bible – Page 2 – Believers Armed and Dangerous

Thinking About God

Silhouette of a thoughtful man sitting by the ocean – copyspace

Years ago, I promised to show an adult Sunday School class I taught that there was an unbroken line of reason from “Do I exist?” to “Jesus loves you and died for your sins.” I’ve always wanted to put that down on paper, and here is my meager attempt:

Do I exist? Philosopher, Rene Descartes, wondered what he knew for sure, so he spent a week in a mountain retreat looking for reasons to doubt all he knew. By the end of his time there, he was convinced he knew nothing absolutely except that someone was doubting. In other words, he knew for certain he existed, but nothing more. We can know we exist, but can absolutely prove nothing else.

How did my existence come about? Since I know I didn’t create myself, I had to come from somewhere or someone else. My mind is a very complex thing, so a being with a mind more complicated than mine must have created it. My mind is also very organized, self-reflective, and personal. The entity that created it must at least have the same qualities. What we would be looking for, then, would be a metaphysical being – a being because it would have to think and be self-aware as I am, and metaphysical because it would need to have existed outside the universe.

I perceive the universe around me. Truth is consistent; falsehoods are inconsistent. So, since my understanding of the universe tells me it appears to be consistent, it must be very much as I perceive it, rather than my being, say, simply a brain in a vat. There is a chance I am a brain in a vat, but the probabilities are extremely small. Since we can safely say there is a being who brought about both me and the universe I perceive, we now have a Creator who is greater than the human and the universe it created.

A question then arises, “Could it be that the Creator might have communicated with its creation, maybe to let us know more about itself or how to take care of what it created?” What way could such a being communicate with its creation that would be preserved for centuries upon centuries for all to learn from it? Written documents would be good, especially if this communication needed to be preserved in the most accurate form, able to be repeated over long periods of time, and in a plethora of cultures.

There are several major organized philosophies centered around belief in metaphysical beings. We call them religions. One or more of these could be what we’re looking for. But how could we weed out those who are mistaken or untrustworthy?

Astrophysicist, Dr. Hugh Ross, faced this conundrum and sorted through the various writings of the world’s major religions. He found that only the Bible contained the correct description of the universe around us and saw that as a good test for which of these major religious writings is the one from the Creator.

In this blog over the years, we have looked at reasons to believe the Bible is reliable and accurate: the New Testament, for instance, has the greatest manuscript authority by far of any other ancient writings. It predicts events yet to happen when written, the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 a.d, for instance. The entire Bible is a collection of 66 ancient documents written by more than 40 authors over a period of 1500 years. It agrees throughout. This is powerful evidence that while the Bible was written by men, it is not a man-made book.

The Bible instructs us on how to live, how to treat one another, and what God wants of us. It also tells us much more about the God who created us and the universe in which we live. It tells us of His love for us to the point He was willing to humble Himself greatly and join His creation as a man, to die in our place to settle our debt and allow us to spend eternity with Him in holiness. In short, Jesus loves you and died for your sins.

Why is this important?

Ours is a reasonable faith. We, as Christians, rest on logic, reason, and the world around us to come to the conclusions we do. God has not asked us to believe in some dream or some illusion. He has given us a faith that is comparable to the universe around us in our perception of reality.

We need not fear reasonable discussion in the marketplace of ideas. Christianity can stand above the best of them in what we believe and why we believe it.

1 Peter 3:13-15 (NASB) And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and ^ereverence;

Questions Christians Can’t Answer?

The “Questions Christians Can’t Answer” has appeared on this blog in the past and have rated in the top ten blog posts I’ve done over the years So I’ve decided to add one today:

Why did God create angels that could defy him?
Freewill is necessary for an individual to express true love. God is not interested in fake or forced love from sentient beings. There seems to have been a time with angels had freewill just as humans have always had. It is the freewill that got Satan and his angels into trouble. Most theologians see a few passages of Scripture as addressing the pride and self-involvement which caused the angel Lucifer (Satan) to fall. This might give some insight as to why the other angels did. (Isa. 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:12-17)

Why is there so much divorce in Christian marriages? Since it was put in God’s hands, it should not be harmed.
A study by Shaunti Feldhahn showed about 15-20% of Christian marriages end in divorce. About 18% of those married and divorced again, so Christian divorce is not the 50% often cited. Counting divorces rather than the individuals skews the results. But the divorce rate is still high for a faith that frowns on divorce.
Part of the issue is the definition of “Christian.” Studies vary widely in the numbers because the qualifications to be included in the “Christian” category are different with each study.

Still, freewill is the culprit here. Christians are people. People marry for the wrong reasons especially today. Some marry out of desperation, some marry for love alone without looking for shared values, religion, even the definition of what a marriage is, some don’t consider marriage as a lifetime commitment in the first place and easily give up with the going gets rough. Some do not seek counseling prior to the wedding.

Even if the percentage of Christian divorce were as low as 15%, it is too many. Christians as well as non-believers, need to understand marriage more and fully commit to a lifetime relationship before the wedding day. Divorce should not be an option.

If Jesus is God, why did he beg himself at Gethsemane?
Jesus is both God and man. At Gethsemane He was fully human and facing separation from the Father to whom He prayed (Matt. 27:46) for the first time in all eternity. Jesus didn’t want that separation, but He had to endure it in order to take upon Himself the sins of the world.

Are wealthy Christians condemned already? Since the Bible says it is easier for a camel to pass through a needle eye than for a rich man to enter heaven.
No, wealthy Christians are not condemned because of their wealth. If that were true, nearly all Americans would be condemned as we are wealthy compared with much of the rest of the world. Jesus, in the context of the passage, is saying God can do this, but man cannot do it on his own. Notice the disciples asked the same question in verse 25:

Matt. 19:23-26 (ESV) Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁵When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” ²⁶But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

If everything God created is perfect, why must he use heaven to motivate us to believe in him?
Creation was perfect but is no longer. It is the Fall which brought about evil and decay. While heaven is a reward and a motivation for some, it is the forgiveness of our sins which is our motivation to believe in Him (Eph. 2:8-9).
Since we have carnal reasoning, why did God say, “Come now and let us reason together?”

God gave us a brain and the ability to reason. Even fallen man is perfectly able to do a cost/benefit analysis.

The quote is from Isa. 1:18-20 where God is laying out a logical if/then/else proposition. “If you obey, then your sins will be forgiven, else they won’t be.” While God was speaking to the Israelites at the time, the same is true today.

Is God of one mind since the Bible says he has two wills?
If this is referring to Gethsemane again, it is the same answer: Jesus was both man and God. His will as man was to avoid suffering, but He yielded to the perfect will of the Father.

God is one being existing in three persons, three centers of consciousness, but not three minds. Since God is perfect and infinite in these three persons, there can be no conflict in thought.

Can our good actions make us live forever?
No. Titus 3:4-5 (ESV) But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

It is faith in Christ alone that gives us eternal life.

Will infants who die at birth make it to heaven?
Yes. Deut 1:39 says there is a time when we are children when we do not know good or evil. We cannot be held responsible for evil if we do not understand it. Some believe this is what Paul is talking about in Rom. 7:9 (ESV) I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.
2 Sam. 12:22-23 tells us babies will go to heaven as David said he would see his dead infant son again.

Isn’t it true that the devil and his works will be destroyed?
No. The devil will not be destroyed. He and his bunch will suffer in the lake of fire forever: “And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” — Revelation 20:10 (ESV)
His fallen angels will join him there: Matt. 21:41 (ESV) “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’”

Why is this important?
We need to have ready answers for those who would challenge our faith with questions they think have no Christian answer. This blog post is meant to help us do just that.

From Just One Verse

John 13:1 (ESV) Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

Ever read a passage and wonder over how much there is in just a few words? I feel that way about the first verse of John chapter 13. Each phrase has so much meaning and brings such a blessing to the reader and scholar

Now before the Feast of the Passover, . . . This phrase gives us the context of the rest of the chapter. It’s when Jesus is in the upper room. This is the beginning of what theologians call the “Upper Room Discourse” which runs through chapter 17. This particular passage in chapter 13 runs through verse 20 and describes Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet. But that starts in verse 4. Look at the wealth before that story is related:

… when Jesus knew that his hour had come… Jesus had many ways to support His claims of being God’s Son: fulfilled prophecy, miracles, and foreknowledge as we see here. Jesus knew He was about to die and told this to His disciples in order to show them once more Who He was. He tells us this in verse 19 (ESV) I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he.

A truly interesting point about verse 19 is the fact there is no Greek word at the end for “he.” The translators inserted the “he” there to improve the flow. Jesus said I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I Am. Of course, earlier in John (8:24, 58), Jesus proclaims Himself to be the God of the burning bush through the use of the divine name, I Am:

Ex. 3:13-14 (ESV) Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” ¹⁴God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”

Jesus took on the divine name of the I Am as God the Son to convince His disciples of exactly who He was, to make absolutely sure they understood.

… to depart out of this world to the Father … This is important in that Jesus, again, is satisfying any doubts the disciples may have had that he came from the Father and is returning there. This is clarified in verse 3:

John 13:3 (ESV) Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,

This, again, is proof Jesus is giving to show He is both the invisible Creator God (the I Am) and man (Jesus of Nazareth who stood before them physically)

… having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. And here is the gospel message in 15 words. God’s love for us is unending and unconditional. The phrase, “he loved them to the end” is John’s note that Jesus loved His disciples as long as His ministry on earth. God’s love for us all, of course, is never ending:

1 Chron. 16:34 (ESV) Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

Why is this important?

I hope this encourages you in your personal Bible study. God’s Word is so rich and full. Look at what just one hour’s study on one verse can produce. As my pastor continually tells us (and rightfully so), we need to be scholars of God’s Word. It’s our duty as Christians:

2 Tim. 2:15 (KJV) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

As our study increases, so does the richness of our fellowship with God and His church.

LDS Archaeology – Book of Abraham

The Book of Abraham is a part of the Pearl of Great Price, one of the four sacred Scriptures of the LDS (Mormon) church. Here is the statement at the introduction of the Pearl of Great Price telling us portions (including the Book of Abraham) were translated and are “sacred scripture:”

“The Pearl of Great Price is a selection from the revelations, translations, and narrations of Joseph Smith, first prophet, seer, and revelator to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Portions of it were translated from ancient records and are considered sacred scripture by members of the Church.”
— Pearl of Great Price, Introduction (current LDS edition, 2013).

So, this is a sacred and inspired book to the LDS. But what exactly is the Book of Abraham (BOA)? I think we need to understand some foundational events first. Archaeology was in its infancy in the early 1800s but American interest was growing about Egyptian history in particular. The Rosetta Stone had only been discovered in 1799 enabling scholars to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics. Around 1820, some mummies and papyrus rolls (see image above) were discovered near Thebes in Egypt and found their way to the shores of America. These were sold to Michael H. Chandler who began touring America exhibiting the artifacts for profit.

In 1835, Chandler’s exhibit passed through Kirtland, Ohio, where the LDS church was headquartered at the time. The exhibit piqued the interest of Joseph Smith who, with the finances (about $88K today) of some friends, purchased some of the mummies and a few of the scrolls. Smith soon claimed the scrolls had been written by the very hand of the Bible’s Abraham some 4,000 years earlier and began to miraculously translate these scrolls into the Book of Abraham.

The “translation” describes Abraham’s life in Ur and Egypt and contained a supposed vision of the cosmos, including a teaching that the stars and planets are governed by great spirits.

The doctrine of the pre-existence of souls (that humans existed before this life) is also taken from the BOA. This is a controversial teaching historically used by LDS leaders regarding priesthood restrictions based on race (though the LDS church today rejects that application). These doctrines appear only in the BOA. If it isn’t what Joseph Smith claimed it to be, there is no other “sacred” source for these doctrines.

After the “translation” was completed, the original scrolls disappeared. For many years, they were thought to have been destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. However, in 1967, portions of the papyri were rediscovered in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and returned to the LDS Church.

“On November 27, 1967, the Metropolitan Museum of Art presented to the Church as a gift certain Egyptian papyri once owned and studied by the Prophet Joseph Smith. This was a far more momentous transaction than might appear on the surface, for it brought back into play for the first time since the angel Moroni took back the golden plates a tangible link between the worlds. What we have here is more than a few routine scribblings of ill-trained scribes of long ago; at least one of these very documents was presented to the world by Joseph Smith as offering a brief and privileged insight into the strange world of the Patriarchs. It was such a strange world that the Egyptologists who were asked to express their opinions of the Prophet’s teachings could only snort and sputter with disgust. And they will probably do the same again, for the Lord plainly does not intend to let the matter rest there.” (Prolegomena to Any Study of the Book of Abraham, BYU Studies Winter 1968, p.171)

The ecstatic church leaders ran to Egyptologists to examined the papyrus. What they found was the fragments are common Egyptian funerary texts (the Book of Breathings and Book of the Dead), written about 1,500 years after Abraham. The Book of Abraham was a fraud. The Egyptian texts do not mention Abraham at all. Joseph Smith’s “translation” of the hieroglyphs does not match what modern Egyptologists know the papyrus tells us. This is a major issue because Joseph Smith claimed a divine gift of translation. If his translation is not accurate, it challenges and disproves his claim to prophetic authority.

Why is this important?

The foundation of the LDS church is based firmly in thin air. There is absolutely no evidence at all of the claims of their faith. This is most plane when looking at the Book of Abraham. It is not at all what the LDS prophet claimed it to be. It does not say what the prophet said it said, and yet it is a part of “sacred scripture” of the LDS church.

By contrast, Christianity is founded on a real historical person, Jesus. His bodily resurrection is the best document event in ancient history. Dozens of characters mentioned in the Bible have been proven to exist through archaeological digs and by non-believing writers of the times.

The LDS church claims the Book of Mormon is an accurate description of great civilizations living in the Americas, of huge cities, and great battles fought over centuries of history. Yet there is not one shred of archaeological evidence to support their claims. The LDS church owns the very property where the golden plates were supposedly hidden centuries ago. Their archaeologists have examined that very land where the last and greatest battle took place. They have found nothing.

In the Broadway play The Book of Mormon, there is a song titled I Believe. That song lists some of the odd doctrines the LDS Church teaches without evidence. There is a repeated line in the song that well describes the LDS faith without facts: “A Mormon just believes.”

The Significance of the Resurrection

I’ve always heard, as I’m sure you have, “Jesus died for our sins,” but I don’t often hear much about the significance of the resurrection. Sure I’ve heard “Jesus showed His power over sin and death” or “It showed His victory over Satan,” but I’ve never really read a systematic study of this. After all, the focus has always seemed to be we’re forgiven through His sacrifice. That’s always been what we share when we offer the gospel to others. What’s the significance the resurrection? So, I decided to see what I could find about this, and here are six significant points:

1. Jesus’ resurrection Confirms Jesus’ Deity

Rom. 1:4 (ESV) and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

It was the resurrection that declared Jesus to be the Son of God. We know to be God’s own Son is the same as being God the Son and equal with the Father:

John 5:18 (ESV) This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

So, the bodily resurrection of Jesus declared to the world of mankind that Jesus is God the Son.

2. Jesus’ resurrection validates the atonement

Rom. 4:23-25 (ESV) But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, ²⁴but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, ²⁵who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Jesus was “delivered up for our trespasses.” He was raised to show His sacrifice has been approved and we are justified. Not only was this sacrifice approved, the approval is shown to have been endorsed by all three persons of the trinity: Father (Gal. 1:1), the Son (John 2:18-22), and by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:11).

3. Jesus’ resurrection guarantees our resurrection

1 Cor. 15:20 (ESV) But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Jesus is the firstfruits, the first of many who will die in Christ, so we will be raised as He was raised:

Rom. 8:11 (ESV) If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

4. Jesus’ resurrection grounds our future hope

1 Cor. 15:14 (ESV) And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.

This is a form of negative affirmation. Paul is arguing against those in the church at Corinth who believed the dead would not be raised. He says the resurrection is the center of our faith. Without it our faith is pointless, empty, worthless. But because Christ is raised, our hope is secure. We are justified and will spend eternity with Him in His kingdom.

5. Jesus’ resurrection establishes Christ’s Lordship

Phil. 2:8 -11 (ESV) And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

One day every knee will bow to our Lord, Jesus, every tongue will confess that He is Lord. This could only happen if Jesus did not remain in the tomb but was raised in power and glory, His lordship there for all to see.

6. Jesus’ resurrection empowers the believer’s new life

Rom. 6:4 (ESV) We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

We Christians carry that same power that raised Jesus from the dead (Rom. 8:11) within us. Because of Jesus resurrection, we have new life. We have peace with God and are justified to approach His throne unafraid.

Why is this important?

Ours is a wonderful God. He died horribly for our sins and has risen from the dead to show His love for us. He then raised that same body from the dead, to assure us of our hope, our permanent and guaranteed place in His kingdom. He has done this by a public display, His public execution on Calvary and His gloriously rising bodily as seen by at least 500 people at one time (1 Cor. 15:6).

Unshakable Faith

Daniel 3:15-18 (ESV) ¹⁵Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”

¹⁶Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. ¹⁸But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

While I was reading this this morning, I thought “What is it about the faith of Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego (Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) that they were willing to stand against the king with such boldness? Maybe these:

These three had seen their God working in their own lives. Their friend and compatriot, Daniel, had answered an impossible call. God, their God before Whom they stood, had not only given Daniel the impossible task not only to interpret the dream of the king, but to tell the king what the dream was in the first place. The king had kept the details of the dream to himself to test the wisemen of the land. None could say what the dream was. They recognized this when they said “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. ¹¹The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” (Daniel 2:10b-11) But they didn’t know the God of Daniel, Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego.

God gave the interpretation of the dream to Daniel, and Daniel was placed high in the king’s government. Because of this, the three young men knew their God was true and powerful. The experience they had witnessed assured this.

They also knew because that God dwelt within them. What else could have emboldened these three men to stand before Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the great empire of Babylon and say in modern terms, “Either through our dying in the fiery furnace or by God’s joining us and protecting us, our God will still deliver us from you O king.”

You have to admit that was pretty gutsy. But as believers we know the God of the interpretation of dreams, the God of the impossible. He lives here inside of us. He loves us and supports us in all we do for Him. We have the witness of His indwelling to rely on as well as the witness of His work in the world and in our lives.

Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego knew God’s will in the matter. They had been told not to bow down before idols. The second of the Ten Commandments had something to say about this:

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. ⁵You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:4-6)

Why is this important?

Theirs was an “even though” sort of faith. Even though Nebuchadnezzar could kill them, they would still be delivered into the arms of the God who loved them dearly. If we’re seeking the boldness of Daniel’s three friends, boldness to even stand before the king and defy him, we need to be sure in our hearts and minds of at least three things: 1. Ours is the God of the impossible. 2. The God of the impossible lives in us and will be with us in our bold stance, and 3. We are following His Word in command or promise. If we have these three, there will be a Fourth: Daniel 3:24-25 (NKJV) ²⁴Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”

They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”

²⁵“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

Condemnation

John 3:16-21 (ESV) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸Whoever 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. ¹⁹And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ²⁰For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. ²¹But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

We’ve had a lot of darkness in our country lately. On August 22^nd, a man stabbed a young Ukrainian woman to death on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina. On August 27^th, a shooter killed two young children and wounded 17 others (mostly children) during Mass at a Catholic school in Minneapolis. On September 10^th, two high school students were shot near Denver, Colorado and at the same time, Christian speaker and political commentator, Charlie Kirk, was shot and killed at a university in Orem, Utah.

These events and others like them have become much too common. They make us angry, hungry for justice for the perpetrators. We seek to condemn them, but Jesus said the condemnation has already been made. What He wishes for these people, and for all people, is for them to come to know Him personally.

Jesus did not come to condemn, so how are we qualified to do so? If Jesus came to save but not to condemn, shouldn’t we follow His example? The Great Commission says to go and make disciples not to go and condemn others. According to the passage quoted above, that has already taken place.

In the above passage, Jesus had divided all people into two categories: the lost and the saved. The lost don’t believe in the name of the Son of God. The saved do. The lost do evil works, the saved to works pleasing to God. So, what do you suppose that looks like, doing works that are pleasing to God?

On January 8, 1956 five missionaries were killed by the Huaorani (Auca) Indians of Ecuador. The missionaries had guns and even fired them in the air to scare off their attackers but refused to shoot these natives because they felt it was better that they die themselves and join Jesus in heaven than to kill the non-believing tribal warriors intent on ending their lives. The warriors didn’t know Jesus and would be condemned to eternal punishment.

Three years after the massacre of the missionaries, others including the wife of Jim Elliot, one of the missionaries killed, brought the gospel to the Aucas, and their mission was explained.

“Thus, the Huaorani realized that the visitors were indeed their friends, willing to die for them if necessary. When in subsequent months they heard the message that the Son of God had come down from heaven to reconcile men with God, and to die in order to bring about that reconciliation, they recognized that the message of the missionaries was the basis of what they had seen enacted in the lives of the missionaries. They believed the Gospel preached because they had seen the Gospel lived.” (DAVID YONKE, Toledo Blade)

Why is this important?

Our job as Christians isn’t to condemn others. They are already condemned if they don’t know Jesus. Our job is to share the gospel with those who haven’t taken advantage of it whether it’s the kindly 84 year old lady who lives down the street, an angry man who has taken the life of a young Ukranian woman, or those who have celebrated the murder of a man who held differing views from theirs. Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world. He came to save the world, and these people are among those for whom Christ died.

Let’s pray for Decarlos Brown Jr. who stabbed 23 year old Iryna Zarutska to death, for Robin Westman who shot all those beautiful children at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis killing two, for 16 year old Desmond Holly who shot up Evergreen High School in Colorado wounding two, and for Tyler Robinson who ended the life of Charlie Kirk at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. We need to pray for all of these people, and we even need to pray for those celebrating these terrible events. No matter how differently we view the world, they are still people Christ died for.

Is Christianity Reasonable?

Mark 12:28-30 (ESV) ²⁹Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

Christianity is a unique religion in several ways. For one, it presents a loving God Who has reached out to His creation with grace and unconditional love while other faiths teach one must earn their way to God through good deeds. The one aspect of Christianity I would like to address today is Christianity is reasonable. It makes truth claims that can be checked – it can be tested.

In the passage in Mark’s gospel quoted above, Jesus tells us in the greatest commandment to use our mind, and in the Greek this means with our intellect. We don’t see this command in other religions, only in Christianity.

So, what are some of the claims Christianity makes that can be checked? Let me answer this with a true story of a man named Dr. Hugh Ross. Dr. Ross is an astrophysicist who studied the universe intently and came to the conclusion it couldn’t have arisen through chance. It was too orderly. It showed too many signs of design. So, Dr. Ross realized there must be a God who created it. This being must have been greater than the universe He created, intelligent enough to have created it, powerful enough to have created it, and so on.

Dr. Ross then thought a God who is this intelligent and personal may well have tried to communicate with His creation. This communication probably wouldn’t have been a one-time thing since that communication might be distorted or lost over time. No, this God would have most likely have communicated in some sort of writings which could be preserved over centuries and read by His creation. So, Dr. Ross began to read original source documents from the major religions.

He was very disappointed through most of his research as the writings of most major religions didn’t match what Dr. Ross knew of God’s creation. He was disappointed, that is, until he began to read the Bible. In the Bible Dr. Ross saw the creation story which matched the story he saw in the universe itself. The creation order matched what must have taken place for the universe to make sense. Dr. Ross became a Christian because he used his mind to check out what God has said. As a result, he began Reasons To Believe, an apologetics ministry.

The other day, I was in a large group of Christian men and made the statement “I find Christianity to be extremely logical and rational.” I was very surprised to find the room went silent.

Now, I’m no Hugh Ross by any stretch, but I find ideas like “There is only one God who exists in three persons” to be very logical. For a loving God to love, there must be at least two persons so one could love the other. Otherwise God’s loving nature could not be fulfilled. To make His love perfectly complete, though, requires the love of two for another like parents for their children. The love between two who are in love is wonderful but is not really complete until they can love someone together.

I find the idea of an infinite God taking on finite human form to save mankind to be very logical. What better mediator between God and man than Someone who shares the essence of each – has a foot in both camps, so to speak?

God’s justice is consistent and logical as well. God is absolutely just as we saw in a recent blog. His justice is consistent. His standard that blood must be shed to pay for sin does not change through the thousands of years from Adam and Eve to the present day. He sent His Son to save us and not to condemn us. He did this by shedding the blood of the perfect man. Logically, if we are held responsible for the sin of Adam as our perfect representative, then the sacrifice of another perfect representative but without sin was necessary to put things right. And this is where our logical consistent God really shines: there is no requirement for accepting this sacrifice and be cleansed. There is no creed to memorize, no test to pass, no personal payment that must be made. All that is needed is to ask Jesus to apply His blood to your sins.

Why is this important?

We as Christians should never wonder if our faith is rational. Have you ever wondered why there are no books on Hindu apologetics or Buddhist apologetics? It’s because those two religions no not present themselves as reasonable. How about Islam? Have you ever wondered why there are so few Muslim apologists? It’s because their arguments cannot stand the test of logic. Islam is inconsistent. Their god can change his mind, send the devout to hell, reward evil. Inconsistency cannot be defended logically. Philosopher Rene Descartes said we can tell truth from a lie by looking for consistency. Truth is consistent, falsehood is not.

Our faith is not a blind faith. Christians write books like Reasonable Faith, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, Cold Case Christianity and hundreds of others showing the truth of the claims of Christianity. We need only look.

Christian Looking

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV) I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The early church took verses like these very seriously. For a few years after Christ’s resurrection, the church was fairly small. We were mostly unnoticed by the world and were usually mistaken for Jews since the early Christians were mostly Jewish and the whole movement started in Judea. We were trying to figure out how this whole Christianity thing worked. Was it just a sect of Judaism? How did the Gentiles fit then? Was it a whole new religion? How did this Messiah idea fit, then and why were the Jewish Scriptures so important? How were Christians different from everyone else?

Well, the early church became dedicated to follow the words of Scripture and display evidence of the Spirit within for all to see. Once Emperor Nero came on the scene, this was pretty easy. The Christians were the ones being killed in the arena, many of them proudly and willingly.

It wasn’t until 313 and the Edict of Milan that Christianity was legal in all of the Roman Empire and the persecutions all but ended.

Before this, Christians didn’t have a lot of trouble standing out. We refused to worship Roman gods and emperors. This alone was enough to be sentenced to death. It wasn’t so much the Romans saw us as against Roman gods so much as antisocial. They were a very social society. Romans like to have parties, attend plays, worship together. Since their parties were usually immoral gatherings, the plays were often obscene, and the worship of other gods was blaspheme for Christians, we stayed away from social gatherings.

The Romans heard instead that we gathered with our own fellow Christians in secret love feasts. We married those we called brother and sister. We spoke of eating the body and blood of Christ. Is it any wonder the non-believers saw us as an incestuous bunch who married our family members and were even cannibalistic? As a result, the love feasts were thought to be orgies. There was even a widespread belief we ate babies. Yes, the Romans had low moral standards, but this sort of behavior was even below them.

When Rome burned (July 18, 64), Nero pointed to us to take the heat (pun intended) off of himself. We were an odd bunch anyway. We were the perfect scapegoat.

So, the Romans started to persecute us. This made us easy to spot. We were the ones being fed to wild animals, burned on stakes to light Nero’s garden parties, and sliced up by gladiators.

It was after the persecutions ended in 313 it became more difficult to stand out. The Emperor claimed to be a Christian. It was legal now, so even the elite claimed Christ. The rank and file Christian found it more difficult to stand out, though, so they looked for new ways to let people know they were believers. Jesus said there would be no marriage or giving of marriage in heaven, so some became celibate to identify with heaven. Some went into the desert alone as hermits to spend time growing in Christ with no distractions. One of the earliest of these was Anthony the Hermit who heard a sermon on the Jesus’ words that touched his heart:

Matt. 19:21 (ESV) Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Anthony sold all he had and slipped away to a cave in the desert to seek Christ through fasting and prayer. Soon people who admired his faith would seek advice, inspiration, and healing from him. They would bring food, and that’s how Anthony lived until his death.

Why is this important?

When I look at the things Christians over the centuries gave up to be identified with Christ and how little I give to do the same, I’m ashamed. I catch myself wondering if it would be “appropriate” to wear a Christian tee shirt somewhere, or I hesitate before bowing my head at a restaurant before I eat. Maybe I should think more about those who gave up their lives or their chance at families, or their human comforts just to be identified as Christians. What am I afraid of?

I live in a country where Christianity is much more acceptable than it was for most of these people. Why is it so hard for me to do such petty displays when people gladly gave their lives before thousands in the Roman Arena. Yes, it’s the Spirit within us what needs to be on display, but maybe we should be more obvious in our faith. Maybe the baptismal description of “an outward display of an inward change” shouldn’t just be about baptism.

God is Just

1 John 1:9 (ESV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Our pastor has been teaching through 1 John the past few weeks, and though I’ve read and recited 1 John 1:9 for the nearly 50 years I’ve been a Christian, the word just really hit me during his exposition. What struck me is God didn’t save us only because He loves us:

John 3:16 (ESV) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Nor was it only because God is merciful that He saved us:

Titus 3:5 (ESV) he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit

Putting His love and mercy aside for a moment, think of this: God was still justified in saving us. So when Satan comes to accuse the brethren (Job 1; Rev. 12:10), he can’t accuse God of being a loving old softie. God – the Judge of the universe – has a just, a legal, reason for forgiving us of our sins: the sacrifice of His Son. The penalty has been suffered in full for our transgressions.

This thought led me to some questions I have long had in Romans 8:1-2 (NASB) There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

What are these two laws mentioned in verse 2? Well, I think the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is in verse 1 and elsewhere in Scipture, that Christ has released us from the penalty of sin. And this relates directly to 1 John 1:9. God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins because there is a law requiring this: Romans 8:1 and in other places.

So, what is the law of sin and death? I used to think this was the Mosaic law, but I think now that it goes farther back all the way to the Garden when God basically said to Adam and Eve: “If you sin, you die.” This death, of course, is spiritual death: separation of fellowship with God.

Because these are God’s laws they are absolutes, they cannot and will not change. They are the same throughout the universe because God is infinite and infinitely consistent.

These are not laws as we often think of them. They are not civil or criminal laws. These are laws in the sense of how things work.

There are laws of logic for instance. The first law is the Law of Non-Contradiction states that A cannot be non-A at the same time, in the same way, and under the same conditions. In other words, an object cannot be an apple and not be an apple at the same time, in the same way, and under the same conditions. Now this seems obvious to most of us. It’s like the Vulcan proverb Spok quotes in Star Trek 4: “Nothing unreal exists.” Of course it’s true. There can be no argument against it. It’s important, though, to know there is certainty in the universe, absolutes, things that only sound true but things that must be true or reality itself would crumble.

God’s laws of sin and death and of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus are just as certain as the Law of Non-Contradiction and Spok’s Vulcan proverb if not even more certain since they originate with the God who is the standard of truth and justice.

Why is this important?

God doesn’t just love us, He’s not just a God of mercy. He has good reason to forgive us of our sins. He is justified beyond all question to forgive us of our sins. We only need to confess our sin, and we’re forgiven. This is more certain than the law of gravity. So, when we approach God to confess our sins, we’re not just asking for His love or His mercy, we can ask for justice, and He will apply the sacred sacrifice, the righteousness requirements of the law (Rom. 8:4) to our plea and judge us holy.