“Biblical orthodoxy without compassion is surely the ugliest thing in the world.” ~ Francis Schaeffer
"We are dealing with God's thoughts: we are obligated to take the greatest pains to understand them truly and to explain them clearly." ~ D.A. Carson
We live in a critical culture and we all tend to go on the defensive when someone criticizes our preferences, lifestyle or personal choices. Both Christians and non-Christians are quick to make statements like “Who are you to judge?” or “What gives you the right?” This is a frequent rebuttal raised when someone offers a point of view or opinion contrary to one we might hold. What is interesting though is that this reply is not truly a response to the questioner’s original statement. It is in fact a clever way to avoid considering the alternate point of view all together, and is in fact an ad hominem or personal attack on the questioner. It is a subtle way of telling the other individual that their opinion is worthless, not worthy of entertaining, or that they are stupid for even bringing it up.
Within the Christian subculture this happens frequently in two forms; we either quote Matthew 7:1; “Judge not, that you be not judged.” or I Chronicles 16:22; “"Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!" The problem is that we take these verses totally out of context when we use them in this manner.
First, the "judge not" verse seems to be taken out of context with the same frequency of "all things work together for good" in Romans 8:28. The rest of the verse reads "for those who love the Lord and who are called according to His purpose" So using it in this context it implies that if you don't love God and if you aren't called, then there is absolutely no guarantee things will work for good in your life.
In the same vein, Matthew 7:1 is taken out of context when we quote the “judge not” to protect our interests. It might be better to consider it in light of John 7:24, "Judge not according to appearance, but due to righteous judgment.” In other words, don’t base your judgment strictly on externals but on the motives and heart attitude of the individual. The challenge being is that we have limited knowledge and discernment and therefore judgment should be reserved for God.
This verse needs to be considered in the context of hypocrisy. Consider Romans 2:3-1 which says "Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things". For example, if as the Bible teaches that sinning in thought is the same as the actual deed we have no business judging our peers or the non-believer because we ourselves are sinners. Don’t misinterpret what I am saying; if we recognize sin as God defines it in His Word we can call it wrong, but we need to be quick to remember that we need to point the person to God’s Word and let Him convict. It’s His job, not ours.
The other verse I have heard some Pastors, televangelists and so-called Christian leaders misquote is not to judge “God’s anointed”. This implies that the person in question is not accountable to anyone or that their pronouncements are ex cathedra or infallible. There are a number of problems with misapplying this verse to any Christian no matter their rank or station; the only perfect and infallible judge is God and His Word. The phrase “Lord’s anointed” in the Old Testament was typically used to refer to God’s appointed prophets (like Abraham), Levitical priests and the kings of Israel. The other key point is that it relates to the idea of bodily or physical harm and not simply questioning the scriptural accuracy or opinion expressed by any believer. How would you even know who is God’s anointed? Do we just have to take their word for it because they say they are? I am not advocating disrespect for church or Christian leadership, however we are called to be biblically discerning and we all should be willing to entertain a question no matter its source.
A prime example of this is when someone claiming to “speak for God” does or says something that is completely out of context or an affront to what God’s Word states, and the problems it causes for other Christians trying to live out their faith. Rather then list off the many pronouncements of various televangelists or para-church organizations I would like to specifically address the activities of Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. This is the group that pickets the funerals of soldiers that have died in the service of their country, and blames it on the morality of America and certain groups. While God’s Word is clear on how God views and feels about specific sins, no where does it give license to “believers” to hate or act in a hateful manner. This is a blight on the Gospel and on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for all sinners and all sin.
When someone claims to speak for God and does not allow for his or her point of view to be challenged or questioned this is an unbiblical position. The bottom line is that when anyone launches a who-are-you-to-say salvo against a Christian we need to be willing to get to the heart of the attack. Are they pointing out that our position is unscriptural or taken out of context, or that they are attacking the argument itself? Our opinions are simply that; our opinion. But if we state or comment on something based on God’s Word we better be sure we have taken great pains to know what His Word says. We are not the authority and we should not expect people to believe us based on our own authority. We need to approach both the believer and non-believer with humility and encourage them to consider the evidence and search the Scripture themselves to see if our views have merit because God says it.
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness.” ~ 2 Timothy 2:15-16
Note: I am taking a short sabbatical from writing my blog. I hope to be back in a couple of weeks. Thanks for taking the time to read my posts.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
The truth is out there
"THAT'S RIGHT! That's what you get! Look at you, ship all banged up! WHO'S THE MAN? HUH? WHO'S THE MAN? Wait until I get another plane! I am going to line your friends RIGHT BESIDE YOU!" ~ Captain Steven Hiller
"For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty." ~ 2 Peter 1:16
Over the weekend the Discovery Channel aired a documentary called "Into the Universe" featuring astrophysicist and author Stephen Hawking. Hawking made the news by stating that it is likely that aliens exist and if they do we should not make contact with them because they could cause a threat to earth. I guess Dr. Hawking is not an E.T. fan, but more likely views aliens as they have been portrayed in films like Independence Day, Alien, Predator and Signs. Great, I guess I better have my baseball bat handy and a bunch of pitchers of water so they don't ruin my barbecue. Fortunately for me life is not some M. Night Shyamalan or Roland Emmerich movie, so I am not holding my breath that some smelly dread locked or translucent aliens will be arriving on my door step any time in the near future.
All kidding aside, what I find truly fascinating is the lengths all humans will go to, to deny the existence of God. Let's be honest; it is far more comforting to think that aliens "seeded" our planet or that all primitive culture was guided by crystal skulled aliens who benevolently gave us a jump start in our development. Amazingly these are both theories held within the scientific community. If that is the case then we are free to live life as we chose and we are only answerable to ourselves. If an all-knowing, all-seeing and all-powerful Creator and Sustainer of the Universe exists then He has the right and authority to judge us and place expectations on how we chose to live. It is far more palatable to ignore this prospect and be our own version of Fox Mulder and say "the truth is out there."
Paul Copan is a Christian theologian, philosopher, apologist, and author and he has written a number of books including; "When God Goes to Starbucks: A Guide to Everyday Apologetics" and "True for You, But Not for Me: Deflating the Slogans That Leave Christians Speechless". He wrote the article below titled "The Presumptuousness of Atheism."
"Atheist Antony Flew has said that the "onus of proof must lie upon the theist."1 Unless compelling reasons for God’s existence can be given, there is the "presumption of atheism." Another atheist, Michael Scriven, considers the lack of evidence for God’s existence and the lack of evidence for Santa Claus on the same level.2 However, the presumption of atheism actually turns out to be presumptuousness.
The Christian must remember that the atheist also shares the burden of proof, which I will attempt to demonstrate below.
First, even if the theist could not muster good arguments for God’s existence, atheism still would not be shown to be true.3 The outspoken atheist Kai Nielsen recognizes this: "To show that an argument is invalid or unsound is not to show that the conclusion of the argument is false....All the proofs of God’s existence may fail, but it still may be the case that God exists."4
Second, the "presumption of atheism" demonstrates a rigging of the rules of philosophical debate in order to play into the hands of the atheist, who himself makes a truth claim. Alvin Plantinga correctly argues that the atheist does not treat the statements "God exists" and "God does not exist" in the same manner.5 The atheist assumes that if one has no evidence for God’s existence, then one is obligated to believe that God does not exist — whether or not one has evidence against God’s existence. What the atheist fails to see is that atheism is just as much a claim to know something ("God does not exist") as theism ("God exists"). Therefore, the atheist’s denial of God’s existence needs just as much substantiation as does the theist’s claim; the atheist must give plausible reasons for rejecting God’s existence.
Third, in the absence of evidence for God’s existence, agnosticism, not atheism, is the logical presumption. Even if arguments for God’s existence do not persuade, atheism should not be presumed because atheism is not neutral; pure agnosticism is. Atheism is justified only if there is sufficient evidence against God’s existence.
Fourth, to place belief in Santa Claus or mermaids and belief in God on the same level is mistaken. The issue is not that we have no good evidence for these mythical entities; rather, we have strong evidence that they do not exist. Absence of evidence is not at all the same as evidence of absence, which some atheists fail to see.
Moreover, the theist can muster credible reasons for belief in God. For example, one can argue that the contingency of the universe — in light of Big Bang cosmology, the expanding universe, and the second law of thermodynamics (which implies that the universe has been "wound up" and will eventually die a heat death) — demonstrates that the cosmos has not always been here. It could not have popped into existence uncaused, out of absolutely nothing, because we know that whatever begins to exist has a cause. A powerful First Cause like the God of theism plausibly answers the question of the universe’s origin. Also, the fine-tunedness of the universe — with complexly balanced conditions that seem tailored for life — points to the existence of an intelligent Designer.
The existence of objective morality provides further evidence for belief in God. If widow-burning or genocide is really wrong and not just cultural, then it is difficult to account for this universally binding morality, with its sense of "oughtness," on strictly naturalistic terms. (Most people can be convinced that the difference between Adolf Hitler and Mother Teresa is not simply cultural.) These and other reasons demonstrate that the believer is being quite rational — not presumptuous — in embracing belief in God."
If you are on the fence or seeking to know more about God I would encourage you to take this challenge for the next three weeks. There are 21 chapters in the Gospel of John; read one a day for three weeks and as you do this ask yourself who is Jesus and what did He come to do? Pray and ask God to reveal Himself to you through His Word. Don't exchange the truth of God for a lie, (Romans 1:25). The Truth IS out there.
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." ~ John 14:6
Source:
http://www.rzim.org/usa/usfv/tabid/436/articleid/88/cbmoduleid/1482/default.aspx
NOTES
1Antony Flew, The Presumption of Atheism (London: Pemberton, 1976), 14.
2Michael Scriven, Primary Philosophy (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1966), 103.
3It is important to remember that we are trying to give arguments or good reasons for God’s existence — not "proofs," which imply a mathematical certainty. All too often the atheist’s criteria of acceptability are unreasonably high. One who is genuinely seeking plausible reasons to believe in God can certainly find them.
4Kai Nielsen, Reason and Practice (New York: Harper & Row, 1971), 143-44.
5Alvin Plantinga, "Reason and Belief in God," in Alvin Plantinga and Nicholas Wolterstorff, eds., Faith and Rationality (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1983), 27.
"For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty." ~ 2 Peter 1:16
Over the weekend the Discovery Channel aired a documentary called "Into the Universe" featuring astrophysicist and author Stephen Hawking. Hawking made the news by stating that it is likely that aliens exist and if they do we should not make contact with them because they could cause a threat to earth. I guess Dr. Hawking is not an E.T. fan, but more likely views aliens as they have been portrayed in films like Independence Day, Alien, Predator and Signs. Great, I guess I better have my baseball bat handy and a bunch of pitchers of water so they don't ruin my barbecue. Fortunately for me life is not some M. Night Shyamalan or Roland Emmerich movie, so I am not holding my breath that some smelly dread locked or translucent aliens will be arriving on my door step any time in the near future.
All kidding aside, what I find truly fascinating is the lengths all humans will go to, to deny the existence of God. Let's be honest; it is far more comforting to think that aliens "seeded" our planet or that all primitive culture was guided by crystal skulled aliens who benevolently gave us a jump start in our development. Amazingly these are both theories held within the scientific community. If that is the case then we are free to live life as we chose and we are only answerable to ourselves. If an all-knowing, all-seeing and all-powerful Creator and Sustainer of the Universe exists then He has the right and authority to judge us and place expectations on how we chose to live. It is far more palatable to ignore this prospect and be our own version of Fox Mulder and say "the truth is out there."
Paul Copan is a Christian theologian, philosopher, apologist, and author and he has written a number of books including; "When God Goes to Starbucks: A Guide to Everyday Apologetics" and "True for You, But Not for Me: Deflating the Slogans That Leave Christians Speechless". He wrote the article below titled "The Presumptuousness of Atheism."
"Atheist Antony Flew has said that the "onus of proof must lie upon the theist."1 Unless compelling reasons for God’s existence can be given, there is the "presumption of atheism." Another atheist, Michael Scriven, considers the lack of evidence for God’s existence and the lack of evidence for Santa Claus on the same level.2 However, the presumption of atheism actually turns out to be presumptuousness.
The Christian must remember that the atheist also shares the burden of proof, which I will attempt to demonstrate below.
First, even if the theist could not muster good arguments for God’s existence, atheism still would not be shown to be true.3 The outspoken atheist Kai Nielsen recognizes this: "To show that an argument is invalid or unsound is not to show that the conclusion of the argument is false....All the proofs of God’s existence may fail, but it still may be the case that God exists."4
Second, the "presumption of atheism" demonstrates a rigging of the rules of philosophical debate in order to play into the hands of the atheist, who himself makes a truth claim. Alvin Plantinga correctly argues that the atheist does not treat the statements "God exists" and "God does not exist" in the same manner.5 The atheist assumes that if one has no evidence for God’s existence, then one is obligated to believe that God does not exist — whether or not one has evidence against God’s existence. What the atheist fails to see is that atheism is just as much a claim to know something ("God does not exist") as theism ("God exists"). Therefore, the atheist’s denial of God’s existence needs just as much substantiation as does the theist’s claim; the atheist must give plausible reasons for rejecting God’s existence.
Third, in the absence of evidence for God’s existence, agnosticism, not atheism, is the logical presumption. Even if arguments for God’s existence do not persuade, atheism should not be presumed because atheism is not neutral; pure agnosticism is. Atheism is justified only if there is sufficient evidence against God’s existence.
Fourth, to place belief in Santa Claus or mermaids and belief in God on the same level is mistaken. The issue is not that we have no good evidence for these mythical entities; rather, we have strong evidence that they do not exist. Absence of evidence is not at all the same as evidence of absence, which some atheists fail to see.
Moreover, the theist can muster credible reasons for belief in God. For example, one can argue that the contingency of the universe — in light of Big Bang cosmology, the expanding universe, and the second law of thermodynamics (which implies that the universe has been "wound up" and will eventually die a heat death) — demonstrates that the cosmos has not always been here. It could not have popped into existence uncaused, out of absolutely nothing, because we know that whatever begins to exist has a cause. A powerful First Cause like the God of theism plausibly answers the question of the universe’s origin. Also, the fine-tunedness of the universe — with complexly balanced conditions that seem tailored for life — points to the existence of an intelligent Designer.
The existence of objective morality provides further evidence for belief in God. If widow-burning or genocide is really wrong and not just cultural, then it is difficult to account for this universally binding morality, with its sense of "oughtness," on strictly naturalistic terms. (Most people can be convinced that the difference between Adolf Hitler and Mother Teresa is not simply cultural.) These and other reasons demonstrate that the believer is being quite rational — not presumptuous — in embracing belief in God."
If you are on the fence or seeking to know more about God I would encourage you to take this challenge for the next three weeks. There are 21 chapters in the Gospel of John; read one a day for three weeks and as you do this ask yourself who is Jesus and what did He come to do? Pray and ask God to reveal Himself to you through His Word. Don't exchange the truth of God for a lie, (Romans 1:25). The Truth IS out there.
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." ~ John 14:6
Source:
http://www.rzim.org/usa/usfv/tabid/436/articleid/88/cbmoduleid/1482/default.aspx
NOTES
1Antony Flew, The Presumption of Atheism (London: Pemberton, 1976), 14.
2Michael Scriven, Primary Philosophy (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1966), 103.
3It is important to remember that we are trying to give arguments or good reasons for God’s existence — not "proofs," which imply a mathematical certainty. All too often the atheist’s criteria of acceptability are unreasonably high. One who is genuinely seeking plausible reasons to believe in God can certainly find them.
4Kai Nielsen, Reason and Practice (New York: Harper & Row, 1971), 143-44.
5Alvin Plantinga, "Reason and Belief in God," in Alvin Plantinga and Nicholas Wolterstorff, eds., Faith and Rationality (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1983), 27.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Hard-knock life
“It's the hard-knock life for us! It's the hard-knock life for us! 'Steada treated,We get tricked! 'Steada kisses, We get kicked! It's the hard-knock life! Got no folks to speak of, so, It's the hard-knock row we hoe!” ~ Little Orphan Annie
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” ~ Romans 8:18
It would be hard to argue that beyond the Lord Jesus Christ, the most influential character in the 1st Century church was the Apostle Paul. If you do not include the book of Hebrews, Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. That is over 30% of the text. Without a doubt, Paul is one of my heroes and I have many books on my shelves that are devoted to the first missionary of Christianity. As an aside; one of my favorite books about Paul is “Paul the Apostle: An Illustrated Handbook of His Life & Travels” by Robert T. Boyd.
Paul should give hope for all that the long suffering, grace and mercy of God can be extended and is available to everyone no matter how heinous and troubling our past may be. Before his conversion on the road to Damascus as recorded in Acts chapter 9, Paul was an accessory to murder. In Acts 7:58 as Stephen was being stoned for preaching about the resurrection of Jesus Christ those participating brought his belongings and laid them at the feet of Paul, then known as Saul.
By his own testimony in Galatians 1:13-14 as well as before King Agrippa in Acts 26:10-19 he persecuted the church and tried to destroy it. This was not just a simple verbal harassment or tongue lashing that we might experience for identification with Jesus Christ. Paul and his cronies invaded homes, dragged entire families off to prison, tortured and killed people in an effort to make them recant or blaspheme Jesus Christ and make them rue the day that they became professing Christians. How this pales in comparison to any hardship or “trials” we face today within the modern church.
After Saul became Paul on the road to Damascus his life was hardly a bowl of cherries. He was completely ostracized by his former collegeagues and actually they sought to kill him. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-33 he shares the hard-knocks he endured to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. On five separate occasions he was given 39 lashes with a whip. This was not just the whip you see in an Indiana Jones movie; this was a cat of nine tails or Roman flagrum that included glass, bone and nails in the tips. He was beaten with rods five times and stoned and left for dead. In the 1st Century stoning was not as simple as picking up a baseball sized rock and pitching at someone, although that would be painful and could cause major damage. The process of stoning entailed taking someone to the edge of some high place, pushing them off and then have two people pick up a large boulder and try to crush the victim. If that did not kill them the mob would then pick up any available stone and throw them until the victim was dead.
If these hardships were not enough to discourage someone from practicing their faith consider that Paul was also put in prison, shipwrecked, stranded on an island, bit by a snake and adrift at sea for a day and night. Paul’s courage and hope in Jesus Christ in the face of real trials and persecution served as a great source of encouragement to these early converts who also were martyred for their faith. Robert Boyd states; “It is not only doubtful but asinine to suppose that all these believers would have experienced such deaths just to promote a hoax. These people were for real.”
Paul invested his life in the church and into his protégé Timothy for the cause of Christ no matter what. In 2 Timothy 4:2 he told Timothy to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” When Paul is talking about in or out of season he is not talking about the time of the year but whether we feel like it or not we need to share the good news of Jesus Christ. If anyone had ever had a bad day or earned the right to take some time off, it would be the Apostle Paul.
Oswald Chambers puts it this way; “If we do only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would never do anything. There are some people who are totally unemployable in the spiritual realm. They are spiritually feeble and weak, and they refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired. The proof that our relationship is right with God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.”
Chambers continues; “One of the worst traps a Christian worker can fall into is to become obsessed with his own exceptional moments of inspiration. When the Spirit of God gives you a time of inspiration and insight, you tend to say, “Now that I’ve experienced this moment, I will always be like this for God.” No, you will not, and God will make sure of that. Those times are entirely the gift of God. You cannot give them to yourself when you choose. If you say you will only be at your best for God, as during those exceptional times, you actually become an intolerable burden on Him. You will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously aware of His inspiration to you at all times.”
In Philippians chapter 3 Paul can truthfully and boldly say that he suffered loss of all things to know the surpassing worth of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. The tenth verse can be read like a prayer; “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” Paul found his complete identity and worth in his risen Savior and any hardship he endured on His behalf paled in comparison to the future glory that awaits.
“Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.” ~ Titus 2:13-15
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” ~ Romans 8:18
It would be hard to argue that beyond the Lord Jesus Christ, the most influential character in the 1st Century church was the Apostle Paul. If you do not include the book of Hebrews, Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. That is over 30% of the text. Without a doubt, Paul is one of my heroes and I have many books on my shelves that are devoted to the first missionary of Christianity. As an aside; one of my favorite books about Paul is “Paul the Apostle: An Illustrated Handbook of His Life & Travels” by Robert T. Boyd.
Paul should give hope for all that the long suffering, grace and mercy of God can be extended and is available to everyone no matter how heinous and troubling our past may be. Before his conversion on the road to Damascus as recorded in Acts chapter 9, Paul was an accessory to murder. In Acts 7:58 as Stephen was being stoned for preaching about the resurrection of Jesus Christ those participating brought his belongings and laid them at the feet of Paul, then known as Saul.
By his own testimony in Galatians 1:13-14 as well as before King Agrippa in Acts 26:10-19 he persecuted the church and tried to destroy it. This was not just a simple verbal harassment or tongue lashing that we might experience for identification with Jesus Christ. Paul and his cronies invaded homes, dragged entire families off to prison, tortured and killed people in an effort to make them recant or blaspheme Jesus Christ and make them rue the day that they became professing Christians. How this pales in comparison to any hardship or “trials” we face today within the modern church.
After Saul became Paul on the road to Damascus his life was hardly a bowl of cherries. He was completely ostracized by his former collegeagues and actually they sought to kill him. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-33 he shares the hard-knocks he endured to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. On five separate occasions he was given 39 lashes with a whip. This was not just the whip you see in an Indiana Jones movie; this was a cat of nine tails or Roman flagrum that included glass, bone and nails in the tips. He was beaten with rods five times and stoned and left for dead. In the 1st Century stoning was not as simple as picking up a baseball sized rock and pitching at someone, although that would be painful and could cause major damage. The process of stoning entailed taking someone to the edge of some high place, pushing them off and then have two people pick up a large boulder and try to crush the victim. If that did not kill them the mob would then pick up any available stone and throw them until the victim was dead.
If these hardships were not enough to discourage someone from practicing their faith consider that Paul was also put in prison, shipwrecked, stranded on an island, bit by a snake and adrift at sea for a day and night. Paul’s courage and hope in Jesus Christ in the face of real trials and persecution served as a great source of encouragement to these early converts who also were martyred for their faith. Robert Boyd states; “It is not only doubtful but asinine to suppose that all these believers would have experienced such deaths just to promote a hoax. These people were for real.”
Paul invested his life in the church and into his protégé Timothy for the cause of Christ no matter what. In 2 Timothy 4:2 he told Timothy to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” When Paul is talking about in or out of season he is not talking about the time of the year but whether we feel like it or not we need to share the good news of Jesus Christ. If anyone had ever had a bad day or earned the right to take some time off, it would be the Apostle Paul.
Oswald Chambers puts it this way; “If we do only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would never do anything. There are some people who are totally unemployable in the spiritual realm. They are spiritually feeble and weak, and they refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired. The proof that our relationship is right with God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.”
Chambers continues; “One of the worst traps a Christian worker can fall into is to become obsessed with his own exceptional moments of inspiration. When the Spirit of God gives you a time of inspiration and insight, you tend to say, “Now that I’ve experienced this moment, I will always be like this for God.” No, you will not, and God will make sure of that. Those times are entirely the gift of God. You cannot give them to yourself when you choose. If you say you will only be at your best for God, as during those exceptional times, you actually become an intolerable burden on Him. You will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously aware of His inspiration to you at all times.”
In Philippians chapter 3 Paul can truthfully and boldly say that he suffered loss of all things to know the surpassing worth of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. The tenth verse can be read like a prayer; “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” Paul found his complete identity and worth in his risen Savior and any hardship he endured on His behalf paled in comparison to the future glory that awaits.
“Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.” ~ Titus 2:13-15
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Who is He?
"Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue with that; I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first - rock 'n' roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary." ~ John Lennon
"Many people entertain the idea that Christianity, like almost any other religion, is basically a system of beliefs-you know, a set of doctrines or a code of behavior, a philosophy, an ideology. But that's a myth. Christianity is not at all like Buddhism or Islam or Confucianism. The founders of those religions said (in effect), 'Here is what I teach. Believe my teachings. Follow my philosophy.' Jesus said, 'Follow me'(Matthew 9:9). Leaders of the world's religions said, 'What do you think about what I teach?' Jesus said, 'Who do you say I am?'(Luke 9:20)” ~ Josh McDowell
One of the common misconceptions is that Jesus Christ was/is just a good moral teacher. The view is often held that He never claimed deity or that His words are simply pleasant suggestions and quaint ideas. Yet three of the gospels in the New Testament record where God Himself called Jesus His "beloved Son". On these occasions God stated that He was "well pleased" with His Son, and also told those with Him to "hear him" or listen up, (Luke 9:35 and Mark 9:7).
John Lennon stated that the disciples of Jesus were thick and ordinary, and at times the Bible bears this out. While they may have exhibited this trait Peter acknowledged in Matthew 16:13-17 who Jesus was and is; "Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." This knowledge and the resurrection of Jesus Christ caused Peter and his fellow disciples to literally change the world, and Christianity shows no signs of vanishing from the scene.
What did Jesus say about Himself? In John 12:44-50 He states; "And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
Whether you are religious or not you likely know or have heard John 3:16, but have you ever read the verses that follow? "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, to have the same authority of God and God claimed Him as His one and only Son.
Author, speaker and Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias penned these words about Jesus. This was first published on his blog "A Slice of Infinity" on May 15,2000
"One of the recurring elements in the Bible, especially in encounters involving Jesus, is the element of surprise. That surprise is not only contained in what Jesus said, but more often it is to whom He said the words that brings the surprise.
Consider Jesus' claim in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." These words of Jesus certainly establish what we would call exclusivity. Jesus is saying here, "I am the only way to God. There is no other religious practice or guru or prophet that can lead you to God." Now no doubt, such a claim provokes a strong response and perhaps you yourself find it difficult to believe. But friend, let us be honest here: Every major religion in the world claims exclusivity and has a point of exclusion. And truth by definition is exclusive. Everything cannot be true. If everything is true, then nothing is false.
But back to this element of surprise. Yes, Jesus did say that no one could come to God except through him alone. But have you ever noticed to whom Jesus said these words? He said them to Thomas, the apostle whose name, even after two millennia, is synonymous with doubt. Thomas was the last to believe in the resurrection of Jesus because he did not want to trust such a magnificent claim secondhand. He needed to see and feel before he would bend his knee to the Christ he knew had been crucified. Ironically, Thomas went on to preach the gospel in India, my homeland, a land of over 330 million deities and innumerable "ways to God." Ultimately he gave his life for the exclusive claims of Christ.
Another example of the Gospel's apparent irony is found in Jesus' question to his disciple Peter, "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus patiently waited for Peter's response—"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"—knowing later that three times Peter would eventually deny knowing Jesus. Yet, Peter recovered from that painful moment and spent the rest of his life striving for the gospel and in the end, he himself was crucified upside down.
What surprises us in these instances is Jesus' ability to understand our weaknesses and to touch our hearts and minds where each of us needs it most. You see, He knew of Thomas' doubt before it was spoken. He knew of Peter's denial before the act. And He knows you and me and can still surprise us today wherever we are and meet us in our weakness."
Today's Slice: Ironic Surprise by Ravi Zacharias
The Gospel of John has a primary focus; to firmly establish the deity of Jesus Christ and His divine Sonship. Verse after verse unequivocally point to His authority and exclusivity. Read it for yourself and determine just who is this Jesus.
"Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” ~ John 14:5-7
"Many people entertain the idea that Christianity, like almost any other religion, is basically a system of beliefs-you know, a set of doctrines or a code of behavior, a philosophy, an ideology. But that's a myth. Christianity is not at all like Buddhism or Islam or Confucianism. The founders of those religions said (in effect), 'Here is what I teach. Believe my teachings. Follow my philosophy.' Jesus said, 'Follow me'(Matthew 9:9). Leaders of the world's religions said, 'What do you think about what I teach?' Jesus said, 'Who do you say I am?'(Luke 9:20)” ~ Josh McDowell
One of the common misconceptions is that Jesus Christ was/is just a good moral teacher. The view is often held that He never claimed deity or that His words are simply pleasant suggestions and quaint ideas. Yet three of the gospels in the New Testament record where God Himself called Jesus His "beloved Son". On these occasions God stated that He was "well pleased" with His Son, and also told those with Him to "hear him" or listen up, (Luke 9:35 and Mark 9:7).
John Lennon stated that the disciples of Jesus were thick and ordinary, and at times the Bible bears this out. While they may have exhibited this trait Peter acknowledged in Matthew 16:13-17 who Jesus was and is; "Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." This knowledge and the resurrection of Jesus Christ caused Peter and his fellow disciples to literally change the world, and Christianity shows no signs of vanishing from the scene.
What did Jesus say about Himself? In John 12:44-50 He states; "And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
Whether you are religious or not you likely know or have heard John 3:16, but have you ever read the verses that follow? "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, to have the same authority of God and God claimed Him as His one and only Son.
Author, speaker and Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias penned these words about Jesus. This was first published on his blog "A Slice of Infinity" on May 15,2000
"One of the recurring elements in the Bible, especially in encounters involving Jesus, is the element of surprise. That surprise is not only contained in what Jesus said, but more often it is to whom He said the words that brings the surprise.
Consider Jesus' claim in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." These words of Jesus certainly establish what we would call exclusivity. Jesus is saying here, "I am the only way to God. There is no other religious practice or guru or prophet that can lead you to God." Now no doubt, such a claim provokes a strong response and perhaps you yourself find it difficult to believe. But friend, let us be honest here: Every major religion in the world claims exclusivity and has a point of exclusion. And truth by definition is exclusive. Everything cannot be true. If everything is true, then nothing is false.
But back to this element of surprise. Yes, Jesus did say that no one could come to God except through him alone. But have you ever noticed to whom Jesus said these words? He said them to Thomas, the apostle whose name, even after two millennia, is synonymous with doubt. Thomas was the last to believe in the resurrection of Jesus because he did not want to trust such a magnificent claim secondhand. He needed to see and feel before he would bend his knee to the Christ he knew had been crucified. Ironically, Thomas went on to preach the gospel in India, my homeland, a land of over 330 million deities and innumerable "ways to God." Ultimately he gave his life for the exclusive claims of Christ.
Another example of the Gospel's apparent irony is found in Jesus' question to his disciple Peter, "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus patiently waited for Peter's response—"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"—knowing later that three times Peter would eventually deny knowing Jesus. Yet, Peter recovered from that painful moment and spent the rest of his life striving for the gospel and in the end, he himself was crucified upside down.
What surprises us in these instances is Jesus' ability to understand our weaknesses and to touch our hearts and minds where each of us needs it most. You see, He knew of Thomas' doubt before it was spoken. He knew of Peter's denial before the act. And He knows you and me and can still surprise us today wherever we are and meet us in our weakness."
Today's Slice: Ironic Surprise by Ravi Zacharias
The Gospel of John has a primary focus; to firmly establish the deity of Jesus Christ and His divine Sonship. Verse after verse unequivocally point to His authority and exclusivity. Read it for yourself and determine just who is this Jesus.
"Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” ~ John 14:5-7
Monday, April 26, 2010
One of these things...
“One of these things is not like the others, One of these things just doesn't belong, Can you tell which thing is not like the others, By the time I finish my song? ~ Sesame Street
“The word “heaven” has been appropriated for many purposes, and used in connection with dreams, loves, lyrics, and fiction, until now it has been deprived of meaning for much of society.” ~ Ralph E. Knudsen
Most of us enjoy going on vacation. I say most because there are some that truly enjoy the actual vacation itself, but they tend to dread the preparation and planning required to make it truly an enjoyable, successful and fulfilling event. Think about your last big vacation and the planning that went into it. You likely checked out a couple of different destinations before settling on the one you wanted to go to. Getting vacation advice from friends and family can be a mixed bag, so if you are like me you are risk adverse and do not want to take any chances on well meaning, but faulty suggestions. After deciding your destination you then checked out your options for lodging, activities and entertainment. You calculated the cost, made your reservations and then impatiently waited for the time of your departure. Once you actually got to go on this long awaited trip you realized that all of that planning and toil to get ready were worth it all.
If we put that much thought and effort into an earthly destination, why do we not devote the same if not greater effort to determining our future destination once our life has ended? Think about it; depending on your age, country of residence and financial situation the average vacation lasts one to three weeks. When our time on earth ends and we breathe our last breath we have all of eternity to spend in one of two places; heaven or hell. If, as the Bible teaches, those are our only two options it would seem that we would want to devote a little time understanding how the two compare, and also determine how we can know for sure which place we are destined for.
Through out the ages Heaven and Hell have captured the imaginations of poets, painters and writers. Employing allegory various authors have attempted to describe both places. John Milton wrote “Paradise Lost” describing the fall of man and how Satan was cast into hell. In his “Divine Comedy” Italian poet Dante Alighieri wrote about both but in “The Inferno” he gives a vivid yet futile attempt to describe hell. Even John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” attempts to describe Heaven or as he calls it “The Celestial City” or “The Desired Country.” While these are at best shadows of the two final destinations for all of mankind, the prose should make us all stop and consider where we want to spend our eternity.
The Apostle John provides the most details about Heaven in the book of Revelation in chapters 21 and 22. What is interesting is that he repeatedly employs the word “like” when trying to describe the dwelling place of God, for even though he was physically there he could not fully capture it's majesty. John provides the measurements, the beauty, the radiance and the materials that make up God’s abode. Heaven is a literal place, and not just a state of mind. Throughout the New Testament it is mentioned in this literal sense. Jesus tells us He goes to prepare a place for us, (John 14:2-3), the angels proclaim that in Acts 1:11 that Jesus has been taken up into heaven, and when Stephen was stoned in Acts 7:55-56 he looked up and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at His father’s right hand in heaven. It is the place where God most fully makes known His presence to bless and where His glory is most fully on display. No brochure or travel guide can adequately describe the dwelling place of God, but it is the source of hope for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. One author has described it as “A prepared place for a prepared people.” The key question for us all is have we determined what God says about heaven and how we can have assurance that we will have it as our home?
More has been written by Christian authors about Hell. Some would deny its existence but the Bible describes it as a literal place. It is described three times in Mark chapter 9 as a place where the worm never dies and the fire is never extinguished. What is interesting is that people that do not believe it exists are quick to tell others to "go" there, or think those that conceive and carry out the most heinous acts possible are deserving of it. But when pressed on the basis for who is going there no one wants to think about whether or not there is objective criteria or standard to determine that.
In the King James translation of the Bible the word hell is used 31 times in the Old Testament and some 21 times in various forms in the New Testament. It described as a place of torment, isolation, and never ending punishment. It is complete separation from God, and it is not going to be a party with all your friends, and contrary to modern culture they won’t be serving beer. In Luke 16:19-31 Jesus described the torment of the Rich Man who begged for just a drop of water to sooth his tongue. Throughout the four gospels Jesus very clearly and emphatically taught that hell existed and our knowledge of it almost comes exclusively from His teachings.
Without a doubt writing or contemplating heaven is far more enjoyable than thinking about hell. Its typically something we prefer to put out of our mind and it is hardly an idyllic topic. One of these things is not like the other and the vast majority of us would far rather think about spending eternity with God than the alternative. If you have not spent any time comparing the two or determining how you can receive one over the other, I would encourage you to do so. God sent His Son Jesus Christ so none would perish but have everlasting life, (John 3:16). God does not desire that we go to hell, and has provided a means of escape, but sadly some will not accept His gift of salvation. Don’t take my word, your family's, your Pastor, Priest's or your church word for it. Pick up God’s Word and see what He says about it. He promises in I John 5:13 that "these things" or His Word was written so you can know for sure if you have eternal life.
For those who have accepted God’s free gift of salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ you have the assurance and hope of heaven. But has this weigh of glory, (II Corinthians 4:17), inspired you to tell others about God’s mercy and grace? God is not willing that any should perish…are we?
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.” ~ II Corinthians 5:10-11
“The word “heaven” has been appropriated for many purposes, and used in connection with dreams, loves, lyrics, and fiction, until now it has been deprived of meaning for much of society.” ~ Ralph E. Knudsen
Most of us enjoy going on vacation. I say most because there are some that truly enjoy the actual vacation itself, but they tend to dread the preparation and planning required to make it truly an enjoyable, successful and fulfilling event. Think about your last big vacation and the planning that went into it. You likely checked out a couple of different destinations before settling on the one you wanted to go to. Getting vacation advice from friends and family can be a mixed bag, so if you are like me you are risk adverse and do not want to take any chances on well meaning, but faulty suggestions. After deciding your destination you then checked out your options for lodging, activities and entertainment. You calculated the cost, made your reservations and then impatiently waited for the time of your departure. Once you actually got to go on this long awaited trip you realized that all of that planning and toil to get ready were worth it all.
If we put that much thought and effort into an earthly destination, why do we not devote the same if not greater effort to determining our future destination once our life has ended? Think about it; depending on your age, country of residence and financial situation the average vacation lasts one to three weeks. When our time on earth ends and we breathe our last breath we have all of eternity to spend in one of two places; heaven or hell. If, as the Bible teaches, those are our only two options it would seem that we would want to devote a little time understanding how the two compare, and also determine how we can know for sure which place we are destined for.
Through out the ages Heaven and Hell have captured the imaginations of poets, painters and writers. Employing allegory various authors have attempted to describe both places. John Milton wrote “Paradise Lost” describing the fall of man and how Satan was cast into hell. In his “Divine Comedy” Italian poet Dante Alighieri wrote about both but in “The Inferno” he gives a vivid yet futile attempt to describe hell. Even John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” attempts to describe Heaven or as he calls it “The Celestial City” or “The Desired Country.” While these are at best shadows of the two final destinations for all of mankind, the prose should make us all stop and consider where we want to spend our eternity.
The Apostle John provides the most details about Heaven in the book of Revelation in chapters 21 and 22. What is interesting is that he repeatedly employs the word “like” when trying to describe the dwelling place of God, for even though he was physically there he could not fully capture it's majesty. John provides the measurements, the beauty, the radiance and the materials that make up God’s abode. Heaven is a literal place, and not just a state of mind. Throughout the New Testament it is mentioned in this literal sense. Jesus tells us He goes to prepare a place for us, (John 14:2-3), the angels proclaim that in Acts 1:11 that Jesus has been taken up into heaven, and when Stephen was stoned in Acts 7:55-56 he looked up and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at His father’s right hand in heaven. It is the place where God most fully makes known His presence to bless and where His glory is most fully on display. No brochure or travel guide can adequately describe the dwelling place of God, but it is the source of hope for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. One author has described it as “A prepared place for a prepared people.” The key question for us all is have we determined what God says about heaven and how we can have assurance that we will have it as our home?
More has been written by Christian authors about Hell. Some would deny its existence but the Bible describes it as a literal place. It is described three times in Mark chapter 9 as a place where the worm never dies and the fire is never extinguished. What is interesting is that people that do not believe it exists are quick to tell others to "go" there, or think those that conceive and carry out the most heinous acts possible are deserving of it. But when pressed on the basis for who is going there no one wants to think about whether or not there is objective criteria or standard to determine that.
In the King James translation of the Bible the word hell is used 31 times in the Old Testament and some 21 times in various forms in the New Testament. It described as a place of torment, isolation, and never ending punishment. It is complete separation from God, and it is not going to be a party with all your friends, and contrary to modern culture they won’t be serving beer. In Luke 16:19-31 Jesus described the torment of the Rich Man who begged for just a drop of water to sooth his tongue. Throughout the four gospels Jesus very clearly and emphatically taught that hell existed and our knowledge of it almost comes exclusively from His teachings.
Without a doubt writing or contemplating heaven is far more enjoyable than thinking about hell. Its typically something we prefer to put out of our mind and it is hardly an idyllic topic. One of these things is not like the other and the vast majority of us would far rather think about spending eternity with God than the alternative. If you have not spent any time comparing the two or determining how you can receive one over the other, I would encourage you to do so. God sent His Son Jesus Christ so none would perish but have everlasting life, (John 3:16). God does not desire that we go to hell, and has provided a means of escape, but sadly some will not accept His gift of salvation. Don’t take my word, your family's, your Pastor, Priest's or your church word for it. Pick up God’s Word and see what He says about it. He promises in I John 5:13 that "these things" or His Word was written so you can know for sure if you have eternal life.
For those who have accepted God’s free gift of salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ you have the assurance and hope of heaven. But has this weigh of glory, (II Corinthians 4:17), inspired you to tell others about God’s mercy and grace? God is not willing that any should perish…are we?
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.” ~ II Corinthians 5:10-11
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The problem of evil
“The Bible is the Chief moral cause of all that is good, and the best corrector of all that is evil, in human society; the best book for regulating the temporal concerns of men, and the only book that can serve as an infallible guide.” ~ Noah Webster
One of the most challenging questions any Christian has to face when sharing the Gospel with someone is the problem of evil. Much has been written on the topic and I would encourage anyone perplexed by this question to pick up a copy of Timothy Keller's book "The Reason for God". The very problem of evil came to the ultimate intersection at the Cross of Calvary. If mankind could have been reconciled to God by any other means than Jesus Christ suffering and death to pay for sin and evil couldn't God have found another solution? If God can make sense out of the suffering of Jesus Christ what makes us think He cannot make sense of suffering and evil in the present world? What follows is a post by Christian author and apologist Ravi Zacharias.
" Some time ago I was speaking at a university in England, when a rather exasperated person in the audience made his attack upon God.
“There cannot possibly be a God,” he said, “with all the evil and suffering that exists in the world!”
I asked, “When you say there is such a thing as evil, are you not assuming that there is such a thing as good?”
“Of course,” he retorted.
“But when you assume there is such a thing as good, are you not also assuming that there is such a thing as a moral law on the basis of which to distinguish between good and evil?”
“I suppose so,” came the hesitant and much softer reply.
“If, then, there is a moral law,” I said, “you must also posit a moral law giver. But that is who you are trying to disprove and not prove. If there is no transcendent moral law giver, there is no absolute moral law. If there is no moral law, there really is no good. If there is no good there is no evil. I am not sure what your question is!”
There was silence and then he said, “What, then, am I asking you?”
He was visibly jolted that at the heart of his question lay an assumption that contradicted his own conclusion.
You see friends, the skeptic not only has to give an answer to his or her own question, but also has to justify the question itself. And even as the laughter subsided I reminded him that his question was indeed reasonable, but that his question justified my assumption that this was a moral universe. For if God is not the author of life, neither good nor bad are meaningful terms.
This seems to constantly elude the critic who thinks that by raising the question of evil, a trap has been sprung to destroy theism. When in fact, the very raising of the question ensnares the skeptic who raised the question. A hidden assumption comes into the open. Moreover, as C. S. Lewis reminds us, the moment we acknowledge something as being “better”, we are committing ourselves to an objective point of reference.
The disorienting reality to those who raise the problem of evil is that the Christian can be consistent when he or she talks about the problem of evil, while the skeptic is hard-pressed to respond to the question of good in an amoral universe. In short, the problem of evil is not solved by doing away with the existence of God; the problem of evil and suffering must be resolved while keeping God in the picture."
Zacharias continued to address this dilemma; "As we have been discussing the theme of evil, we see how the presence of evil raises the question of the goodness of God. I have yet to hear a skeptic who failed to raise this as a major reason for his or her skepticism. The question is without doubt one of the most daunting questions raised of the Christian faith, which talks of a loving God who is in control of all things.
Unfortunately, glib and incoherent answers to such heart cries have resulted in a breakdown of communication between honest skeptics seeking the truth and those who claim to know it. But if the Christian can be charged with ignoring the force of the question, then the questioner must also face the indicting possibility that he or she has often not thought through the question itself fairly. We have already seen how the question does not disprove the existence of God, now we see how the skeptic answers his own question about good and evil.
In a landmark debate between the agnostic philosopher Bertrand Russell and the Christian philosopher Frederick Copleston, Copleston asked Russell if he believed in good and bad. Russell admitted that he did. Copleston then asked him how he differentiated between the two. Russell said that he differentiated between good and bad in the same way that he distinguished between colors. “But you distinguish between colors by seeing, don’t you? How then, do you judge between good and bad?” “On the basis of feeling, what else?” came Russell’s sharp reply.
Somebody should have told Russell that in some cultures people love their neighbors while in other cultures they eat them--both on the basis of feeling! Did Mr. Russell have a personal preference?
How can we possibly justify differentiating between good and bad merely on the basis of feeling? Whose feeling? Hitler’s or Mother Theresa’s? There must be a transcendent moral law, a standard by which to determine good and bad. Without such a point of reference, the question of evil is no longer coherent. Removing God, the giver of the moral law, from the question of evil, in essence, blunts the force of the question.
Yes, the “why” of evil must be spoken to and in fact, in the Bible God has. At the heart of evil is the will of man to resist the love of God. In response to an article entitled What’s wrong with the world, G.K.Chesterton replied : “I am, yours truly, G.K.Chesterton.” He was right. We can all reply the same way. Only when we grasp this can the problem of evil begin towards a solution."
Today's Slice: The Polemic Shot In the Foot by Ravi Zacharias
One of the most challenging questions any Christian has to face when sharing the Gospel with someone is the problem of evil. Much has been written on the topic and I would encourage anyone perplexed by this question to pick up a copy of Timothy Keller's book "The Reason for God". The very problem of evil came to the ultimate intersection at the Cross of Calvary. If mankind could have been reconciled to God by any other means than Jesus Christ suffering and death to pay for sin and evil couldn't God have found another solution? If God can make sense out of the suffering of Jesus Christ what makes us think He cannot make sense of suffering and evil in the present world? What follows is a post by Christian author and apologist Ravi Zacharias.
" Some time ago I was speaking at a university in England, when a rather exasperated person in the audience made his attack upon God.
“There cannot possibly be a God,” he said, “with all the evil and suffering that exists in the world!”
I asked, “When you say there is such a thing as evil, are you not assuming that there is such a thing as good?”
“Of course,” he retorted.
“But when you assume there is such a thing as good, are you not also assuming that there is such a thing as a moral law on the basis of which to distinguish between good and evil?”
“I suppose so,” came the hesitant and much softer reply.
“If, then, there is a moral law,” I said, “you must also posit a moral law giver. But that is who you are trying to disprove and not prove. If there is no transcendent moral law giver, there is no absolute moral law. If there is no moral law, there really is no good. If there is no good there is no evil. I am not sure what your question is!”
There was silence and then he said, “What, then, am I asking you?”
He was visibly jolted that at the heart of his question lay an assumption that contradicted his own conclusion.
You see friends, the skeptic not only has to give an answer to his or her own question, but also has to justify the question itself. And even as the laughter subsided I reminded him that his question was indeed reasonable, but that his question justified my assumption that this was a moral universe. For if God is not the author of life, neither good nor bad are meaningful terms.
This seems to constantly elude the critic who thinks that by raising the question of evil, a trap has been sprung to destroy theism. When in fact, the very raising of the question ensnares the skeptic who raised the question. A hidden assumption comes into the open. Moreover, as C. S. Lewis reminds us, the moment we acknowledge something as being “better”, we are committing ourselves to an objective point of reference.
The disorienting reality to those who raise the problem of evil is that the Christian can be consistent when he or she talks about the problem of evil, while the skeptic is hard-pressed to respond to the question of good in an amoral universe. In short, the problem of evil is not solved by doing away with the existence of God; the problem of evil and suffering must be resolved while keeping God in the picture."
Zacharias continued to address this dilemma; "As we have been discussing the theme of evil, we see how the presence of evil raises the question of the goodness of God. I have yet to hear a skeptic who failed to raise this as a major reason for his or her skepticism. The question is without doubt one of the most daunting questions raised of the Christian faith, which talks of a loving God who is in control of all things.
Unfortunately, glib and incoherent answers to such heart cries have resulted in a breakdown of communication between honest skeptics seeking the truth and those who claim to know it. But if the Christian can be charged with ignoring the force of the question, then the questioner must also face the indicting possibility that he or she has often not thought through the question itself fairly. We have already seen how the question does not disprove the existence of God, now we see how the skeptic answers his own question about good and evil.
In a landmark debate between the agnostic philosopher Bertrand Russell and the Christian philosopher Frederick Copleston, Copleston asked Russell if he believed in good and bad. Russell admitted that he did. Copleston then asked him how he differentiated between the two. Russell said that he differentiated between good and bad in the same way that he distinguished between colors. “But you distinguish between colors by seeing, don’t you? How then, do you judge between good and bad?” “On the basis of feeling, what else?” came Russell’s sharp reply.
Somebody should have told Russell that in some cultures people love their neighbors while in other cultures they eat them--both on the basis of feeling! Did Mr. Russell have a personal preference?
How can we possibly justify differentiating between good and bad merely on the basis of feeling? Whose feeling? Hitler’s or Mother Theresa’s? There must be a transcendent moral law, a standard by which to determine good and bad. Without such a point of reference, the question of evil is no longer coherent. Removing God, the giver of the moral law, from the question of evil, in essence, blunts the force of the question.
Yes, the “why” of evil must be spoken to and in fact, in the Bible God has. At the heart of evil is the will of man to resist the love of God. In response to an article entitled What’s wrong with the world, G.K.Chesterton replied : “I am, yours truly, G.K.Chesterton.” He was right. We can all reply the same way. Only when we grasp this can the problem of evil begin towards a solution."
Today's Slice: The Polemic Shot In the Foot by Ravi Zacharias
Saturday, April 24, 2010
That's not fair
“Despite what they tell you, there are simply no moral absolutes in a complex world.” ~ Berkeley Breathed
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:10
One of the most difficult concepts for both the Christian and the non-Christian is the question of how can a loving God send people to hell? Much has already been written on the question so I wanted to pass along some articles by some leading Christian Apologists. This post was written by Ravi Zacharias on April 15, 2002.
"During the 2002 Winter Olympics, a major publication had a headline that read, “Crybaby Olympics.” The article highlighted the refrain of complaints launched by several competitors who felt they had been duped out of their legitimate attainment by some unscrupulous judge. Now, I have no doubt that in any competition there is always the possibility that someone has been cheated out of winning. Anyone who has ever competed knows the feeling of suspicion when medals are awarded on an inexact basis of measurement. Judging is a hazardous task, but so is judging the judges.
However legitimate one’s complaint might be, the fearful thing is that the winners of the award never seem to stop by the judge’s desk and say, “Excuse me, but I really do not think I deserved that.” Winning seldom questions the validity of the judge’s decision. Losing often does.
Whatever else all this displeasure proves, it proves two things. One, that we expect a judge to be objective and fair. But secondly, there is a more serious concern. How does a Judge judge if there are no absolutes by which to do the judging? You see, it is one thing to measure how far an object has been thrown and another thing to say which was more beautiful a performance on ice. The latter demands an aesthetic measure, which is not always exact.
But you see, deep inside all of us are both of these moral realities. We affirm the need to be right and fair, and we somehow believe that even in beauty there are some misjudgments that reveal prejudice. What this tells us is that life must have absolutes. This itself reveals the fact that we are born as moral agents and when that moral agency is violated, deep inside we cry.
The Bible makes it clear that God is a judge and He is fair. One of the most telling passages is in the book of Genesis when God is judging the cities of Sodom and Gommorah. Abraham asks God if He is going to wipe out both the righteous and the unrighteous. God assures Abraham that He sees everything and then says this: “Shall not the judge of the earth do that which is right?”
You and I may not have been robbed of a medal in the Olympics. But we do know that when destiny-defining decisions are made, the Judge of all the earth will do right. He knows the absolutes, and He will not make a mistake. That is both comforting and daunting."
More from Dr. Zacharias:
"Yesterday I spoke of the disappointment of some of the competitors in the Winter Olympics who thought that poor judging had denied them their rightful victory. If their assessment is correct, one can sympathize with their hurt. After all the effort and the pain that goes into preparing to become the world’s best, I cannot imagine the anguish that would well up if dishonesty robbed the rightful one of his or her reward.
Although such a loss is merely that in athletic competition, it points up to the greater need of how important being just is. That truth is one of the most pertinent in any civilized society. Was it not Plato who said that Justice is the firmest pillar of good government? His student Aristotle went even further. Aristotle said that justice is not just part of virtue, it is virtue entire; nor is the contrary injustice a part of vice but vice entire.
One does not have to fully agree to note the power of what is being said. Justice is virtue entire? That being just is the sum and substance of good morality? But think about this. Suppose you say you love somebody, but you are unjust in your dealings with them. How would that person respond to your words, “Ah, but I love you”? Or if you tell somebody that you will always speak the truth but that there are times you will be unjust in dealing with the truth. How would they respond? You see the point, don’t you? Justice is an intrinsic part of virtue.
That is why God in His nature is pure and just. His justice meets the demands of the law that must be met if you and I are to be the recipients of His mercy.
To the Christian, Good Friday is a very special day, because on that day two thousand years ago, a pure and just God paid the penalty for our separation from Him and made the way to be forgiven and live in a loving relationship with Him.
You know, friends, there is one verse in the Bible that occurs three times: once in the book of Hebrews to the Hebrew church, once in the Book of Galatians to the Asian church, and once in the Book of Romans to the European church. All of this from the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk. The verse just says this: “…the just shall live by faith.”
What that really means is that our perfection cannot get us into heaven. But our faith in the Perfect One can. His justice comes hand in hand with His perfect love. Neither ever violates the other."
Today's Slice: Judging the Judges-Part 1 by Ravi Zacharias
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:10
One of the most difficult concepts for both the Christian and the non-Christian is the question of how can a loving God send people to hell? Much has already been written on the question so I wanted to pass along some articles by some leading Christian Apologists. This post was written by Ravi Zacharias on April 15, 2002.
"During the 2002 Winter Olympics, a major publication had a headline that read, “Crybaby Olympics.” The article highlighted the refrain of complaints launched by several competitors who felt they had been duped out of their legitimate attainment by some unscrupulous judge. Now, I have no doubt that in any competition there is always the possibility that someone has been cheated out of winning. Anyone who has ever competed knows the feeling of suspicion when medals are awarded on an inexact basis of measurement. Judging is a hazardous task, but so is judging the judges.
However legitimate one’s complaint might be, the fearful thing is that the winners of the award never seem to stop by the judge’s desk and say, “Excuse me, but I really do not think I deserved that.” Winning seldom questions the validity of the judge’s decision. Losing often does.
Whatever else all this displeasure proves, it proves two things. One, that we expect a judge to be objective and fair. But secondly, there is a more serious concern. How does a Judge judge if there are no absolutes by which to do the judging? You see, it is one thing to measure how far an object has been thrown and another thing to say which was more beautiful a performance on ice. The latter demands an aesthetic measure, which is not always exact.
But you see, deep inside all of us are both of these moral realities. We affirm the need to be right and fair, and we somehow believe that even in beauty there are some misjudgments that reveal prejudice. What this tells us is that life must have absolutes. This itself reveals the fact that we are born as moral agents and when that moral agency is violated, deep inside we cry.
The Bible makes it clear that God is a judge and He is fair. One of the most telling passages is in the book of Genesis when God is judging the cities of Sodom and Gommorah. Abraham asks God if He is going to wipe out both the righteous and the unrighteous. God assures Abraham that He sees everything and then says this: “Shall not the judge of the earth do that which is right?”
You and I may not have been robbed of a medal in the Olympics. But we do know that when destiny-defining decisions are made, the Judge of all the earth will do right. He knows the absolutes, and He will not make a mistake. That is both comforting and daunting."
More from Dr. Zacharias:
"Yesterday I spoke of the disappointment of some of the competitors in the Winter Olympics who thought that poor judging had denied them their rightful victory. If their assessment is correct, one can sympathize with their hurt. After all the effort and the pain that goes into preparing to become the world’s best, I cannot imagine the anguish that would well up if dishonesty robbed the rightful one of his or her reward.
Although such a loss is merely that in athletic competition, it points up to the greater need of how important being just is. That truth is one of the most pertinent in any civilized society. Was it not Plato who said that Justice is the firmest pillar of good government? His student Aristotle went even further. Aristotle said that justice is not just part of virtue, it is virtue entire; nor is the contrary injustice a part of vice but vice entire.
One does not have to fully agree to note the power of what is being said. Justice is virtue entire? That being just is the sum and substance of good morality? But think about this. Suppose you say you love somebody, but you are unjust in your dealings with them. How would that person respond to your words, “Ah, but I love you”? Or if you tell somebody that you will always speak the truth but that there are times you will be unjust in dealing with the truth. How would they respond? You see the point, don’t you? Justice is an intrinsic part of virtue.
That is why God in His nature is pure and just. His justice meets the demands of the law that must be met if you and I are to be the recipients of His mercy.
To the Christian, Good Friday is a very special day, because on that day two thousand years ago, a pure and just God paid the penalty for our separation from Him and made the way to be forgiven and live in a loving relationship with Him.
You know, friends, there is one verse in the Bible that occurs three times: once in the book of Hebrews to the Hebrew church, once in the Book of Galatians to the Asian church, and once in the Book of Romans to the European church. All of this from the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk. The verse just says this: “…the just shall live by faith.”
What that really means is that our perfection cannot get us into heaven. But our faith in the Perfect One can. His justice comes hand in hand with His perfect love. Neither ever violates the other."
Today's Slice: Judging the Judges-Part 1 by Ravi Zacharias
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)