An important point which I have only lightly touched on, or hinted at, in previous posts, is the difference between creation and birth. C.S. Lewis dealt with this subject in book four, chapter one of his book Mere Christianity. The title of that chapter is Making and Begetting. Adam and Eve were created; they were made. They were never born. They were not begotten.
And it is more than interesting to note that all humanity was created in Adam and Eve. Led by the Holy Spirit, the author of the book of Hebrews explained that in some sense, whether genetically, spiritually, or both; Levi was present in his ancestor, Abraham, when he gave a tithe offering to Melchizedek, the mysterious high priest of the Most High God (Hebrews 7:1-5, Genesis 14:18-20).
My point in bringing this up is that if Levi was present in his ancestor, Abraham, when he gave a tithe to Melchizedek, then every human being who ever has or ever will exist, was in the same sense present in Adam and Eve when they were in the Garden of Eden - and when they sinned. We who are physically living today were actually created in our ancestors, Adam and Eve, in the beginning - six thousand years ago. We were created by, and in the image of our holy God who is love (Genesis 1:26-27, 1 John 4:8). And in that sense, God is our Father. But we were not born, or begotten, in the image of God.
In fact, since Adam and Eve were never actually born, but were created as mature, grown adults, there is a sense in which no human has been born until they are born of the Spirit; as Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he can not see the kingdom of God...unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he can not enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:3-6).
We were created in God's image from the beginning. But we were born by descent from Adam and Eve. We were born after sin entered the world by our first ancestors. That is why we are all born with a hereditary fallen, sinful nature; characterized by enmity against God. The only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, is begotten from eternity past. He has always been with the Father (John 1:1-5). And He came into the world, taking on human form, so that everyone who trusts in Him and welcomes Him may not only be forgiven of sin, but be born of God (John 1:10-14).
Showing posts with label C.S. Lewis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label C.S. Lewis. Show all posts
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Saturday, March 15, 2014
You, the Evidence.
You. Yes, you; sitting there reading this blog. How do you know that you are really sitting there reading this blog? Well you can see the computer screen full of letters and words in front of you. You can feel the seat beneath you. If you look around you can see your surroundings; whether you are in a room at a desk top, or at a coffee house or park on a lap-top. You can hear the sounds of people and/or things around you.
But everything you observe, you observe with your five senses - sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. And all of your senses depend on your brain and nerves to operate in an orderly, systematic manner. How do you know that they do operate in an orderly manner? How do you know that your five senses are reliable as means of observation. You might test one against another, but how do you know that any one of them is reliably relaying accurate information about your surroundings? As C.S. Lewis wrote, "All possible knowledge then, depends on the validity of reasoning...Unless human reasoning is valid no science can be true (Miracles; chapter 3, paragraph 5).
And elsewhere he wrote, "If the solar system was brought about by an accidental collision, then the appearance of organic life on this planet was also an accident, and the whole evolution of Man was an accident too. If so, then all our present thoughts are mere accidents - the accidental by-product of the movement of atoms. And this holds true for the thoughts of the materialists and astronomers as well as anyone else's. But if their thoughts - of materialism and astronomy - are merely accidental by-products, why should we believe them to be true?".
Atheism claims that your brain and nerve system are the product of random, unguided, unintelligent processes. But how could random, unguided, unintelligent processes produce an intricate system that can observe and interpret information in an orderly and reliable manner? It is simply irrational to believe that such order; such systems, and complex, intelligible information arose from random, unguided, mindless processes. If anyone believes that their brain is the product of such processes, and yet considers their brain to be a reliable means of observation, then they are not a rational thinker. Their worldview is irrational.
The truth is that you yourself are the only evidence that you should reasonably need in order to believe in God. It is only because you and your brain (which is merely the physical representation of your metaphysical mind) were purposefully made by an orderly Creator, sovereign Lawgiver, and loving God, that you are able to think and make valid observations about your surroundings. In fact, God is love (1 John 4:8). And He created all things to operate in an orderly, rational manner. "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints" (1 Corinthians 14:33). And He created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40).
All of your bodily functions; the ability to feed yourself, absorb nutrients, and expel toxins are designed by God for your good. The ability to breathe air; your lungs, your blood which then carries oxygen to the cells and tissues throughout your body, the heart, veins, arteries, capillaries working to pump the blood throughout your body, all of these were purposefully designed by God who is love, for your good. If your cells, tissues, organs, systems are in working order, that is because God made, and allows them to continue working. And that is something for which to be grateful.
According to some atheists, to say that God designed and sustains it is all just an "argument from silence" or "ignorance". According to them, it amounts to saying, "I don't understand how this could have happened so it must have been God". However, it is not an argument from ignorance. It is an argument from valid observations about the functions of the human brain and nerve system; as well as the digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems. We creationists understand just fine that the universe (including the human brain and biology) operates according to orderly sets of laws, being made of intricate and orderly systems, encoded with intelligible information.
And if anyone says that "God designed it" is an argument from silence or ignorance, we creationist can just as easily say that "random processes did it" is an argument from ignorance or silence; because the wicked are ignorant of the Word and the power of God so that they are spiritually deaf to His truth (John 1:1-5, Matthew 22:29). In fact, I say again, if anyone believes that their brain is the product of random, unguided, unintelligent processes, and yet considers their brain to be a reliable means of observation, then they are not a rational thinker.
Sir Charles Bell (anatomist, surgeon, physiologist, and theologian; 1774-1842) wrote, "If we select any object in the whole extent of animated nature, (that would include your physical body) and contemplate it fully and in all its bearings, we shall certainly come to this conclusion: that there is Design in the mechanical construction, Benevolence in the endowments of the living properties, and that Good on the whole is the result". Concerning anyone who fails to recognize and appreciate design in nature, Bell wrote, "is not his insensibility to the Giver of these secret endowments worse than ingratitude?" (emphasis added).
There are some who consider all the brokenness in the world; sickness, disease, handicaps and suffering of every kind, to be an argument against God. But the truth is more complex than that. The brokenness that we find in the world is only recognized as brokenness because of its sharp contrast with the order and design that we also find prevalent in the universe. And so we can see that the world's brokenness is evidence of the Fall of Humanity, recorded in Genesis chapter three.
Now this does not mean that all specific cases of suffering, disease, and death is punishment for a specific sin committed by a specific individual or group. Rather, it simply means that the only reason that suffering, disease, and death exist in the first place is because of sin in general. As the Scripture says: "So, in the same way that sin entered the world through one person, and death came through sin, so death spread to all human beings with the result that all sinned" (Romans 5:12; Common English Bible).
So now we see that the brokenness that we find in our world is evidence of the need for a Savior. And that Savior came two thousand years ago to die on a cross for our sin, just outside of Jerusalem. And He arose from the dead so that all who trust in Him also have the hope of the resurrection from the dead and eternal life with new, perfect, immortal bodies (1 Peter 1:3-5; also read 1 Corinthians 15).
You see, even in the midst of all the world's brokenness, Christ's love takes opportunity to shine forth. As Shakespeare put it, "How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world". Jesus set this as our example, that we should find opportunity to do the work of His kingdom in the midst of all the world's brokenness (John 9:1-5, John 8:12, Matthew 5:14-16).
By the works that Jesus Christ accomplished in His earthy life and death, and by His resurrection from the dead; He has made it possible for sinners (we are all sinners, Romans 3:23) to be reconciled to the heavenly Father. That means turning away from sin, being freed from its control, and learning to live in harmony with the Divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-5). And as a result, we who trust in Christ will be restored to the perfection that was before the Fall. As Philip Yancey wrote, "Death, decay, entropy, and destruction are the true suspensions of God's laws; miracles are the early glimpses of restoration".
But everything you observe, you observe with your five senses - sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. And all of your senses depend on your brain and nerves to operate in an orderly, systematic manner. How do you know that they do operate in an orderly manner? How do you know that your five senses are reliable as means of observation. You might test one against another, but how do you know that any one of them is reliably relaying accurate information about your surroundings? As C.S. Lewis wrote, "All possible knowledge then, depends on the validity of reasoning...Unless human reasoning is valid no science can be true (Miracles; chapter 3, paragraph 5).
And elsewhere he wrote, "If the solar system was brought about by an accidental collision, then the appearance of organic life on this planet was also an accident, and the whole evolution of Man was an accident too. If so, then all our present thoughts are mere accidents - the accidental by-product of the movement of atoms. And this holds true for the thoughts of the materialists and astronomers as well as anyone else's. But if their thoughts - of materialism and astronomy - are merely accidental by-products, why should we believe them to be true?".
Atheism claims that your brain and nerve system are the product of random, unguided, unintelligent processes. But how could random, unguided, unintelligent processes produce an intricate system that can observe and interpret information in an orderly and reliable manner? It is simply irrational to believe that such order; such systems, and complex, intelligible information arose from random, unguided, mindless processes. If anyone believes that their brain is the product of such processes, and yet considers their brain to be a reliable means of observation, then they are not a rational thinker. Their worldview is irrational.
The truth is that you yourself are the only evidence that you should reasonably need in order to believe in God. It is only because you and your brain (which is merely the physical representation of your metaphysical mind) were purposefully made by an orderly Creator, sovereign Lawgiver, and loving God, that you are able to think and make valid observations about your surroundings. In fact, God is love (1 John 4:8). And He created all things to operate in an orderly, rational manner. "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints" (1 Corinthians 14:33). And He created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40).
All of your bodily functions; the ability to feed yourself, absorb nutrients, and expel toxins are designed by God for your good. The ability to breathe air; your lungs, your blood which then carries oxygen to the cells and tissues throughout your body, the heart, veins, arteries, capillaries working to pump the blood throughout your body, all of these were purposefully designed by God who is love, for your good. If your cells, tissues, organs, systems are in working order, that is because God made, and allows them to continue working. And that is something for which to be grateful.
According to some atheists, to say that God designed and sustains it is all just an "argument from silence" or "ignorance". According to them, it amounts to saying, "I don't understand how this could have happened so it must have been God". However, it is not an argument from ignorance. It is an argument from valid observations about the functions of the human brain and nerve system; as well as the digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems. We creationists understand just fine that the universe (including the human brain and biology) operates according to orderly sets of laws, being made of intricate and orderly systems, encoded with intelligible information.
And if anyone says that "God designed it" is an argument from silence or ignorance, we creationist can just as easily say that "random processes did it" is an argument from ignorance or silence; because the wicked are ignorant of the Word and the power of God so that they are spiritually deaf to His truth (John 1:1-5, Matthew 22:29). In fact, I say again, if anyone believes that their brain is the product of random, unguided, unintelligent processes, and yet considers their brain to be a reliable means of observation, then they are not a rational thinker.
Sir Charles Bell (anatomist, surgeon, physiologist, and theologian; 1774-1842) wrote, "If we select any object in the whole extent of animated nature, (that would include your physical body) and contemplate it fully and in all its bearings, we shall certainly come to this conclusion: that there is Design in the mechanical construction, Benevolence in the endowments of the living properties, and that Good on the whole is the result". Concerning anyone who fails to recognize and appreciate design in nature, Bell wrote, "is not his insensibility to the Giver of these secret endowments worse than ingratitude?" (emphasis added).
There are some who consider all the brokenness in the world; sickness, disease, handicaps and suffering of every kind, to be an argument against God. But the truth is more complex than that. The brokenness that we find in the world is only recognized as brokenness because of its sharp contrast with the order and design that we also find prevalent in the universe. And so we can see that the world's brokenness is evidence of the Fall of Humanity, recorded in Genesis chapter three.
Now this does not mean that all specific cases of suffering, disease, and death is punishment for a specific sin committed by a specific individual or group. Rather, it simply means that the only reason that suffering, disease, and death exist in the first place is because of sin in general. As the Scripture says: "So, in the same way that sin entered the world through one person, and death came through sin, so death spread to all human beings with the result that all sinned" (Romans 5:12; Common English Bible).
So now we see that the brokenness that we find in our world is evidence of the need for a Savior. And that Savior came two thousand years ago to die on a cross for our sin, just outside of Jerusalem. And He arose from the dead so that all who trust in Him also have the hope of the resurrection from the dead and eternal life with new, perfect, immortal bodies (1 Peter 1:3-5; also read 1 Corinthians 15).
You see, even in the midst of all the world's brokenness, Christ's love takes opportunity to shine forth. As Shakespeare put it, "How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world". Jesus set this as our example, that we should find opportunity to do the work of His kingdom in the midst of all the world's brokenness (John 9:1-5, John 8:12, Matthew 5:14-16).
By the works that Jesus Christ accomplished in His earthy life and death, and by His resurrection from the dead; He has made it possible for sinners (we are all sinners, Romans 3:23) to be reconciled to the heavenly Father. That means turning away from sin, being freed from its control, and learning to live in harmony with the Divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-5). And as a result, we who trust in Christ will be restored to the perfection that was before the Fall. As Philip Yancey wrote, "Death, decay, entropy, and destruction are the true suspensions of God's laws; miracles are the early glimpses of restoration".
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Arbitrary Or Absolute?
Apart from faith in the Creator/Owner of the universe, there is no rational basis for moral/spiritual laws. Some atheists claim that the survival of the species is the rational basis for morality. But on what rational ground is the survival of "rearranged pond-scum" (assuming that is what the species is) so important? Still, some atheists object, and say that in the Christian worldview God just arbitrarily decides and tells us what is good. But is God's standard really arbitrary? Or is it absolute?
Well for one thing, a person has only two options. One can either submit to God's standard of what is good; or go by another. So how can one say that God's standard is arbitrary, and their's is not? But since God is the Creator and Owner of the universe, He is the Absolute Standard/Decider of what is good. And there is a difference between arbitrary rules on the one hand, and the Absolute Standard on the other.
John the apostle, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, informs us that God is love (1 John 4:8). The triune God is the eternal First Cause or Source of love. And by "love" I mean more than some fluttery and elusive emotion. Jesus described His love in this way: "I have come that they (who trust in Me) may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). As the Scriptures also say, "All things were made through Him (Jesus), and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:3-4).
God who is love is characterized by light and life. He is the eternal First Cause of life. Jesus called Himself the life (John 14:6). He is love. And His love generates and creates life. Jesus also called Himself the light of the world, and said that whoever trusts in Him, whoever follows Him, will not walk in darkness. (John 8:12). Light is often used in the Scriptures to symbolize truth, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Darkness represents the absence of those things.
Biblically, the verb "to love" means to have a conscious (and that means personal) determination for the good of another person. God has always existed from eternity past as three distinct Persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He has always been love, life, and light; infinite in wisdom, purity, and blessedness. Love has always existed from eternity past in the Persons of the Trinity.
As C.S. Lewis wrote, "the living, dynamic activity of love has been going on in God forever and has created everything else" (Mere Christianity; book four, chapter four, paragraph five). And so God who is love created the universe. He owns the universe. From the astronomical to the microscopic; all matter, all space, all time belongs to God who is love.
And He created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love. Jesus Christ taught us that the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all your being. And He said that the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself". Jesus said that these two commandments summarize all the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:37-40). Every one of God's commandments stem from His righteous love.
Nothing that He commands is arbitrary. Every word that He speaks is purposeful. Every judgement that He pronounces; every action that He takes is for a reason. The Ten Commandments, (Exodus 20:1-17) the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 5-7) the Last Supper Discourse, (John 13-17) every word that our holy God speaks, and everything that He does, flows forth from His righteous love.
In the Scriptures we learn about the fruits of the Spirit as opposed to the fruits of the flesh Galatians (5:16-26). The fruits of the flesh are counter to the love of God. And the fruits of the Spirit are in harmony with the love of God. These are not arbitrary rules that God "made up" to afflict our souls. The commands of God emanate from His love for us. His desire for us is love; and that means life, light, joy, peace, and everything that is good.
However, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Sin is diametrically opposed to everything that God is. It alienates us from the light and life of our Heavenly Father. It separates us from God who is love. God does not want us to be estranged from Him. He wants us to have everlasting life, light, and love. He wants us to abide forever in His blessings of joy, and peace.
That is why God the Son took on human form and received unto Himself the wages of our sin. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ is reconciled to God. We are saved from the coming judgment. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).
Well for one thing, a person has only two options. One can either submit to God's standard of what is good; or go by another. So how can one say that God's standard is arbitrary, and their's is not? But since God is the Creator and Owner of the universe, He is the Absolute Standard/Decider of what is good. And there is a difference between arbitrary rules on the one hand, and the Absolute Standard on the other.
John the apostle, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, informs us that God is love (1 John 4:8). The triune God is the eternal First Cause or Source of love. And by "love" I mean more than some fluttery and elusive emotion. Jesus described His love in this way: "I have come that they (who trust in Me) may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). As the Scriptures also say, "All things were made through Him (Jesus), and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:3-4).
God who is love is characterized by light and life. He is the eternal First Cause of life. Jesus called Himself the life (John 14:6). He is love. And His love generates and creates life. Jesus also called Himself the light of the world, and said that whoever trusts in Him, whoever follows Him, will not walk in darkness. (John 8:12). Light is often used in the Scriptures to symbolize truth, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Darkness represents the absence of those things.
Biblically, the verb "to love" means to have a conscious (and that means personal) determination for the good of another person. God has always existed from eternity past as three distinct Persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He has always been love, life, and light; infinite in wisdom, purity, and blessedness. Love has always existed from eternity past in the Persons of the Trinity.
As C.S. Lewis wrote, "the living, dynamic activity of love has been going on in God forever and has created everything else" (Mere Christianity; book four, chapter four, paragraph five). And so God who is love created the universe. He owns the universe. From the astronomical to the microscopic; all matter, all space, all time belongs to God who is love.
And He created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love. Jesus Christ taught us that the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all your being. And He said that the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself". Jesus said that these two commandments summarize all the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:37-40). Every one of God's commandments stem from His righteous love.
Nothing that He commands is arbitrary. Every word that He speaks is purposeful. Every judgement that He pronounces; every action that He takes is for a reason. The Ten Commandments, (Exodus 20:1-17) the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 5-7) the Last Supper Discourse, (John 13-17) every word that our holy God speaks, and everything that He does, flows forth from His righteous love.
In the Scriptures we learn about the fruits of the Spirit as opposed to the fruits of the flesh Galatians (5:16-26). The fruits of the flesh are counter to the love of God. And the fruits of the Spirit are in harmony with the love of God. These are not arbitrary rules that God "made up" to afflict our souls. The commands of God emanate from His love for us. His desire for us is love; and that means life, light, joy, peace, and everything that is good.
However, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Sin is diametrically opposed to everything that God is. It alienates us from the light and life of our Heavenly Father. It separates us from God who is love. God does not want us to be estranged from Him. He wants us to have everlasting life, light, and love. He wants us to abide forever in His blessings of joy, and peace.
That is why God the Son took on human form and received unto Himself the wages of our sin. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ is reconciled to God. We are saved from the coming judgment. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Life and Death (The Relative and the Absolute; and Mutual Exclusion)
Eleven Winters ago, I wrote a song that expresses what I had been thinking about during the course of the preceding Autumn months. That song is called "Till I Reach the Other Side". To explain what the song is about: at all times, through the duration of this life, I ought to be drawing nearer to God the Father, and the Son, in the Holy Spirit. I ought to be doing the kind of works that Christ did; works of love toward God first, and to other people second. And this means that I ought to be continually in the process of having all my fallen, sinful, human nature put to death; with all of its unrighteous, un-Christlike inclinations. So that's what the song is about.
And this death must take place in order for the new life, which is in Christ, to come to fruition. And in the Morning when I arise as a new creature in the presence of my Savior who died for me, and in whom I have been put to death, then I will share also in His eternal life. And every day is a step in that procession. Each time that I look to Christ in worship, and set aside the old nature to practice the new nature; the old nature dies a little more. And the new nature becomes a little more alive. I become a little more like Jesus.
In the beginning of chapter eight, book four of Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis tells us that this is the entirety of what Christianity is all about. He goes on to accurately paraphrases Christ as saying "I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it...I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours". He wrote, "[Jesus] never talked vague, idealistic gas. When He said 'Be perfect,' He meant it. He meant that we must go in for the full treatment".
In chapter nine, book four of Mere Christianity; Lewis goes on to say that "Some people seem to think this means 'Unless you are perfect, I will not help you'; and as we can not be perfect, then, if He meant that, our position is hopeless...I think He meant 'The only help I will give is help to become perfect. You may want something less: but I will give you nothing less...Make no mistake' He says, 'if you let Me, I will make you perfect. The moment you put yourself in My hands, that is what you are in for. Nothing less, or other, than that'". The last sentence of chapter reads, "The process will be long and in parts very painful, but that is what we are in for. Nothing less. He meant what He said".
And in the first paragraph of chapter ten, book four, Lewis writes, "The change will not be complete in this life, for death is an important part of the treatment. How far the change will have gone before death in any particular Christian is uncertain.
Now, since the time that I wrote "Till I Reach the Other Side", I have often considered that that song was perhaps the most personal song I'd ever written. I wrote it as a prayer because of my awareness of my own shortcomings.
And in the last eleven years, there have been times when I have turned around and fed the old nature, which is of the flesh; instead of the new nature, which is of the Spirit. And the result of that has always been trouble and misery. And in my spirit I have felt, at times, as though I might as well be dead. To be alive to sin is to be dead to God; and vice versa.
And in the last eleven years, there have been times when I have turned around and fed the old nature, which is of the flesh; instead of the new nature, which is of the Spirit. And the result of that has always been trouble and misery. And in my spirit I have felt, at times, as though I might as well be dead. To be alive to sin is to be dead to God; and vice versa.
And so I image, in my mind, a great Curtain hanging down and separating two Expanses. The Expanse on the left is the "life" that this world has to offer. It is the "life" of the old nature. And it corresponds to this mortal life in this fallen world. On the other side is the Life of the new nature, which is Christ. This Life corresponds to the World into which Christians are passing until they have entered it at the end of this "life" (Colossians 3:1-4).
And the Curtain between them, is called "Death". And so, in order to cross over from either side to the other would be a process of dying. When Jesus took on human form and was born in Israel, two thousand years ago, that must have been like a kind of death for Him, even though He remained sinless.
And the Curtain between them, is called "Death". And so, in order to cross over from either side to the other would be a process of dying. When Jesus took on human form and was born in Israel, two thousand years ago, that must have been like a kind of death for Him, even though He remained sinless.
He left behind the ineffable glory of His heavenly kingdom with the Father, to be born into a cold, fallen, broken world. He took upon Himself the whole human experience, which means He bore the same curse of sin that is upon all humanity, even though He never committed any sin, nor did He have any sin in Him. He
bore our griefs and sorrows, and He died on a Roman cross for the sin that we have in us (Isaiah 53).
bore our griefs and sorrows, and He died on a Roman cross for the sin that we have in us (Isaiah 53).
And for us to become alive to the new nature requires us to die to our old nature. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Romans 2:20). We have to go through that Curtain.
So to be alive to God is to be dead to the world with its desires. And to be alive to the world with its desires is to be dead to God. Paul the apostle wrote:
The "life" of the world with its desires is a false life. It is both fake and fleeting. It is a cheap imitation. Its reward is eternal damnation; eternal destruction, atrophy, ruin, and death! The Expanse on the left, the "life" of the world with its desires, is True Death. Those who partake of it grow in depravity and dehumanization.
The Expanse on the right; Life of God, is True Life. His reward is eternal grandeur, blessedness, joy, peace, love, and real, everlasting Life! Those who partake of Him grow in the perfection of who He is.
To understand this, it may be of help to remember that a word can be used in more than one way. For example, the word "light" can refer to a light-source, such as a flashlight, or even the moon.
The moon is an indirect light-source. It reflects the sun's light onto the earth. That is the purpose for which it was created by God, on the fourth of the six literal days of Creation. And therefore, it can rightly be called a light.
But the same word, "light", can also be rightly used to refer to the waves/particles of light that come from the light-source.
And it is the same thing with this word "death". It refers to the Curtain through which we Christians must pass to enter the Kingdom of eternal life. And the same word, "death" also refers to the process of going through the Curtain; a process that every Christian in this mortal world is in right now.
And the same word, "death" also refers to the result of passing through the Curtain, except that if one were to pass from the Kingdom of eternal life, to this side, they would be approaching, and entering into real, absolute death. Whereas, one passing from this side to the other is going to be met on the other side with real, absolute, eternal life.
One might even be right to think that the Curtain itself is a projection of this fallen, broken world on this side. If this world, on this side of the Curtain were not fallen, there would be no Curtain between this world and that Kingdom.
And now I am reminded of the curtain in the Temple at Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. This curtain seperated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. And at the moment of Christ's sacrificial death, the curtain was turn in two.
The author of the letter to the Hebrews, in the New Testament, says that this literal event is also symbolic of the fact that Jesus, entering through the curtain of death, had opened the way for all of us who trust and follow Him to do the same, and enter the Kingdom of God.
And why does the Christian's death have a different result than the non-Christian's physical death? Because the one who remains alive to sin, when he passes through physical death, will be confronted by a holy, righteous, perfect God. That sinner then will be met with condemnation, and ruin.
The Christian, in this life, is going through a deep process of having the old sinful nature put to death, so that when we stand before God in His Kingdom, He will see the righteousness of His own So in us. And so He will meet us with His approval. As the author of Hebrews tells us, we can, therefore, approach Him with confidence in Christ.
Here are the lyrics to my song which I wrote eleven winters ago:
"But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14; NKJV).I also like how it's worded in the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB).
"But as for me, Heaven forbid that I should boast about anything except the execution-stake of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah! Through him, as far as I am concerned, the world has been put to death on the stake; and through him, as far as the world is concerned, I have been put to death on the stake".Now no one can be living to God and sin both at the same time. The two lives; the "life" of the world with its desires, and the Life of God, are mutually exclusive. But here, relativity must give way to the Absolute. Here is the superiority of the Life of God. The Life of God is truer and better than the "life" of the world and its desires.
The "life" of the world with its desires is a false life. It is both fake and fleeting. It is a cheap imitation. Its reward is eternal damnation; eternal destruction, atrophy, ruin, and death! The Expanse on the left, the "life" of the world with its desires, is True Death. Those who partake of it grow in depravity and dehumanization.
The Expanse on the right; Life of God, is True Life. His reward is eternal grandeur, blessedness, joy, peace, love, and real, everlasting Life! Those who partake of Him grow in the perfection of who He is.
To understand this, it may be of help to remember that a word can be used in more than one way. For example, the word "light" can refer to a light-source, such as a flashlight, or even the moon.
The moon is an indirect light-source. It reflects the sun's light onto the earth. That is the purpose for which it was created by God, on the fourth of the six literal days of Creation. And therefore, it can rightly be called a light.
But the same word, "light", can also be rightly used to refer to the waves/particles of light that come from the light-source.
And it is the same thing with this word "death". It refers to the Curtain through which we Christians must pass to enter the Kingdom of eternal life. And the same word, "death" also refers to the process of going through the Curtain; a process that every Christian in this mortal world is in right now.
And the same word, "death" also refers to the result of passing through the Curtain, except that if one were to pass from the Kingdom of eternal life, to this side, they would be approaching, and entering into real, absolute death. Whereas, one passing from this side to the other is going to be met on the other side with real, absolute, eternal life.
One might even be right to think that the Curtain itself is a projection of this fallen, broken world on this side. If this world, on this side of the Curtain were not fallen, there would be no Curtain between this world and that Kingdom.
And now I am reminded of the curtain in the Temple at Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. This curtain seperated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. And at the moment of Christ's sacrificial death, the curtain was turn in two.
The author of the letter to the Hebrews, in the New Testament, says that this literal event is also symbolic of the fact that Jesus, entering through the curtain of death, had opened the way for all of us who trust and follow Him to do the same, and enter the Kingdom of God.
And why does the Christian's death have a different result than the non-Christian's physical death? Because the one who remains alive to sin, when he passes through physical death, will be confronted by a holy, righteous, perfect God. That sinner then will be met with condemnation, and ruin.
The Christian, in this life, is going through a deep process of having the old sinful nature put to death, so that when we stand before God in His Kingdom, He will see the righteousness of His own So in us. And so He will meet us with His approval. As the author of Hebrews tells us, we can, therefore, approach Him with confidence in Christ.
Here are the lyrics to my song which I wrote eleven winters ago:
"Till I Reach The Other Side"
In the evening when the sun goes down
And You look down on me, do You where a frown?
Did I do all the things You wanted me to do?
Or in my heart, did I fail to stay true blue?
'Cause I don't know which way to go
And then when I know
It's just a hard row to hoe
Let me be a tool in Your hand
And make me useful to Your plan
Fill me with Your Spirit Lord, and let me walk with You
Till I reach the other side
And in the autumn when the leaves are brown
And all the dead things are falling on the ground
Is my heart turning around
Death to Self, Life to God; truly found
'Cause I know well which way to go
But though I know
It's just a hard row to hoe
Father, make me like Your Son
And let me not vainly run
Drive Your dagger deep into my heart and set me free
From the selfish part of me
EPIC GUITAR RIFF: RIGHT HERE
And in the Morning when I rise
Lord, deliver me from lies
Let Your word give light to my eyes, my eyes
And let me gaze into You big blue sky
Teach me, Lord
Which way to go
And when I've learned, help me to hoe the row
Jesus, fill me with Your love
With peace and joy from above
Drive Your dagger deep into my heart and set me free
From the sinful part of me
Let me be a tool in Your hand
And make me useful to Your plan
Fill me with Your Spirit Lord, and let me walk with You
Till I reach the other
Till I reach the other
Till I reach the other side
Thursday, November 14, 2013
The Dehumanizing Power of Sin
In chapters five - seven of his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass wrote about the time he became the slave of Mr. and Mrs. Auld of Baltimore, Md. When he first came to that house, Sophia Auld was a very kind and tenderhearted woman. Douglass wrote that she treated him "as she supposed one human being ought to treat another".
He describes her in chapter five as having a "face beaming with kindly emotion". She began to teach Douglass to read and write. Over time, however, Douglass describes how slave-holding proved to have a dehumanizing effect on her. She became even more cruel than her husband. So Douglass showed how slavery not only dehumanizes those kept as slaves, but also slave-holders.
My reason for bring this up is that it is an illustration not only of the dehumanizing effects of slavery, but the dehumanizing effect of all sin. This is why the villain in C.S. Lewis' Perelandra is referred to as "the un-man". This is also consistent with the words of Jesus: "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin...Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:34-36).
Humanity was originally created by, and in the image of our holy, righteous God who is love. This is why we, as human beings, even have a concept of love. But then humanity fell into sin and became corrupt. All of us are born with a fallen, corrupted, sinful nature; inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve. And so sin and death came into the world though one man (Romans 5:12, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
But sin would quickly prove to strip humanity of more than just immortality. Within only one generation, the first son, Cain, murdered his brother, Abel. But it didn't stop there. As the inhabitants of the earth grew in number, they also grew in wickedness. Turning away from the heavenly Father who lovingly created us in His own image, the people of the earth made their own gods in their own fallen image. And so they made idols in the image of created things rather than worship and love and obey God who is love, and who created all the universe (Romans 1:18-24).
For approximately one and a half thousand years, human nature did not change. The earth was filled with idolatry, violence, and every kind of evil. But one man, Noah, along with his family, was saved by grace (Genesis 6:1-8). At that time God justly sent a Flood to cover the whole earth. Many of the geological features that are observed today were formed by that Flood. But He warned Noah to build a 500 ft. long, 75 ft. wide, 45 ft. high Ark to preserve himself and his family, along with two of every "kind" (not species) of animal.
In time, (within approximately half a thousand years) humanity increased again in number, and quickly turned away from the one true God to worship man-made idols. And disobeying a simple command to spread out and populate all the earth, they decided to build a great Tower that was supposed to reach into the heavens. So God confounded their language and scattered them (Genesis 11:1-9).
But human nature did not changed. The Sumerians and the Egyptians; the Incas and the Mayans, built their idolatrous, pagan kingdoms. And God spoke to Abraham the Chaldean. He gave Abraham a son, Isaac, through whom the nation of Israel was born by the will of God. Israel, like the rest of fallen humanity repeatedly showed a propensity toward disobeying God. And like the gentile nations, they even committed idolatry, ritualistic prostitution, and human sacrifices.
And approximately two thousand years after the Tower of Babel, the Creator of all things came into the world as a human being, taking on human form, though without sin. He lived a life that demonstrated His perfect love for His creation. But His own creation rejected, persecuted, arrested, and crucified Him (John 1:1-14). This is the natural expression of fallen humanity's vile depravity, because sin is enmity with God (Romans 8:7).
And in the last two thousand years since then, human nature still has not changed. Wars, violence, and theft go on and on and on in every generation. Meanwhile students are taught that the natural universe, which operates according to orderly laws, was not made by an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver, but arose accidentally from random, unguided processes. That is not a rational worldview. That's just the madness of fallen, corrupt, sinful humans.
Divorce, adultery, and promiscuity are prevalent. Families are turbulent and broken. And many people grow up angry, rebellious, without godly council, and full of angst. Truth and virtue become objects of ridicule. Greed, lust, pride, and self indulgence are major motivators of a humanity that is sick and dying of its own wickedness.
And though many people know that these things are wrong, they still do not turn to be reconciled with the one true God who created all things; and who revealed Himself to humanity through His prophets and His Son, Jesus Christ. God's word is widely mocked and ridiculed; and disobeyed by everyone. No one is without sin (Romans 3:23).
Those who desire to live godly in Christ are also despised and mocked; even executed in many parts of the world. And that blood-shed will probably eventually spread to the West as well. Infanticide is widely defended and proudly advocated in the name of "women's rights"! Human life is devalued and discarded in the name of "human rights"!
And marriage is desecrated in the name of "equality"; even though Jesus Himself, when asked a question about marriage, said "But from the beginning of creation, God 'made them male and female'" (Mark 10:6). And even many of those who claim to be in Christ are willing to distort His word to accommodate sin. Yes, even in the Church there are those who, in many ways, outright defy what is good and right in the sight of God.
But through all of this, God's nature has never changed. He remains our holy, just, and righteous God. And He will rightfully pour out His righteous judgment on the unrepentant, who reject the absolute truth of His word and cling to their own filth.
But He also remains God who is love. And there is no limit to the mercy and grace that He will continually display toward those who, in reverent faith, turn to Him for forgiveness. He has made salvation available to all who are willing to be saved by His grace through faith in His Son Jesus Christ alone, who died on the cross for our sin (Romans 3:23-24, 5:1-2, & 6:23).
God's purpose was fulfilled despite (even by way of) humanity's obstinacy. As God revealed to the prophet Daniel about five hundred years beforehand: "Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself" (Daniel 9:26). It was for our sin that Jesus died.
And at the time it seemed to everyone that He had accomplished nothing. But He was accomplishing a salvation that nobody else's efforts ever could. He who had no sin, took our sin upon Himself; so that those who trust in Him, having no righteousness of our own, may take His righteousness upon ourselves. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
But for those who reject this salvation, THERE IS. NO. OTHER. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5; also see Hebrews 2:2-4, & 10:26-27).
He describes her in chapter five as having a "face beaming with kindly emotion". She began to teach Douglass to read and write. Over time, however, Douglass describes how slave-holding proved to have a dehumanizing effect on her. She became even more cruel than her husband. So Douglass showed how slavery not only dehumanizes those kept as slaves, but also slave-holders.
My reason for bring this up is that it is an illustration not only of the dehumanizing effects of slavery, but the dehumanizing effect of all sin. This is why the villain in C.S. Lewis' Perelandra is referred to as "the un-man". This is also consistent with the words of Jesus: "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin...Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:34-36).
Humanity was originally created by, and in the image of our holy, righteous God who is love. This is why we, as human beings, even have a concept of love. But then humanity fell into sin and became corrupt. All of us are born with a fallen, corrupted, sinful nature; inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve. And so sin and death came into the world though one man (Romans 5:12, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
But sin would quickly prove to strip humanity of more than just immortality. Within only one generation, the first son, Cain, murdered his brother, Abel. But it didn't stop there. As the inhabitants of the earth grew in number, they also grew in wickedness. Turning away from the heavenly Father who lovingly created us in His own image, the people of the earth made their own gods in their own fallen image. And so they made idols in the image of created things rather than worship and love and obey God who is love, and who created all the universe (Romans 1:18-24).
For approximately one and a half thousand years, human nature did not change. The earth was filled with idolatry, violence, and every kind of evil. But one man, Noah, along with his family, was saved by grace (Genesis 6:1-8). At that time God justly sent a Flood to cover the whole earth. Many of the geological features that are observed today were formed by that Flood. But He warned Noah to build a 500 ft. long, 75 ft. wide, 45 ft. high Ark to preserve himself and his family, along with two of every "kind" (not species) of animal.
~~~~
A species is a sub-set of the original created "kinds". There is diversity within the created kinds; but, as suggested by the findings of Reginald Punnett, one kind can never give rise to a completely new kind. The feline kind can never give rise to a bird kind, and the canine kind can never give rise to a reptilian kind; and so forth. And as I have already noted in this post, the human kind was created uniquely in the image of God.
~~~~
So Noah did as God commanded him. And the rain fell for forty days, and all the fountains of the deep were broken open. The waters covered the earth for about a year and then receded. Noah and his wife; his three sons and their wives, came off the Ark and started life over again.In time, (within approximately half a thousand years) humanity increased again in number, and quickly turned away from the one true God to worship man-made idols. And disobeying a simple command to spread out and populate all the earth, they decided to build a great Tower that was supposed to reach into the heavens. So God confounded their language and scattered them (Genesis 11:1-9).
But human nature did not changed. The Sumerians and the Egyptians; the Incas and the Mayans, built their idolatrous, pagan kingdoms. And God spoke to Abraham the Chaldean. He gave Abraham a son, Isaac, through whom the nation of Israel was born by the will of God. Israel, like the rest of fallen humanity repeatedly showed a propensity toward disobeying God. And like the gentile nations, they even committed idolatry, ritualistic prostitution, and human sacrifices.
And approximately two thousand years after the Tower of Babel, the Creator of all things came into the world as a human being, taking on human form, though without sin. He lived a life that demonstrated His perfect love for His creation. But His own creation rejected, persecuted, arrested, and crucified Him (John 1:1-14). This is the natural expression of fallen humanity's vile depravity, because sin is enmity with God (Romans 8:7).
And in the last two thousand years since then, human nature still has not changed. Wars, violence, and theft go on and on and on in every generation. Meanwhile students are taught that the natural universe, which operates according to orderly laws, was not made by an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver, but arose accidentally from random, unguided processes. That is not a rational worldview. That's just the madness of fallen, corrupt, sinful humans.
Divorce, adultery, and promiscuity are prevalent. Families are turbulent and broken. And many people grow up angry, rebellious, without godly council, and full of angst. Truth and virtue become objects of ridicule. Greed, lust, pride, and self indulgence are major motivators of a humanity that is sick and dying of its own wickedness.
And though many people know that these things are wrong, they still do not turn to be reconciled with the one true God who created all things; and who revealed Himself to humanity through His prophets and His Son, Jesus Christ. God's word is widely mocked and ridiculed; and disobeyed by everyone. No one is without sin (Romans 3:23).
Those who desire to live godly in Christ are also despised and mocked; even executed in many parts of the world. And that blood-shed will probably eventually spread to the West as well. Infanticide is widely defended and proudly advocated in the name of "women's rights"! Human life is devalued and discarded in the name of "human rights"!
And marriage is desecrated in the name of "equality"; even though Jesus Himself, when asked a question about marriage, said "But from the beginning of creation, God 'made them male and female'" (Mark 10:6). And even many of those who claim to be in Christ are willing to distort His word to accommodate sin. Yes, even in the Church there are those who, in many ways, outright defy what is good and right in the sight of God.
But through all of this, God's nature has never changed. He remains our holy, just, and righteous God. And He will rightfully pour out His righteous judgment on the unrepentant, who reject the absolute truth of His word and cling to their own filth.
But He also remains God who is love. And there is no limit to the mercy and grace that He will continually display toward those who, in reverent faith, turn to Him for forgiveness. He has made salvation available to all who are willing to be saved by His grace through faith in His Son Jesus Christ alone, who died on the cross for our sin (Romans 3:23-24, 5:1-2, & 6:23).
God's purpose was fulfilled despite (even by way of) humanity's obstinacy. As God revealed to the prophet Daniel about five hundred years beforehand: "Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself" (Daniel 9:26). It was for our sin that Jesus died.
And at the time it seemed to everyone that He had accomplished nothing. But He was accomplishing a salvation that nobody else's efforts ever could. He who had no sin, took our sin upon Himself; so that those who trust in Him, having no righteousness of our own, may take His righteousness upon ourselves. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Thursday, July 11, 2013
The Triune God
The word "Trinity" never appears anywhere in the Old or New Testament. However, the concept is there; beginning right in the very first chapter of the Bible. On the sixth day of Creation, God says "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness" (Genesis 1:26, emphasis added).
It is clear that by "Us" and "Our", God is referring to Himself alone, and not to Himself and the angels. It is clear because in verse 27 the text continues, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them".
So right from the start, we read of God referring to Himself in plural form; even though the Scriptures very clearly teaches that there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 45:5, 1 Timothy 2:5).
God speaks the same way at the Tower of Babel, saying "Come, let Us go down there and confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech" (Genesis 11:7, emphasis added).
Much later, when God first appeared in a vision to the prophet Isaiah, He asked "Whom shall I send, and who shall go for Us?" (Isaiah 6:8, emphasis added).
And the Psalmist, David wrote "The LORD said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.'" (Psalm 110:1).
Jesus referenced this passage when He asked "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: 'The LORD said to My Lord, Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool. Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord', how is He then his Son?" (Mark 12:35).
Jesus was challenging His listeners to understand that He, the Messiah, is more than just the Son of David. He is the Son of God.
Jesus is sometimes referred to as both the Root and the Branch of Jesse. Jesse was the name of David's father. This title, given to Jesus, is based on a couple of verses in the 11th chapter of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 11:10 says "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious". Isaiah 11:1 says "There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots" (also see Revelation 22:16).
As the song from the O.C. Supertones' first album says "Jesus came from Jesse, but Jesse came from Jesus." Jesus is both the Root and the Branch of Jesse. This is a Christological concept. And Christology is, of course, tied in with the doctrine of the Trinity. Jesus in not only the Son of Man through David's line. He is also the Son of God from whom David's line originated.
And whereas the Old Testament gives compelling hints of the Trinitarian doctrine, the New Testament abounds with it. Take just for example the Great Commission, given by Jesus as He sent out His apostles before He ascended to the Father. He said "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19; also see Matthew 3:16-17, John 1:1, John 1:14).
God is love (1 John 4:8). And love has existed between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit from eternity past. As C.S. Lewis pointed out in Mere Christianity; what we mean by saying "God is love" is "that the living, dynamic activity of love has been going on in God forever and has created everything else" (book 4, chapter 4, paragraph 5).
It is clear that by "Us" and "Our", God is referring to Himself alone, and not to Himself and the angels. It is clear because in verse 27 the text continues, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them".
So right from the start, we read of God referring to Himself in plural form; even though the Scriptures very clearly teaches that there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 45:5, 1 Timothy 2:5).
God speaks the same way at the Tower of Babel, saying "Come, let Us go down there and confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech" (Genesis 11:7, emphasis added).
Much later, when God first appeared in a vision to the prophet Isaiah, He asked "Whom shall I send, and who shall go for Us?" (Isaiah 6:8, emphasis added).
And the Psalmist, David wrote "The LORD said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.'" (Psalm 110:1).
Jesus referenced this passage when He asked "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: 'The LORD said to My Lord, Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool. Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord', how is He then his Son?" (Mark 12:35).
Jesus was challenging His listeners to understand that He, the Messiah, is more than just the Son of David. He is the Son of God.
Jesus is sometimes referred to as both the Root and the Branch of Jesse. Jesse was the name of David's father. This title, given to Jesus, is based on a couple of verses in the 11th chapter of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 11:10 says "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious". Isaiah 11:1 says "There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots" (also see Revelation 22:16).
As the song from the O.C. Supertones' first album says "Jesus came from Jesse, but Jesse came from Jesus." Jesus is both the Root and the Branch of Jesse. This is a Christological concept. And Christology is, of course, tied in with the doctrine of the Trinity. Jesus in not only the Son of Man through David's line. He is also the Son of God from whom David's line originated.
And whereas the Old Testament gives compelling hints of the Trinitarian doctrine, the New Testament abounds with it. Take just for example the Great Commission, given by Jesus as He sent out His apostles before He ascended to the Father. He said "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19; also see Matthew 3:16-17, John 1:1, John 1:14).
God is love (1 John 4:8). And love has existed between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit from eternity past. As C.S. Lewis pointed out in Mere Christianity; what we mean by saying "God is love" is "that the living, dynamic activity of love has been going on in God forever and has created everything else" (book 4, chapter 4, paragraph 5).
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Subjective/Objective Reality
[Note to reader: If you read this post, make sure you also read my later, August 2013 post titled Rethinking Reality; in which I consider a different view].
Reality is made of both objective and subjective truth. But there may be some confusion as to what the words "subjective" and "objective" mean. Subjectivity might be confused with relativity, and objectivity with absoluteness. But these are not the same things.
A thing that is objective belongs to the realm of material objects. It is a physical thing; whether it be a granite bolder at Devil's Den in Gettysburg, Pa, or a neuron inside one of your brain cells.
A thing that is subjective belongs to the realm of the intangible. It has no physical substance, or material form. It can not be seen with the eye or touched with the hand. It can not be put under a microscope. A thing that is subjective has to do with thoughts and feelings. It has to do with the mind. And that includes the mind of God.
The laws of right and wrong belong to the subjective realm. You can not see a moral law with your eyes. Nor can you touch is with your hand. It is not a material object. It is not a physical thing. It is subjective. But it is real and absolute if it comes from the mind of God, who created all things. The love and righteousness of God are not less real because they are subjective.
C.S. Lewis knew the importance of subjectivity in evaluating reality. He found pure objectivity horrifying because it leaves out considerations of beauty and emotion. Objectively speaking "It is what it is". And if you leave subjective reasoning entirely out of the picture, you will find no reason why anything should or shouldn't be any different.
This is one of the main things that brought Lewis out of atheism, and eventually into Christ. As he pointed out in his book, Miracles, if all our thoughts were merely the product of random processes inside the physical brain, there would be no reason to believe that any of our thoughts could be valid observations.
But then, as he continued, there would be no reason to suppose that our thoughts really were merely the product of random processes inside our physical brains. It would be "a proof that there are no such things as proofs - which is nonsense" (Chapter 3, paragraph 6).
He came to realize that the mind is something more than the physical brain. It transcends the physical world, and thus provides a window into, or a connection to spiritual realities. By God's grace, it can even be the channel by which we learn of Him.
Reality is made of both objective and subjective truth. But there may be some confusion as to what the words "subjective" and "objective" mean. Subjectivity might be confused with relativity, and objectivity with absoluteness. But these are not the same things.
A thing that is objective belongs to the realm of material objects. It is a physical thing; whether it be a granite bolder at Devil's Den in Gettysburg, Pa, or a neuron inside one of your brain cells.
A thing that is subjective belongs to the realm of the intangible. It has no physical substance, or material form. It can not be seen with the eye or touched with the hand. It can not be put under a microscope. A thing that is subjective has to do with thoughts and feelings. It has to do with the mind. And that includes the mind of God.
The laws of right and wrong belong to the subjective realm. You can not see a moral law with your eyes. Nor can you touch is with your hand. It is not a material object. It is not a physical thing. It is subjective. But it is real and absolute if it comes from the mind of God, who created all things. The love and righteousness of God are not less real because they are subjective.
C.S. Lewis knew the importance of subjectivity in evaluating reality. He found pure objectivity horrifying because it leaves out considerations of beauty and emotion. Objectively speaking "It is what it is". And if you leave subjective reasoning entirely out of the picture, you will find no reason why anything should or shouldn't be any different.
This is one of the main things that brought Lewis out of atheism, and eventually into Christ. As he pointed out in his book, Miracles, if all our thoughts were merely the product of random processes inside the physical brain, there would be no reason to believe that any of our thoughts could be valid observations.
But then, as he continued, there would be no reason to suppose that our thoughts really were merely the product of random processes inside our physical brains. It would be "a proof that there are no such things as proofs - which is nonsense" (Chapter 3, paragraph 6).
He came to realize that the mind is something more than the physical brain. It transcends the physical world, and thus provides a window into, or a connection to spiritual realities. By God's grace, it can even be the channel by which we learn of Him.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
C.S. Lewis, Evolutionism, And Christian Apologetics
In 1999, when I was sixteen, the writings of C.S. Lewis awoke my interest in Christian apologetics. I have found his works very helpful to growing in understanding of the Christian faith. To this day I appreciate Lewis for both his apologetical and fiction writings.
The interesting thing is that while I defend biblical creation, C.S. Lewis started out his Christian life as a theistic evolutionist. His early theological works reflect a belief in evolutionism.
At least at one point in Mere Christianity, Lewis made use of the evolutionary myth to try to illustrate what spiritual growth in Christ is like.
The Problem of Pain is a good read. The book was written to answer the question of why there is suffering in the world, and Lewis made a lot of very helpful points. But there is a weakness in the book.
If theistic evolutionism were true, that would mean that there was suffering, disease, and death in the world before humans existed and sinned. That is an irreconcilable contradiction to God's word, which says
"So, in the same way that sin entered the world through one person, and death came though sin, so death spread to all human being with the result that all sinned" (Romans 5:12 Common English Bible).
Lewis seems to have tried to get around this by mixing evolutionism and creation in an inconsistent kind of mash-up (see chapter five of The Problem of Pain). It seems he was already showing a growing disbelief in evolutionism.
It does make me glad that as Lewis grew in knowledge and understanding, his writings did begin to reflect a departure from theistic evolutionism. He began to show a leaning toward biblical creation.
He came to reject what he called "universal evolutionism"; apparently referring to macro-evolution as opposed to micro-evolution. Though for clarity, it is better to refer to micro-evolution as speciation within the biblical, created "kinds" (Genesis 1:11, 21, 24-25).
Lewis wrote, "You remember the old puzzle as to whether the owl came from the egg or the egg from the owl...universal evolutionism is a kind of optical illusion, produced by attending exclusively to the owl's emergence from the egg" (see link).
So Lewis eventually came to recognize the fallacy of evolutionism. And that is good because holding to biblical creation makes for stronger apologetics. Conversely, the old-earth-evolutionary compromise is a weakness in the arguments made by many of the current leading Christian apologists. There is simply no reason for it.
Evolutionism just does not mesh with the gospel. To defend the historicity of Matthew-Acts, but not that of Genesis is simply inconsistent. Believing in the events recorded in the Gospels and Act, there is simply no reason to disbelieve the events recorded in Genesis. In fact, the significance of the restorative works, atoning death, and redemptive resurrection of Jesus the Messiah is wholly predicated on Genesis.
In a debate with a Christian who accepts evolutionism, an atheist can mockingly say "You don't even believe the Bible, and you're trying to convince me!" The pastor at my church told of such an exchange that took place during a debate that he attended.
And evolutionism is not a scientific fact. Evolutionism is an interpretation of scientific data, just as creation is also an interpretation of scientific data. Not only is this so, but evolutionism, at its core, is a naturalistic, atheistic explanation of the universe, life, and origins.
www.answersingenesis.org
www.icr.org
http://creation.com/
The interesting thing is that while I defend biblical creation, C.S. Lewis started out his Christian life as a theistic evolutionist. His early theological works reflect a belief in evolutionism.
At least at one point in Mere Christianity, Lewis made use of the evolutionary myth to try to illustrate what spiritual growth in Christ is like.
The Problem of Pain is a good read. The book was written to answer the question of why there is suffering in the world, and Lewis made a lot of very helpful points. But there is a weakness in the book.
If theistic evolutionism were true, that would mean that there was suffering, disease, and death in the world before humans existed and sinned. That is an irreconcilable contradiction to God's word, which says
"So, in the same way that sin entered the world through one person, and death came though sin, so death spread to all human being with the result that all sinned" (Romans 5:12 Common English Bible).
Lewis seems to have tried to get around this by mixing evolutionism and creation in an inconsistent kind of mash-up (see chapter five of The Problem of Pain). It seems he was already showing a growing disbelief in evolutionism.
It does make me glad that as Lewis grew in knowledge and understanding, his writings did begin to reflect a departure from theistic evolutionism. He began to show a leaning toward biblical creation.
He came to reject what he called "universal evolutionism"; apparently referring to macro-evolution as opposed to micro-evolution. Though for clarity, it is better to refer to micro-evolution as speciation within the biblical, created "kinds" (Genesis 1:11, 21, 24-25).
Lewis wrote, "You remember the old puzzle as to whether the owl came from the egg or the egg from the owl...universal evolutionism is a kind of optical illusion, produced by attending exclusively to the owl's emergence from the egg" (see link).
So Lewis eventually came to recognize the fallacy of evolutionism. And that is good because holding to biblical creation makes for stronger apologetics. Conversely, the old-earth-evolutionary compromise is a weakness in the arguments made by many of the current leading Christian apologists. There is simply no reason for it.
Evolutionism just does not mesh with the gospel. To defend the historicity of Matthew-Acts, but not that of Genesis is simply inconsistent. Believing in the events recorded in the Gospels and Act, there is simply no reason to disbelieve the events recorded in Genesis. In fact, the significance of the restorative works, atoning death, and redemptive resurrection of Jesus the Messiah is wholly predicated on Genesis.
In a debate with a Christian who accepts evolutionism, an atheist can mockingly say "You don't even believe the Bible, and you're trying to convince me!" The pastor at my church told of such an exchange that took place during a debate that he attended.
And evolutionism is not a scientific fact. Evolutionism is an interpretation of scientific data, just as creation is also an interpretation of scientific data. Not only is this so, but evolutionism, at its core, is a naturalistic, atheistic explanation of the universe, life, and origins.
Recommended sites:
www.answersingenesis.org
www.icr.org
http://creation.com/
Saturday, April 20, 2013
God Omnipotent
There are some who scoff at the Christian faith, saying that it is impossible for an omnipotent God to exist. The one who makes this claim will typically ask some variation of the question, "Can God make a rock too heavy for Himself to move?"
When one answers "No", the mocker will say "Oh? Why not? He is all-powerful, isn't He?" And if one answers "Yes" the mocker says "Well than He's not omnipotent, if He creates a rock and then is not able to move it".
C.S. Lewis was very charitable to give an answer to this question. He said that "nonsense is still nonsense". He explained that God is all-powerful, but He is also logical. He is Logic and the source of logic. That is why He created a logical universe, and logical beings in His own image.
Nothing God does will defy logic. He can command nature, and nature obeys Him. But that does not defy logic any more than a teacher giving an assignment defies logic. He made the laws of nature and has the power to intervene in nature - to perform what we call miracles.
For example, Jesus commanded the wind and the waves to be still, and they obeyed His command (Luke 8:22-25). But that is not the same as if He commanded the wind and the waves to be still but not still, both at the same time.
Poets may talk of being still while not being still; but when they do, they actually mean something like "I'm physically still, but emotionally turbulent". That is a paradoxical statement, but not a contradictory statement.
The Bible has paradoxes in it. But paradoxes can be reasoned out logically, and reconciled. That is why they are paradoxes and not out-right contradictions. They only seem contradictory on the surface.
So here is the problem with the question "Can God make a rock too heavy for Himself to move?". The question suggests that in order to be omnipotent, God has to also be not omnipotent. And that is nonsense. God does not have to be not omnipotent in order to be omnipotent.
God is omnipotent. And because He is omnipotent, He can make a rock of any size and any weight; and is also able to move it.
When one answers "No", the mocker will say "Oh? Why not? He is all-powerful, isn't He?" And if one answers "Yes" the mocker says "Well than He's not omnipotent, if He creates a rock and then is not able to move it".
C.S. Lewis was very charitable to give an answer to this question. He said that "nonsense is still nonsense". He explained that God is all-powerful, but He is also logical. He is Logic and the source of logic. That is why He created a logical universe, and logical beings in His own image.
Nothing God does will defy logic. He can command nature, and nature obeys Him. But that does not defy logic any more than a teacher giving an assignment defies logic. He made the laws of nature and has the power to intervene in nature - to perform what we call miracles.
For example, Jesus commanded the wind and the waves to be still, and they obeyed His command (Luke 8:22-25). But that is not the same as if He commanded the wind and the waves to be still but not still, both at the same time.
Poets may talk of being still while not being still; but when they do, they actually mean something like "I'm physically still, but emotionally turbulent". That is a paradoxical statement, but not a contradictory statement.
The Bible has paradoxes in it. But paradoxes can be reasoned out logically, and reconciled. That is why they are paradoxes and not out-right contradictions. They only seem contradictory on the surface.
So here is the problem with the question "Can God make a rock too heavy for Himself to move?". The question suggests that in order to be omnipotent, God has to also be not omnipotent. And that is nonsense. God does not have to be not omnipotent in order to be omnipotent.
God is omnipotent. And because He is omnipotent, He can make a rock of any size and any weight; and is also able to move it.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Pagan Religions and Christianity
It has been well noted that the Christian doctrine of salvation from sin through the death and resurrection of God's Son bears a striking resemblance to pagan religions. There are pagan stories about dying gods who rise again to give new life.
C.S. Lewis thought of these similarities as "good dreams" that God gave to the pagans to lead them to the truth (see book 2, chapter 3, paragraph 9 of Mere Christianity). Critics of the gospel see the similarities as evidence against Christianity.
But I think that there is a better explanation. All humanity is one family, descended from Noah - descended from Adam. The early patriarchs; Adam, Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knew God. These men preserved the truth, which they received from God. They were faithful prophets.
As I have pointed out in an earlier post, titled Assumptions, the belief that early humans did not have a written language is based on atheistic assumptions about the past.
There is no real reason to think that the early patriarchs could not have written down their genealogies, as well as life-events, historical events, and prophecies that were given to them by God. Noah likely had written materials that had been passed down from the earlier patriarch. He would have then handed them down to his sons.
Later on, under Divine inspiration, Moses likely used such earlier materials, as God directed him, to write the Pentateuch. By this I mean that God would have directed Moses in selecting reference materials as He also directed him throughout the whole process of writing Genesis-Deuteronomy.
The pagan nations, all being descendants of Noah's sons, remembered the Messianic prophecies that were given by God to the fore-mentioned, righteous patriarchs. God was already promising a Savior in the Garden of Eden, immediately after sin entered the world (Genesis 3:14-15).
And there are many other Messianic prophecies throughout the book of Genesis. That is why Jesus said to His critics "If you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me" (John 5:46). Job, who probably lived contemporaneously to Abraham, also spoke of His coming (Job 19:25).
So I reiterate that God was always speaking to the very earliest patriarchs. He told them about the Savior that He would send into the world. But turning away from God, the pagans worshiped idols, and god's of their own making. And their contrived myths contained dim memories of the truth, corrupted by the worship of false-gods (see Romans 1:18-28).
These things being said, the historical evidence in support of the life, works, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah set Him apart from the mythological gods of pagan religions. The caliber of His teachings also sets Him apart.
C.S. Lewis thought of these similarities as "good dreams" that God gave to the pagans to lead them to the truth (see book 2, chapter 3, paragraph 9 of Mere Christianity). Critics of the gospel see the similarities as evidence against Christianity.
But I think that there is a better explanation. All humanity is one family, descended from Noah - descended from Adam. The early patriarchs; Adam, Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knew God. These men preserved the truth, which they received from God. They were faithful prophets.
As I have pointed out in an earlier post, titled Assumptions, the belief that early humans did not have a written language is based on atheistic assumptions about the past.
There is no real reason to think that the early patriarchs could not have written down their genealogies, as well as life-events, historical events, and prophecies that were given to them by God. Noah likely had written materials that had been passed down from the earlier patriarch. He would have then handed them down to his sons.
Later on, under Divine inspiration, Moses likely used such earlier materials, as God directed him, to write the Pentateuch. By this I mean that God would have directed Moses in selecting reference materials as He also directed him throughout the whole process of writing Genesis-Deuteronomy.
The pagan nations, all being descendants of Noah's sons, remembered the Messianic prophecies that were given by God to the fore-mentioned, righteous patriarchs. God was already promising a Savior in the Garden of Eden, immediately after sin entered the world (Genesis 3:14-15).
And there are many other Messianic prophecies throughout the book of Genesis. That is why Jesus said to His critics "If you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me" (John 5:46). Job, who probably lived contemporaneously to Abraham, also spoke of His coming (Job 19:25).
So I reiterate that God was always speaking to the very earliest patriarchs. He told them about the Savior that He would send into the world. But turning away from God, the pagans worshiped idols, and god's of their own making. And their contrived myths contained dim memories of the truth, corrupted by the worship of false-gods (see Romans 1:18-28).
These things being said, the historical evidence in support of the life, works, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah set Him apart from the mythological gods of pagan religions. The caliber of His teachings also sets Him apart.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
More Than We Are Ready to Bear
In the little upper-room of a house in Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples partook of the Passover meal. It was the Last Supper before Jesus would be offered up as the Passover Lamb, to die for our sin on a Roman cross.
The words that Jesus spoke to His disciples during that meal, including the prayers that He prayed for His disciples and Himself, have become known as the Last Supper Discourse (John 13-17).
He told about His imminent death, which disheartened His disciples. He also described the hostility and persecution that they would face for being His witnesses.
But He also told them of the comfort they would receive, and great things that they would accomplish in bringing the message of salvation to the world. He told of the ultimate joy that would be given to them, and all who believe as a result of their preaching.
Then He said:
The words that Jesus spoke to His disciples during that meal, including the prayers that He prayed for His disciples and Himself, have become known as the Last Supper Discourse (John 13-17).
He told about His imminent death, which disheartened His disciples. He also described the hostility and persecution that they would face for being His witnesses.
But He also told them of the comfort they would receive, and great things that they would accomplish in bringing the message of salvation to the world. He told of the ultimate joy that would be given to them, and all who believe as a result of their preaching.
Then He said:
"I still have many things to say to you, but you can not bear them now" (John 16:12).
We may readily imagine that He was referring to sad, and discouraging things. And perhaps He was. But the prophet Isaiah and the apostle Paul wrote:
"'What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived' -
the things God has prepared for those who love Him -" (1st Corinthians 2:9, Isaiah 64:4; NIV).
Paul was also moved by the Spirit to say:
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).
At times it can actually be painful to hear glad things. There have been times when I could not stand to listen to joyful music or glad songs. So perhaps when Jesus said what He said, He was also referring to things too wonderful, and marvelous for us to bear while we live in this broken world of sin, trouble, and strife.
C.S. Lewis once remarked about Tolkien's books:
C.S. Lewis once remarked about Tolkien's books:
"Here are beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron here is a book which will break your heart".
Certainly, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him can be no less, but more even more beautiful.
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