Jesus Christ is popularly portrayed as a preacher of tolerance and acceptance; but in reality, that is not what He was. In reality, Jesus Christ came into our world and preached repentance and reconciliation with God. That means the cessation of sin. Jesus said "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). He said that if we do not repent, we will perish for our sin (Luke 13:1-5).
After miraculously healing a certain man, Jesus told him "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you" (John 5:14). After showing mercy to the adulterous woman, He said to her "go and sin no more" (John 8:11). It is true that Jesus did seek out, and come into contact with sinners; but only for the purpose of teaching them about the heavenly Father and His righteous love that invites them to turn away from their sin and be reconciled to Him. The thing is, those people knew that they were sinners; and they knew that Jesus was a teacher of repentance and reconciliation with God. And they wanted to listen to Him and do just that - repent and be reconciled with God.
The message that Jesus brought to us is not "I accept you and you don't need to change". His message is "You're invited to the kingdom, but your sin can't come". Jesus called Himself the door through which to enter the kingdom of everlasting life (John 10:9-10). His message is that we must check our sin at the door. We can come to Him as we are, but only for the purpose of having our fallen, sinful nature taken away from us, so that we can be reconciled with the heavenly Father. There is no sin allowed in the kingdom of God.
The purpose of God's forgiveness is to make reconciliation with Him possible (Psalm 130:4). Jesus paid for our sin on the cross; not so that we could keep sinning, but so that we can turn away from our sin and be reconciled with Him. Becoming a Christian means that we are entering through Jesus Christ, into the kingdom of God. Our Christian life in this world is the process of going through the Door, which is the Person of Jesus Christ. And that process entails a departure from sin.
We must leave our sin nailed to the cross. The further we go into Christ - the deeper our relationship with Him grows - the less sinful and more righteous we will become. And when we stand before Him, in Paradise, we will have been perfected. Jesus did not preach tolerance at all. He preached a message of repentance and reconciliation with God.
Showing posts with label Miracles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miracles. Show all posts
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Did Jesus Teach the Practice of Snake Handling?
In some charismatic churches, snake handling is performed as an act of worship/faith. But is this practice scriptural? An examination of the context of the Scriptures reveals that it is not. But the biblical case against snake handling has nothing to do with the the physically dangerous nature of the practice. There may be a time when one must choose between their loyalty to Christ and their mortal life in this world. And it is never right to be disloyal to Christ. So the time may come when physically dying for Christ is the right thing for one to do. And that is nothing that love wouldn't do.
The biblical case against the practice of snake handling is simply that it is not something that Christ has commanded us to do. Nor is it really an act of trusting God, as we will see. Those who practice snake handling, in their churches, base the act on a couple of passages which they have taken out of context and misconstrued. One of these passages is in Luke 10. The text records how Jesus sent out seventy of His followers to preach and to perform miracles all over Israel in His name. When the seventy returned to Jesus, they reported excitedly about how they were even able to cast demons out of their hosts in the name of Jesus. "And He said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven'" (Luke 10:17-20).
Given the context, it seems clear to me that Jesus is speaking figuratively. He is actually talking about spiritual warfare, not about playing with physical snakes and scorpions. Another passage to which snake handlers point is in Mark 16. The text recounts Jesus' final words before He ascended into heaven in the viewing of His disciples. "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover'" (Mark 16:15-18).
Now, some people doubt that verses 9-20 of Mark 16 should be included in the canon of Scripture, since that portion seems to have been added to Mark's gospel at a later time. I accept the passage as God-breathed, since it does not contradict the rest of Scriptures. However, context is the BOSS of interpretation. And that means not only the immediate context of Mark's gospel, but the extended context of all Scripture.
So let us examine the extended context of the Scriptures. In Acts 28:1-6, Luke reports that Paul the apostle and his companions were shipwrecked on the island of Malta. And while Paul was throwing more wood on the fire, a viper came and fastened onto his arm. At first, the natives of the island thought that Paul was a goner for sure. But he shook the viper off of himself and suffered no ill effect. Now take notice that Paul was not playing with the viper. He was simply putting wood on the fire. And I do not think that Jesus was saying that His followers should play with snakes. He was simply saying that there would be instances in which His followers would be miraculously protected from harm. But Christ's words, here, do not constitute a promise that it will always work that way. For He also said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
Finally, consider the temptations of Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan quoted the Psalms where it is promised,
The biblical case against the practice of snake handling is simply that it is not something that Christ has commanded us to do. Nor is it really an act of trusting God, as we will see. Those who practice snake handling, in their churches, base the act on a couple of passages which they have taken out of context and misconstrued. One of these passages is in Luke 10. The text records how Jesus sent out seventy of His followers to preach and to perform miracles all over Israel in His name. When the seventy returned to Jesus, they reported excitedly about how they were even able to cast demons out of their hosts in the name of Jesus. "And He said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven'" (Luke 10:17-20).
Given the context, it seems clear to me that Jesus is speaking figuratively. He is actually talking about spiritual warfare, not about playing with physical snakes and scorpions. Another passage to which snake handlers point is in Mark 16. The text recounts Jesus' final words before He ascended into heaven in the viewing of His disciples. "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover'" (Mark 16:15-18).
Now, some people doubt that verses 9-20 of Mark 16 should be included in the canon of Scripture, since that portion seems to have been added to Mark's gospel at a later time. I accept the passage as God-breathed, since it does not contradict the rest of Scriptures. However, context is the BOSS of interpretation. And that means not only the immediate context of Mark's gospel, but the extended context of all Scripture.
So let us examine the extended context of the Scriptures. In Acts 28:1-6, Luke reports that Paul the apostle and his companions were shipwrecked on the island of Malta. And while Paul was throwing more wood on the fire, a viper came and fastened onto his arm. At first, the natives of the island thought that Paul was a goner for sure. But he shook the viper off of himself and suffered no ill effect. Now take notice that Paul was not playing with the viper. He was simply putting wood on the fire. And I do not think that Jesus was saying that His followers should play with snakes. He was simply saying that there would be instances in which His followers would be miraculously protected from harm. But Christ's words, here, do not constitute a promise that it will always work that way. For He also said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
Finally, consider the temptations of Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan quoted the Psalms where it is promised,
"For He will command His angels concerning you,
to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone"
(Psalm 91:11-12).
With this Bible verse, Satan urged Jesus to prove Himself by jumping off a cliff. But Jesus resisted the devil with another Bible verse - "Do not put the LORD your God to the test" (Deuteronomy 6:16). There is a difference between trusting God, and testing God. I would suggest that those who practice snake handling as an act of "faith" are actually not trusting God, but are really giving into the same temptation that Satan presented to Christ - the temptation to put God to the test. They should follow the example of our Lord and resist the devil.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Why Nye Doeth Fly Awry
Bill Nye has said that the creation/evolution debate is not a religious or theological one, but strictly scientific. He has claimed that he does not attack any religion, but that the creation worldview is simply unscientific and therefore untenable. He also admits that he does not know much about theology. At least he's right about that last part.
What he fails to understand is that once one acknowledges the existence of the Creator and Owner of the universe; one automatically allows for the possibility of supernatural miracles. Once one places their faith in Jesus Christ, through whom the universe was made, (John 1:1-5, Hebrews 1:1-2) it becomes entirely unnecessary to accept the evolutionary worldview. Keep in mind the fact that evolution and creation are simply variant interpretations of the same scientific data.
The evolutionary interpretation of scientific data was first used and developed by individuals who began first by rejecting God as the Creator of the universe. They did not disprove God, but they began with the assumption of atheism, and interpreted the data according to that assumption. Thus, the evolutionary view is, from the very start, an attempt to explain the complexity of the universe and life, without God.
However, modern science first began to thrive in Europe because of the conviction of such notables as Francis Bacon, Copernicus, and Isaac Newton that the universe was made by an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver. Without faith in an orderly Creator/Owner of the universe, there is no rational ground on which to expect the universe to operate in an orderly way, that can be systematically observed and studied in the first place.
Nye mocks the idea of the Genesis Flood and Noah's Ark. But on what basis does he mock the biblical account? His mocking is based on the assumption that there is no supernatural God. Thus, he actually is attacking faith, in spite of what he says. He recently said that he would like to challenge the Creation Museum to build a real ark, just like Noah's, and put it to sea for a full year.
He, of course, is skeptical that such an endeavor would be successful. And perhaps it would take Divine intervention to preserve the Ark during the year of the Genesis Flood; but no more so than it would take for a hiker to survive a brutal encounter with a bear or a lion, and such miracles have happened. However, the dimensions of Noah's Ark (500ft long, 75ft wide, and 45ft high) were good and proper. There are many other examples of large wooden ships, with similar dimensions to those of Noah's Ark, in ancient history (1).
But here's the point: Bill Nye begins with the assumption that Divine intervention should be completely ruled out from the start. But the creation model is free from that constraint right at the outset. We creationists believe that the Creator/Owner of the universe is real. And we interpret the scientific data according to His word. In fact, the intervention of an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver, is the very foundation on which we expect there to be orderly laws in the universe at all.
Now, we can show that the biblical creation interpretation makes more sense in a lot of ways. We can point to the complexity and order of genetic information (2, 3). We can point to discrepancies between the geological layers and fossils on the one hand, and the doctrines of evolution and deep time on the other. Polysrate fossils (4), soft tissue found in fossils (5) , unfossilized remains of dinosaurs (6, 7) are all very good; we like those. Dating methods that come up drastically wrong when used on rocks of already-known ages (8), lunar recession (9) and the faint sun paradox (10, 11) are all very good points as well.
But the starting point of belief in the orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver of the universe is the most important thing. This faith gives us the rational ground on which to expect orderly laws in the universe; yet also sustains the flexibility to allow for the possibility of supernatural miracles. Apart from this faith, there is no reason on which to expect order or miracles, either one, in the universe.
The flight of Bill Nye's thoughts is off course. And Jesus Christ tells why that is. He said, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God" (Matthew 22:29). The power of God is the only reason that there even is order in the universe at all. And so, as a scientist, Nye's life work is the study of God's work - the universe. Yet he begins his study with the assumption that the One who created and reigns over the universe does not exist. So Nye's is not an intellectual error so much as it is a spiritual error. But that error misinforms the way he interprets the data. He interprets the data in accordance with a worldview that undercuts, and mocks itself.
Now, since the expulsion from Eden, we are all born with a fallen, sinful nature; characterized by enmity against God who is love (John 4:8), and who originally created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40). Enmity against God is the spiritual error that causes all spiritual error. But like Saul of Tarsus, (Acts 9) sinners may surrendering to God, and have the blinders of sin removed from their spiritual eyes; that they may see, and fly aright. Everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ is reconciled to God. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus".
What he fails to understand is that once one acknowledges the existence of the Creator and Owner of the universe; one automatically allows for the possibility of supernatural miracles. Once one places their faith in Jesus Christ, through whom the universe was made, (John 1:1-5, Hebrews 1:1-2) it becomes entirely unnecessary to accept the evolutionary worldview. Keep in mind the fact that evolution and creation are simply variant interpretations of the same scientific data.
The evolutionary interpretation of scientific data was first used and developed by individuals who began first by rejecting God as the Creator of the universe. They did not disprove God, but they began with the assumption of atheism, and interpreted the data according to that assumption. Thus, the evolutionary view is, from the very start, an attempt to explain the complexity of the universe and life, without God.
However, modern science first began to thrive in Europe because of the conviction of such notables as Francis Bacon, Copernicus, and Isaac Newton that the universe was made by an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver. Without faith in an orderly Creator/Owner of the universe, there is no rational ground on which to expect the universe to operate in an orderly way, that can be systematically observed and studied in the first place.
Nye mocks the idea of the Genesis Flood and Noah's Ark. But on what basis does he mock the biblical account? His mocking is based on the assumption that there is no supernatural God. Thus, he actually is attacking faith, in spite of what he says. He recently said that he would like to challenge the Creation Museum to build a real ark, just like Noah's, and put it to sea for a full year.
He, of course, is skeptical that such an endeavor would be successful. And perhaps it would take Divine intervention to preserve the Ark during the year of the Genesis Flood; but no more so than it would take for a hiker to survive a brutal encounter with a bear or a lion, and such miracles have happened. However, the dimensions of Noah's Ark (500ft long, 75ft wide, and 45ft high) were good and proper. There are many other examples of large wooden ships, with similar dimensions to those of Noah's Ark, in ancient history (1).
But here's the point: Bill Nye begins with the assumption that Divine intervention should be completely ruled out from the start. But the creation model is free from that constraint right at the outset. We creationists believe that the Creator/Owner of the universe is real. And we interpret the scientific data according to His word. In fact, the intervention of an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver, is the very foundation on which we expect there to be orderly laws in the universe at all.
Now, we can show that the biblical creation interpretation makes more sense in a lot of ways. We can point to the complexity and order of genetic information (2, 3). We can point to discrepancies between the geological layers and fossils on the one hand, and the doctrines of evolution and deep time on the other. Polysrate fossils (4), soft tissue found in fossils (5) , unfossilized remains of dinosaurs (6, 7) are all very good; we like those. Dating methods that come up drastically wrong when used on rocks of already-known ages (8), lunar recession (9) and the faint sun paradox (10, 11) are all very good points as well.
But the starting point of belief in the orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver of the universe is the most important thing. This faith gives us the rational ground on which to expect orderly laws in the universe; yet also sustains the flexibility to allow for the possibility of supernatural miracles. Apart from this faith, there is no reason on which to expect order or miracles, either one, in the universe.
The flight of Bill Nye's thoughts is off course. And Jesus Christ tells why that is. He said, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God" (Matthew 22:29). The power of God is the only reason that there even is order in the universe at all. And so, as a scientist, Nye's life work is the study of God's work - the universe. Yet he begins his study with the assumption that the One who created and reigns over the universe does not exist. So Nye's is not an intellectual error so much as it is a spiritual error. But that error misinforms the way he interprets the data. He interprets the data in accordance with a worldview that undercuts, and mocks itself.
Now, since the expulsion from Eden, we are all born with a fallen, sinful nature; characterized by enmity against God who is love (John 4:8), and who originally created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40). Enmity against God is the spiritual error that causes all spiritual error. But like Saul of Tarsus, (Acts 9) sinners may surrendering to God, and have the blinders of sin removed from their spiritual eyes; that they may see, and fly aright. Everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ is reconciled to God. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus".
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Madhouse
Last week I posted about the exorcism at the Gadarenes. And I wrote that post with an awareness a common misconception that modern people tend to have about our ancient fathers. Evolutionary dogma would suggest that in ancient times, our forefathers were simply not intelligent enough to understand natural phenomena such as lightening, rain, or even mental illness.
And so the idea is that ancient people attributed all mental disorders to evil spirits possessing the mad. And then, with the advent of modern science, it is thought, people moved away from the notion of demonic possession to embrace the more sophisticated knowledge of mental disease.
But this is not the actual scenario. It didn't happen like that. Even in Old Testament times, our forefathers knew that there was a such thing as insanity, without always attributing it to demonic possession.
Before David son of Jesse became king over Israel, he was on the run for King Saul, who knew that David was chosen by God to replace him as king. To escape the inordinate wrath of Saul, David fled to a neighboring city-state called Gath. But the servants of Achish king of Gath knew who David was, and thought to have him in trouble with Achish.
So we are informed that our Old Testament protagonist, David "was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, 'Look, you see this man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? Have I need of madmen that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?'". So they let David go (1 Samuel 21:12-15).
Another Old Testament hero, the prophet Jeremiah, indicted pagan worshipers of being "insane with their idols" (Jeremiah 50:38). In other words, they were made crazy by their worship of false gods. They worshiped idols which they had made in the image of created things (Romans 1:18-32), as opposed to the true, living God who is love, (1 John 4:8) and who created all the universe and everything in it, (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1-1-3, Hebrews 1:1-2). He created humanity in His own image, (Genesis 1:26-27) before the Fall, for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:27-40).
The prophet Hosea also brought charge against the unfaithful people of Israel, saying that the unfaithful prophets and spiritual people had become insane as a result of their sin and their halfhearted approach to God. They thought they could worship God and idols both. And so their minds were darkened with the madness of their sin (Hosea 9:7).
We were made by, and in the image of God who is love. And His first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and with all our mind (Matthew 22:37, emphasis added). Refusal to do so will prove to be a detriment to the mind that despises God.
But as the prophet Isaiah spoke by the Holy Spirit, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You" (Isaiah 26:3). And I know from experience that my peace of mind is at its fullest when I am faithful to honor God with my mind.
Today we live among a generation that thinks with its mind that it doesn't need God. This generation thinks that the orderly universe, operating in accordance with orderly laws, did not come from an orderly Creator and Lawgiver, but from random, unguided processes. That's insane! That is not a rational worldview.
And with its mind, this same generation thinks it should be legal to murder unborn children. Just as the ancient pagans sacrificed their children to idols, so this generation is willing to sacrifice its children to the gods of convenience and self-gratification. They also have in mind to redefine marriage, which is not a man-made institution, but comes from God. And as Jesus Himself said when He was asked about marriage, "But from the beginning of creation 'God made them male and female'" (Mark 10:6).
This generation continues in the trend of the previous ones, the rejection of God and His Christ, and the continual devaluing of the things which God values. The sanctity of human life, marriage, and freedom to worship and honor our heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ are devalued and despised more and more as time goes on.
I have quoted this statement from Philip Yancey before, but I like it. He said: "Some see miracles as improbable suspensions of the laws of the physical universe. As signs, though, they serve just the opposite function. Death, decay, entropy, and destruction are the true suspensions of God's laws; miracles are the early glimpses of restoration".
And not only does Jesus have the power to cast out demons and heal physical, and mental conditions; He also has the power to heal the spiritual condition of sin in a repentant human being. As the Scriptures tell:
And so the idea is that ancient people attributed all mental disorders to evil spirits possessing the mad. And then, with the advent of modern science, it is thought, people moved away from the notion of demonic possession to embrace the more sophisticated knowledge of mental disease.
But this is not the actual scenario. It didn't happen like that. Even in Old Testament times, our forefathers knew that there was a such thing as insanity, without always attributing it to demonic possession.
Before David son of Jesse became king over Israel, he was on the run for King Saul, who knew that David was chosen by God to replace him as king. To escape the inordinate wrath of Saul, David fled to a neighboring city-state called Gath. But the servants of Achish king of Gath knew who David was, and thought to have him in trouble with Achish.
So we are informed that our Old Testament protagonist, David "was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, 'Look, you see this man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? Have I need of madmen that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?'". So they let David go (1 Samuel 21:12-15).
Another Old Testament hero, the prophet Jeremiah, indicted pagan worshipers of being "insane with their idols" (Jeremiah 50:38). In other words, they were made crazy by their worship of false gods. They worshiped idols which they had made in the image of created things (Romans 1:18-32), as opposed to the true, living God who is love, (1 John 4:8) and who created all the universe and everything in it, (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1-1-3, Hebrews 1:1-2). He created humanity in His own image, (Genesis 1:26-27) before the Fall, for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:27-40).
The prophet Hosea also brought charge against the unfaithful people of Israel, saying that the unfaithful prophets and spiritual people had become insane as a result of their sin and their halfhearted approach to God. They thought they could worship God and idols both. And so their minds were darkened with the madness of their sin (Hosea 9:7).
We were made by, and in the image of God who is love. And His first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and with all our mind (Matthew 22:37, emphasis added). Refusal to do so will prove to be a detriment to the mind that despises God.
But as the prophet Isaiah spoke by the Holy Spirit, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You" (Isaiah 26:3). And I know from experience that my peace of mind is at its fullest when I am faithful to honor God with my mind.
Today we live among a generation that thinks with its mind that it doesn't need God. This generation thinks that the orderly universe, operating in accordance with orderly laws, did not come from an orderly Creator and Lawgiver, but from random, unguided processes. That's insane! That is not a rational worldview.
And with its mind, this same generation thinks it should be legal to murder unborn children. Just as the ancient pagans sacrificed their children to idols, so this generation is willing to sacrifice its children to the gods of convenience and self-gratification. They also have in mind to redefine marriage, which is not a man-made institution, but comes from God. And as Jesus Himself said when He was asked about marriage, "But from the beginning of creation 'God made them male and female'" (Mark 10:6).
This generation continues in the trend of the previous ones, the rejection of God and His Christ, and the continual devaluing of the things which God values. The sanctity of human life, marriage, and freedom to worship and honor our heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ are devalued and despised more and more as time goes on.
~~~~
"Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them" (Matthew 4:24).We do indeed live in a broken, fallen world. And as it is noted in Matthew 4:24, there are many different kinds of conditions and illnesses; including, but not limited to demonic possession. And though full restoration of all things will not come until the end of this current, broken world, Jesus has the power to heal all ailments.
I have quoted this statement from Philip Yancey before, but I like it. He said: "Some see miracles as improbable suspensions of the laws of the physical universe. As signs, though, they serve just the opposite function. Death, decay, entropy, and destruction are the true suspensions of God's laws; miracles are the early glimpses of restoration".
And not only does Jesus have the power to cast out demons and heal physical, and mental conditions; He also has the power to heal the spiritual condition of sin in a repentant human being. As the Scriptures tell:
"...When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, 'Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you...But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins...Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house'. And he arose and departed to his house...Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God...giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 9:1-7, Romans 5:1-2, Colossians 1:12-14).
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Of Pharisees and Physicists Part Two
At the beginning of last month I wrote about the Pharisees (teachers of the Law of Moses) who rejected Jesus; the Messiah that was predicted, foreshadowed, and prefigured in the writings of Moses, under the direction of the Holy Spirit. And I wrote about the teachers of the laws of nature who, in these modern times, reject Jesus through whom all things were created. He is the Author of the laws of nature.
So I showed the similarity between the two sets of law-teachers. Both groups have missed the point of the laws which they have studies. And therefore both groups have rejected God who made the laws which they have taught. Now I want to continue with that observation.
Jesus once indicted the Pharisees of those days by comparing them to "children sitting in the market place and calling to one another, saying:
So I showed the similarity between the two sets of law-teachers. Both groups have missed the point of the laws which they have studies. And therefore both groups have rejected God who made the laws which they have taught. Now I want to continue with that observation.
Jesus once indicted the Pharisees of those days by comparing them to "children sitting in the market place and calling to one another, saying:
'We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not weep.'
For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon'. The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'" (Luke 7:32-34).
This same illustration is applicable and relevant to the discussion of today's "teachers of the law". I say this because when we tell of the amazing miracles that where performed by Jesus Christ, and all the other miracles described in the Bible, as well as God's ability to perform miracles at any time and place He chooses; the naturalistic teachers of the law will scoff and ridicule these claims. They will say that the universe operates according to orderly sets of laws.
When we tell the truth that God Himself instituted the laws of nature which He created and owns, and that He carries out most of His work through the laws which He has instituted over nature; they will scoff and ridicule this. They will call it "an argument from silence" for a "God of the gaps". But as Dr. Georgia Purdom of Answers in Genesis has recently pointed out in her blog, "we do not use God to fill in the gaps because there are no gaps". And there is no silence (Psalm 19:1-4). There is only God and His creation, which He made and owns.
It is simple. God instituted the laws of nature, they are His laws. And He also reserves the right to command the natural universe, which He created and owns, to behave differently at specific points in time and space. When He does, we call the result a miracle.
But now, whether God works by way of miracles, or if He works by way of the ordinary laws of nature which He instituted; the wicked, corrupt self-deceivers will reject Him either way. If they ever did see a miracle happen before their very eyes, they would say "There must be some scientific explanation for this".
They ignore the truth that if all the universe is entirely the result of random, unguided processes, then our their brains are also the product of random, unguided process. In that case all their thoughts are the accidental products of random, unguided processes.
And in that case they have no reason to believe that any of their thoughts are valid observations of the universe in which they accidentally exist. And that undermines their supposed observation that the universe is a result of random, unguided processes. In short, their naturalistic worldview undermines itself.
Science - the orderly, systematic study of the natural universe is possible because the orderly, sovereign Creator of the universe made nature to operate according to orderly sets of laws. And He also created our minds to be able to function in an orderly way that allows us to think and make valid observations.
Jesus said to the Pharisees who denied Him, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39). His modern enemies claim to believe in the laws of nature. But the laws of nature point to the orderly, sovereign God who created nature to operate according to orderly laws.
So the problem is not a lack of evidence. It is only the hardness of a fallen, corrupt, sinful heart that blinds anyone to the truth. These teachers of the law, in their heart of hearts, do not love God who is love (1 John 4:8), and who created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40). They demonstrate their fallen nature in that they do not love God who is love.
When we tell the truth that God Himself instituted the laws of nature which He created and owns, and that He carries out most of His work through the laws which He has instituted over nature; they will scoff and ridicule this. They will call it "an argument from silence" for a "God of the gaps". But as Dr. Georgia Purdom of Answers in Genesis has recently pointed out in her blog, "we do not use God to fill in the gaps because there are no gaps". And there is no silence (Psalm 19:1-4). There is only God and His creation, which He made and owns.
It is simple. God instituted the laws of nature, they are His laws. And He also reserves the right to command the natural universe, which He created and owns, to behave differently at specific points in time and space. When He does, we call the result a miracle.
But now, whether God works by way of miracles, or if He works by way of the ordinary laws of nature which He instituted; the wicked, corrupt self-deceivers will reject Him either way. If they ever did see a miracle happen before their very eyes, they would say "There must be some scientific explanation for this".
They ignore the truth that if all the universe is entirely the result of random, unguided processes, then our their brains are also the product of random, unguided process. In that case all their thoughts are the accidental products of random, unguided processes.
And in that case they have no reason to believe that any of their thoughts are valid observations of the universe in which they accidentally exist. And that undermines their supposed observation that the universe is a result of random, unguided processes. In short, their naturalistic worldview undermines itself.
Science - the orderly, systematic study of the natural universe is possible because the orderly, sovereign Creator of the universe made nature to operate according to orderly sets of laws. And He also created our minds to be able to function in an orderly way that allows us to think and make valid observations.
Jesus said to the Pharisees who denied Him, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39). His modern enemies claim to believe in the laws of nature. But the laws of nature point to the orderly, sovereign God who created nature to operate according to orderly laws.
So the problem is not a lack of evidence. It is only the hardness of a fallen, corrupt, sinful heart that blinds anyone to the truth. These teachers of the law, in their heart of hearts, do not love God who is love (1 John 4:8), and who created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40). They demonstrate their fallen nature in that they do not love God who is love.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Of Pharisees and Physicists
In today's scientific community, there are many who hold to the view that everything can be explained solely through natural processes. Accordingly, these individuals reject belief in miracles, which they see as contrary to the laws of the physical universe (or possibly multiverse) which is, in their view, all there is. This worldview is called naturalism.
Naturalism denies that there is a God who is transcendent (that is, above or apart from the physical universe). Thus it denies that the Genesis account of a six-day Creation by a supernatural Creator only about six thousand years ago; and the Flood which covered all the earth and formed many of the geological features we observe today, can be true.
So modern science does not disprove the biblical account of world history. Rather, individuals and groups within the scientific community start with the assumption that there is no God and/or that the Bible is not His word. And they interpret all their findings in accordance with that presupposition. Often times they make up explanations for data that doesn't fit their interpretation.
What I find striking is the similarity between these members of the scientific community and the Pharisee (a leading religious sect) of Jesus' time on earth. Those Pharisees rejected Jesus because they viewed His teachings and His claims about Himself to be in conflict with the laws of Moses, and the laws of their own making. They viewed Jesus as a rival who undermined their authority; just as the naturalistic/evolutionary members of the scientific community may see creationists.
But the law of Moses was meant to show us our sin, and thus our need for grace and mercy in Christ. As Jesus said to His antagonists, "For if you believed Moses you would believe Me, for he wrote about me" (John 5:46). In truth, then, there is no conflict between Moses and Jesus.
In the same way, modern science, which is the study of the physical universe, was born out of the conviction that an orderly Creator made and upholds the universe in an orderly manner. This means that the laws of the physical universe were declared by God who is above and apart from the physical universe, just as the law of Moses was given to Moses by God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to fulfill the law and provide salvation from, and forgiveness of sin.
And so, God also has the power to command the physical universe to behave differently at specific points in time and space. When He does, we call the result a miracle. Proponents of naturalism don't like that any more than the legalistic Pharisees liked Jesus going around forgiving sins that they wanted to see punished in accordance with the law.
And so, by their strict adherence to a naturalistic interpretation of the laws of nature (which are meant to point to God) the naturalists seek to nullify God; just as the Pharisees, by their strict adherence to the letter of the laws of Moses (which were meant to point to Christ) missed the spirit of the law and sought to nullify Christ. Both groups have missed the point of the laws that they have studied.
But there are many who know that the Law of Moses highlights the fallen, sinful nature of humanity, and our need for salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. And He has told us that the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all our being. And that the second most important commandment is to love each other as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). And whoever obeys the first commandment will also obey the second (1 John 5:1-5).
And not all Pharisees were against Jesus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, and he met privately with Jesus to learn from Him early on in His ministry (John 3). Later, Nicodemus found the courage to defend Jesus in front of the whole Sanhedrin (John 7:50). And even later than that, it is believed that Nicodemus died a martyr for following Jesus.
Joseph of Arimathea, too, was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43). He let Jesus borrow his tomb for a few days. And Nicodemus helped him take Jesus down from the cross and prepare His body for interment (John 19:38-40).
A few years later, another Pharisee, named Saul of Tarsus, would become a follower of Jesus. Taking on his gentile name, Paul, he went on to write most of the New Testament; not to mention his extensive missionary journeys throughout the Mediterranean world. He also spent time in prison for preaching the gospel. He continued, however, in the ministry, preaching about Jesus until his head was removed by a Roman sword, circa 65 AD.
Now just as there are those who truly understand the law of Moses, there are also those who know that the laws of nature in the physical universe point to its orderly and sovereign Creator. He is love (1 John 4:8). And He created humanity in His own image. We were made in the image of God who is love.
This is the reason we even have a concept of love. We are fallen, and corrupted because of sin. But the law of God who is love is still inscribed in our inner being by God who created us in His own image (Romans 2:14-15).
And just as not all Pharisees were against Jesus, so not all scientists are against the Creator who is one and the same with Jesus (John 1:1-5; John 10:30). As I already pointed out, modern science was born from the conviction that we live in an orderly universe, created and sustained by an orderly Creator according to His orderly reign. This conviction is what made the systematic, orderly study of the physical universe possible.
Francis Bacon, Copernicus, Johann Kepler, and Isaac Newton all believed in the Genesis account of Creation, the Fall, and the Flood. Charles Darwin stole the idea of natural selection from zoologist Edward Blythe, who believed the Genesis account, and considered natural selection to be a display of Divine providence in action. And natural selection does not add new information to the genome of any creature. It only works with already existing information. Therefore it is incapable of being the catalyst for molecules-to-man evolution.
The inventor of the MRI scanner, Raymond Damadian, is a creation scientist. And there are many other formally trained scientists who hold to the Genesis account of a six-day Creation, approximately six thousand years ago. Dr. Georgia Purdom has a Ph.D in biology and works for Answers in Genesis. Dr. Jason Lisle has a Ph.D in astrophysics and leads the research team at the Institute for Creation Research. And these are just a few examples.
As I believe in grace, so I believe in miracles. This flies in the face of the rigid teachers of the law. No law can nullify the love of God. And no law can nullify God who is love. By His great power, which we call miraculous; He created the universe in six days, six thousand years ago. And He made humanity in His own image.
I will close with this quote from Philip Yancy:
Naturalism denies that there is a God who is transcendent (that is, above or apart from the physical universe). Thus it denies that the Genesis account of a six-day Creation by a supernatural Creator only about six thousand years ago; and the Flood which covered all the earth and formed many of the geological features we observe today, can be true.
So modern science does not disprove the biblical account of world history. Rather, individuals and groups within the scientific community start with the assumption that there is no God and/or that the Bible is not His word. And they interpret all their findings in accordance with that presupposition. Often times they make up explanations for data that doesn't fit their interpretation.
What I find striking is the similarity between these members of the scientific community and the Pharisee (a leading religious sect) of Jesus' time on earth. Those Pharisees rejected Jesus because they viewed His teachings and His claims about Himself to be in conflict with the laws of Moses, and the laws of their own making. They viewed Jesus as a rival who undermined their authority; just as the naturalistic/evolutionary members of the scientific community may see creationists.
But the law of Moses was meant to show us our sin, and thus our need for grace and mercy in Christ. As Jesus said to His antagonists, "For if you believed Moses you would believe Me, for he wrote about me" (John 5:46). In truth, then, there is no conflict between Moses and Jesus.
In the same way, modern science, which is the study of the physical universe, was born out of the conviction that an orderly Creator made and upholds the universe in an orderly manner. This means that the laws of the physical universe were declared by God who is above and apart from the physical universe, just as the law of Moses was given to Moses by God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to fulfill the law and provide salvation from, and forgiveness of sin.
And so, God also has the power to command the physical universe to behave differently at specific points in time and space. When He does, we call the result a miracle. Proponents of naturalism don't like that any more than the legalistic Pharisees liked Jesus going around forgiving sins that they wanted to see punished in accordance with the law.
And so, by their strict adherence to a naturalistic interpretation of the laws of nature (which are meant to point to God) the naturalists seek to nullify God; just as the Pharisees, by their strict adherence to the letter of the laws of Moses (which were meant to point to Christ) missed the spirit of the law and sought to nullify Christ. Both groups have missed the point of the laws that they have studied.
But there are many who know that the Law of Moses highlights the fallen, sinful nature of humanity, and our need for salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. And He has told us that the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all our being. And that the second most important commandment is to love each other as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). And whoever obeys the first commandment will also obey the second (1 John 5:1-5).
And not all Pharisees were against Jesus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, and he met privately with Jesus to learn from Him early on in His ministry (John 3). Later, Nicodemus found the courage to defend Jesus in front of the whole Sanhedrin (John 7:50). And even later than that, it is believed that Nicodemus died a martyr for following Jesus.
Joseph of Arimathea, too, was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43). He let Jesus borrow his tomb for a few days. And Nicodemus helped him take Jesus down from the cross and prepare His body for interment (John 19:38-40).
A few years later, another Pharisee, named Saul of Tarsus, would become a follower of Jesus. Taking on his gentile name, Paul, he went on to write most of the New Testament; not to mention his extensive missionary journeys throughout the Mediterranean world. He also spent time in prison for preaching the gospel. He continued, however, in the ministry, preaching about Jesus until his head was removed by a Roman sword, circa 65 AD.
Now just as there are those who truly understand the law of Moses, there are also those who know that the laws of nature in the physical universe point to its orderly and sovereign Creator. He is love (1 John 4:8). And He created humanity in His own image. We were made in the image of God who is love.
This is the reason we even have a concept of love. We are fallen, and corrupted because of sin. But the law of God who is love is still inscribed in our inner being by God who created us in His own image (Romans 2:14-15).
And just as not all Pharisees were against Jesus, so not all scientists are against the Creator who is one and the same with Jesus (John 1:1-5; John 10:30). As I already pointed out, modern science was born from the conviction that we live in an orderly universe, created and sustained by an orderly Creator according to His orderly reign. This conviction is what made the systematic, orderly study of the physical universe possible.
Francis Bacon, Copernicus, Johann Kepler, and Isaac Newton all believed in the Genesis account of Creation, the Fall, and the Flood. Charles Darwin stole the idea of natural selection from zoologist Edward Blythe, who believed the Genesis account, and considered natural selection to be a display of Divine providence in action. And natural selection does not add new information to the genome of any creature. It only works with already existing information. Therefore it is incapable of being the catalyst for molecules-to-man evolution.
The inventor of the MRI scanner, Raymond Damadian, is a creation scientist. And there are many other formally trained scientists who hold to the Genesis account of a six-day Creation, approximately six thousand years ago. Dr. Georgia Purdom has a Ph.D in biology and works for Answers in Genesis. Dr. Jason Lisle has a Ph.D in astrophysics and leads the research team at the Institute for Creation Research. And these are just a few examples.
As I believe in grace, so I believe in miracles. This flies in the face of the rigid teachers of the law. No law can nullify the love of God. And no law can nullify God who is love. By His great power, which we call miraculous; He created the universe in six days, six thousand years ago. And He made humanity in His own image.
I will close with this quote from Philip Yancy:
"Some see miracles as an implausible suspension of the laws of the physical universe. As signs, though, they serve just the opposite function. Death, decay, entropy, and destruction are the true suspensions of God's laws; miracles are the early glimpses of restoration."
Thursday, August 22, 2013
God Is Not Desperate
Some Bible skeptics taunt at the idea of belief in God, asking "If God exists, where is He? Why doesn't He show Himself plainly, for all to see?" Such scoffers are just like those who challenged Jesus to "show a sign" if He were truly the Son of God. They said this after He had already given a plethora of signs and miracles.
The truth is that God has already revealed Himself adequately for any honest seeker to find Him. He has revealed Himself through nature. He has revealed Himself through the biblical prophets. He has revealed Himself through the testimony of the apostles. And He has revealed Himself especially through His Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2, Romans 1:20, Psalm 19).
In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus tells the story of a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. Both men die, and Lazarus goes to be with Abraham in Heaven. The rich man who lived a life of selfish pleasure, unmindful of Lazarus and of God, went to Hell.
Afar off across a chasm, the rich man sees Lazarus with Abraham. He calls out and selfishly asks Abraham to send Lazarus over to give him a drop of water. Abraham tells him no. Then the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his brothers, so they wouldn't end up like him in that place of torment.
Abraham tells the rich man that his brothers have the writings of Moses and the Prophets to warn them. But the rich man pleads saying that if Lazarus would return from the dead, then his brothers would believe. Abraham replies in verse 31 "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead".
So Jesus makes it clear that He is not desperate to convince anyone of His truth. He has already done everything He needed to do to reveal Himself to us. Now it's on us to be receptive. "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear", as Jesus often says (Mark 4:9, 4:23, Luke 8:8, 14:35, Revelation 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:22). And so we do not change the message to attract the masses. People must change their hearts and minds to receive the truth; not the other way around.
Interestingly, Jesus did raise a man named Lazarus from the dead. And afterwards, His enemies wanted to kill them both (John 11:43-53, 12:9-10). So He was right. And even to this day, there are those who continue to reject Jesus despite His clear revelation of Himself in the time and space of human history, recorded in the Scriptures, as well as His revelation of Himself through design in nature.
God is love (1 John 4:8). So why not love the One who is love? The reason that we as human beings even have a concept of love is because we were created by, and in the image of God who is love (Genesis 1:26-27). So to surrender to Him is to surrender to love. If anyone rejects Him, they demonstrate that they have a lack of love, because they do not love God who is love (Matthew 22:37-38). And whoever loves the Father will love the Son as well (1 John 5:1, 1 John 2:22-23, John 3:36).
The truth is that God has already revealed Himself adequately for any honest seeker to find Him. He has revealed Himself through nature. He has revealed Himself through the biblical prophets. He has revealed Himself through the testimony of the apostles. And He has revealed Himself especially through His Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2, Romans 1:20, Psalm 19).
In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus tells the story of a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. Both men die, and Lazarus goes to be with Abraham in Heaven. The rich man who lived a life of selfish pleasure, unmindful of Lazarus and of God, went to Hell.
Afar off across a chasm, the rich man sees Lazarus with Abraham. He calls out and selfishly asks Abraham to send Lazarus over to give him a drop of water. Abraham tells him no. Then the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his brothers, so they wouldn't end up like him in that place of torment.
Abraham tells the rich man that his brothers have the writings of Moses and the Prophets to warn them. But the rich man pleads saying that if Lazarus would return from the dead, then his brothers would believe. Abraham replies in verse 31 "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead".
So Jesus makes it clear that He is not desperate to convince anyone of His truth. He has already done everything He needed to do to reveal Himself to us. Now it's on us to be receptive. "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear", as Jesus often says (Mark 4:9, 4:23, Luke 8:8, 14:35, Revelation 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:22). And so we do not change the message to attract the masses. People must change their hearts and minds to receive the truth; not the other way around.
Interestingly, Jesus did raise a man named Lazarus from the dead. And afterwards, His enemies wanted to kill them both (John 11:43-53, 12:9-10). So He was right. And even to this day, there are those who continue to reject Jesus despite His clear revelation of Himself in the time and space of human history, recorded in the Scriptures, as well as His revelation of Himself through design in nature.
God is love (1 John 4:8). So why not love the One who is love? The reason that we as human beings even have a concept of love is because we were created by, and in the image of God who is love (Genesis 1:26-27). So to surrender to Him is to surrender to love. If anyone rejects Him, they demonstrate that they have a lack of love, because they do not love God who is love (Matthew 22:37-38). And whoever loves the Father will love the Son as well (1 John 5:1, 1 John 2:22-23, John 3:36).
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