Absolute Accuracy

I enjoy listening to people speak on subjects they feel strongly about. I enjoy reading books that have the author's heart and soul poured into them. The faith that drives these people is wonderful. They are truly convicted of what they teach. No matter whether I agree with them or not, I find them very enlightening.

But that brings up an interesting question. Can two Christians hold the very different views and still both be following the same God? Is that possible? What do we do when we disagree on important parts of our Theology?

Well, what to do depends on whom you ask. Now, before I go any further there are some non-negotables in the Christian faith. But some things are not so clear. Nonresistance, church worship, styles of evangelism, views on prophecy and predestination are some of the complex issues great men of faith have viewed in very different ways. 

But provided it is not a clear heresy, (e.g. Jesus was just an angel, man can save himself, and a few others) we run into unique problems. What some people do is claim everyone who does not agree with their beliefs is apostate, heretical, or a fraud. Others will accept almost any belief as long as you tolerate their version of Christianity. What is a Christian to do? Where is the proper place to part teaching?

Well, before we answer that, I would like to point out a few things we sometimes forget, or haven't really thought about before. Even though we can learn a great deal about God from reading, Scripture, nature, and most importantly, fellowship with Him, we cannot learn all there is to know about Him. No human will ever succeed in this, nor has any. We cannot know Him in full. We will have errors. Well intended, but errors nonetheless. We must assume that ALL THEOLOGIANS make errors, for that is part of being human. Wether we like it or not, we are not perfect. We will error. These errors often stem from a lack of experience and knowledge. In the end, no human is absolutely right. We cannot be. In order to be totally right in our Theology, we would have to know God completely. That would, by definition, make us all knowing. If we were, we would be God. This is impossible. Therefore, we must all be in error in one place or another.

Now this is not meant to discourage, but to encourage. We may be wrong, but God will guide us if we ask Him. We will not get all of His knowledge at once, (or ever, here on Earth) but He will guide as we are able to follow. That means some people will be further along, or on different paths ordained by God. As such, we will see things differently, because we are at different places. Just like people with a different angle see a ballgame differently, (and come up with different ways to call a play) we all see God differently. That is not because God is different to different people, but because we have a limited view. (Just like the ballgame didn't change because of our point of view) 

Knowing this, we need to remember that we cannot clearly call the play that we cannot see. God may give others a different conviction then yours. Maybe they are weaker and haven't reached your level. Maybe they are stronger, and you can't see things the way they can yet. Either way, we are each accountable for our own lives and decisions. We cannot base our lives on the reasoning of others, no matter if they are ahead of us or not. We are to be faithful in what God has given us, not what He has given someone else.

In the end, no one can be totally right. We cannot and will not have absolute accuracy. A.W. Towzer puts it well. He says, "I could forgive almost any error as long as it was in sincere love for God" Will people error? Yes. Will teachers error? Yes. Can we ourselves be in error? Yes. Will God condemn us for this error? Only if we are convicted by Him of it and ignore it. God does not require more of us than we are able. But He does not expect us to ignore what He as given us either. So instead of trying to judge every teacher, let us instead go to God and ask Him to judge the matter in a way that we can understand. God is not going to change; our understanding of Him will. May God bless you as you walk with Him.

Mixed Morality

Can Christians go to war? Can we use violence in self defense? Should we? Do we know? Do we care? These are questions we ask ourselves when we look at how Jesus instructed us to live. He told us to turn the other cheek, to love those that hurt us.

But did He really mean people who physically hurt us? Well, let's take a look at the context. Jesus was talking to the Jews, a group of people who were overrun by a foreign power. The Roman armies were aggressive, brutal, and efficient. It was to a group of people who lived under government like this that Jesus was speaking to. He told them to love their neighbors, therefore we should love ours as well.

We are told to not resist an evil person. (Matt. 5:49) But what does that mean? Does that mean we are to let people rob us? Let them hurt us? What about our families? Are we to stand by and do nothing?

This is where we get mixed morality. We teach and preach the fact that we are not to resist others. However, how do you and I live our daily lives? Do we resist (hurt or deceive) our neighbor in business? Do we honor our deals? Do we act in a way that helps them?

We live in a country that is based on capitalism. That means businesses compete to get customers. This leads to a strong economy that must always improve itself, but what does that do for us as Christians? Do we practice greed in business and then try to be selfless in our personal life? Do we make cutthroat deals and backstab our competitors, then work in unity in the church? Can this work? Should we do this? Where do we apply Christian ethics and where do we not? Is it ok to use any means necessary to get ahead in business as long is it is not illegal?

What does business have to do with violence? Well, quite a lot actually. We need to remember that we are to be a light to the world in all locations. If we are not a light to those that we work with in our business, then how do we expect them to believe us when we claim to follow Christ? If we are not a consistent witness in business, what we do in a violent situation is moot. We rarely run into a situation that actually involves our witness as non-resistant to violence, but our day to day business speaks volumes.

In the end, we need to be Christlike in our dealings with people before any of this matters. If we are not a witness in any other way, our nonresistance (or lack thereof) is pointless.

But back to violence in self defense. Can I defend myself with violence? How about my wife, or children? If I sit back and do nothing while they are injured, is that honoring God? This is a question that has been asked more times than I could count, and I am sure there are people with a better answer than mine. But before we answer it, lets look at an example or two of Jesus life.

Exodus 20:8 reads, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." We are told further in to the chapter that we are not to work on that day. But what did Jesus do on a Sabbath? We are told that He healed a man on that day. When asked, He responded that man was not made for the Sabbath, but Sabbath for the man. (Mark 2:27) How does that tie in? Well, Jesus says that the rule is to help man, not hurt him. It appears there are exceptions, for Jesus Himself made one. What matters is the reason for what we do. Jesus did not work on the Sabbath to make a profit. He was helping people. In the same way, self defense due to pride, profit, or our own glory is wrong. However, to defend the helpless is another calling we have. (Prov. 31:9, Ps. 82:3 and others) We are not to use violence as a way to get our way, but that does not mean we cannot defend those who need defense.

Jesus also used violence at one point in His life. Note that He did not do so to further His own name, but the name of God. Again we see that why we are doing is the important part of what we are doing. Jesus used whips to empty the Temple. (John 2)

The heart is indeed what matters. (I Samuel 16:7) Why we do what we do is the driving source of our Judgement before God. Therefore, it should be the driving force in deciding these types of issues. In the end, we cannot make these types of decisions without going before God in prayer. By that, I do not mean praying only when the situation arises. We need to spend time with God daily so that we can get to know Him. Once we do, these situations can be addressed in a Godly manner. Until then, no amount of knowledge or research can solve this question. May God guide you as you draw near to Him.

Corrupting Christianity

I was reading some classic eighteenth century poets this afternoon when I came upon this quote.

He who begins by loving Christianity more than Truth, will proceed by loving his sect or church better than Christianity, and end in loving himself better than all.

At first I thought this was an anti-Christian statement. I thought the writer was being harsh. Then, I began to think. If we do love Christianity (note, I didn't say Christ) more than Truth (which is found in Christ) than we soon see the world as 'us' and 'them'. We become filled with the idea that anyone or anything that has the label 'Christian' must be good, even if it is just a chicken sandwich (Chick-fil-A comes to mind). Soon we get upset if people don't like our group (even for reasons that have nothing to do with our faith or God, just everyday reasons) and we start to retaliate. Soon, we get upset with others in our band of Christians. We have to rename ourselves to show that we aren't 'like them.' We attack the other group because they are Christian in the same way we are. We soon find that this leads to more of the same. In the end, we start to see Christianity as being whatever we are, even in areas that have nothing to do with our faith. A Christian does not have to be a white skinned, bearded fellow with glasses who likes quirky humor. That part of me doesn't have anything to do with Christ. But so often we view Christianity as 'being like me (or someone else).' We forget what the word Christian even means. Little Christ. It isn't about our name, our group, or ourselves. It is about Christ. Not a single time did Jesus attack the politics of His day. Oh, the people tried. Christ was not interested in politics that change day by day or hour by hour. He was concerned for men's souls.

So what should we take from this? Well, we need to remember that we are not to be friends only to fellow Christians. (Matthew 5:47) We are to love all people. If someone else doesn't agree with you, love them. If they mock you, pray for them. We seem to think that this applies only to when we are being tortured for our faith. (which doesn't happen here in America) We need to remember that we are to love our enemies, our neighbors, and our brothers and sisters. There is only one way to God; that is through Jesus Christ. But we need to remember what else Jesus taught. He did teach love. Love and judgement are intwined. If God did not judge, He would not have any love for those who have been wronged. On the other side of that coin, if God did not love, He would not bother to judge, or would just condemn the whole group.

In the end, we must love God, not just love religion. There are many religions, and even many in Christian circles that love religion and follow that, without ever actually following God. We need to make sure that we fellowship with Him, follow Him, and love Him first. Then we are truly Christians.

Spiritual Stories

I was stilling and enjoying one of my favorite pastimes today, (drinking coffee) when I overhead a group of zealous, devoted Christians talking next to me. They were discussing one of my other favorite pastimes, reading. One of them was talking about reading Towzer and Ravenhill, both fine authors. The other was telling how they no longer read any fiction because it was a waste of time. This saddened me. I realize that many works of fiction are not of much, if any good. Indeed, many of them may be dark, or in extreme cases directly evil. But storytelling is a precious gift from God that we can enjoy and use to grow. I am personally very fond of storytelling, both others' and my own. Jesus Himself used stories to illustrate His points. In fact, we find that Jesus didn't teach the crowd with anything other than parables. (Matthew 13:35)

So what is 'good' fiction and what is bad? Does it have to be from a Christian author? Is it anything you can order from Christian Book Distributor's? Only if written by people with a degree in Theology? To make any of these our guideline for literature would be foolish. I have read books by 'Christian' authors that had far worse implications than those written by non-Christians. Also, I have read excellent books that were written by Christian authors.

God tells us about Himself in story. In fact, the entire O.T. is one long literary novel. It is indeed non-fiction, but it is a story nonetheless. The O.T. prophets often spoke in literary stories and the last book of the N.T. also gives us a narrative. If God puts such a value and usage into storytelling, why do we not do so as well?

Many times truth is revealed in story that is nigh impossible to show in other ways. Many amazing stories have been penned throughout history to show us points that we would not have been able to put our finger on if they had been told in a different medium. Imagination was given to us by our Creator. It is something He has and has given unto us. We are made in His image, and should use what we have been given to glorify Him. In the words of Dietrich Boenhoffer, ""Being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God's will."In the same way, avoiding all fictional literature as a 'waste of time' is far more like avoiding the ability to reason and learn and instead  of actively learning and growing.

Don't get me wrong. I don't think that those friends were being sacrilegious; I think that they meant well. And if that is indeed the conviction that God has given them then I do not believe they should change them. God does not convict us all the same way. For good reason. God has created so many people because He has a unique story to tell in each life. God does not intend for us to all become identical. We are to be unique children of God. If we were not, there would not be need for more then one Son. If we were to become exactly the same, there would be no possibility of plurality. God desires for us to each be a unique work of His hand, for His glory. For this reason, we are all different.

In the end, God's conviction should produce our obedience. We are to be what He asks us to be. We are to love Him and His children. In doing so we are truly His children.

What is Will?

What is God's will? This is a question every Christian asks. In fact, the more we ask it, the harder this question becomes. Some people will tell you that God's Will is sovereign What that means is that nothing happens outside of His will. They reach this conclusion by realizing that God is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient, (all knowing) and omnipresent (everywhere). Therefore, they assume that all that happens is what He want to have happen. They will confidently tell you that all things are in God's will and no matter what happens God wanted it to happen. That has to be true right? Because God is all powerful?

"Hold on a minute," I hear you say. "Then God wanted Hitler to kill all those people? God wanted man to sin? God wanted Lucifer to become the Devil? Do you mean that God wants rape, murder, kidnapping, and theft to happen?" This is indeed what that would mean. John Wesley said it well when he said: "this makes God worse than the Devil."

How could God ask, even demand, us to follow His Laws, claim to be Holy and Just, and do all these things? Doesn't that make God a sinner? The worst sinner in history? Would that not make God the Father of Lies?

Yes, it would.

As you can see, I do not agree with that teaching. I believe that God is indeed all-powerful. But I believe God is powerful enough to create beings that have their own free will. Free will is the most powerful thing God created, and He gave it to us. To humans.

What does this mean? Well it means that God created a perfect world, put people in it, then let them choose. There cannot be freewill without choice. God wants to have children that love Him. But love must be a choice. You do not love something if you could not choose anything else. That would not be love, it would be menial attachment by proxy. No, God wanted free children that loved Him. So He gave them the choice to love or leave.

Now, people did eventually choose to leave God. They disobeyed Him. Adam and Eve did so in the Garden. Here we find the first human choice against God's will. He desired to have them follow Him forever, but they did not. They broke His command. This was not His will. His will was for them to love Him and love on another. In disobeying Him, they did not follow Him.

Now we come to the most important question of this post. WAS IT GOD'S WILL FOR THEM TO DISOBEY HIM? If it was, then they were not disobeying Him, they were following His will. If that is true, they should not be punished. But God did punish them, He condemned them for disobedience. If it was disobedience, it was not His will. God does not EVER want people to disobey Him. He does not want people to kill, rape, or steal. But, true to His word, He gives us that choice. But He will punish us in the end if we disobey.

In the end, we cannot say that God hates lies and at the same time say that all lies told are part of His will. We cannot say that God does not sin and then state that all sin is part of God's will. The problem with this line of thinking is that people don't understand the difference between Power (God's omnipotence) and freewill (God's gift to man) There cannot be sin without it being against God; and God cannot will sin as it is against Him. Therefore, not all things are part of God's will.

Now, I have no doubt that God COULD force His will on us. He could squash us all in a second. But that is not what He asks. He asks us to choose to follow Him. He will not force us to do so. This is not for lack of power. In fact, the very nature of our freewill shows just how powerful God is.

Conclusion

Lying, theft, rape, murder; all these things are not part of God's will. I believe that He mourns with us. But He will not take away freewill. For to do so is to take away the reason He created us. So what is God's will? Simple: love the LORD your God with all your mind, soul, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself. Remember, God wants you to choose, and He will let you, no matter what. Choose wisely, my friend.

Personal Presuppositions

This evening I went with a friend of mine to watch Jurassic Park in 3D. Nothing like giant dinosaurs running around in 3D and surround sound. Throughout the movie they were talking about how dinosaurs evolved, where they went, and how many years separated man and dinosaur. As a young Earth advocate, I would not actually agree with these precepts, however they were assumed in the movie and everybody on film seemed to agree.

This got me to thinking, do people believe this and then watch the movie, or do they believe it because it is on the movie? Not just this one, but so many others. On TV shows, the smartest guy isn't just an atheist; oh no. He is always the one who laughs condescendingly when there are any people of faith. (You will also notice there are never any normal Christian characters, just nut bags, or fakes or people who say one thing and do another.) So there we see that the smart people are all the ones who don't believe in God.

So what, you may say. Why do we care? Well, most people assume that the person behind the writing has done their research, and they are showing us the truth. Not so. Often we fall for modern propaganda here in our 'free' country as well. We assume that what is on TV is what everyone believes. Other people assume the same thing. So what soon happens is that people do indeed start to believe it, so that they will fit in with everyone else.

An example of this is the way people view police shows. So often on those shows, they have to keep a caller on the line. If they don't, they can't trace the call. In the real world, if you can make a connection, it can be tracked instantly, otherwise you wouldn't have a connection. 

Another example is TV medical care. The odds of recovering after getting CPR are 5%-15%. To give CPR you must check and see if the person is breathing. That they do. But you are also to check if they have a pulse. They never do. In order to be authorized to give CPR the person has to have no pulse and not be breathing. Basically, we would say they are already dead. Technically, they are. That is why the odds of survival are so low. But if you believe what they show you on TV, every thing from car accidents, electrocution, drowning, and a blow to the head can be solved by CPR. This is not the case at all. 

Why does this matter? Well the point is that we assume that what we are shown is the truth, therefore we believe that this is how it works. In the same way, we assume that the beliefs held by characters written by an author show what everyone believes, so we tend to believe the same thing as well. We must always be wary of the presuppositions of the people who wrote the show. We need to test everything and use our critical thinking skills. Not only with TV and movies, but also with our day to day activities that involve other people. We need to learn that we do indeed pick up whatever we are around. We need to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

In the end, wether you agree with the young Earth theory or if you subscribe to a old Earth, we must all remember to study what we believe and see if we believe them because they are true, or if we believe them because other people do. This applies especially to us as Christians. We need to realize that we must have a reason for our beliefs, not just build on the latest teacher or preacher. Also we need to realize that some things people will not let go of so quickly because it has been so ingrained into their minds by popular media. In the end, the only way to do this is by prayer and supplication.