Response to Christopher Hitchen’s Question on the Believer’s Moral Distinction

“The Pew Forum” held a debate in 2010 between Christopher Hicthens and his brother Peter Hitchens on the topic of “Can Civilization Survive Without God?” In the debate, Christopher Hitchens raises this question:

“I used to ask a question. I’ve now asked it in public, on the radio, in print, in TV debates with quite a lot of leading religious figures and thinkers. It’s simply this: You ought to be able to tell me of a moral action performed or an ethical statement made by a believer that I couldn’t make because I’m a nonbeliever. You ought to be able. Given what you think, it must be very easy for you to say, here’s something you couldn’t say or do that would be morally right or morally true. “

The answer is simple as he already answered it in the question: being a nonbeliever, he cannot believe. He affirms this by a following statement:

“In what moments do I think, what if I’m wrong? I always think it’s probably a weakness in me because I always like to think that in any argument I can return my own serve. If I was appointed to speak on the other side of a debate, I could do it. I could make the case, say, for leaving Saddam Hussein in power in Iraq, and you wouldn’t know that I didn’t believe it. But I couldn’t do it for religion. I am one of those people whom Pascal has in mind in his Pensées, which he addresses, if you remember, to those who are so made that they cannot believe. Under no persuasion could I be made to believe that a human sacrifice several thousand years ago vicariously redeems me from sin. Nothing could persuade me that that was true — or moral, by the way. Just — I can’t — it’s — (audio break) — predisposition to faith.”

Christopher Hitchens states clearly that he “cannot” believe. Thus, he lacks the ability to do so. Yet, Christ Himself stated,

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18 NAS)

Faith is a moral act that cannot be achieved by human power alone. God Himself must give us the ability to believe. This makes sense because of what faith is. Faith is not mere belief–the acceptance of something as being true or not. To believe God exists is not the same as faith as identified in the Bible. To have faith is to “believe in” Christ. This is more than saying ‘I believe God exists’ and ‘Christ died for my sins’. Faith is trust. Faith in Christ is to trust Him as Savior and Lord–which means trusting Him with our life. You cannot trust someone or something unless you have encountered or experienced them in some way. For example, if I trust the pilot of a plane, I will sit and allow them to fly. While I may not have met the pilot in person, I do sit obey their instruction. Likewise, while I may not have met Christ face to face, I at least need to have recognized that He is pilot of my life. Unless we have this experience of Christ, where He has been revealed to us and we receive His revelation, then we cannot have faith. Therefore, before we may have faith, we must at least receive revelation–the revealing of God to us.

In the case of Christopher Hitchens, he obviously has not experienced God, or at least, recognized God in His experience. Otherwise, he would not be an atheist. So, without having received the revelation of God, He lacks the ability to “believe in Christ.”

Deception Clouds Observation

In seeking data to support the above question it should be noted that humans have the ability to decieve. What we do and say on the outside is not a reflection of what is happening inwardly. Therefore, how can we adequate judge whether an act is “moral” or not? If two men donate money to charity, one for the purpose of gaining status and the other out of charity; which one did the morally “right” thing? If two murder, one in defense and one for money, which one did the morally “wrong” thing? How can we know the heart?

Christopher Hitchens gives this example:

“Here is my attempt to win my own prize. When Lech Walesa was starting his work in the Polish shipyards and the Polish militia, the outer ring of the Polish army were closing in on Gdansk, he was interviewed with his then-fairly small group, and he was asked, aren’t you frightened, aren’t you afraid? You’ve taken on a whole all-powerful state and army — aren’t you scared? And he said, I’m not frightened of anything but God or anyone but God.

This came back to me. I thought, well, this meets my two criteria. It’s certainly a noble thing to have said, a distinguished thing to have said, and I certainly couldn’t have said it. So it does meet both my criteria. But it was also the slogan of Gen. Edwin Walker of the John Birch Society in a different situation — the man whom Lee Harvey Oswald took target practice on, right-wing, paranoid Crusade for Christ nutbag in the ’50s. Doesn’t sound so good when it’s said by him and it’s a summons to think of nuclear war as not too bad, for example. It’s not quite the same.”

However, his example fails in this: how can he judge the inside of each man? Just because someone says they are not frightened, doesn’t mean they are. So, the first example may have fully answered his question but he may not have known it because he judged based upon the outcome rather than the source.

Likewise, if a person says, “I believe in Christ”; how can we know if this is true?

The Moral Distinction

There are many things of which the unbeliever “couldn’t say or do that would be morally right or morally true”. However, these things are not based solely upon the act but also the spirit of the action. A non-believer, one who does not have God, cannot do anything “with” God.

The one who is “with” God is what distinguishes a true believer from a lair. The apostle Paul said in Romans 8:9 that a person does not belong to Christ unless they have the Spirit of Christ. A believer, by definition, is one who has faith and “believes in Christ”. By having faith, God Himself gives the person “eternal life” which Jesus defined in John 17:3 as the knowledge of God. Therefore, the distinction between a “believer” and “unbeliever” is simply the presence of God internally.

Judging whether an action is morally “right” or “wrong” depends upon God. God judges by the heart, not merely the action. What is the root or cause of the action? Was the person motivated by God or something else? The source of the action determines the “moral” worth. If the action was motivated by my own heart, then its worth is based upon my worth. However, if the action was motivated by God, it is worth what God is worth. This is where the moral distinction lies–in the Spirit. No one can do the works of God without the Spirit of God. Thus, an unbeliever cannot do any action where God is the reason behind the action. As Christ told His disciples, “apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

How do we develop faith & practice?

Ultimate Authority = Christ (The Lord)

–>Who gave us the Scriptures (Basis)

–> Which is understood by

–> History/Tradition/Orthodoxy

–>We cannot deny the past and should not reject it.

–> Universality among believers

–> We need to be united in a common walk if faith is true.

–> Ration/Reason/Logic

–> God is not irrational and so it should be rational.

–> Spirituality

–> We are lead by the Spirit.

–> Apostleship (Authority delegated by God)

–> Proper leadership called by God.

–> Exegesis (Scholarship)

–> Skilled in language.

Church & the World

The Church, who is the body of Christ, needs to stand apart from the world. Indeed, we live in the world, interact with the world, and do good in the world; however, we are not of this world.

Separation from the world doesn’t mean physical separation or complete rejection, rather, it is a separation of the ways of this world–morals and values. We follow Christ and His ways. We seek to please God. What is pleasing to God is not pleasing to the world. We stand in contrast to the world and this should be seen within the Church.

We submit to Christ. We don’t break to civil law unless it contradicts Christ. We always strive for peace for God is peace. We seek harmony with those around us, but not partnership. We do not seek to engage in sinful activities. We do not agree with the world. We hold to the Scriptures. We proclaim Christ even against civil law. If the government says, “do not pray”, we pray.

Simultaneously, we do not attempt to force Christ upon others. We invite others to pray, but do not force them to pray. We invite them into our congregation, but do not force them.

Our aspiration is to do God’s will which includes God’s plan of salvation for all people.

James 4:4 NIV
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

1 John 2:15-17 NIV
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world–the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does–comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Romans 12:2 NIV
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

QUESTIONS RAISED

What is the Church’s role in society? How does the Church play a role in politics if any? What is the separation of Church and State? Can the Church be separate? What does this mean? How much influence should the Church have upon the State? What constitutes Church versus philosophy/ideology? How should the Church interact with secular powers?

Jesus Christ – The Answer to Suffering and Death

One thing that is common among the world’s religions is that suffering and death are not supposed to exist in the world. Every religion recognizes this and offers some sort of solution to the problem (though, not all give a reason). Non-religious based worldviews, like atheism, agnosticism, and deism, do not recognize suffering or death as a problem. Rather, most often, those worldviews embrace evolution which not only doesn’t see suffering and death as a problem, but a necessity for prolongation of life.

Suffering and death, however, even for the evolutionist, is a not wanted or ever viewed as right. Many may try to justify death as necessary for various reasons (which is why we have capital punishment and war), however, when death comes to someone we love, no one ever says death is the way things should be. Rather, when we encounter death or suffering, sorrow and grief is produced. There is nothing within humanity that delights in the suffering of someone we love. (Though, humans do at times delight in the suffering of someone they hate.)

Thus, death and suffering is not natural. This is not the way things are supposed to be. Everyone, in every culture, has a sense of this. Death and suffering should not exist in the world. This is evidenced by the fact that humans all around the world remember those who have died. We mourn death. We also make every attempt to avoid suffering unless it has a specific purpose of discipline (teaching us to be better).

[As a side note, I am using the word "suffering" to describe any pain or discomfort. There is a distinction, however, between the average pain and torment. Suffering categorized by torment is like a vacuum that consumes all joy.]

Death is not natural. This is one reason why I cannot and will never be an evolutionist. Evolution embraces death as the method of improvement. The weak suffer and die, while the strong persist. If evolution were true, then humans would not mourn death. We would not want death, for the drive to survive is also what drives evolution. However, we also would not mourn death. We would say, “this is how things should be” and have a peace about it.

World religions do not teach that death is supposed to be. In fact, some religions, like Buddhism, exist because suffering is a problem that needed an answer. Suffering is the core issue Buddha spent his life seeking an answer. Christianity, likewise, teaches that God does not want death and suffering to exist in the world, and so, He has a plan to change the current state of things so that death and suffering will never again exist in the world. Christ is offering salvation from suffering and death. This is most important to know. God does not want you to suffer or die.

The question then arises, why do we suffer and die? Not every world religion has an answer to this question. Variations of Hinduism, for example, do not provide a reason as to why everything has gone wrong. They do recognize that things have gone wrong which, they say, is the reason for reincarnation. Hinduism explains the problem as ignorance–a separation from the Brahman (the one supreme universal spirit). Every world religion does recognize that something has gone wrong with humanity. There is a problem with us.

Therefore, since every religion offers an answer to the problem of death and suffering, every religion offers an answer or a “way”. Because of this, every world religion has a “path” or a series of steps that a person should follow in order to achieve success. Islam has the 5 pillars. Budhism has the eightfold path. Judaism has the ten commandments. Jainism has the triple gems. Hinduism has a variety of paths. The Hindu God Krishna will offer forgiveness in exchange for worship. Shintoism has purification rituals. Variations of Christianity involve doing good works in order to justify oneself.

However, the message of Jesus Christ is uniquely different from any other teacher or religion. All religions place the emphasis for success on the individual. Conversely, Christianity (as taught by Christ) places the emphasis for success on Christ. The message of Christ is that “I will do what is necessary to give you success. Come to me, and I will give you success.” Unlike Krishna, Jesus is not offering success in exchange for anything. Jesus is not saying, “worship me and I’ll give you forgiveness.” Jesus says, “I bought you forgiveness by dying on the cross for you. I am offering this gift to you. I am offering eternal life.” There is nothing that the individual needs to do to recieve the gift other than accepting it. There is no fee or requirement to be paid.

However, to accept the gift of forgiveness and eternal life does imply a few things. Firstly, to whom have we sinned? Forgiveness implies that we have done something wrong to someone. Who have we wronged? If indeed, death does exist, then obviously, we have wronged the giver of life. Who is the giver of life? The giver of life is God–the supreme being.

Secondly, forgiveness can never be accepted in any situation unless a person recognizes they have done something wrong. A person who says, “I have done nothing wrong” is not accepting forgiveness. In fact, such a person can never be forgiven. In other words, before a person can ever be forgiven, they must first repent.

Lastly, accepting the gift of forgiveness also means believing that Jesus can and will offer forgiveness. If we wronged God, shouldn’t God be the one to offer us forgiveness? How can Jesus offer us eternal life unless He is the giver of life? The only way Jesus can offer us forgiveness and eternal life is if He is God. Therefore, to recieve the gift of Jesus means that we trust Him for who He is. We must have enough trust in Jesus to reach out and accept the gift He is offering (or at the very least, to ask for it). Therefore, we must have faith. We must believe in Him.

God doesn’t want any to die. This fact is stated in the Bible. God doesn’t want anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). However, not everyone will repent. Jesus Himself said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32 NIV) The righteous are those who think there is nothing wrong with them. Sinners, however, recongize they have offended God. They are not so proud to say, “I don’t need help.”

Religion, at the core, has always been humanities attempt to make things right by their own power. If you just follow these steps, you will be cleansed and things will go for you. You will escape death and suffering. By following these laws, you will find life. However, if there is anything that the laws of the world have proven is that we are lawbreakers. No matter what morality is presented us, we face moral failure. In many eastern religions, this means reincarnation. What society has ever seen perfection? What person has ever lived perfectly? What human has ever conquered death?

Jesus Christ, who is fully and completely human (evidenced by His own bloody death), has conquered death by rising from the dead. His resurrection was witnessed by thousands and documented by a few. After being witnessed, He rose up to Heaven where He sits on His throne ruling over all. He is the giver of life. So, whoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have eternal life. No other religion offers such a Savior who has offered such a gift and proven it is true by His birth, life, death, and resurrection.

Jesus Christ provides a complete answer to suffering. He explains to us that suffering and death is due to our own moral failure–we have done wrong against God who is the giver of life. However, God does not want us to die and so He is offering hope. While we are currently headed the wrong way, Jesus is offering a new way. Jesus, Himself, is the way. If we come to Him, as the giver of life, he will give us new life. We will receive a portion of that new life here and now. We will recieve rest for our souls–internal peace and fulfillment. And we will also have a future. We have the promise of eternal life. We will live forever in a world without any death or suffering. Forever, we will experience peace, joy, and love in a perfect world.

The answer to death and suffering is Jesus Himself. He is life.

John 1:4 NIV – In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

John 3:16 NIV – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:36 NIV – Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.

John 5:24 NIV – I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

John 5:39-40 NIV – You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

John 6:40 NIV – For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 10:10 NIV – The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 11:25-26 NIV – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 14:6 NIV – Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 17:3 NIV – Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

John 20:31 NIV – But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Human Nature

We have already covered in my previous post that God has a particular/unique nature. God is God. He is one way, and not another. Likewise, everything in the universe also has a uniqueness. Everything has a particular nature and form (being). Additionally, things in the universe can be grouped together into categories. For example, a tree has a particular form which is different from everything else around it. Because of this, we can identify it as a tree. All trees are unique. They are never exact copies. Yet, trees can also be grouped together according to their kind. Trees are different from bushes. Maple trees are different from oak trees.

Like trees, animals also have different forms and natures. Dogs, for example, share a common nature. A dog barks. Why? Because it is a dog. Animals also have personalities (which differ from what we define as their nature). This is easily seen in dogs. You can have two dogs of the same breed that have drastically different personalities. (The point: nature is not the same as personality.) While all dogs are unique and share different personalities, they also share a common nature. Dogs are dogs. Elephants are elephants. Frogs are frogs.

From being flows doing. A dog has the nature of a dog. It’s “being” is a dog. Therefore, it barks. The barking (doing) flows out of what it is. A dog acts like a dog because it is a dog. Now, does a dog bark because it is a slave? No. A dog barks because it is a dog. Because it is a dog, it wants to bark. A dog finds joy in being what it is. It wants to bark, so when it barks, it is happy. So, as long as a dog can be a dog, it is not a slave but free.

Slavery occurs when we want to do something and we are forced to do something else. For example, let’s say we created a law that said, “All dogs must not bark.” This would be most difficult for dogs. A dog could stop barking, but it would probably make the dog miserable. What if the law said, “All dogs must meow.” This is a law that would really be hard for a dog. It would try to meow and never succeed like a cat because it just isn’t a cat. Now, if you force a dog to meow all day, it would become oppressed. It would be forced to do something that is unnatural for it.

So, let’s take this and switch to humans. God created humans to reflect Him. To state this in another way, God has a particular nature and humans should mimic God’s nature. Whatever God is, we should reflect (like the moon reflects the light of the sun). God is love. So humans should love God and one another. God is truth. So humans should be truthful. God is faithful, so humans should be faithful. (The list goes on.) Every command of God, every law of God, every moral duty of humanity is based upon who God is. He didn’t just make up rules for us out of no where. They are based upon the relationship we have with God.

Our greatest ease, greatest joy, and greatest freedom is to follow our own nature without restriction. It is to be ourselves without anything holding us back. If we can do whatever we want without anything stopping us–this is our greatest pleasure. This is the way it should be. But as you know, it is not. In fact, it is quite the opposite. So, let me explain.

Sin, as you well know, is doing something wrong. Most people get this. However, there is another side to sin which most people don’t understand. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they were perfect. Their nature was like God’s nature. (Now, I know you will ask, if they were perfect, why did they sin? The answer is simple. They were tricked and deceived. The Devil lied to them.) Their nature was perfect, however, after they sinned, their nature became corrupt. They didn’t become 100% evil and eager to fight God. Rather, they became corrupted. In a sense, sin is like a disease or cancer. They still reflected God, but that reflection was distorted.

This is why we still love and give and do good things. But, we are not perfect. We fail and make mistakes. Things go wrong. We get married thinking we will be together for life. Then a few years later, we get divorced. What happened? Didn’t we want it to work?

Now, here is the issue. Our human nature is not entirely good, but it’s not entirely evil either. For example, humans were created for perfect love. We should love all the time. If we were completely evil, we would hate all the time. We would be driven by hate and trying to kill each other. Do we see that? No. Distorted love, or imperfect love, is not hateful, but selfish. Love gone sour is selfishness. Are humans selfish? Who isn’t? What person on this planet doesn’t put themselves first at some point if not always?

So, this is our demise. We have been separated from God. Because of this, we no longer reflect the full nature of God. Therefore, we are bent toward sin. Our human nature is not evil, but sinful.

To expound further, we no longer desire what God desires. Our heart should be the same of God. We should reflect His nature. However, our nature is not the same as God. This is proven by the law of God. God has given us commands. Now, if we were all perfect, there would be no need for commands. If you made a law that said, “All dogs must bark whenever they want”, it would be pointless. A dog doesn’t need to be told to bark. Rather, God gave us the law (His commands) to show us that our inward nature is corrupt. God says, “do not steal” and yet, we steal. Why do we steal? If it were our nature to not steal, then we wouldn’t. But we do. God says, “do not covet another man’s wife”. And yet, how many men lust after women who are not their wives? Why?

Because our inward nature is sinful, God’s law becomes oppressive to us. God says “do not do this” and yet inwardly we want to do it. So, we feel restrained. We feel like we have no freedom. The problem, however, is not God’s law. The problem lies within us. We are corrupted.

Now, I know you are going to ask, “if this is true, how can God judge us?” If we are indeed corrupted inside, how can we be guilty? And indeed, you make a good point. However, there is something else to consider.

While humans have a nature (like everything else), unlike everything else, we also have the freedom to deny our nature. We can resist, restrain, deny our feelings, desires, and wants. I may want to eat that chocolate bar very badly, but I will not because it doesn’t belong to me. Because of this, we can be held accountable. A dog, however, does not have this freedom. So, a dog has no moral duty to not steal. God doesn’t tell dogs, “do not steal.” They can’t help it. However, humans do have the ability to deny our nature. As said before, we cannot control what we want, but we can control what we do.

At the same time, God doesn’t want our inward nature to be corrupt. God doesn’t want us to be restrained. He wants us to be free. To be free means we can do whatever we want when we want. The only reason we have to restrain ourselves is because our inward nature is corrupt. The problem is our heart. We don’t want good things. We want bad things. So, God wants to help us by offering us a new heart.

This is why salvation is so important and necessary. If we had the ability to change our heart, then we wouldn’t need Jesus. We could just make ourselves want what God wants. We could change our nature. God, however, has the power to change us. He made us, and He can remake us.

Jesus is offering a new life. He is offering a new heart. When we call out to Him, He is saying, “I will give you a new heart and a new spirit, here and now, and a new body in the future.” Jesus is offering to change our nature so that inwardly, we want the same things that God wants.

Now, in the world there are many people who do what appears to be good things. They lead good lives, they give to charity, they help people. And yet, these people are not Christian. And yet, Christians sometimes do some bad stuff. They sin just like everyone else. So, how can God save Christians and condemn the rest? What is up with that?

Well, this all goes back to how you define “good” and “evil”. Most often, in our contemporary times, we define “good” and “evil” based upon the result. However, we have already defined “good” and “evil” in terms of God. God is good. Therefore, for anything to be good, it must come from God. What makes anything “good” or “evil” is whether or not the source is God. If it comes from God, it is good.

Behind every action is a motivation–something inward that drives it. A person that is separated from God, does not have God inside them to drive or move them. Therefore, they are incapable of doing good. No action, no matter how big or small, will be considered good unless it came from God. They don’t have God, they can’t do good. We might see it as good. We might say, “wow, it was really good of you to donate that money to help starving people.” However, what was that person’s motivation? Were they driven by love? Or were they driven by selfishness? (Which is why Jesus told us not to do good works where people can see, because then we would be doing it for the glory and not sincerely.)

However, a person who has God inside them can do good things. They can still do bad things, but they can also do good things. In Jesus, both are addressed. Jesus provides forgiveness for all the bad things. And then, He helps us to do good things in God’s eyes. Because of Jesus, we can be saved.

The Bible makes it clear that a Christian is someone who has the Spirit of Christ. Romans 8:9 says, “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” There are many people in this world that say, “I am Christian” who do not have Christ’s Spirit. A person is only a Christian if they have the Holy Spirit–the Spirit of Christ. So, you can’t believe every one who claims to be a Christian. There are many imposters.

The offer of Jesus is not slavery. He is NOT saying, “love me or go to Hell”. The message of Jesus is salvation. He saying, “Because of your sin, you are separated from God and are on the way to Hell (a place of separation from God). However, I have come to offer you a way out. I have come to offer you eternal life where you will have a new heart, a new spirit, and a new relationship with God. Repent and put yourself into my hands so that I may make you new again.”

Now, it is important to note that repentance is not a change of heart. God is NOT saying, “make yourself into a good person by obeying all my commands.” He is NOT saying, “come and be my slave”. How stupid would that be? If we could change ourselves, why would we need Jesus? We wouldn’t need God to help us. We could do it all ourselves. Rather, repentance is simple a change of mind about who we are and who God is.

As humans, we have a tendency to think we are more than we really are. We have a tendency to try and make ourselves into what we want to be–in other words to be our Creator. We try to live life on our terms in our own way. To repent means that we change our mind about this. We realize that we are sinful. We need help. We are not almighty or powerful. We are weak. When we come to this point of brokenness where we realize that we just cannot do it–we cannot be the master of ourselves–then we are close to repentance.

Repentance is also changing our mind about God. We are open to the truth. We are willing to admit we are wrong, and we are open to Jesus changing us. It means we are turning away from this world, away from ourselves, and turning to Jesus.

This might be simply to say, “God, I am not even sure you exist. But if you are up there Jesus, I need some help down here. I can’t do this. I can’t live this life.” It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it and who you say it to. God knows if we are sincere. If we recite some prayer told to us by a preacher and we are not sincere, then it’s worthless. We are trying to work God like a vending machine. It doesn’t work. And if we pray to the wrong God, then we are not talking to God. We must address Him for who He is. Jesus is God. We must pray to Jesus. If we pray to any other God, we will not get an answer no matter how sincere. (But if a person is sincere, God will send a messenger to tell that person about Jesus.)

So, Jesus says, “Repent and believe.” However, believe doesn’t mean to believe God exists. If God wanted someone to believe He existed, He could make that happen. What God desires is our love and trust. We are to “believe in” the Son of God. The little word “in” adds a great amount of weight. When we “believe in” something, we don’t just believe it, we invest ourselves into it. We believe it is what it claims to be. In the case of Christ, we truly believe He is Lord, God and Savior as He claimed to be. He is the author of life who can offer us a full and meaningful life. To “believe in” Jesus simply means that we are willing to trust Him. We are willing to fall backward into His arms and allow Him to care for us.

Baptism is a beautiful portrait of this entire process. We fall backward into the water. We don’t do this ourselves, rather, we fall back into the hands of a preacher. By falling back, we are showing to everyone that we have fallen backwards into the hands of Jesus. We have given ourselves to Him. We fall back into water. This water represents the Spirit of God that washes our human spirit of all sin. We are set free. When we rise up out of the water, we are made new. We have risen with Jesus. We have been given new life.

However, all this must happen first inside a person spiritually for it to actually be true. This is called “regeneration” and it is not something anyone else can see. Only that person can feel and know what God has done in them.

It is an amazing gift to have the Spirit of Christ wash over you and fill you inside. It is a most wonderful thing to experience. It is why I am studying at seminary to become a preacher. I want everyone to experience the joy, peace, love, and power of God within them. There is nothing else like it

Good and the Nature of God

Who is God? This question is probably the most significant questions to be asked because who God is–His person/nature/character–i​s the foundation of all that has been, is, and will be. God is the root/core/basis–the first and last.

This is central to our discussion of “good” and “evil”. God has a particular nature. From this nature flows the reason for all things. When God created the universe, He did so based upon who He is. God is a Creator, so He created. God is orderly, so the universe has order. God is harmonious, so the universe is harmonious. God is good, so all things God created is good. (We started good, but went bad. Why evil exists is a different discussion.)

The word “good” in it’s most simplistic definition means “pleasing” or “agreeable”. When we say something is “good”, we are saying it is pleasing to us. Humans have the ability to be pleased and displeased–we can find things to be good or bad. For example, I like dark chocolate, so to me, it’s good.

This very principle is demonstrated in our definitions of “good” and “evil”. However, every culture differs. So the question becomes, who decides? Who decides what is right and wrong in the world?

All “good” is relative. We all are unique and have different tastes. So, we differ in what we find to be “good”. However, since humans were also created (since above us exists a God who decided what and who we should be), we answer to a greater authority.

God also find things to be pleasing. These things are not arbitrary. God doesn’t sit around and say, “Today, I think I will like this.” Rather, what God finds to be pleasing is based upon who God is. Because God is who He is, He finds things pleasing or displeasing.

This means that what is considered “moral goodness” is not what we humans all find pleasing, but what God who exists above us finds pleasing. This also means that “moral goodness” is not arbitrary. Rather, “moral goodness” is rooted in the person and nature of God. The nature of God is the standard for “good”. “Good” is not above God. God is not above “good”. Rather, “good” flows from the person of God.

The nature of God is most vital and important for all things, especially humans. The “why” behind everything is rooted in the nature of God. Why do we humans exist? Because God is a loving Creator who desired to have children. The reason God created us is to be like Him–in person/character/nature. God is love, so we should love.

The whole universe exists based upon who God is. His unchanging nature is the reason behind all things. The universe is wonderful, majestic, and beautiful because it was created by God who is the same.

“Evil”, therefore, is that which is contradictory to God. It is that which opposes God’s nature and character. If God is love, hate is evil. God is the giver of life, so murder is evil. God is truth, so lying is evil. God is faithful, so adultery is evil.

Suffering, however, is not evil. God Himself suffers. In Christ, He suffered. Suffering is the fruit/result/consequence of evil. We suffer because evil exists. Christ suffered on our behalf so that the evil we commit could be forgiven. We are forgiven, not because God dismissed our evil, but rather because God addressed our evil.

God doesn’t want anyone to suffer, go to Hell, or die. In fact, the Bible says that Hell was prepared for the demons (thus, not for humans) (Matthew 25:41). God allows suffering and evil to exist for a short time. He shortened humans lives to no more than 120 years (as it says in Genesis 6:3). Imagine if we endured for longer. Whatever suffering we may endure, it is only for a short time compared to eternity.

All suffering serves a purpose for God’s greater plan. He has a day set aside called the “Day of the Lord” which He fully intends on making all things right. He will vanquish death, evil, and suffering forever. These things will never be again in the universe.

However, justice calls for balance. Hell exists because God is good. If God is good, He must not just remove evil, but condemn it.

Because God is the giver of life, God gave life to humans (and angels). His intention was for them to exist forever. Now, if God chooses to annihilate them, then He is going against His own nature. If God’s nature changes, then everything falls apart. God Himself will be in conflict. If God is in conflict, nothing would ever exist because He would never cease being in conflict long enough to create. God’s nature is absolute, and because of this, everything else is able to exist based upon Him. So, humans and angels must continue to exist because God cannot deny Himself. However, they oppose God. So, they are condemned.

God doesn’t want this. That is why Jesus came. He came to save people who were already condemned by their own evil. Salvation is why evil and suffering is allowed to exist. God is giving everyone an opportunity to repent–to turn away from evil and turn to God.

The only way people even know to repent is when they suffer. If your friend was going down a dangerous path that would later destroy him, would you not try to warn him? Suffering warns us of evil. It also causes us to seek God. Through suffering, God is able to help.

What about, for example, a baby that suffers with cancer. “How can God allow this?” Firstly, God did not cause this suffering. It is a result of the current state of things. The world is separated from God. If it were not, then the baby would have been born perfect. Secondly, God has allowed it because God is allowing everyone to see the effects of a world without Him. Thirdly, the baby was born separated from God. This means the baby does not belong to God. Lastly, God has a plan which may involve this day and age (or only the future). God can do amazing things amidst suffering.

When God’s people pray, God hears and answers their prayers. Through a small child like that, God can show Himself. He can show His love through others who reach out to the baby. He can show His power through a baby who endures and yet smiles. He can show His mercy by bringing healing. God can take bad and turn it into good.

The people in whom we respect the most are often those who have suffered the most and overcome.

Even when death comes, we must remember that God has a plan. This is not the end of the story. Death is not the end. There is a future that awaits and God fully intends on making all the wrong on earth right.

So, when God allows suffering and evil, no matter how horrendous, we cannot judge God based upon our finite perspective. A mother suffers a great deal while being pregnant and even more so at the moment of birth. However, the joy that comes after far outweighs and exceeds the pain. Likewise, we have hope.

Christians trust in God. They trust that no matter what happens, God is who He is. God is good. He will do what is right. God will be faithful to His promises. (We walk in faith and sometimes we stumble.)

And as Christians, we are challenged to grow faith and take continual steps of faith. We are challenged by the world around us–by suffering and evil. The awesome thing is that when we do take a step of faith and call upon Christ, we find that He does answer. He may not answer how we want or suspect. But God does answer. When we truly trust in Him, He is able to work in us. Thus, faith is the evidence for God. When we fall into the hands of Christ, God is proven when He raises us up.

Gay Marriage & The Separation of Church and State

Quite often, when speaking about gay marriage, proponents say that it should be allowed due to the separation of church and state. This, however, is not the case. Simply stated:

“church” = an institution
“homosexuality is a sin” = a doctrine

Thus, gay marriage does NOT fall under the category of separation of church and state as gay marriage has to do with teachings and not the organization of the church.

If the ideas and teachings of religion are to be separated from the state, then this would include other teachings such as “do not murder” and “do not steal”.

Knowledge of God

The word “knowledge” has been influenced by technology. In our computerized era, we think of knowledge the same as we think of computer data. By this, we equate knowledge with data that we possess about something. Knowledge, in this sense, is simply a mental grasp of reality, but not experience with reality itself.

Computer data is not the real thing, rather, it is an artificial representation similar to language. Written words provide a representation of reality, but not the real thing. However, the concept of “knowledge” used in the Bible speaks of something that is not mere data, but formational to our being. Knowledge of this sort is based upon experience–something rooted in what is real.

To illustrate, a person may read facts about the president. However, does this mean they “know” the president? In fact, they don’t. They may have acquired data concerning the president. However, they don’t know him personally unless they have met him and interacted with him.

The difference is significant. Having knowledge of God is not simply having data about God that has been acquired through study. To know God means that we have experienced Him in reality—we have interacted with Him. This goes beyond a mental or intellectual grasp of God to having an actual relationship with God that is grounded upon a real experience of Him. Having such an experience would imply that our being would be influenced or impacted by His presence, just as others impact the shaping of our person.

To clarify, the “experience” of God doesn’t necessitate a physical experience–one that occurs by the physical presence of God. The Bible informs us that God is Spirit. To know God is to know Him not in physical form, but spiritually. We know God because His Spirit comes and makes a home within us. Our spirit communes (or connects) to His Spirit. By this union, we know God and have fellowship with Him. This is what it means to know God. Additionally, this is what it means to live.

John 17:3 NIV — Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Evangelism is not the sole ‘mission’ of the Church

“‘Missions is the activity of God’s people to fulfill God’s mission.’ And God’s mission, from before the foundation of the world, has been to redeem a lost world. It is why Jesus came and died on the cross and rose again. It is why the Holy Spirit gathers believers into a local church.”  (Quote from trevinwax.com)

This is a dangerous message for it makes the purpose of the church evangelism which is simply not true. If God’s mission from before the foundation of the world was to redeem a lost world, then what will God do once the world has been redeemed? Will He want it to be lost again so that He might redeem it again?

God’s mission is not to save a lost world, rather, God’s mission includes saving a lost world. Ephesians 1:12 & 14 informs us that we were saved “for the praise of his glory” (NIV). Everything we do, we should do to evangelize? No, everything we do, we should do to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Christ came first and foremost to bring glory to His father which is what we see outlined for us in John 17. He brought glory to His father by doing His father’s will–by pleasing Him. It was God’s will that we should be saved. It is also God’s will that we should be sanctified. Additionally, it is God’s will that we should be glorified and spend all eternity worshiping Him.

Evangelizing is a part of our worship. It is part of bringing glory to God. However, it is not the whole. It is not our mission. Our mission is to please God. Seeking to save a lost world is one objective of that mission.

A review of the New Testament reveals a greater emphasis on our sanctification than evangelism as many commands have been given for us to be holy and how to live holy lives, while very little have been given to evangelize and how to evangelize.

The two also go together for when we live to please God, we will evangelize. We will do so by proclaiming the gospel and living a holy life.

At the same time, I don’t think it is possible to do “missions” and not share the gospel. To do so, we would have to deny who we are. If we are Christian, we bear the name of Christ. Therefore, all we do in the name of Christ bears the gospel in part.

Our primary mission, however, is to glorify God. This should be our aim in all we do.

Postmodernism & the Elevation of Self

Postmodern philosophy rejects all authority and elevates the self to the ultimate authority over life. As such, all objectivity has been lost to individual biases. Truth and true knowledge have been rejected. Without authority, all sense of self is controlled and dictated by the self. A person senses and perceives, placing one’s own interpretation above all else. A person hears or gathers information and then decides how it should impact their being, rather than being guided and taught.

The postmodern mentality: I am my own God and master–nothing else. I create my own meaning for my life. I am what I make myself. I believe in myself.

Not even reason and logic influences the mind that heightens one’s own reasoning above all else. All reason and logic is influenced by the individual’s own core beliefs–which become the premise for all reasoning. Under this, the world is seen as something to be as we see it. We seek to make it as we want to be. And so, people attempt to be God rather than worship God.