
"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3: 8-9
It was not God's desire that any of us go to Hell. Hell was originally created for Satan and his angels. But, now it is reserved for those who reject Christ. I have read where the average human lifespan is about 80 years. For those that live to that age and beyond, it may seem like a long time. Yet, in the eyes of God, it is a blink of His eye. When you compare those 80 years to eternity, and compare the struggles of that lifetime to the unimagineable horrors in Hell, it should be enough to make even the most stubborn individual investigate the claims of Jesus Christ. God is patient with all mankind, not wanting any of them to perish and be sent to Hell. Imagine if God said to you that He would give you 80 years to decide if you wanted to go Heaven or to Hell. I am sure you would choose Heaven in less than 80 seconds! Given that scenario I would hope that anybody who has not yet come to faith in Jesus Christ seriously consider what He came to give. Perhaps the words of a friend of mine will make this decision simpler. "For a believer, this life is the worst it will get. For an unbeliever, this life is the best it will get." The choice is yours.
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25: 40-46
If we are to take the words of Jesus, literally, then it is clear that Hell is a place of eternal damnation and separation from God. To say otherwise would seem to be born of ignorance or of the flesh. From a human perspective, it is obvious to not want anybody to face an eternity in the torment of Hell. After all, if God is a loving God, how could He do such a thing? But, when we think about it, we do similar things all the time in our criminal justice system. How many people are in prison, sitting on death row, awaiting execution or have been given life in prison? Is not this a form of "eternal" punishment? None of these criminals will ever get out of prison alive. They have forfeited their opportunity to experience a life of freedom like those of us outside of prison. Therefore, I don't believe it much of a leap for a just God to send people to Hell for breaking His law of faith in Christ for entrance into Heaven. Honestly, if Hell isn't eternal, but temporal, there is really not much of a reason to vehemently share the Gospel.
"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:28
There are two primary reasons for putting a criminal in prison. The first reason is to punish them for the crime they have committed. The second reason is to protect society from their criminial behavior because we are afraid that they will continue to be a menace to society. If we incarcerate criminals because we are afraid of them continuing their life of crime then why would Jesus tell His disciples not to be afraid of those who can kill the body? The Lord's statement should give us pause. We shouldn't be afraid of murderers, but rather we should be afraid of a God who can send people to Hell. If all that awaited unbelievers was a temporal punishment than one could argue that there isn't enough reason to accept Christ. Some could say that they will just eat, drink and be merry, live life to the fullest and then see what happens when they die. Granted, even temporaral punishment in a Lake of Fire is not a desireable outcome, but knowing it is only for a short time may not be enough to disuade some.
"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment..." 2 Peter 2:4
"In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side." Luke 16:23
Hell, a place of gloomy dungeons and torment! This sounds a lot worse than "hell on earth." And what are the dungeons for if Hell is only temporary? The bottom line is that hell is eternal. While believers face an eternity of bliss in the presence of a Holy God, unbelievers get the exact opposite. They get an eternity of agony, separated from God, in my opinion, so they can think about all the times they rejected Jesus and His offer of salvation. In my earlier days as a Christian, I once found myself in a bookstore debating a friend about Jesus Christ. My friend who was an unbelilever, and still is to the best of my knowledge, did all he could to try and refute Christ's claim as "the way, the truth and the life." Shortly before the conversation ended, and perhaps out of a bit of frustration, I told my friend that if He doesn't accept Jesus Christ before he dies that the conversation we had that day would be replayed over and over in his mind for all eternity as a form of torture. I didn't have any proof that would be the case, but I do believe that those in Hell will have a conscious existence while there.
"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3: 8-9
It was not God's desire that any of us go to Hell. Hell was originally created for Satan and his angels. But, now it is reserved for those who reject Christ. I have read where the average human lifespan is about 80 years. For those that live to that age and beyond, it may seem like a long time. Yet, in the eyes of God, it is a blink of His eye. When you compare those 80 years to eternity, and compare the struggles of that lifetime to the unimagineable horrors in Hell, it should be enough to make even the most stubborn individual investigate the claims of Jesus Christ. God is patient with all mankind, not wanting any of them to perish and be sent to Hell. Imagine if God said to you that He would give you 80 years to decide if you wanted to go Heaven or to Hell. I am sure you would choose Heaven in less than 80 seconds! Given that scenario I would hope that anybody who has not yet come to faith in Jesus Christ seriously consider what He came to give. Perhaps the words of a friend of mine will make this decision simpler. "For a believer, this life is the worst it will get. For an unbeliever, this life is the best it will get." The choice is yours.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Don't say a Word
With so many belief systems in the world, religious and otherwise, it can sometimes be overwhelming and intimidating to speak up for your Christian values. Often times it appears that from the moment we are saved we are expected to turn the world upset down for Christ. After all, the so-called pillars of the faith, old and new, like Charles Spurgeon and Billy Graham, are set before us as examples we are to strive to be like. Witnessing for the Lord has become a sort of badge of honor to be worn by the believer to show off to other believes or hide from the judging eyes of others if we don't have one to display. That is why when I hear Christians ask the following question, I cringe.
"What happens to me if I don't witness to someone? Will God still accept me?"
Now, we can sit and go through the list of all we have in Christ, acceptance being one of them, but it may not answer the question(s) asked sufficiently.
"Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." Acts 9: 1-6
When we look at the conversion of the Apostle Paul, here referred to as Saul, we see an experience unlike any other mentioned in scripture. In fact, Paul's conversion is unlike anything else I have ever heard about throughout history. Paul, on his way to persecute Christians is encountered by, noneother than, Jesus Christ Himself. Upon this encounter, Paul does a complete 180 degree turnaround and begins his misson as, arguably, the most accomplished Christian evangelist of all time. Yet, one thing is noticeably absent from his conversion experience. Nobody witnessed to Paul. Paul didn't have a loving, longsuffering and patient believer trying to tell him about Jesus Christ. One could argue that if Jesus hadn't intervened personally, Paul would have continued his murderous ways right up until his death, never being saved. Paul was well known by the Christians and was feared by most of them, if not all of them, as far as we can tell.
"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name... When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple." Acts 9: 13-14, 26
When you think about it, why would anybody want to approach a man, bent on your destruction, even if it were to tell them about Jesus? I am sure it has happened at some point, but the times it has happened are, no doubt, few and far between. Many Christians today would say that if we don't witness we are being disobedient to God's command. After all, it was Jesus who gave the Great Commission to the disciples. But, we must remember that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. If there comes a time where we are presented with an opportunity to be a witness for the Lord and don't take that opportunity, regardless of the reason, we are not being disobedient. God will just use someone else, or He will intervene Himself in some way.
"Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Luke 19: 39-40
Jesus said the stones would cry out if His disciples kept quiet. This illustrates another point about God. He doesn't need us to get His message of salvation to the world, He wants to use us. That is why a Christian's reasonable act of worship is to make ourselves living sacrifices. We completely turn ourselves over to the Lord for Him to do as He pleases with us. It is He who lives the Christian life through us. All He asks is that we make ourselves available to Him to do it. But, if we don't, He will get His work accomplished through someone else, something else or do it Himself. I firmly believe that is why the Lord used Himself to reach Paul. There was probably nobody else willing to make themselves available at the time because they were afraid of him.
"When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now." The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?" "No," he said. Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown." Numbers 22: 27-31
In what could be, in many ways, a foreshadow of Paul's conversion experience, we see Balaam carrying on a conversation with a donkey after an angel appears in the middle of the road. The point we can take from this experience is that God will get His work accomplished whether we are involved in it or not. On a side note, the experiences of Paul and Balaam, combined with the words of the Lord give me comfort that "those that have never heard" about Jesus are not left abandoned by God. I think that we sometimes underestimate God in some ways as crazy as that may sound. There was a time when I heard a Christian exclaim that he felt we can get in God's way through various forms of disobedience. I disagreed with this assessment because it gives the impression that God is limited by our response to Him. We forget that God didn't need our participation when He sent Jesus to this earth to purchase our salvation. So, I think it safe to assume He doesn't need our help to witness to the lost. The one thing a Christian should be preoccupied with is not whether they are witnessing or not, but rather if they are secure in the knowledge of who they are in Christ.
"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." Romans 15: 5-7
If we should fail to witness to an individual we should not fear condemnation or punishment from the Lord. You will only have missed out on an opportunity for God to use you to share the Gospel with others. Furthermore, that missed opportunity doesn't mean that you are accountable for the individual you failed to witness to either. Whether or not that person comes to faith in Christ is between them and God. They are not going to be able to use your encounter as an excuse should they not accept Christ by faith. We may never know of all the times someone failed to speak to us about the Lord, yet we still mananged to find Him. God is patient with everybody and if a person truly wants to know the Lord, there is more than enough evidence in the world for them to respond to. Scripture says that every knee shall bow before the Lord. I don't believe it would say this unless those bowing knew Whom it was they are bowing to. So, there is no need to worry about a missed opportunity. You may not be remembered as a great evangelist, but that doesn't make you any less a minister of the new covenant or any less accepted by God. He doesn't punish you for a missed opportunity, but uses it to strengthen you and encourage you so you will be ready for the next opportunity.
"What happens to me if I don't witness to someone? Will God still accept me?"
Now, we can sit and go through the list of all we have in Christ, acceptance being one of them, but it may not answer the question(s) asked sufficiently.
"Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." Acts 9: 1-6
When we look at the conversion of the Apostle Paul, here referred to as Saul, we see an experience unlike any other mentioned in scripture. In fact, Paul's conversion is unlike anything else I have ever heard about throughout history. Paul, on his way to persecute Christians is encountered by, noneother than, Jesus Christ Himself. Upon this encounter, Paul does a complete 180 degree turnaround and begins his misson as, arguably, the most accomplished Christian evangelist of all time. Yet, one thing is noticeably absent from his conversion experience. Nobody witnessed to Paul. Paul didn't have a loving, longsuffering and patient believer trying to tell him about Jesus Christ. One could argue that if Jesus hadn't intervened personally, Paul would have continued his murderous ways right up until his death, never being saved. Paul was well known by the Christians and was feared by most of them, if not all of them, as far as we can tell.
"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name... When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple." Acts 9: 13-14, 26
When you think about it, why would anybody want to approach a man, bent on your destruction, even if it were to tell them about Jesus? I am sure it has happened at some point, but the times it has happened are, no doubt, few and far between. Many Christians today would say that if we don't witness we are being disobedient to God's command. After all, it was Jesus who gave the Great Commission to the disciples. But, we must remember that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. If there comes a time where we are presented with an opportunity to be a witness for the Lord and don't take that opportunity, regardless of the reason, we are not being disobedient. God will just use someone else, or He will intervene Himself in some way.
"Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Luke 19: 39-40
Jesus said the stones would cry out if His disciples kept quiet. This illustrates another point about God. He doesn't need us to get His message of salvation to the world, He wants to use us. That is why a Christian's reasonable act of worship is to make ourselves living sacrifices. We completely turn ourselves over to the Lord for Him to do as He pleases with us. It is He who lives the Christian life through us. All He asks is that we make ourselves available to Him to do it. But, if we don't, He will get His work accomplished through someone else, something else or do it Himself. I firmly believe that is why the Lord used Himself to reach Paul. There was probably nobody else willing to make themselves available at the time because they were afraid of him.
"When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now." The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?" "No," he said. Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown." Numbers 22: 27-31
In what could be, in many ways, a foreshadow of Paul's conversion experience, we see Balaam carrying on a conversation with a donkey after an angel appears in the middle of the road. The point we can take from this experience is that God will get His work accomplished whether we are involved in it or not. On a side note, the experiences of Paul and Balaam, combined with the words of the Lord give me comfort that "those that have never heard" about Jesus are not left abandoned by God. I think that we sometimes underestimate God in some ways as crazy as that may sound. There was a time when I heard a Christian exclaim that he felt we can get in God's way through various forms of disobedience. I disagreed with this assessment because it gives the impression that God is limited by our response to Him. We forget that God didn't need our participation when He sent Jesus to this earth to purchase our salvation. So, I think it safe to assume He doesn't need our help to witness to the lost. The one thing a Christian should be preoccupied with is not whether they are witnessing or not, but rather if they are secure in the knowledge of who they are in Christ.
"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." Romans 15: 5-7
If we should fail to witness to an individual we should not fear condemnation or punishment from the Lord. You will only have missed out on an opportunity for God to use you to share the Gospel with others. Furthermore, that missed opportunity doesn't mean that you are accountable for the individual you failed to witness to either. Whether or not that person comes to faith in Christ is between them and God. They are not going to be able to use your encounter as an excuse should they not accept Christ by faith. We may never know of all the times someone failed to speak to us about the Lord, yet we still mananged to find Him. God is patient with everybody and if a person truly wants to know the Lord, there is more than enough evidence in the world for them to respond to. Scripture says that every knee shall bow before the Lord. I don't believe it would say this unless those bowing knew Whom it was they are bowing to. So, there is no need to worry about a missed opportunity. You may not be remembered as a great evangelist, but that doesn't make you any less a minister of the new covenant or any less accepted by God. He doesn't punish you for a missed opportunity, but uses it to strengthen you and encourage you so you will be ready for the next opportunity.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
It is Time to get Dressed
Yesterday, during a call-in radio program, I overheard a conversation between a pastor and a caller regarding whether or not mankind was evil. The conversation centered around the topic of lying and if a person who lies is evil in the sight of God, as opposed to someone, say, guilty of murder. The pastor did an excellent job of deconstructing the argument of the caller to try and show that all people are considered evil and in need of salvation. The caller did not appear to be convinced despite not using any scriptural evidence to support their argument. Their argument was based totally on personal experience and feelings. We have all called an individual a “good” person based on whatever criteria we deem sufficient to pronounce a person to be good. Normally, it is based on how they treat us, if they treat others well, or if they are a law-abiding, taxpaying citizen. Given that criteria, the vast majority of the world would fall into the category of a good person. I am left to wonder if this type of ideology is behind the belief that all religions lead to Heaven or questions like “Why would a loving God send a person to Hell?” It is this form of leaning on our own understanding which leads to making judgments about the eternal destination of other individuals. Nearly everybody will agree that the Adolf Hitler’s, Saddam Hussein’s and Ted Bundy’s of the world are evil and go to Hell. But, anybody who hasn’t gone as far off the deep end as they have, are deemed good enough to enter Heaven. It is like saying, “If I were God, I would send _____________ to Heaven and ___________ to Hell.” But, the next person will come along and set their own set of criteria that may or may not line up with our own. Thus, you never have an agreed upon standard in which to judge anybody by.
"Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. "Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.' "But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' "For many are invited, but few are chosen." Matthew 22:1-14
We have all thrown parties or been invited to parties. And there are times when we wished we could attend a party, but were not invited. The reason invitations are sent out is because there are only a certain amount, or type, of people we want around us. Most of us wouldn’t invite the aforementioned Hitler, Hussein or Bundy to a party. We don’t share their values or beliefs and we want to protect ourselves, and those we invited to the party, from their form of anti-social and criminal behavior. This is normal and is to be expected. Then why are we surprised if God is just as discriminatory when it comes to who He invites to be in Heaven with Him? The parable of the Wedding Banquet gives us insight into God's thinking. God brought salvation to the Jews in the Person of Jesus Christ. However, they rejected the offer to the point where they persecuted those who were trying to tell them of God's offer. Therefore, God sent salvation to the Gentiles. The invitation God sent out was predicated on belief in Jesus Christ. Yet, there are those who will insist on entering the Kingdom of God based on their own merits, and not on those of the Lord. These are the people who will be thrown out and into the darkness, weeping and gnashing their teeth. God desires all mankind to be saved, but there is the one condition of faith in Jesus Christ.
"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD... "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." Acts 17: 22-23, 29-31
Those individuals that are trying to get into heaven without "wedding clothes," are those that are very relgious and worship things made by man's design and skill. We look in awe at ancient cultures like the Egyptians of Africa and the Mayan and Aztec cultures of Mexico and South America. Their design and skill, to this day, baffle the brightest minds the world has to offer. Artifacts like the pyramids, the Sphinx, the Colossal Heads and giant obolisques, to name just a few, are a testimony of the great lengths man goes to in order to develop their objects of worship. Yet, with all their dedication to these idols they still didn't know the one true God of the Bible. It is no different today. Are our cathedrals, temples and shrines any less significant to us than the structures built by previous civilizations? Of course not! Like those civilizations, we believe our objects of worship are substituting for what only can be achieved through faith in Jesus Christ. Just like the UNKNOWN GOD Paul talked about in Athens, most of mankind today doesn't know God either, despite all their great efforts to impress Him. Unless, they repent of their unbelief and accept Jesus Christ by faith, they will be cast from the wedding because they were clothed in their own righteousness and not that of Jesus Christ.
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen." Romans 1: 18-25
To answer those who ask how God can send someone to Hell, I would ask them to consider, "Why should a just God allow people into His Kingdom who turned their backs on Him?" The reason man is considered evil by God is because they suppress the truth about Him, don't glorify Him or give Him thanks in order to chase after the desires of their darkened hearts. Actually, this is an act of love because God will not force anybody to love Him and will grant them their wish to live their lives apart from Him. However, don't expect that grace to last any longer than the individual has breath in their lungs or blood coursing through their veins. Remember, He is God and He sets the rules. It is His "wedding banquet" for "His Son" and if we don't want to do what is necessary to enter the banquet, we won't get in. It doesn't matter what we believe should be the criteria for determining who is good and who is evil. God's standard is the only standard that matters. And He leveled the playing field by saying we are all evil. But, thanks be to God that nobody is bad enough to miss out on Heaven or good enough to earn it. God calls all of us, "good and bad" alike, to His banquet. All He asks is that we have been "clothed in Christ." Amen.
"Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. "Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.' "But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' "For many are invited, but few are chosen." Matthew 22:1-14
We have all thrown parties or been invited to parties. And there are times when we wished we could attend a party, but were not invited. The reason invitations are sent out is because there are only a certain amount, or type, of people we want around us. Most of us wouldn’t invite the aforementioned Hitler, Hussein or Bundy to a party. We don’t share their values or beliefs and we want to protect ourselves, and those we invited to the party, from their form of anti-social and criminal behavior. This is normal and is to be expected. Then why are we surprised if God is just as discriminatory when it comes to who He invites to be in Heaven with Him? The parable of the Wedding Banquet gives us insight into God's thinking. God brought salvation to the Jews in the Person of Jesus Christ. However, they rejected the offer to the point where they persecuted those who were trying to tell them of God's offer. Therefore, God sent salvation to the Gentiles. The invitation God sent out was predicated on belief in Jesus Christ. Yet, there are those who will insist on entering the Kingdom of God based on their own merits, and not on those of the Lord. These are the people who will be thrown out and into the darkness, weeping and gnashing their teeth. God desires all mankind to be saved, but there is the one condition of faith in Jesus Christ.
"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD... "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." Acts 17: 22-23, 29-31
Those individuals that are trying to get into heaven without "wedding clothes," are those that are very relgious and worship things made by man's design and skill. We look in awe at ancient cultures like the Egyptians of Africa and the Mayan and Aztec cultures of Mexico and South America. Their design and skill, to this day, baffle the brightest minds the world has to offer. Artifacts like the pyramids, the Sphinx, the Colossal Heads and giant obolisques, to name just a few, are a testimony of the great lengths man goes to in order to develop their objects of worship. Yet, with all their dedication to these idols they still didn't know the one true God of the Bible. It is no different today. Are our cathedrals, temples and shrines any less significant to us than the structures built by previous civilizations? Of course not! Like those civilizations, we believe our objects of worship are substituting for what only can be achieved through faith in Jesus Christ. Just like the UNKNOWN GOD Paul talked about in Athens, most of mankind today doesn't know God either, despite all their great efforts to impress Him. Unless, they repent of their unbelief and accept Jesus Christ by faith, they will be cast from the wedding because they were clothed in their own righteousness and not that of Jesus Christ.
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen." Romans 1: 18-25
To answer those who ask how God can send someone to Hell, I would ask them to consider, "Why should a just God allow people into His Kingdom who turned their backs on Him?" The reason man is considered evil by God is because they suppress the truth about Him, don't glorify Him or give Him thanks in order to chase after the desires of their darkened hearts. Actually, this is an act of love because God will not force anybody to love Him and will grant them their wish to live their lives apart from Him. However, don't expect that grace to last any longer than the individual has breath in their lungs or blood coursing through their veins. Remember, He is God and He sets the rules. It is His "wedding banquet" for "His Son" and if we don't want to do what is necessary to enter the banquet, we won't get in. It doesn't matter what we believe should be the criteria for determining who is good and who is evil. God's standard is the only standard that matters. And He leveled the playing field by saying we are all evil. But, thanks be to God that nobody is bad enough to miss out on Heaven or good enough to earn it. God calls all of us, "good and bad" alike, to His banquet. All He asks is that we have been "clothed in Christ." Amen.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
God's Point of View
One of the biggest problems mankind seems to have when trying to make sense of the world is that they attempt to do so apart from reliance on the Bible. In most cases, people will rely on feelings and experience as the measure in which to make judgements about the events and circumstances in their lives. It is this type of decision making that is behind such things as relativism. Everybody has an opinion or an experience in which to refer to, that is true to them, but it doesn't mean it is truth. However, as Christians we need to learn to view the world from God's point of view. This has been called the "third lens" of scripture or as putting on your "biblical glasses." Basically, when presented with a subject we should first ask, 'What does the Bible say about that?" If we look at a few major topics, we can get an idea of what this looks like:
Homosexuality
What the world says about homosexuality is that it is a natural act resulting from people being born homosexual. Therefore, we should accept the behavior by changing the standards and traditions that have served mankind well. In order to accomodate homosexuality, the world's point of view tries to play on emotions by comparing the struggles of members of this community to those faced by African-Americans and women in their fight for equality. Furthermore, as a gesture of how accepting we are to be of this lifestyle, traditional marriage is expected to be redefined to include same sex marriage. From this perspective, all that matters is that two people love each other. The end result is that the standards of decency, marriage and morality are turned upside down. And this doesn't even begin to address the physical and emotional damage sustained by continuing in this sin.
The Bible's perspective is quite different. Far from from being natural, scripture has quite a bit to say about homosexuality:
It is an unnatural act (Romans 1:26-27) Homosexuals have no share in the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9) We are warned not to practice it (Genesis 19: 5-7) God sees it as detestable (Leviticus 20:13)This is just a few of the passages that talk about homosexuality. None of them paint it in the same light as the world. And this doesn't even address issues like marriage, which the Bible describes as a man and woman becoming one (Genesis 2:24-25) and that woman was created because it wasn't good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). As the saying goes, God didn't create Adam and Steve. God created Adam and Eve! By engaging in homosexual activity you are basically telling God that He was wrong when He created man and woman.
Abortion
Who doesn't get emotional, for example, when you look into the sunken face of a teenager, who, in a moment of misguided lust, has become pregnant? Or how about the lady who has endured the indescribeable terror of a rape only to find out she is carrying her attackers baby? There are many examples of "unwanted" or "unplanned" pregnancies, resulting from criminal activity or, in the majority of cases, sexual promiscuity, that lead to the decision to terminate that pregnancy. In an effort to further justify abortion, its advocates will question whether or not an actual human being is killed in the process. The world uses phrases like "reproductive choice" and that a woman has a "right to make decisions about her body," to mask the sadistic act of abortion. All of these keep the focus on the women and off of what is developing in their wombs. Unfortunately, while the world is more concerned about the woman who is pregnant, little concern is given to the 46 million unborn babies that have died since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.
As with homosexuality, the Bible is clear about abortion and, more importantly, the lives of those little ones lost because of its cruelty. We know from scripture that...
God has a purpose for those in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5) The unborn have rights (Exodus 21: 22-23) Unborn children are people (Psalm 51:5) Unborn children have consciousness (Luke 1: 41, 44) God knows a child in the womb (Psalm 139:13)It may sound flippant, but every person who is alive today avoided abortion! Because of the emotions that can stir in the discussion over abortion, we must have a clear and dependable standard of truth in which to rely on. That is why we have to turn to the Word of God. The world is full of opinions and beliefs about this subject. And when everybody has an opinion, nobody can stake claim to the truth. For the unborn child, once they are destroyed in the womb, the discussion ends for them. We can't penalize an unborn child because of the way in which it was conceived. If God cares for the unborn, it is the least we can do for them to do the same.
God
Probably nothing generates more debate between people than whether or not God exists. Most of the world believes there is a God, but the opinions about who He is, or "what" He is, vary. Even the atheists, in my opinion, believe in a god. Only their god is man. Regardless, it seems to be okay to believe in God, so long as you don't claim your God to be the God, or your way to be the way. This is why moral relativism has thrown truth out the door an in effort for everybody to get along. What is missed in the discussion is that, eventually, a standard of truth needs to be agreed upon. Because there will come a time when everybody's individual beliefs about right and wrong, good and evil and how we conduct ourselves will collide. It is then that a standard of truth in which to determine who or what is correct will need to arise. But, when you don't have one, how do you decide what to do? In a world were anything goes, anything will go. Usually, the deciding factor in these times is strength or popularity. Neither of which are good factors in determing the truth about God existence and who He is.
The Bible states that man is without excuse when it comes to belief in whether God exists or not. It tells us we don't have to look far to find Him and understand who He is.
The fact that the world exists proves His existence (Romans 1: 18-20) Only a fool says in his heart there is no God (Psalm 14:1) The law of God written on the human heart prove His existence (Romans 2: 14, 15) God's provisions testify to His existence (Acts14:17) The Heavens above prove the existence of God (Psalm 19:1) God is not far from any of us (Acts 17:27)Ultimately, the proof of God's existence is in His Son, Jesus Christ. The virgin conception of Jesus, His sinless life and His death, burial and resurrection are irrefutable proof of, not only God's existence, but of His love for the world and His way of salvation for mankind. The world offers many religions that boast of having the path to God, if you only adhere to them through self-effort. However, Jesus Christ is God's only provision to reach down to mankind, in love, to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Whether you believe in God or not, you are still dead in your sins and in need of the life of God through faith in Jesus Christ. The way of the world leads to destruction and separation from God. But, God's way of salvation in Jesus Christ is the only way to rescue you from the worthless ways of the world.
"And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe." 1 Thessalonians 2:13
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
Therefore, we must realize that the Bible, the Word of God, is our standard of truth. We must remember to turn to the scriptures to help us determine how to view the world. For a believer, the Holy Spirit of God is indwelling us and is there to lead us into all truth. It is by abiding in Him that we are able to cut through the emotion and confusion that arises when deciphering events from the world's point of view. It is by constant use that we are able to rightly discern truth from error. And, in turn, we become salt and light to the lost world. By standing firm on the truths of God, we may not be popular and may even face persecution, but we can be confident that we are trusting in God, the Creator of all things, to strengthen and direct us in our lives. As it has been said, "God does have an opinion on just about everything." And we can find that opinion within the pages of His Word.
Homosexuality
What the world says about homosexuality is that it is a natural act resulting from people being born homosexual. Therefore, we should accept the behavior by changing the standards and traditions that have served mankind well. In order to accomodate homosexuality, the world's point of view tries to play on emotions by comparing the struggles of members of this community to those faced by African-Americans and women in their fight for equality. Furthermore, as a gesture of how accepting we are to be of this lifestyle, traditional marriage is expected to be redefined to include same sex marriage. From this perspective, all that matters is that two people love each other. The end result is that the standards of decency, marriage and morality are turned upside down. And this doesn't even begin to address the physical and emotional damage sustained by continuing in this sin.
The Bible's perspective is quite different. Far from from being natural, scripture has quite a bit to say about homosexuality:
It is an unnatural act (Romans 1:26-27) Homosexuals have no share in the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9) We are warned not to practice it (Genesis 19: 5-7) God sees it as detestable (Leviticus 20:13)This is just a few of the passages that talk about homosexuality. None of them paint it in the same light as the world. And this doesn't even address issues like marriage, which the Bible describes as a man and woman becoming one (Genesis 2:24-25) and that woman was created because it wasn't good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). As the saying goes, God didn't create Adam and Steve. God created Adam and Eve! By engaging in homosexual activity you are basically telling God that He was wrong when He created man and woman.
Abortion
Who doesn't get emotional, for example, when you look into the sunken face of a teenager, who, in a moment of misguided lust, has become pregnant? Or how about the lady who has endured the indescribeable terror of a rape only to find out she is carrying her attackers baby? There are many examples of "unwanted" or "unplanned" pregnancies, resulting from criminal activity or, in the majority of cases, sexual promiscuity, that lead to the decision to terminate that pregnancy. In an effort to further justify abortion, its advocates will question whether or not an actual human being is killed in the process. The world uses phrases like "reproductive choice" and that a woman has a "right to make decisions about her body," to mask the sadistic act of abortion. All of these keep the focus on the women and off of what is developing in their wombs. Unfortunately, while the world is more concerned about the woman who is pregnant, little concern is given to the 46 million unborn babies that have died since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.
As with homosexuality, the Bible is clear about abortion and, more importantly, the lives of those little ones lost because of its cruelty. We know from scripture that...
God has a purpose for those in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5) The unborn have rights (Exodus 21: 22-23) Unborn children are people (Psalm 51:5) Unborn children have consciousness (Luke 1: 41, 44) God knows a child in the womb (Psalm 139:13)It may sound flippant, but every person who is alive today avoided abortion! Because of the emotions that can stir in the discussion over abortion, we must have a clear and dependable standard of truth in which to rely on. That is why we have to turn to the Word of God. The world is full of opinions and beliefs about this subject. And when everybody has an opinion, nobody can stake claim to the truth. For the unborn child, once they are destroyed in the womb, the discussion ends for them. We can't penalize an unborn child because of the way in which it was conceived. If God cares for the unborn, it is the least we can do for them to do the same.
God
Probably nothing generates more debate between people than whether or not God exists. Most of the world believes there is a God, but the opinions about who He is, or "what" He is, vary. Even the atheists, in my opinion, believe in a god. Only their god is man. Regardless, it seems to be okay to believe in God, so long as you don't claim your God to be the God, or your way to be the way. This is why moral relativism has thrown truth out the door an in effort for everybody to get along. What is missed in the discussion is that, eventually, a standard of truth needs to be agreed upon. Because there will come a time when everybody's individual beliefs about right and wrong, good and evil and how we conduct ourselves will collide. It is then that a standard of truth in which to determine who or what is correct will need to arise. But, when you don't have one, how do you decide what to do? In a world were anything goes, anything will go. Usually, the deciding factor in these times is strength or popularity. Neither of which are good factors in determing the truth about God existence and who He is.
The Bible states that man is without excuse when it comes to belief in whether God exists or not. It tells us we don't have to look far to find Him and understand who He is.
The fact that the world exists proves His existence (Romans 1: 18-20) Only a fool says in his heart there is no God (Psalm 14:1) The law of God written on the human heart prove His existence (Romans 2: 14, 15) God's provisions testify to His existence (Acts14:17) The Heavens above prove the existence of God (Psalm 19:1) God is not far from any of us (Acts 17:27)Ultimately, the proof of God's existence is in His Son, Jesus Christ. The virgin conception of Jesus, His sinless life and His death, burial and resurrection are irrefutable proof of, not only God's existence, but of His love for the world and His way of salvation for mankind. The world offers many religions that boast of having the path to God, if you only adhere to them through self-effort. However, Jesus Christ is God's only provision to reach down to mankind, in love, to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Whether you believe in God or not, you are still dead in your sins and in need of the life of God through faith in Jesus Christ. The way of the world leads to destruction and separation from God. But, God's way of salvation in Jesus Christ is the only way to rescue you from the worthless ways of the world.
"And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe." 1 Thessalonians 2:13
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
Therefore, we must realize that the Bible, the Word of God, is our standard of truth. We must remember to turn to the scriptures to help us determine how to view the world. For a believer, the Holy Spirit of God is indwelling us and is there to lead us into all truth. It is by abiding in Him that we are able to cut through the emotion and confusion that arises when deciphering events from the world's point of view. It is by constant use that we are able to rightly discern truth from error. And, in turn, we become salt and light to the lost world. By standing firm on the truths of God, we may not be popular and may even face persecution, but we can be confident that we are trusting in God, the Creator of all things, to strengthen and direct us in our lives. As it has been said, "God does have an opinion on just about everything." And we can find that opinion within the pages of His Word.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Struggling with God
Q: Does the Creator sometimes punish people who openly challenge him? For example, before the Titanic sank, some people boasted and said `not even God can sink the Titanic.'
A: No, I don't believe He does. A few years ago after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States, there were many people who attributed the damage caused by the Hurricane to the wrath of God. There were Christians who said that New Orleans was targeted by God because of an event called "Southern Decadence," a mostly homosexual event, that was scheduled to take place during the week the storm hit. Similarly, there were others who said the storm was God's wrath against the United States for our involvement in world affairs. The list is endless. And on a lesser scale you have Christians who believe that God punishes us for every little infraction from missing church services, to not participating in enough church activities, to not inviting people to church and for any other apparent transgression we do throughout our daily lives. We can get to the point where we believe every negative event in our lives is the result of God punishing us. Honestly, there are many reasons as to why we may suffer at times, but from what Scripture tells us, it doesn't seem to be consistent with the character of God for Him to be the cause of our suffering. Our suffering is the result of sin being in this world.
The name Israel means to "struggle with God." In the book of Genesis we read, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome (Genesis 32:28)." All throughout the Old Testament we find story after story of man's failure. Yet, God still looked upon Israel as the "apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8)" and as a nation He "has chosen... out of all the people on the face of the earth (Deuteronomy 7:6)." God, in the midst of Israel's struggles and outright disobedience, remained faithful to them. However, we no doubt see God's wrath on mankind. Nowhere in scripture is that more evident than during the Global Flood in Genesis 7. Just prior to the Flood, "The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain (Genesis 6:6)." And in order to rectify the situation God said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them (Genesis 6:7)." The result was 40 days and 40 nights of rain and flooding which destroyed every living thing on the face of the earth except for Noah, his family and the animals safe in the Ark.
In the New Testament we have an incident in Acts 5 where a husband and wife, Ananias and Sapphira, lie to God and fall dead on the spot after being discovered. There has been much debate surrounding whether or not God killed them or if they died from the shock of being discovered. There is not enough evidence to know for sure, but if it was God who killed them, it is definitely an isolated incident. With all that said, it would appear there is overwhelming evidence to support a God who punishes people who challenge Him or put Him to the test. However, in His love for us, God placed the punishment we deserved on Jesus Christ. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3: 16-17)." In arguably the most famous passage in all of scripture, and perhaps all of written literature, we see how much God does not want mankind to suffer. He has made a way for us to escape His wrath by coming to faith in Jesus Christ. For those in Christ we have the promise that there is "no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)" and that "God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9)." This is a promise available to all mankind because God isn't wanting "anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)."
"For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives." (Hebrews 12:6)." Christians often mistake the discipline of God for punishment. But they are forgetting that our sins have already been judged by God. The verdict was guilty, the penalty was death and Jesus died to take all our sins away from the eyes of God. There is no penalty left for us to suffer. The discipline of God is not punishment for a wrong done, but preparation for a task ahead. Furthermore, we must remember that God "sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45)." This occurs because, as we read in the book of Romans, "the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time (Romans 8:22)." Therefore, while He isn't punishing anybody for their sins, we still live in a sin cursed world and have indwelling sin in each one of us. Because of this fact, we may be subjected to things like natural disasters which befall us through no fault of our own. Or we may suffer the consequences of our own poor choices or those of others. God, most likely, didn't sink the Titanic because of apparent boasts by people about its supposed durability. The ship sunk, and those people perished, because man's pride and arrogance blinded those in charge of the vessel from making wise decisions prior to, and during, its maiden voyage. While I don't believe God punishes us for our apparent challenges of Him, we are still subject to the suffering which is part of life in this world. But, remember that, in the midst of our suffering, He is right there with a Christian seeing us through it, and patiently waiting for an unbeliever to turn to Him for salvation in Christ.
A: No, I don't believe He does. A few years ago after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States, there were many people who attributed the damage caused by the Hurricane to the wrath of God. There were Christians who said that New Orleans was targeted by God because of an event called "Southern Decadence," a mostly homosexual event, that was scheduled to take place during the week the storm hit. Similarly, there were others who said the storm was God's wrath against the United States for our involvement in world affairs. The list is endless. And on a lesser scale you have Christians who believe that God punishes us for every little infraction from missing church services, to not participating in enough church activities, to not inviting people to church and for any other apparent transgression we do throughout our daily lives. We can get to the point where we believe every negative event in our lives is the result of God punishing us. Honestly, there are many reasons as to why we may suffer at times, but from what Scripture tells us, it doesn't seem to be consistent with the character of God for Him to be the cause of our suffering. Our suffering is the result of sin being in this world.
The name Israel means to "struggle with God." In the book of Genesis we read, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome (Genesis 32:28)." All throughout the Old Testament we find story after story of man's failure. Yet, God still looked upon Israel as the "apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8)" and as a nation He "has chosen... out of all the people on the face of the earth (Deuteronomy 7:6)." God, in the midst of Israel's struggles and outright disobedience, remained faithful to them. However, we no doubt see God's wrath on mankind. Nowhere in scripture is that more evident than during the Global Flood in Genesis 7. Just prior to the Flood, "The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain (Genesis 6:6)." And in order to rectify the situation God said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them (Genesis 6:7)." The result was 40 days and 40 nights of rain and flooding which destroyed every living thing on the face of the earth except for Noah, his family and the animals safe in the Ark.
In the New Testament we have an incident in Acts 5 where a husband and wife, Ananias and Sapphira, lie to God and fall dead on the spot after being discovered. There has been much debate surrounding whether or not God killed them or if they died from the shock of being discovered. There is not enough evidence to know for sure, but if it was God who killed them, it is definitely an isolated incident. With all that said, it would appear there is overwhelming evidence to support a God who punishes people who challenge Him or put Him to the test. However, in His love for us, God placed the punishment we deserved on Jesus Christ. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3: 16-17)." In arguably the most famous passage in all of scripture, and perhaps all of written literature, we see how much God does not want mankind to suffer. He has made a way for us to escape His wrath by coming to faith in Jesus Christ. For those in Christ we have the promise that there is "no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)" and that "God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9)." This is a promise available to all mankind because God isn't wanting "anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)."
"For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives." (Hebrews 12:6)." Christians often mistake the discipline of God for punishment. But they are forgetting that our sins have already been judged by God. The verdict was guilty, the penalty was death and Jesus died to take all our sins away from the eyes of God. There is no penalty left for us to suffer. The discipline of God is not punishment for a wrong done, but preparation for a task ahead. Furthermore, we must remember that God "sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45)." This occurs because, as we read in the book of Romans, "the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time (Romans 8:22)." Therefore, while He isn't punishing anybody for their sins, we still live in a sin cursed world and have indwelling sin in each one of us. Because of this fact, we may be subjected to things like natural disasters which befall us through no fault of our own. Or we may suffer the consequences of our own poor choices or those of others. God, most likely, didn't sink the Titanic because of apparent boasts by people about its supposed durability. The ship sunk, and those people perished, because man's pride and arrogance blinded those in charge of the vessel from making wise decisions prior to, and during, its maiden voyage. While I don't believe God punishes us for our apparent challenges of Him, we are still subject to the suffering which is part of life in this world. But, remember that, in the midst of our suffering, He is right there with a Christian seeing us through it, and patiently waiting for an unbeliever to turn to Him for salvation in Christ.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Fighting Against God
I have been told that the best way to determine if what someone believes is true is to question it because that is how you measure its validity. One of my favorite passages in the Bible is found in Acts 5. This is where we find a Pharisee named Gamaliel respond to the preaching of Peter and the apostles by saying that "if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God (Acts 5: 38-39)." It is with that thought in mind that we can address the a few of the serious issues which face Christianity.
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not
The other day I wrote about Calvinism and its teaching that man does not have free will. This is one of those topics, that if we're not careful can end up separating the Body of Christ. I guess there are those individuals that think that since God knows the end from the beginning that He orchestrates all that goes on in between. Thus, you have a God who says He loves the world, but shows His love by creating some for Heaven and some for Hell. "I love you, but you can't come to Heaven to spend eternity with me because I created you to burn in the Lake of Fire for all eternity." Some God of love. Here are a few questions I asked myself about this belief that helped me realize that man does have a free will.
"Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name." Genesis 2:19
Why would God bring all the animals to Adam to see what he would name them if He was going to give Adam the names of the animals or knew what Adam would call them beforehand? It would appear that God gave Adam the choice to name the animals whatever he desired. Adam was allowed to exercise his free will. If God gave Adam the names of the animals there would have been no need for Him to see what Adam would come up with as names for the animals.
"And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" Genesis 3:11
If God is directing every facet of our lives, wouldn't He have known how Adam and Eve found out they were naked and if they had eaten the forbidden fruit? Besides, if man does not have free will, then God is the author of sin and confusion. He tells Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and then makes them eat from it. That doesn't make sense to me at all.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— " Ephesians 2:8
How can salvation be by grace, through faith, if God doesn't give us the choice to respond to His offer? Faith is our response to the truth presented to us. Yet, if we don't have free will, and if God picks and chooses who is saved and who is not, there is no salvation to have faith in. It is forced upon a believer whether they want it or not. Maybe we should be called "acceptors," rather than believers, since we have no choice, but to accept the salvation forced upon us.
From the Goo, to the Zoo, to You
Unfortunately, the belief in evolution has taken over the world. In many ways, it has become the religion of the lost and, especially, those who don't believe in God at all. What is even worse is that many Christians have accepted evolution as if it is perfectly compatible with the Bible. They don't realize that what they are doing is giving credibility to a belief that destroys the scriptures and, ultimately, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
"And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so." Genesis 1:30
Since evolution teaches that nature was red in tooth and claw, meaning there was violence, death and bloodshed before the Fall, how is it that God gave the animals plants to eat instead of each other? Christians must remember that first sin entered the world and death through sin. When God made His creation, He said it was good. I don't think He would have said that if you have death, sickness and decay infesting the world.
"Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died." Genesis 5:5
If Adam was born on Day 6, lived through Day 7, of creation week, how could he had live to only 930 years of age if the Days of creation were anything other than 24 hour periods? In order for evolution to work, it must have time. That is why you have ever increasing ages of the earth and universe. Presently, the earth is supposed to be about 4.5 billions years old! Without time, the claims evolution makes such as man evolving from apes and ultimately from some sort of primordial soup could not be made. Evolutionists always try and turn the Days of creation into millions of years or more in a desperate attempt to undermine the Bible. However, if the Days of Creation were millions, billions or just thousands of years, then there is no way Adam could have lived less than 1000 years. It doesn't fit!
"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—" Romans 5:12
How could Jesus have died to take away the sins of the world if death was in the world before the Fall? Before God could restore His life, lost in Adam, to those who accept His Jesus Christ by faith, He had to deal with the sin that caused that life to leave in the first place. Therefore, without Adam's sin bringing death into the world, the death of Christ to pay the price for that sin is nullified. In other words, the Gospel is destroyed.
No Rest for the Weary
A legalist will never admit that they are, in fact, a legalist. Yet, they promote and or adhere to rules, lists, laws or traditions all designed to determine what is good, what is evil and trying to live within those tenants. The word for it is religion. Your average Christian will say that the goal of the Christian life is to stop sinning. While a believer should experience a decrease in the amount of sin in their lives, the Christian life is about trusting the Lord. We don't live by laws designed to modify our behavior from the outside. A Christian lives by trusting the indwelling Holy Spirit to change them from within by leading them into truth.
"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48
How does a Christian, who is in a fallen, sinful body, that will not inherit the Kingdom of God, ever expect to be as perfect as God? Now, your average Christian will not come right out and say they are trying to be like God, but they say things that, effectively, say the same thing. "I am trying to be more Christlike in my walk, " they'll say. Well, isn't Jesus God? Of course He is, and if we could be like Him, there would have no need for Him to come. A Christian needs to realize that we are perfect in God's eyes through our faith in Christ (Hebrews 10:14). The Sermon on the Mount, where this verse was taken from, was not about Jesus encouring us to be as perfect as God the Father, He was trying to bury us under the impossible standards of the Law so we would turn to Him by faith.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
If there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood, how does confessing our sins achieve forgiveness? The short answer is that confessing our sins doesn't grant us more forgiveness. First of all, Jesus took away all our sins at the cross. Second of all, God no longer requires any sacrifice for sin. And thirdly, what consitutes a legitimate confession anyway? You see, that is where religion and legalism get their hooks in you. We sin constantly. Therefore, we feel we must do something to get forgiven. Thus, you can pick whatever sacrifice you wan to get forgiven. Confession booth, altar call, short accounts and many more. A Christian needs to realize that they are forgiven already and learn to trust the Lord to teach them to say no to ungodliness as they walk in thankfulness.
"Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." James 2:17
What are the works that show us our faith is not dead? This passage can easily be spun to include any religious activity created by any religion out there. It ends up with you having to decide which laws you want to live by in order to prove your faith is not dead. But, I realized that the fruit of the Spirit is, just that, the fruit of the Spirit. It is not my fruit. I only bear the fruit produced in me by the Vine, Jesus Christ. Remember, His yoke is light and we are called into the Sabbath rest. The Christian life is lived by Jesus Christ for us, not by us for Him.
Therefore, test the Spirits by asking questions. This can help avoid conflict, you could also learn something and you might even get a person to realize if their claim is biblical or not. As they talk there answer either comes together or falls apart. Topics like free will, evolution and legalism need to be discussed thoroughly despite the emotion that may accompany the discussions. But, just remember. if what you believe is of God, it will stand and God will do the convincing. If what you believe is not of God, be willing to be tought and not be found fighting against God.
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not
The other day I wrote about Calvinism and its teaching that man does not have free will. This is one of those topics, that if we're not careful can end up separating the Body of Christ. I guess there are those individuals that think that since God knows the end from the beginning that He orchestrates all that goes on in between. Thus, you have a God who says He loves the world, but shows His love by creating some for Heaven and some for Hell. "I love you, but you can't come to Heaven to spend eternity with me because I created you to burn in the Lake of Fire for all eternity." Some God of love. Here are a few questions I asked myself about this belief that helped me realize that man does have a free will.
"Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name." Genesis 2:19
Why would God bring all the animals to Adam to see what he would name them if He was going to give Adam the names of the animals or knew what Adam would call them beforehand? It would appear that God gave Adam the choice to name the animals whatever he desired. Adam was allowed to exercise his free will. If God gave Adam the names of the animals there would have been no need for Him to see what Adam would come up with as names for the animals.
"And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" Genesis 3:11
If God is directing every facet of our lives, wouldn't He have known how Adam and Eve found out they were naked and if they had eaten the forbidden fruit? Besides, if man does not have free will, then God is the author of sin and confusion. He tells Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and then makes them eat from it. That doesn't make sense to me at all.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— " Ephesians 2:8
How can salvation be by grace, through faith, if God doesn't give us the choice to respond to His offer? Faith is our response to the truth presented to us. Yet, if we don't have free will, and if God picks and chooses who is saved and who is not, there is no salvation to have faith in. It is forced upon a believer whether they want it or not. Maybe we should be called "acceptors," rather than believers, since we have no choice, but to accept the salvation forced upon us.
From the Goo, to the Zoo, to You
Unfortunately, the belief in evolution has taken over the world. In many ways, it has become the religion of the lost and, especially, those who don't believe in God at all. What is even worse is that many Christians have accepted evolution as if it is perfectly compatible with the Bible. They don't realize that what they are doing is giving credibility to a belief that destroys the scriptures and, ultimately, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
"And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so." Genesis 1:30
Since evolution teaches that nature was red in tooth and claw, meaning there was violence, death and bloodshed before the Fall, how is it that God gave the animals plants to eat instead of each other? Christians must remember that first sin entered the world and death through sin. When God made His creation, He said it was good. I don't think He would have said that if you have death, sickness and decay infesting the world.
"Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died." Genesis 5:5
If Adam was born on Day 6, lived through Day 7, of creation week, how could he had live to only 930 years of age if the Days of creation were anything other than 24 hour periods? In order for evolution to work, it must have time. That is why you have ever increasing ages of the earth and universe. Presently, the earth is supposed to be about 4.5 billions years old! Without time, the claims evolution makes such as man evolving from apes and ultimately from some sort of primordial soup could not be made. Evolutionists always try and turn the Days of creation into millions of years or more in a desperate attempt to undermine the Bible. However, if the Days of Creation were millions, billions or just thousands of years, then there is no way Adam could have lived less than 1000 years. It doesn't fit!
"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—" Romans 5:12
How could Jesus have died to take away the sins of the world if death was in the world before the Fall? Before God could restore His life, lost in Adam, to those who accept His Jesus Christ by faith, He had to deal with the sin that caused that life to leave in the first place. Therefore, without Adam's sin bringing death into the world, the death of Christ to pay the price for that sin is nullified. In other words, the Gospel is destroyed.
No Rest for the Weary
A legalist will never admit that they are, in fact, a legalist. Yet, they promote and or adhere to rules, lists, laws or traditions all designed to determine what is good, what is evil and trying to live within those tenants. The word for it is religion. Your average Christian will say that the goal of the Christian life is to stop sinning. While a believer should experience a decrease in the amount of sin in their lives, the Christian life is about trusting the Lord. We don't live by laws designed to modify our behavior from the outside. A Christian lives by trusting the indwelling Holy Spirit to change them from within by leading them into truth.
"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48
How does a Christian, who is in a fallen, sinful body, that will not inherit the Kingdom of God, ever expect to be as perfect as God? Now, your average Christian will not come right out and say they are trying to be like God, but they say things that, effectively, say the same thing. "I am trying to be more Christlike in my walk, " they'll say. Well, isn't Jesus God? Of course He is, and if we could be like Him, there would have no need for Him to come. A Christian needs to realize that we are perfect in God's eyes through our faith in Christ (Hebrews 10:14). The Sermon on the Mount, where this verse was taken from, was not about Jesus encouring us to be as perfect as God the Father, He was trying to bury us under the impossible standards of the Law so we would turn to Him by faith.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
If there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood, how does confessing our sins achieve forgiveness? The short answer is that confessing our sins doesn't grant us more forgiveness. First of all, Jesus took away all our sins at the cross. Second of all, God no longer requires any sacrifice for sin. And thirdly, what consitutes a legitimate confession anyway? You see, that is where religion and legalism get their hooks in you. We sin constantly. Therefore, we feel we must do something to get forgiven. Thus, you can pick whatever sacrifice you wan to get forgiven. Confession booth, altar call, short accounts and many more. A Christian needs to realize that they are forgiven already and learn to trust the Lord to teach them to say no to ungodliness as they walk in thankfulness.
"Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." James 2:17
What are the works that show us our faith is not dead? This passage can easily be spun to include any religious activity created by any religion out there. It ends up with you having to decide which laws you want to live by in order to prove your faith is not dead. But, I realized that the fruit of the Spirit is, just that, the fruit of the Spirit. It is not my fruit. I only bear the fruit produced in me by the Vine, Jesus Christ. Remember, His yoke is light and we are called into the Sabbath rest. The Christian life is lived by Jesus Christ for us, not by us for Him.
Therefore, test the Spirits by asking questions. This can help avoid conflict, you could also learn something and you might even get a person to realize if their claim is biblical or not. As they talk there answer either comes together or falls apart. Topics like free will, evolution and legalism need to be discussed thoroughly despite the emotion that may accompany the discussions. But, just remember. if what you believe is of God, it will stand and God will do the convincing. If what you believe is not of God, be willing to be tought and not be found fighting against God.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Dung
Driving home from church today, I turn on Christian radio and caught the tail end of a program where the hosts were giving their opinions about what they believe is wrong with Christianity. At this point in the program they are focusing on the pagan influences on Christmas and Easter. Of course, their attention centers around things like Christmas trees and rabbits. As one host says, "I don't recall seeing any rabbits mentioned in the Bible." Now, don't get me wrong, I am not one to defend including trees, rabbits or even the name Easter into our most celebrated holidays. I know some Christians have resorted to calling Easter, Resurrection Day, to reflect a more accurate portrayal of what it is we are celebrating. That is fine. However, I don't think their are many Christians, if any, who are worshipping trees, rabbits or the pagan deity Ishtar during these celebrations. But, what amazed me was what the hosts offered as the solution to these problems they have identified. And that was to get back to following the Torah! The Torah? They equated the inclusion of trees and rabbits into our celebrations surrounding the birth and ressurection of Jesus Christ as a form of idol worship. In other words Christians were violating the first commandment where it says, "You should have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3)." Honestly, this is a poor excuse to try and put people back under the Law.
"Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey." Exodus 24: 6-7
The Isrealites eagerly pledged their willingness to obey everything God had commanded them through Moses. The Jewish people are the "apple" of God's eye. God has, in fact, chosen them out of all the nations on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. So, if anybody could obey His commandments it would be them, right?
"When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him." Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." Exodus 32: 1-4
Yet, not too long after saying they would obey God, we see them making their own gods out of gold. They went so far as to say this golden calf had brought them out of Egypt. Not only did they worship this calf they attributed the miracles of God, that they had witnessed first hand, to this golden calf they created themselves. Therefore, if we see the Jews were unable to keep the commandments of God, for even a short time, then why do we think, as Gentiles, we would be any better at keeping them?
"Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!" 2 Corinthians 3: 7-9
The Law that these individuals are so enthusiastic about putting Christians under is a ministry of condemnation. Scripture is clear about the purpose of the Law.
A Christian doesn't get closer to God or mature in their faith by becoming more like a Jew! The Law is only a shadow of the realities found in Christ. The purpose of the Law is to lead a lost person to salvation in Christ by showing them their sinfulness and complete inability to live up to the righteous requirements of God. Once an individual accepts Jesus Christ by faith, the indwelling Holy Spirit then leads and guides that person from within for the rest of their lives. And if the Holy Spirit is leading an indivdual then He is not going to lead that person to do anything that would be considered a violation of the Law. Furthermore, although the Jewish people have been highly favored by God, since it is through them that our Savior came into this world, they need salvation just like any other person. Anybody who believes they can please God through obedience to the Law is not familiar with the teachings about righteousness. It is the grace of God that teaches a believer to say no to ungodliness. The Law has no part in a believers life. In fact, scripture tells us that we are dead to the Law.
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace... But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law." Galatians 5: 1-4, 18
The radio ministry I was listening to was promoting a fellowship of Messianic Jews in the local area. According to their website they are "a growing community that is centered on Yeshua and his Torah." Translation, they are either not interested in the New Covenant or believe that you can mix the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Whichever the case, they are burdening themselves with a yoke of slavery and have fallen from grace. Although they say their fellowship is "centered" on Jesus, by teaching the Law they are alienating themselves from Christ and He will be of no value to them. As Peter stated in Acts 15:10, when talking to Pharisess dedicated to putting Christians under the law, "why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?" This messianic fellowship may not realize they are doing the same thing to themselves that Apostles, like Peter and Paul, warned the early Church against doing. They realized that their Jewish forefathers could not obey the Law, in its entirety, and that Christians were not obligated to try and obey the Law.
"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith..." Philippians 3: 7-9 (KJV)
Perhaps this fellowship of Messianic Jews should take a page from Paul. He counted all his lawkeeping as "dung" compared to knowing Christ. Now, if the Apostle Paul didn't regard his legalistic righteousness as anything special in the eyes of God, then why would a Christian think their attempts at it would be any different? It won't. If one wants to instruct believers to flee from what they deem to be idol worship, you don't do it by putting them back under the Law. The only way to mature in the faith is through dependence on God to lead us into all truth, not through obedience to Law desinged to show us our sinfulness. You can't say you have a ministry centered around Jesus when you are teaching people to observe Laws designed to lead us to Him.
"Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey." Exodus 24: 6-7
The Isrealites eagerly pledged their willingness to obey everything God had commanded them through Moses. The Jewish people are the "apple" of God's eye. God has, in fact, chosen them out of all the nations on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. So, if anybody could obey His commandments it would be them, right?
"When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him." Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." Exodus 32: 1-4
Yet, not too long after saying they would obey God, we see them making their own gods out of gold. They went so far as to say this golden calf had brought them out of Egypt. Not only did they worship this calf they attributed the miracles of God, that they had witnessed first hand, to this golden calf they created themselves. Therefore, if we see the Jews were unable to keep the commandments of God, for even a short time, then why do we think, as Gentiles, we would be any better at keeping them?
"Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!" 2 Corinthians 3: 7-9
The Law that these individuals are so enthusiastic about putting Christians under is a ministry of condemnation. Scripture is clear about the purpose of the Law.
- The Law is for the lost.
- The Law shows man his need for salvation.
- The Law cannot make us righteous.
- The Law cannot justify us.
- The Law cannot give us life.
- The Law's standard is perfection.
- The Law was amplified by Christ.
- The Law stirs up sin.
- The Law is based on man's self-effort.
- The Law is a ministry of condemnation and death.
- Jesus Christ is the end of the Law.
- Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law.
- Christ redeemed us from the Law.
- The Law has been fulfilled in us.
- We are no longer under the Law.
- You cannot mix Law and Grace.
A Christian doesn't get closer to God or mature in their faith by becoming more like a Jew! The Law is only a shadow of the realities found in Christ. The purpose of the Law is to lead a lost person to salvation in Christ by showing them their sinfulness and complete inability to live up to the righteous requirements of God. Once an individual accepts Jesus Christ by faith, the indwelling Holy Spirit then leads and guides that person from within for the rest of their lives. And if the Holy Spirit is leading an indivdual then He is not going to lead that person to do anything that would be considered a violation of the Law. Furthermore, although the Jewish people have been highly favored by God, since it is through them that our Savior came into this world, they need salvation just like any other person. Anybody who believes they can please God through obedience to the Law is not familiar with the teachings about righteousness. It is the grace of God that teaches a believer to say no to ungodliness. The Law has no part in a believers life. In fact, scripture tells us that we are dead to the Law.
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace... But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law." Galatians 5: 1-4, 18
The radio ministry I was listening to was promoting a fellowship of Messianic Jews in the local area. According to their website they are "a growing community that is centered on Yeshua and his Torah." Translation, they are either not interested in the New Covenant or believe that you can mix the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Whichever the case, they are burdening themselves with a yoke of slavery and have fallen from grace. Although they say their fellowship is "centered" on Jesus, by teaching the Law they are alienating themselves from Christ and He will be of no value to them. As Peter stated in Acts 15:10, when talking to Pharisess dedicated to putting Christians under the law, "why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?" This messianic fellowship may not realize they are doing the same thing to themselves that Apostles, like Peter and Paul, warned the early Church against doing. They realized that their Jewish forefathers could not obey the Law, in its entirety, and that Christians were not obligated to try and obey the Law.
"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith..." Philippians 3: 7-9 (KJV)
Perhaps this fellowship of Messianic Jews should take a page from Paul. He counted all his lawkeeping as "dung" compared to knowing Christ. Now, if the Apostle Paul didn't regard his legalistic righteousness as anything special in the eyes of God, then why would a Christian think their attempts at it would be any different? It won't. If one wants to instruct believers to flee from what they deem to be idol worship, you don't do it by putting them back under the Law. The only way to mature in the faith is through dependence on God to lead us into all truth, not through obedience to Law desinged to show us our sinfulness. You can't say you have a ministry centered around Jesus when you are teaching people to observe Laws designed to lead us to Him.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Calvin's Half Gospel
For some odd reason there is a belief within Christianity that mankind does not have a free will to choose. This belief is called Calvinism. Calvinists believe that man is so deprived that they cannot respond to God's offer of salvation in Jesus Christ. Therefore, God takes it upon Himself to pick and choose who He wants saved and who He wants condemned to an eternity in Hell. One is left to conclude that if a person didn't want to go to Heaven that God would drag them into His presence because they have no choice. Conversely, if someone desired to go to Heaven, but God did not choose them to be saved, then they will be cast into Hell. If that were true, where on earth could anyone say that God is a loving God? They could not. I often wondered where this belief could have originated. Then the other day I happened upon a conversation over Romans 5:18. One individual believed that this passage destroys the belief in limited atonement held by most Calvinists. Whether that is true or not can be debated. However, the response of one individual defending the Calvinists point of view was interesting. They said:
"T[h]e problem with your interpretation of Romans 5:18 (as you have used it above) is - if you follow your argument to its 'logical' conclusion - then you are proclaiming a universal salvation, that is, to say that all people will automatically be saved whether they believe in Jesus or repent of their sins or not. And of course, we know that universalism is a GREAT heresy. So, you will have to look a little farther to find a Scripture that destroys the Calvinistic view of limited atonement..."
In one aspect, the individual defending Calvinism has a good point. If you believe that Jesus dying on the cross for the sins of the whole world is salvation then, by default, one could say that the entire world will be saved. A term called universal salvation or universalism. However, where many Christians go astray in their understanding of the Gospel is that the death of Jesus doesn't save anybody! There are two things wrong with the term "limited atonement."
"When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" Hebrews 9: 11-14
First, there is nothing limited about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. His death was a one time act that took away our sins from the eyes of God for all eternity. By dying on the cross, Jesus obtained eternal redemption. This is in stark contrast to the blood of bulls and goats which only served as a temporary covering of sins, but never took them away. Secondly, His sacrifice paid the sin debt of the entire world, not just a select few who God "chooses" for salvation. Christ's death, as we learn in 1 John 2:1-2, was a "propitiating" sacrifice, for the entire world, which completely satisfied God. Atonement, as mentioned earlier, is more in line with the shed blood of bulls and goats which didn't take away our sins.
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" Romans 5: 8-10
Where Calvinism errors is in its grasp of the totality of the Gospel. It correctly discerns that the death of Christ, if assumed to be the entire Gospel, can lead to a belief in universalism. However, they fail to go from the cross to the empty tomb, choosing to insert their own heresy of man not having a free will. Interestingly enough, the chapter which contains the verse that started this whole discussion, Romans 5, also contains the answer to this problem. When Adam sinned in the Garden, the life of God which was breathed into Him at Creation, was removed by God, and Adam died spiritually. God, desiring to restore His life to mankind, had to first deal with the sin that caused that life to leave in the first place. Therefore, in His love, He sent Jesus to take the penalty for the sins of the world. Jesus, being God in the flesh, was the only man who had a life to give that would satisfy God as payment for our sins. Once Jesus died, removing the sin barrier that separated man and God, God could now offer His life back to mankind, as a free gift, made possible through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And because of the eternal consequences of the cross, the life we have been given is an eternal life. A life that will carry us through this life and on into eternity even after we physically die.
"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." 1 Corinthians 15: 14-19
Salvation is the restoration of the life of God. The death of Jesus Christ is an important part of the Gospel, but is not salvation in and of itself. The death of Jesus Christ has wide reaching effects. For the unbeliever it allows them to come to faith in Christ knowing that their sins don't prevent them from accepting the life of Christ. For the believer it seals them in Christ, knowing that their sins will not prevent the life of God from leaving them. Whether you believe that Jesus dying on the cross is the entire Gospel, or that man doesn't have a free will to choose to accept God's offer of salvation, you only have understood half the Gospel. Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ we are still in our sins and to be pitied more than all men. Our faith is futile without the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The empty tomb is more than God's mastery over physical death or proof of the deity of Christ. It marked the first time in since the Garden of Eden that God could offer His life back to mankind. This is an offer that we all have the ability to accept or reject. God loves us so much that He doesn't force us to love Him, but allows us to come to Him by faith in response to the truth He has revealed to us.
"T[h]e problem with your interpretation of Romans 5:18 (as you have used it above) is - if you follow your argument to its 'logical' conclusion - then you are proclaiming a universal salvation, that is, to say that all people will automatically be saved whether they believe in Jesus or repent of their sins or not. And of course, we know that universalism is a GREAT heresy. So, you will have to look a little farther to find a Scripture that destroys the Calvinistic view of limited atonement..."
In one aspect, the individual defending Calvinism has a good point. If you believe that Jesus dying on the cross for the sins of the whole world is salvation then, by default, one could say that the entire world will be saved. A term called universal salvation or universalism. However, where many Christians go astray in their understanding of the Gospel is that the death of Jesus doesn't save anybody! There are two things wrong with the term "limited atonement."
"When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" Hebrews 9: 11-14
First, there is nothing limited about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. His death was a one time act that took away our sins from the eyes of God for all eternity. By dying on the cross, Jesus obtained eternal redemption. This is in stark contrast to the blood of bulls and goats which only served as a temporary covering of sins, but never took them away. Secondly, His sacrifice paid the sin debt of the entire world, not just a select few who God "chooses" for salvation. Christ's death, as we learn in 1 John 2:1-2, was a "propitiating" sacrifice, for the entire world, which completely satisfied God. Atonement, as mentioned earlier, is more in line with the shed blood of bulls and goats which didn't take away our sins.
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" Romans 5: 8-10
Where Calvinism errors is in its grasp of the totality of the Gospel. It correctly discerns that the death of Christ, if assumed to be the entire Gospel, can lead to a belief in universalism. However, they fail to go from the cross to the empty tomb, choosing to insert their own heresy of man not having a free will. Interestingly enough, the chapter which contains the verse that started this whole discussion, Romans 5, also contains the answer to this problem. When Adam sinned in the Garden, the life of God which was breathed into Him at Creation, was removed by God, and Adam died spiritually. God, desiring to restore His life to mankind, had to first deal with the sin that caused that life to leave in the first place. Therefore, in His love, He sent Jesus to take the penalty for the sins of the world. Jesus, being God in the flesh, was the only man who had a life to give that would satisfy God as payment for our sins. Once Jesus died, removing the sin barrier that separated man and God, God could now offer His life back to mankind, as a free gift, made possible through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And because of the eternal consequences of the cross, the life we have been given is an eternal life. A life that will carry us through this life and on into eternity even after we physically die.
"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." 1 Corinthians 15: 14-19
Salvation is the restoration of the life of God. The death of Jesus Christ is an important part of the Gospel, but is not salvation in and of itself. The death of Jesus Christ has wide reaching effects. For the unbeliever it allows them to come to faith in Christ knowing that their sins don't prevent them from accepting the life of Christ. For the believer it seals them in Christ, knowing that their sins will not prevent the life of God from leaving them. Whether you believe that Jesus dying on the cross is the entire Gospel, or that man doesn't have a free will to choose to accept God's offer of salvation, you only have understood half the Gospel. Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ we are still in our sins and to be pitied more than all men. Our faith is futile without the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The empty tomb is more than God's mastery over physical death or proof of the deity of Christ. It marked the first time in since the Garden of Eden that God could offer His life back to mankind. This is an offer that we all have the ability to accept or reject. God loves us so much that He doesn't force us to love Him, but allows us to come to Him by faith in response to the truth He has revealed to us.
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